JPH06230672A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a toner cartridge capable of being removed from a main body without soiling a hand and simultaneously, preventing toner from being scattered to the operator side at the time of exchanging. CONSTITUTION:The toner cartridge is provided with a cylindrical container 12, a knob for turning 14, a toner supplying means 16 and a rectangular vinyl sheet 18. One edge part of the sheet 18 is attached to the container 12 in the vicinity of the knob 14, along the axial direction and when the sheet 18 is wound on the container 12, the sheet 18 can cover the toner supplying means 16 and its peripheral part. Moreover, the surface of the sheet 18 coming into contact with the container 12 is coated with a freely strippable adhesive. In the toner cartridge, it is held via the sheet 18 and removed from the main body, without directly touching the toner supplying means 16 and its peripheral part, to which the toner 40 is stuck.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge used in, for example, an electrophotographic type plotter, a printer or a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 (a) is a schematic perspective view of a conventional toner cartridge, and FIG. 5 (b) is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge has a cylindrical container 62 containing the toner 80 therein, a handle 64, and a toner supply unit 66, and is detachably attached to the main body. The toner supply unit 66 supplies the toner 80 to the main body such as the plotter, and is provided along the axial direction of the container 62. The toner supply unit 66 has an opening 72 formed in the container 62 along the axial direction thereof, and a hole sheet 7 provided on the opening 72 and having a large number of holes 74a.
4 and. A grip 64 for rotating the toner cartridge is provided at one end of the container 62. The toner 80 is colored fine particles used for developing an electrostatic latent image in an electrophotographic plotter or the like.

When the toner cartridge is attached to the main body, first, the upper cover (not shown) of the unit 90 of the main body is opened, and the toner cartridge is shaken well and the toner 8
After 0 is made uniform, as shown in FIG. 6A, the toner supply unit 66 is set in the upper part of the unit 90. Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the handle 64 is attached to the unit 90.
The toner supply means 66 is turned down by rotating in the counterclockwise direction until it hits. Then, the unit 90 is covered with an upper cover, and the mounting of the toner cartridge is completed. When the toner 80 is exhausted from the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge is detached from the main body, when the handle 64 is rotated clockwise from the state of FIG. 6B, the toner supply means 66 is provided as shown in FIG. 6C. Is on the upper side, and in this state, the toner cartridge is grasped by hand and removed from the unit 90.

[0004]

By the way, toner scattered during use is attached to the toner supplying means of a used toner cartridge and its peripheral portion. Therefore, when the toner cartridge is grasped by hand and detached from the main body, there is a problem that the hand is soiled with the toner. Further, when the toner cartridge is replaced, if the toner cartridge is given a slight impact, the toner may be scattered and the operator may suck the toner. Since the toner has an adverse effect on the human body, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the toner from scattering when the toner cartridge is replaced, but the conventional technique has not taken any measures.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a toner cartridge capable of being removed from the main body without soiling the hands and preventing the toner from scattering to the worker side at the time of replacement. It is intended to be provided.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a cylindrical container which can be attached to and detached from a main body, and a toner supply means for supplying the toner contained in the container to the main body. In the toner cartridge including the above, a sheet-like member is provided which has an end attached to the container and which covers at least the toner supply unit and its peripheral portion when wound around the container.

Further, it is desirable to apply a peelable adhesive to the surface of the sheet-shaped member that comes into contact with the container.

Further, it is desirable that the sheet-shaped member covers both side surfaces of the container when wound around the container.

In addition, it is desirable that the sheet-shaped member has a predetermined description on a portion located above the toner supply unit when wound around the container.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the sheet-like member which can be wrapped around the container to cover the toner supply means and its peripheral portion is provided by the above-mentioned structure. Since the toner cartridge can be grasped from the sheet-shaped member and removed from the main body without directly touching, the worker can perform the work without getting his hands dirty. Further, since the toner cartridge can be replaced by covering the toner supply unit and its peripheral portion with the sheet-shaped member, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering to the worker side due to an impact or the like.

