JPH04299374A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of the spilling of toner from the the connecting part of a flexible pipe and a developing cartridge when it is attached/detached, to and from an image forming device on which the the developing cartridge freely sliding with respect to a main body is attachably/detachably connected with the toner replenishing unit of a main body side by the flexible pipe. CONSTITUTION:A constitution is adopted so that an opening plate communicated with the flexible pipe F1 and fixed on the main body side is interposed in the connecting part, and simultaneously, the connection end part of the flexible pipe F1 is opened/closed with respect to the opening plate 6 by interlocking to the sliding of the developing cartridge. Thus, the connection end part of the flexible pipe F1 functions as a shutter opening/closing the opening plate 6 according to the attachment/detachment of the developing cartridge.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improvement in a developing device for supplying developer onto an image carrier in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In general, image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers form an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member such as a photoreceptor drum or a photoreceptor belt, and then apply a developer (toner, etc.) on the photoreceptor. The basic structure is to attach a toner (or a mixture of toner and carrier) and convert it into a toner image, and then to transfer this toner image onto recording paper to form an image. In this case, in order to facilitate maintenance work, the developing unit is configured as a cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a process cartridge) that can be freely attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. A toner replenishing unit provided at a proper location within the main body of the image forming apparatus is separably connected to the developing unit via a flexible pipe to feed toner.

0003

However, the conventional image forming apparatus described above has a drawback in that toner is likely to spill at the connecting portion of the flexible pipe that feeds the toner. That is, when the process cartridge is removed during jam removal (paper jam removal) or maintenance, toner may spill or scatter from the connecting portion between the flexible pipe communicating with the toner replenishing unit and the developer stirring section. This problem becomes particularly serious in the case of a color image forming apparatus because there are many connection points (usually four). In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that does not cause such toner spillage when a process cartridge is attached or detached.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of the present invention is such that a developer cartridge that is slidable with respect to a main body is removably connected to a toner supply unit on the main body side by a flexible pipe. In the image forming apparatus, the connecting portion is provided with an opening having the same diameter as the flexible pipe, and an opening plate fixed to the main body is interposed, and the connecting end of the flexible pipe is connected to the slide of the developer cartridge. The connecting portion is configured to open and close with respect to the aperture plate in conjunction with the opening plate, so that the connecting portion can be provided with a shutter function.

[0005] In a second configuration of the present invention, in the first configuration, the connecting end of the flexible pipe is spring-biased in the direction of pulling out the developer cartridge, so that the attachment and detachment operation of the developer cartridge can be followed without delay. This is how it was done.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained below based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In the figure, 1 is a process cartridge (developing cartridge) that can be built into the main body of the image forming apparatus of the present application, and the process cartridge 1 includes at least two rotary rollers 2a, 2b, and the rollers 2a, 2b.
It includes a photoreceptor belt 3 stretched between them, a developing device 4, a toner replenishment connection unit 5, and the like. A housing 10 that covers the process cartridge 1 is constructed as an integrally molded product, and is configured to be slidable to and from the main body of the image forming apparatus via a guide rail 20. T is a handle for pulling out the housing 10 of the cartridge 1.

The developing device 4 includes four developer stirring sections 4a.
, 4b, 4c, and 4d, which are disposed below the photoreceptor belt 3, and configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus by the housing 10. A developing sleeve S close to the photoreceptor belt 3 is disposed above each developer stirring section 4a to 4d, and each developing chamber 4a
-4d, stirring screws A and B are arranged with a central partition plate in between. Toner receiving ports 41, 42, 43, and 44 that can communicate with the toner replenishment connection unit 5 are provided on the upper surface of the end of each of the developing chambers 4a to 4d. Incidentally, the stirring screw A in each developer stirring section 4a to 4d,
B has its drive shaft J1 connected to the main body side drive shaft J2 in accordance with the attachment and detachment of the process cartridge 1.
It is configured so that it can be detached and turn transmission of rotation on and off.

The toner replenishment connection unit 5 includes flexible pipes F1, F2, F3, and F4 communicating with four color toner hoppers (not shown), and has a frame 5.
0 is fixed to the main body side. Spring P1, P2 is attached to each connecting end of the flexible pipes F1 to F4.
, P3, P4, movable members 51, 52, 53, and 54 are provided which are slidable relative to the fixed aperture plate 6, and are configured to open and close the aperture K of the fixed aperture plate 6 as appropriate.

That is, the process cartridge 1 shown in FIG.
When installed, the spring P1 is pressed by the developer stirring section 4a and is in a compressed state, and the hole 51a of the movable member 51, the opening K of the fixed aperture plate 6, and the toner receiving port 41 of the developer stirring section 4a are respectively closed. The flexible pipe F1 and the developer stirring section 4a are arranged coaxially and communicate with each other, so that the developer stirring section 4a is supplied with toner.

