JPH08179611A - Toner replenishing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make a toner replenishing container attachable and detachable to and from an image forming device without the occurrence of contamination and to facilitate the operation to attach and detach this container at the time of toner replenishment by forming the surface of a hermetic sealing member facing the toner replenishing container of a foamed layer and forming the surface of this hermetic sealing member facing a shutter member of a solid layer. CONSTITUTION: The hermetic sealing member 31 of the shutter part 30 is an elastic material constituted of at least two layers as a whole consisting of the foamed layer and the solid layer. Its surface facing the toner replenishing member 10 is formed of the foamed layer and the surface facing the shutter member 32 is formed of the solid layer. The hermetic sealing member is adhered by a tacky adhesive, such as double coated tape, to the circumference of a toner discharge port 13 of a container bottom 11. The hermetic sealing member 31 is adapted to be fitted into a recessed part 11a of the same shape formed at the container bottom 11. The hermetic sealing member 31 is stuck similarly to the toner discharge port 13 at the circumference of the shaft hole 12 of the container bottom 11. The shaft part 21 of an agitator 20 and its circumference are kept free from the contamination due to the toners infiltrating from the toner discharge port 31b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner replenishing container for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer and a facsimile, and more specifically, a toner leakage caused by a container replacement operation when replenishing the toner. The present invention relates to a toner replenishing container having a feature of preventing contamination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a toner replenishing container used in an image forming apparatus is replenished with toner by closing a toner discharge port of the toner container with a sealing member and peeling off the sealing member after mounting the image forming apparatus. There is something. Further, as disclosed in JP-A-60-80878, there is provided a valve member for closing the toner discharge port of the toner supply container, and the valve member is pushed up by a push-up member provided on the image forming apparatus side, thereby toner There is a proposal to replenish. Further, as a seal member for preventing toner leakage, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-129664, it is attached by being laminated on a sponge-like seal member and comes into contact with the surface of a sliding member. The felt-like seal member has been proposed.

[0003]

However, in the conventional toner replenishing container in which the toner discharge port is opened by releasing the seal member to replenish the toner, the discharge port is removed when the toner is removed from the image forming apparatus after the toner is replenished. Since it is open, there is a problem in that the toner attached to the inner wall of the container is scattered to the outside at the time of the attachment / detachment operation, which contaminates the inside / outside of the image forming apparatus, the worker's skin, clothes, or the like. There is.

Further, in the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-80878, the toner discharge port is opened only by pushing up the valve member, so that the toner may be accidentally discharged. There is.

Further, in the conventional technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-129664, the felt-like seal member is dropped into the fibers constituting the felt while repeatedly contacting the sliding member surface. However, there is a problem in that the effect of preventing toner leakage does not last for a long time, and the above-mentioned fallen fibers are mixed into the toner in the developing chamber to cause toner conveyance failure.

As described above, the conventional technical problems are that the container is not easily attached and detached, the certainty of preventing the leakage of toner, and the durability of the sealing effect at the sliding portion are insufficient. Have a point.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to be attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus without causing contamination due to leakage of toner, and at the time of toner supply. Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner supply container that can be easily attached and detached.

[0008]

The present invention provides a toner replenishing container for solving the above-mentioned problems, in which a sealing member made of an elastic material is provided around a toner discharge port and can be opened and closed in close contact with the sealing member. Has a shutter member,
The surface of the sealing member facing the toner supply container is a foam layer, and the surface of the sealing member facing the shutter member is a solid layer.

[0009]

In the toner replenishing container of the present invention, when the toner is discharged, the lock part is displaced from the blocking position against the elastic force to the permissible position, and the toner replenishing container body is relatively slid relative to the shutter member to discharge the toner. The toner in the toner supply container can be discharged from the discharge port by setting the shutter position to the open position of the shutter member. On the other hand, when the toner is not discharged, the discharge port is set to the closed position of the shutter member to prevent the discharge of the toner in the toner supply container.

