JPH06194951A - Developing device for electrophotographic recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent trouble that a driving motor is broken down or an agitator is damaged because of toner solidified in a toner container at the time of using a developing device for an electro-photographic recorder. CONSTITUTION:The toner container 32 is integrally provided on the developing device 13. The toner container 32 is constituted by sticking a seal sheet 44 to its toner supply port 32a so that the port 32a may be closed. A film sheet 45 is stuck to a bottom surface in the toner container 32, and its one end 45a is connected to the folded part 44b of the seal sheet 44. After attaching the new developing device to a device main body, at the time of using it, the seal sheet 44 is pulled out and the port 32a is opened. At this time, the film sheet 45 is pulled out together with the sheet 44. Then, the toner in a toner chamber is loosened by the peeled film sheet 45.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention can be applied to electrophotographic recording devices such as printers, copiers and facsimiles using a laser. More specifically, the present invention relates to a developing device for supplying toner in a toner container to a developing roller in such an electrophotographic recording apparatus, and adhering the toner by the developing roller to develop a latent image on a photoconductor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, among developing devices of this type, for example, a developing device main body provided with a replaceable toner container,
There is one in which the toner container is integrally provided and the developing device is attached to a device body such as a laser printer in a replaceable manner. In such a developing device, the agitator is rotated to agitate the toner in the toner container, and the toner is sent out and replenished to the developing roller via, for example, a replenishing member.

[0003]

By the way, in this type of developing device, if there is a long time after the toner is stored in the toner container until the developing device or the toner container is actually used, the toner is The toner may agglomerate in the container and gradually lose almost all of its fluidity to become a single lump. Therefore, conventionally, when the developing device is used, when it is mounted on the apparatus main body and then driven by a drive motor to rotate the agitator, the load torque abnormally increases and the drive motor fails, There was a problem that the agitator and drive transmission gear were damaged.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is, in a developing device of an electrophotographic recording apparatus, when the toner is stuck in a toner container during use, the drive motor may break down or the agitator may be damaged. It is to prevent troubles.

[0005]

Therefore, in the invention described in claim 1, the toner container 32 is integrally provided, and the toner in the toner container 32 is applied to the developing roller 36 as in the following illustrated embodiment. In the developing device 13 of the electrophotographic recording apparatus for replenishing and adhering toner by the developing roller 36 to develop the latent image on the photoconductor 11, a film sheet 45 for loosening the toner in the toner container 32 when pulled out.
Is attached to the inside of the toner container 32 so as to be drawn out.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, for example, as in the following embodiment, the developing device main body 31 is provided with a toner container 32 which is replaceable, and the toner in the toner container 32 is replenished to the developing roller 36. The toner container 3 when the toner is attached by the developing roller 36 to develop the latent image on the photoconductor 11 in the developing device 13 of the electrophotographic recording device
A film sheet 45 for loosening the toner in 2 is attached to the toner container 32 so as to be drawn out.
It is characterized by

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the toner container 32 is provided in the developing device 13 of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect, as in the following illustrated embodiment.
A seal sheet 44 for closing the toner supply port 32a of
The film sheet 45 is connected to the seal sheet 44.

[0008]

In the invention described in claims 1 and 2,
When using a new developing device or a new toner container, for example, pull out the film sheet 45 from the toner container 32,
The toner in the toner container 32 is loosened.

According to the third aspect, when a new developing device or a new toner container is used, when the seal sheet 44 is pulled out and the toner supply port 32a is opened, the film sheet 45 is pulled out together with the film sheet 4
At 5, the toner in the toner container 32 is loosened.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a laser printer including a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 10 in the figure denotes the apparatus main body. The device body 10 includes a lower body 10a and the lower body 10a.
The upper main body 10b is provided so as to be freely opened and closed. Then, a belt-shaped photosensitive member 11 is provided substantially in the center of the apparatus main body 10. Around the photoconductor 11, a charging device 12, a developing device 13 of the present invention, a transfer device 14, and a cleaning device 15 are arranged in this order in the driving direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. An optical writing device 16 is arranged above the charger 12 and the cleaning device 15, and below the transfer device 14,
The paper feed cassette 17 containing the sheet S is attached.

The sheet S sent out from the sheet feeding cassette 17 by the sheet feeding roller 18 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5 is conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11 by the registration roller pair 19 at a timing. The photoconductor 11 is driven in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow. At that time, the surface of the photoconductor 11 is uniformly charged by the charger 12, and the laser light L from the optical writing device 16 is irradiated to the photoconductor 11 to electrostatically charge the surface. Form an image. This latent image is developed by the developing device 13.
Visualized by the toner as it passes through the location. And
This visible image is transferred by the transfer device 14 to the upper surface of the sheet S conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11. Then, the sheet S after the image transfer is guided by the conveyance guide 20, and the fixing device 2
It is conveyed to 1 and the transferred image is fixed. And the fixing device 21
The sheet S having exited is further conveyed by the sheet ejection roller 22 and ejected in the direction of arrow B or C in FIG.

On the other hand, after the image transfer, the photoconductor 11 is cleaned by the cleaning device 15 to remove the residual toner, and then the static eliminator 2 is used.
Remove electricity with 3.

