JPH0684461U - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To prevent toner scattering when removing the toner cartridge 1 from the hopper 4. [Structure] A toner replenishing opening 1e of a toner storage chamber for storing toner is formed in a state of being sealed by a peeling sheet 2 and arranged inside a container 1a. The shutter member 1c is openable and closable, and each shutter member is always biased in the closing direction.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a toner replenishing mechanism that supplies toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus that uses toner such as a printer, a facsimile, and a copying machine.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine that uses an electrophotographic method, an image is formed by developing and fixing by a toner, and toner is consumed as the image formation is repeated.

Toner replenishment is generally performed by setting a toner cartridge filled with toner in a toner receiving port of a toner replenishing device (hereinafter referred to as a “hopper”) and opening a toner cartridge to cause the toner in the developing device. It is done by supplying to. Since the toner is in the form of fine powder, a peeling sheet is welded to the toner cartridge's toner supply port to maintain airtightness so that the toner does not scatter to the outside and contaminate during replenishment. At that time, the sheet is peeled off before use.

Conventional toner supply will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional toner cartridge 10 to which the peeling sheet is attached, and FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of a toner replenishing mechanism. The peeling sheet 20 of the toner cartridge 10 is made of airtight nylon or the like, and after the opening 12 of the toner container 11 is filled with the peeling sheet 20, the peeling sheet 20 is double-folded as shown in FIG. The opening 12 can be opened by pulling the sheet 20.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The toner cartridge 10 is installed on the hopper 30 that temporarily stores the toner to be supplied to the developing device side as shown in FIG. 5, and the peeling sheet 20 is pulled in the installed state to fill the toner in the hopper (see FIG. 5 (a)-(c)). In such a replenishment mechanism, when the toner cartridge 10 is removed after replenishing the toner, the toner opening is lifted upward while keeping the toner opening downward, so that the residual toner adhering to the inner wall of the toner cartridge 10 is spilled out, and the inside of the machine is polluted and the worker is polluted. It was possible that his hands were stained (Fig. 4 (d)). In order to solve such a problem, the applicant of the present application has, prior to the filing of the present application, a technique for preventing the above problems by using both a shutter member and a peeling sheet that slide the opening 12 of the toner cartridge 10 to the side to seal the opening. Proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-113113).

However, providing the shutter member for the slide has various problems such as a complicated structure and a problem in terms of cost, and a space for opening the slide is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing mechanism using a toner cartridge that does not cause internal contamination due to toner scattering with a simple configuration.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the problems, the present invention forms a container opening of a container containing toner so that it can be opened and closed by a shutter member, and installs the container on a hopper that temporarily stores toner to be supplied to the developing device side. In the toner cartridge that opens the shutter member and fills and fills the hopper with toner, a toner storage chamber for storing toner is formed with the toner supply opening of the toner storage chamber sealed with a peeling sheet. The shutter member is disposed inside the container, and the shutter member at the container opening is formed by a shutter member that can be opened and closed in the left and right directions from the approximate center of the opening, and each shutter member is always biased in the closing direction. It is in the place where it was configured. The shutter member may be configured such that the left and right shutter members overlap each other when closed.

[0009]

[Action]

 When the toner cartridge having the above-described structure is installed in the hopper, the shutter member of the container abuts against the upper part of the side wall of the hopper and is installed by opening to the left and right inside the toner container. Then, by peeling off the peeling sheet, the toner held in the toner storage chamber is filled in the hopper. Then, when the toner cartridge is detached, the shutter member biased in the closing direction is closed as the toner cartridge is detached from the side wall of the hopper, and the opening of the container is closed. Even if the residual toner on the inner wall falls off, the shutter member can prevent the toner from scattering to the outside.

[0010]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a central transverse sectional view of a toner cartridge 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1A, the toner cartridge 1 includes a container 1a forming an outer frame thereof, a toner storage chamber 1b installed inside the container 1a for storing toner, and an opening 1d of the toner container. It is composed of a double-door type shutter member 1c that opens in the left and right directions from the approximate center.

