JPS63123074A - Developer replenishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a developer from scattering from a gap by providing a slidable shutter member which opens and closes a developer discharge opening and a seal member which contacts the peripheral surface of a developer replenishing opening when mounted on a mounted part by being fitted to the member. CONSTITUTION:The slidable shutter member 201 which opens and closes e toner discharge opening of a cartridge 67 is energized in a closing direction by a spring and when a right cover is opened, the energizing force of the spring is made to operate on the shutter member 201, thereby closing the toner discharge opening. Further, when the right cover is closed, a force in the opposite direction from the energizing force of the spring is made to operated on the shutter member 201, opening the toner discharge opening. Further, a fur brush 136 as the seal member is fitted to the edge part of an opening part 204 on the reverse surface side of the shutter member 201 and when the toner cartridge 150 is mounted on the cartridge mounted part 98, the fur brush 136 contacts the surface 135 of the peripheral part of the toner replenishing opening 130.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an improvement in a cartridge-type developer replenishing device applied to image forming apparatuses such as laser printers and electronic copying machines. .

(Prior Art) In recent years, a developer image is once formed on an image carrier by a developing means, and then transferred to an image support, and the developer remaining on the image carrier after the image transfer is removed by a cleaner means. At the same time, image forming apparatuses have been put into practical use in which the toner removed by the cleaner means is returned to the developing means via a developer return means for reuse. An image forming apparatus in which the developer removed by the cleaner means is returned to the developing means for reuse is extremely economical as the amount of developer consumed is small, and the number of times developer is replenished to the developing means is reduced. decreases,
It has the advantage of being easy to maintain, such as eliminating the need to dispose of the developer removed by the cleaner means, and is becoming increasingly used.

Conventionally, in this type of image forming apparatus, the developing means, the cleaner means, and the developer return means are integrated into an integrated unit, all of which are built into the main body of the image apparatus. When a short one fails, the whole thing has to be replaced even though other means can be used, and since it is all in one piece, maintenance and inspections are difficult.

Therefore, by making the developer return means a separate unit and providing the developer return means on the side of the door that can be opened and closed, it is possible to replace the developing means, cleaner means, and developer return means independently, and to facilitate maintenance and inspection. Something is being considered to make it easier.

Further, in this type of 1III image forming apparatus, a car 1 to a cartridge-type developer replenishing device (toner cartridge ), so that the developer can be appropriately supplied to the developing means.

The cartridge-type developer replenishing device described above has a slide that opens and closes the developer discharge port of the developer storage container (cartridge body) when the door is closed and the developing means, cleaner means, and developer return means are connected. A movable shutter member is moved to an open position, and the developer discharge port and the developer replenishment port are brought into communication.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such a conventional device, when the device is attached to a mounting portion having a developer replenishment port, the shutter member and the surrounding area of the developer replenishment port are The developer may scatter from the gap between the surface of the machine and the inside of the machine.
There has been a problem in that the developer accumulated on the surface of the peripheral portion of the developer replenishment port is scattered when the developer replenishment device is replaced.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to have a simple structure, but when the shutter member is attached to a mounting portion having a developer replenishment port, the shutter member and the developer are removed. It is possible to prevent the developer from scattering from the gap between the surface of the peripheral part of the developer replenishing port and the developer that has accumulated on the surface of the peripheral part of the developer replenishing port when the shutter member is closed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developer replenishing device that can be kept in a clean state and that can reliably prevent the inside of the machine from being contaminated by developer.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a structure in which the developer replenishment port is removably attached to a mounting portion having a developer replenishment port. A cartridge-type developer replenishing device that appropriately replenishes developer to a replenishment port, the developer storage container having a developer discharge port opposite to the developer replenishment port, and the developing device of the developer storage container. a slidable shutter member that opens and closes the developer discharge port and has an opening that can face the developer discharge port; and the developer replenishment port when the shutter member is attached to the shutter member and is mounted on the mounting portion. and a sealing member that can come into contact with the surface of the peripheral portion of the holder.

15= (Function) That is, the present invention has a sealing member attached to a slidable shutter member, and the sealing member comes into contact with a peripheral surface of the developer replenishment port when the sealing member is attached to the attachment target portion. This structure prevents the developer from scattering from the gap that occurs between the shutter member and the peripheral surface of the developer replenishing port, and also prevents the developer from scattering from the gap between the shutter member and the peripheral surface of the developer replenishing port. The developer deposited on the shutter member can be kept clean when the shutter member is closed.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 2 and 3 are an external perspective view and a schematic longitudinal sectional side view showing the internal configuration of an image forming unit device equipped with a laser printer as an image forming apparatus of the present invention. There is.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a laser printer as an image forming apparatus, and this laser printer 1 is placed on a multi-cassette feeder 2, and an envelope feeder 3 is attached to the rear side.

