RU2807026C2 - Powder container and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: image forming devices; powder containers.

SUBSTANCE: powder container is to be attached to the powder transport device with the longitudinal direction of the powder container parallel to the horizontal direction. The powder conveying device includes a conveying nozzle which is provided with a powder receiving opening for receiving powder from a powder container and which is configured to convey the powder; an opening/closing element for opening and closing the powder receiving opening; a flange provided on the opening/closing element; a displacing element for displacing the opening/closing element to close the powder receiving opening; and a container mounting portion in which the powder container portion is to be installed. The powder container includes a conveyor located inside the powder container and configured to transport powder from a second end of the powder container to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the powder container; a container neck extending from the first end of the powder container; a nozzle receiving hole formed in the neck of the container into which a transport nozzle provided in the powder transport device is to be inserted; and a joint portion formed in the neck of the container and configured to abut the flange to allow movement of the opening/closing member to open the nozzle receiving opening. When attaching the powder container to the powder conveying device, the container neck is installed in the container mounting portion, and the flange and the biasing member are placed in the inner space of the container neck.

EFFECT: prevention of the spilled powder from scattering when removing the transport nozzle from the powder container.

12 cl, 84 dwg, 2 tbl

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

The present invention relates to a powder container for holding powder such as toner, and to an imaging apparatus that allows the powder to be transferred from the powder container to a destination while being moved.

BACKGROUND ART

In imaging devices such as copiers, printers or fax machines that use an electrophotographic process, a latent image formed on a photoreceptor is developed by toner provided by a developing device. Because toner is consumed when developing latent images, it is necessary to replenish the toner in the developing unit. Therefore, the toner replenishment device in the form of a powder supply device provided in the device body causes toner to be transferred from the toner container as a powder container to the developing device, so that the toner supply in the developing device can be replenished. A developing device, the toner supply of which can be replenished as described above, allows continuous development. In addition, the toner container is detachably attached to the toner replenishment device. If the toner contained in the toner container is used up, the toner container is replaced with a container containing new toner.

Regarding the toner container removably attached to the toner replenishment device, a toner container is known which has a helical rib formed on a cylindrical inner surface of a toner storage member for receiving toner (see Patent Document 1: Laid-Open Application for Japan Patent No. 2003-241496, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-221825, Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 4342958, Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-202656 and Patent Document 5: Japanese patent application laid out No. 2003-233247). In such a toner container, the toner storage member rotates when the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device, so that the stored toner moves from one end to the other end in the direction of the rotation axis. Thereafter, the toner is discharged through an opening located at the other end of the toner storage member into the main body of the toner replenishment device.

Regarding a toner container that allows the toner stored therein to be moved from one end to the other end by rotating the toner storage member, Patent Document 6 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-276659) describes a toner container wherein a conveying nozzle attached to the toner replenishment device is inserted through a neck at the other end of the toner storage member. Specifically, a toner receiving hole is formed near a front end of a transport nozzle inserted into the toner container in the insertion direction. To the transport nozzle, toner is supplied from the toner storage member through the toner receiving hole when the transport nozzle is inserted into the toner container, and the transport nozzle causes the toner to be transferred to the main body of the toner replenishment device. In the toner container, a nozzle insertion member configured with a nozzle receiving hole for inserting a conveyance nozzle is attached to the inside of a neck at the other end of the toner storage member. The toner container also includes an opening/closing member that closes the nozzle receiving opening before inserting the transport nozzle and opens the nozzle receiving opening when inserting the transport nozzle.

The toner container described in Patent Document 6 can maintain a closed state of the nozzle receiving hole until the transport nozzle is inserted, so that it is possible to prevent toner leakage or toner scattering from occurring before the toner container is attached to toner refill device. When the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device, the toner housed in the toner storage member enters through the toner receiving hole formed near the front end of the inserted transport nozzle in the insertion direction and moves into the main body of the toner replenishment device through the transport nozzle, when In this case, the toner receiving hole is closed by the transport nozzle. Therefore, even when the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device, it is possible to prevent toner leakage or toner scattering.

However, when in the configuration described in Patent Document 6, the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device, the outer surface of the transport nozzle inserted into the toner storage member comes into contact with the toner in the toner storage member. Therefore, when the transfer nozzle is removed from the toner container, some of the toner in contact with the transfer nozzle may remain attached to the transfer nozzle and may pass through the nozzle receiving opening together with the transfer nozzle, so that toner may leak from the transfer nozzle opening. nozzle, causing toner to scatter.

The above explanation explains a problem that occurs in the case of a toner container that contains toner in powder form. However, if the container is configured to move and discharge powder from the inside to the outside by inserting a conveying nozzle attached to the powder conveying device, powder spillage may occur with any powder that contains powder other than toner. leakage of which occurs when the transport nozzle is removed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a powder container that allows powder to be discharged from the inside to the outside by inserting a conveying nozzle, and which can ensure that leaked powder is prevented from spilling when the conveying nozzle is removed, and in developing an imaging apparatus including a powder container.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to one embodiment, a powder container is provided to be attached to a powder transport device with the longitudinal direction of the powder container parallel to the horizontal direction. The powder conveying apparatus includes a conveying nozzle which is provided with a powder receiving opening for receiving powder from a powder container and which is configured to convey the powder; an opening/closing member for opening and closing the powder receiving opening; a flange provided on the opening/closing element; a biasing member for biasing the opening/closing member to close the powder receiving hole; and a container mounting portion in which the powder container portion is to be installed. The powder container includes a conveyor located inside the powder container and configured to transport powder from a second end of the powder container to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the powder container; a container neck extending from the first end of the powder container; a nozzle receiving hole formed in the neck of the container into which a transport nozzle provided in the powder transport device is to be inserted; and a joint portion formed in the neck of the container and configured to abut the flange to allow movement of the opening/closing member to open the powder receiving opening. When attaching the powder container to the powder conveying device, the container neck is installed in the container mounting portion, and the flange and the biasing member are placed in the inner space of the container neck.

According to another embodiment, a powder container is provided that is removably attached to an imaging apparatus. The powder container includes a container body including a container neck at a first end and containing imaging powder, a conveyor located inside the container body and configured to transport powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body; a nozzle receiving member located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving hole for receiving a powder transport nozzle that is provided in the image forming apparatus, and for guiding the powder transport nozzle into an interior portion of the container body; and a scooping portion receiving powder from the conveyor and rotating to lift the received powder from bottom to top in the body of the powder transport container into the powder receiving opening of the powder transport nozzle. The nozzle receiving member includes a shutter for opening and closing the nozzle receiving hole; a support portion configured to support the shutter so that it can be moved; an opening located adjacent to the support portion and designed to communicate with the powder receiving opening of a conveying nozzle inserted into the nozzle receiving member. The support part and the hole located next to the support part are configured to alternately intersect the hole for receiving the powder.

According to yet another embodiment, a powder container is provided that is removably attached to the imaging apparatus. The powder container includes a container body including a container mouth at a first end and containing imaging powder; a conveyor located inside the container body for transporting powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body; a nozzle receiving member located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving hole for receiving a powder transport nozzle that is provided in the image forming apparatus, and for guiding the powder transport nozzle into an interior portion of the container body; and a scooping portion projecting into the interior of the container body and having a ridge-like protrusion. The nozzle receiving member includes a shutter for opening and closing the nozzle receiving opening; a support portion configured to support the shutter so that it can be moved; an opening located adjacent to the support portion and designed to communicate with the powder receiving opening of a conveying nozzle inserted into the nozzle receiving member. The comb-shaped protrusion of the scooping part faces the supporting part of the element for receiving the nozzle.

In the toner container disclosed in Patent Document 6, the position of the container neck edge in the longitudinal direction and

the position of the edge of the nozzle insertion member on the side on which the nozzle receiving hole is formed in the longitudinal direction are the same. With this relative arrangement, nothing can prevent the powder leaking from the nozzle receiving hole from spilling when the transport nozzle is removed from the powder container. Therefore, toner spillage may easily occur. According to the invention, the nozzle receiving hole is located on the cylindrical inner lower part of the container neck. Therefore, the edge of the container neck protrudes relative to the edge of the nozzle insertion member in which the nozzle receiving hole is formed in the longitudinal direction. The protruding portion can prevent powder leaked from the nozzle receiving hole from spilling when the conveying nozzle is removed from the powder container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner scattering.

PREFERABLE EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, it is possible to prevent spilled powder from scattering when removing the transport nozzle from the powder container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner replenishment device before the toner container is attached and the toner container; FIG.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a general configuration of a copier in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an imaging unit in a copy machine; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of how a toner container is attached to a toner replenishment device provided in the copier; FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of how the toner container is attached to the container holding portion of the copier; FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective view of a toner container; FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner replenishment device before the toner container is attached and the toner container; FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner replenishment device to which the toner container is attached and the toner container; FIG.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory sectional view of a toner replenishment device to which a toner container is attached and a toner container; FIG.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container with the container front end cover detached; FIG.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container when the nozzle receiving member is detached from the container body; FIG.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner container when the nozzle receiving member is detached from the container body; FIG.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory sectional view of a toner container when the nozzle receiving member is attached to the container body from the state illustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member as viewed from the front end of the container; FIG.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member as viewed from the rear end of the container; FIG.

FIG. 16 is a sectional top view of the nozzle receiving member in the state illustrated in FIG. 13; FIG.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a nozzle receiving member in the state illustrated in FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle receiving member; FIG.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the toner container falls with the rear end facing downward; FIG.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state before the toner container including the second hook-shaped shutter members is installed in the device body; FIG.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the toner container including the second hook-shaped shutter members is installed in the housing; FIG.

Fig. 22 is an explanatory cross-section of the nozzle shutter;

FIG. 23 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle shutter as viewed from the front end of the nozzle; FIG.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle shutter as viewed from the nozzle base end side; FIG.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory cross-section of the area near the conveying nozzle of the toner replenishment device; FIG.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory cross-sectional perspective view of a region near a nozzle opening formed in the conveying nozzle; FIG.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the conveying nozzle when the nozzle shutter is disconnected as viewed from the front end of the nozzle; FIG.

FIG. 28 is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the nozzle opening when the nozzle shutter is disconnected; FIG.

FIG. 29 is a timing chart for a structure that first rotates the toner container and subsequently rotates the conveying screw; FIG.

FIG. 30A is an explanatory front view of a drive force transmitting device that separates the rotational driving torques of the toner container and the conveying screw by using the same drive force source; FIG.

FIG. 30B is an explanatory side section of the drive force transmission device; FIG.

FIG. 31A is a schematic explanatory view illustrating a state in which the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device so that the edge (edge) of the front end hole and the edge of the nozzle receiving member are at the same location in the direction of the rotation axis;

FIG. 31B is a schematic explanatory view illustrating a state in which the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device so that the edge of the nozzle receiving member is positioned on the rear end side of the container relative to the edge of the front end hole; FIG.

FIG. 32 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container in a storage state; FIG.

FIG. 33 is an explanatory sectional view of the area near the front end of the toner container to which the cap is attached; FIG.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory sectional view of a first example of a toner container when the cap is provided with an adsorption material; FIG.

FIG. 35 is an explanatory sectional view of a second example of a toner container when the cap is provided with an adsorption material; FIG.

FIG. 36 is an explanatory sectional view of a third example of a toner container when the cap is provided with an adsorption material; FIG.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory sectional view of a first example of a toner container when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member; FIG.

FIG. 38 is an explanatory sectional view of a second example of a toner container when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member; FIG.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory sectional view of a third example of a toner container when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member; FIG.

FIG. 40 is an explanatory sectional view of a fourth example of a toner container when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member; FIG.

FIG. 41 is an explanatory section view of a fifth example of a toner container when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member; FIG.

FIG. 42 is an explanatory perspective view of a container shutter support member used in a nozzle receiving member that is screwed to the container body; FIG.

FIG. 43 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a front view of the container body in the rotation axis direction; FIG.

FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 9 to explain the configuration in which the shutter side support parts have a bridge function; FIG.

FIG. 45A is a schematic cross-section taken along line E-E in FIG. 9 to explain a configuration in which the jumper function is not performed; FIG.

FIG. 45B is a schematic cross-section taken along line E-E in FIG. 9 to explain the configuration in which the shutter side supporting parts 335a have a bridge function; FIG.

FIG. 46 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of toner remaining in the container and the replenishment speed according to the embodiment and the comparative example; FIG.

FIG. 47A is an explanatory schematic view of a configuration in which scooping ribs are configured as a scooping part, particularly an explanatory perspective view of a nozzle receiving member; FIG.

FIG. 47B is an explanatory section illustrating a state in which the nozzle receiving member illustrated in FIG. 47A is installed in the container body; FIG.

FIG. 47C is a side sectional view of the entire toner container on which the nozzle receiving member illustrated in FIG. 47A is installed; FIG.

FIG. 47D is a perspective view of a container shutter included in the toner container illustrated in FIG. 47C;

FIG. 48A is an explanatory perspective view illustrating a state in which the nozzle receiving member is detached from the container body constituting a toner container according to the fourteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 48B is an enlarged view of the engaging protrusion of the nozzle receiving member; FIG.

FIG. 49 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container and the container mounting part according to the fourteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 50A is a sectional view of a region near the front end of the toner container according to the fourteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 50B is an explanatory enlarged view of the zone η illustrated in FIG. 50A; FIG.

FIG. 51A is an explanatory perspective view of a nozzle receiving member of a toner container according to the sixteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 51B is an explanatory perspective view of a container body constituting a toner container according to the sixteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 52A is an explanatory perspective view of a nozzle receiving member of a toner container according to the seventeenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 52B is an explanatory perspective view of a container body constituting a toner container according to the seventeenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 53A is an explanatory enlarged perspective view of a front end opening of the toner container according to the eighteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 53B is an explanatory enlarged sectional view of a fixing portion of a nozzle receiving member that is provided in the toner container according to the eighteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 53C is an explanatory enlarged perspective view of a region near the front end of the toner container according to the eighteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 54A is an explanatory enlarged perspective view of the front end opening of the toner container according to the nineteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 54B is an explanatory enlarged perspective view of the fixing portion of the nozzle receiving member that is provided in the toner container according to the nineteenth embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 55 is an explanatory perspective view of a connector attached to the toner replenishment device and a front end of the toner container; FIG.

FIG. 56 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container and connector when the identification mark (identification chip) holding structure is disassembled; FIG.

FIG. 57 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container and connector when the identification mark (identification chip) is temporarily attached to the identification mark holder; FIG.

FIG. 58A is a front view of an identification mark as one of the three-view drawings; FIG.

FIG. 58B is a side view of an identification mark as one of the three-view drawings; FIG.

FIG. 58C is a rear view of an identification mark as one of the three-view drawings; FIG.

FIG. 59 is a perspective view illustrating the relative positions of the identification mark, the identification mark holder, and the connector; FIG.

FIG. 60 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the identification mark is engaged with the connector; FIG.

FIGS. 61A and 61B are switching diagrams of an identification tag electrical circuit and a connector electrical circuit; FIGS.

FIG. 62A is a front view of an identification mark held by a connector; FIG.

FIG. 62B is a front view of the identification mark rotated relative to the hole for setting the identification mark in a predetermined position; FIG.

FIG. 63 is a schematic diagram illustrating an identification mark in contact with the probes of the conductivity testing apparatus; FIG.

FIG. 64A is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the front end of the toner container when the position of the receiving hole in the rotation axis direction is the same as the position of the front end hole at the front end of the container; FIG.

FIG. 64B is an explanatory sectional view of a region near the front end of the toner container; FIG.

FIG. 65A is an explanatory perspective view of a nozzle shutter provided with a cylindrical seal; FIG.

FIG. 65B is an explanatory cross-section of a nozzle shutter equipped with a cylindrical seal; FIG. And

FIG. 66 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship of the diameter of the outer surface of the container neck, the inner diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion, and the diameters of the parts including the toner replenishment device portion for mounting the container.

BEST OPTION(S) FOR IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

<First Embodiment>

Below, exemplary embodiments of a copier (hereinafter referred to as copier 500) as an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the copier 500 common to the first to twentieth embodiments. The copier 500 includes a copier body (hereinafter described as a copier 100), a sheet feeding table (hereinafter described as a sheet feeder 200), and a scanner (hereinafter described as a scanner 400) mounted on the copier. -multiplier device 100.

Toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) serving as four powder containers corresponding to respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) are removably attached to the container holding portion 70, provided at the top of the duplicating device 100. An intermediate transfer device 85 is located below the container holding portion 70.

The intermediate transfer device 85 includes an intermediate transfer belt 48, four primary transfer bias rollers 49 (Y, M, C, K), a secondary transfer support roller 82, a plurality of tension rollers, an intermediate transfer device cleaning device (not illustrated), and the like. similar. The intermediate transfer belt 48 is tensioned and supported by a plurality of rollers and moves endlessly in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 simultaneously with the rotation of the secondary transfer support roller 82, which is one of the rollers.

In the duplicating apparatus 100, four image forming units 46 (Y, M, C, K) corresponding to respective colors are arranged sequentially one after another so as to face the intermediate transfer belt 48. Four toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) are respectively located under the four toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K). The toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) supply the toner contained (replenish the powder contained) in the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) to the developing devices (devices that use the powder) blocks 46 (Y, M, C, K) for forming images corresponding to the respective colors.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the copier 100 includes an exposure device 47 serving as latent image generating means under four image forming units 46. The exposure device 47 illuminates the surfaces of the photoreceptors 41 (which will be described later) based on image information obtained for the original image read by the scanner 400 or based on image information input from an external device such as a personal computer, so that electrostatic latent images are formed on the surfaces of the photoreceptors 41. The exposure device 47 of the copier 100 uses a laser scanning system that uses a laser diode. However, exposure means having other configurations, for example having an array of LEDs, can be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the general configuration of the yellow image forming unit 46Y.

The imaging unit 46Y includes a drum-shaped photoreceptor 41Y as a latent image carrier. The imaging unit 46Y also includes a charging roller 44Y as a charging means, a developing device 50Y as a developing means, a photoreceptor cleaning device 42Y, and a neutralizing device (not illustrated), which are arranged around the photoreceptor 41Y. Imaging processes (charging process, exposure process, developing process, transfer process and cleaning process) are performed on the photoreceptor 41Y so that a yellow image is formed on the photoreceptor 41Y.

The remaining three imaging units 46 (M, C, K) have almost the same configurations as the yellow imaging unit 46Y, except that the colors of the toner to be used are different, and images corresponding to the corresponding toner colors are generated in blocks 46 (M, C, K) of image formation. In the following, explanation of the other three image generating units 46 (M, C, K) will be correspondingly omitted, and only the yellow color imaging unit 46Y will be explained.

The photoreceptor 41Y is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 by a drive motor (not illustrated). The surface of the photoreceptor 41Y is uniformly charged at the location opposite the charging roller 44Y (charging process). Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 41Y reaches the irradiation position of the laser light L emitted by the exposure device 47, and an electrostatic latent image for the yellow color is formed by exposure scanning (exposure process). Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor 41Y reaches a position opposite the developing device 50Y, where the electrostatic latent image is developed and an image is formed by the yellow toner (developing process).

The intermediate transfer belt 48 is disposed between the four primary transfer bias rollers 49 (Y, M, C, K) provided in the intermediate transfer device 85 and the photoreceptors 41 (Y, M, C, K) so that contact zones are formed to provide primary transfer. A transfer bias voltage with a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the primary transfer bias voltage rollers 49 (Y, M, C, K).

The surface of the photoreceptor 41Y on which a powder (toner) image is formed by the developing process reaches a primary transfer contact zone opposite the primary transfer bias voltage roller 49Y, the contact zone extending from edge to edge of the intermediate transfer belt 48, and the powder image on photoreceptor 41Y is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 48 in the contact zone providing primary transfer (primary transfer process). At this point, a small amount of untransferred toner remains on the photoreceptor 41Y. The surface of the photoreceptor 41Y from which the powder image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 48 in the primary transfer nip reaches a position opposite the photoreceptor cleaning device 42Y. In this position, the untransferred toner remaining on the photoreceptor 41Y is mechanically collected by the cleaning blade 42a (cleaning process). Finally, the surface of the photoreceptor 41Y reaches a position opposite the neutralizing device (not illustrated), wherein the residual potential on the photoreceptor 41Y is eliminated. This completes the sequence of imaging processes performed on the photoreceptor 41Y.

The above-described image forming processes are also performed in the remaining image forming blocks 46 (M, C, K) in the same manner as in the yellow color image forming block 46Y. Specifically, the exposure device 47 located below the imaging units 46 (M, C, K) emits laser light L based on the image information towards the photoreceptors 41 (M, C, K) of the units 46 (M, C, K) ) image formation. More specifically, the exposure device 47 emits laser light L from the radiation source and irradiates the photoreceptors 41 (M, C, K) with laser light L through a plurality of optical elements while simultaneously scanning the laser light L through a rotating polygonal mirror. Subsequently, the powder images of the respective colors formed on the photoreceptors 41 (M, C, K) through the developing process are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 48.

In this case, the intermediate transfer belt 48 moves in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and sequentially passes through the contact zones that provide the primary transfer and formed by the primary transfer bias voltage rollers 49 (Y, M, C, K). Therefore, powder images of corresponding colors formed on the photoreceptors 41 (Y, M, C, K) are superimposed on each other on the intermediate transfer belt 48 as a primary transfer, so that a color powder image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 48.

The intermediate transfer belt 48, on which a color powder image is formed by superimposing powder images of corresponding colors, reaches a position opposite the secondary transfer roller 89. At this location, the intermediate transfer belt 48 is placed between the secondary transfer support roller 82 and the secondary transfer roller 89 so that a contact zone is formed to provide secondary transfer. The color powder image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 48 is transferred to the recording medium P, such as a sheet of paper, transferred to the location of the secondary transfer nip. At this time, the untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the recording medium P remains on the intermediate transfer tape 48. The intermediate transfer belt 48, which has passed through the secondary transfer nip, reaches the location of the intermediate transfer belt cleaning apparatus (not illustrated), where the untransferred toner remaining on the surface is collected. Thus, the sequence of transfer processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 48 is completed.

The movement of the recording medium P will be explained below.

The recording medium P is transferred to the secondary transfer nip from the feed tray 26 of the sheet feeder 200 located below the duplicator 100 by means of a feed roller 27, a pair of registration rollers 28 and the like. Specifically, a plurality of recording media P are stacked in the feed tray 26. When the feed roller 27 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2, the uppermost recording media P is fed into the gap between two rollers of the registration roller pair 28.

The recording medium P, moved towards the registration roller pair 28, is temporarily stopped at the location of the contact zone between the rollers of the registration roller pair 28, the rotation of which is stopped. The two registration rollers 28 are driven to rotate to move the recording medium P toward the secondary transfer nip according to the timing at which the color powder image on the intermediate transfer belt 48 reaches the secondary transfer nip. Accordingly, a predetermined color image is formed on the recording medium P.

The recording medium P, onto which a color powder image has been transferred in the secondary transfer contact area, is moved to the location of the fixing device 86. In the fixing device 86, the color powder image transferred to the surface of the recording medium P is fixed on the recording medium P by heat and pressure supplied through the fastening tape and the pressure roller. The recording medium P, which has passed through the securing device 86, is discharged out of the device through the gap between the rollers of the pair of output rollers 29. The recording medium P discharged outward from the device via the output roller pair 29 is subsequently stacked as an output image in the stacking section 30 . This completes the sequence of image forming processes in the copier 500.

The configuration and operation of the developing device 50 in the image forming unit 46 will be explained in detail below. Hereinafter, the yellow imaging unit 46Y will be explained by way of example. However, the same applies to the imaging units 46 (M, C, K) for the remaining colors.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the developing device 50Y includes a developing roller 51Y, a doctor blade 52Y, two developer conveying screws 55Y, a toner concentration sensor 56Y and the like. The development roller 51Y faces the photoreceptor 41Y. The doctor blade 52Y is located opposite the developing roller 51Y. Two conveying screws 55Y for transporting the developer are located inside two parts (53Y, 54Y) for accommodating the developer. The developing roller 51Y includes a magnetic roller fixed inside it and a bushing that rotates around the magnetic roller. A two-component developer G formed of a carrier and a toner is stored in the first developer accommodating portion 53Y and the second developer accommodating portion 54Y. The second developer accommodating portion 54Y communicates with the toner downward passage portion 64Y through an opening formed at its top portion. The toner concentration sensor 56Y detects the toner concentration in the developer G stored in the second developer accommodating portion 54Y.

The developer G in the developing device 50 circulates between the first developer accommodating portion 53Y and the second developer accommodating portion 54Y while being mixed by two conveying screws 55Y for conveying the developer. The developer G located in the first developer accommodating portion 53Y is supplied to the bushing surface and transferred to the bushing surface of the developing roller 51Y by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic roller in the developing roller 51Y, while the developer G is moved by one of the transport screws 55Y for transportation. developer. The bushing of the developing roller 51Y rotates in a counterclockwise direction as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3, and the developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y moves on the developing roller 51Y simultaneously with the rotation of the bushing. Here, the toner in the developer G electrostatically adheres to the carrier by charging it to a potential opposite to the polarity of the carrier due to triboelectric charging provided by the carrier in the developer G, and is transferred to the developing roller 51Y along with the carrier, which is attracted by the magnetic field generated by on the development reel 51Y.

The developer G transferred to the developing roller 51Y moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 and reaches the doctor blade portion in which the doctor blade 52Y and the development roller 51Y face each other. The amount of developer G on the developing roller 51Y is adjusted accordingly as it passes through the doctor blade portion, and then the developer G is moved to the developing area opposite the photoreceptor 41Y. In the developing zone, the toner in the developer G adheres to the latent image formed on the photoreceptor 41Y due to the development electric field generated between the development roller 51Y and the photoreceptor 41Y. The developer G remaining on the surface of the developing roller 51Y which has passed through the developing zone reaches the upper portion of the first developer receiving portion 53Y simultaneously with the rotation of the bushing, where the developer G is separated from the developing roller 51Y.

The concentration of toner in the developer G in the developing device 50Y is controlled within specified limits. Specifically, the toner contained in the toner container 32Y is supplied to the second developer accommodating portion 54Y by the toner replenishing device 60Y (which will be described later) in accordance with the amount of toner consumed from the developer G in the developing device 50Y during development.

The toner supplied to the second developer accommodating portion 54Y circulates between the first developer accommodating portion 53Y and the second developer accommodating portion 54Y while stirring and mixing with the developer G through two developer conveying conveying screws 55Y.

The toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) will be explained below.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of how the toner container 32Y is attached to the toner replenishment device 60Y. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of how four toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) are attached to the container holding portion 70. FIG.

The toner contained in the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) attached to the container holding portion 70 provided in the duplicating apparatus 100 is suitably supplied to the developing devices 50 (Y, M, C, K) through the toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) for the respective colors in accordance with the toner consumption in the developing devices 50 (Y, M, C, K) for the respective colors. Here, the toner in the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) is replenished by the toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) provided for the respective colors. The four toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) have almost the same configurations, and the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) have almost the same configurations except that the colors of the toner used for the imaging processes , differ. Therefore, only the toner replenishment device 60Y and the toner container 32Y for the yellow color will be explained below, and the toner replenishment devices 60 (M, C, K) and the toner containers 32 (M, C, K) 32 (M, C, K) for the other three will be explained. colors will be omitted accordingly.

The toner replenishment device 60 (Y, M, C, K) is formed of a container holding portion 70, a conveying nozzle 611 (Y, M, C, K), a conveying screw 614 (Y, M, C, K), a member 64 ( Y, M, C, K) for passing the toner downwards and parts 91 (Y, M, C, K) for driving the container.

When the toner container 32Y moves in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 4 and is attached to the container holding portion 70 of the copier 100, the transport nozzle 611Y of the toner replenishment device 60Y is inserted from the front end side of the toner container 32Y simultaneously with the attaching operation. . Therefore, the toner container 32Y and the transfer nozzle 611Y communicate with each other. The configuration to enable the message to occur simultaneously with the attach operation will be described in detail later.