By applying a releasable adhesive to the surface of the sheet-shaped member that comes into contact with the container, the sheet-shaped member adheres to the container and is firmly wrapped around it, so that toner is unlikely to spill from the side surface of the container. It is possible to reliably prevent the hands from getting dirty during work.

Further, by using a sheet-shaped member capable of covering both side surfaces of the container, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering from the side surface of the container, and when removing the toner cartridge from the main body. Moreover, it is possible to carry out the work by holding the side surface of the container without getting the hands dirty.

In addition, by writing a cautionary note at a predetermined position of the sheet-like member, the operator can easily know the position of the toner supply means even when the sheet-like member is opaque. It is possible to prevent the toner from spilling from the side surface of the container by accidentally lowering the toner supply means.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge, and FIG. 2 is an operation when the toner cartridge is attached to and detached from a main body. It is a figure explaining.

The toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1 comprises a cylindrical container 12, a handle 14, a toner supply means 16, and a sheet 18. This toner cartridge is used in, for example, an electrophotographic plotter, a printer, a copier, or the like, and has a toner 40 inside and is detachably attached to the body of the plotter or the like.

The main body on which the toner cartridge is mounted is
The image is output on A0 size paper, and the container 12 of the toner cartridge correspondingly has an axial length of about 80 cm and a diameter of about 10 cm. The handle 14 is provided at one end of the container 12, and the handle 14
Can be used to rotate the toner cartridge.
The toner supply unit 16 includes an opening 22 formed along the axial direction of the container 12, and a transparent hole sheet 24 provided on the opening 22 and having a plurality of holes 24a. The opening 22 is formed on the side substantially opposite to the position where the handle 14 is formed. When the toner cartridge is not used, a seal (not shown) for closing the hole is stuck on the hole sheet 24 in order to prevent the toner 40 from coming out of the toner supply means 16.

The sheet 18 has a rectangular shape with a horizontal length of about 80 cm and a vertical length of about 20 cm, and one longitudinal end of the sheet 18 is axially aligned with the container 12 near the handle 14. It is attached. The sheet 18 can cover the toner supply unit 16 and its peripheral portion when wound around the container 12. The sheet 18 is made of vinyl, but the material of the sheet 18 may be thin, supple, and wrapping around the container 12 by its own weight, such as paper or cloth.

When the sheet 18 is wound around the container 12, a peelable adhesive is applied to the surface of the sheet 18 that contacts the container 12. However, this adhesive is not applied to one end of the sheet 18 attached to the container 12 and the other end. When the toner cartridge is not used, the sheet 18 is folded in half with the surface coated with the adhesive inside, and the end portion not coated with the adhesive is peeled off when the sheet 18 is peeled off.
This is because it is used as s. Further, the sheet 18 has a cautionary note "Please carry this side up" at the portion A located above the toner supply means 16 when wound around the container 12.

Next, the operation of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge to and from the main body will be described. When mounting the toner cartridge on the main body, first, open the upper cover (not shown) of the unit 50 of the main body, shake the toner cartridge well to make the toner uniform, and then, as shown in FIG. The toner supply means 16 is set in the unit 50 with the upper side.
When the seal (not shown) that closes the hole 24a is peeled off and the handle 14 is rotated counterclockwise until it abuts on the unit 50, as shown in FIG.
6 is facing downward. Then, the sheet 18 is placed on the upper side of the unit 50. Here, the sheet 18 may be fixed to the unit 50 by, for example, adhering it with a tape, winding it, or chewing it. Finally, the upper cover is attached to the unit 50, and the mounting of the toner cartridge is completed.

Next, when the toner cartridge runs out of toner and the toner cartridge is to be removed from the main body, first, the upper cover of the unit 50 is opened (see FIG.
(State (b)), the sheet 18 is peeled off and the sheet 18 is folded and the sheet 18 is unfolded and the sheet 18 is extended forward. When the handle 14 is rotated in the clockwise direction, a part of the sheet 18 is wrapped around the toner cartridge, and the toner supply means 16 faces upward as shown in FIG. Covered with sheet 18.
Then, when the center of the toner cartridge is grasped from above the sheet 18 and removed from the unit 50, the leading end of the sheet 18 is also wrapped around the container 12 by its own weight. Finally, sheet 1
In accordance with the precautionary note described in No. 8, put the toner cartridge in the bag as it is, and dispose of the used toner cartridge as non-burnable dust.

