JPH0644172B2 - Toner Car Ridge - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for supplying toner to a developing machine such as a copying machine.

As a means for replenishing toner with a developing machine of a copying machine,
For example, a toner replenishing means as shown in FIG. 6 is known.

The toner replenishing means will be described. The developing device main body 1
The toner cartridge main body 2 is fitted in the upper part of the above, and the toner conveying augers 3 and 4 are attached inside the developing device main body 1 so as to be rotatable in a predetermined direction.

Shafts 5 and 6 of the toner conveying augers 3 and 4 are intermittently rotated in a predetermined direction by a driving force of a motor (not shown) in response to a toner replenishment command from a microcomputer (not shown), and are provided at one end of the shaft 6. The toner fixing spring 9 is attached to the shaft 6 via the gears 7 and 8.
It is designed to rotate in synchronization with. 10 to 15 are bearings for the shafts 5 and 6, and 16 to 19 are bearings for the toner fixing spring 9.

The toner inside the toner cartridge main body 2 is agitated by a toner sticking prevention spring 9 which rotates in synchronization with the toner carrying auger 4 to prevent the sticking thereof. It is conveyed to the left and is further conveyed to the developing roller on the left (not shown) through the communication port 20 by the rotation of the auger 3.

However, according to the conventional toner replenishing means, it is difficult to install the toner cartridge main body 2 below the toner conveying auger 4 as shown in FIG. The capacity of the toner cartridge main body 2 is reduced by the amount of the wider space below the working auger 4.

Further, when the toner cartridge main body 2 is inserted and removed, there is a problem that the toner attached to the inside of the cartridge main body 2 is scattered and the surroundings are contaminated.

Further, when the toner is left for a long time, it is fixed (blocked) at the place. In this conventional toner replenishing means, the toner fixing spring 9 and the like are provided below the toner cartridge main body 2 in order to prevent such blocking. It was complicated due to the structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and increases the capacity of a toner replenishing container, prevents the toner from scattering around, and further simplifies the structure of toner replenishing means. The purpose is to provide a cartridge.

Means for Solving Problems The toner cartridge of the present invention is provided with a rotatable paddle having one or more blades inside the toner cartridge main body, and the rotation center side of the paddle is connected to the developing device via the toner supply port. The toner cartridge main body can be attached to the developing machine main body by communicating with the toner conveying means.

It is desirable to provide a plurality of blades provided on the paddle at substantially equal intervals with respect to the center line of the rotation axis. Further, it is desirable that the cartridge body is formed in a cylindrical shape so that a plurality of blades rotate inside.

According to the present invention, when the toner cartridge is attached to the main body of the developing machine, the toner is present in each chamber partitioned by the blades, and these toners are located around the rotation center of the paddle, so that the capacity of the toner cartridge is increased. To be made.

The toner in each chamber inside the toner cartridge body is
By the rotation of the paddle, it is conveyed to the toner conveying means of the developing machine through the toner replenishing port on the center side of the toner cartridge main body.

Therefore, when the toner cartridge is attached or detached, there is no concern that the surroundings will be soiled with toner.

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

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the toner replenishing means, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the toner replenishing means when a toner cartridge is attached to the developing machine, and FIG. 3 is III-III of FIG.
It is a line sectional view.

At the center of the cartridge body 31 of the toner cartridge 30, a recess 33 is formed for inserting the cartridge body 31 into the toner carrying auger case 32. A rotatable paddle 34 is provided inside the toner cartridge main body 31, and the paddle 34 includes a disk 35 and four blades 36, which are perpendicular to the disk 35 and are radially arranged at equal intervals.
It consists of 39. Toner is stored in each chamber defined by these blades 36 to 39 as shown in FIG. Further, a toner replenishing port 41 for supplying toner from each chamber to the toner transporting auger 40 is formed in the recess 33 of the toner cartridge main body 31 so as to open upward when the cartridge is mounted.

A toner receiving port 43 is opened in the upper portion of the toner carrying auger case 32, and the toner dropped from the toner receiving port 43 is carried to the developing device main body 45 by the auger 40.

One end 46a of the shaft 46 of the auger 40 is adapted to be connected to a D hole formed in the center of the disc 35 when the cartridge body 31 is mounted.

The cartridge body 3 is placed in the toner carrying auger case 32.
1 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 1, the toner cartridge positioning protrusion 50 formed in the recess 33 is
Insert it in the direction of arrow A along the groove 51 formed in the toner transporting auger case 32, and insert it in the direction of arrow B 18
Rotate 0 degrees and insert in the direction of arrow C. When the cartridge body 31 is inserted up to the position of the arrow C, the outer peripheral portion of the D hole formed in the disk 35 fits into the one end 46a of the shaft.

The cartridge body 31 is the toner transporting auger case 3
2 is inserted into the D hole of the disk 35, the shaft 4
If one end 46a of 6 does not fit, the shaft 4 of the toner-transporting auger 40 is rotated by a spring (not shown).
6 escapes in the direction of arrow E in FIG.

When the toner carrying auger 40 starts to rotate with the cartridge body 31 attached, one end 4 of the shaft 46
6a is fitted into the D hole of the disk 35 when it reaches a predetermined rotation position, and at the time of this fitting, the blades 36 to 39 attached to the disk 35 start to rotate in a predetermined method.

Since the toner supply port 41 of the cartridge body 31 communicates with the toner receiving port 43 when the cartridge is mounted,
The toner inside the toner cartridge main body 31 drops by gravity when it reaches the upper part of the toner supply port 41, and is transported to the developing roll (not shown) of the developing device 45 by the toner transporting auger 40. In this case, since the paddle 34 rotates in synchronization with the toner transporting auger 40, the toner replenishment can be continued until the toner stored in the cartridge body 31 is almost completely consumed without being solidified.

In this embodiment, since the toner cartridge 30 is arranged around the toner conveying auger 40, the capacity of the cartridge can be increased to about four times that of the conventional one. Further, although four blades 36 to 39 of the paddle 34 are provided, the number of blades is not limited in the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, the toner is supplied to the toner conveying means of the developing device by the rotatable paddle provided inside the toner cartridge main body, so that the toner is supplied around the rotation center of the paddle. The capacity of the toner cartridge can be increased to the extent that a large space can be formed.

Further, since the toner inside the toner cartridge main body is supplied to the developing device by the rotation of the paddle, there is also an advantage that there is no fear of polluting the surrounding area with the toner when the toner cartridge is attached or detached.

Further, unlike the conventional toner cartridge, it is not necessary to provide a toner sticking prevention spring for preventing the sticking (blocking) of the toner, so that the structure of the toner replenishing means becomes simple, and such a simple structure is achieved. The toner stored in the cartridge can be completely consumed until the end.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a toner replenishing means in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the toner replenishing means when a toner cartridge is mounted, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. Fig. 4, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the essential structure of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 (A) and Fig. 5 (B) are explanatory views for explaining the operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is It is a structure sectional view showing a conventional example. 30 ... Toner Cartridge, 31 ... Toner Cartridge Main Body, 32 ... Toner Transport Auger Case, 34 ... Paddle, 35 ... Disk, 36-39 ... Blade, 40 ... Toner Transport Auger, 41 ... Toner supply port, 43 ... Toner receiving port, 45 ... Developing machine.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A toner cartridge main body is provided with a rotatable paddle having one or more blades, and a rotation center side of the paddle is communicated with a toner conveying means of a developing machine through a toner replenishing port, and the toner is supplied. A toner cartridge characterized in that the cartridge body is attachable to the developing machine body.