JPH11184233A - Developer replenishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the developer replenishing device capable of eliminating a member rotating in accompany with a toner bottle, dispensing with a troublesome adjustment, and lowering the manufacturing cost. SOLUTION: In connection with the developer replenishing device provided with the developer storing part 1 storing the developer, and the developer container (toner bottle) 5 making the developer (toner) so as possible to be shifted from a body section to the neck section by a spiral shape groove 7 disposed on a periphery by the rotation in the peripheral direction, and to be replenished from the discharging port (toner discharging port) furnished on one side of the neck section, to the replenishing port on the developer storing part 1, the device is constituted so as possible to surely seal regardless of abolishing the member rotating in company with the toner bottle 5 by setting the sealing member 14 in an annular shape provided with the toner through hole on one side corresponding to the toner bottle discharging port on the neck section made possible to be held in rub contact with the neck section of the toner bottle 5, so that the toner through hole is coincident to the toner replenishing port on the top surface of the developer storing part 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developer supply device used for a developing device such as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a developer is supplied to a developer storage section, the discharge port of a developer container (toner bottle) accommodating the developer is put into the replenishing port at a stretch, but the developer is supplied at once. A phenomenon in which the developer is scattered like smoke (smoke generation phenomenon) occurs, and there is a possibility that the periphery of the developer storage unit is stained.

Therefore, in recent years, a toner bottle is installed on the upper surface of the developer storage section provided with the developer supply port so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction, and the toner bottle is provided on the circumferential surface by rotating the toner bottle in the circumferential direction. A developer replenishing device has been used in which developer is moved to one side by a spiral groove (rib) so that the developer replenishing port can be gradually supplied from a discharge port provided on one side.

[0004]

However, in the case of the developer supply device of the toner bottle installation type, a member that rotates together with the toner bottle is required, and the developer of the toner bottle that rotates together with the toner bottle is required. The seal member was provided only at the portion fitted to the discharge port.

Therefore, it is necessary to match a member rotating together with the toner bottle with a surface of the toner bottle provided with the developer discharge port. There is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases due to the presence of the rotating member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toner bottle-installed type developer replenishing apparatus which does not require complicated adjustment and can reduce the manufacturing cost. Another object of the present invention is to provide a developer replenishing device in which the developer discharged from the discharge port of the toner bottle does not leak along the sliding contact surface between the bolt and the seal member. Another object of the present invention is to provide a developer replenishing device that facilitates replacement of a seal member due to deterioration.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a developer storing portion for storing a developer and a developing device having a spiral groove formed on a peripheral surface by rotating the developer storing portion. A developer accommodating container for transferring the developer from the trunk portion to the neck portion and replenishing the developer from a discharge port provided on one side of the neck portion to a replenishing port of the developer storage section. An annular seal member that can slide on the neck portion of the developer storage container and has a developer through hole corresponding to an outlet of the neck portion on one side is provided. The developer supply port is provided so as to match the developer supply port on the upper surface of the developer storage section, so that even if the member that rotates together with the developer storage container (toner bottle) is eliminated, the seal can be reliably achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the seal member is provided with an annular groove on an inner peripheral surface passing through the developer passage, and the developing member is rotated when the developer accommodating container slides. The structure is such that a part of the developer attached to the edge of the outlet of the developer is not carried to the inner peripheral surface of the seal member.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the seal member has two ring members opposed to each other with a discharge port provided on one side of a neck portion of the developer accommodating container, and the two ring members are opposed to each other. It consists of an outer skin member fixed so as to cover the outer circumference, an annular space can be formed on the inner peripheral surface passing through the developer through hole, and a part of the developer attached to the edge of the developer discharge port is sealed. In addition to preventing the member from being transported to the inner peripheral surface, the seal member can be easily disassembled and removed when the seal member is replaced due to deterioration.

[0010]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the developer may be referred to as a toner.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a developer storage for storing a developer (toner) to be supplied to a developing device main body (not shown), and a toner supply port 2 is provided on the upper surface of the developer storage 1. Have been. On the upper surface of the developer storage unit 1 provided with the toner supply port 2, a continuous rack 4 is provided horizontally via a step 3 so that the developer storage container (toner bottle) 5 can be held sideways. It has become.

The toner bottle 5 has a large-diameter trunk portion 5a for accommodating toner, a small-diameter neck portion 5b having a toner discharge port 6 on one side, and a narrowing from the trunk portion 5a to the neck portion 5b. And a shoulder portion 5c.

On the peripheral surface of the toner bottle 5, a spiral groove (rib) 7 is provided.
When is rotated in the circumferential direction, the toner stored inside can be moved from the trunk portion 5a to the neck portion 5b. Further, two concave grooves 8 into which two claw pieces 12 of the rotor 11 described later are fitted are provided on the top surface of the neck portion 5b. Further, a cap 9 that can be opened when toner is stored is press-fitted into the center of the bottom surface of the trunk portion 5a.