In the toner storage chamber 1b, the opening 1e is installed at a position facing the opening 1d of the toner container 1a, in which the toner 3 is stored, and the toner storage chamber 1b is provided. A peeling sheet that seals the opening 1e is attached to store and hold the toner inside. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the peeling sheet 2 has a structure in which the opening 1e is heat-sealed as in the prior art, and then folded back to pass through the side surface of the toner storage chamber 1b and come out from the take-out hole 1h of the peeling sheet 2 of the container 1a. 1 g is a cleaning member, which is configured so that the toner stuck to the peeling sheet 2 after the peeling sheet 2 is replenished and the toner is replenished is cleaned and the toner is not discharged to the outside.

When the shutter member 1c is opened and closed, the left and right shutter members are always biased in the closing direction by the spring 5, and the biasing force does not work in the closed state. It should be noted that it is sufficient if the shutter member 1c can always keep the urging force without using the spring 5.

The material of the toner cartridge 1 is paper. Since the toner cartridge is a consumable item, this material is selected because it does not cause pollution when incinerated, but the material is not limited to such a material and it is composed of a polyolefin resin containing a large amount of inorganic filler. Therefore, a substance that does not generate a toxic gas may be used. Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. 2 and 3 are explanatory views of the operation of mounting the toner cartridge 1 on the hopper 4, showing a central cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge 1. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the shutter member 1c of the toner cartridge 1 is in contact with the upper portion of the side wall 4a of the hopper 4 and opens inward, and the shutter member storage groove formed by the outer frame 1d of the hopper and the side wall 4a. 4b, the regulating portion 4c prevents the toner cartridge 1 from being inserted, and the toner cartridge 1 is set in the hopper (FIG. 2 (c)). Next, although not shown, the peeling sheet 2 protruding from the upper portion of the toner cartridge 1 is peeled off and the toner 3 is supplied into the hopper 4. When the toner cartridge 1 is pulled out from the hopper 4, the toner attached to the inner wall of the toner storage chamber 1b falls down as shown in FIG. However, as the toner cartridge 1 is pulled out, the shutter member 1c having an elastic force in the closing direction gradually closes, and when completely removed, the shutter member 1c becomes a closed state (Figs. 3 (a) to (c)). )). This eliminates the toner scattering when the toner is removed. As shown in FIG. 1 (a), although the shutter member 1c shuts off the toner, it is preferable that the shutter member 1c has the left and right shutter members overlapping each other when the shutter member 1c is closed in order to completely prevent toner scattering. .

[0014]

[Effect of device]

 With the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to prevent toner scattering when removing the toner cartridge, which is a conventional problem. Also, by making the shutter member a double door type, the opening operation of the shutter member can be performed only by the operation of inserting the toner cartridge into the hopper, and the operability is better than the sliding structure of the shutter member, and a simple configuration is possible. Can be provided at low cost. In addition, the user can replace the toner without worrying about the scattering of toner even when removing only the toner cartridge that has been used up by simply replenishing the toner without being aware of the opening / closing operation of the shutter member.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a toner cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a toner cartridge mounting operation.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a toner cartridge removing operation.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional toner cartridge.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of conventional toner supply and toner cartridge removal.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Toner Cartridge 1a Container 1b Toner Storage Chamber 1c Shutter Member 1d Container Opening 1e Toner Storage Opening 1f Outer Wall 2 Peeling Sheet 3 Toner 4 Hopper

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A container opening portion of a container containing toner is formed so as to be opened and closed by a shutter member, and the container is installed on a hopper for temporarily storing toner to be supplied to a developing device side to open the shutter member. In a toner cartridge for replenishing and replenishing toner to a hopper, a toner storage chamber for storing toner is formed in a state in which a toner replenishing opening of the toner storage chamber is sealed with a peeling sheet and is placed inside the container, The shutter member in the container opening is composed of a plurality of shutter members rotatable inward from the approximate center of the opening, and each shutter member is always biased in the closing direction. Toner cartridge.