JPH06332314A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a device constituted so that a user never forgets to exchange a depressurizing filter by providing a developer supplying container with an opening for communicating the inside and outside of a developing casing in a state where the developer supplying container is fitted and providing the depressurizing filter for closing the opening. CONSTITUTION:In the upper part of the developing casing 3, container guide supporting parts 17 and 18 freely attachably/detachably supporting the developer supplying container 16 are provided. A filter mounting part 16a mounting the depressurizing filter 19 is provided in the lower part of the developer supplying container 16 and a projecting part formed on the bottom edge of the filter mounting part 16a is freely attached/detached to/from the container guide supporting parts 17 and 18. The opening 21 communicating the inside and outside of the developing casing 3 in the state where the developer supplying container 16 is fitted is provided in the filter mounting part 16a. The depressurizing filter 19 installed to the developer supplying container 16 closes the opening 21. At the time of exchanging the used developer supplying container 16 with a new one, the clogged depressurizing filter 16 is exchanged together with the developer supplying container 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile, which forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier, a dry type powder developer is used to visualize the latent image. Type developing device is widely adopted. As the developer, a two-component developer having a toner and a carrier,
Alternatively, a one-component developer having no carrier is used.

Usually, in this type of developing device, the main body is composed of a developing casing which is in a substantially hermetically sealed state except for a facing portion of a latent image carrier such as a photoconductor, and inside thereof, for example, a developing sleeve. Also, a rotating member such as a paddle wheel for stirring the developer is provided. When such a rotating member rotates, the air pressure inside the developing casing rises, the toner is blown out from the gap between the latent image carrier and the developing casing portion facing the latent image carrier, and the toner is discharged to the outside of the developing casing. Easily scattered.

Therefore, in this type of developing device, a depressurizing filter is installed in the upper portion of the developing casing or the like to prevent the air pressure in the developing casing from rising. However, when the developing device is operated, the pressure release filter is clogged with toner, and if the clogging state becomes severe, the pressure release effect cannot be sufficiently exerted.

Therefore, although the pressure relief filter is regularly replaced, if the replacement is forgotten, the toner cannot be prevented from being blown out and the inside of the image forming apparatus is soiled with the developer. Further, if the blown-out toner adheres to charger wires of various chargers, it causes an abnormal image.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a developing device in which it is not forgotten to replace the pressure relief filter. It is in.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention is a developing device, the main body of which is a developing casing containing a developer, wherein the developing device contains a developer for supply to the developing casing. A container guide supporting portion for detachably supporting the developer supply container is provided in the developer casing, and the developer supply container has an opening for communicating the inside and outside of the developer casing in this mounted state. And a pressure relief filter for closing the opening is provided.

It is effective that the depressurizing filter is provided at a position where it does not come into contact with the developer contained in the developer supply container.

Further, in the developing casing, a container engaging portion which is detachably engaged with the developer supply container is provided at a lower portion of the casing which is another portion of the container guide supporting portion.
It is effective.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a photoconductor. In this figure, a developing device 2 is placed opposite to a drum-shaped photoconductor 1 which is an example of a latent image carrier. The developing device 2 includes a developing casing 3 whose main body contains a developer. The developer (not shown) in the developing casing 2 is supplied to the peripheral surface of the developing sleeve 5 while being stirred by the paddle wheel 4. In this example,
A powdery two-component developer having a toner and a carrier is used.

The developer supplied to the peripheral surface of the developing sleeve 5 is conveyed while being carried on the peripheral surface, and during this conveyance,
Excess is scraped off by the doctor blade 6 and thinned to be suitable for development. After that, the developer on the sleeve 5 is used to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 1 in the developing area 7.

On the other hand, the developer scraped off by the doctor blade 6 is guided to the separator 8 and is dropped toward the paddle wheel 4 while being conveyed in the axial direction of the developing sleeve 5 by the fin 9 of this separator. Furthermore,
A part of the developer is guided toward the developer transport screw member 10 and is transported toward the paddle wheel 4 while being transported in the direction opposite to the transport direction of the fin 9.

When the developer contained in the developing casing 3 is a two-component type developer as in this embodiment, a toner replenishing unit 12 is attached to the developing casing 3 so that the toner contained therein is While being stirred by the agitator 13, the toner is replenished in the developing casing 3 by the rotation of the toner replenishing roller 14.