According to the configuration of claim 1 of the present invention, the sealing member is an elastic body composed of at least two layers as a whole including the foam layer and the solid layer, and the surface facing the toner supply container is foamed. Since the surface facing the layer and the shutter member is a solid layer and is adhered around the toner discharge port with an adhesive or the like, and the shutter member is held by the guide member so as to pinch the sealing member, the solid layer is the shutter member. And face each other in a state of being in complete contact with. When the toner is not discharged, the toner stagnating near the opening of the toner discharge port is shielded from the outside of the toner supply container by the shutter member. The toner moving along the shutter member in the gap with the sealing member is prevented from moving by the solid layer of the sealing member in close contact with the shutter member, and is prevented from leaking to the outside of the toner supply container. The toner that enters from the side surface of the sealing member and moves in the cells of the foaming layer is prevented from moving to the outside of the sealing member by the solid layer existing on the outer layer of the sealing member, and the toner replenishing container through the outlet of the shutter member. Is prevented from leaking outside. Further, the solid layer of the sealing member prevents the sealing member from being worn or damaged during the opening / closing operation of rotating and sliding the shutter member from the closed position to the open position of the discharge port, and prevents the shutter member from sliding when rotating and sliding. The mobility can be improved.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the foam layer of the sealing member is a foam member having a cell density of 25 to 250 cells / inch, so that the adhesion between the sealing member and the shutter member is further enhanced. It is possible to easily prevent the toner from leaking out of the toner supply container. Specifically, in order to bring the shutter member and the sealing member into close contact with each other without forming a gap, the shutter member is pressured so that the sealing member can follow and deform the irregularities on the surface of the shutter member without largely bending the shutter member. Need to be pressed against the sealing member, and by setting the cell density of the foam layer to 25 to 250 cells / inch or more, a gap is not formed at a portion facing the sealing member when the sealing member is pressed by the shutter member. As described above, it is possible to easily obtain an appropriate amount for compressively deforming the sealing member.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the foam layer of the sealing member is a single-cell type cell, so that the toner that enters from the side surface of the sealing member to the inside exists between the foam cells. The toner can be prevented from moving inside the cell inside the foam layer and completely prevented from passing through the inside of the sealing member and leaking out of the toner supply container. .

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the solid layer of the sealing member is a film having a thickness of 0.01 to 0.1 mm, so that the adhesion with the shutter member required as the solid layer is improved. The slidability can be improved without damage. Specifically, when the solid layer of the sealing member is a film having a thickness of 0.01 mm or more, it is caused by the undulations formed in the cells of the foam layer when the film is attached to the foam layer with an adhesive or the like. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness and wrinkles of the film that becomes the film, and to easily bring the shutter member and the sealing member into close contact with each other without forming a gap. further,
By forming the solid layer of the sealing member as a film having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less, when the shutter member is pressed against the sealing member, the solid layer of the sealing member does not impair the flexibility of the sealing member to the facing surface. The shutter member and the sealing member can be easily brought into close contact with each other by following and deforming.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the solid layer of the sealing member is an unfoamed layer of a foamed layer having a cell density gradient, whereby the solid layer itself has increased flexibility. The adhesion between the shutter member and the sealing member can be further improved. The unfoamed layer of the foamed layer having a cell density gradient is a so-called skin layer which is formed on the surface of the foamed layer facing the inside of the mold when the foamed layer is produced by a foaming mold, and the solid layer is a skin layer. By this, the foam layer and the solid layer can be integrally manufactured by the same process and the same material. By manufacturing the foam layer and the solid layer with the same material, it is possible to omit the film and the adhesive necessary for forming the solid layer, reduce the material cost, save the manufacturing man-hours, and realize the sealing member at a low cost. It can be manufactured.

Therefore, the toner supply container of the present invention is
Even if it is repeatedly attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus, the toner replenishment tank can be easily attached and detached without causing contamination due to toner leakage.

[0016]

1 and 2 are schematic views of a toner supply container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The toner supply container 1 includes a container 10 filled with toner, an agitator 20 rotatably provided in the container 10, a shutter portion 30 provided at the bottom of the container 10, and the container 10 sealed. And a lid 40 that operates. The bottom 11 of the container 10 is provided with a shaft hole 12, a toner discharge port 13, and a pin 14. Also, container 1
0 on the outer peripheral surface 15 of the developing device shown in FIG.
A pair of L-shaped grooves 242 provided in the concave portion 240 of 30;
A pair of protrusions 16 that engages with and disengages from the pair of L-shaped grooves 242 is provided.