At the end of the rack 4, there is provided a pressing plate 10 which can press the bottom surface of the trunk portion 5a of the toner bottle 5 toward the neck portion 5b. The pressing plate 10 moves forward by operating a handle (not shown). That is, when the toner bottle 5 is placed on the rack 4 with the pressing plate 10 retracted by the handle operation, and the pressing plate 10 is moved forward by the handle operation, the toner bottle 5 can be set to the normal position and the position can be maintained. It has become.

The normal position of the toner bottle 5 means that the concave groove 8 provided on the top surface of the neck portion 5b of the toner bottle 5 engages with the claw piece 12 provided on the opposed rotor 11 and the neck portion 5b. 5b is a position that can match the toner supply port 2 when the toner discharge port 6 provided on one side of the side 5b rotates in the circumferential direction.

The rotor 11 is connected to a drive source 13 by gears and rotates in a predetermined direction.
Is transmitted to the top surface having the concave groove 8 to be engaged, whereby the toner bottle 5 rotates in the circumferential direction.

As the toner bottle 5 rotates in the circumferential direction, the toner contained in the bolt moves from the trunk portion 5a to the neck portion 5b by the action of the spiral groove 7 on the peripheral surface. The toner is discharged from the discharge port 6 provided on one side, and is gradually supplied to the developer storage unit 1 from the toner supply port 2.

A seal member 14 for surely guiding the toner discharged from a discharge port 6 provided on one side of the neck portion 5b of the toner bottle 5 to the toner supply port 2 of the developer storage unit 1 is provided. It can be slid and fitted.

The seal member 14 is mounted on the developer storage unit 1 by the support frame 16 such that the toner through hole 15 provided on one side matches the toner supply port 2 on the upper surface of the developer storage unit 1. (See FIG. 2). The support frame 16 can sandwich and fix the seal member 14 from above and below by a U-shaped lower frame 16a and a flat upper frame 16b.
It is intended to stably hold so as not to rotate following the rotation of.

As an auxiliary means for stably holding the seal member 14 on the support frame 16, in the case of FIG.
b 'is provided so that the projection 16b' is fitted into a receiving hole 14 'provided on the upper surface of the seal member 14.

If it is necessary to stably hold the seal member 14 with the support frame 16, the U-shaped lower frame 16
a and a sealing member 14, a double-sided adhesive tape (not shown) is interposed between the U-shaped lower frame 16a and the sealing member 14.
Needless to say, a nested projection and a concave portion (not shown) may be formed between them.

The shape of the seal member 14 is not particularly limited, but typical shapes are shown in FIGS. That is, the ring member 14 made of a material having elasticity and good slidability such as urethane foam having the toner through hole 15 on one side.
When a thin and tough outer skin member 14b such as a PET material is fitted on the outer periphery of a, the sealing performance and the shape stability are good.

FIG. 3 shows the sealing member 14 whose inner peripheral surface is in full contact with the neck portion 5b of the toner bottle 5. As shown in FIG. 4 is provided with an annular groove 17 on the inner peripheral surface passing through the toner through hole 15, and when the toner discharge port 6 provided on one side of the neck portion 5b of the toner bottle 5 rotates in the circumferential direction. It does not slide.

Further, the seal member 14 shown in FIG. 5 covers the outer circumferences of two ring members 14a and 14a 'opposed to each other with the discharge port 6 provided on one side of the neck portion of the toner bottle 5 covered with a skin member 14b. The discharge port 6 provided on one side of the neck portion 5b of the toner bottle 5 has an annular space 18 in which the discharge port 6 does not slide.

The three types of the seal member 14 are shown in any of the drawings. The toner bottle 5 rotates and the seal member 14 is formed through the discharge port 6 provided on one side of the neck portion 5b.
3 is sufficiently satisfied with the function of supplying toner to the toner supply port 2 of the developer storage unit 1 in accordance with the toner through hole 15 of FIG. There is a possibility that the developer is conveyed to the inner surface of the seal member 14 by the rotation of the toner bottle 5, and there is no undeniable possibility that the conveyed developer is accumulated with time and rarely causes a leak of the developer.

In this regard, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the annular groove 17 and the annular space 18 are provided on the inner periphery,
It can be said that there is no possibility that the toner attached to the edge portion of the toner discharge port 6 is carried to the inner surface of the seal member 14 at all.

In the apparatus of the present invention shown in the above embodiment,
First, the seal member 14 is disposed so that the toner through hole 15 is aligned with the toner supply port 2 provided on the upper surface of the developer storage unit 1, and is stably fixed by the support frame 16.

Next, a step 3 is formed on the upper surface of the developer storage 1.
After the toner bottle 5 is laid on the rack 4 continuously provided with the top surface of the neck portion 5b facing the rotor 11, the pressing plate provided at the end of the rack 4 When the toner bottle 5 is pushed out by operating the handle 10 forward, the neck portion 5b is fitted into the inner hole of the seal member 14 and set.

