JPH048436Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a developer replenishment mechanism that replenishes developer to a developing device of a copying machine, a printer, or the like to which electrophotographic technology is applied.

[Prior art and problems]

2. Description of the Related Art In electrophotographic copying machines, printers, and the like, a method is known in which a two-component developer is used as a means for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor.

A developing device that performs development using this two-component developer will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the relationship between the developing device and the photoreceptor. In the figure, the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow is
Carrier 3 and toner 4 formed at the lower end opening of
The toner is developed by a magnetic brush consisting of.
Inside the developing sleeve 5, there is a magnet roll 6.
The carrier 3 is attracted onto the developing sleeve 5 by the magnetic force of the magnet roll 6, and development is repeated while gradually taking in toner between the carriers 3.

In a developing device having such a structure, it would be inconvenient if a developer containing a mixture of carrier 3 and toner 4 was initially introduced at the beginning of use.

Therefore, developer is put in the developing device from the beginning (at the time of shipment), but between the toner and the carrier,
Proposals include a method in which a removable partition plate is provided at the beginning of use, and a method in which the carrier and toner are stored in separate containers and the user puts the carrier and toner in that order into the developing device at the beginning of use. was.

However, such conventional methods have the following drawbacks.

First, with the method of putting developer in the developing device from the beginning and installing a removable partition between the toner and the carrier, it is difficult to keep the developing device completely sealed. There was a drawback that the toner and carrier were exposed to outside air and deteriorated or absorbed moisture during the period from shipping to the start of use.

In addition, since it was necessary to configure the device so that the partition plate could be removed before use, the structure became complicated and the cost increased.

Furthermore, with the method of adding the carrier and toner in that order at the beginning of use, if the order of adding the carrier and toner is reversed, normal development will not occur, and it is difficult for users to strictly adhere to this order. It was something I didn't have.

[Purpose of invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a developer replenishment mechanism in which the order of loading carrier and toner into a developing device is necessarily strictly followed.

[Key points of the idea]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developer replenishment mechanism that replenishes a plurality of types of developer in a predetermined order, including a developer container having an opening and a space within the developer container being partitioned. a partition member that forms a plurality of spaces and closes the opening at a predetermined position, and a movement permission mechanism that permits movement of the partition member only in a predetermined direction, and a plurality of types of development in the plurality of spaces. The plurality of types of developer are replenished by storing the developer and moving the developer in a predetermined direction together with the partition member.

[Example of idea]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1a is a perspective view showing a developer container guide of the present invention, and FIG. 1b is a perspective view showing an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. In FIG. 1a, developer container guide 1
0 is provided above the developing device (not shown). The developer container guide 10 has an engagement groove 10a at the upper end and an opening 10b at the lower end, and has a generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The direction of arrow A in the figure is the operation side (front side) of the apparatus main body, and the longitudinal direction of the guide 10 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve (not shown).

Further, the developer container guide 10 is fixed to the main body of the apparatus (not shown), and a rotating member 11 provided at the back of the guide 10 has a shaft hole 11d fitted into a shaft (not shown) provided upright in the main body of the apparatus. and are rotatably supported. Furthermore, an engagement groove 11a is provided at the upper end of the rotating member 11.

On the outside of the rotating member 11, there is a ratchet portion 11c.
and the cam portion 11b are provided coaxially. On the outer periphery of the ratchet part 11c, as shown in FIG. Configure the movement authorization mechanism.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2b, a recess 11e is provided in a part of the outer periphery of the cam part 11b, and a flat spring 19 with a round tip fixed to a part of a predetermined part 17 of the main body of the apparatus is elastically supported. It is provided so as to be able to fit into the recess 11e.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the developer container 12 consists of an outer cylinder 13 having an opening 13b, and an inner cylinder 14, which is a partition member, is rotatably inserted into the outer cylinder 13. In addition, at the upper part of the rear end of the outer cylinder 13,
The engagement protrusion 13a is erected, and an opening 13b is bored at the lower end.