The agitator 20 includes a shaft portion 21, a scooping blade 22 that is integrally formed with the shaft portion 21, scoops up the toner in the container 10, and further the scraping blade 22.
And a stirring blade 23 that stirs the toner in the container 10, and the shaft portion 21 is rotatably attached to the shaft hole 12 of the container bottom portion 11 via a ring-shaped sealing member 27. Has been. The shaft portion 21 is formed with a groove 25 that engages with the shaft 521 of the drive gear 520 when the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the upper case 230 of the developing device shown in FIG. The stirring blade 23 may be integrally formed with a wiper-shaped cleaning member 26 for cleaning the inner wall surface of the container 10, as indicated by a chain double-dashed line. With the above configuration, the stirring blade 23 and the cleaning member 26 can have a simplified structure, and at the same time, the stirring effect of the toner in the container 10 can be enhanced. Further, the toner attached to the wall surface in the container 10 is scraped off by the cleaning member 26, so that the toner in the toner supply container 1 is removed.
It can be completely used up without being left inside.

The shutter section 30 comprises a sealing member 31 made of an elastic material, a disk-shaped shutter member 32, and a guide member 33.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sealing member 31 is an elastic body composed of at least two layers including a foam layer 35 and a solid layer 36 as a whole, and the toner supply container 10
The surface facing the toner is a foam layer 35, and the surface facing the shutter member 32 is a solid layer 36. At this time, if the sealing member 31 is held by a guide groove formed around the toner discharge port 13 without being adhered with an adhesive, or is held by being narrowed by the shutter member 32, the number of parts can be reduced, and the sealing member can be reduced. It is also possible to reduce the cost of 31. Further, the sealing member 31 is adapted to be fitted into a recess 11a of the same shape provided in the container bottom 11, and in the fitted state, a shaft hole 31a that matches the shaft hole 12 of the container bottom 11, and a container bottom. 11 has a toner discharge opening 13b and a toner discharge opening 31b. The shaft hole 31a and the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31 have the foam layer 3
It is easy to form the solid layer 36 by sticking the solid layer 36 to 5 and then punching with a mold, but at that time, the sealing member 31 is punched from the solid layer 36 toward the foam layer 35 to maintain the flatness of the solid layer. It is preferable because it is possible. Container bottom 11
Since the sealing member 31 is attached around the shaft hole 12 of the agitator 20 like the toner discharge port 13.
The shaft portion 21 and its periphery are not contaminated by the toner entering from the toner discharge port 31b.

As the foam layer 35 of the sealing member 31,
Cell density of 25 to 250 cells / inch, such as polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, ABS, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, acetyl cellulose, polyamide, polyurethane, phenol resin, epoxy resin, urea resin, acrylic Foams such as resin, silicone, polyimide, chloroprene, neoprene, butyl rubber, SBR can be used. Particularly, a foam made of polyethylene, polyurethane, silicone, or neoprene having a low hardness and a low compression set is used, but the sealing member 31 and the shutter member 32 do not bend the shutter member 32 unnecessarily.
It is preferable in that the adhesiveness with can be maintained for a long time. The thickness of the foam layer 35 varies depending on the area of the container bottom portion 11, but it is easy to make uniform contact with the shutter member 32, and the foam layer 35 can be manufactured without reducing the dimensional accuracy. In points, about 1-10m
It is preferably m. Further, regarding the deformation rate of the foam layer 35 for compressive deformation by the shutter member 32 when the shutter unit 30 is assembled, it is easy to make uniform contact with the shutter member 32, and the shutter member 32 foams after narrow pressure. From the viewpoint that the shape of the layer 35 is not unnecessarily changed from the original shape, it is preferably about 5 to 50%.

Further, by forming the foam layer 35 of the sealing member 31 with cells having a single cell structure, the toner entering the inside from the side surface of the sealing member 31 can be sealed by the partition walls existing between the foam cells. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from moving inside the cells inside the foam layer 35, and completely prevent the toner from passing through the inside of the sealing member 31 and leaking to the outside of the toner supply container 1.

The solid layer 36 of the sealing member 31 is a skin layer integrally formed with the above-mentioned foam layer 35,
Alternatively, a thickness of 0.01 to 0.1 m to be attached to the foam layer 35
m film. Examples of the film include natural rubber, silicone rubber, fluororubber, fluorosilicone rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, hydrin rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber, isobutylene isoprene rubber, ethylene. Rubber such as propylene rubber, elastomer such as styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, acrylic resin, thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene, butyral, polyester, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, fluororesin, cellulose, polyethylene, or epoxy Resin, silicone, polyurethane, melamine resin,
A thermosetting resin such as alkyd resin, polyimide or polyamide can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use a polyethylene, polyester, polyimide, or polyamide film that has high strength and is excellent in slidability and abrasion resistance from the viewpoint of improving the durability of toner sealing. Foam layer 35
The solid layer 36 composed of the film and the film can be laminated with a pressure sensitive adhesive such as a double-sided tape to form the sealing member 31.

The ring-shaped sealing member 27 is an elastic body composed of at least two layers as a whole including a foam layer 28 and a solid layer 29 like the above-mentioned sealing member 31, and faces the shaft portion 21. The surface is a foam layer 28, and the surface facing the container bottom 11 is a solid layer 29, which is attached around the shaft portion 21 with an adhesive such as a double-sided tape. At this time, the pressure may be narrowly held with the container bottom 11 without using the adhesive. The materials of the foam layer 28 and the solid layer 29 are
Each of them may be the same as or different from the sealing member 31 described above. Further, the thickness and the compressive deformation rate of the foam layer 28 may be set to be equal to or different from those of the sealing member 31 described above. However, it is preferable that the thickness and the compression deformation rate of the foam layer 28 are set to values included in the good regions shown in the sealing member 31, respectively.

The shutter member 32 has a shaft hole 32a that matches the shaft hole 12 of the container bottom 11, and a toner discharge port 32b that matches the toner discharge port 13 of the container bottom 11 at a predetermined position.
5, an arc-shaped elongated hole 32c through which the pin 14 of the container bottom 11 is inserted, and an engagement hole 32d that engages with the pin 244 provided on the upper case 230 of the developing device shown in FIG. . Further, the shutter member 32 includes the container bottom portion 11
Between the guide member 33 and the guide member 33, the pin 14 is rotatably slidable in the direction of arrow a or b in the figure within a range in which the pin 14 can relatively move along the elongated hole 32c. That is, in the shutter unit 30, the shutter member 3
Only 2 is in a state of being relatively rotatable and slidable with respect to the container 10. When the toner supply container 1 is not attached to the developing device, the toner discharge port 3 of the shutter member 32 is
The position 2b does not coincide with the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31. That is, the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31 is sealed by the shutter member 32.

The guide member 33 has a ring shape as a whole and is attached to the step portion 11b provided on the container bottom portion 11. In the mounted state, the four square holes 33e are fixed to the container bottom 11 by engaging with the four engaging claws 11e formed on the stepped portion 11b, respectively, and the bottom edge 33
The inner peripheral surface (upper surface) of f is the peripheral edge portion 3 of the shutter member 32.
2f is supported so as to be slidably rotatable. In addition, the guide member 33
An elastic arc-shaped tongue piece 33g is integrally provided on the front side of the tongue piece 33g. The tongue piece 33g is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 32d of the shutter member 32 from its rear side (upper side in FIG. 2). A protrusion 33c to be fitted is provided (see FIG. 7). The shutter member 32 is a guide member 33.
It is attached to the guide member 33 so as to pass under the tongue piece 33g from the upper surface side. The protrusion 33 is provided in the engaging hole 32d.
The engagement of c prevents the shutter member 32 from rotating and sliding carelessly, and the toner discharge port 3
2b coincides with the toner outlet 13 of the container bottom 11 to prevent the toner in the container 10 from leaking out.

In the toner replenishing container 1 as described above, the pin 14 of the container bottom 11 penetrates the elongated hole 32c of the shutter member 32 and its tip projects from the elongated hole 32c. The sealing member 31 has a toner discharge port 31b aligned with the toner discharge port 13 of the container bottom portion 11, and the container bottom portion 1 of the sealing member 31.
1, and is held in a state of being narrowed by the shutter member 32. As a result, the adhesion between the sealing member 13 and the shutter member 32 is improved and toner leakage is prevented.