As an embodiment of the toner container common to the first twentieth embodiments, the toner container 32Y is an approximately cylindrical toner container and includes generally a container front end cover 34Y that is held without rotation by the container holding portion 70, and includes a container body 33Y integral with a container gear 301Y. The container body 33Y is rotatably supported relative to the container front end cover 34Y.

The container holding portion 70 mainly includes a container lid receiving portion 73, a container receiving portion 72, and an insertion hole portion 71. The container cover receiving portion 73 is a portion for holding the container front end cover 34Y provided in the toner container 32Y. The container receiving portion 72 is a portion for holding the container body 33Y, which is the toner container 32Y. The insertion hole portion 71 defines an insertion hole used in the operation of attaching the toner container 32Y. When a housing cover (not illustrated) located on the front side of the copier 500 (the front side in the direction normal to the sheet of FIG. 2) is opened, the insertion hole portion 71 provided in the container holding portion 70 is opened to exposure. The attaching/detaching operation of each of the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) (the attaching/detaching operation with the longitudinal direction of the toner containers 32 considered as the attaching/detaching direction) is performed from the front side of the copier 500 when each of The toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) are oriented so that their longitudinal direction is made parallel to the horizontal direction. The mounting cover 608Y in FIG. 4 is a component of the container lid receiving portion 73 and is a component of the container holding portion 70.

The container receiving portion 72 is formed such that its length in the longitudinal direction is approximately the same as the length of the container body 33Y in the longitudinal direction. The container lid receiving portion 73 is located at the front end of the container receiving portion 72 from the front end of the containers in the longitudinal direction (attaching/detaching direction), and the insertion hole portion 71 is located at one end of the container receiving portion 72 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, simultaneously with the operation of attaching the toner container 32Y, the container front end cover 34Y first passes through the insertion hole portion 71, slides on the container receiving portion 72 for a period of time, and is finally attached to the container lid receiving portion 73.

When the container driving part 91Y including a drive motor, drive gear or the like imparts a rotational driving force to the container gear 301Y provided on the container body 33Y via the container driving gear 601Y, when The container front end cover 34Y is attached to the container lid receiving portion 73, and the container body 33Y is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4. When the container body 33Y rotates, the helical rib 302Y formed with a spiral shape on the inner surface of the container body 33Y causes the toner contained in the container body 33Y to move from left to right in FIG. 4 along the longitudinal direction of the container body. Therefore, the toner is supplied from the container front end cap 34Y side to the inside of the transport nozzle 611Y.

The 614Y conveying screw is located in the 611Y conveying nozzle. When the container driving portion 91Y imparts a rotational driving force to the conveying screw gear 605Y, the conveying screw 614Y rotates and the toner supplied in the conveying nozzle 611Y moves. An end of the conveying nozzle 611Y downstream in the moving direction is connected to the toner downward passage member 64Y, and the toner conveyed by the conveying screw 614Y falls along the toner downward passage member 64Y by gravity and is supplied to the developing device 50Y ( into the second part 54Y to accommodate the developer).

The toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) are replaced with new ones at the end of their service life (when the container is emptied because almost all of the toner contained therein is consumed). The gripping member 303 is located on an end portion of the toner container 32 opposite to the front end cover 34 of the container in the longitudinal direction. When the toner container 32 needs to be replaced, the operator can grasp the gripping member 303 to remove and detach the attached toner container 32.

In some cases, the control device 90 calculates the amount of consumed toner based on the image information used by the exposure device 47 described above, and determines that it is necessary to supply toner to the developing device 50Y. In some cases, the control device 90 detects a decrease in the toner concentration in the developing device 50Y based on the detection result obtained by the toner concentration sensor 56Y. In these cases, the control device 90 causes the container driving portion 91Y to be driven to rotate the container body 33Y constituting the toner container 32Y and the conveying screw 614Y for a predetermined time, thereby ensuring that toner is supplied to the developing device 50Y. Since toner is supplied by rotating the conveying screw 614Y located in the conveying nozzle 611Y, it is possible to accurately calculate the amount of toner supplied from the toner container 32Y by determining the rotation speed of the conveying screw 614Y. If the amount of toner supplied, which has been calculated cumulatively since the time of attaching the toner container 32Y, reaches the amount of toner that was contained in the toner container 32Y at the time of attachment, it is determined that the toner in the toner container 32Y has run out, and an urgent replacement notification is issued. toner container 32Y is displayed on a display (not illustrated) of the copier 500.

In some cases, even when the toner concentration sensor 56Y detects a decrease in the toner concentration and repeats refilling and determining whether the toner concentration has been restored, the toner concentration sensor 56Y cannot detect that the toner concentration has been restored. In this case, it will be determined that the toner in the toner container 32Y has run out, and a notification to urgently replace the toner container 32Y is displayed on a display (not illustrated) of the copier 500.

The toner replenishment device 60Y common to the first twentieth embodiments adjusts the amount of toner supplied to the developing device 50Y in accordance with the rotation speed of the conveying screw 614Y. Therefore, the toner that passes through the transport nozzle 611Y is transferred directly to the developing device 50Y by the toner downward passage member 64Y without adjusting the amount of toner supplied to the developing device 50Y. Even with the toner replenishment device 60Y configured to insert the transport nozzle 611Y into the toner container 32Y as described in this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a temporary toner storage means such as a toner funnel. In this case, the amount of toner supplied to the developing device 50Y can be controlled by adjusting the amount of toner transferred from the toner temporary storage means to the developing device 50Y.

In addition, while the toner replenishment device 60Y according to this embodiment uses a transport screw 614Y to move the toner supplied in the transport nozzle 611Y, the configuration for moving the toner supplied in the transport nozzle 611Y is not limited to the transport screw. It may be possible to apply a moving force by using a means other than a conveying screw, for example, by using a powder pump designed to create a negative pressure in the opening of the conveying nozzle 611Y, as described in Patent Document 6.

In the configuration including the toner temporary storage means, a toner consumption sensor is provided for detecting that the amount of toner stored in the toner temporary storage means has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount. The toner is supplied to the toner temporary storage means by rotating the container body 33Y and the transport screw 614Y for a predetermined time depending on the detection of toner consumption by the toner consumption sensor. When the detection of toner consumption by the toner consumption sensor does not stop even after repeating the above adjustment, it will be determined that the toner in the toner container 32Y has run out, and a notification to urgently replace the toner container 32Y is displayed on the display (not illustrated) of the copier 500. Thus, if Since the fact that the toner in the toner container 32Y has run out is detected based on the detection of toner consumption by the toner consumption sensor, there is no need to cumulatively calculate the amount of toner supplied since the toner container 32Y is attached. However, if the toner temporary storage means is not provided as in the toner replenishment device 60Y according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size of the toner replenishment device 60Y, which makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the copier 500.

The toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) and the toner replenishment devices 60 (Y, M, C, K) common to the first twentieth embodiments will be explained in detail below. As described above, the toner containers 32 (Y, M, C, K) and the toner replenishment device 60 (Y, M, C, K) have almost the same configurations except that the colors of the toner to be used are different. Therefore, in the following explanation, the symbols Y, M, C, K representing toner colors will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container 32 common to the first twentieth embodiments. FIG. 7 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner replenishment device 60 before the toner container 32 is attached and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner replenishment device 60 to which the toner container 32 is attached, and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the toner replenishment device 60 before the toner container 32 is attached and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner replenishment device 60 to which the toner container 32 is attached, and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG.

The toner replenishment device 60 includes a conveying nozzle 611, within which a conveying screw 614 is disposed. The toner replenishing device 60 further includes a nozzle shutter 612. The nozzle shutter 612 closes the nozzle opening 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 in the detached state, that is, before the toner container 32 is attached (in the states shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7), and opens the opening 610 nozzles at the time of attachment, that is, when the toner container 32 is attached (in the states shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9). Meanwhile, a receiving hole 331 into which the transfer nozzle 611 is inserted at the time of attachment is formed at the center of the end surface of the toner container 32, and a container shutter 332 is provided to close the receiving hole 331 at the time of detaching.

The toner container 32 will be explained below.

As described above, the toner container 32 mainly includes a container body 33 and a container front end cover 34. FIG. 10 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container 32 with the container front end cover 34 detached. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the toner container 32 from which the container front end cover 34 is detached includes a container body 33 and a nozzle receiving member 330 that defines a receiving opening 331.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container 32 when the nozzle receiving member 330 is detached from the container body 33. FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner container 32 when the nozzle receiving member 330 is detached from the container body 33. FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner container 32 when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33 from the state illustrated in FIG. 12 (the container front end cover 34 is detached from the toner container 32 in the same manner as FIG. 10).

The container body 33 is shaped approximately like a cylinder and rotates about the central axis of the cylinder as the axis of rotation. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the rotation axis is called the “rotation axis direction,” and one side of the toner container 32 where the receiving hole 331 is formed (the side on which the container front end cap 34 is located) in the rotation axis direction may be called the “front end of the container." The front end of the container is also called the first end. In addition, the other side of the toner container 32 on which the gripping member 303 is located (the side opposite from the front end of the container) may be called the “rear end of the container.” The rear end of the container is also called the second end. The longitudinal direction of the toner container 32 described above is the rotation axis direction, and the rotation axis direction becomes the horizontal direction when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. The rear end of the container, which is the rear end of the container body 33, relative to the container gear 301, has a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the front end of the container, and a helical rib 302 is formed on the inner surface of the rear end of the container. When the container body 33 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 10, due to the action of the spiral rib 302, a moving force is applied to move the toner from one end (the rear end of the container) to the other end (the front end of the container) in the direction of the rotation axis, to There are 33 toner containers in the body.

The scooping portions 304 are formed on the inner wall of the front end of the container body 33. The scooping portions 304 scoop up the toner that has been moved to the front end of the container by the spiral rib 302 simultaneously with the rotation of the container body 33 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 10, simultaneously with the rotation of the container body 33. Each of the scooping portions 304 is formed from a convex 304h and a wall scooping surface 304f. The protrusion 304h protrudes into the container body 33 to form a ridge-like protrusion toward the center of rotation of the container body 33 in a helical manner. The scooping wall surface 304f is an inner wall surface that is a part of the wall surface of the protruding portion extending from the ridge 304h to the inner wall of the container body 33, and which is on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the container. When the wall scooping surface 304f is at the bottom, the wall scooping surface 304f scoops up the toner that has entered the scooping portion 304 by the moving force generated by the spiral rib 302 simultaneously with the rotation of the conveying body 33. Therefore, the toner can be lifted and placed above the inserted one. transport nozzle 611.

As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10, a helical scooping portion fin 304a having a spiral shape is formed on the inner surface of the scooping portion 304 to move toner inside the scooping portion 304 similar to the spiral fin 302.

The container gear 301 is formed at the front end of the container relative to the scooping portion 304 of the container body 33. A gear exposure opening 34a is located in the container front end cover 34 so that a portion of the container gear 301 (the far side in FIG. 6) can be exposed when the container front end cover 34 is attached to the body 33. container. When the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the container gear 301 exposed to the action gear opening 34 is meshed with the container driving gear 601 of the toner replenishment device 60.

The cylindrical container mouth 33a is formed at the front end of the container relative to the container gear 301 provided on the container body 33. The nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 is pressed into the container mouth 33a so that the nozzle receiving member 330 can be fixed to the container body 33. The method of fixing the nozzle receiving member 330 is not limited to pressing. Other methods may be used, including fixation with an adhesive means or fixation with threads.

The toner container 32 is configured such that the nozzle receiving member 330 is fixed to the container mouth 33a provided on the container body 33 after the container body 33 is filled with toner through the opening of the front end opening 305.

A curved lid engaging portion 306 is formed on the container neck 33a and is located adjacent to the container gear 301 provided on the container body 33. The container front end cover 34 is attached to the toner container 32 (container body 33) in the state illustrated in FIG. 10 from the container front end side (lower left side in FIG. 10). Therefore, the container body 33 extends through the container front end cover 34 in the direction of the rotation axis, and the lid hook member 341 located at the front end portion of the container front end cover 34 engages with the curved lid engaging portion 306. The curved lid engaging portion 306 is formed to surround the outer surface of the container mouth 33a, and when engaged with the lid hook member 341, the container body 33 and the container front end cover 34 are rotatably connected to each other.

The container body 33 is molded by a biaxial stretch blow molding method (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). The biaxially stretch blow molding process generally includes two-stage processes including a preform molding process and a biaxially stretch blow molding process. In the preform molding process, a test tube-shaped preform is molded from a resin by injection molding. By injection molding, the container neck 33a, the cap engaging portion 306 and the container gear 301 are formed into the neck of a test tube-shaped preform. In the oriented stretch blow molding process, a preform that is cooled after the preform molding process and separated from the mold is heated and softened, and then subjected to stretch blow molding.

As for the container body 33, the rear end of the container relative to the container gear 301 is molded by an orientation stretch blow molding method. Specifically, the portion in which the scooping portion 304 and the spiral rib 302 are formed and the gripping member 303 are molded by an orientation stretch blow molding method.

In the container body 33, each of the members such as the container gear 301, the container neck 33a, and the cap engaging portion 306 at the front end of the container relative to the container gear 301 remains in the same form as in the preform formed by injection molding; hence they can be molded with high precision. In contrast, the portion in which the scooping portion 304 and the spiral rib 302 are formed and the gripping member 303 are stretch-molded by an oriented stretch blow molding process after injection molding; therefore, the molding accuracy will be lower compared to the accuracy of the molded elements of the preformed workpiece.

The nozzle receiving member 330 attached to the container body 33 will be explained below.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member 330 as viewed from the front end of the container. FIG. 15 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member 330 as viewed from the rear end of the container. FIG. 16 is a sectional top view of the nozzle receiving member 330 when viewed from above in the state illustrated in FIG. 13. FIG. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle receiving member 330 as viewed from the side (rear side of FIG. 13) in the state illustrated in FIG. 13. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle receiving member 330. FIG.

The nozzle receiving member 330 includes a container shutter support member 340, a container shutter 332, a container seal 333, a container shutter spring 336, and a nozzle receiving member locking portion 337. The container shutter support member 340 includes a shutter rear end support portion 335, shutter side support portions 335a, and a nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. The container shutter spring 336 is formed from a coil spring.

The container shutter 332 includes a front end cylindrical portion 332c, a sliding portion 332d, a guide rod 332e, and first shutter hook members 332a. The front end cylindrical portion 332c is a front end portion of the container that can fit into the cylindrical hole (receiving hole 331) of the container seal 333. The sliding portion 332d is a cylindrical portion that is formed at the rear end of the container relative to the front end cylindrical portion 332c. The sliding portion 332d has an outer diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the front end cylindrical portion 332c, and slides on the inner surfaces of the shutter side supporting portions 335a forming a pair. The guide rod 332e is a rod portion that projects from the inside of the front end cylindrical portion 332c toward the rear end of the container and which functions as a guide to prevent buckling of the container shutter spring 336 by inserting the guide rod 332e into the coils of the spring. 336 container flaps. The first hook-shaped shutter members 332a are a pair of hooks that are provided at an end opposite the base in which the guide rod 332e protrudes and is configured to prevent the container shutter 332 from being released from the container shutter support member 340.

As illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the front end of the container shutter spring 336 is adjacent to the inner wall of the front end cylindrical portion 332c, and the rear end of the container shutter spring 336 contacts the wall of the rear end shutter support portion 335. At this time, the container shutter spring 336 is in a compressed state, so that the container shutter 332 receives a bias force acting in the direction from the rear end of the shutter support portion 335 (in the right direction or in the direction of the front end of the container in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17). . However, the first hook-shaped shutter members 332a formed at the rear end of the container shutter 332 engage the outer wall of the rear end shutter support portion 335. Therefore, the container shutter 332 is prevented from moving further in the direction from the shutter rear end support portion 335 than in the state illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. Due to the state of engagement between the first shutter hook members 332a and the shutter rear end support part 335 and the bias force exerted by the container shutter spring 336, it is possible to ensure positional determination of the front end cylindrical portion 332c and the container seal 333, which performs the function of preventing toner leakage. , relative to the container shutter support member 340 in the axial direction. Therefore, it is possible to ensure certain positions during installation of the front end cylindrical portion 332c and the container seal 333, which makes it possible to prevent toner leakage.

The nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is in the form of a tube, the outer diameter and inner diameter of which decrease stepwise towards the rear end of the container. The diameters gradually decrease from the front end of the container to the rear end of the container. Parts with two outer diameters (outer surfaces AA and BB from the front end of the container) are formed on the outer surface, and parts with five inner diameters (inner surfaces CC, DD, EE, FF and GG from the front end of the container) are formed on the inner surface. Boundaries between the outer surfaces AA and BB on the outer surface connected conical surface. Likewise, the boundaries between the fourth inner diameter portion FF and the fifth inner diameter portion GG are connected on the inner surface by a conical surface. The inner diameter portion FF on the inner surface and the conical surface extending thereof correspond to the seal pinch preventive space 337b which will be described later, and the ridge lines of these surfaces correspond to the sides of the cross-section of the pentagon which will be described later.

As illustrated in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18, two lateral shutter support portions 335a, which face each other and which have thin plate shapes obtained by cutting a cylinder in the axial direction, are configured to protrude from the shutter member fixing portion 337. receiving the nozzle towards the rear end of the container. The rear ends of the two shutter side support portions 335a are connected to a shutter support portion 335 that is for the rear end of the shutter and is cup-shaped with a hole open at the center of the bottom. Between the two side shutter support portions 335a, a cylindrical space S1 is formed, which can be recognized by the inner cylindrical surfaces of the side shutter support portions 335a facing each other and the virtual cylindrical surfaces extending from the side shutter support portions 335a. The nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 includes an inner peripheral portion GG that is a fifth portion from the front end as a cylindrical inner surface having an inner diameter that is the same as the diameter of the cylindrical space S1. The sliding portion 332d of the container shutter 332 slides in the cylindrical space S1 and on the cylindrical inner surface GG. The third inner surface EE of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is a virtual cylindrical surface that extends through the longitudinally extending apexes of the nozzle shutter positioning ribs 337a, which are spaced at regular intervals corresponding to 45°. The seal 333 of a container with a quadrangular cross-section of a cylinder (cylindrical tube) (the cross-section shown in cross-section in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17) is positioned to conform to the inner surface EE. The container seal 333 is fixed to the vertical surface connecting the third inner surface EE and the fourth inner surface FF by means of adhesive means or double-sided adhesive tape. The exposed container sealing surface 333 opposite the attachment surface (right side in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17) serves as the inner bottom portion of the cylindrical hole of the cylindrical nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 (container neck).

As illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the seal jamming prevention space 337b (jamming prevention space) is formed so as to correspond to the inner surface FF of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 and the conical surface extending thereof. The seal pinch prevention space 337b is an annular sealed space surrounded by three different components. Specifically, the seal jamming prevention space 337b is an annular space surrounded by an inner surface (the fourth inner surface FF and a conical surface extending thereof) of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, a vertical surface on the attachment side of the container seal 333, and an outer surface extending from the front end cylindrical portion 332c to the sliding portion 332d of the container shutter 332. The cross-section of the annular space (the cross-section illustrated in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17) has the shape of a pentagon. The angle between the inner surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 and the end surface of the container seal 333 and the angle between the outer surface of the container shutter 332 and the end surface of the container seal 333 are 90°.

The functions of the seal pinch prevention space 337b will be described below. When the container shutter 332 moves toward the rear end of the container to close the receiving opening 331, the inner surface of the container seal 333 slides against the front end cylindrical portion 332c. Therefore, the container shutter 332 pulls the inner surface of the container seal 333, and the inner surface of the container seal 333 is elastically deformed to move toward the rear end of the container.

However, if the seal-pinch prevention space 337b were not provided and the vertical surface (container seal attachment surface 333) extending from the third inner surface and the fifth inner surface GG were connected to be perpendicular to each other, a next situation. In particular, the elastically deformable portion of the container seal 333 could be caught between the inner surface of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 sliding on the container shutter 332 and the outer surface of the container shutter 332, resulting in pinching. If the container seal 333 is pinched at the portion where the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 and the container shutter 332 slide against each other, that is, between the front end cylindrical portion 332c and the inner surface GG, the container shutter 332 will be firmly fixed relative to the member locking portion 337 to receive the nozzle so that it becomes impossible to open and close the receiving hole 331.

In contrast, a seal pinch prevention space 337b is formed in the inner region of the nozzle receiving member 330 of this embodiment. The inner diameter of the seal anti-pinch space 337b (the inner diameter of each of the inner surface EE and the conical surface extending thereof) is less than the outer diameter of the container seal 333. Therefore, the entire container seal 333 is unlikely to fit into the space 337b to prevent the seal from being pinched. In addition, the portion (area) of the container seal 333 subject to elastic deformation due to being pulled by the container shutter 332 is limited, and the container seal 333 can recover its original shape under the influence of its own elasticity before the container seal 333 approaches the inner surface of the GG and will be pinched at the inner surface of the GG. With this effect, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the receiving hole 331 cannot be opened and closed due to the locking state between the container shutter 332 and the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337.

As illustrated in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18, a plurality of ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter are formed to extend in a radial direction on the inner surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 in contact with the outer periphery of the seal. 333 containers. As illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, when the container seal 333 is fixed relative to the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, the vertical surface of the container seal 333 at the front end of the container protrudes slightly relative to the front ends of the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter at a given position. position, in the direction of the axis of rotation. As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the nozzle shutter flange 612a provided on the nozzle shutter 612 in the toner replenishment device 60 presses the protruding portion of the container seal 333 by being pressed by the shutter spring 613. for nozzle. The nozzle shutter flange 612a moves further and covers the front end surface of the container seal 333 with the receiving opening 331 facing the side of the container seal 333 that is in contact with the nozzle shutter fins 337a at the front end of the container, resulting in whereby the container will be hermetically sealed from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to seal the area near the transfer nozzle 611 housed in the receiving hole 331 at the time of attachment, which makes it possible to prevent toner leakage.

The rear side of the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface 612f of the nozzle shutter flange 612a, which is pressed by the nozzle shutter spring 613, is adjacent to the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter so that the position of the nozzle shutter 612 is relative to the container 32 for toner in the direction of the rotation axis will be deterministic.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, for example, when the toner container 32 is attached to the body of the toner replenishment device 60, the nozzle shutter 612 as a contact member and the nozzle shutter spring 613 as a biasing member are disposed in the front end hole 305, which is cylindrical internal space. In the following, an explanation will be made of the relationship between the diameter of the outer surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a, the inner diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, and the diameters of the parts including the container mounting portion 615 provided in the toner replenishment device 60 for realizing the above configuration.

FIG. 66 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship of the diameter of the outer surface of the container neck 33a, the inner diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, and the diameters of the parts including the container mounting portion 615 of the toner replenishment device 60. FIG.

As will be described later, the container mounting portion 615 has an inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion that mates with the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 when the toner container 32 is installed. The inner diameter of the inner surface 615a is designated D1. The outer surface diameter of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 is designated d1.

The nozzle shutter 612 provided on the conveying nozzle 611 includes a nozzle shutter flange 612a, and the outer diameter of the nozzle shutter flange 612a is designated D2. The inner diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 from the outer side relative to the container seal 333 in the axial direction (the inner diameter of the inner surface second from the front end of the container) of the inner diameters of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is designated d2, and the outer diameter of the container seal 333 designated d3. The ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter are in contact with the outer surface of the container seal 333 and are located between the outer surface of the container seal 333 and the second from the front end, the inner surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. The outer diameter of the nozzle shutter 612 (the outer diameter of the nozzle shutter tubular portion 612e which will be described later) is designated D3, and the inner diameter of the container seal 333 is designated d2.

When attaching the toner container 32, the transfer nozzle 611 enters the receiving hole 331, and the nozzle hole 610 is closed by the nozzle shutter 612. The nozzle shutter flange 612a comes into contact with the container seal 333 and subsequently presses the container seal 333. Thereafter, the nozzle shutter flange 612a abuts the front ends of the nozzle shutter ribs 337a so that the nozzle hole 610 is opened, and the inside of the toner container 32 and the inside of the transfer nozzle 611 communicate with each other. Here, the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 and the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion are fitted to each other, and the container body 33 is rotatably held in the mating position.

For connecting the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 and the inner surface 615a of the container mounting part in a rotatable fit, the diameter d1 of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32, and the inner diameter D1 of the inner the container mounting portion surfaces 615a are set such that “d1<D1”. In addition, d1 and D1 are set so that the fit tolerance becomes 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. By maintaining a certain ratio “d1<D1”, it is possible to rotate the container body 33 while simultaneously holding it relative to the container mounting portion 615.

The transport nozzle 611 and the nozzle shutter 612 are configured to fit into the receiving hole 331 when the nozzle hole 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 is closed by the nozzle shutter 612. To realize this configuration, the outer diameter D2 of the nozzle shutter flange 612a and the inner diameter d2 of the nozzle receiving member fixing part 337 from the outside relative to the container seal 333 in the axial direction (the inner diameter of the inner surface DD, the second from the front end of the container) from the inner diameters of the fixing the nozzle receiving member portions 337 are set such that “D2<d2”.

To cause the nozzle shutter flange 612a to come into contact with the container seal 333 and press the nozzle shutter flange 612a against the container seal 333, and then the nozzle shutter flange 612 to abut the front ends of the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter in a predetermined position, outer the diameter D2 of the nozzle shutter flange 612a is set such that “D2>d3”. Specifically, the relationship “d3<D2<d2” is specified for the outer diameter D2 of the nozzle shutter flange 612a, the inner diameter d2 of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 on the outer side relative to the container seal 333 in the axial direction of its inner diameters and the outer diameter d3 seals 333 containers.

With the above setting, it becomes possible to locate the nozzle shutter 612 in the front end hole 305 of the toner container 32 (inside the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337). By sliding the container seal 333 and the nozzle shutter flange 612a relative to each other simultaneously with the rotation of the container body 33, damage to the container seal 333 caused by sliding can be prevented. This is because the nozzle shutter flange 612a is in contact with the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter so as not to cause excessive pressing of the container seal 333, and it is possible to reduce the sliding load. In addition, since the nozzle shutter flange 612a is adjacent to the container seal 333 with a moderate load when the container seal 333 is pressed, it is possible to reduce toner scattering that may occur while the toner container 32 is attached.

In addition, the outer diameter D3 of the nozzle shutter 612 and the inner diameter d4 of the container seal 333 in the nozzle receiving member 330 are set such that “d4<D3”. With this sizing, the inner diameter of the container seal 333 increases simultaneously with the insertion of the transport nozzle 611, so that the container seal 333 can suitably mate with the nozzle shutter 612. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from leaking from the toner container 32 to the outside during insertion of the transport nozzle 611.

Taking all the above relationships together, it can be noted that the dimensions of each of the parts of the toner container 32 are set such that the relationship “d4<D3<d3<D2<d2<d1<D1” for the diameters is obtained. At this given ratio, it is possible to provide both a sealing ability to prevent toner from scattering or leaking from the toner container 32 and an accommodation ability to accommodate the nozzle shutter 612 and the nozzle shutter spring 613.

As will be described later, when the toner container 32 is attached, the nozzle hole 610 is opened after the nozzle shutter flange 612a is made to fit against the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter at a predetermined position, and the position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the toner container 32 is fixed. . On the other hand, when the toner container 32 is detached, even after the transfer nozzle 611 starts to move away from the toner container 32, the position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the toner container 32 does not change due to the bias force generated by the nozzle shutter spring 613 when the hole 610 nozzles are open.

When the toner container 32 is pulled/removed, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the transport nozzle 611 changes, so that the position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the transport nozzle 611 also changes. Therefore, the nozzle shutter 612 begins to close the nozzle opening 610. At this time, the distance between the toner container 32 and the container installation portion 615 increases simultaneously with the removal operation of the toner container 32. Therefore, the nozzle shutter spring 613 is stretched to its natural length by its own restoring force, so that the bias force applied to the nozzle shutter 612 is reduced.

When the toner container 32 is pulled out further and the nozzle shutter 612 completely covers the nozzle opening 610, a portion of the nozzle shutter 612 (specifically, the “first inner rib 612b” which will be described later) abuts the portion of the transport nozzle 611. At this butt contact The position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the conveying nozzle 612 is fixed, and the butt contact of the nozzle shutter 612 with the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter is eliminated.

