JPS63220185A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a fact that a developer is scattered to the outside and a foreign matter invades the inside of a developing device, by allowing an opening/closing operation of a shutter mechanism provided on a developer supply port of the developing device,, to interlock with a developer replenishing operation of a developer cartridge inserted into a cartridge guide part. CONSTITUTION:A freely openable and closeable shutter mechanism 24 is provided on a developer supply port 23 of developing devices 18-20, and an opening/closing operation of the shutter mechanism 24 is allowed to interlock with a developer replenishing operation of a developer cartridge 22 inserted into a cartridge guide part 5. Accordingly, the developer supply port 23 of the developing devices 18-21 is closed by the shutter mechanism 24, when a developer replenishing operation of the developer cartridge 22 is not executed. In such a way, it does not occur that a developer is scattered from its developer supply port 23, or a foreign matter invades from the developer supply port 23, and it does not occur that the inside of a device body, etc., are contaminated, and a hindrance is exerted on a developing device function.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) This invention particularly relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copying machine, in which a developing operation position within the apparatus body is connected to the outside of the apparatus body. It has a developer transport path, and
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a cartridge guide section for inserting a developer cartridge for replenishing developer into a developing device is provided in the apparatus main body or the like.

(Technical Background) In recent years, various improvements have been made to the handling of color developing devices in image forming apparatuses in order to meet the wide range of color needs. One of the measures is to provide a developer conveyance path in the apparatus main body that connects the developing operation position inside the apparatus main body with the outside of the apparatus main body, so that the developer of a predetermined color can be easily supplied to the developing operation position from outside the main body. Technology that made it possible (for example, patent application 1986-16)
3477 etc.) has been proposed. In this technology, when an operator inserts a prepared color developing device into the developing device loading port of the main body of the apparatus, the color developing device is transported along a developing device transport path by a developing device transporting means to a developing operation retreat position. First, it is positioned at a developing operation position by a positioning mechanism. In addition, we have gone further than this, and have developed a technology (for example, in a patent application published in 1999) that includes a multiple developer storage device (developer auto changer) that automatically supplies the selected color developer to the developer inlet. 61
-268388 etc.) have also been proposed. In this technology, when the operator operates a color designation key located on the main body of the apparatus, the multiple developer storage device is operated to slide relative to the main body of the apparatus, and the storage unit for one selected color developer is operated. It is designed to align with the entrance of the developer unit. When the storage portion is aligned with the developer carrying inlet, the color developer is fed to the developing operation retreat position by the developer transporting means.

As in the above measure, when the developing device is transported through a developing device transport path provided within the apparatus main body, replenishing developer to the developing device using a cartridge is performed on the apparatus main body side, etc. Since it is not necessary to provide a developer cartridge insertion portion in the developing device itself, the developing device can be made more compact. This is effective in making the developing device transport path and the multiple developing device storage device compact. Therefore, in general, replenishment of developer using a developer cartridge is carried out using a cartridge guide section (in a 0-shape) provided in the main body of the device (developing device conveyance path) or the multiple developer storage device (corresponding to each storage section). (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 61-2)
74582 etc.).

However, when replenishing the developer from the developer cartridge using a cartridge guide provided in the main body of the device, it is necessary to provide an open developer supply port on the developer side. If this is the case, when the developer moves through the developer conveyance path, it will scatter from the opening and contaminate the inside of the device (particularly the developer conveyance path), the multiple developer storage device, or the developer storage section. There is a problem that foreign matter may enter through the opening, damaging the developing device or degrading the image quality.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention provides a system in which developer is replenished by a developer cartridge using a cartridge guide provided in an apparatus main body, etc., as described above, in order to prevent the developer filled in the developer from scattering to the outside. [1] To provide a technique devised to prevent foreign matter from entering the developing device.

(Summary of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a shutter mechanism that can be opened and closed at the developer supply port of the developing device, and the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism is used to control the development of the developer cartridge inserted into the cartridge guide. Jtl for agent replenishment operation! It is characterized by being moved.

(Example of 1991) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus (copying machine) equipped with a plurality of developing device storage devices to which the present invention is applied.

