JPS606847Y2 - Toner storage container in dry developing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toner storage container in a dry developing device suitable for copying machines, facsimile machines, and the like.

In copying machines, facsimile machines, etc., the amount of toner stored in the developing device constantly decreases with each development process, so in order to obtain high-quality recording paper, when the amount of toner falls below a predetermined amount, the amount of toner stored in the developing device is constantly reduced. It is necessary to newly replenish the amount and maintain it at a predetermined level or higher at all times.

Therefore, depending on the frequency of use, it is necessary to periodically replenish toner.

When replenishing the toner, in the case of a wet development method, the toner is in liquid form, so handling is not very troublesome, but in the case of a dry development method, the toner is powder, so handling when replenishing is difficult. requires close attention.

That is, a replenishment port for replenishing toner into a developing device incorporated in one system device such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine cannot be provided in a large size due to space limitations.

Therefore, if an attempt is made to directly supply a predetermined amount of toner from the toner container to the narrow replenishment opening, the toner will spill out into the surrounding area and have an adverse effect on devices disposed in the surrounding area.

Furthermore, since toner powder is composed of minute particles, it easily scatters and stains the user's hands and clothes in black, making it difficult to clean up.

Therefore, recently, the amount of toner required for replenishing at one time is packed into a container, a sealing member is attached to the toner supply port, and when replenishing toner, the sealing member is peeled off.
Disposable toner containers have also been developed that replenish toner by setting them in the replenishment port of a developing device.

If this disposable toner container is used, the above-mentioned defects are somewhat improved, but when the sealing member is peeled off from the toner container supply port, toner scatters around the container.

Your hands get dirty due to toner adhering to the seal member.

When the toner container with the sealing member removed is set in the toner replenishment hole of the developing device, some toner is scattered around.

It is difficult to accurately set the toner container in the replenishment port.

There are drawbacks such as the toner is not evenly replenished to the developing device.

Moreover, this type of disposable toner container usually has a sealing member strongly attached to the toner container in order to store and carry it with the toner still in it, so the sealing member may peel off during use. If this was not done properly, there was a risk of damaging the container.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and the sealing member can be automatically peeled off simply by fitting the toner container into the replenishment hole of the developing device and inserting the toner container into the replenishment hole of the developing device. To provide a toner storage container capable of replenishing toner to a developing device without causing any scattering of the toner to the surroundings.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

Figure 1 shows the schematic structure of the toner storage container.
a is its perspective view, b is its side view, 1 is the container body, 2
3 is a seal member, and 3 is a claw member.

The container body 1 that stores the toner is formed of a thin resin plate.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface is provided with openings 1a and 1b for supplying toner.

The number of this opening may be one, but when the sealing member is peeled off as described later, force is applied to the opening in the lateral direction, so
To prevent damage, the opening is divided into two parts, opening 1a.
A rib IC is provided between and lb.

Therefore, depending on the material of the case, the wall thickness, the shape of the opening, etc., it is necessary to divide the opening so that more ribs are provided in the opening in order to increase the strength.

Furthermore, the container main body 1 is provided with a jetty-shaped guide 1d on its lateral side in order to accurately and easily fit the toner storage container into the toner replenishment hole of the developing device, as will be described later. It is being

Normally, toner storage containers are stored and carried with the toner still inside, so it is a good idea to keep the toner inside tightly sealed to prevent moisture from getting in and hardening. It is necessary to keep it.

Moreover, it is necessary to set the toner storage container in a toner replenishment hole, which will be described later, and to configure it so that the bottom openings 1a and lb can be easily opened when in use.

For this reason, the starting end of the sealing member 2, which is made of an aluminum film or the like coated with, for example, a weldable resin, is shown in Fig. 1a.
and b, it is fixed along the lower part 1A of the longitudinal side of the case 1, extends from one end of the opening 1a, lb in the longitudinal direction to the other end, and the periphery of the opening 1a, lb is bonded by heat welding or adhesive. sealing the openings 1a, lb by means;
The seal member 2 is folded back at the other end of the opening and the terminal end is fixed to the claw member 3.

The pawl member 3 is formed with a groove along its longitudinal direction that engages with a pawl locking portion of a toner replenishment hole, which will be described later.

This claw member 3 is temporarily fixed along the longitudinal side surface 1B of the container main body 1 with enough adhesive force to prevent it from coming off when the toner storage container is stored or transported, as shown in the figure.

At this time, when sealing the openings 1a and 1b with the sealing member 2, the sealing member 2
As shown by f, the periphery surrounding the bottom openings 1a and lb of the case is sealed by welding or gluing in a meandering manner.

If the opening is sealed in this state with the sealing member 2, even if the region 1f is sealed quite strongly, the sealing member 2 will not peel off when the toner storage container is set in the toner supply hole, as will be described later. becomes easier.

Furthermore, during storage or transportation, the container body 1 is reliably sealed in the same manner as when it is sealed linearly.

When loading toner into the toner storage container configured as described above, the toner is inserted through a hole drilled on one side of the container main body 1 in the transverse direction shown in FIG. 1, and after loading, the hole cover 1e is fixed. Close and seal.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the toner replenishment hole, in which a guide groove 4a1 into which a jetty-like guide 1d of the toner storage container is fitted is inserted into the toner storage container wall surface 4 for replenishing the toner storage container. A locking portion 4b that stops and holds the pawl member 3 when pushed down a predetermined distance while fitting into the hole and a pawl locking portion 4C that locks the pawl member 3 are provided.

Furthermore, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the toner supply hole in the lateral direction in FIG. 4, a cleaner 5 such as a sponge is attached to the lower longitudinal side wall surface of the toner supply hole wall surface 4.

Next, when the user supplies toner to the developing device, the guide 1d of the toner storage container configured as described above is fitted and inserted along the guide groove 4a of the toner supply hole.

As you insert the toner storage container into the toner supply hole, the fifth
As shown in the cross-sectional view in the lateral direction of FIG. It comes off from main body 1.

When the case 1 is further pushed down, the seal member 2 starts to peel off from the container body 1.

At this time, the sealing member 2 and the bottom of the container body are strongly sealed in the area 1f, so if the toner storage container is simply fitted into the toner supply hole, the bottom of the container is pulled by the sealing member, and the container body However, by fitting and pressing down along the guide portion as in this embodiment, it can be set accurately and easily.

Also, at this time, as explained in FIG. 3 above, the sealing member 2 is located at the bottom opening 1a of the container main body.

Since the periphery of the container 1b is sealed in a meandering manner, the container can be easily and smoothly peeled off from the container main body 1 without requiring a strong force to push down the container main body 1.

That is, as shown in the partial configuration diagram of the bottom of the container main body in FIG. The bottom of main body 1 is CI.

As a result of the bonding at the points indicated by C2, C3, . . . , the sealing member 2 can be peeled off from the container body 1 without requiring a strong pressing force.

As the peeling progresses further, the distance between the joints gradually increases, but at this time, the container main body 1 has inertia and is pushed down further, so that the peeling is performed smoothly.

Even if the distance of the joint reaches its maximum value, the joint distance is not continuous in the longitudinal direction of the container body 1 as shown at point D, so the force for lowering the container body 1 increases. It is considerably reduced.

In this way, the container body 1 is fitted into the toner supply hole,
When pushed down further, both ends 1f of the bottom surface of the container body 1 engage with the locking portion 4 of the toner supply hole wall surface 4, as shown in FIGS. 5c and 5d.
b, stops the descent of the toner storage container at that position, holds the toner storage container in the toner replenishment hole, and supplies toner uniformly to the developing device in the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. I can do it.

Further, the toner storage container set in the toner supply hole in this manner serves as a lid for the toner supply hole, and there is no possibility that the toner will be blown up from the toner supply hole and scattered around.

Furthermore, push down the toner storage container from the state shown in Figure 5a,
When the seal member 2 is set in the toner replenishing hole in the state shown in FIG. As a result of being wiped by the cleaner, when the empty toner storage container is removed from the toner supply hole after toner has been supplied to the developing device, there is no possibility that the toner will be scattered around.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 6, the bottom opening of the container body 1 has openings 1a' and lb' opened in a meandering manner along the longitudinal direction in advance, and a seal is applied along the meandering opening end. The toner storage container may be constructed by sealing the members by welding or gluing them.

Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 7a, an opening is formed on the bottom of the container body by using the side wall of the container body as it is,
Between the longitudinal side walls is a case reinforcing rib Ig that reaches a predetermined position inside the container body.

1h may constitute the container body 1.

If the container main body 1 is constructed in this manner and the toner storage container is constructed by sealing the longitudinal side surface of the container main body 1 with a sealing member in a meandering manner along the opening as described above, this can be used as a seventh container.
As shown in the figure, when the toner is set in the toner replenishment hole to replenish toner, the flow of toner from the container main body 1 becomes uniform in the longitudinal direction of the container main body.

That is, if there is only one opening, there is a risk that the flow of toner will be concentrated in the center in the longitudinal direction of the opening, and the amount of toner supplied from both ends of the opening will be reduced. If the lower part of the container body 1 is divided into three by the rib Igih and the toner is discharged from the container body 1, the flow of toner in each of the three divided openings will be almost uniform, and the toner will flow uniformly in the longitudinal direction of the toner supply hole. Toner can be replenished.

The sealing member that seals the bottom opening of the container body can be installed in such a way that the peeling occurs in the short direction of the container body as in the above example, or it can be installed so that the peeling occurs in the longitudinal direction of the container body. However, if the seal member is attached so that it can be peeled off in the longitudinal direction of the case, the distance to peel off the seal member will be longer, and the insertion stroke of the container will also be longer. Problems such as an increase in size will occur, and
As a result of sequential peeling in the longitudinal direction, toner concentrates in the first peeled opening, and toner replenishment is not performed uniformly, so it is better to configure as in the above embodiment.

As described above, according to the present invention, toner can be replenished simply by fitting the container main body into the replenishment hole of the developing device and pushing it inside. without scattering toner around you.
Toner can be replenished extremely easily and reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner storage container showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a is a perspective view thereof, b is a side view in the short direction, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the container body, FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner supply hole showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. , b is a cross-sectional view in the transverse direction, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the toner storage container according to the present invention-embodiment is set in the toner supply hole, and a is a cross-sectional view in the transverse direction during the setting. sectional view, b is a bottom part configuration diagram of the toner storage container at that time, C is a longitudinal sectional view when the set is completed, d is a longitudinal sectional view at that time, and FIG. FIG. 7a is a bottom view of the container main body of a toner storage container showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. FIG. 1...Container body of toner storage container, 1a, 1b
, 1a'9 lb'----opening, lc,
Ig, 1h...Rib, 1d...
・Guide, 1e...Lid member, 1f...
Joint portion, 2... Seal member, 3... Claw member, 4... Wall surface of toner supply hole, 4a...
... Guide groove, 4b ... Container body stop part, 4
c...Claw locking part, 5...Cleaner.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] (1) A toner storage container comprising a container main body having an opening at the bottom, and toner being supplied to the developing device by fitting and inserting the container main body from the bottom into the toner replenishing hole of the developing device. A claw member is temporarily fixed on one side of the main body at a position where the main body engages with the end of the toner replenishment hole when the main body is fitted into the toner replenishment hole, and the above-mentioned side surface of the container main body is a bottom surface. From one end where it intersects with
The opening is sealed over the other end where the other side face opposite to this side surface intersects with the bottom face, and the sealing member is then folded back to the position where the claw member is temporarily fixed, and then fixed to the claw member. A toner storage container for a dry type developing device, characterized in that the sealing member is automatically peeled off from the opening when the container main body is fitted and inserted into a toner supply hole of the developing device. (2) Utility model registration In claim 1, a welded part or adhesive part for sealing the opening of the container body by the sealing member is provided in a meandering shape surrounding the opening. A toner storage container in a dry developing device characterized by: