JPS60126669A - Vessel for developer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a developer contamination accident by constituting so that an inside cylinder for containing a developer and an outside cylinder can be slid relatively, and also can be attached and detached freely to and from a developing device. CONSTITUTION:A vessel A is formed by a double structure consisting of an inside cylinder 1 for containing a developer D, and an elastic outside cylinder 2 for covering this inside cylinder 1. A mouth piece member 5 and a supporting member 6 are fixed to the right and the left ends of the inside cylinder 1, respectively, and a handle 7 is fixed to the member 6. Each projection 5A, 6A of the members 5 and 6 has the same shape and size, and is fitted to a guide rail of a developing device side, respectively. Also, the inside wall of a cover 8 installed and fixed to the members 5 and 6 contacts tightly to the outside circumference of the inside cylinder 1, can be slid in the circumferential direction, and a slot 1A of the inside cylinder 1 is closed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a developer container used by being inserted into a developing device such as an electrophotographic copying machine for replenishing developer. Ru.

[Prior art]

Generally, in an electrostatic recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrostatic latent image on a moving charge carrier is developed in a developing device, and powder toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image area to form a toner image. Thereafter, this is transferred and fixed onto recording paper. Since toner is consumed along with development, it is necessary to replenish toner to the developing device according to consumption, and there is a developer hover as a storage section for replenishing toner. A large amount of toner is stored in the developer hopper, and before the toner is consumed, toner is replenished into the developer hopper from a developer container containing replenishment toner.

As is well known, in an electrophotographic copying machine, it is necessary to replenish toner consumed during use, and conventional replenishment toner is stored in resin bottles or aluminum foil bags. Therefore, when replenishing toner to a developing device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a bottle or an aluminum foil bag is opened and the toner is poured into a replenishment hopper while turning the bottle or the like to one side. However, with this type of toner replenishment method, toner may scatter into the air during replenishment, fingertips may become dirty due to toner adhering to the bottle stopper, or the environment may be contaminated by toner spilling around during replenishment. There is.

Furthermore, as is well known, in conventional toner replenishment devices,
- For example, store toner for replenishment in an inner and outer double cylinder case that has slots for toner outlets formed in a part of the peripheral wall, and then attach the same case to the replenishment hopper, and then replace the inner cylinder case with the outer cylinder case. There is a known toner replenishing device that removes toner by rotating it relative to the toner. However, even when replenishing toner using a toner case with this type of structure, when the toner case is pulled out from the replenishment hopper after toner has been loaded, the toner adhering to the slots and openings of the toner case may spill out. , may adhere to hands. Furthermore, in the toner case, if the inner and outer cylinders are carelessly rotated before being attached to the replenishment hopper, the stored toner may flow out and scatter outside, potentially causing an unexpected accident.

In this specification, the term "toner" is used to include not only the electrostatic toner of the two-component developer but also the -component developer.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved developer container that prevents the developer supply container from being contaminated with developer as described above.

[Structure of the invention]

The present invention includes a cylinder containing a developer and having an opening;
A developer container comprising a stretchable outer cylinder enclosing the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder being able to slide or rotate relative to each other, and being detachable from a developing device. achieved.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing one embodiment of a developer container according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-X.

The developer container A has a double structure consisting of an inner cylindrical inner tube 1 that accommodates a developer and an outer stretchable outer tube 2 that encloses the inner tube 1.

At one end of the inner cylinder l, that is, on the left side in FIG. 1, a cylindrical sealing member 3 is fitted onto the inner wall of the inner cylinder l for a tight seal.

At the other end of the inner cylinder l, that is, on the right side in FIG. 1, a deep-bottomed cylindrical sealing member 4 is fitted onto the inner wall of the inner cylinder l to form a 'tightly plugged' state. Further, a slot 1A is formed in the peripheral wall of the inner cylinder 1 and has an elongated groove-like opening shape that serves as an outlet for the developer. The inner cylinder l is made of a synthetic resin material or a paper tube laminated with a synthetic resin film. The sealing members 3 and 4 are made of metal or synthetic resin. Incidentally, either one of the sealing members 3 and 4 may be integrally formed with the cylinder.

A cap member 5 is fixed to the left end of the outer diameter portion of the inner cylinder l. A support member 6 is fixed to the right end of the inner cylinder l, and a handle 7 is further fixed to this, either integrally or separately. A protrusion 5A is provided on the outer periphery of the base member 5, and a protrusion 6A is provided on the outer periphery of the support member 6.
A is formed respectively. These protrusions 5A, 6A
have the same shape and dimensions, and both fit into the guide rail on the developing device side.

Further, a semi-cylindrical cover 8 is installed and fixed on a part of the inside of the cap member 5 and the support member 6. The inner wall of the cover 8 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 1 and is slidable in the circumferential direction, and serves to close the slot ()IA of the inner cylinder 1.