In the toner cartridge of the first embodiment, since the sheet that can be wrapped around the container to cover the toner supply means and the peripheral portion thereof is provided, the toner supply means to which the toner adheres and the peripheral portion thereof are provided. Since the toner cartridge can be grasped from the sheet and removed from the main body without directly touching it, the worker can perform the work without getting his hands dirty. Further, when the toner cartridge is replaced, the toner may be scattered due to impact or the like. In the toner cartridge of the first embodiment, the replacement work is performed by covering the toner supply unit and its peripheral portion with a sheet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering to the operator side. Therefore, the worker does not inhale the fine particles of the toner, and the health of the worker can be ensured.

Further, by applying a peelable adhesive to one surface of the sheet, the sheet adheres to the container and tightly wraps around it, so that the toner is less likely to spill from the side surface of the container, and the hand during the work is not easily spilled. It can be surely prevented from becoming dirty. Moreover, for example, when the toner cartridge is unused, the sheet is folded in two with the surface coated with the adhesive inside, so that the sheet becomes an obstacle when storing the toner cartridge. There is no.
Further, by writing a caution at a predetermined position on the sheet, the operator can easily know the position of the toner supply unit even when the sheet is opaque, so that the toner supply unit is erroneously placed downward. Thus, it is possible to prevent the toner from spilling from the side surface of the container.

In the first embodiment described above, the case where the sheet that can cover the toner supply means and the peripheral portion thereof is used has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this and, for example, the vertical direction. A sheet that is long in the direction may be used to cover the entire surface of the container.

By the way, such a sheet may be provided on the main body instead of the toner cartridge.
For example, the main body may be provided with a very long sheet wound around a roll and a sheet cutting means for cutting the sheet, and the sheet cutting means may cut the sheet to a required length for use. However, in this case, the size of the main body becomes large and the cost also becomes high, so it seems that it is not so realistic at present.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3A is a schematic perspective view of the toner cartridge of the second embodiment, FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge, and FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge to the main body. . Incidentally, in the toner cartridge of the second embodiment, those having the same functions as those of the toner cartridge of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The toner cartridge of the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that the length of the sheet 18A is about 10 cm, and one end of the sheet 18A in the vertical direction is the toner supply means 16. Points attached in the vicinity and container 1
The peelable adhesive is applied to one surface of one end of the sheet 18A attached to No. 2 and the other end thereof. In the unused toner cartridge, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet 18A is wound in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply unit 16 is present and is attached to the container 12. Other configurations are similar to those of the toner cartridge of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge to and from the main body will be described. When mounting the toner cartridge on the main body, first, open the upper cover (not shown) of the unit 50 of the main body, shake the toner cartridge well to make the toner uniform, and then, as shown in FIG. The toner supply means 16 is set in the unit 50 with the upper side.
When the seal (not shown) that closes the hole 24a is peeled off and the handle 14 is rotated counterclockwise until it abuts the unit 50, as shown in FIG.
8A enters into the unit 50, and the toner supply unit 16 faces downward. And the unit 50
The upper cover is attached to and the mounting of the toner cartridge is completed.

Next, when the toner cartridge runs out of toner and the toner cartridge is to be removed from the main body, after the upper cover of the unit 50 is opened (FIG. 4B).
State), the handle 14 is rotated clockwise until the end of the sheet 18A can be gripped, and the sheet 18A is peeled from the container 12.
Then, while extending the seat 18A forward, the handle 14
When is further rotated in the clockwise direction, the toner supply unit 16 is turned to the upper side as shown in FIG.
When the middle of the toner cartridge is grasped from above the sheet 18A and the toner cartridge is removed from the unit 50, the sheet 18A is wrapped around the container 12 by its own weight. According to the cautionary note written on the sheet 18A, in this state, put it in a bag or the like and dispose of the used toner cartridge.