The developing device 2 has a developer supply container 16 containing therein a developer 15 (FIG. 2) for supplying to the developing casing 3, and the developer supply container 16 is used for developing. It is also called an agent cartridge. In this example, the developer 15 contained in the developer supply container 16 is also a powdery two-component developer. Note that, in FIG. 1, for convenience, various members excluding the developer supply container 16 are not shown in cross section.

As shown in FIG. 1, container guide supporting portions 17 and 18 for detachably supporting the developer supply container 16 are provided on the upper portion of the developing casing 3. A filter mounting portion 16a for mounting the pressure release filter 19 is provided below the developer supply container 16, and a projecting portion 16a ₁ (FIG. 2) formed at the lower end of the developer mounting container 16 is provided with a container guide supporting portion 17,
It is removable with respect to 18. That is, the developer supply container 16 is detachable in the axial direction of the developing sleeve 5.

The filter mounting portion 16a is provided with an opening 21 for communicating the inside and outside of the developing casing 3 with the developer supply container 16 mounted as shown in FIG. The pressure release filter 19 attached to the developer supply container 16 blocks the opening 21.

A developer supply container 16 containing a developer.
As shown in FIG. 2, a sealing material 24 is attached to the lower end opening of the main body of the developing device 3 and the developing material 15 in the developing agent supply container 16 is supplied to the developing casing 3 by peeling off the sealing material 24. It is configured to be able to.

Here, the developer supply container 16 shown in FIG.
Indicates that the developer has been previously supplied and is emptied, and is kept attached to the developing casing 3. Now, assuming that the developer inside the developing casing has deteriorated, the shutter plate 25 detachably provided at the lower portion of the casing is extracted and removed from the casing.
The deteriorated developer is discharged to the outside of the casing. After the developer is collected in this way, the shutter plate 25 is attached again.

After this, the empty developer supply container 16 that has been installed up to now is extracted, and the new developer supply container 16 shown in FIG. 2 is installed in the container guide support portions 17 and 18.
The old developer supply container shown in FIG. 1 and the developer supply container shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience.

Next, the sealing material 24 (FIG. 2) is peeled off, and the new developer 15 in the container is put in the developing casing 3. In this way, the old and new developer is replaced.

Here, as described above, when the developing sleeve 5 and the like rotate, the air pressure inside the developing casing 3 rises. In this case, the developing casing 3
The toner of the developer is blown out from the gap 22 between the photosensitive member 1 and the photoconductor 1 and scattered outside the developing casing.
Reference numeral 23 indicates an inlet seal for preventing the toner from flowing out and scattering in the developing casing. However, when the air pressure is greatly increased, the toner may be blown out from the seal portion.

In order to prevent such a problem, the depressurizing filter 19 mounted in the opening 21 depressurizes the developing casing 3, but the developing device is operated for a long time. Over time, the pressure release filter 19 is clogged with toner, and a sufficient pressure release effect cannot be exhibited.

However, in this embodiment, when the old and new developer supply container 16 is replaced, the clogged depressurizing filter 19 is also replaced together with the developer supply container, so that such a situation should not occur. can do.
In any case, the user or service person will never forget to replace the pressure relief filter. As a result, the function of the pressure relief filter can be continuously maintained, and toner scattering from the developing device can be prevented, and the appearance of abnormal images and the contamination of the image forming apparatus due to scattered toner can be prevented. You can

By the way, the developer supply container is shown in FIG.
You may make it use the thing of the structure shown in FIG. This developer supply container 16 'has a container guide supporting portion 1 as shown in the figure.
When the sealant 24 is attached to the developing device 7 and 18, and the sealant 24 is peeled off, the developer 15 inside enters into the developing casing. An opening 26 is provided in the main body of the developer supply container 16 ', and it is attached to the pressure release filter 19' outside the container so as to close it.

When the developer supply container 16 'is empty, the pressure is released by the pressure release filter 19' through the opening 26 when the developing device is in operation. Therefore, when such a developer supply container 16 'is stored or transported before being attached to the developing casing, the internal developer 1
5 contacts the pressure release filter 19 ', and the toner of the developer that has come into contact with the pressure release filter 5 may cause clogging of the pressure release filter.

