JPH09222839A - Process cartridge, developing device, toner container, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the sealing property by manufacturing a toner container and the closing member of its toner filling port with the same material in the process cartridge of an image forming device. SOLUTION: This process cartridge is provided with an electrophotographic photoreceptor capable of being fitted/removed to/from an image forming device main body, a processing means acting on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a development roller feeding toner to the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a toner container 12 storing the toner. The toner container 12 and the closing member 40 of a toner filling port 12a are made of the same material, and the closing member 40 is fitted to the toner container 12 by ultrasonic welding.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a process cartridge, a developing device, a toner container, and an image forming apparatus for mounting these to form an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a printer forms a latent image by selectively exposing a uniformly charged image carrier to light.
The latent image is visualized with toner, and the toner image is transferred to a recording material to perform image recording. In such an apparatus, the toner must be replenished each time it is used up, but this toner replenishment work is not only troublesome, but it may be contaminated. In addition, maintenance of each member can be performed only by a specialized service person, which often causes inconvenience to the user.

Therefore, the photosensitive drum, which is the image bearing member, the charging device, the developing device, the cleaning unit, etc. are integrated into a cartridge, and a so-called process cartridge thus constructed is loaded by the user into the apparatus main body. By doing so, it is possible to replace the parts such as the toner drum and the photoconductor drum which have reached the end of their lives, and to make the maintenance easy.

This process cartridge includes an image carrier and
It is provided with at least one process means. Here, examples of the process means include a charging means for charging the surface of the image carrier, a developing means for forming a toner image on the image carrier, and a cleaning means for cleaning toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier. As shown in FIG. 7, the process cartridge of the present embodiment has a charging unit 8, an exposing unit 9, and an exposing unit 9 around an electrophotographic photosensitive drum 7, which is an image carrier.
A developing means 10 for developing with toner and a cleaning means 11 are arranged, and these are covered with a housing composed of a toner frame 12, a developing frame 13 and a cleaning frame 14 to be integrated with each other, and detachably mountable to the apparatus main body 15. doing.

The developing means 10 for forming a toner image with magnetic toner has a toner reservoir 10a for accommodating the toner as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7, and an arrow for delivering the toner is provided inside the toner reservoir 10a. A toner feeding member 10b that rotates in the direction is provided. Further, the toner sent out is rotated on a developing sleeve 10d having a magnet 10c therein to form a thin toner layer on the surface thereof. When the toner layer is formed on the developing sleeve 10d, the friction between the toner and the developing sleeve 10d causes the photoconductor drum 7 to rub.
It has sufficient triboelectric charge to develop the above electrostatic latent image. A developing blade 10e is attached in contact with the surface of the developing sleeve 10d to regulate the layer thickness of the toner.

The developing means 10 has a toner frame body 12 and a developing frame body 13, and both frame bodies 12 and 13 are joined by ultrasonic welding.

At this time, toner is filled in the toner frame body, and a cover film 28 which is pulled out when the user uses the cartridge is attached to the developing frame side opening portion (FIG. 8).

Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the toner frame 12 has an opening 12a for filling the toner, and the opening 12a is sealed by a cap 30.

[0009]

The cap 30 for sealing the opening of the toner frame is made of a soft elastic material (such as low density polyethylene), and the diameters of the protrusions 30a, 30b, 30c provided on the cap 30 are set. By setting the inner diameter of the toner frame to be larger than the inner diameter of the toner frame and inserting the toner frame by press-fitting, the sealing property is sufficient.

The reason why the cap 30 is provided with three protrusions (a plurality of protrusions) is that the material of the cap 30 is low-density polyethylene, and the material of the toner frame is polyethylene resin (ABS: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Since it is configured, due to the difference in shrinkage rate due to temperature change,
This is to reliably prevent the sealing property of the cap 30 from the toner frame body from decreasing.

As described above, when the cap for sealing the toner filling port is made of a soft and elastic material, a plurality of convex portions are required to secure the sealing property, and the cartridge width is increased as the sealing width becomes longer. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems, to provide a developing device or the like which has a stable sealing property and a large toner filling port area.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has the structure described in the claims, and the closing member (lid) for the toner filling port is made of the same material (polystyrene) as the toner frame. , Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, etc.) and the lid and the toner frame are joined by ultrasonic welding to prevent unstable elements due to temperature changes without taking up space. Therefore, many circles were used so that the entire seal portion could be stably sealed. However, the present invention can accommodate various shapes, so that the space can be effectively used. As a result, the area of the toner filling port can be increased, so that the time required for toner filling can be shortened and cost can be reduced by efficiently filling the toner in the toner frame.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a drawing best showing the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line A--A shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the toner frame 12 as the toner container and the lid 40 as the closing member for closing the opening 12a of the toner frame are made of the same material such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin. The lid 40 is shaped so as to cover the opening 12a and is provided with a convex portion 40a for connecting both members during ultrasonic welding. The convex portion 40 a is provided so as to make a round along the shape of the opening 12 a of the toner frame body 12, and the lid 40 covers the toner frame body 1.
2 prevents the toner from leaking from the toner frame 12 when ultrasonically welded.