Toner discharge port 32b of the shutter member 32
Is preferably the same or a large opening area or opening shape that prevents the toner from touching the shutter member 32 when the toner is released from the container 10 by opening the shutter member 32. The clogging phenomenon at the time of discharging the toner from the outlet 13 and the toner contamination of the shutter unit 30 that occurs after the toner supply container 1 is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus are prevented.

Further, the shutter member 32 is the sealing member 3
By providing unevenness on a part or all of the surface facing 1, it is possible to further improve the certainty of preventing toner leakage. For example, by locally thinning the plate thickness around the toner discharge port 32b of the shutter member 32 without impairing the adhesiveness with the sealing member 31, the opening area and the thickness of the toner discharge port 32b of the shutter member 32 are satisfied. By reducing the amount of toner that can be present in the space, it is possible to reduce the amount of toner that is released to the outside when the shutter member 32 is opened and closed (FIG. 3B). further,
At the shutter member 32 closed position on the surface of the shutter member 32 facing the sealing member 31, a convex step 37 having a shape matching the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31 can be provided. By sealing the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31 with the convex step 37 of the shutter member 32, it is possible to prevent the toner in the toner supply container 1 from leaking from the toner discharge port 13 when the toner is not discharged (FIG. 4 (a)). Further, when the shutter member 32 is rotationally slid to the closed position of the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31, the gap formed by the shaft hole 31a of the sealing member 31 and the toner discharge port 31b is closely attached to the shutter member 32. It is possible to provide a convex step 38 on the outer periphery of the shaft hole 32a so as to be possible.
The convex step 38 of the shutter member 32 strongly presses the sealing member 31 to sufficiently compress and deform it so as not to form a gap therebetween, so that the toner is prevented from leaking through the shaft hole 32a of the shutter member 32. (Fig. 4
(b)). Further, in order to obtain the same effect, unevenness may be provided on part or all of the surface of the container 10 facing the sealing member 31.

Therefore, in the toner replenishing container 1 having the above-mentioned structure, the minimum area constituting the container bottom 11 is generally determined by the outer diameter of the shaft hole 12 of the container bottom 11 and the area of the toner discharge port 13. It is possible to reduce the mounting area of the container as compared with the toner supply container, and it is also possible to use the toner supply container 1 with a small capacity.

Next, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting portion 2 of the toner supply container 1 in the upper case 230 of the developing device.
40 will be described.

The mounting portion 240 is formed as a concave portion into which the lower portion of the toner replenishing container 1 fits, and the shutter portion 250 having the same structure as the shutter portion 30 of the toner replenishing container 1 described above is incorporated in this concave portion. .

A shaft hole 245, through which the shaft 521 of the drive gear 520 is inserted, is formed in the bottom surface 241 of the mounting portion 240, and the drive gear 5 in the circulation path of the coil spring 510 described above.
20 is provided with a toner receiving port 243 (see FIG. 8) and a pin 244 which face the start of meshing between the coil spring 510 and the coil spring 510. Further, on the inner peripheral surface of the recess of the mounting portion 240,
A pair of L-shaped grooves 242 are provided to engage and disengage with the convex portion 16 of the toner supply container 1 described above. L-shaped groove 242
Comprises a vertical groove 242a and a horizontal groove 242b, and the upper end of the vertical groove 242a is connected to the lower end of the guide groove 101b provided in the mounting hole 101a (see FIG. 9) of the exterior cover of the image forming apparatus. The end of the lateral groove 242b is
It constitutes a restricting portion for restricting the end of the rotational movement of the toner replenishing container 1 during the mounting operation of the toner replenishing container 1 described later.

The shutter section 250 comprises a sealing member 251, which is made of an elastic material, a disk-shaped shutter member 252, and a guide member 253.

The sealing member 251 is the bottom surface 2 of the mounting portion 240.
The recessed portion 241 a of the same shape is fitted into and stuck to the recessed portion 241 a, and in the fitted state, the shaft hole 251 a that matches the shaft hole 245 and the toner that matches the toner receiving port 243. It has a receiving port 251b.

The shutter member 252 has the shaft hole 24.
5, the shaft hole 252a, and the toner receiving port 243.
Toner receiving port 252b that may be matched with the pin 244
A circular arc-shaped long hole 252c through which is inserted, and an engagement hole 252d with which the pin 14 of the toner supply container 1 described above is engaged are provided.

The guide member 253 has a substantially ring shape and is mounted on the mounting portion 240. In the mounted state, the two engaging claws 253e are fixed in the mounting portion 240 by engaging with the respective engaging holes (not shown) provided in the wall surface in the mounting portion 240, and the bottom edge portion 253f. The peripheral surface 252f of the shutter member 252 is slidably supported on the lower surface of the shutter member 252 (see FIG. 7). The guide member 253 is integrally provided with an elastic arc-shaped tongue piece 253g, and the shutter member 2 is provided at the tip of this tongue piece 253g.
The engagement hole 252d of 52 is provided with a projection 253c that is loosely fitted from the rear surface side (lower surface side in FIG. 2) (see FIG. 7). The shutter member 252 is incorporated under the guide member 253 so that the shutter member 252 passes through the tongue piece 253g from the lower surface side of the guide member 253. Engagement hole 2
The engagement of the protrusion 253c with the protrusion 52d prevents the shutter member 252 from being inadvertently rotated and slid during transportation of the main body, and the toner receiving port 252 can be prevented.
It is possible to prevent the toner in the developing device 200 from leaking out by matching b with the toner receiving port 243.

When the developing device 200 is assembled, the pin 244 on the bottom surface of the mounting portion 240 is attached to the long hole 2 of the shutter 252.
The distal end of the through hole 52c projects through the elongated hole 252c (see FIG. 7). The sealing member 251 is mounted on the mounting portion 2
It is held in a state of being pressed by the bottom surface 40 of the shutter 40 and the shutter member 252. As a result, the adhesion between the sealing member 251 and the shutter member 252 is improved, and toner leakage is prevented. The shutter member 252 has the pin 2 between the bottom surface 241 of the mounting portion 240 and the guide member 253.
44 is held so as to be rotatable and slidable in the direction of arrow a or b in the figure within a range in which 44 can relatively move along the elongated hole 252c. That is, in the shutter part 250, only the shutter member 252 is in a state of being relatively slidable relative to the upper case 230. Further, when the toner supply container 1 is not attached, the shutter member 252
The toner receiving port 252b is not in the same position as the toner receiving port 251b of the sealing member 251 as shown in FIG. That is, the toner receiving port 251b of the sealing member 251.
Are sealed by the shutter member 252.

The attachment / detachment operation of the toner supply container 1 with respect to the mounting portion 240 as described above is as follows. FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing a state immediately before the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 240. The attaching / detaching operation and the operation will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 7.

First, the toner supply container 1 is inserted into the mounting hole 101a so that the convex portion 16 of the toner supply container 1 is aligned with the guide groove 101b of the mounting hole 101a (see FIG. 9) of the outer case of the image forming apparatus. The convex portion 16 is the guide groove 1
01b moves downward in the guide groove 101b, further enters the vertical groove 242a of the L-shaped groove 242 provided in the mounting portion 240 of the developing device, reaches the lower end thereof, and stops (see FIG. 7). It shows the state just before the bottom edge is reached). At this time, the shaft 521 of the gear 520 is connected to the shaft portion 21 of the agitator 20 of the toner supply container 1. Also,
The pin 614 of the toner supply container 1 is attached to the mounting portion 2 of the developing device.
40 of the shutter member 252 is fitted into the engaging hole 252d, and the projection 253c of the tongue piece 253g is pushed down to project the projection 2
The shutter member 253 is unlocked by 53c. At the same time, the pin 244 on the mounting portion 240 side fits into the engagement hole 32d of the shutter member 32 of the toner replenishing container 1 and pushes up the protrusion 33c of the tongue piece 33g to unlock the shutter member 32 by the protrusion 33c.

Next, the toner replenishing container 1 is attached to the arrow b in FIG.
Rotate counterclockwise as shown in. The convex portion 16 of the toner replenishing container 1 enters the lateral groove 242b of the L-shaped groove 242 and engages with the lateral groove 242b to prevent the toner replenishing container 1 from coming off, and the toner replenishing container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 240. As described above, the pin 14 of the toner supply container 1 fits into the engagement hole 252d of the shutter member 252 of the mounting portion 240, and the mounting portion 24
Since the 0-side pin 244 is fitted in the engaging hole 32d of the shutter member 32 of the toner supply container 1, when the toner supply container 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow b in FIG. Rotates together with the toner supply container 1 in the same direction, that is, in the counterclockwise direction shown by the arrow b in FIG. 5, and the toner outlet 252b thereof coincides with the toner outlet 251b of the sealing member 251. Since the shutter member 32 of the toner supply container 1 does not move even when the toner supply container 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow b, the shutter member 32 is rotated clockwise relative to the toner supply container 1 as shown by arrow a in FIG. do it,
The toner discharge port 32b is located at the same position as the toner discharge port 31b of the sealing member 31. That is, the toner discharge ports 13, 31b, 32b and the toner receiving port 2 of all parts
52b, 251b, and 243 are in the matched state, and the toner can be supplied from the toner supply container 1 to the developing device 200.

When the developing device 200 operates as described above with the toner supply container 1 attached to the developing device 200 as described above, the shaft 521 of the drive gear 520 rotationally drives the agitator 20.

The toner stored in the container 10 is agitated upward by the scooping blades 22 of the agitator 20. When the toner in the developing device 200 is consumed, the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 13 to the above-mentioned respective components. It freely falls into the developing device through the toner receiving port and the toner receiving port 243 of the upper case 230, and the toner corresponding to the consumption is replenished in the developing device 200.

In this way, when the toner is replenished from the toner replenishing container 1 to the developing device 200 and the toner in the toner replenishing container 1 is emptied, a new toner replenishing container 1 filled with toner is obtained. Exchange. The empty toner in the toner supply container 1 can be detected by the toner end detecting means. It is also possible to visually check the empty toner state by using a transparent material for the toner supply container 1.

To remove the toner supply container 1, it is sufficient to perform the operation in the reverse order of the mounting operation described above. That is,
The upper part of the toner supply container 1 (the outer case 1 of the image forming apparatus
The exposed portion 1a) exposed from 01 is gripped, rotated in the direction of arrow a (clockwise), and then pulled out from the mounting hole 101a of the outer case 101 of the image forming apparatus. When the toner supply container 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow a, the shutter member 32 of the toner supply container 1 relatively rotates in the counterclockwise direction shown by arrow b in FIG. And 31b are shielded, and at the same time, the developing device 20
The shutter member 250 of 0 rotates in the direction of arrow a in FIG. 5 to block the toner receiving ports 243 and 252b of the developing device 200. Therefore, when the toner supply container 1 is removed, even if some toner remains in the toner supply container 1, the toner is prevented from scattering and contaminating the image forming apparatus 100 and its periphery. Further, even when the image forming apparatus 100 is transported with the toner supply container 1 removed, the toner in the developing device 200 is prevented from leaking and scattering from the receiving ports 243 and 252b.

By using the sealing member 31 in the shutter portion 30 of the toner supply container 1, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(1) The toner supply container 1 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1
00, that is, the toner replenishing container 1 is inserted so as to be aligned with the guide groove 101b of the mounting hole 101a of the outer case of the image forming apparatus 100, and the mounting hole 101a
The toner replenishing operation can be completed without adding the opening operation of the shutter member 30 only by the operation of rotating in the counterclockwise direction after reaching the bottom of the. Therefore, forgetting the operation of opening the shutter member and operating error can be eliminated. The operation of detaching the toner supply container 1 from the image forming apparatus 100 is completed by performing the above operation in the reverse order.

(2) The toner supply container 1 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1
Since the shutter member 30 closes the toner discharge port 31b at the same time as the operation for releasing from 00, it is possible to prevent the toner from leaking from the toner supply container 1 at the time of the operation for releasing.

Since the solid layer 36 for preventing the movement of the toner exists in the outer layer of the sealing member 31 excluding the toner discharge port 31b, the toner is prevented from flowing out along the surface layer of the sealing member 31. Further, the toner outlet 31
Since the periphery of b is completely sealed by the shutter member 31 without forming a gap with the sealing member 31, the toner leaks when the toner discharge port 31b for rotating and sliding the shutter member 31 is opened and closed. It does not happen.

(3) Since the outer layer of the sealing member 31, which is the sliding surface with respect to the shutter member 32, is formed of a predetermined solid layer 36, the toner discharge port 32b for rotating and sliding the shutter member 32 can be opened and closed. Adhesion with the shutter member 32 can be maintained without wear and deterioration even if repeated. Therefore, even if the used toner replenishing container 1 is reused, the toner does not leak, so that refilling the toner in the toner replenishing container 1 enables repeated use many times.

According to the toner supply container 1 described above,
The following operational effects can be obtained.

(4) Since at least a part of the toner supply container 1 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100 and is exposed to the outside of the outer case 101 of the image forming apparatus 100, the exposed portion 1a is grasped. Can be attached and detached.

According to the toner supply container 1 described above, the outer case 101 of the image forming apparatus 100 at the time of toner supply.
The operation of opening and closing is unnecessary, and the toner can be replenished easily and quickly. Further, since the exposed portion 1a of the toner supply container 1 is arranged outside the moving path of the recording paper and is exposed to the outside of the outer case 101 of the image forming apparatus 100, the recording operation is stopped even during the recording operation. The toner replenishing container 1 can be replaced without the need. That is, the toner replenishment operation can be performed while performing the image forming operation on the recording paper.

(5) Since the toner replenishing container 1 is provided with an agitator 20 which is rotated by being driven by the image forming apparatus 100 and agitates the toner in the toner replenishing container 1, a toner block is provided. Can be disintegrated at the same time as the toner discharging operation. Therefore, the toner can be smoothly discharged from the toner supply container 1 without performing a special operation such as a handshake for disintegrating the blocked toner in advance.

Further, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with an L-shaped groove 242 which regulates the end of the rotational movement of the toner replenishing container 1 during the mounting operation of the toner replenishing container 1, and the rotating direction of the agitator 20. Since the rotation direction of the toner replenishing container 1 during the mounting operation is the same, the rotation of the agitator 20 causes the toner replenishing container 1 to rotate.
Will be urged in the mounting direction (direction of arrow b). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner supply container 1 from coming off the image forming apparatus 100 without necessarily providing a special lock mechanism.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the toner replenishing container of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and copying using methods such as electrophotography, electrostatic recording, magnetic recording and the like. The present invention can be applied to a toner supply container of an image forming apparatus used in a machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like.

[0057]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the solid layer existing as the outer layer of the sealing member prevents the toner from leaking out of the toner supply container. Further, the solid layer of the sealing member prevents the sealing member from being worn or damaged, and improves the slidability of the shutter member during the rotary slide.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the shutter member presses the sealing member, an appropriate amount for compressing and deforming the sealing member is formed so as not to form a gap in a portion facing the sealing member. Can be easily obtained.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, the toner is prevented from moving in the cells inside the foam layer.
It completely prevents the toner from passing through the inside of the sealing member and leaking to the outside of the toner supply container.

Further, according to the structure of claim 4, it becomes easy to bring the shutter member and the sealing member into close contact with each other without forming a gap.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the adhesion between the shutter member and the sealing member can be further improved, and the sealing member can be manufactured at low cost.

Therefore, according to the toner replenishing container of the present invention, the replenishing operation at the time of replenishing the toner is easy and the size can be reduced without causing the contamination due to the leakage of the toner even if the replenishing operation to the image forming apparatus is repeated. A toner supply container can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner supply container showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toner supply container.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a sectional view of a sealing member.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shutter member.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the developing device.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a toner supply container mounting portion in the developing device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before the toner supply container is attached to the attachment portion.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the entire guide portion.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of an image forming apparatus outer case.

FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Toner Supply Container 30 Shutter Part 31 Sealing Member 32 Shutter Member 33 Guide Member 35 Foaming Layer 36 Solid Layer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A toner supply container having a sealing member made of an elastic material around a toner discharge port and a shutter member that can be opened and closed while being in close contact with the sealing member. The toner supply container faces the toner supply container of the sealing member. The surface is a foam layer,
Further, the toner replenishing container is characterized in that a surface of the sealing member facing the shutter member is a solid layer. 2. The foamed layer of the sealing member has a cell density of 25 to
2. The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the toner replenishing container is composed of 250 foaming members / inch. 3. The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the foam layer of the sealing member is composed of cells having a single foam property. 4. The solid layer of the sealing member has a thickness of 0.0
The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein the toner replenishing container is made of a film having a thickness of 1 to 0.1 mm. 5. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the solid layer of the sealing member is composed of an unfoamed layer having a foamed layer having a cell density gradient.