By the way, the above-mentioned developing device 13 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 10 so as to be replaceable, and a toner container 32 is integrally provided on the developing device main body 31 on the left side in FIG. 4 by heat welding or the like. Therefore, the developing chamber 33 is provided in the developing device main body 31, and the toner chamber 34 is provided in the toner container 32. Then, the toner supply port 32a is provided on the developing chamber 33 side of the toner container 32.

In one developing chamber 33, a roller window 31a is opened on the side of the belt-shaped photoconductor 11 and a developing roller 36 is rotatably provided in contact with the photoconductor 11 through the roller window 31a. Then, the tip of the thin layer blade 37 is pressed against the surface of the developing roller 36 from the upper right side in FIG. 4, and the tip of the static elimination brush 38 is pressed against the lower left side. Further, near the toner chamber 34,
A replenishing member 39 that replenishes the toner to the developing roller 36 is rotatably provided.

An agitator 40 is provided in the other toner chamber 34.
To place. The agitator 40 has a central shaft portion 40.
It is rotatably supported by the toner container 32 with a as a fulcrum.

In the developing device 13 of the present invention, a drive motor (not shown) is driven to rotate the developing roller 36, the replenishing member 39, and the agitator 40, as shown by the arrows in FIG. Then, the toner is agitated by the agitator 40 and supplied from the toner chamber 34 into the developing chamber 33 through the toner supply port 32a. Toner supplied into the developing chamber 33
Are replenished to the surface of the developing roller 36 by the replenishment member 39. The replenished toner is blocked by the tip of the thin layer blade 37 to form a thin layer and is rubbed to be charged. Then, a part of the toner is electrostatically attached to the surface of the photoconductor 11 by the developing roller 36, and the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor 11 is visualized. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the developing roller 36 is removed by the charge removal brush 38.

By the way, in the developing device 13 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 in a state before the toner container 32 is assembled to the developing device main body 31, a long sealing sheet 44 is attached to the toner supply port 32a of the toner container 32. Sticking side sheet part 4
4a is attached to close the toner supply port 32a.
The seal sheet 44 is folded back at the folded back portion 44b, a loop-shaped finger hooking portion 44c is provided at the end thereof, and the finger hooking portion 44c is provided outside. Then, a finger can be hooked on the finger hooking portion 44c to be pulled out. Also,
The bottom of the toner container 32 has a thin film sheet 4
5 is attached, and one end portion 45a thereof is connected to the folded-back portion 44b of the seal sheet 44.

However, in the developing device 13 of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
When attached to the main assembly 10 of the apparatus as a new developing device 13 and used, a finger is hooked on the finger hook portion 44c to pull the seal sheet 44, and the sticking side sheet portion 44a
Is peeled off, the seal sheet 44 is pulled out, and the toner supply port 32a is opened. At that time, the film sheet 45 is also pulled out together. Then, the peeled film sheet 45 loosens the toner t in the toner chamber 34.

In the illustrated embodiment described above, the film sheet 45 is interlocked with the withdrawal of the seal sheet 44.
It is configured to draw out. However, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a sheet drawing hole 32b is formed in one side surface of the toner container 32, and the film sheet 45 is directly drawn from the toner container 32 to the outside through the hole 32b. You can also do it. Reference numeral 45b in FIG.
It is a finger rest.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the developing device main body 3
The present invention is applied to a developing device which is integrally provided with the toner container 32 in FIG. However, the present invention can be applied to a developing device of a type in which a toner container is replaceably provided in the developing device main body, although not shown. A film sheet that loosens the toner in the toner container when pulled out is attached to the toner container so that the film sheet can be pulled out.

[0022]

Therefore, according to the present invention, when a new developing device or a new toner container is used, the film sheet is pulled out from the toner container to loosen the toner in the toner container, so that the toner in the toner container is solidified. It is possible to prevent troubles such as a drive motor failure and an agitator damage due to the toner.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the new developing device or the new toner container is used, the film sheet is pulled out together with the pulling-out of the seal sheet. You can easily withdraw at once.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner container of a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the toner container in a pulled-out state of the seal sheet and the film sheet.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating another embodiment in which the film sheet is directly pulled out from the toner container.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an internal mechanism of such a developing device.

FIG. 5 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a laser printer including the developing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Photoreceptor 13 Developing Device 31 Developing Device Main Body 32 Toner Container 32a Toner Supply Port 36 Developing Roller 44 Seal Sheet 45 Film Sheet

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A developing device for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, comprising an integrated toner container, replenishing the toner in the toner container to a developing roller, and adhering the toner on the developing roller to develop a latent image on a photoconductor. 2. A developing device for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, comprising a film sheet that unravels the toner in the toner container when pulled out by being stuck in the toner container so as to be drawn out. 2. A developing device main body is provided with a replaceable toner container, and the toner in the toner container is replenished to a developing roller,
In the developing device of the electrophotographic recording device that adheres toner with the developing roller to develop the latent image on the photoconductor, a film sheet that loosens the toner in the toner container when pulled out is attached to the toner container. A developing device for an electrophotographic recording device that can be pulled out. 3. The developing device for an electrophotographic recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a seal sheet that closes a toner supply port of the toner container, and the film sheet is connected to the seal sheet.