The image forming apparatus X is configured to be capable of double-sided image formation and multiple image formation using different colors (description of the specific configuration is omitted here as it is not the main part of the invention), and the apparatus main body X1
A multiple developing device storage device 22 (hereinafter simply referred to as a “storage device”) Y is provided outside the storage device.

Inside the ka main body
A developing device conveyance path 4 is formed to connect the two. The developing device conveyance path 4 includes a path for returning the previously selected color developing device supplied to the developing operation position to the storage device ff1Y, and transporting the color developing device in the currently selected storage device ff1Y to the developing operation retreat position. A developing device transport means (not shown) and a developer cartridge guide member 5 for replenishing developer (toner) to the color developing devices in the developing device transport path 4L are attached.

The cartridge guide member 5 is a pipe member (built between the front side plate and the rear side plate of the apparatus main body It has a longitudinal feed opening 6 in the vertical lower part of its circumferential wall. The supply port 6 is arranged to coincide with the supply 1123 of the color developer when the color developer is transferred to the developing operation retracted position by the developer transfer means as shown.

The storage device Y has a developing device supply lower, and.

It is composed of a plate-shaped base member 8 that is detachably fixed to the device xI with bolts or the like, and a storage case 9 that is movable downward L by a case moving means (moving mechanism) not shown with respect to the base member 8. ing. The base member 8 is attached to the apparatus main body X so that its developing device supply lower is aligned with the developing device entrance 2.

A plurality of storage sections 14 to 17 are formed in the storage case 9 by partition plates 10 to 13.
Color developing units 18 to 21 are housed in each of the storage compartments. Here, for example, the color developing device 18 stored in the storage section 14 is a red developing device filled with red toner, and the color developing device 19 stored in the storage section 15 is a blue developing device filled with blue toner. The color developing device 20 stored in the storage section 16 is a green developing device filled with green toner, and the color developing device 21 stored in the storage section 17 is a brown developing device filled with brown toner. It is. Further, the front end side of this storage case 9 is in an open state, and serves as a closing lid for the base member 8.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the green developing device 20 stored in the storage section 16 in the storage case 9 is being fed to the developing operation retracted position in the apparatus main body x1, and in this state, the green developing device 20 is The supply port 23 coincides with the supply port 6 of the cartridge guide member 5.

1 to 3 are diagrams showing essential parts of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state in which the developer replenishment operation is performed by the developer cartridge 22, and FIG. A sectional view showing the state immediately before or after the developer replenishment operation by the developer cartridge 22, FIG. 3 shows the color developing devices 18 to 21, the cartridge guide member 5, and the developer cartridge 22. FIG.

A developer supply port (opening) 23 is formed in the top wall of the container of the color developing units 18 to 21, and a shutter 24 that can be opened and closed is attached to the supply port 23. The shutter 24
is movable in the longitudinal direction of the container, and normally moves in the A direction as shown in FIG. 2 by the biasing force of the coil spring 25 to close the supply port 23. At this time, the vertical piece 26 provided at one end comes into pressure contact with the sealing member 27 provided at the end of the supply port, so that the supply port 23 is hermetically closed.

The cartridge guide member 5 has a supply port 6 at the lower part of the bright spot on its peripheral wall, and also has a guide groove 2 projecting diagonally in one part.
It has 8. The guide y128 has a substantially triangular shape and is formed over the entire length of the cartridge guide member 5.

The developer cartridge 22 is a cylindrical container,
The container is provided with a first opening 30 that is sealed by a sealing member 29, and an end plate 3 that closes both ends of the container.
1 and 32 are guide grooves 28 of the cartridge guide member 5.
Approximately triangular protrusions 33 and 34 are formed to engage with. The projections 33, 34 are provided near the side edges of the opening 30. Here, the container length X of the developer cartridge 22 is the same length as the container length X1 of the color developing devices 18 to 21.
is set larger than the overall length X1 of the cartridge guide member 5. Further, the end plate 31 is provided with a horizontal plate-shaped handle 35.

Next, the color developing unit 18 is moved by the developer cartridge 22.
The method for replenishing the developer will be described in 21 to 21.

As described above, when the color developing devices 18 to 21 in the storage device 21Y are fed into the apparatus body xl by color selection, the color developing devices 18 to 21 are transported as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. At this time, the color developing devices 18 to 2 are located at the developing operation retracted position.
The supply port 23 of the cartridge guide member 5 coincides with the supply port 6 of the cartridge guide member 5. At this point, the supply ports 23 of the color developing units 18 to 21 are closed by the shutters 24.

Thus, the color developing devices 18~ are fed to the developing operation retreat position.
21 is in a state of developer shortage (color developing devices 18 to 2
1), the developer cartridge 22 containing the color toner to be filled into the fed color developing device is selected and selected. The end plate 3 is attached to the cartridge guide member 5.
The second protrusion 34 is engaged with and inserted into the guide groove 28. Once the developer cartridge 22 is inserted until the protrusion 34 comes off the guide groove 28, the developer cartridge 22 is first rotated in the direction of the arrow. This causes both protrusions 33 .
34 engages with the vertical piece 26 of the shutter 24, and as it rotates, the shutter 24 slides in the direction of the arrow against the coil spring 25. The shutter 24 stops when the vertical piece 26 comes into contact with the side edge of the supply port 23, and the developer cartridge 22 is also assembled to rotate in the direction of the arrow port. At this time, the supply ports 23 of the one-color developers 18 to 21 are opened, and the supply ports 23 and the developer cartridges 22
The openings 30 of the developer cartridge align and face each other (the state shown in FIG. 1).Next, when the sealing member 29 sealing the opening 30 is pulled forward, the opening 30 is exposed, and as a result, the developer cartridge The developer in 22 is drawn out from the opening 30 and stored in the developer container through the supply ports 6 and 23 (developer replenishment is complete).

After replenishing the developer in this way, the developer cartridge 22 is rotated in the two directions of the arrows, the protrusion 34 is engaged with the guide groove 28, and the developer cartridge 22 is pulled out from the cartridge guide member 5. At this time, the shutter 24, which had been pressurized by the protrusions 33 and 34, is released from the pressure and slides in the direction of arrow A by the biasing force of the coil spring 25, thereby airtightly closing the supply port 23.

Note that the shutter 24 in the above embodiment was designed to open and close in conjunction with the rotation operation after the developer cartridge 22 is inserted into the cartridge guide member 5, but the i! It may be opened and closed by moving.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the cartridge guide member 5 is provided in the developing device transport path 4 of the apparatus main body x1 has been described, but the case where the cartridge guide member 5 is provided corresponding to each storage section of a plurality of developing device storage device is also applicable. Even if there is, it is possible to configure the same.

In addition, although the above embodiment has been applied to an image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of developing device storage devices and describes replenishment of developer to the developing devices that are automatically supplied into the apparatus main body by the multiple development device storage device, there is no manual. The present invention can be similarly applied to a developing device that is supplied into the main body of the apparatus.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the following effects:
The developer supply port of the developing device is equipped with a shutter mechanism that can be opened and closed, and the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism is linked to the developer replenishment operation of the developer cartridge inserted into the cartridge guide, so that the developer supply to the developing device is prevented. The opening is closed by the shutter mechanism when the developer replenishment operation of the developer cartridge is not performed. For this reason, the developer may scatter from the developer supply port during the process of transporting the developer along the developer transport path within the device main body, or when placed in a multiple developer storage device or external developer storage. In addition, no foreign matter enters through the developer supply port, and there is no possibility of contaminating the inside of the main body or interfering with the function of the developing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 are views showing the main parts of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state in which a developer replenishment operation is being performed by a developer cartridge; Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the state immediately before or after the developer replenishment operation is performed by the developer cartridge, and Fig. 3 shows the color developing device, cartridge guide member, and developer cartridge. The perspective view shown in FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional side view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. X...Image forming device, XI +++ device main body, 4-.
・Developer transport path, 5... Cartridge guide member, 18
~21-...Color developing device, 22-...Developer cartridge, 23-...Supply port, 24-...Shutter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A cartridge that has a developing device transport path in the device main body that connects the developing operation position in the device main body with the outside of the device main body, and in which a developer cartridge for replenishing developer to the developing device is inserted into the device main body, etc. The image forming apparatus includes a guide section, the developer supply port of the developing device being provided with a shutter mechanism that can be opened and closed, and the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism being controlled by the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism of the developer cartridge inserted into the cartridge guide section. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus is linked to a developer replenishment operation.