JPH06258945A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image forming device that prevents toner contamination when developer is supplied via a developer supply container. CONSTITUTION:When the turnable cover 3 of a toner hopper 1 disposed in the image forming device main body is opened, it projects further outwards than the armor 4 of the device main body, and is positioned lower than a developer supply container cover opened by a sliding operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a developer is replenished with a developer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus in which a dry developer (toner) is replenished using a developer replenishing container has been widely used. There are various possible methods for replenishing toner with this developer replenishing container.
It is known that after the developer supply container is attached to the apparatus main body, the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container is slid and opened to supply the toner to the apparatus main body side.

On the other hand, in recent image forming apparatuses, the size of the apparatus main body has been reduced in order to save space, and along with this, a developer supply port for connecting the developer supply container and the apparatus main body. Is often arranged near the side surface of the apparatus body.

However, when a plurality of developer supply ports are adjacent to each other as in a full-color copying machine, there is a problem that the supply ports interfere with each other when the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container is in the open state. It was

Therefore, in order to solve this problem and improve the operability, it is often the case that these opening / closing lids are slid so as to be pulled out from the same direction toward the front side.

[0006]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional example, when the opening / closing lid is in the open state, the opening / closing lid protrudes outside the outer periphery of the main body of the apparatus, toner attached to the opening / closing lid, and opening / closing operation. There has been a problem that a small amount of toner leaking inside drops onto the floor to which the material is attached and contaminates it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide an image forming apparatus which does not cause toner contamination when a developer is supplied by using a developer supply container.

[0008]

According to the first invention of the present application,
The above-described object is to provide an image forming apparatus including a developer accommodating container having a developer replenishing port and an openable / closable replenishing port shielding member for shielding the developer replenishing port. This is achieved by projecting outward from the side surface of the image forming apparatus in the state.

Further, according to the second invention of the present application, the above object is provided with a developer accommodating container having a developer replenishing port and an openable / closable replenishing port shielding member for shielding the developer replenishing port. In the image forming apparatus, a developer replenishing container having a slidable opening / closing lid is detachably attached to the developer accommodating container, and the opening of the developer replenishing container and the developer when the opening / closing lid is open. In the image forming apparatus in which the developer replenishing port of the replenishing container is in communication, when both the replenishing port shielding member and the opening / closing lid are open, the replenishing port shielding member is positioned below the opening / closing lid. .

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the replenishing port shielding member that shields the developer replenishing port of the developer accommodating container is opened during replenishment of the developer, the replenishing port shielding member is located outside the side surface of the image forming apparatus. It prevents the developer that leaks at the time of replenishment from falling onto the floor because it protrudes to the bottom.

According to the second invention of the present application, the replenishing port shielding member for shielding the developer replenishing port of the developer accommodating container is opened during replenishment of the developer, and the developer replenishing container serves as the developer replenishing port. Even when the opening / closing lid is slid to the open position while being mounted so as to communicate with each other, since the supply port shielding member is located below the opening / closing lid, the developer adhering to the opening / closing lid does not contact the opening / closing lid. Prevents falling to the floor during the sliding operation.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Embodiment 1> First, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a toner hopper portion of an image forming apparatus in which a developer supply container is not attached, as viewed from the left side of the apparatus. The toner hopper 1 is arranged close to the exterior 4 on the side surface of the apparatus body. Above the toner hopper 1, a hopper upper lid 2 including a toner supply port 21 is formed. The toner replenishing port shielding member (cover) 3 shields the toner replenishing port 21.

Further, the cover 3 is rotatably supported by a shaft 22 derived from the hopper upper lid 2, whereby the supply port 21 can be freely opened and closed.

By opening the cover 3 and attaching the developer supply container to the hopper upper lid 2, a dry developer (toner) can be supplied into the toner hopper 1. Here, the image forming apparatus is of a normal electrophotographic type in which a charging device and a developing device are arranged around the photosensitive drum, and the toner is generated in the developing device through a toner hopper adjacent to the developing device. It is supposed to be replenished.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the developer supply container 50 is attached to the hopper upper lid 2 as compared with FIG. The cover 3 is rotated about the shaft 22 and is in an open state. The developer replenishing container 50 includes a container main body 51 having toner for replenishment inside, an opening / closing lid 54 for reciprocatingly opening and closing the opening 50a, and a container main body 51 that holds the opening / closing lid 54 and is screwed, for example. The guide member 52 and the like are connected to each other.