When the developer container A is not installed in the developing device, the slot IA of the inner cylinder L opens upward as shown in the figure and is closed by a cover 8, and the mutual relationship is maintained by a clearing device (not shown) or the like. has been done.

A stretchable outer cylinder 2, for example, a stretchable bellows or a thin film elastic body such as thin rubber, is interposed between the cap member 5 and the support member 6, and is fixed to each end face.

Reference numeral 9 designates a cap that fits around the outer periphery of the cap member 5, and has a concave portion 9A near the center and substantially contacts the left end of the inner cylinder. If the cap 9 is placed on the developer container A when it is not in use, it is possible to prevent the cap member 5 from being accidentally pushed, and also prevent the developer in the container from being accidentally turned. Even if the outflow pipe floats, there is no external pressure leakage, so there is no environmental pollution and the system is clean.

Next, the operation of using the developer container of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a state in which the developer container A is inserted into the developing device BK and developer is supplied, and FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the developing device B.

The developing device B is provided with a replenishment chamber 10 for horizontally receiving the developer container A, and a replenishment hover 11 for storing the developer falling from the developer container A at the top of the developing sleeve. A groove 13 corresponding to the projections 5A and 6A is provided on the inner wall of the replenishment chamber 10, and the outer cylinder 2 of the developer container A can be inserted through the groove 13 without rotating.

When inserting the developer container A into the supply chamber 10,
First, the cap 9 of the developer container A is removed.

The protrusion 6A fits into the groove 13, and the cap member 5 stops contacting the stop portion 10AK of the supply chamber 10, and the insertion operation is completed. In this way, the elastic outer cylinder 2 is compressed, and the inner cylinder l is exposed and enters the supply chamber lo.

Next, when the handle 7 is turned half a turn, only the inner cylinder l rotates and the slot lA moves downward, and the developer stored in the inner cylinder l flows out from the slot IA and naturally flows into the replenishment hopper 11. The developer is replenished by falling.

Then, when the developer container A is removed from the supply chamber 1o and outside, hold the handle 7 and turn it half a turn, the inner cylinder l will turn half a turn and the slot IA will be closed by the cover 8 again, and then pull out the handle 7. , the flexible outer cylinder 2 is stretched and the inner cylinder l
is housed in the outer cylinder 2 and returns to its original state as shown in Fig. M1.

In this way, when the developer container A is removed or even after it is removed, the developer remaining in the container will not leak to the outside.

The developer that falls into the bar 11 from the elongated slot lA of the developer container A is conveyed in the direction of the arrow by the action of the developing sleeve 12 and the magnet 140, and the developer is The layer thickness of
The electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum 16 is developed into a toner image, that is, a visible image.

In this case, the electrostatic latent image is formed over the entire width of the photoreceptor drum 16, that is, the entire depth in FIG.
The aforementioned photoreceptor drum 16 is also used for dropping and replenishing the agent.
It must be done uniformly over the entire width.

Since the developer container A according to the present invention is constituted by a cylindrical inner cylinder l and a flexible outer cylinder 2, the overall view of the sled is the same as the total width of the photoreceptor drum 16. In other words, the inner cylinder 1, the outer cylinder 2, and the throat IA can be made sufficiently long in the longitudinal direction, so that by using this container, a uniform and even toner image can be created. It has both.

The developer container described above can be used both as a toner container for a one-component developer using magnetic toner and as a toner replenishment container for a two-component development method using toner and carrier. The invention is not limited to any of these.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention makes it possible to provide an excellent developer container that is easy to handle, prevents developer from flowing out or scattering due to erroneous operation, and can uniformly supply developer to the entire area of the photoreceptor drum. Ta.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1, 2, and 3 are a side sectional view, a front view, and an AA/sectional view of a developer container according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which a developer container is inserted into the developing device and the developer is supplied, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the developing device showing an example of use of the developer container of the present invention. l...Inner cylinder IA river b, g 2...Flexible outer #5...Best member 6...Support member 5A, 6A...Protrusion 7...Handle 8...
Cover 9...Cap agent Yoshimi Kuwahara

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) Consisting of an inner cylinder containing a developer and having an opening, and a stretchable outer cylinder enclosing the cylinder, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder can be slid or rotated relative to each other, and A developer container characterized by being removably attached to a developing device. (2) The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable outer cylinder is formed in a bellows shape. (3) The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable outer cylinder is formed of a thin film elastic body. (4) When the developer container is attached to the developing device to replenish the developer, the stretchable outer cylinder is folded or contracted, and the opening/closing opening of the inner cylinder is exposed to a part of the squirt area of the developing device. A developer container according to claim 1, characterized in that the developer container is constructed as follows.