In the toner cartridge of the second embodiment as well, similar to the first embodiment, when the toner cartridge is attached to or detached from the main body, the operator does not get his hands dirty and the risk of inhaling the toner is reduced. . Also, one end of the sheet in the vertical direction is attached near the toner supply unit, the sheet is wound in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply unit is provided and attached to the container, and thus the sheet is attached to the toner cartridge. The area is not contaminated with toner even when the toner cartridge is mounted on the main body and used. Therefore, when replacing the toner cartridge,
Even if such a portion is not covered with a sheet, the toner does not adhere to the hand. Therefore, the toner cartridge of the second embodiment uses a sheet having a shorter length in the vertical direction than that of the first embodiment. There is an advantage that you can. Other effects are similar to those of the toner cartridge of the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the case where the rectangular sheet is used has been described, but the sheet may cover both side surfaces of the container when wound around the container. This can prevent the toner from scattering from the side surface of the container, and when removing the toner cartridge from the main body, it is possible to hold the side surface of the container without soiling the hands and work. Workability is improved.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the toner supply means provided with the opening formed in the container and the perforated sheet provided thereon is used, but the toner supply means is described. For example, an opening and closing shutter means may be provided in the opening. Also in this case, the toner adheres to the peripheral portion of the toner supply means during use of the toner cartridge. Therefore, by covering this portion with a sheet, it is possible to prevent stains on the hands and the like.
Further, as the toner supply means, a plurality of holes may be directly provided in the container.

Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the case where the cautionary note is described at a predetermined position of the sheet has been described, but not only the cautionary note but also, for example, a description of handling may be described. Also, it is not necessary to describe anything.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sheet-like member which can be wrapped around the container to cover the toner supply means and the peripheral portion thereof is provided, so that the toner supply means to which the toner adheres. Since the container can be grasped from the sheet-shaped member and removed from the main body without directly touching the peripheral portion and the peripheral portion thereof, the worker can perform the work without getting his hands dirty, and the toner supply means Since the replacement work can be performed by covering the sheet and its peripheral portion with a sheet-like member, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering to the side of the worker due to an impact or the like, and therefore, the health of the worker is improved. It is possible to provide a toner cartridge that can be achieved.

By applying a releasable adhesive to the surface of the sheet-shaped member that comes into contact with the container, the sheet-shaped member adheres to the container and is firmly wrapped around it, so that toner is unlikely to spill from the side surface of the container. It is possible to provide a toner cartridge capable of reliably preventing the hand from getting dirty during work.

Further, by using a sheet-shaped member capable of covering both side surfaces of the container, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering from the side surface of the container, and to remove the toner from the main body by hand. Since the work can be performed by holding the side surface of the container without polluting the toner, it is possible to provide the toner cartridge with improved workability.

In addition, by writing a cautionary note at a predetermined position of the sheet-shaped member, the operator can easily know the position of the toner supply means even when the sheet-shaped member is opaque. It is possible to provide a toner cartridge capable of preventing toner from spilling from the side surface of the container by accidentally lowering the toner supply means.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation when the toner cartridge is attached to and detached from the main body.

3A is a schematic perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of attaching / detaching the toner cartridge to / from the main body.

5A is a schematic perspective view of a conventional toner cartridge, and FIG. 5B is a schematic sectional view of the toner cartridge.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of attaching / detaching the toner cartridge to / from the main body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Container 14 Handle 16 Toner Supplying Means 18, 18A Sheet 18s Stripping Strip 22 Opening 24 Hole Sheet 24a Hole 40 Toner 50 Unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A toner cartridge comprising: a cylindrical container detachably mountable to a main body; and a toner supply means for supplying the toner contained in the container to the main body, wherein an end portion is attached to the container, A toner cartridge comprising a sheet-like member that covers at least the toner supply unit and its peripheral portion when wound around the container. 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a peelable adhesive is applied to a surface of the sheet-shaped member that comes into contact with the container. 3. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the sheet-shaped member covers both side surfaces of the container when wound around the container. 4. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sheet-shaped member has a predetermined description on a portion located above the toner supply unit when wound around the container. .