Thereafter, the toner container 32 is pulled out further so that the nozzle shutter 612 is removed from the toner container 32 along with the transport nozzle 611.

When the nozzle shutter flange 612a is in butt contact with the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter, the portion in which the nozzle hole 610 is formed in the conveying nozzle 611 will be completely inside the toner container 32 relative to the neck of the receiving hole 331. Specifically, the nozzle opening will be located at a position opposite the scooping portion 304 when the nozzle opening 331 passes the container gear 301 in the direction of the rotation axis. Since the nozzle opening 610 opens when it is completely inside the toner container 32, it is possible to prevent toner from leaking from the nozzle opening 610 to the outside.

The shutter side supporting portions 335a and the space 335b between the side supporting portions, which is in the form of an opening adjacent the side supporting portion, are formed so that the two shutter side supporting portions 335a facing each other form a cylindrical-shaped member portion, and the other part of the cylindrical shaped element is cut in two parts of the space 335b between the side support parts. With this configuration, it is possible to guide the container shutter 332 to move in the direction of the rotation axis in the cylindrical space S1 formed inside the cylindrical shaped member.

The nozzle receiving member 330 attached to the container body 33 rotates with the container body 33 when the container body 33 rotates. Here, the shutter side supporting parts 335a of the nozzle receiving member 330 rotate around the conveying nozzle 611 of the toner replenishment device 60. Therefore, the shutter side support portions 335a driven by rotation pass through the space immediately above the nozzle opening 610 formed at the top of the conveying nozzle 611. Therefore, even in the case where toner momentarily accumulates above the nozzle opening 610, due to Because the shutter side supporting portions 335a pass through the accumulated toner and reduce the accumulation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the accumulated toner is “collected” in a state at rest and a toner movement failure occurs when the device is resumed. On the other hand, when the shutter side support parts 335a are located on the side of the transport nozzle 611 and the nozzle opening 610 and the space 335b between the side support parts are opposite each other, the toner in the container body 33 is supplied to the transport nozzle 611 as shown by arrow β in FIG. .9.

As illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the shoulder that is provided between the first outer surface AA and the second outer surface BB is formed such that the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 at the rear end side of the container is reduced in the middle in the axial direction. rotation of the outer surface of the fixing part 337 of the nozzle receiving element. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33 is shaped to match the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, and the shoulder is formed so that the inner diameter of the cylindrical container neck 33a decreases from the rear end of the container. The shoulder on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 abuts the shoulder on the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a over the entire area in the circumferential direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the axis of the nozzle receiving member 330 from being tilted relative to the container body 33 (preventing a state in which the central axis of the cylindrical fixing portion 337 of the nozzle receiving member is tilted relative to the central axis of the cylindrical container neck 33a).

<Second Embodiment>

Below, the toner container 32 according to the second embodiment in which the container shutter 332 is modified compared with the toner container 32 according to the first embodiment will be explained.

The toner container 32 can be detached from the copier 500 in the state illustrated in FIG. 6. However, when the toner container 32 is transported by itself or when the user installs it on the main body, there is a possibility that the toner container 32 may fall.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the toner container 32 falls with the rear end facing downward. Arrow δ1 in Fig. 19 shows the direction of the fall.

If the toner container 32 falls down and hits the floor as illustrated in FIG. 19, the inertial force exerted by the container shutter 332 acts in the same direction as the direction of the fall, as shown by arrow δ2 in FIG. 19. The inertial force increases as the impact force due to the fall increases, and if the inertial force exceeds the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336, the container shutter 332 will move in the direction in which the inertial force acts (in the direction of arrow δ2 in FIG. 19). . If in this case, the amount of movement of the container shutter 332 exceeds the thickness of the container seal 333, a gap is momentarily formed between the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333, and the toner may scatter. In addition, if the container body 33 of the toner container 32 is a hollow plastic product formed by blow molding, the impact caused by the impact may be transformed into kinetic energy, and the inertial force may increase.

To reduce the amount of movement of the container shutter 332 caused by the inertial force due to the fall, it is advisable to use a container shutter spring 336 with a larger pressing force. However, if the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 increases, the negative effect described below occurs.

Specifically, if the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 increases, the contact pressure between the container shutter 332 and the transport nozzle 611 increases when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. If the contact pressure increases, the drive torque for driving the toner container 32 to rotate increases. Therefore, the drive motor 603 with a larger output power will be required, and the cost of the drive motor 603 increases. In addition, as the contact pressure increases, the abrasion of the contact surfaces of the container shutter 332 and the transport nozzle 611 increases, resulting in reduced service lives.

In addition, if the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 increases, more force will be required to install the toner container 32 in the toner replenishment device 60, resulting in lower serviceability. In addition, the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 acts in the direction in which the toner container 32 is pushed out of the toner replenishment device 60. Therefore, if the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 increases, there is a risk that the toner container 32 may jump out of the toner replenishment device 60 immediately after the adhesion state between the structural members (engaging the refill device members 609 and the engagement of container parts 339) for connecting the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60.

FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 are explanatory diagrams illustrating a configuration in which the second shutter hook members 332b are provided at a position slightly closer to the container front end side end of the container shutter 332 with respect to the guide rod 332e and the first hook-shaped elements 332a. FIG. 20 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the toner replenishment device 60 before the toner container 32 is attached and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. FIG. 21 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the toner replenishment device 60 to which the toner container 32 is attached and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, the container shutter 332 provided in the toner container 32 is pressed in the direction in which the receiving hole 331 is closed by the container shutter spring 336 (to the left in FIG. 20). The container shutter 332 includes two first shutter hook members 332a and two second shutter hook members 332b as two pairs of hooks configured to prevent the container shutter 332 from jumping off the guide rod 332e at the container rear end side.

The end of the guide rod 332e located on the rear end side of the container is bifurcated to form two cantilever members 332f. The first hook-shaped shutter members 332a and the second hook-shaped shutter members 332b are located on the respective outer surfaces of the cantilever members. As illustrated in FIG. 20, the vertical surface of the shutter rear end support portion 335 is located between the first shutter hook members 332a and the second shutter hook members 332b when the container shutter 332 covers the receiving opening 331. The opening is smaller than the projection area of the first hook members 332a. in the axial direction, formed on the vertical surface of the support portion 335 for the rear end of the shutter. The guide rod 332e is inserted into the container shutter spring 336, and two cantilever members 332f of the guide rod 332e are bent toward the center of the axis of the guide rod 332e to allow the first hook-shaped shutter members 332a to pass through the hole in the vertical surface of the shutter rear end support portion 335. Accordingly, the guide rod 332e will be installed in the container body 33, as illustrated in FIG. 20. The guide rod 332e is molded from a resin such as polystyrene to provide elasticity that allows the cantilever members 332f to flex.

FIG. 20 illustrates a state before the toner container 32 is installed in the main body of the toner replenishment device 60 (not in use), when, for example, the toner container 32 is transported.

When the toner container 32 is installed in the main body of the toner replenishment device 60 in the state illustrated in FIG. 20, the toner container 32 is pushed into the main body, and the front end of the conveying nozzle 611 pushes the container shutter 332 toward the inside of the toner container 32. . At this time, the first hook-shaped shutter members 332a at the end of the guide rod 332e are pushed out from the shutter rear end support portion 335 on the rear end side of the container. Accordingly, the second shutter hook members 332b, which are the second hooks, are inserted into the hole in the vertical surface of the shutter rear end support portion 335.

The hole in the vertical surface is smaller than the projection area of the second shutter hook members 332b, and therefore the second shutter hook members 332b do not pop out when it is in contact with the vertical surface. However, when the user increases the pushing force applied to the toner container 32, the pushing force acts on the contact portion of the second shutter hook members 332b and the vertical surface. Under the pushing force, both the second shutter hook members 332b and the two cantilever members 332f provided on the outer surface are bent toward the center of the axis of the guide rod 332e so that the second shutter hook members 332b extend through the hole in the vertical surface. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 21, the second shutter hook members 332b will be located inside the toner container 32 relative to the shutter rear end support portion 335.

When the container shutter 332 is installed in the toner container 32, the second shutter hook members 332b serve to prevent the container shutter 332 from popping out.

As described above, when the user moves the toner container 32 by itself or installs it in the main body, he may drop the toner container 32. In this case, as explained above with reference to FIG. 19, a force acting in the opening direction of the container shutter 332 may be applied to the container shutter 332 due to the inertial force generated by the container shutter 332. However, if the second hook-shaped shutter members 332b are configured as in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering when the toner container 32 is dropped for the reasons described above. Specifically, when the container shutter 332 is moved in the opening direction, the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336 and the force required to cause the second shutter hook members 332b to pass through the opening (i.e., the force required to bend the two cantilever members 332f), prevent the container shutter 332 from moving in the opening direction. Since the inertial force caused by the impact during the fall does not increase as opposed to the pushing force applied by the user, the second hook-shaped shutter members 332b will remain inserted into the hole in the vertical surface of the shutter rear end support portion 335, and the opening of the container shutter 332 can be prevented. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering when the powder container 32 is dropped.

In the toner container 32 configured as illustrated in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, it is possible to prevent the shutter from moving when the toner container is dropped without increasing the pressing force generated by the container shutter spring 336. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering when dropped without causing a negative effect such as the one described above. In addition, only the second hook-shaped shutter members 332b are added to the container shutter 332 compared with the configuration explained above with reference to, for example, FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, and no additional components are required. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering when dropped, and this is achieved at a low cost.

The configuration of the container front end cover 34 common to the first twentieth embodiments will be explained below with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8.

When attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the container front end cover 34 provided on the toner container 32 slides and moves along the container receiving portion 72 illustrated in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, grooves extending from the insertion hole portion 71 to the container cover receiving portion 73 are respectively formed directly below the four toner containers 32 so that the longitudinal side extends along the axial direction of the container body 33. The slide guides 361 are formed as a pair on both lower sides of the container front end cover 34 to allow the container front end cover 34 to slide and move when the slide guides 361 are inserted into the grooves. More precisely, slide rails project in pairs from both sides of each of the grooves of the container receiving portion 72. Slide grooves 361a parallel to the rotation axis of the container body 33 are formed on the slide guides 361 so that two slide rails are placed between them and so that they cover the slide rails at the top and bottom. In addition, the container front end cover 34 includes container engaging parts 339 that are engaged with the replenishment device engaging members 609 provided on the installation cover 608 at the time of attachment to the toner replenishment device 60.

The container front end cover 34 also includes an identification tag (identification chip) 700 for recording data such as related to the use of the toner container 32. The container front end cover 34 also includes a color indicating rib 34b that prevents the toner container 32 containing a toner of a certain color from being attached to the installation cover 608 of a different color. As described above, since the slide guides 361 are engaged with the slide rails of the container receiving portion 72 at the time of attachment, the position of the container front end cover 34 on the toner replenishment device 60 is deterministic. Therefore, setting the container engaging parts 339 to a predetermined position relative to the refilling device engaging members 609 and setting the identification mark 700 to a predetermined position relative to the connector 800, which will be described later, can be performed smoothly.

The toner replenishment device 60 common to the first twentieth embodiments will be explained below.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the toner replenishment device 60 includes a nozzle holder 607 that secures the transport nozzle 611 to the main body frame 602 of the copier 500. The installation cover 608 is attached to the nozzle holder 607. The toner downward passage member 64, which is positioned to communicate with the inside of the transport nozzle 611 on the side of the lower part of the transport nozzle 611, is attached to the nozzle holder 607.

The toner downward passage member 64 may include a swing spring 640 disposed therein, as in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21.

One end of the swing spring 640 is engaged with the rotation axis of the transport auger 614 and moves in a vertical direction simultaneously with the rotation of the transport screw 614. The swing spring 640 ensures that toner that is stuck or stuck in the area near the inner surface of the toner downward passage member 64 is scraped off. as a tubular element, simultaneously with movement in the vertical direction. To enhance the effect of preventing clogging of the toner downward passage member 64, it is desirable to install a swing spring 640 configured to allow swinging motion to a position closer to the inner surface of the toner downward passage member 64. Since in the configuration of this embodiment, the toner downward passage member 64 is a cylindrical member, a swing spring 640 (a spring with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner wall diameter of the toner downward passage member 64) is used as a swing scraper. However, it is preferable to adjust the shape of the oscillating scraper according to the cross-sectional shape of the toner downward passage member 64, so that when the cross-sectional shape of the toner downward passage member 64 is other than a circle, the shape of the oscillating scraper is adjusted according to the actual shape.

In addition, the container driving portion 91 is attached to the frame 602.

The container driving portion 91 is attached to the frame 602. The container driving portion 91 includes a drive motor 603, a gear 601 for driving the container, and a worm 603a for transmitting a rotational drive force generated by the drive. motor 603 to the axis of rotation of the gear 601 for driving the container. Transmitting the driving force, the gear 604 is fixed relative to the rotation axis of the container driving gear 601 so that it is engaged with the conveying screw gear 605 fixed relative to the rotation axis of the conveying screw 614. With this configuration, it is possible to drive the toner container 32 is rotated by the container driving gear 601 and the container gear 301. In addition, it is possible to drive the conveying screw 614 through the drive force transmitting gear 604 and the conveying screw gear 605 in conjunction with the rotation of the toner container 32.

It is possible to provide a clutch in the drive force transmission path from the drive motor 603 to the container gear 301 or in the drive force transmission path from the drive motor 603 to the conveyor screw gear 605. With the clutch, it is possible to rotate only one of the toner container 32 and the conveying screw 614 simultaneously with the rotation of the drive motor 603.

The transport nozzle 611 of the toner replenishment device 60 will be explained below.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory cross-section of the nozzle shutter 612. FIG. 23 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle shutter 612 as viewed from the side on which the toner container 32 is attached (nozzle front end side). FIG. 24 is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle shutter 612 as viewed from the toner replenishment device 60 (nozzle base end side). FIG. 25 is an explanatory sectional view of a region near the conveying nozzle 611 of the toner replenishment device 60. FIG. FIG. 26 is an explanatory cross-sectional perspective view of the area near the nozzle opening 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611. FIG. 27 is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the transport nozzle 611 when the nozzle shutter 612 is disconnected, as viewed from sides of the front end of the nozzle. FIG. 28 is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the nozzle opening 610 when the nozzle shutter 612 is disconnected. In FIG. 25, FIG. 26 and FIG. 28, the conveying screw 614 located inside the conveying nozzle 611 is omitted.

At the base end of the conveying nozzle 611, a container mounting portion 615 is formed in which the cylindrical container neck 33a is installed when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. The container mounting portion 615 is configured in the form of a cylinder and has a fitting dimension such that its inner surface 615a and the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a can slide relative to each other. With this fit, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the toner container 32 will be deterministic. When the toner container 32 is rotated, the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a functions as a rotating shaft portion, and the container mounting portion 615 functions as a shaft receiving portion. The position at which the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the container mounting portion 615 slidably contact each other and the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 are deterministic, as shown by reference numeral α in FIG. 9.

As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 22, the nozzle shutter 612 includes a nozzle shutter flange 612a and a nozzle shutter tube 612e. The first inner rib 612b is formed on a portion of the upper inner surface of the nozzle shutter tube 612e near the front end of the nozzle. The second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d are formed on the inner surface of the nozzle shutter tube 612e near the base end of the nozzle so that they surround the inner surface.

The length of the first inner rib 612b in the circumferential direction on the inner surface is set such that the first inner rib 612b can correspond to the width of the nozzle opening 610 in the circumferential direction when the nozzle shutter 612 is attached to the conveying nozzle 611.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 25, the end of the nozzle shutter spring 613 at the nozzle base end abuts the end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615. In addition, the end of the nozzle shutter spring 613 at the front end of the nozzle abuts the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface 612f formed on the nozzle shutter flange 612a. At this time, the nozzle shutter spring 613 is in a compressed state, and a bias force is applied to the nozzle shutter 612 in the direction in which the nozzle shutter 612 extends from the front end of the nozzle (to the left in FIG. 25). However, the first inner rib 612b abuts the edge of the nozzle opening 610 at the front end of the nozzle, that is, abuts the upper inner surface of the front end 611a of the transport nozzle 611. Therefore, the nozzle shutter 612 is prevented from moving in the direction in which it exits the transport nozzle 611. in the state illustrated in FIG. 25 or FIG. 26. Due to the butt contact of the first inner rib 612b and the bias force generated by the nozzle shutter spring 613, the position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the conveying nozzle 611 in the rotation axis direction is deterministic.

The front end 612g of the first inner rib, which is the end of the first inner rib 612b in the circumferential direction, is shaped so that it can abut the nozzle opening edge 611s, which is the edge of the nozzle opening 610 in the lateral direction. Specifically, the front end 612g of the first inner rib is shaped to fit against the edge 611s of the nozzle opening while allowing the nozzle shutter 612 to rotate in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 26.

When the toner container 32 rotates, a force that causes rotation in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 26 acts on the nozzle shutter 612, and the outer surface of the nozzle shutter tube 612e comes into contact with the inner surface of the container seal 333 attached to the container. 32 for toner. If, at this time, the nozzle shutter 612 rotates relative to the transport nozzle 611 and the first inner rib 612b is separated from the nozzle opening 610, the following may occur. Specifically, the nozzle shutter 612 may be released from the transport nozzle 611 under the bias force caused by the return of the nozzle shutter spring 613 to its original state when the toner container 32 is detached from the toner replenishment device 60.

In addition, depending on the elasticity of the nozzle shutter 612, the first inner rib 612b, disconnected from the nozzle opening 610, may closely adhere to the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611 and prevent the movement of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the transport nozzle 611. In each case, the nozzle opening 610 remains open when the toner container 32 is detached from the toner replenishment device 60, resulting in toner leakage.

In contrast, in the toner replenishment device 60 according to this embodiment, when the nozzle shutter 612 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 26, the front end 612g of the first inner rib abuts the nozzle opening edge 611s. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nozzle shutter 612 from rotating relative to the conveying nozzle 611 in the state illustrated in FIG. 26.

The inner diameters of the second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d are set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical transport nozzle 611. The second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d, which are molded from a resin/polymer, are elastically deformed so that the shutter 612 for the nozzle can be attached to the transport nozzle 611. Since two fins (612c, 612d) with inner diameters slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the transport nozzle 611 are elastically deformed and come into contact with the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611, the performance can be improved seal between the inner surface of the nozzle shutter 612 and the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from leaking from the gap between the nozzle shutter 612 and the transport nozzle 611.

The toner replenishment device 60 according to this embodiment uses a conical spring as the nozzle shutter spring 613. The conical spring allows at least a portion of the adjacent coils to overlap each other in the fully compressed state, so that the length in the direction of the winding axis in the fully compressed state can be reduced compared to a coil spring having the same spring length. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the space occupied by the nozzle shutter spring 613 in the direction of the rotation axis in a fully compressed state.

The process of attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60 will be explained below.

When the toner container 32 is moved toward the toner replenishment device 60, as shown by arrow Q in FIG. 7 or FIG. 1, the front end 611a of the transport nozzle 611 comes into contact with the front end surface of the container shutter 332. As the toner container 32 moves further toward the toner replenishment device 60, the transport nozzle 611 will press against the front end surface of the container shutter 332. Under the influence of the pressure force acting on the container shutter 332, the container shutter spring 336 is compressed. Accordingly, the container shutter 322 is pressed into the inside (toward the rear end of the container) of the toner container 32 simultaneously with the compression of the spring 336, and the front end of the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the receiving hole 331. At this time, the portion of the nozzle shutter tube 612e at the front end of the nozzle is relatively The nozzle shutter flange 612a provided in the nozzle shutter 612 is also inserted into the receiving hole 331 together with the transport nozzle 611.

As the toner container 32 moves further toward the toner replenishment device 60, a surface opposite to the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface of the nozzle shutter flange 612a comes into contact with the front end surface of the container seal 333. Subsequently, this surface comes into contact with ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter by slightly compressing the container seal 333. Therefore, the position of the nozzle shutter 612 relative to the toner container 32 in the rotation axis direction will be fixed.

As the toner container 32 moves further toward the toner replenishment device 60, the transfer nozzle 611 is inserted further into the interior of the toner container 32. At this time, the nozzle shutter 612 adjacent to the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter is pushed back toward the base end of the conveying nozzle 611. Therefore, the nozzle shutter spring 613 is compressed, and the location at which the nozzle shutter 612 the nozzle is located relative to the transport nozzle 611, "displaced" towards the base end of the nozzle. Due to the relative position shift, the nozzle opening 610 closed by the nozzle shutter 612 is opened to act within the container body 33, and the interior of the container body 33 and the interior of the conveying nozzle 611 communicate with each other.

When the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the receiving hole 331, the force acting in the direction in which the toner container 32 is pushed back relative to the toner replenishment device 60 (in the direction opposite to arrow Q in FIG. 7) is due to the biasing force generated by the compressed spring 336 container flap or nozzle flapper spring 613. However, when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the toner container 32 moves to a position in which the container engaging portions 339 engage the replenishment device engaging members 609 toward the toner replenishing device 60, overcoming the influence of the above efforts. Therefore, the bias force generated by the container shutter spring 336 and the nozzle shutter spring 613 and the engagement state between the container engaging parts 339 and the refilling device engaging members 609 becomes operational/active. Due to the effect of the bias force and the engagement state, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in the rotation axis direction is deterministic in the state illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, each of the container engaging portions 339 includes a guide projection 339a, a guide groove 339b, a boss 339c, and a rectangular engagement hole 339d. Two sets of container engaging parts 339, each including as one set the above components, are located on both sides of the container front end cover 34 symmetrically with respect to a vertical line passing through the receiving opening 331. Guide projections 339a are located on the front vertical surface container front end cover 34 so that they are on a horizontal line passing through the center of the receiving opening 331. The guide projections 339a have inclined surfaces extending to the guide grooves 339b. The inclined surfaces contact the replenishment device engaging members 609 and guide the replenishment device engaging members 609 into the guide grooves 339b while the toner container 32 is attached. The guide grooves 339b are grooves that are pressed into the side surface of the container front end cover 34.

The widths of the guide slots 339b are set to be slightly wider than the replenisher engaging members 609 and are suitably such as to prevent the refill engaging members 609 from coming out of the slots.

The rear ends of the guide grooves 339b do not extend directly to the engagement holes 339d, but end. The height/depth of the guide grooves 339b is the same as the height of the side surface of the container front end cover 34. In particular, between the guide grooves 339b and the engagement holes 339d there are outer surfaces with a width of approximately 1 mm, which correspond to the convexities 339c. The engaging elements 609 of the refill device extend beyond the protrusions 339c and are lowered into the engagement holes 339d. As a result, the toner container 32 and the toner replenishment device 60 will be engaged with each other.

The toner container 32 is configured such that the container shutter 332 is located at the center of a straight line connecting two container engaging portions 339 in a vertical plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. If the container flap 332 is not located on the straight line connecting the two engaging container parts 339, the following may occur. Specifically, the distance from the straight line to the container shutter 332 becomes a lever arm, and a moment of force is generated that causes the toner container 32 to rotate around the straight line due to the bias force acting between the container shutter spring 336 and the nozzle shutter spring 613 at the location flaps 332 containers. Under the influence of this moment, the powder container 32 can be tilted relative to the toner replenishment device 60. In this case, the attachment load acting on the toner container 32 increases, which results in an increase in the load acting on the nozzle receiving member 330 that holds and guides the container shutter 332.

Particularly, if the toner container 32 is new and sufficiently filled with toner, when pushing the toner container 32 from the rear end side so that the protruding transport nozzle 611 is inserted in the horizontal direction, the effect of the torque causes the toner container 32 to rotate due to the weight of the container 32, increased by the weight of the toner. Therefore, a load will be applied to the nozzle receiving member 330 into which the transport nozzle 611 is inserted, and the nozzle receiving member 330 may be damaged or, in the worst case, broken. In contrast, in the toner container 32 according to this embodiment, the container shutter 332 is located on a straight line connecting two engaging parts 339 of the container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner container 32 from tilting relative to the toner replenishment device 60 due to the bias force generated by the container shutter spring 336 and the nozzle shutter spring 613, which acts at the location of the container shutter 332.

As illustrated in FIG. 31B, the circular end surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 does not come into contact with the end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615 when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. The reason for this is as follows. Assume that the circular end surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a comes into contact with the end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615. With this configuration, the circular end surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a may abut the end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615 before the engagement holes 339d provided in the container engaging portions 339 engage with the refilling device engaging members 609 . If the end surfaces abut each other as described above, it will be impossible to move the toner container 32 further towards the toner replenishment device 60, so that precise installation in the rotation axis direction becomes impossible. To prevent such a situation, when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, a small gap is created between the circular end surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615.

When the position in the rotation axis direction is deterministic as described above, the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a is rotatably mated with the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615. Therefore, as described above, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in the direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis is deterministic. Therefore, attachment of the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60 will be completed.

When the toner container 32 is fully attached, when the drive motor 603 is driven, the container body 33 of the toner container 32 and the conveying screw 614 inside the conveying nozzle 611 rotate.

As the container body 33 rotates, the toner contained in the container body 33 is moved to the front end of the container in the container body 33 by the spiral rib 302. The toner that reaches the scooping portion 304 as it moves is scooped to be placed above the nozzle opening 610 by the scooping portion 304 simultaneously with the rotation of the container body 33. The toner scooped up and moved upward to be placed above the nozzle opening 610 falls towards the nozzle opening 610 so that the toner is supplied to the transport nozzle 611. The toner supplied to the transport nozzle 611 is moved by the transport screw 614 and is replenished in the developing device 50 by means of the element 64 to pass the toner down. The flow of toner from the inside of the container body 33 into the toner downward passage member 64 in this case is shown by arrow β in FIG. 9.

<Third Embodiment>

Modification of the timing of driving timing of the toner container 32, etc. will be explained. in accordance with the third embodiment.

In the configurations explained above for the first and second embodiments, the toner container 32 and the conveying screw 614 are driven to rotate simultaneously. However, with respect to the timing of the rotations, it may be noted that it may be possible to rotate only the toner container 32 at the beginning of toner replenishment and then drive the conveying screw 614 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. In addition, it may be possible to stop the toner container 32 at the end of toner replenishment and then stop the conveying screw 614 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. The timing diagram of the coordination of the above rotational driving moments is illustrated in Fig. 29.

In the timing timing configuration illustrated in FIG. 29, when toner replenishment is stopped, rotation of the toner container 32 is stopped before the conveying screw 614 inside the transport nozzle 611 stops rotating. With this timing timing In rotation, the movement carried out by the conveying screw 614 continues in the nozzle opening 610 when the supply of new toner is stopped, and the rotation of the conveying screw 614 subsequently stops after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Therefore, the toner T that remains in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 when the rotation of the toner container 32 is stopped can be transferred to the toner downward passage member 64 by the transport screw 614. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of toner T remaining in the transport nozzle 611 near the nozzle opening 610. Since the amount of toner in the transport nozzle 611 has been reduced by detaching the toner container 32 from the main body of the toner replenishment device, the container seal 333 located in the nozzle receiving member 330 can easily clean the transport nozzle 611. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering and falling. caused by the toner container 32 being attached to the main body/the toner container 32 being detached from the main body.

In addition, in the configuration with the above timing timing, the timing of driving the toner container 32 begins before the rotation of the conveying screw 614 starts when toner replenishment begins. Therefore, it is possible to start rotating the conveying screw 614 after the area near the nozzle hole 610 provided in the conveying nozzle 611 is filled with toner. Therefore, the amount of toner moved per revolution of the conveying screw 614 can become stable from the start of rotation of the conveying screw 614. As a result, the stability of the amount of toner replenishment can be improved.

Thus, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the rotational driving moments of the toner container 32 and the transport screw 614 are different from each other by using independent drive force sources that enable the toner container 32 and the transport screw 614 to be rotated independently.

<Fourth Embodiment>

The fourth embodiment will be explained below, which is a modification in which the same driving force source is used to provide different driving torques for the toner container 32, etc. according to the third embodiment.

A configuration that uses the same drive force source can be realized by using a clutch. By using the same drive force source, a configuration designed to provide different drive torques can be implemented at low cost.

An example of a drive force transmission device designed to provide different rotational drive torques by using the same drive force source is illustrated in FIGS. 30A and 30B. FIG. 30A is a front view of the drive force transmission device. FIG. 30B is an explanatory side section of the drive force transmission device taken along line H-H in FIG. 30A.

The driving force transmission device illustrated in FIGS. 30A and 30B includes a container driving gear 601 attached to a shaft 650 for driving the toner container, and an intermediate gear 653 that is rotatably mounted. relative to the shaft 650 for driving the toner container. The hole 653a on the surface of the gear is formed so that it "follows" half the periphery of the idler gear 653 along the rotation direction of the idler gear 653. The drive pin 652 is attached to the gear 601 for driving the container so that it is inserted into hole 653a on the surface of the gear. As illustrated in FIG. 30A, a delay generating spring 653 is provided, one end of which is attached to the idler gear 653 by a spring locking pin 651a and the other end of which is attached to the drive pin 652.

On the front end surface of the idler gear 653, there is provided a circular spring guide plate 655 that is concentric with the idler gear 653 and which is located on the inner side of the hole 653a on the surface of the gear such that the delay generating spring 651 extends along the outer surface of the circular plate. 655 for spring direction.

In addition, there is provided a conveying auger gear 605 that is fixed relative to the axis of rotation of the conveying auger 614, which is geared with the intermediate gear 653 and which transmits the rotation of the intermediate gear 653 to the conveying auger 614.

In the driving force transmission device illustrated in FIGS. 30A and 30B, when the drive motor (not illustrated) rotates the shaft 650 for driving the toner container in the direction of arrow I in FIG. 30A, the gear 601 for driving the toner container container in motion, rotates. In addition, the drive pin 652, integral with the gear 601 for driving the container, rotates along that hole 653a on the gear surface that is located on the idler gear 653.

If the gear 601 for driving the container is rotated approximately 180° when the drive pin 652 is located at the location shown by the solid line in FIG. 30A, the drive pin 652 abuts the hole 653a on the surface of the gear as shown by the dotted line. in Fig. 30A. When the container-driving gear 601, which is in a butt contact state, is further rotated, the intermediate gear 653 is driven into rotation. Therefore, the conveying auger gear 605 is driven to rotate by the intermediate gear 653, and the conveying auger 614 begins to rotate.

Thus, the time spent moving the drive pin 652 along the hole 653a on the gear surface after the shaft 650 for driving the toner container begins to rotate causes a time delay between the start of rotation of the toner container 32 and the start of rotation. transport screw 614.

In this case, the spring 651 for generating the delay is stretched to a length corresponding to half the perimeter along the outer surface of the circular plate 655 for guiding the spring.

On the other hand, when the drive motor stops driving the shaft 650 for driving the toner container, rotation of the drive pin 652 stops. Here, the force generated by the delay generating spring 651, one end of which is attached to the drive pin 652 and which has been stretched relative to its natural length, acts to cause it to retract to its natural length, so that the idler gear 653 rotates so that the spring locking pin 651a approaches the drive pin 652. Accordingly, the idler gear 653 rotates an amount corresponding to the hole 653a on the gear surface (a length approximately corresponding to the half-perimeter). Therefore, after the toner container 32 stops rotating, the conveying screw 614 can be rotated by an amount corresponding to the rotation of the intermediate gear 653 caused by the spring 651 to generate a delay.

In this case, it is possible to set the desired delay of the driving time by appropriately setting various parameters. Examples of parameters include the number of teeth of the idler gear 653 or the conveying auger gear 605, the range of movement of the drive pin 652 (the limiting dimensions of the hole 653a on the surface of the idler gear), the pitch of the conveying auger 614, and the width nozzle holes 610.

In addition, after the toner container 32 stops rotating, it is desirable to stop the conveying screw 614 after rotating the conveying screw 614 by an amount corresponding to at least the amount of movement corresponding to the longitudinally determined width of the nozzle opening 610 formed in the conveying nozzle 611. Therefore, it becomes possible to move the toner T remaining adjacent to the nozzle opening 610 provided in the transport nozzle 611 toward the toner passing member 64 downward relative to the location opposite the nozzle opening 610. With this movement, scattering and dropping of toner caused by attaching the toner container 32 to the main body/detaching the toner container 32 from the main body can be more reliably prevented.

In addition, after the toner container 32 starts rotating, it is desirable to start rotating the conveying screw 614 after the toner container 32 rotates at least to the amount of movement at which the nozzle hole 610 provided in the conveying nozzle 611 is filled with toner. T. Therefore, the stability of the toner replenishment amount can be further improved.

An explanation will be made of the interlocking portion between the toner container 32 common to the first-to-twentieth embodiments and the container mounting portion 615 and corresponding configurations.

As described above, the location at which the cylindrical container neck 33a and the contact mounting portion 615 slidably contact each other, and the location at which the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 is deterministic are shown at reference numeral α in FIG. .9. The location α in FIG. 9 does not necessarily serve as both the sliding part and the positioning part, but may serve as only one of the sliding part and the positioning part.

The toner container 32 according to this embodiment includes a nozzle receiving member 330, which is located in the neck of the container body 33, and which has a receiving opening 331 and a space 335b between the side support portions. The receiving hole 331 is a portion into which a conveying nozzle 611 having a nozzle hole 610 as a powder receiving hole is inserted. The space 335b between the side support portions is a replenishment hole for supplying powdered toner from the container body 33 to the nozzle hole 610. The toner container 32 also includes a container shutter 332 that rests on the nozzle receiving member 330 and which functions as an opening/closing member for opening and closing the receiving hole 331 by moving in the direction of the rotation axis simultaneously with the insertion of the transfer nozzle 611 into the nozzle receiving member 330 and removing the transport nozzle 611 from the nozzle receiving member 330. With this configuration, the toner container 32 can ensure that the receiving hole 331 is kept closed until the transfer nozzle 611 is inserted, and can ensure that toner does not leak or scatter before the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60 .

When the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the receiving hole 331 and the container shutter 332 pushed by the transport nozzle 611 is moved toward the rear side of the container, the toner accumulated near the space 335b between the side support portions is pushed out. Therefore, an insertion space for the conveying nozzle 611 can be provided adjacent to the space 335b between the side support portions in the area in which the receiving hole 331 is formed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably supply toner from the space 335b between the side support portions to the receiving hole 331.

Thus, the toner container 32 can prevent the toner contained in the container body 33 from leaking or scattering before the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, and can ensure that the toner is reliably released to the outside of the container body 33 when the container 32 for toner is attached to the toner replenishment device 60.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, a receiving hole 331 is formed at the rear end of the container relative to the front end hole 305 located at the front end of the container, that is, at a location at the rear side of the hole formed by the hole 305 on the tube-shaped front end.

64A and 64B are explanatory diagrams of a toner container 32 according to a comparative example in which the location at which the receiving hole 331 is "opened" in the rotation axis direction is the same as the location at which the front end hole 305 is opened. located at the front end of the container. FIG. 64A is an explanatory perspective view of the area near the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. FIG. 64B is an explanatory sectional view of a front end of the toner container 32. FIG.

Similar to the toner container 32 according to the embodiments described above with reference to FIG. until the transport nozzle 611 is inserted, and can ensure that toner is prevented from leaking or scattering before the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. When the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the receiving hole 331 and the container shutter 332 pushed by the transport nozzle 611 is moved toward the rear side of the container, the toner accumulated near the space 335b between the side support portions is pushed out. Therefore, it is possible to reliably release the toner to the outside of the container body 33 when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIGS. 64A and 64B is configured such that the toner contained in the container body 33 is supplied to the nozzle hole 610, which is located in the portion of the transport nozzle 611 inserted into the container body 33. With this configuration, the contact portion which is located between the container seal 333 serving as a sealing member of the container body 33 and the transfer nozzle 611 and in which toner leakage is likely to occur is separated from the nozzle opening 610 through which toner is supplied from the container body 33 to the transport nozzle nozzle 611. Therefore, if the toner replenishment operation is performed when the toner container is completely attached to the toner replenishment device 60, even the toner container 32 of the comparative example illustrated in FIGS. 64A and 64B can prevent leakage of toner in the contact portion between the seal 333 container and a transport nozzle 611, which is separated from the nozzle opening 610.

However, when the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the container body 33, the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611 is in contact with the toner contained in the container body 33. A portion of the contacting toner remains “attached” to the transport nozzle 611 when the transport nozzle 611 is removed from the toner container 32 (when removed from the toner replenishment device 60). Most of the toner "attached" to the transfer nozzle 611 is scraped off by the container seal 333 when the transfer nozzle 611 passes through the contact portion with the container seal 333. However, a small amount of toner may pass through the container seal 333 along with the transport nozzle 611, resulting in toner leakage. The leaked toner may flow around the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32, or may stick to the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615, so that installation failure may occur when the toner container 32 is attached again. for replacement, etc., or aggregation of the attached toner may develop, resulting in an image defect.

In contrast, in the toner container 32 according to the first twentieth embodiments like that illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, the leading edge of the container body 33 projects in the rotation axis direction relative to the vertical surface of the nozzle receiving member 330 where the receiving hole 331 is open. Specifically, in the toner container 32, the location where the receiving hole 331 is "opened" is at the rear end side relative to the container front end hole 305, that is, the location at which the container body 33 is "opened".

Thus, since the location at which the receiving hole 331 is opened is at the rear side relative to the location at which the container body 33 is opened, it is possible to prevent toner from sticking to the outer surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a. This is because even if toner leaks when the transport nozzle 611 is removed from the toner container 32, the leaked toner scattered from the receiving hole 331 is unlikely to flow to the front end of the container formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a. . In addition, toner leaked and dropped from the receiving hole 331 falls on the lower inner surface of the front end hole 305. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from sticking to the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615. Thus, it is possible to retain the toner leaked from the receiving hole 331 within the area surrounded by the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a. As a result, toner can be prevented from spilling out of the toner container.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, according to the first---twentieth embodiments, the container mounting part 615, which functions as both a positioning part and a rotating shaft receiving part of the toner container 32, is separated by gap from the nozzle opening 610 in which toner leakage may occur, as opposed to how the toner container 32 is attached in accordance with the comparative example illustrated in FIGS. 64A and 64B. In addition, the container front end formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a, which serves both as a positioning part and a rotation "axis" of the toner container 32 on the side of the toner container 32, protrudes from the nozzle hole 610, in which toner leakage may occur. . In the space between the container mounting portion 615 and the receiving hole 331, a nozzle shutter flange 612 and a nozzle shutter spring 613 are located. Therefore, even during the attaching/detaching operation, it is possible to prevent toner from escaping and sticking to the inner end surface 615b of the container mounting portion 615 or to the container front end formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a.

A container shutter 332 that seals the receiving hole 331, which is an opening for discharging toner from the toner container 32, is located at the rear side of the front end hole 305 located on the container front end side of the container body 33. With this arrangement, it is possible to ensure a certain distance from the container shutter 332 to the front end of the container in the area of the front end hole 305. Therefore, it is possible to prevent toner from entering the outer surface of the front end hole 305 through the open space of the container body 33 from the receiving hole 331, which is located from the rear side relative to the place where the container body 33 is “open”. As a result, toner scattering can be prevented.

As described above, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis is deterministic due to the fit/mating between the outer surface of the front end hole 305 and the cylindrical inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615. Specifically, the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a in the powder storage container body 33 serves as a positioning portion relative to the toner replenishment device 60, which is a powder transport device. Therefore, if the outer surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a becomes contaminated with powder, the mating state with the inner surface of the container mounting portion 615 may change, and the positioning/installation accuracy may decrease. On the contrary, the toner container 32 according to this embodiment can prevent toner from falling onto the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a, and stable alignment accuracy of the toner container 32 with respect to the toner replenishment device 60 can be ensured.

Moreover, in the portion where contact occurs between the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the inner surface of the container mounting portion 615, they also slide relative to each other when the toner container 32 is rotated. Specifically, the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the powder storage container body 33 serves as a sliding part relative to the toner replenishment device 60, which is a powder transport device. If toner hits the sliding portion, the sliding load increases and the torque on the toner container 32 may increase. On the contrary, the toner container 32 according to this embodiment can prevent toner from falling onto the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and prevent toner from falling onto the contact portion of the inner surface of the container mounting portion 615. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sliding load from increasing and stabilize the sliding characteristics, which makes it possible to prevent the torque on the toner container 32 from increasing. In addition, it is possible to prevent toner from falling onto the sliding portion, so that the toner can be prevented from aggregating when it is pressed in the sliding portion.

In addition, as described above, when attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60, the container seal 333 is pressed by the nozzle shutter flange 612a. Therefore, the nozzle shutter flange 612a is pressed tightly against the container seal 333 so that leakage of toner can be more reliably prevented. By placing the container shutter 332 on the inner side (rear end side of the container) relative to the open space in the longitudinal direction, a cylindrical space is formed between the front end of the toner container 32 and the front end surface of the container seal 333.

The toner container common to the first twentieth embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1 will be explained below with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 31A and 31B.

FIGS. 31A and 31B are explanatory diagrams for comparing a case in which the position of the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 located at the front end side of the container in the rotation axis direction is the same as the position of the edge (edge) 305f of the cylindrical neck 33a. container at the front end of the container, and the case in which the front surface 330f is located on the rear end side of the container relative to the edge 305f. On the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 located at the front end side of the container, the receiving hole 331 is open. FIG. 31A is an explanatory diagram for a case in which the position of the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 is the same as the position of the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a in the rotation axis direction. FIG. 31B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a case in which the location where the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 is located on the rear end side of the container relative to the location of the edge 305f of the container cylindrical neck 33a in the rotation axis direction.

In the toner replenishment device 60 illustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B, before inserting the transport nozzle 611 into the nozzle receiving hole 331 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330, the nozzle shutter 612 is pressed by the nozzle shutter spring 613 in the nozzle insertion direction (to the right in Fig. 31B). Therefore, the nozzle shutter 612 is located adjacent the front end of the transport nozzle 611 and covers the nozzle opening 610. Here, one end of the nozzle shutter spring 613 abuts the rear side of the nozzle shutter flange 612a serving as a positioning portion of the nozzle shutter 612, and the other end of the nozzle shutter spring 613 abuts the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60.

The toner container 32, which is a powder container, is moved in the direction of arrow Q (attachment direction) in FIGS. 31A and 31B to attach it to the toner replenishment device 60 illustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B. At the same time as being attached, the nozzle shutter 612, pressed by the nozzle shutter spring 613 in the direction opposite to the Q direction, abuts the front surface 330f of the front end of the nozzle receiving member 330, where the receiving hole 331 of the nozzle receiving member 330 is open. Thereafter, when the toner container 32 moves further in the Q direction, the nozzle shutter 612 moves in the Q direction relative to the transport nozzle 611 inserted into the toner container 32. Therefore, the nozzle shutter 612 moves to the base end of the transport nozzle 611, and the transport nozzle 611 opens. Then, as illustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B, the nozzle opening 610 is completely opened after the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60.

As the nozzle shutter 612 moves toward the base end of the transport nozzle 611, the nozzle shutter spring 613 is compressed. As illustrated in FIGS. 31A and 31B, the length of the nozzle shutter spring 613 in the rotation axis direction becomes shortest when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60. However, even in this state, the nozzle shutter spring 613 has a certain length in the rotation axis direction. Therefore, an accommodation space (with a length W in the rotation axis direction) is required between the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 and the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60. The accommodation space is a space for accommodating that part of the nozzle shutter 612 that is located at the front end of the container relative to the nozzle shutter flange 612a and for accommodating the nozzle shutter spring 613.

In addition, the nozzle opening 610 must reach a location where toner can be received. The optimal location of the nozzle opening 610 is determined depending on the shape of the container body 33. Therefore, if the shape of the container body 33 is identical in the cases shown in FIGS. 31A and 31B, the distance from the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33 to the optimal location of the nozzle hole 610 in the rotation axis direction is constant.

In the above-described configuration, if the toner container 32 is configured with a configuration similar to that illustrated in FIG. 31A, the following problem may occur. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 31A, the position of the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a at the front end of the container in the rotation axis direction and the position of the front surface 330f of the nozzle receiving member 330 where the receiving hole 331 is open in the rotation axis direction are the same.

Therefore, the distance (L1) from the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60 to the mating portion 615s becomes larger than the length (W) of the housing space determined in the rotation axis direction. Therefore, the size of the toner replenishment device 60 increases.

If the shape of the container body 33 is identical, the distance from the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a to the optimal location of the nozzle opening 610 in the rotation axis direction is constant. In addition, the location of the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a as a reference point for determining the location of the nozzle hole 610 in the rotation axis direction and the location of the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60 are at a distance from each other equal to or greater than the length (W) of the accommodation space length determined in the direction of the axis of rotation. Therefore, the distance (L2) from the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60 to the front end of the transport nozzle 611 increases, so that the size of the toner replenishment device 60 increases.

In addition, the location of the edge 305f of the cylindrical container neck 33a, which is the front end of the toner container 32, and the location of the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60 are at a distance from each other equal to the length W of the housing space defined in the rotation axis direction. Therefore, the distance (L3) from the end surface 615b of the toner replenishment device 60 to one end of the toner container 32 increases, so that the size of the toner replenishment device 60 that holds the toner container 32 increases.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 31B, the front surface (330f in FIGS. 31A and 31B) of the nozzle receiving member 330, where the receiving hole 331 is open, is located on the rear end side of the container relative to the front end of the container formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a. The front surface of the nozzle receiving member 330 where the receiving hole 331 opens is designated 330f in FIGS. 31A and 31B and corresponds to the front surface of the container seal 333 or the front end of the ribs 337a for positioning the nozzle shutter. Therefore, when attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishing device 60, the nozzle shutter flange 612a provided on the nozzle shutter 612 is adjacent to the front surface 330f from the rear end of the container relative to the front end of the container formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a in the axial direction rotation. Therefore, at least a portion of the accommodation space is in the circular space formed between the location at which the front end hole 305 "opens" (between the front end of the container) and the front seal surface 333 of the container. Therefore, the distances L1, L2 and L3 in Fig. 31A and 31B can be made smaller compared to the distances illustrated in Fig. 31A (on La in Fig. 31A).

If the size of the toner replenishment device 60 does not need to be reduced, the container body 33 can be configured with a length greater by La in the rotation axis direction. Therefore, the amount of toner contained in the toner container 32 can be increased.

The nozzle shutter 612 closes the nozzle opening 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 when the toner container 32 is not attached to the toner replenishment device 60. When the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the nozzle shutter 612 must be opened to receive toner.

In the toner replenishment device 60, a cylindrical space (front end hole 305) is formed between the container front end formed by the cylindrical container neck 33a and the end surfaces of the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333 at the front side of the container. The accommodation space is configured such that the entire nozzle shutter 612 or a portion of the nozzle shutter 612 can be accommodated therein when the nozzle shutter 612 is opened. The housing space also accommodates all or part of the nozzle shutter spring 613 for closing the nozzle shutter 612. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the space for accommodating the nozzle shutter 612 and the nozzle shutter spring 613.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the toner container 32 according to this embodiment is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the location where the nozzle shutter 612 is located at the front end of the nozzle relative to the nozzle shutter flange 612a is located inside the container seal 333. . The base end of the nozzle relative to the nozzle shutter flange 612a is located generally in a cylindrical space formed between the location at which the front end hole 305 "opens" (between the front end of the container) and the front surface 330f of the container seal 333. In addition, the nozzle shutter spring 613 is generally located in this cylindrical space in a compressed state.

With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the distance from the point at which the front end hole 305 opens, which is the outermost portion of the toner container 32, to the downward passage area of the toner in the toner replenishment device 60 (to the point at which the toner member 64 the toner downward passage is connected to the transport nozzle 611). Therefore, the size of the main body can be reduced.

As explained above with reference to FIGS. 22 through 28, the first inner rib 612 abuts the leading edge of the nozzle opening 610, that is, abuts the upper inner surface of the leading end 611a of the conveying nozzle 611 while the nozzle shutter 612 is closed. Therefore, a function of preventing detachment of the nozzle shutter 612 can be implemented. In addition, the leading end 612g of the first inner rib 612b, which is the end of the first inner rib 612b in the circumferential direction, abuts the nozzle opening edge 611s, which is the edge of the nozzle opening 610 in the lateral direction. Therefore, the rotation/rotation preventing function of the nozzle shutter 612 can be implemented. The rotation/rotation preventing function of the nozzle shutter 612 can be performed in the same way even when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60.

In addition, as described above, the inner diameters of the second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d are slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the transport nozzle 611. For example, when the outer diameter ϕ of the transport nozzle 611 is 15 mm, it is preferable to set the inner diameters ϕ of the second inner rib 612c and the third internal rib 612d equal to approximately 14.8 mm to 14.9 mm. Thus, the second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d, in the form of cylinders with inner diameters slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the conveying nozzle 611, are formed on the inner surface of the nozzle shutter 612. Therefore, it is possible to fill the gap between the inner surface of the nozzle shutter 612 and the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611. Therefore, it becomes possible to realize the toner isolation function without a seal, so that a seal such as a sponge or a rubber seal is not required. Since there is no need for a seal separate from the nozzle shutter 612, it is possible to prevent toner leakage at a lower cost.

It may be possible to configure a seal ring instead of the second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d as a configuration for preventing toner leakage. However, since the gap between the inner surface of the nozzle shutter 612 and the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611 is extremely small, it is not possible to insert an O-ring. Therefore, if an O-ring were provided, the nozzle shutter O-ring 612h would need to be installed as illustrated in FIGS. 65A and 65B. In this case, the outer diameter of the nozzle shutter seal receiving member 612j is made smaller than the diameter of the nozzle shutter spring 613 so that the nozzle shutter spring 613 can abut against the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface 612f.

To install the nozzle shutter 612 on the transport nozzle 611, the nozzle shutter 612 is temporarily deformed. Therefore, the nozzle shutter 612 must be elastically deformable to a certain extent. This is because if a hard and less resilient material is used, the nozzle shutter 612 may be broken without elastically deforming when installed. The nozzle shutter 612 is made of a material with suitable elasticity. For example, in the case where the outer shape of the conveying nozzle 611 is a cylinder, the nozzle shutter 612 will be formed with a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the conveying nozzle 611. Moreover, the first inner rib 612b is in the form of a protrusion projecting inwardly. , is formed on the inside of the nozzle shutter 612. The first inner rib 612b is arranged to face the nozzle opening 610 formed in the conveying nozzle 611, so that it is possible to realize the function of preventing the nozzle shutter 612 from detaching and rotating. The portion of the conveying nozzle 611 to be engaged with the protrusion of the nozzle shutter 612 is not limited by the nozzle opening 610. As long as the protrusion can function to prevent detachment and rotation/rotation, any part of the transport nozzle 611 can be used.

According to the experiments performed by the inventors of the present invention, it is preferable to select a resin material with a tensile modulus of 500 MPa to 2000 MPa as the material of the nozzle shutter 612. When installing the nozzle shutter 612 on the conveying nozzle 611, three ribs (612b-612d) formed on the inner surface of the nozzle shutter 612 serve as resistance during insertion of the conveying nozzle 611 into the nozzle shutter 612. The resistance increases as the first inner fin 612b enters the nozzle opening 610 at the nozzle front end 611.

In this case, if the nozzle shutter 612 is made of a material with a certain elasticity, the nozzle shutter 612 is deformed and can be easily installed. In addition, the sliding load caused by the conveying nozzle 611 pressing the second inner rib 612c and the third inner rib 612d is not increased, which is an advantage.

In this regard, it should be noted that if the nozzle shutter 612 can be deformed to a very large extent, the detachment and rotation preventing function of the first inner rib 612b is deteriorated.

When polyethylene or polypropylene was selected as a material with a certain elasticity applicable to the nozzle shutter 612, the above-described advantage was stably provided. In addition, it is preferable to set the thickness of the nozzle shutter tube 612e, which is provided in the nozzle shutter 612, to 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

If the nozzle shutter 612 has material properties and shapes similar to those described above, it is possible to reduce the cost of constructing the shutter that opens and closes the nozzle opening 610.

With regard to the toner container 32 in the storage state, the cap 370 common to the first and fourth embodiments will be explained below.

FIG. 32 is an explanatory perspective view of the toner container 32 in a storage state, and the cap 370 is attached to the toner container 32. FIG. The cap 370 serves as a sealing member that seals the opening of the front end opening 305 of the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 33 is an explanatory sectional view of a region near the front end of the toner container 32 to which the cap 370 is attached.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 32 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 is a powder container that contains toner as a powder developer. The cap 370, serving as a sealing member that seals the receiving hole 331 serving as a developer discharge hole, is configured to be attached to the cylindrical container opening 33a provided in the toner container 32. As described above, the cylindrical container neck 33a is a part of the container body 33. As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in the container body 33, a cylindrical container mouth 33a is formed so as to extend through the container front end cover 34, which is necessary for installing the toner container 32 in the device 60 replenish toner. Therefore, it is possible to expose the cylindrical container mouth 33a formed in the container body 33 when it protrudes from the container front end cover 34. Since the cylindrical container mouth 33a, which is part of the container body 33 containing the toner, can be sealed directly by the cap 370, the sealing effect can be enhanced and leakage of toner can be more reliably prevented.

In the toner container 32 common to the first twentieth embodiments, a cap flange 371 is formed on the cap 370. When the cap 370 is attached to the toner container 32, the cap flange 371 covers the identification mark 700 located on the container front end cover 34, as illustrated in FIG. 32. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the identification mark 700 from coming into contact with or subjecting the identification mark 700 to an impact from the outside when storing the toner container 32, thereby protecting the identification mark 700.

Moreover, in the toner container 32 according to the first fourth embodiments, the outer diameter of the cap flange 371 provided in the cap 370 is made larger than the diameters of the container front end cover 34 and the container body 33. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation where the toner container 32 breaks when it is dropped, which makes it possible to protect the toner container 32.

In addition, the cylindrical container mouth 33a, which is part of the container body 33, is sealed directly by the cap 370. Therefore, the sealing effect can be improved compared with the configuration in which the container mouth 33a is sealed by a member (for example, by the front end cap 34 container), separate from the container body 33. In the case of the cylindrical container neck 33a being directly sealed, it is possible to seal the container body 33 hermetically. If the container body 33 can be sealed, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the container body 33. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of packaging materials for packaging the toner container 32.

When the toner container 32 is used (while attached to the toner replenishment device 60), the cap 370 is detached. As a method for attaching the cap 370 to the toner container 32, any method such as a screwing method or a hooking method can be used as long as the cap 370 can be fixed. In this case, a fixing portion of the toner container 32, such as an external thread for the screwing method or an engaging portion for the engaging method, is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a protruding from the container front end cover 34. In the toner container 32 according to embodiments similar to that illustrated in FIG. 33, an external cap screw thread 309 is provided on the outer surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a, and a screwing method is used as a method for fixing the sealing member.

The configuration for sealing the hole formed in the cylindrical container neck 33a is not limited to the configuration in which the cap 370 is attached by a screwing method. It may be possible to seal the opening by pressing a film element onto the front end of the cylindrical container neck 33a.

<Fifth Embodiment>

The fifth embodiment, in which the absorbent (adsorption material) cap 370 is provided, will be explained below.

Below, the toner container 32 in which an absorbent such as a desiccant is used when storing the toner container will be explained. The absorbent serves to adsorb not only moisture, but also various substances (gas or the like). Therefore, the absorbent includes a desiccant. Examples of absorbent include silica gel, alumina and zeolite. However, any substance having adsorption capacity can be used.

When the container body 33 is completely sealed with the cap 370, the entry of air or moisture can be prevented. Consequently, the absorbent becomes unnecessary and the packaging materials also become unnecessary. With this method, it is possible to reduce the amount of packaging materials such as a bag, a damping material or a separate box for packaging the toner container 32 and reduce the package size. As a result, the amount of materials used can be reduced, reducing the burden on the environment.

However, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that the toner powder itself generated gas and cohesion occurred, appearing as a small lump of toner, although no sticking or solidification of the toner occurred. Such cohesion may cause a dot, such as a white dot or a randomly colored dot, to appear, resulting in an abnormal image. Therefore, prevention of cohesion is necessary. If a toner that does not itself generate gas is used, it is possible to omit the absorbent for sealing, as illustrated in FIG. 33. However, since the toner container 32 contains toner which itself produces gas, it is preferable to provide an absorbent that adsorbs the gas.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory sectional view of a first example of the toner container 32 when the cap 370 is provided with the absorbent 372. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34 includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34 is configured such that the absorbent 372 is provided in the cap 370 in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 33. In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34, the absorbent 372 can be separated together with the cap 370 when the cap 370 is detached to use the toner container. Therefore, serviceability can be improved.

However, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 34, the absorbent 372 is exposed to the outside air around the toner container 32. Therefore, packaging material is required.

<Sixth Embodiment>

A second example of a cap 370 provided with an absorbent will be explained below as a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 35 is an explanatory sectional view of a second example of the toner container 32 when the cap 370 is provided with the absorbent 372. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35 includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. In particular, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35 contains toner as a powder developer inside it. The toner container 32 is a powder container in which a cap 370, as a sealing member for sealing the receiving hole 331 serving as a developer discharge hole, can be attached to the cylindrical container neck 33a forming a front end hole to hermetically sealing the inner part of the container body 33. In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35, the absorbent 372 is provided inside a cap 370 that seals the front end hole.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35, the absorbent 372 is provided in the cap 370. Therefore, similar to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34, it is possible to separate the absorbent 372 together with the cap 370 when the cap 370 is detached to use the container for toner so that serviceability can be improved.

In addition, since the toner holding space (the interior of the container body 33) is sealed with the cap 370, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the space in which the toner is stored. In addition, since the absorbent 372 is provided within a sealed space, there is a possibility of adsorption of gas generated by the toner itself. Therefore, the adsorption performance can be improved compared with the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34. In addition, since the toner accommodating space (the interior of the container body 33) is sealed and the absorbent 372 is provided inside the sealed space, neither the toner nor the absorbent 372 is exposed to outside air around the toner container 32. Therefore, no packaging material is required.

<Seventh Embodiment>

A third example of a cap 370 provided with an absorbent will be explained below as a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 36 is an explanatory sectional view of a third example of the toner container 32 when the cap 370 is provided with the absorbent 372. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36 includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36 contains toner as a powder developer inside it. The toner container 32 is a powder container in which a cap 370, as a sealing member for sealing the receiving hole 331 serving as a developer discharge hole, can be attached to the cylindrical container neck 33a forming a front end hole to hermetically sealing the inner part of the container body 33. In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36, the absorbent 372 is provided inside a cap 370 that seals the front end hole. In addition, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36 is configured such that at least a portion of the absorbent 372 is disposed in a recess (in the front end hole 305) at the front end of the toner container 32. The recess at the front end of the toner container 32 is a cylindrical space formed between the front end of the front end hole 305 and the front end of the container seal 333.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36, the absorbent 372 is provided in the cap 370. Therefore, similar to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34 and FIG. 35, it is possible for the absorbent 372 to be separated together with the cap 370 when the cap 370 is detached. to use the toner container so that the serviceability can be improved.

In addition, since similar to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35, the toner holding space (the interior of the container body 33) is completely sealed by the cap 370, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the toner holding space. In addition, since the absorbent 372 is provided within a sealed space, there is a possibility of adsorption of gas generated by the toner itself. Therefore, the adsorption performance can be improved compared with the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 34. In addition, since the toner accommodating space (the interior of the container body 33) is sealed and the absorbent 372 is provided in the sealed space, neither the toner nor the absorbent 372 is exposed to outside air around the toner container 32. Therefore, no packaging material is required.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36 is configured such that at least a portion of the absorbent 372 is disposed in a recess at the front end of the toner container 32. Therefore, in addition to the same advantageous effects as provided by the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 35, it is possible to reduce the length of the cap 370 in the rotation axis direction. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the toner container 32 in the storage state.

In the configuration in which the toner container 32 is sealed by the cap 370, it may be possible to improve the sealing of the connection between the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the toner container 32 and the cap 370 by using a packaging material or the like.

In the configuration in which absorbent 372 is provided in cap 370, absorbent 372 may be integral with cap 370 (may be attached to cap 370) or may be separate from cap 370 (may not be attached to cap 370). However, since in the case where the absorbent 372 is attached to and integral with the cap 370, it becomes possible for the absorbent 372 to be detached together with the cap 370, it is possible to prevent the situation in which the absorbent 372 is left undetached by mistake and improve the serviceability .

A problem associated with a conventional toner container in which it is not possible to seal the toner accommodating space (container body) directly with the sealing member will be explained below.

In recent years, the toner used in imaging devices has improved low temperature fixing ability to a greater extent and has a smaller diameter, so that there is a tendency for the temperature resistance to decrease. Therefore, if, for example, the toner is exposed to a high temperature environment during transportation, the toner will undergo cohesion and harden in the worst case. Therefore, toner cannot be supplied from the toner container to the imaging apparatus. It is known that cohesion and toner curing are much more likely to occur at higher humidity if the ambient temperature is the same. The route of delivery of the toner container to the user during distribution varies, and it is not possible to regulate the environment along all delivery routes. For example, when transportation by land, air and sea is possible, it is difficult to control temperature and humidity along all delivery routes.

As a measure to deal with the above situation, it may be possible to use a container that can provide environmental control during transportation. However, it is practically impossible to use this container on all transportation routes, and there is a problem associated with increased costs. In relation to the above matters, it should be pointed out that since the toner container 32 according to this embodiment can seal ---- directly by the cap 370 of the cylindrical container neck 33a constituting a part of the container body 33 containing the toner, the sealing effect can be improved, and toner leakage can be prevented more reliably. In addition, since the sealing is improved, the likelihood of the toner container 32 being exposed to the external environment when storing the toner container 32 is reduced.

In addition, since attachment of the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60 is made possible by detaching the cap 370 from the toner container 32, it is possible to provide a powder container with good serviceability.

In addition, since the cap 370 has a shape that can protect the identification mark 700 and the toner container 32, it is possible to reduce the amount of damping materials or separate boxes for packaging the toner container 32 and reduce the package size. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of materials to be used and the burden on the environment.

<Eighth Embodiment>

As an eighth embodiment, a first example of a toner container 32 that includes a cap 370 provided with a toner leakage preventing member will be explained below.

After the toner container 32, which is a powder container, is supplied to the user, manipulation of the powder container 32 is generally performed by the user. Therefore, careless handling of the toner container 32 may occur since it is not possible to specifically adjust the handling method of the toner container. Therefore, appropriate measures to withstand vibration or drop are required to prevent toner leakage even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly.

With respect to toner leakage, it should be noted that leakage from the receiving hole 331 must be prevented. To prevent leakage, it is necessary to prevent leakage of toner that may occur when a gap is formed between the container seal 333 defining the receiving opening 331 and the container shutter 332 that covers the receiving opening 331.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory sectional view of a first example of the toner container 32 when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member according to the eighth embodiment. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37 is a powder container that includes a container body 33, a container seal 333, a container shutter 332, and a cap 370, and in which a cylindrical member 373 is attached to the cap 370. The body The 33 container is a powder storage unit that contains toner in powder form. The container seal 333 defines a receiving hole 331 serving as a nozzle receiving hole and formed in a neck at the front end of the container body 33. The container shutter 332 is a member for opening/closing the receiving opening 331. The cap 370 is a member for sealing the front end opening of the container body 33, that is, on the powder discharge side of the opening. The cylindrical member 373 is a toner leakage preventing member.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37, the cylindrical member 373 is made of a material different from that of the cap 370, and the cylindrical member 373 is attached to the cap 370 by an adhesive means or the like. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 37, when the cap 370 is attached, the surface of the cylindrical member 373 on the side opposite to the side that is attached to the cap 370 (on the right side in FIG. 37) is in contact with the located side of the front end of the container with the surface of the container shutter 332. The cylindrical member 373 has a circular shape with a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the container shutter 332 and smaller than the diameter of the outer periphery of the container seal ring 333.

With this configuration, when the cap 370 is attached to the toner container 32, the surface of the cylindrical member 373 simultaneously contacts the container front end surfaces of the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. At this time, the surface of the cylindrical element 373 comes into contact so as to cover the boundary between the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. Therefore, it becomes possible to directly seal the receiving opening 331 and prevent toner from leaking even when a gap is formed between the container seal 333 and the container shutter 332 due to shock caused by vibration or falling. Thus, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37 can prevent toner leakage and can be resistant to vibration or falling. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage.

In addition, as described above, in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37, the cylindrical member 373 is made of a material different from that of the cap 370. Therefore, it is possible to make the cap 370 from a less expensive material such as polystyrene and make a cylindrical element 373 made of a material having high flexibility, such as rubber or sponge. If the cylindrical member 373 is made of a material having high flexibility, then when the cylindrical member 373 comes into contact with the end surfaces at the front end of the container shutter 332 and the container seal 332, the sealing/sealing performance with respect to the contacted members can be improved. Therefore, the cylindrical member 373 can become more effective in preventing toner leakage caused by shock caused by vibration or falling.

In addition, by making the cap 370 from a less expensive material such as polystyrene, different from the material of the cylindrical member 373, it becomes possible to reduce costs while maintaining the toner leakage preventing function performed by the cylindrical member 373.

<Ninth Embodiment>

A second example of a toner container 32 that includes a cap 370 provided with a toner leakage preventing member will be explained below as a ninth embodiment.

FIG. 38 is an explanatory sectional view of a second example of the toner container 32 when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38 is a powder container that includes a container body 33, a container seal 333, a container shutter 332, and a cap 370, and in which a cylindrical portion 374 is integral with the cap 370 The cylindrical portion 374 is a member for preventing toner leakage.

When the cap 370 is attached, in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38, the cylindrical portion 374 comes into contact with the container shutter 332. In this case, the surface of the cylindrical portion 374 protruding from the cap 370 in the direction of the rotation axis (on the right side in FIG. 38) is in contact with the end surface of the container shutter 332 located on the front side of the container (on the left side in FIG. 38). The surface of the cylindrical portion 374 has a circular shape with a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the container shutter 332 and smaller than the diameter of the outer periphery of the container seal ring 333.

With this configuration, when the cap 370 is attached to the toner container 32, the surface of the cylindrical portion 374 simultaneously contacts the container front end surfaces of the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. At this time, the surface of the cylindrical portion 374 comes into contact so as to cover the boundary between the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. Therefore, it becomes possible to directly seal the receiving opening 331 and prevent toner from leaking even when a gap is formed between the container seal 333 and the container shutter 332 due to shock caused by vibration or falling. Thus, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38 can prevent toner leakage and can be resistant to vibration or falling. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage. In addition, since the cylindrical portion 374 can be formed as an integral part of the cap 370 (molded in one piece), it is possible to reduce costs.

<Tenth Embodiment>

A third example of a toner container 32 that includes a cap 370 provided with a toner leakage preventing member will be explained below as a tenth embodiment.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory sectional view of a third example of the toner container 32 when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 39 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 39 is a powder container that includes a container body 33, a container seal 333, a container shutter 332, and a cap 370, and in which a cylindrical portion 374 is integral with the cap 370 In addition, in the powder container, a front end elastic member 375 is provided on an end surface of the cylindrical portion 374 in contact with the receiving hole 331. The front end elastic member 375 is made of a material having high flexibility such as rubber or sponge.

When the cap 370 is attached, in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 39, the front end elastic member 375 on the cylindrical portion 374 comes into contact with the container front end side end surface of the container shutter 332 (on the left side in FIG. 39). The cylindrical portion 374 is part of and integral with the cap 370, and the front end elastic member 375 is provided on the surface of the cylindrical portion 374 protruding from the cap 370 in the direction of the rotation axis (on the right side in FIG. 39). The front end elastic member 375 has a circular shape with a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the container shutter 332 and smaller than the diameter of the outer periphery of the container seal ring 333.

With this configuration, when the cap 370 is attached to the toner container 32, the circular surface of the front end cylindrical member 375 simultaneously contacts the container front end surfaces of the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. At this time, the circular surface of the front end elastic member 375 comes into contact so as to cover the boundary between the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. Therefore, it becomes possible to directly seal the receiving opening 331 and prevent toner from leaking even when a gap is formed between the container seal 333 and the container shutter 332 due to shock caused by vibration or falling. Thus, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 39 can prevent toner leakage and can be resistant to vibration or falling. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage from occurring. Particularly, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 39, the front end elastic member 375 is provided on the cylindrical portion 374 of the cap 370. Therefore, when the front end elastic member 375 comes into contact with the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333, it is possible to improve the sealing performance/ sealing of these components compared to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38. Therefore, it is possible to further enhance the advantageous effect of preventing toner leakage caused by shock caused by vibration or falling.

<Eleventh Embodiment>

A fourth example of the toner container 32, which includes a cap 370 provided with a toner leakage preventing member, will be explained below as the eleventh embodiment.

FIG. 40 is an explanatory sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the toner container 32 when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 40 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 40 is a powder container that includes a container body 33, a container seal 333, a container shutter 332, and a cap 370, and in which a cylindrical portion 374 is provided on the cap 370. In addition, Moreover, the absorbent 372 is located inside the cylindrical portion 374 so that it is open to the outside, that is, so that it is exposed to outside air.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 40 is configured by adding an absorbent 372 to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38. Therefore, similar to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38, the advantageous effect of providing resistance to vibration or drop can be obtained. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage. In addition, since the cylindrical portion 374 can be part of the cap 370 and be integral with the cap 370 (can be molded in one piece), it is possible to reduce costs.

In addition, since the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 40 is provided with the absorbent 372, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the toner container 32. In addition, since the absorbent 372 is provided in the cylindrical portion 374 formed on the cap 370, it is possible for the absorbent 372 to be detached together with the cap 370 when the cap 370 is detached to use the toner container. Therefore, serviceability can be improved.

However, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 40, the absorbent 372 is exposed to outside air around the toner container 32. Since the absorbent 372 is provided to adsorb moisture around the toner container 32, it is necessary to use a packaging material such as a storage bag.

In a normal situation, it is sufficient to provide a cap 370. However, if the cap 370 does not have a sealing ability (if it is used to reduce impact or the like), providing a cylindrical portion 374 and an adsorption material 372 like those illustrated in FIG. 40 is effective.

<Twelfth Embodiment>

A fifth example of a toner container 32 that includes a cap 370 provided with a toner leakage preventing member will be explained below as a twelfth embodiment.

FIG. 41 is an explanatory sectional view of a fifth example of the toner container 32 when the cap is provided with a toner leakage preventing member. The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41 is a powder container that includes a container body 33, a container seal 333, a container shutter 332, and a cap 370, and in which a cylindrical portion 374 is provided on the cap 370. The cap 370 may be attached to the cylindrical container neck 33a defining the front end opening so as to seal the interior of the container body 33. In addition, the absorbent 372 is located inside the cylindrical portion 374 to adsorb the adsorbable “object” into the space sealed by the cap 370.

In addition, since in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41, the absorbent 372 adsorbs gas or the like generated by the toner itself, the adsorption hole 374a as an open portion is located on the side of the cylindrical portion 374. Accordingly, the space is hermetically sealed cap 370 and the space in which the adsorption hole 374a is located may communicate with each other.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41 is configured by covering the container front end end surface of the cylindrical portion 374 of the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38 and providing an absorbent 372 on the end surface. Therefore, similar to the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 38, the advantageous effect of providing resistance to vibration or drop can be obtained. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage.

In addition, since the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41 includes an absorbent 372, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the toner container 32. In addition, since the absorbent 372 is located in the cylindrical portion 374 formed on the cap 370, it is possible for the absorbent 372 to be detached together with the cap 370 when the cap 370 is detached to use the toner container. Therefore, serviceability can be improved.

Since in the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 41, the toner holding space (the interior of the container body 33) is completely sealed by the cap 370, it is possible to prevent air or moisture from entering the toner holding space. In addition, since the space sealed by the cap 370 and the space in which the adsorption hole 374a is located communicate with each other, it is possible for gas generated by the toner itself to be adsorbed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the adsorption performance compared with the configuration illustrated in FIG. 40. In addition, since the toner accommodating space (the interior of the container body 33) is sealed and the absorbent 372 is located in the sealed space, neither the toner nor the absorbent 372 is affected by the outside air around the toner container 32. Therefore, no packaging material is required.

For the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 40 and FIG. 41, it is explained that the absorbent 372 is provided in the cylindrical portion 374, which is integral with the cap 370. However, as an element for preventing toner leakage in the case where the absorbent is provided 372, as illustrated in FIG. 37, a cylindrical member 373 separate from the cap 370 may be used.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37 to FIG. 41, a screwing method is used as a method of attaching the cap 370 serving as a sealing member. However, as a method for attaching the cap 370 to the toner container 32, any method such as a screwing method or an engagement method can be used, provided that attachment can be achieved in a similar manner to the configuration explained above with reference to FIG. 33.

In the toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 37 to FIG. 41 (in the eighth to twelfth embodiments), the cylindrical member 373, the cylindrical portion 374, or the front end elastic member 375 presses the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333. Therefore, the toner container 32 becomes resistant to shock caused by vibration or falling. Therefore, even if the toner container 32 is handled carelessly during transportation or the like, it is possible to prevent toner leakage.

In addition, since the cylindrical member 373, the cylindrical portion 374, or the front end elastic member 375 presses the container shutter 332 and the container seal 333 even when the toner container 32 is vibrated or dropped, the movement of the container shutter 332 can be adjusted. In addition, since contact with the container seal 333 is maintained to compress it, a gap is not generated. Therefore, toner leakage is unlikely to occur.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 36 of FIG. 41 (seventh to twelfth embodiments) is a structure according to the invention for using the space between the end of the container cylindrical neck 33a and the receiving hole 331. This space is originally provided for the implementation of the invention related by placing the nozzle shutter 612 and the nozzle shutter spring 613 in a state of tight contact when the toner container is attached to the toner replenishment device 60 to prevent toner from scattering and to reduce the size. Therefore, a feature of the invention described in connection with FIG. 36 to FIG. 41 is the use of the same space in the engaged state between the toner container 32 and the cap 370 when the toner container 32 is stored by itself.

<Thirteenth Embodiment>

An explanation will be given of screwing the nozzle receiving member 330 to the container body 33.

The toner container 32 of the first twelfth embodiments explained above with reference to Fig. 11, etc. is configured such that the container body 33 is filled with toner through the opening of the container cylindrical neck 33a, and thereafter the nozzle receiving member 330 is press-fitted into the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33.

Therefore, if the nozzle receiving member 330 is detached from the container body 33 by releasing the press fit and the container body 33 is filled with toner again, all of the members can be reused. In addition, by detaching the nozzle receiving member 330 from the container body 33, the components can be easily disassembled and sorted, allowing materials to be recycled.

An example configuration for fixing the nozzle receiving member 330 to the container body 33 by screwing will be explained below.

FIG. 42 is an explanatory perspective view of the container shutter support member 340 used in the nozzle receiving member 330, which is attached to the container body 33 by screwing. In the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42, an external thread 337c is formed on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. A male thread groove (not illustrated) for threaded connection with the male thread 337c is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33, which is a toner container 32 in which the container shutter support member 340 is used, illustrated in Fig.42.

In the nozzle receiving member 330 that uses the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42, screwing to the container body 33 is performed when the container seal 333 and the container shutter 332 are held by the container shutter support member 340. The toner container 32 including the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42 has the same configuration as the toner container 32 explained above with reference to FIG. 11, etc., except that that the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33 by screwing.

In the toner container 32 explained above with reference to FIG. 11, etc., the hole of the container cylindrical neck 33a for filling with toner is closed by a press fit/press fit nozzle receiving member 330. Therefore, in some cases, it is difficult to detach the nozzle receiving member 330 from the container body 33 after use, and reuse may be difficult. Recycling here includes refilling, in which the toner container 32 is refilled with toner for reuse, and material recycling, in which the toner container 32 is disassembled and the materials are sorted.

To solve the above problem, in the toner container 32 that uses the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42, the nozzle receiving member 330 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 42 when the toner container 32 is fixed. Alternatively, the toner container 32 is rotated in a direction opposite to that of arrow A in FIG. 42 when the nozzle receiving member 330 is fixed. By rotating, the threaded connection between the nozzle receiving member 330 and the container body 33 is eliminated, and the nozzle receiving member 330 can be easily detached from the container body 33 after use. Therefore, the nozzle receiving member 330, which covers the toner filling hole of the container cylindrical neck 33a, can be easily detached from the container body. Therefore, when using a toner container 32 that uses the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42, it is possible to easily perform refilling, so that the toner container 32 is refilled with toner to be reused after use.

In addition, the nozzle receiving member 330 includes a container shutter support member 340, a container shutter 332, a container seal 333, a container shutter spring 336, and the like. The container shutter support member 340 and the container shutter 332 are made of a resin material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polystyrene (PS), or polyoxymethylene (POM). In addition, the container seal 333 is made of sponge or the like, and the container shutter spring 336 is made of SW-C (hard steel wire), SWP-A (piano wire), SUS304 (stainless steel spring wire) or the like. similar. Thus, the nozzle receiving member 330 is made of different materials. Therefore, since the nozzle receiving member 330 can be easily detached from the container body 33 made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like, it is possible to easily perform material recycling in which the toner container 32 is disassembled and the materials are sorted.

Moreover, this embodiment includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, in the toner container 32 according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, the spiral rib 302 is formed with a spiral direction such that on the right side of the container body 33, as viewed from the front end of the container, the spiral rib 302 is angled such that the upper end is positioned toward the front end of the container relative to the lower end. Therefore, when the container body 33 is rotated so that the right side of the container body 33 as viewed from the front end of the container moves from top to bottom (rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6), the toner contained in the container body 33 can be moved to the front end of the container.

The nozzle receiving member 330 rotates in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6 together with the container body 33. However, since the container seal 333 slides relative to the transport nozzle 611, the frictional force generated between the container seal 333 and the transport nozzle 611 acts in a direction such that it resists rotation. Below, a case in which the direction of the helix of the male thread 337c is different from the direction illustrated in FIG. 42 will be explained. In this case, the direction of the helix of the male thread 337c becomes the same as the direction of the helical rib 302. That is, the helix of the male thread 337c on the right side of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 will be inclined such that the upper end is on that side relative to bottom end as viewed from the front end of the container (right-hand thread direction). Thus, if the direction of the helix of the male thread 337c is different from the direction illustrated in FIG. 42, the rotation/rotation direction of the container body 33 (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6) corresponds to the direction of unscrewing from the container body.

On the contrary, in the toner container 32 that uses the container shutter support member 340 illustrated in FIG. 42, the helix direction of the male thread 337c is opposite to the helix direction of the helical rib 302. Specifically, in the toner container 32 according to the embodiment In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 42, the male thread 337c is formed such that the nozzle receiving member 330 becomes a left-hand thread screw. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which rotation of the container body 33 in the direction of arrow A causes the threaded connection between the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 to be removed.

The structures of the invention related to the relationship between the wall scooping surface 304f and the shutter rear end support portion 335 in the container body 33 will be explained below.

First, the problem is explained below. When the toner container 33 is sufficiently filled with toner, immediately after the toner container 32 is attached to, for example, the toner replenishment device 60, the toner is continuously supplied into the nozzle hole 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 as if the toner is flowing. Therefore, by rotating the shutter side supporting parts 335a so that they intersect the area above the nozzle opening 610 to reduce excess toner flow, and by adjusting the rotation amount of the conveying screw 614 through intermittent operation, it is possible to ensure that the developing device 50 is refilled with a predetermined amount of toner.

Meanwhile, if the amount of toner in the container body 33 decreases over time due to use, the ratio of the amount of toner that escapes from the gap between the rotation axis-side end of the scooping portion 304 and the conveying nozzle 611 and the amount of toner that escapes from the scooping portion 304 into the nozzle hole 610, increases. Therefore, the amount of toner supplied to the developing device 50 upon replenishment is reduced. If the amount of toner supplied to the developing device 50 upon replenishment decreases, the concentration of toner in the developer G in the developing device 50 becomes unstable. To top it all off, the imaging apparatus may signal that the toner has run out and it becomes necessary to replace the toner container 32 even though a large amount of toner still remains in the toner container. Under this condition, the amount of toner remaining in the toner container 32 at the time of replacement becomes large, which is a problem.

FIG. 43 is an explanatory front view of the container body 33 to which the nozzle receiving member 330 configured in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis is attached at a location in the rotation axis direction that corresponds to the location of the scooping portion 304.

This embodiment includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 43, in the toner container 32, the outer surfaces of the side shutter support portions 335a face the surface of the inner wall of the container body 33 on that side of the scooping portion 304 which is located upstream in the rotation direction A of the container body 33a. when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33. More precisely, the outer surface of the side shutter support portion 335a faces the upstream side of the container inner wall surface, which is divided by the bulge 304h, which is a ridge-like protrusion of the protruding portion projecting inwardly in the container body 33, to the upstream side. , and the side located downstream. With this configuration, the scooping wall surface 304f, which is the inner wall surface located downstream in the rotation direction A of the inner wall surfaces separated by the convex 304h of the container body 33, can be positioned above the space 335b between the side supporting parts when the container body 33 rotates. . The nozzle opening 610 is always open in an upward direction. Therefore, when the scooping portion 304 is positioned on the upper side when the toner container 32 is rotated, the toner scooped by the scooping portion 304 can pass through the space 335b between the side support portions and can be supplied to the nozzle opening 610.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 43, a downstream chamfered surface 335c, which is a chamfered surface of the shutter side support portion 335a located downstream in the rotation direction, is located adjacent to a convexity 304h that projects toward axis of rotation of the housing 33 containers. Therefore, the toner that has passed along the scooping wall surface 304f hits the downstream beveled surface 335c and is discarded, and is therefore supplied to the nozzle opening 610. In other words, the downstream beveled surface 335c functions as a bridge for passage of toner obtained from the scooping wall surface 304f into the nozzle opening 610.

The bridge function performed by the shutter side support portions 335a common to the first twentieth embodiments will be explained below. FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating the relationship between the scooping portion 304 and the receiving opening 331 of the toner container 32 common to the first twentieth embodiments. FIG. 44 is an explanatory cross-section of the container body 33 taken along line E-E in FIG. 9, particularly taken at the end surface of the supporting portion of the conveying screw 614 at the front end of the conveying nozzle 611 in FIG. 9. FIGS. 45A and 45B are functional schematic cross-sections taken along line EE. In particular, FIG. 45A is a functional diagram of a comparative example for explaining a configuration in which the shutter side supporting parts 335a do not function as a bridge. FIG. 45B is a functional schematic diagram of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 44 in which the shutter side support portions 335a function as a bridge.

First, the problem is explained below. As described in Patent Document 6, when the amount of toner moved in the transport nozzle is adjustable and if the corresponding toner is provided adjacent to the opening of the transport nozzle, it is possible to move the toner steadily. However, if the amount of toner in the toner container decreases, in some cases the amount of toner transported may decrease and the toner cannot be moved steadily. This is because although it is possible to move the toner to the area near the hole by the spiral fin located inside the toner container, the toner "slips" before it reaches the hole formed in the transport nozzle, so that the amount of toner , which enters the transport nozzle, decreases. If the amount of toner transported decreases and the toner cannot be transported stably, the concentration of toner in the developer in the developing device becomes unstable. Therefore, and as explained above with reference to FIG. 43, it becomes necessary to replace the toner container. In this state, a large amount of toner remains in the container body, so that the amount of toner remaining in the toner container at the time of replacement becomes large.

In FIG. 9, the transport nozzle (transport tube) 611 is inserted into the nozzle receiving member 330 (nozzle insertion member) in the container body 33. The nozzle hole 610 (powder receiving hole) formed in the transport nozzle 611 inserted into the nozzle receiving member 330 is open so that the toner can be transferred to the toner replenishment device.

A portion of the scooping portion 304 covers the nozzle opening 610 in the longitudinal direction of the toner container 32, and some other portion of the scooping portion 304 is the surface of the inner wall of the container body 33 on the rear end side of the container relative to the nozzle opening 610. Specifically, the scooping portion 304 is formed from a convexity 304h that corresponds to a ridge-like protrusion of a protruding portion that is an inner wall of the container body 33 projecting toward the interior of the container body 33 and a wall scooping surface 304f that is a wall surface located below along the direction of rotation of the container, from the surfaces of the inner wall separated by a ridge-like protrusion (see Fig. 44).

As illustrated in FIG. 44, the ridge of the bulge 304h has the shape of a mountain with gentle slopes obtained by blow molding used to form the container body 33. In Fig.9, etc. the convex 304h is illustrated as a curve for convenience so that it can be distinguished from the scooping wall surface 304f. The scooping portion 304 is an area shown as a lattice in FIG. 9 and is formed of two inclined surfaces that connect the convex 304h and the inner cylindrical surface of the container body 33 to provide central symmetry with respect to the rotation axis of the container body 33. In cross-section along line E-E, the wall surface located upstream in the direction of rotation of the container of the inner wall surfaces separated by a ridge-like protrusion extends approximately in the same direction as the cut direction corresponding to section E-E. Consequently, the wall surface appears "thick" in FIG. 44, as illustrated by the two shaded areas on the cylindrical configuration of the container body 33. The 304h bulge is made in the part that looks thick.

In FIG. 44, the tube-shaped transport nozzle 611 has a nozzle opening 610 that exposes the top of the transport nozzle. The shutter side support portions 335a in a pair attached to the container body 33 are provided between the conveying nozzle 611 and the bulge 304h. The shutter side supporting parts 335a rotate with the wall scooping surface 304f simultaneously with the rotation of the container body 33. In a cross section along line E-E (at the end surface of the support portion of the conveying screw 614 at the front end of the conveying nozzle 611), the convex 304h and the side shutter supporting portions 335a face each other. In this state, the scooping surface 304f of the downstream walls, the beveled surfaces 335c of the shutter side supporting parts 335a, and the edge 611s of the nozzle opening 610 on the upstream side in the rotation direction are arranged in this order when viewed from the side located downstream in the direction of rotation of the container.

Similar to the scooping function explained above with reference to FIG. 43, even in the scooping portion 304 formed from the scooping surface 304f of the wall of the container body 33 in FIG. 44, the outer surfaces of the side shutter support portions 335a and the downstream chamfered surfaces 335c serve as a toner bridge that allows toner to pass from the scooping portion 304 to the nozzle opening 610 when the toner moves in the direction of arrow T1 toward the nozzle opening 610, which is the opening of the transport nozzle 611, which is a transfer tube.

As illustrated in FIG. 44, the inner diameters of the shutter side support parts 335a are larger than the outer diameter of the transport nozzle 611. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transport nozzle 611, which has passed through the contact area of the container seal 333, from coming into contact with the inner surfaces of the side support parts. 335a for the damper. As a result, there will be less likelihood of a load being applied when inserting the transport nozzle 611 into the container body. Since a container seal 333 having an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the transport nozzle 611 is formed in the nozzle receiving member 330, it is possible to prevent the toner contained in the container body 33 from leaking out from the container body 33 along the outer surface of the transport nozzle 611. Therefore , it is possible to prevent toner from passing into areas other than the toner transfer path connecting the container body 33 and the developing device 611 through the transport nozzle 611.

The function of the jumper will be explained in detail below with reference to the schematic diagrams in FIGS. 45A and 45B.

FIG. 45A illustrates the flow of toner inside the container body 33 when the side shutter support portions 335a are arranged so that they do not function as a bridge. The toner scooped by the scooping portion 304 along the circumferential direction of the container body due to the rotation of the container body 33 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 45A flows toward the nozzle opening 610 under the influence of gravity (arrow T1 in FIG. 45A). However, some of the toner comes out of the gap between the transfer nozzle 611 and the bulge 304h (the bulge protruding toward the center of rotation from the scooping wall surface 304f) (arrow T2 in FIG. 45A).

In particular, FIG. 45A illustrates a state at a time when the wall scooping surface 304f is not fully moved upward and the convex 304h is adjacent to the position corresponding to the 9 o'clock position on the watch dial. At this time, the upstream side edge 611s, the convex 304h of the scooping wall surface 304f, and the downstream beveled surfaces of the shutter side supporting parts 335a are arranged in this order when viewed from the downstream side in the rotation direction of the housing. 33 containers. In this state, the chamfered surfaces of the middle shutter side supporting portions 335a are always "lag" with respect to the convexity 304h of the scooping wall surface 304f that tends to allow the passage of toner, so that the function of forming a toner bridge is not performed. Therefore, the replenishment speed may become unstable, or the amount of toner remaining in the container body 33 when replacing the toner container 32 may increase, which is a disadvantage.

FIG. 45B illustrates the flow of toner inside the container body 33 including the shutter side support portions 335a that function as a bridge.

Similar to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 45A, the toner scooped by the scooping portion 304 along the circumferential direction of the container body due to the rotation of the container body 33 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 45A flows toward the nozzle hole 610 under the action of gravity (arrow T1 in Fig.45A). However, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 45B, the shutter side support portions 335a are arranged to fill the gap between the conveying nozzle 611 and the bulge 304h (the bulge protruding toward the center of rotation from the scooping wall surface 304f). To realize this configuration, the downstream beveled surfaces 335c of the side shutter support portions 335a and the convex 304h of the scooping portion 304 are arranged in this order when viewed from the downstream side in the rotation direction of the container body 33.

With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the flow of toner shown by arrow T2 in FIG. 45A, and it is possible to ensure that the scooped toner enters the nozzle opening 610 in an efficient manner. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the replenishment speed even when the amount of toner in the container body 33 decreases, and to reduce the amount of toner remaining in the container body 33 when the toner container 32 is replaced. In addition, since the amount of toner remaining in the container body 33 at the time of replacement can be reduced, operating costs can be reduced, resulting in increased economic efficiency, and the amount of remaining toner to be discarded can be reduced, thereby reducing environmental impact. Wednesday.

To fill the gap between the conveying nozzle 611 and the bump 304h as described above, it is desirable that the shutter side support portions 335a and the bump 304h be attached to each other. However, provided that it is possible to prevent the toner flow shown by reference numeral T2, a small gap (about 0.3 mm to 1 mm) between the shutter side supporting parts 335a and the bump 304h, as illustrated by the bump 304h at the bottom, may be acceptable. parts in Fig. 45B. This is because a small gap may become clogged with toner due to work performed with a large amount of toner at the start of replenishment, and the toner may serve as a seal/plug. In addition, since the bulge 304h is formed by blow molding, in which dimensional accuracy is lower than that of injection molding, it is difficult to completely connect the shutter side support parts 335a and the bulge 304h. From a performance standpoint, it is preferable to design with a small gap.

FIG. 46 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of toner remaining in the container and the replenishment rate (the amount of toner supplied per unit time) according to the embodiment (the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 44 and 45B) and the comparative example (the configuration , illustrated in Fig.45A).

From FIG. 46, it can be found that the replenishment speed is stable even when the amount of toner remaining in the container decreases in the embodiment, but the replenishment speed decreases when the amount of toner remaining in the container decreases in the comparative example. In the comparative example in which the bridge forming member is not provided, the toner flows (out) through the gap between the end of the center/rotation axis side wall scooping surface 304f constituting a part of the container body 33 and the conveying nozzle 611. Therefore, a sufficient amount of toner can hardly be moved into the nozzle opening 610 when the amount of remaining toner decreases, so the amount of toner supplied into the nozzle opening 610 cannot be maintained, and the replenishment speed decreases.

The toner container 32 in the examples illustrated in FIG. 9, FIG. 43, FIG. 44 and FIG. 45B includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, the wall scooping surfaces 304f are provided at two locations in the container body, and the web forming members (the shutter side support portions 335a) are provided at two locations corresponding to the wall scooping surfaces 304f. It is advantageous to provide the same number of wall scooping surfaces 304f as the number of web members, so that if the wall scooping surfaces 304f of the container body 33 are provided at three locations, the web members will also be provided at three locations. Likewise, if the wall scooping surfaces of the container body 33 are provided at four or more locations, it is advantageous to provide the same number of web members as the number of wall scooping surfaces 304f.

Of course, it is possible that only some of the plurality of flap side support portions 335a will be configured like a web member corresponding to the wall scooping surfaces 304f. For example, only one of the two side support portions 335a for the shutter is configured like the web member, and only one scooping wall surface 304f is formed in the container body 33 to match the web member.

Below, a case will be described in which the container body 33 is formed as a cylindrical member made of resin/plastic (hereinafter described as the container body 1033 to distinguish it from the container body of the other embodiments), and the scooping part is formed on the conveyor part. inside the container body.

FIG. 47A is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which the scooping ribs 304g corresponding to the wall scooping surfaces 304f are integrally formed with the nozzle receiving member 330 (hereinafter described as the nozzle receiving member 1330). FIG. 47B is an explanatory section illustrating how the nozzle receiving member 1330 illustrated in FIG. 47A is installed in the container body 1033 relative to the transport nozzle 611. FIG. 47C is an explanatory side section of the entire toner container 1032, showing in which the nozzle receiving member 1330 illustrated in FIG. 47A is installed. FIG. 47D is a perspective view of the container shutter 1332 as part of the toner container 1032.

The nozzle receiving member 1330, illustrated in FIGS. 47A-47D, includes scooping fins 304g, as described above, that are integral with a conveyor blade holder 1330b to which are attached conveyor blades 1302 made of a flexible material such as a polymer. film.

The nozzle receiving member 1330 illustrated in FIGS. 47A-47D includes a container seal 1333, a receiving opening 1331, a container shutter 1332, and a container shutter spring 1336. The container seal 1333 is a seal having a contact surface that faces the nozzle shutter flange 612a and comes into contact with the nozzle shutter flange 612a provided in the nozzle shutter 612 held by the transfer nozzle 611 when the toner container 1032 is attached to the main body of the copier 500. The receiving hole 1331 is an opening into which the transport nozzle 611 is inserted. The container shutter 1332 is a shutter that opens and closes the receiving hole 1331. The container shutter spring 1336 is a biasing member that presses the container shutter 1332 into position , in which the container shutter 1332 covers the receiving opening 1331.

In the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 47A to 47D, the nozzle receiving member 1330 has an outer surface 1330a of the nozzle receiving member that is rotatably mated with the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion provided in the main body of the copier 500. As illustrated in 47D, the container shutter 1332 includes a contact portion 1332a to be in contact with the conveying nozzle 611, and includes shutter support portions 1332b. The shutter support portions 1332b extend from the contact portion 1332a in the longitudinal direction of the container body 1033 and include hook-shaped portions 1332c that prevent the container shutter 1332 from being separated from the nozzle receiving member 1330 by the bias force exerted by the container shutter spring 1336. The toner container 1032 is provided with a container gear 1301, which is a structural member separate from the container body 1033, and which is attached to the nozzle receiving member 1330 for transmitting driving force.

Thus, the flow passage structure including the inner wall scooping surfaces, the bridges, and the space 1335b between the side support portions for passing the toner to the nozzle opening 610 can be formed as one piece.

The toner container 1032 including the scooping fins 304g will be described in detail below.

As illustrated in FIG. 47C, the toner container 1032 includes a container front end cover 1034, a container body 1033, a bottom cap 1035, and a nozzle receiving member 1330. A container front end cover 1034 is provided at an end of the toner container 1032 forward in the attachment direction relative to the main body of the copier 500. The container body 1033 has an approximately cylindrical shape. A bottom cap 1035 is provided at the rear end of the toner container 1032 in the attachment direction. The nozzle receiving member 1330 is held rotatably by the approximately cylindrical container body 1033.

A gear opening hole (not illustrated), which is a hole similar to the gear opening hole 34a, is located on the container front end cover 1034 so that the container gear 1301 attached to the nozzle receiving member 1330 can be exposed to . The cylindrical container body 1033 holds the nozzle receiving member 1330 so that the nozzle receiving member 1330 can be rotated. The container front end cap 1034 and the bottom cap 1035 are attached to the container body 1033 (by a well-known method such as heat sealing or adhesive attachment). The bottom cap 1035 includes a shaft bearing 1035a at the rear end that provides support for one end of the transport blade holder 1330b, and includes a gripping member 1303 that the user can grip when the user attaches the toner container 1032 to the main body of the copier 500 /detaches the toner container 1032 from the main body of the copier 500.

Below, a method for assembling the container front end cap 1034, the bottom cap 1035, and the nozzle receiving member 1330 on the container body 1033 will be explained.

The nozzle receiving member 1330 is inserted from the rear end of the container body 1033 and is mounted to be rotatably supported by the front end shaft bearing 1036 located on the front end of the container body 1033. Subsequently, the installation is carried out so that one end of the conveying blade holder 1330b provided in the nozzle receiving member 1330 is rotatably supported by the rear end shaft bearing 1035a, and the rear end shaft bearing 1035a is attached to the container body 1033. Thereafter, the container gear 1301 is attached to the nozzle receiving member 1330 from the front end of the container. After attaching the container gear 1301, the container front end cover 1034 is attached to the container body 1033 so as to cover the container gear 1301 on the container front end side.

The fastening between the container body 1033 and the container front end cover 1304, the fastening between the container body 1033 and the bottom cap 1035, and the fastening between the nozzle receiving member 1330 and the container gear 1301 can be suitably formed by using a well-known method such as heat sealing or fastening by means of an adhesive agent.

Below, the configuration for moving toner from the toner container 1032 to the nozzle opening 611 will be explained.

The scooping ribs 304g protrude so as to be proximal to the inner surface of the container body 1033, so that the surfaces of the ribs extend from the downstream beveled surfaces 1335c, which are located on the downstream side in the rotation direction, and are formed on the side support parts 1335a for damper. The surfaces of the ribs are curved once in the middle so that they look like curved surfaces. However, the configuration is not limited to this example and depends on toner compatibility. For example, simple flat ribs without bending can be used. In addition, since the scooping ribs 304g are integrally mounted with the space 1335b between the side support portions with which they are integral, it is possible to perform the same bridging function and achieve the same effect as those provided by tightly attaching the side support portions. the flap parts 335a and the bulge 304h to each other. Namely, the conveying blades rotate simultaneously with the rotation of the nozzle receiving member 1330 when the toner container 1032 is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, so that the toner contained in the toner container 1032 moves from the rear end to the front end where the member is located 1330 to receive the nozzle. Subsequently, the scooping fins 304g receive the toner moved by the conveying blades 1302, scoop the toner from bottom to top simultaneously with rotation, and cause the toner to flow to the nozzle opening 610 by using the fin surfaces as sliding guides.

The configuration for attaching the nozzle receiving member 330 to the container body 33 in the toner container 32 will be explained below as the fourteenth to nineteenth embodiments. In FIGS. 48A, 49, 51B and 52B, the container gear 301 is illustrated as a roller by eliminating the gear teeth.

<Fourteenth Embodiment>

FIGS. 48A to 50B are explanatory diagrams of the toner container 32 according to the fourteenth embodiment. 48A and 48B are explanatory perspective views illustrating a state in which the nozzle receiving member 330 is detached from the container body 33 of the toner container 32. FIGS. FIG. 49 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container 32 and the container mounting portion 615 according to the fourteenth embodiment. FIG. 50A is a sectional view of a region near the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. FIG. 50B is an explanatory enlarged view of the region η illustrated in FIG. 50A. In FIGS. 48A-50B, the front end cover 34 of the container is lowered. In FIGS. 48A-49, the container shutter 332 is lowered. In FIG. 50, the nozzle shutter 612 is lowered.

The container body 33, which is the toner container 32 according to the fourteenth embodiment, is molded by blow molding as explained above in the other embodiments. However, the accuracy of blow molding tends to be lower than the accuracy of injection molding typically used in resin/polymer molding. Therefore, in some cases, the roundness accuracy of the circular cross-section of the cylindrical container neck 33a that is part of the blow molded container body 33 may be low.

As described above, the cylindrical container neck 33a (the outer surface of the container in the radial direction on the side of the front end hole 305) is slidingly mated with the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615. Therefore, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis is deterministic. At this time, if the roundness of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a, which facilitates precise positioning, is low, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 may deviate from the target position when the toner container is rotated.

Meanwhile, the nozzle receiving member 330 is a conventional plastic injection molded product. Therefore, the nozzle receiving member 330 can be molded with higher precision compared with the container body 33, and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, which is a part of the nozzle receiving member 330, can be molded to a cylindrical shape with good roundness.

In the fourteenth embodiment, the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 is larger than the inner diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a. With this configuration, the shape of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a is adjusted to follow the shape of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33, so that the roundness accuracy can be improved.

By improving the roundness accuracy of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a, the accuracy of positioning the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 can be improved.

If the roundness accuracy of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a is low, it is necessary to set a larger size of the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615 in consideration of the shape deviation. However, if the inner surface 615a is specified to be larger, the freedom of displacement of the outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a relative to the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis increases, resulting in a large side clearance. On the contrary, in the fourteenth embodiment, the roundness accuracy of the outer surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a can be improved, and there is no need to make the inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615 larger, so that the side clearance can be reduced. By reducing the side clearance, the accuracy of setting the toner container 32 into a predetermined position relative to the toner replenishment device 60 can be improved.

As illustrated in FIGS. 48A, 50A and 50B, the nozzle receiving member engaging projections 3301 are provided at two locations on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330. The two engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member are located at positions that are 180° apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the outer surface, that is, at locations opposite to each other on the surface of the fixing portion 337 of the nozzle receiving member. The engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member are rectangular in shape and extend in a circumferential direction when viewed in the radial direction of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337, which is cylindrical in shape. As illustrated in FIG. 48B, the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member have trapezoidal shapes when viewed in the axial direction of the locking portion 337 of the nozzle receiving member. The amount (height) of the protrusion from the surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is approximately 0.5 mm. The inclined sides of the trapezoids are located on the side located downstream in the direction of rotation of the container body 33. The surfaces opposite to the inclined sides extend in the radial direction on the side located upstream in the direction of rotation of the container body 33.

Meanwhile, two engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area are formed in the cylindrical container neck 33a. The engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area are located at locations spaced 180° apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a, that is, at locations opposite to each other on the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a , so that the inner surface and the outer surface can interact with each other. The engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area are elliptical holes extending in a circumferential direction when viewed in the radial direction of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337.

With this configuration, two engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member engage with corresponding two engaging holes 3051 in the front end hole area when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33. Thanks to this engagement, it is possible to prevent the nozzle receiving member 330 from leaving the container body 33 and rotating relative to the container body 33 .

Such a rotation preventing member as described above is effective for maintaining the mutual relative position of the wall scooping surfaces 304f, the convex 304h, and the shutter side support portions 335a, which are bridge-forming members, to enable the function of providing a toner bridge. The reasons why the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member are formed with trapezoidal shapes in the axial direction will be described below.

Details will be explained below with reference to FIG. 48B. The nozzle receiving member 330 can be easily detached from the container body 33 by rotating the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 toward the inclined surfaces. This makes it possible to easily release toner from the container body 33 or replenish the container body 33 with toner. Particularly, when the container body 33 is attached to the toner replenishment device for operation, since the radially extending surfaces opposite to the inclined surfaces are located upstream in the rotation direction of the container body 33, these radially extending surfaces receive the rotational force a force transmitted by the container gear 301 through the contact portions of the engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area. In particular, the surfaces extending radially and opposite the inclined surfaces of the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusions 3301 are rotated so that they are constantly in a state of engagement with the engagement holes 3051 in the region of the front end hole. Therefore, the nozzle receiving member 330 does not rotate relative to the container body 33 during refilling, so position deviation is unlikely to occur. If the sloping sides of the trapezoids were located downstream in the direction of rotation, the sloping sides would absorb a rotational force, which could result in deviation from the desired position.

An annular outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is provided at a ledge where the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 is reduced. This shoulder is located opposite the shoulder where the inner periphery of the container cylindrical neck 33a is reduced in size so that the outer receiving member seal 3302 is located between the two shoulders when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner contained in the container body 33 from leaking through the gap between the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 and the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a.

In addition, the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is compressed by two ledges. Therefore, when the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33, the restoring force generated by the compressed outer seal 3302 of the receiving member will act such that the nozzle receiving member 330 is pressed against the container body 33. The restoring force is received by contact (engagement) between the radially extending surfaces of the engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member and the inner surfaces of the engagement holes 3051 in the region of the front end hole.

As described above, in the fourteenth embodiment, the cylindrical container neck 33a is adjusted to match the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, resulting in improved roundness accuracy.

The container body 33 including the cylindrical container neck 33a is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and the thickness W1 of the cylindrical container neck 33a is set to 1.1 mm. The nozzle receiving member 330 including the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is made of polystyrene (PS), and the thickness W2 of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is set to 2 mm. In this case, when the fit tolerance (the difference between the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 and the inner diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a) was set to 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm, preferable results were obtained in terms of container installation accuracy 32 for the toner to a predetermined position relative to the toner replenishment device 60 and in terms of toner leakage prevention characteristics.

Typically the components are held together by pressing. On the contrary, in the design according to the fourteenth embodiment, the fit tolerance between components can be increased. Therefore, performance can be guaranteed. In addition, the restoring force exerted by the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is absorbed by the engagement of the engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member, so that a fit tolerance having an extremely small value, including a smallest value of 0, can be provided. 01 mm. In addition, the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member serve as rotation preventing members. In addition, in the mating portion, the shape of the cylindrical container neck 33a is adjusted. Thus, the function of fixing the positions of the components in the axial direction and the function of adjusting the shape of the cylindrical container neck 33a are separated. In the fourteenth embodiment, the nozzle receiving member 330 is fixed to the container body 33 by using the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member. If the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 are fixed relative to each other only by the engagement of the nozzle receiving member's engaging protrusions 3301, the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 may deviate in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. container 32 for toner. On the contrary, since in the fourteenth embodiment, the cylindrical container neck 33a is press-fitted by adjusting its shape, it is possible to prevent the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 from deviating relative to the container body 33 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the toner container 32.

Thus, in the fourteenth embodiment, both the engagement of the nozzle receiving member engaging projections 3301 and the press fit are used to secure the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 together. By engaging the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member, the compression amount of the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member, which is formed of a rubber gasket or the like, will be determined. This facilitates installation of the toner container 32 at a predetermined position in the rotation axis direction. Meanwhile, if the shape of the container cylindrical neck 33a is adjusted to a greater extent by press fit to match the shape of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 and the inner surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a will be fit more closely together. This press fit helps install the toner container 32 in a predetermined position in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis.

<Fifteenth Embodiment>

The fifteenth embodiment is similar to the fourteenth embodiment in that the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 48A to 50B can generally be applied, but differs from the fourteenth embodiment in that the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the member 330 for receiving a nozzle, is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical neck 33a of the container.

The cylindrical container neck 33a and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 are made of a hard material since their dimensional accuracy must be guaranteed to ensure engagement with the toner replenishment device 60. Examples of the material for the nozzle receiving member 330 having the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 include polystyrene (PS). Examples of the material for the container body 33 having the cylindrical container neck 33a include polyethylene terephthalate (PET). When the container cylindrical neck 33a and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 are fixed relative to each other by press-fitting, the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is sealed with the inner surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a. To improve the sealing performance between the inner surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a and the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, it may be possible to increase the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 relative to the inner diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a. However, although by increasing the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, it is possible to adjust the shape of the cylindrical container neck 33a as in the toner container 32 of the fourteenth embodiment, more force will be required at the time of attachment to ensure seating. If the seating force is increased, the container cylindrical neck 33a and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 may be deformed or broken. Therefore, it becomes necessary to reduce the dimensional tolerance in the portion where the fit is provided between the cylindrical container neck 33a and the nozzle receiving fixing portion 337, and to ensure tight control/precise control of the process.

On the other hand, if the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is reduced relative to the inner diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a, a defect similar to the one described below may occur. Specifically, even when the engaging portion is formed as a detachment preventing member and the position in the rotation axis direction is deterministic, the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 moves up and down in the cylindrical container neck 33a. within the tolerance between components. Therefore, it will be difficult to seal the gap between the cylindrical container neck 33a and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337.

Therefore, in the fifteenth embodiment, the receiving member outer seal ring 3302 as a sealing member made of an elastic material is used to seal the gap between the inner surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a and the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. Specifically, the outer receiving member seal 3302 is disposed between the cylindrical container neck 33a and the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 such that the outer receiving member seal 3302 is compressed and elastically deformed to seal the gap. Since the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is elastically deformed, the restoring force acts in the direction in which the fixing portion 337 of the nozzle receiving member comes out of the cylindrical container neck 33a. However, in the fifteenth embodiment, the engagement portions between the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member and the engaging holes 3051 in the front end hole area prevent the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 from moving toward the exit direction of the cylindrical container neck 33a. Therefore, the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 in the rotation axis direction can be deterministic.

In addition, since the elastically deformable outer seal 3302 of the receiving member seals the gap between the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, the restoring force due to deformation acts on the entire area of the inner surface and the entire area of the outer surface in the direction along the circle. Due to the action of the restoring force, the position of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis inside the cylindrical container neck 33a will be deterministic. Therefore, the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 in a direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis can be deterministic. The predetermined positioning effectively maintains the mutual relative position of the wall scooping surfaces 304f, the convex 304h, and the shutter side support portions 335a, which are bridge forming members, to enable the toner bridge forming function to be performed.

In the fifteenth embodiment, the sealed state is not directly achieved by the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. Consequently, the dimensional tolerance of the components relative to each other can be increased. By increasing the dimensional tolerance, productivity can be improved. In addition, even when the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 moves up and down inside the cylindrical container neck 33a, it is possible to prevent toner leakage since the sealed state is ensured by the resiliently deformable outer seal 3302 of the member. for reception.

In the fifteenth embodiment, the outer receiving member seal 3302, which is a sealing member, is compressed by the inner surface being the seal receiving surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a and the outer surface being the seal receiving surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337, so that the state of tightness is ensured. In addition, the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusions 3301, which are engaging parts on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337, engage with the front end hole engaging holes 3051, which are engaging parts. the cylindrical container neck 33a so that the grip/engagement state is maintained. The repulsion force (restoring force) exerted by the compressed outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is received by the engagement zone to prevent the nozzle receiving member from leaving the container body. Due to the repulsion force exerted by the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member and the detachment preventing means implemented by the engaging region, the position of the toner container 32 in the axial direction can be deterministic. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nozzle receiving member 330 from leaving the container body 33 due to external force.

In addition, since the restoring force exerted by the outer seal 3302 of the nozzle receiving member acts on the engaging hole 3051 in the region of the front end hole of the cylindrical container neck 33a due to engagement with the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member, the engaging hole 3051 in the front end hole area must have a certain strength. Therefore, it is desirable to utilize the strength of the thick portion of the cylindrical neck 33a of the container for the openings 3051 for engaging in the front end opening area. In the fifteenth embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 50A and 50B, a male cap screw thread 309 is provided at the front end of the container (at the top in FIGS. 50A and 50B) relative to the engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area, and the male thread 309 for screwing the cap is made in a thicker part compared to other parts. By utilizing the strength of such a thick portion, it becomes possible to prevent a situation where the cylindrical container neck 33a breaks under the restoring force exerted by the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member.

In the fifteenth embodiment, a configuration is explained in which the receiving member outer seal 3302, which is a sealing member, is provided on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330. However, the sealing member may be provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33.

<Sixteenth Embodiment>

The first configuration modification in which the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 is determined by using elastic deformation of the sealing member that seals the gap between the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 in the same manner as in the fifteenth embodiment will be explained. below as the sixteenth embodiment.

51A and 51B are explanatory diagrams of the toner container 32 according to the sixteenth embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 51A is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member 330, and FIG. 51B is an explanatory perspective view of the container body 33.

The toner container 32 according to the sixteenth embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 51A and 51B, includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, an insertion position adjusting means that adjusts the insertion position in the rotation direction when the nozzle receiving member 330 is inserted into the container body 33 is provided on each of the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusions 3301 as engaging parts and in each of the engaging holes 3051 in the front end hole area as engaging portions on the rear end side of the container.

The shapes used in the sixteenth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 51A and 51B will be explained below. The engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member has a pentagonal shape when viewed in the radial direction of the nozzle receiving member 330. The amount (height) of the protrusion from the surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 is approximately 0.5 mm. A V-shaped engaging protrusion portion 3301a is formed at the rear end side of the container as a position adjusting means when inserting the engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member. The engagement hole 3051 in the front end hole area is a through hole in which the elliptical hole extending in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the pentagonal hole described above overlap each other. A V-shaped engagement hole portion 3051a (V-shaped pentagonal hole portion) as a means of preventing the insertion position provided in the engagement holes 3051 in the front end hole area is formed on the rear end side of the container.

The engagement hole 3051 in the front end hole area, which is an engaging part, is located inside (the toner storage side) relative to the front end of the tubular front end hole 305 (throat end). Therefore, when the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 is inserted into the container cylindrical neck 33a at the same time as the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33, the engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member will be hidden by the container cylindrical neck 33a and will not be visible. Therefore, it will be difficult to attach at a predetermined location where the engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member engages the engaging hole 3051 in the front end hole area.

To solve this problem, it is provided as follows: if the shape of the front end as the insertion position adjusting means is configured as in the sixteenth embodiment, it becomes possible to guide the engaging protrusions 3301 of the nozzle receiving member to a predetermined insertion position even when the insertion position in the direction of rotation varies within small limits. With the elliptical hole extending in the circumferential direction, the engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member in the offset position can be easily seen.

In addition, a preferable effect similar to that described below can be achieved by providing the insertion position adjusting means. Particularly, when the rotating driving force is applied and the container body 33 is rotated, one of the insertion position adjusting means formed on the engaging part and the engaging part engages with the other adjusting means, so that the nozzle receiving member 330 and the housing 33 containers can rotate as one unit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nozzle receiving member 330 from rotating and moving relative to the container body 33 at the same time as the toner container 32 rotates.

<Seventeenth Embodiment>

A second modification of the configuration in which the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 is determined by using elastic deformation of the sealing member that seals the gap between the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 will be explained in the same way as in the fifteenth embodiment. below as the seventeenth embodiment.

FIGS. 52A and 52B are explanatory diagrams of the toner container 32 according to the seventeenth embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 52A is an explanatory perspective view of the nozzle receiving member 330, and FIG. 52B is an explanatory perspective view of the container body 33.

The toner container 32 according to the seventeenth embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 52A and 52B, includes a structure according to the invention similar to that described below. Specifically, two positioning portions are provided which are designed to provide a certain insertion position in the rotation direction when the nozzle receiving member 330 is inserted into the container body 33 and which overlap at least one of the engaging portion and the engaging portion.

In the seventeenth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 52A and 52B, the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusion 3301, which is a protrusion extending in the circumferential direction, is configured as an engaging portion of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. A concave member 3303 for positioning the receiving member, which covers the engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member at the center in the circumferential direction, and which extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the container body 33, is configured as one of two positioning parts for adjustment. position when inserting the engaging part relative to the engaging part. The front end hole area engaging hole 3051, which is an elliptical hole extending in the circumferential direction of the front end opening 305, is formed as an engaging part in the cylindrical container neck 33a. The positioning rib 3052, which is formed on the surface of the front end hole, which covers the engaging hole 3051 in the front end hole area at the center in the circumferential direction and which extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the container body 33, is configured as the other of the two positioning parts for adjusting the insertion position of the engaging part relative to the engaging part.

When the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 is inserted into the container cylindrical neck 33a at the same time as the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33, the container cylindrical neck 33a expands in the vicinity of the nozzle receiving member engaging projections 3301 protruding from the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member 337. element for receiving the nozzle. Therefore, if the positioning parts such as the rib and the concave member are formed at a position adjacent to the engaging part or the engaging part so that they do not overlap the engaging part or the engaging part, the cylindrical neck 33a of the container must be widened as in in the area of the engaging parts and in the area of the positioning parts, which leads to an increase in the insertion load.

In contrast, according to the seventeenth embodiment, positioning ribs 3303 and 3052, formed from the fin and the concave member as a pair, are provided at locations where they overlap both the engaging protrusion 3301 and the engaging hole 3051, in direction of the axis of rotation. When the positioning parts are formed as described above, the positioning rib 3052 formed on the surface of the front end hole and the concave element 3303 for positioning the receiving member are engaged with each other in the area of the engaging part. (at the area of the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusion 3301) which fits tightly against the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a at the time of attachment. Therefore, the portion that expands in the cylindrical container neck 33a can be "minimized" to the engaging portion, the position of the engaging region in the rotation direction can be deterministic, and the nozzle receiving member 330 can be prevented from rotating relative to the container body 33 when rotating. container 32 for toner.

<Eighteenth Embodiment>

A third modification of the configuration in which the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 is determined by using elastic deformation of the sealing member that seals the gap between the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330, the same as in the fifteenth embodiment, will be explained. below as the eighteenth embodiment.

FIGS. 53A to 53C are explanatory diagrams of the toner container 32 according to the eighteenth embodiment. In particular, FIG. 53A is an enlarged perspective view of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337, FIG. 53B is an enlarged perspective view of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337, and FIG. 53C is an enlarged sectional view of the area near the front end of the container. 32 for toner.

In the eighteenth embodiment, the outer seal 3302 of the nozzle receiving member as a sealing member is provided on the outer surface of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337. However, the sealing member may be provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a provided in the container body 33.

Similar to the fifteenth embodiment, the toner container 32 according to the eighteenth embodiment is configured such that the engaging portion is provided on the nozzle receiving member 330, and the engaging portion to be engaged with the engaging portion is provided on the cylindrical neck 33a container. To more reliably prevent the nozzle receiving member 330 from leaving the toner container, it may be possible to increase the size of the engaging part so that the engaging area with respect to the engaging hole can be increased. However, if the size of the engaging portion provided on the nozzle receiving member 330 is increased, the insertion load becomes too large, and the cylindrical container mouth 33a may be deformed or broken. On the contrary, according to the eighteenth embodiment, the front end hole engaging protrusion 3053 is formed on the container body 33 in addition to the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusion 3301 provided on the nozzle receiving member 330, and the receiving member engaging hole 3304 is formed in member 330 for receiving the nozzle in addition to the hole 3051 for coupling formed in the area of the front end hole of the cylindrical container neck 33a. Therefore, even when the contact amount in each part is small, the overall contact amount can be increased.

<Nineteenth Embodiment>

A fourth modification of the configuration in which the position of the nozzle receiving member 330 relative to the container body 33 is determined by using elastic deformation of the sealing member that seals the gap between the container body 33 and the nozzle receiving member 330 will be explained in the same way as in the fifteenth embodiment. below as the nineteenth embodiment.

FIGS. 54A and 54B are explanatory diagrams of the toner container 32 according to the nineteenth embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 54A is an enlarged perspective view of the cylindrical container neck 33a, and FIG. 54B is an enlarged perspective view of the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337.

The toner container 32 according to the nineteenth embodiment illustrated in FIG. 54 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the positioning portion for providing a deterministic insertion position in the rotation direction when the nozzle receiving member 330 is inserted into the container body 33 is configured to overlap at least one of the engaging portion, and the adhesion parts in the toner container 32 according to the eighteenth embodiment.

When the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 is inserted into the cylindrical container neck 33a at the same time as the nozzle receiving member 330 is attached to the container body 33, the container cylindrical neck 33a expands in the vicinity of the nozzle receiving member engaging projections 3301 protruding on the outer surface of the member locking portion 337. to receive the nozzle. Therefore, if the positioning parts such as the rib and the concave member are formed in a position adjacent to the engaging part or the engaging part so that they do not overlap the engaging part or the engaging part, it becomes necessary to widen the cylindrical neck 33a container in both the engaging part and the positioning part, resulting in increased installation load.

On the contrary, according to the nineteenth embodiment, positioning ribs 3303 and 3052 formed from the fin and the concave member as a pair are provided at positions where they overlap the engaging protrusion 3053 and the receiving member engaging hole 3304, in direction of the axis of rotation. When the positioning parts are formed as described above, the positioning rib 3052 formed on the surface of the front end hole and the concave element 3303 for positioning the receiving member are engaged with each other in the area of the engaging part. (at the area of the nozzle receiving member engaging protrusion 3301) which fits tightly against the inner surface of the container cylindrical neck 33a at the time of attachment. Therefore, the portion that expands in the cylindrical container neck 33a can be "minimized" to the engaging portion, the position of the engaging region in the rotation direction can be deterministic, and the nozzle receiving member 330 can be prevented from rotating relative to the container body 33 when rotating. container 32 for toner.

The toner container 32 according to the fourteenth to nineteenth embodiments in all cases includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 includes a container body 33 as a powder storage device that contains toner as a powder to be supplied to the toner replenishment device 60 as a powder transport device. The container body 33 causes the toner contained therein to move from the rear end of the container to the front end of the container where the hole is formed in the rotation direction by rotating the container body 33. The toner container 32 also includes a nozzle receiving member 330 serving as a nozzle insertion member, which has a receiving hole 331 serving as a nozzle receiving member into which the transport nozzle 611 is inserted as a transport tube fixed to the device 60 toner replenishment unit, and which is fixed in the opening of the container body 33. In the toner container 32 having the above configuration, the nozzle receiving member 330 includes a nozzle receiving member engaging protrusion 3301, which is an engaging portion to be engaged with the engaging hole 3051 in the front end hole area. wherein the clutch hole 3051 is a clutch portion provided in the cylindrical container neck 33a having the hole. In addition, the toner container 32 includes an outer receiving member seal 3302 serving as a sealing member that is positioned between the nozzle receiving member 330 and the container body 33 when the engaging protrusion 3301 of the nozzle receiving member engages with an engagement hole 3051 in the front end hole area, and which seals the gap between the nozzle receiving member 330 and the container body 33.

<Twentieth Embodiment>

Below, the toner container 32 according to the twentieth embodiment will be explained. A feature of the toner container 32 according to the twentieth embodiment is the configuration of a portion in which the nozzle receiving member 330 is pressed into the container body 33.

FIG. 13 has been mentioned in describing the embodiments explained above, but this figure can also be referred to for explaining the molded portion of the receiving hole 331; therefore, this figure is referred to in the explanation below. One of the zone γ1 and zone γ2 in Fig. 13 becomes a pressed part. The area γ1 represents the inner surface of the container body 33 at the location where the container gear 301 is provided. The area γ2 is the inner surface of the container body 33 at the location where the curved portion 306 is provided for engaging the lid.

The toner container 32 illustrated in FIG. 13 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the toner container 32 is a powder container that contains toner as a powder developer and which includes a container shutter 332 and a nozzle receiving member 330. The container shutter 332 serves as a receiving hole opening/closing member, which opens and closes the receiving hole 331 serving as a powder discharge hole through which toner discharged from the container body 33 passes. The nozzle receiving member 330 serves as an opening/closing member holder for holding the container shutter 332. A cylindrical container neck 33a is formed at the front end of the toner container 32, and an outer surface of the cylindrical container neck 33a is slidably mated with a cylindrical inner surface 615a (shaft support) of the container mounting portion 615. The nozzle receiving member 330 is fixed with respect to the inner surface of the container body 33 by pressing/press-fitting, and the location at which the press-fitting portion is located in the direction of the rotation axis is at the rear end of the container relative to the location at which the outer surface of the cylindrical the container necks 33a and the cylindrical inner surface of the container mounting portion 615 slide relative to each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, for example, the position of the front end of the nozzle receiving member 330 and the position of the front end of the cylindrical container neck 33a in the rotation axis direction are the same. Therefore, the nozzle receiving member 330 can be press-fitted with respect to the inner surface of the area near the front end of the cylindrical container neck 33a. However, a region near the front end of the cylindrical container neck 33a interfaces with the cylindrical inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615. Therefore, if the press fit portion of the cylindrical container neck 33a is expanded and the outer diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a is increased due to the press fit of the nozzle receiving member 330, it will be impossible to press fit the cylindrical container neck 33a into the container mounting portion 615, resulting in an attachment failure. the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60. Even though the toner container can be attached, the torque on the toner container 32 may increase.

To prevent the above situation, it would be possible to estimate the amount of expansion of the container cylindrical neck 33a due to pressing, and set the outer diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a at the time of creating the toner container 32 based on this estimate. However, if the outer diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a is set in consideration of the amount of expansion caused by pressing, the following defect may occur. In particular, it becomes necessary to specify a large tolerance. If the expansion amount is small within the tolerance, the difference between the outer diameter of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the inner diameter of the cylindrical inner surface 615a of the container mounting portion 615 increases, resulting in improper installation.

As a configuration to prevent the above-described situation in the toner container 32 according to the twentieth embodiment, the outer diameter of the area near the front end of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 is set to be slightly smaller, so that the member fixing portion 337 to receive the nozzle may be installed in a loose fit rather than a press fit with respect to the inner surface of the front end hole 305. In addition, as a press-fit portion, the outer diameter of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 at a location not associated with the attachment of the nozzle receiving portion 615 installation of the container to the container body 33 (at a location not affected by the attachment), from the rear end of the container, and not from the front end of the container, is set to be sufficient to ensure a proper press fit with respect to the inner diameter of the container. The non-attachment location may be a location corresponding to the thick gear portion 301 of the container (region γ1 in FIG. 13), or may be a location where the inner diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a is reduced to form a shoulder and the thickness of the cylindrical The container neck 33a is enlarged (area γ2 in FIG. 13). At a location where the inner diameter is reduced to form a shoulder (region γ2 in FIG. 13), a curved lid engaging portion 306 formed from an annular rib is also provided on the outer surface.

By forming a portion that has a large outer diameter and which serves as a pressed portion at the rear end of the container relative to the front end of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330, it becomes possible to prevent the outer diameter of the cylindrical neck 33a from becoming larger. the container in the pressed-in part fits relative to the container mounting part 615. Therefore, it is possible to prevent failure in attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60 or prevent an increase in torque on the toner container 32 that is caused by an increase in the outer diameter of the container cylindrical neck 33a.

In addition, since the cylindrical container neck 33a remains with the same shape as the preform formed by injection molding, the cylindrical container neck 33a can be molded with high precision. The portion here does not expand due to the pressing action of the nozzle receiving member 330, and can be used as a positioning portion and a sliding portion. Therefore, it is possible to maintain high precision injection molding, which enables positioning with higher precision and sliding with good performance.

The toner container 32 formed by pressing in the region γ1 includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the molded portion of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 formed of the resin/polymer is arranged to correspond to that portion of the inner surface of the container body 33 in which the container gear 301 is formed. The strength of the portion in which the container gear 301 is formed is greater than the strength of the remaining parts of the container body 33 because the structure of the gear is formed to form one circular member around the outer periphery in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. Consequently, the likelihood of deformation of this part due to pressing is reduced. In addition, since the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 can be firmly “tightened,” the possibility of the nozzle receiving member 330 coming off even over time is reduced. Therefore, this part is preferable as a press-fit part.

In addition, the toner container 32 formed by pressing in the γ2 region includes a structure according to the invention similar to the one described below. Specifically, the pressed portion of the nozzle receiving member fixing portion 337 provided in the nozzle receiving member 330 is arranged to correspond to that portion of the inner surface of the container body 33 in which the curved lid engaging portion 306 is formed. The strength of the portion where the curved lid engaging portion 306 is located is greater than the strength of the remaining portions of the container body 33 because the rib structure is formed on the entire circumferential periphery in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. Consequently, the likelihood of deformation of this part due to pressing is reduced. In addition, since the nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 can be firmly “tightened,” the possibility of the nozzle receiving member 330 coming off even over time is reduced. Therefore, this part is preferable as a press-fit part.

The structure for holding the identification mark 700 included in the toner container 32 common to the first to twentieth embodiments will be explained below.

FIG. 55 is an explanatory perspective view of the connector 800 attached to the toner replenishment device 60 and the front end of the toner container 32. FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 55, the toner container 32 includes a container body 33 and a container front end cover 34 that is attached to the container body 33 so as to expose a cylindrical container neck 33a formed with a receiving hole 331 serving as a toner discharge hole which is formed in the container body 33. The toner container 32 also includes an identification tag 700 serving as an information storage device attached to the front end of the container front end cover 34, and a holding structure 345 for holding the identification tag 700.

The identification tag 700 in accordance with embodiments is based on a contact communication system. Therefore, the connector 800 is located on the main body of the toner replenishment device 60 so that it faces the front end surface of the container front end cover 34.

FIG. 56 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container 32 and the connector 800 when the holding structure 345 is disassembled. As illustrated in FIG. 56, an identification mark hole 701 for positioning is formed in the identification mark 700. When attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60, an alignment pin 801 of the connector 800 is inserted into the identification mark hole 701.

The holding structure 345 includes a holding portion 343 configured with holding bases 358 for holding the ID tag 700, and includes an ID tag holder 344 that serves as a holder for holding the ID tag 700 so that the ID tag 700 can be moved in the X-Z direction in FIG. 56, and which serves as a cover member detachably attached to the holding portion 343. The identification mark 700 and the holding structure 345 are located in the inclined upper right "free" area of the container front end cover 34 as viewed from the toner container 32 from the front end of the container along the rotation axis. The holding structure 345 is placed on the front end cover of the container by using an inclined upper right area, which becomes a dead area when the toner container 32 is placed together with the toner containers 32 of other colors. This makes it possible to provide a compact toner replenishment device that allows the cylindrical toner containers 32 to be placed adjacent to each other. In the inclined upper left "free" area of the container front end cover 34, a container gear 301 and a container driving gear 601 provided in the main body are disposed. To prevent collision between adjacent toner replenishment systems, the toner containers are arranged to prevent collisions between the identification mark 700, the holding structure 345, the main body terminals 804, and the container driving gear 601 provided in the main body of the toner replenishment device 60. .

FIG. 57 is an explanatory perspective view of the front end of the toner container 32 and the connector 800 when the ID tag 700 is temporarily attached to the ID tag holder 344. FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 57, the holding portion 343 includes holding bases 358 having four rectangular posts. Holding bases 358 are formed on the ID tag attachment surface 357 at the front end of the container front end cover 34 and hold the ID tag rear board surface 700 on which the mounting circuit is not located. The identification tag holder 344 includes a frame 352 and holder projections 353. The frame 352 is formed so that it surrounds the outer sides of the holding bases 358 to prevent the identification tag 700 from popping out when the frame is engaged with the holding portion 343. The holder projections 353 project from the surface of the inner wall of the frame 352 so that they cover an area in which no the terminal is not located on the surface of the identification mark 700. The frame 352 of the identification mark holder 344 has an outer shape with dimensions large enough to accommodate a rectangular identification mark 700 and holds the identification mark 700 so that the identification mark 700 can move to some extent in the X-Z direction when the identification mark the 700 mark is in frame 352.

The holding structure 345 will be explained in detail below.

The frame 352 of the ID tag holder 344 is formed with a length that is greater than the lengths of the holding bases 358 in the Y-axis direction of FIG. 57 (height from the ID tag attachment surface 357). Therefore, when the identification mark 700 is attached to the holding bases 358, the identification mark 700 is not fixed relative to the front end cover 34 of the container. In addition, the identification mark 700 is attached in such a way as to maintain a gap with respect to the frame 352 that surrounds the outer side of the identification mark 700 in the X-Z direction. In addition, the identification tag 700 is attached so as to maintain a small gap with respect to the holder projections 353 provided on the identification tag holder 344. Therefore, the identification mark 700 is not separated from the container front end cover 34 even though the identification mark 700 is not fixed to the container front end cover 34. The ID tag 700 is held such that the ID tag 700 moves and dangles in the ID tag holder 344 when the toner container 32 is gently shaken.

When the ID tag 700 is attached, as illustrated in FIG. 57, the ID tag 700 engages the inner wall protrusion 351 of the ID tag holder 344 (see FIG. 56) and is thereafter attached to the holding bases 358 of the holding portion 343 in a temporarily attached state. . In this case, the outer parts of the holding bases 358 serve as a guide for the holder 344 of the identification tag. After the ID tag 700 is installed on the holding bases 358, the attached ID tag 700 is separated from the inner wall projection 351 and installed on the front end surfaces of the holding bases 358.

Installation of the ID tag holder 344 will be explained in detail below.

In the toner container 32 according to the embodiments, the identification mark holder 344 is fixed to the container front end cover 34 not by processing such as heat bonding or fastening by using a fastener, but by engaging using hooks.

As illustrated in FIG. 56, the identification tag holder 344 includes an upper holder hook 355, a lower holder hook 354, and a right holder hook 356, respectively, on the upper holder portion 350, the lower holder portion 348, and the right holder portion 349.

Around the identification mark attachment surface 357 on the container front end cover 34, three attachment portions are formed at positions opposite three hooks, that is, the upper holder hook 355, the lower holder hook 354, and the right holder hook 356. Specifically, the upper attachment portion 359a is formed at a position opposite the upper holder hook 355 around the identification mark attachment surface 357. A lower attachment portion 359b is formed at a position opposite the lower holder hook 354 around the ID tag attachment surface 357. A side attachment portion 360 is formed at a location opposite the right holder hook 356.

When installing the identification tag holder 344 on the front end cover 34 of the container, three hooks (355, 354, 356) on the identification tag holder 344 engage the three attachment parts (359a, 359b, 360) and are locked relative to the three parts (359a, 359b). , 360) for attaching 34 containers to the front end cover. Two of the three attachment portions, specifically the upper attachment portion 359a and the lower attachment portion 359b, are configured as holes, and the remaining one, specifically the side attachment portion 360, is configured as a hook.

The upper attachment portion 359a and the lower attachment portion 359b, formed as holes, are installed by using inclined surfaces on the front ends of the two hooks (the upper holder hook 355 and the lower holder hook 354) and by using the elasticity of the two hooks. The hook side attachment portion 360 is installed by using an inclined surface on the front end of the right holder hook 356 and by using an inclined surface 360a of the attachment side portion 360.

With this configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 57, the ID tag 700 is temporarily mounted within the frame 352 of the ID tag holder 344, and the ID tag holder 344 is moved along the holding bases 358 on the front end cover 34 of the container. Accordingly, the hooks (355, 354, 356) formed on the identification tag holder 344 can be engaged with the attachment parts (359a, 359b, 360) formed on the front end cover 34 of the container, so that the identification tag holder 344 can be fixed relative to the front end cover 34 of the container due to the engagement between the hooks and the attachment parts.

In the example described above with reference to Fig.55 - Fig.57, the parts in which the engagement between the hooks (355, 354, 356) and the connecting parts (359a, 359b, 360) are provided on the upper side, the lower side and the right side of the ID tag holder 344. However, the locations of the engaging portions on the ID tag holder 344 are not limited to a combination of the top side, the bottom side, and the right side. The engaging portions may be provided on only the upper side and the lower side, only on the left side and the right side, or on all sides including the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side of the identification tag holder 344. The locations and number of parts in which the engagement occurs are not limited to the embodiments.

As described above, in the embodiments, the coupling method using hooks is explained. However, in some cases, it may be possible to fix the identification tag holder 344 to the container front end cover 34 through processing such as heat bonding or fastening through the use of a fastener. In other examples, it may be necessary to install the ID tag holder 344 in a more durable manner, or a means may be available to rewrite (overwrite) the ID tag without detaching it from the front end cover 34 of the container.

The identification mark 700 serving as an information storage device included in the toner container 32 according to the embodiments will be explained with reference to FIGS. 58A to 63.

In the following explanation, the expression "approximately rectangular metal plate" covers both a rectangular plate and an approximately rectangular plate. Therefore, the expression "approximately rectangular metal plate" covers plates formed by beveling all or some of the corners of a rectangular metal plate, plates formed with radii, and the like.

FIGS. 58A-58C are three-view drawings of the identification tag 700. FIG. 58A is a front view of the ID tag 700 as viewed from the side of the connector 800. FIG. 58B is a side view of the ID tag 700 as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the attachment direction (the upward-right angled direction in FIG. 55 ). FIG. 58C is a rear view of the identification tag 700 as viewed from the front end cap 34 of the container.

FIG. 59 is a perspective view of the identification tag 700, the identification tag holder 344, and the connector 800, particularly illustrating the relative positions of the three elements (700, 344, 800). In FIG. 59, the upper holder hook 355 and the lower holder hook 354 illustrated in FIG. 56 and FIG. 57 are omitted.

FIG. 60 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the identification tag 700 is engaged with the connector 800. FIGS. 61A and 61B are switching diagrams of the electrical circuit of the identification tag 700 and the electrical circuit of the connector 800.

FIG. 62A is a front view of the ID tag 700 held by the connector 800. FIG. 62B is a front view of the ID tag 700 rotated relative to the ID tag hole 701 that is used to position it. FIG. 63 is a schematic diagram illustrating an identification mark 700 in contact with the probes 901 of the conductivity testing device 900 during testing during manufacturing in a factory.

In the identification tag 700 according to the embodiments, only one identification mark hole 701 is formed in the substrate 702, and the identification mark hole 701 is located between two of a plurality of metal contact pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) formed from rectangular metal plates.

As illustrated in FIG. 55, in the toner container 32 according to the embodiments, the rectangular identification mark 700 is arranged such that the long side is inclined rather than parallel to the vertical direction. Therefore, the vertical direction of the identification mark 700 located on the toner container 32 does not correspond to the longitudinal direction of the identification mark 700. However, in the following, for convenience of explanation, the direction parallel to the long side of the identification mark 700 (Z'-axis direction in FIG. 58A) is called the vertical direction. marks, and the direction parallel to the short side of the identification mark 700 (X'-axis direction in FIG. 58A) is described as the horizontal direction of the mark. The same applies to the connector 800, which is inclined relative to the toner replenishment device 60.

As illustrated in FIGS. 58A to 58C, in the identification tag 700 serving as an information storage device according to the embodiments, the identification tag hole 701 is formed at a location in the vertical direction above the center of gravity of the substrate 702 in the vertical direction of the tag. A grounding terminal 703 for grounding (earth), which is formed from a metal terminal, is placed on the inner surface of the identification mark hole 701 and around the identification mark hole 701. As illustrated in FIGS. 58A to 58C, the ground terminal 703 on the front surface of the substrate 702 of the embodiments is formed such that two ground terminal protrusions 705 extend in the horizontal direction of the mark relative to the circular ring portion.

One rectangular metal pad 710 (first metal pad 710a) is located above the identification tag hole 701 in the vertical direction of the tag. In addition, two metal pads 701 (second metal pad 710b and third metal pad 710c) are located below the identification mark hole 701 in the vertical direction of the mark.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 58C, a security member 720 that is made of a plastic/resin material such as a hemispherical epoxy resin member and that covers and protects an information storage portion (not illustrated) is formed on the rear surface of the substrate 702. In the identification tag 700, the identification tag hole 701 is located above the security element 720, which is the largest and heaviest component provided on the rear surface because it houses an information storage part such as an IC (integrated circuit) in the vertical direction of the tag . Therefore, as described above, it is possible to provide a relationship in which the ID tag hole 701 is located in the vertical direction above the center of gravity of the ID tag 700 in the vertical direction of the tag. The location of the identification tag hole 701 depends on the shape of the substrate 702 or the configuration or location of an element, such as the security element 720, on the rear surface.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 62A, the identification mark 700 according to the embodiments is formed such that the center of the identification mark hole 701 is at a distance Za from the center of gravity of the identification mark 700 and above the center of gravity of the identification mark 700 in the vertical direction of the mark.

As illustrated in FIG. 59, connector 800 includes a connector body 805, which is a hollow box made of plastic/resin, and a locating pin 801 (mounting lip), which is a hollow cylinder with a tapered end that is located on the body. 805 of the connector so that it extends in the horizontal direction. The main body grounding terminal 802 is located on the mounting pin 801. The main body grounding terminal 802 is a plate-shaped (or linearly shaped) metal member, a portion of which is housed in a hollow portion of the mounting pin 801 integral with the connector body 805. The curved portion of the ground terminal 802 is exposed to the action of the slot hole formed on the periphery portion of the hollow cylinder so that it projects from the cylindrical outer surface of the mounting pin 801. One of the main body terminals 804 is mounted in the vertical direction above the mounting pin 801 (ground terminal 802 of the main body) in the vertical direction of the mark, and two of the terminals 804 of the main body are mounted in the vertical direction under the mounting pin 801 in the vertical direction of the mark. The main body terminals 804 are plate-shaped (or linear-shaped) metal elements.