By making the material of the lid 40 the same as that of the container, it is possible to prevent the instability of the sealing property due to temperature change without occupying a space. Conventionally, the sealing is achieved by press-fitting the cap, so that the entire sealing portion is stable. Although a large number of circles are used for sealing, the present invention has a round shape, but since various shapes other than the round shape can be accommodated, the space can be effectively used. As a result, the area of the toner filling port can be increased, so that the toner can be efficiently filled in the toner frame, and the time required for the toner filling can be shortened to reduce the cost.

(Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.

In this embodiment, the rib 12b is provided along the outer shape of the toner filling opening 12a of the toner frame 12. The lid 40 'has a cylindrical portion along the outer circumference of the rib 12b, is formed along the outside of the rib, and has a concave shape so as to cover the rib.

The lid 40 'and the ultrasonic welding joint 40'a of the toner frame 12 are provided outside the rib 12b of the toner frame 12 (FIG. 5), and the tip 12b' of the rib 12b and the lid 4 are provided.
The interval between the concave surface 40'c of 0'is narrowed, for example, 0.1 to
The thickness of 1 mm prevents burrs generated between the rib 40 ′ a for welding the lid 40 ′ and the toner frame 12 during ultrasonic welding from entering the toner frame 12.

(Third Embodiment) A third embodiment is shown in FIGS.

In this embodiment, in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, an impact is applied to the lids 40, 40 ', and the lid 4
In order to prevent the ultrasonic welded joint between the 0, 40 'and the toner frame 12 from being damaged and toner leakage, a lid 40' is provided.
A rib 12c is provided on the toner frame 12 so as to surround the lid 40 'along the outer periphery of the rib.

The height of the ribs 12c is not less than the height of the lid 40 'when the lid 40' is ultrasonically welded to the toner frame 12, or is about 1 mm or less from the height of the lid 40 '. If it is formed low, it is possible to prevent a force from damaging the ultrasonically welded joint from the outside of the lid 40 '.

Although each of the above embodiments has been illustrated with respect to a toner container, the present invention can be applied to a developing device, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 7, as a matter of course. .

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The closing member for the toner filling port is made of the same material as the toner frame, and the lid and the toner frame are joined by ultrasonic welding to prevent the sealing instability element due to temperature changes without taking up space. In addition, since the conventional sealing by press-fitting the cap does not necessarily require a circular shape so that the entire sealing portion can be stably sealed, and the present invention can accommodate various shapes, so that space can be effectively used. As a result, the area of the toner filling port can be increased, so that the toner can be efficiently filled in the toner frame, and the time required for the toner filling can be shortened to reduce the cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a toner container according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of the toner container according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a third embodiment of the toner container according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ou of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional process cartridge.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a conventional process cartridge frame body.

FIG. 9 Conventional toner cap

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional toner cap portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 ... Toner frame 12a ... Toner filling port opening 12b ... Toner frame rib 12c ... Toner frame rib 30 ... Toner cap 40 ... Lid 40a ... Welding rib

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A process cartridge attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus, an electrophotographic photosensitive member, process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a developing roller for supplying toner to the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and toner. And a toner container for accommodating the toner container, wherein a member for closing a toner filling port of the toner container is attached to the toner container by ultrasonic welding. 2. A rib is provided on the toner filling direction side along the outer circumference of the toner filling port, and the closing member of the toner filling port and the toner container are ultrasonically welded outside the rib. Item 1. The process cartridge according to Item 1. 3. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is provided with a second rib along the outer periphery of the closing member of the toner filling port. 4. The height of the second rib from the toner container is higher than the convex amount of the toner filling port closing member with respect to the toner container after ultrasonically welding the toner filling port closing member to the toner container. The process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the process cartridge is located at a position lower than the convex amount by 1 mm or less. 5. A developing device attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: a developing roller for supplying toner to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a toner container for accommodating the toner, and closing a toner filling port of the toner container. A developing device in which members are attached to a toner container by ultrasonic welding. 6. A rib is provided on the toner filling direction side along the outer circumference of the toner filling port, and the closing member of the toner filling port and the toner container are ultrasonically welded to each other outside the rib. Item 5. The developing device according to item 5. 7. The developing device according to claim 5, wherein a second rib is provided on the toner container along the outer periphery of the closing member of the toner filling port. 8. The height of the second rib from the toner container is higher than the convex amount of the toner filling port closing member with respect to the toner container after ultrasonically welding the toner filling port closing member to the toner container. The developing device according to claim 7, wherein the developing device is located at a position lower than the convex amount by 1 mm or less. 9. A toner container attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising a toner container for containing toner, and closing a toner filling port of the toner container by ultrasonic welding.
A toner container characterized by being attached to the toner container. 10. A rib is provided on the toner filling direction side along the outer periphery of the toner filling port, and the closing member of the toner filling port and the toner container are ultrasonically welded outside the rib. Item 9. The toner container according to Item 9. 11. The toner container according to claim 9, wherein a second rib is provided on the toner container along the outer circumference of the closing member of the toner filling port. 12. The height of the second rib from the toner container is determined by ultrasonically welding the closing member of the toner filling port to the toner container and then projecting the convex amount of the member for closing the toner filling port with respect to the toner container. 13. The toner container according to claim 12, wherein the toner container is set higher or at a position lower than the convex amount by 1 mm or less. 13. An image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge, the developing device, or the toner container according to claim 1 is loaded and an image is formed using toner supplied from these.