On the other hand, the process cartridge 1 shown in FIG.
When the movable member 51 is not attached, the developer agitating portion 4a that was in contact with the movable member 51 is retracted, so the movable member 51 is biased by the spring P1 and slides. It does not coincide with the opening K and is configured to serve as a shutter for the flexible pipe F1. Here, the flexible pipes F1 to F4 have stirring/conveying screws C1, C2, C3, C4 in each pipe.
are provided, respectively, so that the toner accumulated at the bottom of the toner hopper can be transferred to the developer stirring sections 4a to 4d while being appropriately stirred. Further, the toner conveying screws C1 to C4 are configured such that each tip shaft can be connected to a drive source on the main body side.

S1 and S2 are sealing materials, and the sealing material S1 is for preventing toner passing through the hole 51a of the movable member 51 from spilling out from the gap between the movable member 51 and the fixed aperture plate 6. It is fixed to the lower surface of the movable member 51 so as to be in sliding contact with the fixed aperture plate 6. The sealing material S2 seals the toner receiving ports 41, 42, 43, and 44 of the developer stirring sections 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d, and the fixed aperture plate 6.
It is for sealing between.

In the above embodiment, the developing device 4 and toner replenishment connection unit 5 of the process cartridge 1 are attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus via the guide 20. When the process cartridge 1 is installed, the movable member 51 is moved by the spring P.
1, the holes 51a of the movable member 51,
The opening K of the fixed aperture plate 6 and the toner receiving port 41 of the developer stirring section 4a are coaxially aligned. At this time, the toner receiving ports 41, 42, 43 on the upper surface of the end of the developer stirring portions 4a to 4d
, 44 communicate with the toner hopper via flexible pipes F1 to F4, and are supplied with toner. Further, when the process cartridge 1 is not installed, the movable member 51 is biased by the spring P1 and slides, and the hole 51a of the movable member 51 does not align with the opening K of the fixed aperture plate 6, so that it does not correspond to the shutter for the flexible pipe F1. Become.

When the process cartridge 1 is installed, the toner in the toner hopper is moved through the stirring screws C1 to
The flexible pipe F is conveyed while being stirred by C4.
1 to F4 to the developer stirring sections 4a to 4d. The toner in the developer stirring parts 4a to 4d is attached to the photoreceptor belt 3 via the developing sleeve S while being stirred by the stirring screws A and B, and the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor belt 3 is converted into a toner image. Convert.

[0014]

[Effects of the Invention] As mentioned above, the first configuration of the present invention is as follows.
In an image forming apparatus in which a developer cartridge that is slidable with respect to the main body is removably connected to a toner supply unit on the main body side by a flexible pipe, the connecting portion includes:
An opening plate having the same diameter as the flexible pipe and fixed to the main body is interposed, and the connecting end of the flexible pipe is interlocked with the slide of the developer cartridge to open and close with respect to the opening plate. Since this structure is characterized in that the toner is not spilled from the connecting portion even if the developer cartridge is attached or detached.

A second configuration of the present invention is that, in the first configuration, the connecting end of the flexible pipe is biased by a spring in the direction in which the developer cartridge is pulled out.
The connecting end of the flexible pipe can slide to open and close the aperture plate without delaying the drawing operation of the developer cartridge. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that is free from the risk of toner spilling during maintenance work.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state of communication between a flexible pipe and a developer stirring section.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a separated state of the flexible pipe and the developer stirring section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the relationship between a process cartridge and a connecting portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Process cartridges 2a, 2b Rotating roller 3 Photoreceptor belt 4 Developing units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Developer stirring section 5 Toner supply connection unit 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Toner supply chamber 6 Fixed aperture plate 10 Process cartridge Housing 12 Cleaning blade 20 Guide rails 51, 52, 53, 54 Movable members 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a Holes S1, S2
Sealing materials F1, F2, F3, F4 Flexible pipes P1, P2, P3, P4 Spring C1, C
2, C3, C4 Conveying screw A Stirring screw B Stirring screw K Opening

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus in which a developer cartridge that is slidable with respect to a main body is removably connected to a toner replenishment unit on the main body side by a flexible pipe, wherein the connecting portion has an opening having the same diameter as the flexible pipe. , an aperture plate fixed to the main body side is interposed, and the connecting end of the flexible pipe is configured to open and close with respect to the aperture plate in conjunction with the slide of the developer cartridge. image forming apparatus. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connecting end of the flexible pipe is biased by a spring in a direction in which the developer cartridge is pulled out.