On the other hand, the developer supply container 16 shown in FIG. 2 is provided with the pressure relief filter 19 at a position where it does not come into contact with the developer 15 contained in the container. Even if there is vibration during transportation of the agent supply container 16, the internal developer does not come into contact with the depressurizing filter 19 and the life of the filter can be maximized.

Here, conventionally, when the developer in the developing casing 3 is replaced, for example, a unitized developing device is pulled out from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and then the one corresponding to the toner replenishing unit 12 is removed to develop. Through the opening of the casing (the opening of the casing formed by removing the toner replenishing unit), old developer was collected and new developer was put in.

Such an exchange system has a drawback that the toner is easily scattered when the developer is exchanged, and that it takes a lot of time to exchange the developer.

Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the developing casing 3 is engaged with the developer supply container 16 so as to be detachably engaged with the lower portion of the casing which is the other part of the container guide supporting portions 17 and 18. It has a section 27. At the time of collecting the old developer, the empty developer supply container 16 (FIG. 1) mounted on the upper part of the developing casing is removed from the upper container guide supporting portions 17 and 18, and is turned upside down, as shown in FIG. While guiding the container 16 by the container engaging portion 27, the container 16 is pushed into the engaging portion 27 to be mounted.
6 is supported by the container engaging portion 27. In this state, the shutter plate 25 is pulled out, and the deteriorated old developer in the developing casing 3 is put into the empty developer supply container 16. In this way, after the developer is collected, the developer supply container 16 filled with old developer is pulled out,
The shutter plate 25 is reattached as shown in FIG.

By only providing the container engaging portion 27 which allows the mounting of the developer supply container at the lower part of the developing casing 3, the developer can be replaced in a short time without the need to take out the developing device. Further, the developer can be exchanged without scattering the developer to the surroundings. Further, there is no need for a dedicated developer recovery container, and there is no need to carry this when carrying out agent replacement. Moreover, the developer supplied in the initial stage can be collected in the developer supply container 16 in the same space without waste.

In the present invention, regardless of the kind of the developer accommodated in the developing casing, not only the two-component developer but also the one-component developer containing no carrier is accommodated in the developing casing. It can also be applied to a developing device used later. In this case, the developer supply container 1
6, 16 'contain a one-component developer (toner), which is supplied to the developing casing.

[0033]

According to the developing device of the first aspect, since the pressure relief filter is never forgotten to be replaced, the functional deterioration due to the clogging can be prevented.
It is possible to suppress the generation of an abnormal image due to the blowout and scattering of the toner, and prevent the inside of the image forming apparatus from being contaminated by the toner. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide a pressure release filter mounting portion on the developing casing itself, the structure of the developing casing itself can be simplified.

According to the developing device of the second aspect, it is possible to prevent the pressure release filter from being clogged with the new developer, and to maximize the life of the filter.

According to the developing device of the third aspect, it is possible to collect the deteriorated developer used in the developing device by using the developer supply container equipped with the depressurizing filter. No need for a container. Moreover, the old and new developer can be easily replaced in a short time without scattering.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a photoconductor.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a developer supply container mounted in a developing casing of the same developing device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another example developer supply container.

FIG. 4 is a container engaging portion provided at the bottom of the developing casing,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a developer supply container and the like attached to it.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 developing device 3 developing casing 15 developer 16 developer supply container 16 'developer supply container 17 container guide support 18 container guide support 19 pressure release filter 19' pressure release filter 21 opening 26 opening 27 container engaging portion

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A developing device, the main body of which comprises a developing casing containing a developer, the developing device having a developer supply container containing the developer for supply to the developing casing, wherein the developing casing contains the developer. A container guide support portion that detachably supports the supply container is provided, and in this mounted state, the developer supply container is provided with an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the developing casing, and a pressure release filter that closes this opening. A developing device, which is provided with. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the depressurizing filter is attached at a position where the depressurizing filter does not come into contact with the developer housed inside the developer supply container. 3. The developing casing according to claim 1, wherein a container engaging portion that is detachably engaged with the developer supply container is provided at a lower portion of the casing which is another portion of the container guide supporting portion. Development device.