JPH0455328Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for replenishing toner into a developer container of a developing device installed in an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic copying machine. It is.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in order to prevent the toner replenishing to the developer container from agglomerating in the toner cartridge and forming toner clumps, which would result in insufficient toner replenishment, it was necessary to close the cartridge before replenishing the developer container. Vigorous shaking has been used to crush toner clumps, but the operation is complicated and it is difficult to sufficiently pulverize toner clumps. For this purpose, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-16653, one end is fixed to the sealing member of the toner replenishment opening in the cylindrical cartridge body, and the other end is fixed to the inner wall of the cartridge body. A stirring member made of thread, mesh, etc. is provided, and when replenishing toner, the stirring member works in conjunction with the peeling operation of the sealing member to stir the toner inside the cartridge body and crush toner lumps. something is known.

However, in a device configured to agitate the toner with an agitation member made of the above-mentioned thread or the like, the agitation effect is not only weak, but also the agitation member is pulled out of the cartridge in response to the peeling operation of the seal member, and the agitation member and the agitation member are pulled out of the cartridge. There is a problem that toner leaks outside. In particular, when a stirring member made of a large number of threads or the like is provided to obtain a sufficient stirring effect, a problem arises in that a large amount of toner leaks out of the cartridge and the toner is scattered.

(Purpose of the invention) The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to use the developing device in a state where the toner in the toner cartridge is sufficiently agitated and fluidized without causing the toner to scatter. To provide a toner cartridge that can be replenished into a developer container.

(Structure of the invention) The toner cartridge of the invention includes a cartridge main body having an opening for toner filling, a sealing member fixed to cover the opening, and a rotating shaft inside the cartridge main body via a support shaft. and a stirring member having a freely supported stirring rod, one end of which is wound around the stirring member and the other end of which is attached to the sealing member to rotate the stirring rod in response to the peeling operation of the sealing member. A connecting member is provided.

According to the above configuration, when replenishing toner, the stirring rod rotates within the cartridge body around the support shaft in response to the peeling operation of the sealing member, thereby stirring and fluidizing the toner in the toner cartridge. I can do it.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a toner cartridge 1 according to the present invention. A seal member 4 made of a plastic sheet material or the like is fixed to cover the toner replenishment opening 3 formed in the peripheral wall of the cartridge body 2, and a support shaft 5 is inserted into the cartridge body 2. a stirring member 7 having a pair of rotatably supported stirring rods 6, 6;
The ring plate 8 is slidably supported along the support shaft 5 and the stirring rods 6, 6.

That is, both ends of the support shaft 5 are rotatably supported by partition walls 9a and 9b provided at both left and right ends of the cartridge body 2, so that the stirring rods 6 and 6 rotate together with the support shaft 5. is configured to do so. Further, the support shaft 5 is inserted into the center hole 10 of the ring plate 8, and the stirring rods 6, 6 are inserted into the peripheral notches 11, 11 of the ring plate 8, so that the ring plate 8 becomes a stirring member. It is supported slidably in the axial direction of 7.

One end of a connecting member 13 made of a string or the like is fixed to one connecting portion 12 between the support shaft 5 and the stirring rods 6, 6, and is wound around the connecting member 13 over a predetermined length. The other end is led out from the insertion hole 14 of the cartridge main body 2 and fixed to the base end of the release piece 15 of the seal member 4. A handle 16 for attaching and detaching the toner cartridge 1 is provided protruding from the partition wall 9b.

Before installing the toner cartridge 1 having the above structure into the toner hopper portion of the developing device, or according to the installation operation, the sealing member 4 is peeled off from the cartridge body 2 by holding the peeling release piece 15 as shown in FIG. As shown, the connecting member 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 1
4 to the outside. Then, in response to the peeling operation of the sealing member 4, the connecting member 13 wound around the connecting portion 12 is unwound, thereby driving the stirring member 7 to rotate. Note that it is desirable that the connecting member 13 be detached from the connecting portion 12 by further pulling the connecting member 13 after the sealing member 4 is peeled off.

As the stirring member 7 rotates in the cartridge main body 2 in this manner, the replenishment toner contained in the toner cartridge 1 is moved around the stirring rods 6 and 6.
The toner is stirred and mixed and is supplied into the developer container of the developing device in a fluidized state. Further, when stirring and mixing the toner, only one connecting material 13 is led out of the cartridge main body 2, and this connecting material 13 passes through the insertion hole 14 of the cartridge main body 2 and is pulled out. Since the toner adhering to the connecting member 13 is scraped off when passing through the insertion hole 14, it is possible to prevent the toner from leaking to the outside.

In addition, in the above embodiment, since the ring plate 11 is slidably provided along the stirring member 7, by slightly swinging the cartridge body 2 from side to side before installing the toner cartridge 1,
By sliding the ring plate 8 left and right, the toner in the cartridge body 2 can be stirred and mixed more effectively.

Note that it is not necessary to provide the ring plate 8, and even if it is omitted, a sufficient toner stirring effect can be obtained by the stirring rods 6, 6. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the end of the free piece 15a provided at one end of the sealing member 4 is extended and folded back to the other end, and the toner cartridge 1
The above-mentioned free piece 1 is attached to the toner hopper part.
The sealing member 4 may be peeled off by holding the end of the sealing member 5a. When the sealing member 4 is peeled off while the toner cartridge 1 is attached and held in the hopper part, since the opening part 3 is covered by the hopper part, the toner cartridge 1 is removed. scattering can be more reliably prevented.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention includes a connecting member that rotates the stirring member inside the cartridge body in response to the peeling operation of the sealing member fixed to the toner filling opening of the cartridge body. As a result, the toner contained in the toner cartridge can be easily and effectively stirred and mixed by the stirring rod of the stirring member, and the toner can be reliably crushed and fluidized to form a fluidized state. Can be replenished. Furthermore, since the stirring member is disposed within the cartridge main body, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering when stirring the toner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an embodiment of the toner cartridge according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the toner cartridge showing a state in which the seal member is being peeled off, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an embodiment of the toner cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Toner cartridge, 2... Cartridge main body, 3... Opening, 4... Seal member, 5...
...Support shaft, 6... Stirring bar, 7... Stirring member, 8...
...Ring plate, 13...Connection material.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A cartridge body having an opening for toner filling, a sealing member fixed to cover the opening, and a cartridge body rotatably supported within the cartridge body via a support shaft. a stirring member having a stirring rod, and a connecting member having one end wrapped around the stirring member and the other end attached to the sealing member to rotate the stirring rod in accordance with the peeling operation of the sealing member. A toner cartridge characterized by: 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the stirring member includes a ring plate slidably supported in the axial direction of the stirring member.