On the other hand, an engaging protrusion 14 is provided at the upper rear end of the inner cylinder 14.
a is erected, and a handle 14b is provided at the other end. The developer container 12 also has an opening 13 located below the outer cylinder 13, as shown in FIG.
b is partially blocked by the inner cylinder 14, and the inner cylinder 14
A partition portion 14c is provided to divide the space inside the outer cylinder into two, and a carrier storage space 15 partitioned by the partition portion 14c stores a carrier, and a toner storage space 16 stores toner. .

The developer container 12 configured as described above is inserted into the developer container guide 10 from the operation side toward the back. At this time, in the developer container 12, the positions of the engaging protrusion 13a of the outer cylinder 13 and the engaging protrusion 14a of the inner cylinder 14 are aligned as shown in FIG. 1b, and the opening 13b
is occluded. During insertion, both the outer cylinder 13 and the inner cylinder 14 cannot rotate because the engaging protrusions 13a and 14a are both engaged with the engaging groove 10a. When the developer container 12 is inserted all the way, the engagement protrusion 14a crosses the engagement groove 10a and enters the engagement groove 11a.
engage with. Then, the inner cylinder 14
It can be rotated integrally with the However, engaging protrusion 1
3a is engaged with the engagement groove 10a and cannot rotate. When the operator inserts the device all the way, the handle 14
Rotate the inner cylinder 14 by holding b. At this time, the rotary member 11, which is a movement permitting mechanism, rotates only in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2a by the ratchet mechanism. Therefore, the inner cylinder 14 can also be rotated only in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. When the inner cylinder 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the carrier stored in the carrier storage space 15 first falls through the opening 13b into a developing device (not shown), and then is stored in the toner storage space 16. Toner may fall.

Note that since the rotating direction of the rotating member 11 is only one direction, the order of loading will not be reversed. When the leaf spring 19 rotates once, the tip of the leaf spring 19 moves into the recess 1 of the cam portion 11b.
1e, so the operator can feel the end of one rotation.

Also, during one rotation, the developer container 12
Even if an attempt is made to pull out the developer container guide 10, the engaging protrusion 14a comes into contact with the end surface of the developer container guide 10, so the developer container guide 10 will not come out.

When starting to use the developing device and then replenishing only toner, it is possible to replenish only toner by following the above-described operation for toner stored in a container without partitions.

[Effect of idea]

As described in detail above, according to the developer replenishment mechanism of the present invention, when replenishing the developer to the developing device, the carrier and toner can always be replenished in the order, and the order will not be reversed. Therefore, the operator can easily replenish the developer without paying special attention to the replenishment order.

Furthermore, it is possible to replenish the two components of developer in a determined order in a single replenishment operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1a is a perspective view showing the developer container guide of the present invention, FIG. 1b is a perspective view showing an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, FIG. Figure b is a vertical cross-sectional end view showing the cam part, the third
4 is a longitudinal sectional end view of the main part of the rotating member, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional end view of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the relationship between the developing device and the photoreceptor. 1...Photoreceptor, 2...Developer, 3...Carrier, 4...Toner, 5...Developing sleeve, 6...
Magnet roll, 10...Developer container guide,
10a...Engagement groove, 10b...Opening, 11...
Rotating member, 11a... engaging groove, 11b... cam part, 11c... ratchet part, 11d... shaft hole,
11e... recess, 12... developer container, 13...
Outer cylinder, 13a... engaging protrusion, 13b... opening,
14...Inner cylinder, 14a...Engaging protrusion, 14b...
Handle, 14c...Partition portion, 15...Carrier storage space, 16...Toner storage space, 17...Apparatus main body predetermined part, 18, 19...Plate spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A developer replenishment mechanism that replenishes a plurality of types of developer in a predetermined order, comprising: a developer container having an opening; and a space within the developer container partitioned into a plurality of spaces. a partition member that forms a partition member and closes the opening at a predetermined position, and a movement permission mechanism that permits movement of the partition member only in a predetermined direction, and stores a plurality of types of developers in the plurality of spaces. . A developer replenishment mechanism, characterized in that the plurality of types of developer are replenished by moving the partition member in a predetermined direction.