The laser printer 1 has the following configuration.

That is, numeral 5 in the figure is a printer body of the laser printer 1, and the rear part of the top surface of this printer body 5 is raised one step higher, and a four part 6 serving as a paper ejection part is formed in the center of the top surface. A paper output tray 8 movably supported by a jogger 7 is installed in the recess 6, and an operation panel display section 9 and an operation panel switch section 10 are installed on the right side of the recess 6, and three IC card insertion slot 1
1... are arranged respectively.

Further, the printer main body 5 has paper outputs 1 to 12 on its front side, and a manual feed tray 13 on its rear side.

Further, a drum-shaped photoreceptor 15 as an image carrier is provided approximately at the center of the printer main body 5, and a charging device 16 is provided around it as shown in FIG. Laser optical system 17. Visualizing device 18 as developing means. Transfer device 19. Peeling device 20 Cleaning device 21 as a cleaner means. and a static eliminator 22 are arranged in this order.

Furthermore, an image support transport path 24 is formed inside the printer body 5 and extends forward through an image transfer section 23 between the photoreceptor 15 and the transfer device 19, and is housed at the bottom of the printer body 5. Paper 11 is automatically fed from the paper feed cassette 25 and the paper feed cassettes 26 and 27 of the multi-cassette feeder 2 via paper feed rollers 28 and transfer rollers 29, etc., and is manually fed from the manual feed tray 13. The supplied paper P1 and the envelope A automatically supplied from the envelope feeder 3 are guided to the image transfer section 23.

Further, an aligning roller pair 30 is disposed on the upstream side of the image transfer section 23 of the image support transport path 24, and a fixing device 31. A paper discharge selector 32 and a pair of paper discharge rollers 33 are arranged.

Incidentally, on the terminal end side of the image support conveying path 24, there is a branch provided with a pair of paper ejection rollers 34 to guide the sheets P, envelopes A, etc. sorted by the paper ejection selector 32 to the recess 6 serving as a paper ejection section. A conveyance path 35 is formed.

2, 40 is a lower cover, 41 is a front cover, 42 is an upper cover, 43 is a right cover (door), 44 is a left cover, 45 is a right cover opening/closing lever, and 46 is an upper unit opening/closing lever. 47.48... shown in Figure 3
, 49 is a control board constituting the control section.

In the image forming operation, the photoreceptor 15 is driven and uniformly charged by the charging device 16, and then the laser optical system 17 exposes the photoreceptor 15 to light corresponding to an image signal, thereby making the photoreceptor 15 static. A latent image is formed. Next, the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 6 is formed by toner a and carrier b.
The image is developed by a developing device 18 using a two-component developer consisting of the following, and sent to the image transfer section 23 side as a developer image.

Meanwhile, in synchronization with this developer image forming operation, the paper feed cassette 2
The paper P1 selectively taken out from 5, 26, 27, the paper P1 manually fed, or the envelope A fed from the envelope feeder 3 is fed through a pair of aligning rollers 30 and is placed on the photoreceptor 1 in advance.
The developer image formed on the sheet 5 is transferred to the paper P or the envelope A by the action of the transfer device 19. Then, the paper P or the envelope A is peeled off from the photoreceptor 15 by the peeling device 20, passes through the image support conveying path 24, and is sent to the fixing device 31. After the developer image is fused and fixed on the paper P or envelope A, the discharge direction is sorted by the paper discharge selector 32 and the developer image is discharged onto the upper paper discharge tray 8 or the front paper discharge tray 12.

Note that after the developer image is transferred onto the paper P or the envelope A, the residual toner remaining on the photoreceptor 15 is cleaned by the cleaning device 21, and the next copying operation is ready.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the photoreceptor 15. Cleaning device 21 as cleaner means. The developing device 18 as a developing means is mounted on a guide frame 51 that is slidably supported via slide rails 50.50, and as shown in FIG. The configuration is such that these can be pulled out to the right side of the printer main body 5 by pulling them out.