The toner bottle 5 set in this way is positioned so that the toner outlet 6 provided on one side of the neck portion 5b can coincide with the toner through hole 15 of the seal member 14, and the top of the neck portion 5b is provided. Groove 8 on the surface and rotor 11
Will engage with the claw piece 12.

When the image forming apparatus is started and the rotor 11 connected to the gears from the driving source 13 rotates, the toner bottle 5 rotates in the circumferential direction by receiving the power and is stored in the body. The toner is moved from the trunk portion 5a to the neck portion 5b by the action of the spiral groove 7, and is discharged from the toner discharge port 6 provided in the neck portion 5b to gradually replenish the toner to the replenishment port 2 of the developer storage section 1. I do.

In this case, the seal member 14 does not rotate with the toner bottle 5, and the toner bottle 5 is slidably rotated in the circumferential direction so that the toner discharge port 6 provided in the neck portion 5b has a lower surface of the seal member 14. In order to reliably supply the toner to the supply port 2 of the developer storage unit 1 through the toner outlet port 6 and the toner through port 15 when the toner hole 15 is provided, a member that rotates together with the toner bottle is used. Without this, the developer can be reliably supplied to the toner supply port.

When the sealing member 14 has a shape in which an annular groove 17 is provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof so as to pass through the toner through hole 15 or a shape in which an annular space 18 is provided, The toner adhering to the edge of the toner outlet 6 provided on one side of the neck of the bottle 5 is not carried into the inner surface of the seal member 14 by the rotation of the toner bottle 5, and the toner is deposited on the inner peripheral surface of the seal member 14. It does not accumulate over time and does not cause toner leakage.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the developer (toner) is stored in the developer storage portion for storing the developer and the spiral groove formed on the peripheral surface by rotating the developer in the circumferential direction. A developer accommodating container that can be moved from the outlet portion to the neck portion and can be supplied to a replenishing port of the developer storage portion from a discharge port provided on one side of the neck portion. The developer sealing container (toner bottle) is provided with an annular seal member that can slide in contact with a portion facing the discharge port of the neck of the developer container (toner bottle) and has a developer through hole (toner through hole) on one side. Since the through-hole is set so as to match the developer supply port on the upper surface of the developer storage section, even if the member that rotates together with the developer storage container (toner bottle) is abolished, it is ensured. Fool that can be sealed in place, thus eliminating the need for cumbersome adjustments Not, reduce the manufacturing cost is one that exhibits an excellent effect that can be expected.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the seal member is provided with an annular groove on an inner peripheral surface passing through the developer through-hole. This has the effect that the toner adhered to the toner discharge port during the sliding rotation is not carried to the inner peripheral surface (sliding surface) of the seal member.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the seal member has two ring members opposed to each other with a discharge port provided on one side of a neck portion of the developer accommodating container, The surface of the toner bottle in contact with the toner discharge port is an annular space, and the toner adhered to the toner discharge port is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the seal member (sliding member). In addition to the effect that the seal member is not carried to the contact surface, the seal member can be easily disassembled and easily removed when the seal member is replaced due to deterioration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a relationship between a seal member and a toner bottle used in the apparatus of the present application.

FIG. 3 shows a seal member used in the apparatus of the present application.
(A) is a perspective view, (b) is a sectional view.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a second seal member used in the device of the present application, wherein FIG. 4A is a perspective view and FIG.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show a third seal member used in the device of the present application, wherein FIG. 5A is a perspective view and FIG. 5B is a sectional view.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 developer storage section 2 developer supply port (toner supply port) 3 step section 4 rack 5 developer storage container (toner bottle) 5a trunk section 5b neck section 5c shoulder section 6 developer discharge port (toner discharge port) 7 Spiral groove (rib) 8 Concave groove provided on the top surface of the neck of the toner bottle 9 Cap pressed into the opening of the bottom of the body of the toner bottle 10 Pressing plate for pressing the bottom of the body of the toner bottle DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Rotor 12 Claw piece provided in front of rotor 13 Drive source 14 Seal member 14 'Receiving hole provided in seal member 15 Developer through hole (toner through hole) 16 Support frame 16a Lower frame 16b Upper frame 16b' Protrusion 17 Annular groove 18 Annular space

Claims (3)

[Claims] A developer storage portion for storing a developer, and a developer is moved from a body portion to a neck portion by means of a circumferential groove provided on a peripheral surface by rotating in a circumferential direction. A developer container that can be supplied from a discharge port provided on a side of the developer storage unit to a supply port of the developer storage unit, wherein a discharge port at a neck portion of the developer storage container is provided. An annular seal member that can slide in contact with the opposing portion therebetween and has a developer through hole on one side so that the developer through hole matches the developer supply port on the upper surface of the developer storage unit. A developer replenishing device, which is provided. 2. The developer supply device according to claim 1, wherein the seal member has an annular groove provided on an inner peripheral surface passing through the developer passage. 3. A seal member in which said seal member is opposed to two ring members with a discharge port provided on one side of a neck portion of said developer accommodating container, and covers outer circumferences of both ring members. 2. The developer replenishing device according to claim 1, comprising: