JPH08292634A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To eliminate the labor of an operator by automatically removing a sealing member closing a toner supply port and to solving problem about contamination in a room caused by the flying of toner. CONSTITUTION: The toner cartridge 4 is equipped with a toner chamber 8 and a developing chamber 10 integrally, and a toner stirring member 14 is rotatably provided in the toner chamber 8. The toner chamber 8 and the developing chamber 10 are partitioned by a partition 28, and the toner supply prot 30 is formed on the partition 28. The toner supply port 30 is closed by the sealing member 32 stuck to the periphery of the part 30. The sealing member 32 is extended in the rotating direction of the toner stirring member 14 and the tip of the extended part 32a is fixed on the toner stirring member 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge of an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, a copying machine, etc., and more particularly to a toner cartridge having a toner supply port with a developing chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a toner cartridge of this type,
A type is known in which a developing chamber as shown in FIG. 6 is integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 6, the toner chamber 8 is rotatably provided with a toner stirring member 14 for stirring the filled toner 6 and supplying the toner 6 to the developing chamber 10.

On the other hand, the developing chamber 10 is provided with a developing roller 22 carrying a charged toner, and a toner supply roller 24 which is in contact with the developing roller 22 and supplies the toner 6 from the toner chamber 8 to the developing roller 22. Has been. The toner 6 supplied from the toner supply roller 24 on the developing roller 22 is uniformly thinned by the toner regulating plate 26.

The toner 6 and the developing chamber 10 are partitioned by a partition wall 28, and the partition wall 28 is provided with a toner supply port 30 for communicating the toner chamber 8 and the developing chamber 10. The toner supply port 30 is closed, for example, by a seal member 40 that can be pulled out from the viewpoint of preventing toner leakage before the operation of the apparatus, so that the user can directly peel it off.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional products, since the toner adheres to the surface of the seal member, when the user pulls out the seal member by hand, the toner floats in the air and the inside of the work chamber is reduced. There are inconveniences such as contamination, or toner adhered to the user's hand to soil the hand.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge capable of improving the disadvantages of the conventional example, eliminating the above problems in the working environment, and improving the workability associated with replacement. To do.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner chamber filled with toner, a toner agitating member provided in the toner chamber and rotationally driven, and a toner in the toner chamber being developed in a developing chamber. And a toner supply port for feeding the toner to. The toner supply port is closed by a sealing member, and the sealing member is connected to the toner stirring member so that the closing can be released as the toner stirring member rotates.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the seal member is releasably attached to the toner supply port and is extended in the rotation direction of the toner stirring member, and the extended end is stopped by the toner stirring member. There is a configuration that there is.

[0009]

In the present invention, the toner supply port is set in the image forming apparatus in a closed state, that is, in a state in which the seal member is not removed. When the toner stirring member is driven to rotate,
With this rotation operation, the blockage by the seal member is released, and the toner chamber and the developing chamber are communicated with each other.

Further, particularly in the invention described in claim 2, the seal member is peeled off as the toner stirring member rotates, and the toner supply port is opened. The seal member rotates inside the toner chamber while being attached to the toner stirring member.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Here, the same components as those in the conventional example described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toner cartridge 4 set in the image forming apparatus 2 integrally includes a toner chamber 8 filled with the toner 6 and a developing chamber 10. The toner chamber 8 and the developing chamber 10 are integrated with each other. The upper part of the chamber 10 is closed by a cover member 12. A toner stirring member 14 is rotatably provided in the toner chamber 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the toner stirring member 14 is a grid-shaped stirring substrate 6 having through holes for the toner 6, and this stirring substrate. 6 and an agitating blade 18 formed at one end.

On the other hand, in the developing chamber 10, a developing roller 22 facing the electrostatic latent image carrier 20 on the apparatus side and carrying a charged toner layer, and the toner 6 on the developing roller 22.
And a toner supply roller 24 for supplying the toner.
Further, the developing roller 2 is attached to the cover member 12 of the developing chamber 10.
A toner regulating plate 26 that uniformly thins the toner 6 on the upper surface 2 is provided. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 27, 29 and 31 respectively denote an apparatus frame, a cleaning blade and a charger.

The toner chamber 8 and the developing chamber 10 are separated from each other by a partition wall 2.
The partition 28 is provided with a toner supply port 3 for supplying the toner 6 in the toner chamber 8 to the developing chamber 10.
0 is formed. Then, the toner supply port 30
Is closed by a seal member 32 that is heat-welded to the periphery thereof.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, the seal member 32 extends in the rotation direction of the toner stirring member 14,
The tip of the extended portion 32 a is stopped at one end of the stirring plate 6 of the toner stirring member 14. Other configurations are the same as those of the conventional example described above.

Next, a method of using the toner cartridge 4 will be described.

With the toner supply port 30 closed by the seal member 32, the toner cartridge 4 is set in the image forming apparatus 2 as shown in FIG. After that, when the toner stirring member 14 is rotationally driven, as shown in FIG. 5, the seal member 32 is peeled off along with the rotation, and is completely removed from the toner supply port 30 by the initial rotation of the toner stirring member 14. And remains in the toner chamber 8 while being attached to the toner stirring member 14.

Since the toner supply port 30 is automatically opened as the stirring member 14 rotates, it is not necessary for the user to directly peel off or pull out the seal member 32, and the seal member 32 is not necessary. Does not go out of the toner chamber 8.

Therefore, it is possible to eliminate problems such as contamination of the working chamber due to the toner flying in the air and soiling of the user's hand.

The seal member 32 remaining in the toner chamber 8 is
Since the toner agitating member 14 rotates together with the toner agitating member 14 in a state of being wound along the outer surface of the toner agitating member 14, it does not hinder the toner 6 supply operation.

In the above example, each component is shown in a specific shape and a specific arrangement, but the invention is not limited to this and the toner supply port is automatically opened by the rotation of the toner stirring member. It can be appropriately changed and set within a range satisfying the function.

Further, in the above example, the type having the developing chamber integrally is exemplified, but the same can be applied to the separation type.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the removal of the seal member at the toner supply port can be automatically performed by utilizing the rotational force of the toner stirring member. It is possible to eliminate the problem of dirt accompanying this.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a toner cartridge portion according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, with a part thereof omitted.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the seal member.

FIG. 5 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view showing a state where the toner stirring member is rotated from the state of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partially omitted schematic perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2 in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Toner 8 Toner Chamber 10 Development Chamber 14 Toner Stirring Member 30 Toner Supply Port 32 Sealing Member 32a Extension Part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toner chamber filled with toner, a toner stirring member provided in the toner chamber and driven to rotate, and a toner supply port for guiding the toner in the toner chamber to be fed into a developing chamber. A toner cartridge having a seal member closed at the toner supply port, wherein the seal member is mounted inside the toner supply port, and the seal member is closed as the toner stirring member rotates. Is releasably connected to the toner stirring member. 2. The seal member is releasably attached to the toner supply port, is extended in the rotation direction of the toner stirring member, and the extended end is stopped by the toner stirring member. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the toner chamber and the developing chamber are integrally formed.