Further, the photoreceptor 15 and the cleaning device 21 are unitized, and are integrally connected to the guide frame 51.
Further, the developing device 18 is configured to be detachable independently.

The developing device 18 has a structure as shown in detail in FIG. 4.

That is, this developing device 9 includes a developing mechanism section 55 and a developer stirring section 56.

The developing mechanism section 55 includes an opening 58 of the developing device main body 57.
A developing roller 59 disposed opposite to the developing roller 59 and a developer magnetic brush D' formed on the surface of the developing roller 59 which is in sliding contact with the photoconductor 15, that is, a developer provided upstream of the developing section 60. Doctor 6 regulating the thickness of the magnetic brush D'
1, and a scraper 62 which is disposed on the downstream side of the developing section 60 and peels off the developer magnetic brush D' formed on the surface of the developing roller 59 and guides it to the developer stirring section 56. , the developer stirring section 56 is a first developer accommodated in a developer accommodating section 63 formed behind the arrangement section of the developing roller 59.
, and a second developer stirring body 64°65.

Further, the developing roller 59 includes a magnetic roll 59a having a plurality of magnetic pole parts (not shown), and a magnetic roll 59a having a plurality of magnetic pole parts (not shown).
a and a non-magnetic sleeve 59b that is fitted onto the outside and rotates clockwise in the figure.

Further, a toner receiving section 66 as a developer receiving section is formed at a position facing the developer stirring section 56 of the developing device main body 57, and a toner receiving section 66 is formed as a developer replenishing cartridge of a developer replenishing means 150, which will be described later. It receives toner a replenished from a cartridge (developer storage means) 67 and toner a returned from the cleaning device 21 via a toner return means 68 as a developer return means.

Further, a developer concentration detector 7o for detecting the developer concentration is provided at a position facing the scraper 62, and a detection signal from the developer concentration detector 7o detects the amount of developer incorporated in the toner cartridge 67. 1 as a supply part
- A toner supply shaft 71 (see FIG. 7) is driven as necessary.

As a result, the developer particles stand up on the surface of the non-magnetic sleeve 59b due to the lines of magnetic force generated from each magnetic pole portion and are attracted in a brush-like manner to form a developer magnetic brush D'. Due to the rotation of the sleeve 59b, the developing section 6
The toner a in the magnetic brush D' adheres to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 15 and develops it.

Further, a toner replenishment shaft 71 of the toner cartridge 67 is driven by a replenishment signal from the toner concentration detector 70, and the insufficient toner a is appropriately replenished.

On the other hand, the developer stirring body 6 disposed inside the developer storage section 63
The developer layer is stirred by the rotation of 3.64 degrees, and frictional charging between toner a and carrier b can be performed satisfactorily.

Further, the cleaning device 21 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 4.

That is, 75 in the figure is a cleaning device main body having an opening 76 in a portion facing the photoreceptor 15, and a cleaning blade 77 is installed inside this cleaning device main body 75.
is in a contained state.

The cleaning blade 77 is rotatable by a support shaft 78, and the blade holder 8 is always urged counterclockwise by a weight 79 as an urging member in the state shown in FIG.
The upper end portion is held by 0, and the tip of the lower end portion is in pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor 15.

The remaining toner a that has adhered to the photoreceptor 15 is then scraped off by the cleaning blade 77.

Further, a collection blade 81 is attached to the lower opening edge of the opening 76, and the cleaning blade 77
The toner a scraped off by the cleaning device main body 7
It is designed to be collected within 5 days.

Further, at the bottom of the cleaning device main body 75, there is provided a toner discharge portion 83 (see FIG. 5) that protrudes outside to deliver the toner a in the cleaning device main body 75 to a toner return means 68 as a developer return means. A toner collection auger 82 is arranged to transport the toner.

A toner discharge port 84 as a developer discharge port is formed on the lower surface of the toner discharge portion 83, and this toner discharge port 84 is connected to a multiple shutter, that is, a rotary shutter (not shown) and a slide shutter 85. It has a structure that can be double closed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, inside the right cover 43,
A toner return means 68 for returning the toner a collected by the cleaning device 21 to the developing device 18 is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the toner returning means 68 includes a toner receiving section 90 as a developer receiving section, a toner discharging section 91 as a developer discharging section, and a toner receiving section 90 that is received in the toner receiving section 90. It is configured to include a toner transport section 92 as a developer transport section that transports the toner a to the toner discharge section 91. When the right cover 43 is closed, the toner receiving section 90 is connected to the cleaning device 21.
The toner discharge port 8 is located on the lower surface side of the toner discharge portion 83.
4, and the toner discharge section 91 is located above the developer storage section 63 of the developing device 18.
It is designed to face.

The toner receiving section 90 has a toner receiving port 94 opposite to the toner discharging port 84 of the cleaning device 21, and is opened by pushing in a slide shutter 85 provided on the toner discharging port 83 of the cleaning device 21. A rotary shutter opening/closing gear 97 that rotates the rotary shutter by meshing with a gear 96 integrated with the rotary shutter opening/closing portion 95 and the rotary shutter is disposed.

Further, at a position corresponding to the toner discharge section 91, a cartridge mounting section 9 into which a cartridge type developer replenishing device (hereinafter referred to as a toner cartridge) is mounted (combined) is provided.
8 on the top surface, and a toner discharge port 100 that is opened and closed by a rotary shutter 99 is formed on the bottom surface side.

Further, a toner replenishment port 130 as a developer replenishment port is formed in the cartridge mounting portion 98 as a mounting portion, and a toner return passage 131 of the toner transfer portion 92 is formed.
It communicates with the toner discharge port 100 via the terminal end thereof.

Note that 132 is a seal bat that seals the gap between the toner discharge portion 91 and the developing device main body 57 when the toner discharge portion 91 is superimposed on the developing device main body 57.

The toner cartridge 150, which is the cartridge type developer replenishing device of the present invention, has a structure as shown in FIGS. 7 to 12 and FIG. 1.

That is, in the figure, 67 is a cartridge main body serving as a developer storage container, and this cartridge main body 67 is connected to the toner replenishment port 204 formed in the cartridge mounting portion 98.
A toner discharge port 153 serving as a developer discharge port facing the toner discharge port 153 is provided at the center of the lower surface, and the toner discharge port 153 is opened and closed by a shutter member 201, which will be described later.

The shutter member 201 has an opening 204 that can face the toner discharge port 153 of the cartridge main body 67, and opens and closes the toner discharge port 153 by sliding displacement.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a guide member 203 having guide frame portions 202 and 202 is integrally molded on the lower surface side of the toner cartridge 67. As shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 11, the slide shutter 201 includes an opening 204, a lock claw 206, a stopper 2
07, and is slidably held by engaging its both side edges with the guide frame 202.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, coil springs 208, 208 are stretched between the shutter member 201 and the shutter guide member 203.
The structure is such that it is always biased in the direction of arrow a.

The coil springs 208, 208 are hooks provided at the ends of the guide frame portions 202, 202, respectively, and are connected to grooves 20.
9 and a hook provided at the center of the slide shutter 201 is hung between the hole 210 and the slide shutter 201 .

Further, the tip portion 211 of the slide shutter 201 is
When the right cover 43 is closed, it is pressed in the direction of the arrow by a pressing portion 212 (see FIG. 5) on the main body 5 side.

When the right cover 43 is open, the pressure on the tip 211 of the shutter member 201 by the pressing body 212 on the main body 5 side is released, and the shutter member 201 is moved by the arrow a shown in the figure by the biasing force of the springs 208 and 208. biased in the direction. At this time, the lock claw 206 is caught on the end of the rail 202, and the shutter member 201 is stopped at the position shown in FIG. 1(a). As a result, the toner discharge port 153 of the cartridge main body 67 and the opening 204 of the shutter member 201 are not in corresponding positions, and the toner discharge port 153 is in a closed state.

Furthermore, when the right cover 43 is closed, the shutter member 2
01 is pressed by the pressing part 212 on the main body 5 side, and the shutter member 201 is pressed by the spring 208.20.
It is moved in the direction opposite to the biasing force 8, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. At this time, the stopper 207 comes into contact with the end of the shutter guide member 203, and the shutter member 201
It is designed to be stopped at the position shown in Figure 1(b). As a result, the toner discharge port 153 of the cartridge main body 67 and the opening 204 of the shutter member 201 are in corresponding positions, and the toner discharge port 153 is in an open state.

In this way, the slideable shutter member 201, which opens and closes the toner discharge port 153 of the cartridge 67, is biased in the closing direction by the springs 208, 208, and when the right cover 43 is opened, the biasing force of the springs 208, 208 is applied. By acting on the shutter member 201, the toner discharge port 153 is closed, and when the right cover 43 is closed, a force in the opposite direction to the urging force by the springs 208, 208 is applied to the shutter member 201. As a result, the toner discharge port 153 is opened.

As a result, when the right cover 43 is opened, the toner discharge port 153 of the toner cartridge 150 is reliably closed, so that toner does not spill out even when the toner cartridge 150 is installed or removed.

Further, a bristle brush 136 as a sealing member is attached to the back side of the shutter member 201 and the edge of the opening 204, and when the toner cartridge 150 is attached to the cartridge attachment portion 98, as shown in FIG. (a),
As shown in (b), the bristle brush 136 comes into contact with a surface 135 around the toner supply port 130.

As shown in FIG. 6, the right cover 43 includes a toner return means 68. Torchy cartridge 150 as a developer supply device. Guide member 122. Safety switch operation claw 1
23. A cover lock claw 124, a guide member 125 for positioning the photoreceptor and the developing device, and the like are attached.

Note that 190 shown in FIG. 5 is the toner receiving port 6 of the developing device.
6 is a slide shutter that opens and closes, and when the right cover 43 is closed, it is pushed by the toner discharge section 91 and slides to open the toner receiving port 66. Also,
Reference numeral 191 is a handle for pulling out the slide rail 51 on which a unit device including the developing device 18, the photoreceptor 15, and the cleaning device 21 is removably mounted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a coupling 151 that engages with a coupling 152 or 154 of a drive device 154 is integrally attached to the toner supply shaft 71.

Note that 180 shown in FIG. 7 is a toner agitator housed in the toner cartridge 67, and this toner agitator 180
has a claw width 182 at one end thereof that engages with a sprocket 181 integrated with the toner supply shaft 71, and rotates during toner supply to agitate the toner a contained therein. A cover 183 surrounds the center of the toner supply shaft 71 to uniformly supply the toner a. Further, 186 is a brake plate.

As the toner replenishment shaft rotates, new toner a is appropriately supplied and a good developing operation is always possible.

At this time, the bristle brush 136 as a sealing member attached to the back side of the shutter member 201 and the edge of the opening 204 is inserted around the toner replenishment port 130 as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b). This prevents toner from scattering from the gap formed between the shutter member 201 and the surface 135 of the peripheral portion of the toner replenishing port 130 and contaminating the inside of the machine. In addition, the shutter member 201
1(a) to the state shown in FIG. 1(b).
), the toner accumulated on the surface 135 at the periphery of the toner replenishment port 130 is wiped off and dropped into the toner replenishment port 130, so that it is difficult to replace the toner cartridge 150 as in the conventional case. There will be no splashing.

In the above embodiment, the sealing member attached to the shutter member 201 is made of the bristle brush 136, but the present invention is not limited to this. Of course, the same purpose can also be achieved.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, although the present invention has a simple structure, when it is attached to a mounting portion having a developer replenishment port, the shutter member and the surface of the peripheral portion of the developer replenishment port are removed. It is possible to prevent the developer from scattering from the gap that occurs between the It is possible to provide a developer replenishing device that can reliably prevent dirt from forming inside the machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main parts of the device of the present invention attached to a mounting portion, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit device to which the device of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is also a schematic vertical side view, FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the image forming apparatus that constitutes a part of the image forming unit device, and FIG. A perspective view, FIG. 6 is a front view of the cover with the cover open, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the toner cartridge, FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views of the toner cartridge, and FIG. 10 is a shutter member. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the shutter member, and FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the main parts of the toner cartridge with the shutter member removed. 67...Developer storage container (cartridge body), 98
... Mounted part (cartridge mounting part), 130...
Developer replenishment port (toner replenishment port), 135... peripheral surface, 16... sealing member (bristle brush), 150.
...Developer supply device (toner cartridge), 153.
... Developer discharge port (toner discharge port), 201 ... Shutter member, 204 ... Opening. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue (a) (b) Figure 1 Figure 12

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A cartridge-type developer replenishing device that is detachably attached to a mounting portion having a developer replenishment port and that replenishes the developer appropriately to the developer replenishment port. a developer storage container having a developer discharge port facing the replenishment port; a slideable shutter member having an opening that can face the developer discharge port of the developer storage container and opening and closing the developer discharge port; , a sealing member attached to the shutter member and capable of coming into contact with a peripheral surface of the developer replenishing port when the sealing member is attached to the mounting portion. Device. (2) The developer replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is a bristle brush. (3) The developer replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is a soft elastic member.