Here, the seal member 56 seals the toner between the container body 51 and the guide member 52, and the seal member 55 is fixedly adhered to the guide member 52 to seal the toner seal between the opening / closing lid 54. To do.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developer replenishing container 50 of the hopper upper lid 2 is provided with a toner replenishing port 21 in alignment with the opening 50a, and the developer replenishing container 50 is placed around the replenishing port 21. A mounting portion 23 is provided where the operation is performed. A seal member 24 for sealing the toner with the developer supply container 50 is disposed on the mounting portion 23.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the opening / closing lid 54 of the developer replenishing container 50 is slid to open the opening 50a and the toner is replenished into the toner hopper 1 with respect to FIG. The opening / closing lid 54 is configured so as not to come off from the guide member 52 when the claw-shaped projection 541 contacts the inner side surface 521 of the guide member 52.

At this time, the cover 3 is located below the opening / closing lid 54. Further, the side surface 31 of the cover 3 is aligned with the exterior side surface 4 when the cover 3 is closed, and the shaft 22, which is the center of rotation, is located on this straight line. , Is in contact with the exterior 4 of the apparatus body.

FIG. 4 shows the state of FIG. 3 as seen from above. The cover 3 is formed to be larger than a portion protruding from the apparatus main body when the opening / closing lid 54 is slid.

With this structure, it is possible to prevent the toner attached to the opening / closing lid 54 from falling onto the floor surface by the cover 3 receiving the toner.

During the opening / closing operation, a small amount of toner may leak from between the opening 522 of the guide member 52 and the opening / closing lid 54. Although such toner falls near the exterior surface 4 of the main body, it is prevented from falling onto the floor surface because the side surface 31 of the cover 3 and the exterior 4 are in contact with each other.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 in the first embodiment and shows a schematic configuration of the present embodiment.

In the cover 3, the angle A between the bottom surface 32 of the cover and the side surface 31 of the cover is 90 ° or more (Example 1).
Then 90 °).

Therefore, when the cover 3 is opened as shown in FIG. 5, the space 6 between the opening / closing lid 54 of the developer supply container 50 and the cover 3 is large, and during opening / closing operation of the opening / closing lid 54. It is possible to prevent a problem that the hand touches the cover 3 and the operability is deteriorated. The angle A is preferably 100 ° to 120 °.

<Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 in the first embodiment and shows a schematic structure of the present embodiment.

When the flexible member 26 is fixed to the inner wall 25 of the hopper upper lid 2 and the inner wall 33 of the side surface of the cover 3 to connect the hopper upper lid 2 and the cover 3, the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container is opened / closed. Body side exterior 4 and side 3 of cover 3
It is possible to reliably prevent the toner from slipping through between 1 and 1.

Further, since the member 26 has flexibility, it deforms like 26 'even in the position 3'with the cover 3 closed, so that operability is not impaired.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus in which the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container projects to the outside of the apparatus main body when the developer is replenished, the opening / closing lid is in the open state. At this time, by arranging the developer replenishing port shielding member on the device side below the opening / closing lid, the toner adhering to the opening / closing lid or a small amount of toner leaked by the opening / closing operation is received by the replenishing port shielding member, It is possible to prevent the toner from falling on the floor surface and being contaminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left-side sectional view of a toner hopper according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a developer supply container is attached to the toner hopper of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container of FIG. 2 is opened.

FIG. 4 is a view of the state of FIG. 3 viewed from above.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus of Example 3 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Toner hopper (developer container) 2 Hopper upper lid 3 Cover (replenishing port shielding member) 4 Device body side exterior 50 Developer replenishing container 54 Open / close lid

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus including a developer accommodating container having a developer replenishing port and an openable / closable replenishing port shielding member for shielding the developer replenishing port. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus projects outward from a side surface of the image forming apparatus in an open state. 2. An image forming apparatus having a developer accommodating container having a developer replenishing port and an openable / closable replenishing port shielding member for shielding the developer replenishing port. And a developer replenishing container having the above-mentioned structure is detachable from the developer accommodating container, and the opening of the developer replenishing container and the developer replenishing port of the developer replenishing container communicate with each other when the opening / closing lid is opened. In the apparatus, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that when both the supply port shielding member and the opening / closing lid are open, the supply port shielding member is located below the opening / closing lid. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the supply port shielding member has an area equal to or larger than a sliding range of the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply port shield member is rotatably supported by a horizontal shaft of the apparatus main body to open and close. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one side surface of the supply port blocking member is in contact with one side surface of the main body device when the supply port blocking member is in an open state. 6. A flexible member for connecting the supply port shielding member and the apparatus main body to each other.
The image forming apparatus according to item 1.