Two ribs are provided on the right and left sides of the alignment pin 801 in the horizontal direction of the mark at the bottom of the connector body 805 so that the inner beveled surfaces of the ribs face each other. In addition, the vibration preventing members 803 serving as two adjusters are configured to face both lower sides of the identification mark 700 under the center of the identification mark hole 701 in the vertical direction of the mark.

When the ID tag holder 344 is attached to the container front end cover 34 provided in the toner container 32 and the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the ID tag holder 344 will be positioned between the connector 800 and the ID tag 700. In this state, the ID tag holder 344 will be positioned between the connector 800 and the ID tag 700. The identification mark 344 holds the identification mark 700 so that the identification mark 700 can move (so that a certain side clearance can be provided).

As illustrated in FIG. 59, in the identification tag holder 344, holder protrusions 353 are provided on the lower holder portion 348, the left holder portion 342, and the right holder portion 349, respectively. Three holder protrusions 353 provided on the bottom holder portion 348, the left holder portion 342, and the right holder portion 349 may prevent the ID tag 700 from exiting the ID tag holder 344 toward the connector 800.

A holder hole 347 is formed at the connector 800 side end of the ID tag holder 344 (on the wall surface having the holder projections 353). The holder opening 347 is shaped such that most of the connector 800 side end of the ID tag holder 344, including areas facing the four terminals of the connector 800 (three main body terminals 804 and one main body ground terminal 802) is exposed. In addition, the holder hole 347 formed in the identification tag holder 344 is shaped such that even the area corresponding to the vibration preventing members 803 located on the connector 800 is open. When attaching the toner container 32, the alignment pin 801 passes through the open space of the holder hole 347, and the vibration preventing members 803 subsequently pass through the open space of the holder hole 347 and enters the inside of the ID tag holder 344.

The holding bases 358 facing the rear surface of the identification tag 700 (at the side of the security element 720) constitute one part of the front end cover 34 of the container. Four columns of holding bases 358 extend from holding portion 343 toward connector 800. Holding bases 358 press against areas near the four corners of rectangular substrate 702 to prevent interference with security element 720 attached to identification tag 700 and to prevent collision with vibration-preventing elements 803 , which are inserted when attaching the 800 connector.

Meanwhile, when the installation pin 801 is inserted into the ID tag hole 701 formed in the ID tag 700, the ID tag 700 is pressed towards the rear end of the container by the ground terminal 802 on the installation pin 801 or the pins 804. Meanwhile, the four holding bases 358 serve as a support for the rear surface of the substrate 702 so that a contact state between the terminals can be maintained.

FIG. 60 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which the installation of the connector 800 of the toner replenishment device 60 and the identification mark 700 is completed while attaching the toner container 32 to the toner replenishment device 60 (the main body of the copier 500). In particular, FIG. 60 illustrates a state in which the main body side terminals (main body terminals 804 and main body ground terminal 802) and the ID tag 700 side terminals (metal pad 710 and ground terminal 703) are connected to each other. In FIG. 60, for ease of understanding, the ID tag holder 344 and the three metal pads 710 between the connector 800 and the ID tag 700 are omitted.

In the toner container 32 according to the embodiment, the cylindrical container neck 33a projects relative to the container front end cover 34. When the unattached toner container 32 is moved in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 60 to attach it to the toner replenishment device 60, the outer surfaces of the cylindrical container neck 33a and the container mounting portion 615 are engaged with each other. Therefore, the position of the toner container 32 relative to the toner replenishment device 60 in the rotation axis direction is deterministic. Thereafter, when the toner container 32 is further moved in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 60, the connection between the identification mark 700 and the connector 800 begins.

After the position of the toner container 32 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction becomes deterministic and the position of the container front end cap 34 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction becomes deterministic, the position of the identification mark 700 in the direction perpendicular to the axis direction rotation will be deterministic. Specifically, after the position of the cylindrical container neck 33a in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis becomes deterministic, the identification mark hole 701 formed in the identification mark 700 engages with the alignment pin 801 so that it is captured by the tapered end of the alignment pin 801 of the connector 800. With this contact interaction, the positions of the identification mark 700 in the vertical mark direction and in the horizontal mark direction will simultaneously become deterministic. In particular, the position of the identification mark 700 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis will be deterministic.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 62A, vibration preventing members 803 provided on the connector 800 are included in the lower edge portions that are on both horizontal sides of the substrate 702 in the horizontal direction of the mark and which are located below the center of the identification mark hole 701 in the vertical direction. direction of the mark. Here, even in the case where the position of the identification mark 700 is offset, as illustrated in FIG. 62B, when one of the beveled surfaces on the ends of the rib-shaped vibration preventing members 803 comes into contact with one of the edges, the portion below ID tag hole 701 is rotated in the opposite direction to the contacting beveled surface. Then, the rotation stops at a position where the identification mark 700 comes into contact with the two beveled surfaces in the same manner, and the deviation from the predetermined position in the rotation direction (rotation in the direction of the double-headed arrow in FIG. 62B) can be corrected (corrected to the state illustrated in Fig.62A). As a result, installation of the identification mark 700 at the predetermined position is completed.

At this time, a portion of the ground terminal 703 of the ID tag 700 (the portion corresponding to the inner surface of the ID tag hole 701) comes into contact with the ground terminal 802 of the installation pin 801 illustrated in FIG. 60, so that the ID tag 700 is grounded (by conduction). Once connected to ground, as illustrated in FIG. 61A, the three metal pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) of the ID tag 700 are respectively connected to the three terminals 804 of the connector 800. Therefore, information can be transferred between the ID tag 700 and a control device in the device. 60 toner replenishment, including a connector 800 (control device 90 of the copier 500).

Thus, according to an embodiment, the positioning structure can be made with higher precision and at lower cost based on various ideas (1) to (5) described below.

(1) Only one identification mark hole 701 is made. Therefore, the cost of processing the substrate 702 can be reduced.

(2) The main body ground terminal 802 is mounted integrally with the lateral peripheral surface of the mounting pin 801. Therefore, the distance between the alignment pin 801 and the main body ground terminal 802 can become substantially zero, and the positioning accuracy of the ground terminal 703 relative to the main body ground terminal 802 can be improved.

(3) In a fully connected state like that illustrated in FIG. 60, the relative positions of the identification mark hole 701 and the curved portions of the main body terminals 804 are adjusted so that the center of the identification mark hole 701 coincides with the line connecting the vertices of the curved parts (contacting parts) three terminals 804 on the connector 800. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the distance from the identification mark hole 701 serving as the positioning part to the contacting portions of the terminals (main body terminals 804 and metal pads 710) to approximately 0 mm in the horizontal direction of the mark. The result of precise positioning can be improved when the three metal contact pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) come into contact with the three terminals 804 of the main body.

(4) A plurality of metal pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) are arranged in a single line, and an identification mark hole 701 is located in any of two areas formed between two of the three pads. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the distance from the center of the identification mark hole 701 to the outermost metal pad 710c (corresponding to the length of the pendulum arm) compared to an arrangement in which the mounting hole (or slot) is located on the upper side or on the lower side outside the row of metal pads pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) in the vertical direction of the mark. Specifically, when the mounting hole (or slot) is located outside the row of three metal pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c), the longest arm length becomes the distance corresponding to the three metal pads 710 from the center (or center of the slot). However, in the identification mark 700 in accordance with the embodiment, the longest length of the arm can be reduced to a distance corresponding to two metal pads 710. By reducing the length of the pendulum arm, the deviation can be minimized even when there is a deviation from parallelism of the outermost metal pad. pads 710c relative to main body terminals 804, due, for example, to mass production.

(5) When storing the toner container 32 by itself in a certain space, foreign matter may enter the identification mark holder 344 and become stuck between the identification mark 700 and the holder projections 353 or the holding bases 358, so that a deviation from the predetermined position may remain. To solve this problem, according to an embodiment, the relative position is determined in an efficient manner such that the identification tag hole 701 formed in the identification tag 700 is above the center of gravity in the vertical direction of the tag. Therefore, when the vibration preventing members 803 formed from a pair of ribs are inserted below the identification mark hole 701, that is, below the center of rotation, in the vertical direction of the mark, the identification mark 700 can be rotated. In particular, the identification mark 700 contacts the chamfered surfaces of the members (ribs) 803 to prevent vibration and is rotated so that it contacts the two chamfered surfaces in the same manner. Therefore, it is possible to regulate the deviation from the predetermined position and correct the position. As a result, even when only one identification mark hole 701 is provided, the placement accuracy of the plurality of metal contact pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) relative to the plurality of main body terminals 804 can be improved simultaneously.

As described in paragraphs (1)-(5) above, each of the five ideas can achieve each function and achieve the preferred effects. Even if a low-cost configuration is used in which the amount of area of the metal pad 710 is minimized, it is possible to greatly improve the positional accuracy of the plurality of pins (703, 710) on the identification mark 700, including the ground pin 703, and the plurality of pins (802, 804) main body.

Other ideas and preferred effects according to the embodiment will be explained below.

Each of the three metal pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) will be described in detail below. The metal pad 710, which is located at the highest height, receives a clock signal to control data transmission. The first metal pad 710a uses a serial transmission method that is low speed but low cost due to serial data transmission, and uses an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus as a serial bus. The first metal pad 710a forms a signal line into which serial clock pulses (SCL) are input when the serial data line is connected to the connector 800 of the toner replenishment device 60. The first metal pad 710a corresponds to a terminal to which a clock signal is supplied. However, since the clock signal is one-way, there is a high probability that the first metal pad 710a will cause breakdown of the ID tag 700 if a short circuit occurs between it and the power line (Vcc) (power supply, third metal pad 710), which will be described later, in comparison with the other findings. Therefore, to prevent breakdown of the ID tag 700, the first metal pad 710a is located further away from the power line (Vcc). This is because the probability of breakdown is reduced even if a short circuit occurs between the first metal pad 710a and the ground (GND) (ground terminal 703).

The second metal pad 710b also uses a serial data transmission method using I2C as a serial bus, and forms a signal line in which serial data input/output (SDA) is carried out when the signal line is connected to the connector 800 of the toner replenishment device 60 . The second metal pad 710b has a bidirectional input/output mechanism, and therefore, the likelihood that the identification mark 700 will be punctured by a short circuit is lower than in the case of the first metal pad 710a, which uses a unidirectional input mechanism.

The third metal pad 710c is a power supply portion (Vcc) that is supplied with a voltage of 5 V or 3.3 V when connected to the connector 800 of the toner replenishment device 60. To reduce the risk of breakdown of the entire device due to a short circuit between the power supply and ground, the serial data input terminal (second metal pad 710b) is located between ground (ground terminal 703) and the serial clock input terminal (first metal contact pad 710a). As illustrated in FIGS. 58A-58C, the third metal pad 710c serving as Vcc covers the security element 720 located on the rear side of the ID tag IC by means of a substrate 702 and is located adjacent to the control circuit of the integrated circuit (IC). ) in the protective element 720. Therefore, a short and thick line can be obtained as a power supply line, which enables stable power supply (i.e., reducing failures due to interference).

Ideas related to grounding will be described below. When performing the operation of attaching the toner container 32, the ground terminal 703 of the identification tag 700 comes into contact with the ground terminal 802 of the installation pin 801 (connector 800). Thereafter, the three metal contact pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c) of the identification tag 700 begin to come into contact with the three terminals 804 of the connector 800. In other words, when the detachment operation of the toner container 32 is performed, the contact between the three metal contact pads 710 (710a, 710b , 710c) of the identification tag 700 and the three terminals 804 of the connector 800 is opened. Thereafter, the contact between the ground terminal 703 of the identification tag 700 and the ground terminal 802 of the installation pin 801 (connector 800) is opened (removed).

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 61A, in the connector 800, the contact origin of the main body ground terminal 802 is closer to the identification mark 700 compared to the three main body terminals 804.

With this configuration, in the operation of attaching the toner container 32, the identification mark 700 will always be grounded when the connection between the metal contact pads 710 and the main body terminals 804 begins. In the detachment operation of the toner container 32, the identification mark 700 will always be grounded when the connection between the metal contact pads 710 and the main body terminals 804 begins to open (the contact opens). Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the circuitry on the identification tag 700 goes into a floating state due to not being grounded. As a result, the likelihood of electrical damage to the identification tag 700 is reduced.

In particular, when the circuitry on the identification tag 700 is not grounded and enters a floating state, the circuitry enters a grounded state with an extremely large impedance. Therefore, even if only a small charge of static electricity generated by the contact or disconnection of the three metal contact pads 710 and the three main body terminals 804 passes into the electrical circuit, a high voltage equal to the product of the electric current and the impedance is generated. The high voltage causes an insulation breakdown within the ID tag IC 700 such that the IC is destroyed.

Such a defect easily occurs when, as illustrated in FIG. 61B, the three terminals 804 and the ground terminal 802 in the connector 800 are formed such that their contact points are in the same positions relative to the identification mark 700.

In contrast, according to an embodiment, the curved portion of the main body ground terminal 802 exposed to the slot hole of the mounting pin 801 is positioned to be closer to the identification mark 700 compared to the curved portions representing the most protruding portions of the terminals. 804 of the main body protruding towards the identification mark 700. Therefore, the ground connection is made first during making and the ground connection is disconnected last during opening, so that theoretically the impedance will always be zero. As a result, even if a charge of static electricity flows into an electrical circuit, it is possible to prevent insulation breakdown from occurring within the integrated circuit.

In addition, the identification mark 700 according to the embodiment includes two ground pin protrusions 705 located on the outer periphery portion of the ground pin 703, as explained above with reference to FIGS. 58A to 58C.

By placing the ground terminal protrusions 705 on the front surface of the substrate 702 of the identification mark 700 as described above, it is possible to easily perform the contacting operation of a conductivity test probe in the conductivity testing process (the process of checking whether the identification mark 700 is defective or not) during production at the enterprise. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 63, the front ends of a plurality of probes 901 of the conductivity testing device 900 are pressed against metal pads 710 or a ground terminal 703 of the identification tag 700 on the testing table. Since the ground terminal protrusions 705 formed on the ground terminal 703 have an area that can provide sufficient contact when coming into contact with the front ends of the probes 901, it is possible to prevent a failure in the conductivity test caused by contact failure of the probes 901. In addition, the test conductivity is accomplished by pressing the front ends of the probes 901 downward toward the ground terminal 703 (ground terminal protrusions 705). Therefore, it is possible to improve the durability of the probes 901, which are repeatedly used for testing, compared with the case where the probes 901 are inserted into the identification mark hole 701 for conductivity testing. In addition, it is possible to prevent abrasion of the identification mark hole 701 formed in the identification mark 700, which is caused by the conductivity test.

In the "extra" space that expands in a wedge shape between the ground ring 703 and the rectangular metal pads 710, the components are arranged as follows. Specifically, the ground pin projections 705 have a boundary (boundary line) in the horizontal direction of the mark. The boundary contacts the annular outer periphery of the annular ground terminal 703. The ground terminal protrusions 705 are arranged to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the metal pads 710 (710a, 710b, 710c). Therefore, the ground terminal protrusions 705 do not protrude in the vertical direction of the mark, and a situation in which they protrude into the right and left sliding regions of the substrate 702 that slides relative to the holder protrusions 353 (protrusion in the horizontal direction of the mark) can be prevented. As a result, the size of the substrate 702 can be avoided and as many substrates 702 having a standard size can be produced from a standard material having a nominal size during manufacturing. Therefore, the increase in the initial cost of the identification tag 700 can be reduced.

In addition, the three terminals 804 of connector 800 are plate-shaped (or linear-shaped) metal elements. Three leads 804 are supported by and attached to connector body 805 such that one end of each lead serves as an attached end and the other end (front end) of each lead serves as a free end. A curved portion that bends toward the identification mark 700 (toner container 32) is formed at the front end of each of the three terminals 804. Specifically, the terminals 804 are curved like an elbow (or boomerang) toward the identification mark 700. Curved terminal portions 804 serve as parts in contact with metal pads 710.

Simultaneously with the operation of attaching the toner container 32 to the toner supply device 60, the curved portions of the terminals 804 come into contact with the approximate centers of the metal pads 710 in the longitudinal direction (in the horizontal direction of the mark). As the operation of attaching the toner container 32 is further continued, the identification mark 700 approaches the connector 800, and the leads 804 are displaced while simultaneously being pressed and elastically deformed by the metal contact pads 710 (so that the bent elbow is straightened), so that the bent portions of the leads 804 move toward the side free end. Specifically, simultaneously with the operation of attaching the toner container 32, the curved portions of the terminals 804 are moved from the center to the free end side in the longitudinal direction (in the horizontal direction of the mark) while the contact pressure applied to the metal contact pads 710 is gradually increased.

With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent contact failure between the main body terminals 804 and the metal pads 710. In particular, in some cases, deviation of the position of the container front end cap 34 (metal pads 710) relative to the connector 800 (main terminals 804) may occur. body) in the longitudinal direction (in the horizontal direction of the mark) due to the variability of the dimensional accuracy of the corresponding components or the variability of the assembly accuracy (size variation). However, due to the above configuration, even when there is a deviation in the position of the container front end cover 34 in the longitudinal direction relative to the connector 800, it is possible to more reliably prevent contact failure between the main body terminals 804 and the metal contact pads 710.

As described above, in the toner container 32 according to the embodiments, the contact-type identification mark 700 (information storage device) is held by the holding structure 345 of the identification mark holder 344. Specifically, the ID tag 700 is held by the holding structure 345 of the ID tag holder 344 such that the ID tag 700 can move in a virtual plane approximately perpendicular to the direction of movement (direction of arrow Q) along which the metal pads 710 (container leads) approach the leads. 804 (or come into contact with terminals 804) of the main body. Therefore, even in the situations described below, it is unlikely that contact failure caused by failure to install the metal contact pads 710 of the identification tag 700 in a predetermined position relative to the terminals 804 of the connector 800 of the toner replenishment device 60 can occur. In particular, even when the contact-type identification mark 700 is mounted on the toner container 32 detachably attached to the toner replenishment device 60 (the main body of the copier 500), contact failure is unlikely to occur.

Moreover, according to the embodiments, even when the contact-type identification mark 700 is mounted on the toner container 32 detachably attached to the toner replenishment device 60, the identification mark 700 is unlikely to be damaged electrically. This is because the ground terminal 703 to be brought into engagement with the ground terminal 802 on the mounting pin 801 of the connector 800 is formed in the identification tag hole 701 on the substrate 702 of the identification tag 700.

If the fluidity of the toner is high, toner scattering occurs easily due to the attachment/detachment of the toner refill container. This problem is solved in the embodiments.

Accelerated cohesion (%) and density (g/cm ³ ) of aerated bulk material are known as indicators characterizing fluidity. The toner to be contained in the toner container 32 according to the embodiment may be: a toner having a volume average particle diameter of approximately 5.5 μm, an accelerated cohesion of approximately 13%, and an aerated bulk density of 0.36 g/cm ³ , with added silicon dioxide in an amount of 3.3 (part by weight) and titanium in an amount of 0.6 (part by weight). This toner can be cured by heating at a temperature of 120°C and has excellent curing ability at low temperatures.

Alternatively, it is possible to use a toner having a volume average particle diameter of approximately 4.5 microns, an accelerated cohesion of approximately 18%, and an aerated bulk density of 0.38 g/cm ³ with added silica in an amount 2.3 (part by weight) and titanium in the amount of 0.7 (part by weight). It goes without saying that it is possible to use another toner instead of those illustrated above as an example.

The toner can be manufactured by a known polymerization method or a grinding method.

As a method for measuring the particle diameter distribution of toner particles, a method using a Coulter counter can be used. The measuring device based on this method can be a Coulter Counter TA-II or a Coulter Multisizer II (each manufactured by Beckman Coulter, Inc.).

Accelerated toner cohesion was measured by a powder analyzer (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation) in a test environment of 24°C and 72% humidity. Other conditions are given in Table 1.

Table 1 Paragraph Unit Value under standard conditions Value under conditions corresponding to the embodiment upper sieve µm 75 75 medium sieve µm 45 45 bottom sieve µm 20 20 vibration [zone] width mm 1 1.5 powder sample size G 2.00±0.01 2.00±0.01 vibration duration With 10 thirty

After measurements, the toner cohesion is obtained according to the equation below.

Proportion (%) of the mass of powder remaining on the upper sieve × 1 (a)

Proportion (%) of the mass of powder remaining on the middle sieve × 0.6 (b)

Proportion (%) of powder mass remaining on the lower sieve × 0.2 (s)

Cohesion (%)=(a)+(b)+(c)

The measurement results are shown in Table 2 (unit: %).

table 2 Toner type Measured value under standard conditions First measured value under conditions corresponding to the embodiment Second measured value under conditions corresponding to the embodiment A 11.4 11.2 11.6 IN 12.9 12.6 13.2 WITH 18.4 17.2 19.6 D 56 54.2 57.8 E 64.9 63.8 66

According to the results shown in Table 2, the fluidity of toner D and toner E was determined to be low.

The density of the aerated bulk material is a value calculated by loosely filling the container with toner, leveling the toner, and dividing the internal mass by the volume of the container.

If toner fluidity is high, toner scattering may occur. However, in the toner container and toner replenishment device according to the present invention, the toner replenishment device is refilled with toner inside the toner container. Therefore, although this configuration is obviously suitable for a toner with a relatively low fluidity, the configuration is more suitable for a toner with a higher fluidity because it can prevent toner scattering.

The above embodiments are explained by way of example only. The present invention can achieve various effects specific to each embodiment described below.

(Implementation Option A)

A powder container such as a toner container 32 removably attached to an imaging apparatus such as a copier 500, wherein the powder container includes a container body such as a container body 33 having a container neck such as a container mouth 33a, at the first end and containing imaging powder such as toner; a conveyor such as a spiral rib 302 located inside the container body for transporting powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body; a nozzle receiving member such as a nozzle receiving member 330 located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving opening such as a receiving opening 331 for receiving a powder conveying nozzle such as a conveying nozzle 611 that is provided in the imaging apparatus wherein the nozzle receiving member is configured to direct the nozzle to transport the powder into the interior of the container body; and a scooping portion, such as a scooping portion 304, scooping powder coming from the conveyor while rotating the scooping portion, and configured to convey the powder to a powder receiving hole such as a nozzle hole 610 formed in the powder conveying nozzle. The nozzle receiving hole is located at the inner lower part of the container neck, such as the front end hole 305.

Therefore, as described in the above embodiments, since the nozzle receiving hole is located in the cylindrical inner lower portion of the container neck, a portion of the edge of the container neck at the front end side of the container protrudes relative to the edge of the nozzle insertion member where the nozzle receiving hole is formed. The protrusion prevents the toner ejected from the nozzle receiving hole from scattering when the transport nozzle is removed from the powder container. In addition, the contact member and the bias member are placed in the interior of the cylindrical neck of the container when the powder container is attached to the powder transport device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the longitudinal size of the powder transport device when the powder container is attached.

(Implementation Option B)

In the powder container according to Embodiment A, the outer surface of the container mouth provided in the container body is a positioning portion relative to the image forming apparatus.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent powder such as toner from falling onto the outer surface of the container neck, which makes it possible to improve the accuracy of positioning the powder container relative to the powder transport device.

(Implementation Option C)

In the powder container according to Embodiment A, the rotation axis of the container body corresponds to the longitudinal direction, and the cylindrical outer surface of the container mouth provided in the container body includes a rotating shaft portion to be inserted into the rotating shaft receiving portion of the image forming apparatus.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, when powder enters the gap between the rotating shaft receiving portion and the rotating shaft forming sliding portion, the sliding load during rotation may increase and the torque on the container body may increase. However, this embodiment makes it possible to prevent powder from getting onto the outer surface of the container neck. Therefore, it is possible to prevent powder from entering the sliding portion and preventing the sliding load from increasing. As a result, it is possible to stabilize the sliding characteristics and prevent an increase in torque on the container body.

(Implementation option D)

In the powder container according to Embodiment C, the outer surface of the container mouth provided in the container body is a positioning portion relative to the image forming apparatus.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to ensure stable installation accuracy of the powder container in a predetermined position relative to the powder transport device.

(Implementation Option E)

In the powder container according to Embodiment C or D, the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion that has a screw such as a male thread 337c on its outer periphery and is configured to fix the nozzle receiving member relative to the neck of the container. , and the direction of screwing the thread is the same as the direction of rotation of the powder container.

Therefore, as explained in the above thirteenth embodiment, it is possible to prevent a situation in which rotation of the container body causes the nozzle insertion member to unscrew from the container body.

(Implementation option F)

In the powder container according to Embodiment C or D, the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion, such as a nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the mouth of the container, the outer diameter of the locking portion being larger than the inner diameter of the neck of the container. , a protrusion such as the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member is formed on one of the outer surface of the locking portion and the inner surface of the container neck, while an engaging hole such as the engaging openings 3051 in the front end hole area to be engaged with the protrusion is formed on the other of the outer surface of the locking part and the inner surface of the container neck, and the locking part is pressed into the container neck at a place where the protrusion and the engagement hole engage.

Therefore, as explained in the fourteenth embodiment, the engagement between the protrusion and the engaging hole can prevent the nozzle inserting member from leaving the container body and rotating the nozzle inserting member relative to the container body. In addition, since the outer diameter of the fixing part is larger than the inner diameter of the container neck, the container neck can be "adjusted" so that its shape follows the shape of the fixing part when the nozzle insertion member is attached to the container body, thereby improving the roundness accuracy neck of the container. By improving the accuracy of the roundness of the container neck, it is possible to improve the accuracy of positioning the powder container, such as the toner container 32, in a predetermined position relative to the powder transport device, such as the toner replenishment device 60.

(Implementation Option G)

In the powder container according to Embodiment C or D, the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion, such as a nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the mouth of the container, the outer diameter of the locking portion being smaller than the inner diameter of the neck of the container. , a protrusion such as the engaging projections 3301 of the nozzle receiving member is formed on one of the outer surface of the locking portion and the inner surface of the container neck, while an engaging hole such as the engaging openings 3051 in the front end hole area to be engaged with the protrusion is formed on the other of the outer surface of the fixing part and the inner surface of the container neck, a seal such as the outer seal 3302 of the receiving member is located in the gap between the fixing part and the container body, and the nozzle receiving member is inserted into the container neck so that that the seal will be positioned and compressed between the locking portion and the container body at the location where the protrusion and the engagement hole engage.

Therefore, as explained in the fifteenth embodiment, the engagement between the protrusion and the engaging hole can prevent the nozzle inserting member from leaving the container body and rotating the nozzle inserting member relative to the container body. In addition, the repulsion force exerted by the seal side and the detachment preventing means implemented by the engagement make it possible to ensure that the position of a powder container such as the toner container 32 is determined in the direction of the rotation axis and prevent the nozzle insertion member from leaving the container body. under the influence of external force. In addition, since the seal is compressed to seal, it is possible to prevent leakage of powder such as toner.

(Implementation option H)

In the powder container according to Embodiment C or D, the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion such as a nozzle receiving member locking portion 337 for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the mouth of the container, the locking portion including a first portion and a second part, the first outer diameter of the first part is smaller than the inner diameter of the container neck corresponding to the rotating shaft part, the second outer diameter of the second part is larger than the inner diameter of the container neck, and the fixing part is pressed into the container neck.

Therefore, as explained in the twentieth embodiment, the part that serves as the rotating shaft part in the container neck does not expand under the pressing action of the locking part, so that the part can be used as a positioning part or a sliding part. As a result, it is possible to maintain high precision when molding the container neck, which makes it possible to perform positioning with higher precision and sliding with good performance.

(Embodiment I)

In the powder container according to Embodiment H, the pressed-in part of the locking part is arranged so that it corresponds to the location of the container gear transmitting rotational force to the container body.

Therefore, as explained in the twentieth embodiment, the strength of this part is higher than the strength of the remaining parts of the container body, so that the probability of this part being deformed by the pressing action is reduced. In addition, since the container body firmly and tightly encloses the fixing portion, the possibility of the nozzle insertion member such as the nozzle receiving member 330 becoming separated even over time is reduced.

(Implementation Option J)

In the powder container according to Embodiment H, the pressed-in part of the fixing part is arranged so that it corresponds to the place where the container neck is thicker than the rotating shaft part.

Therefore, as explained in the twentieth embodiment, the strength of this part is greater than the strength of the other parts, so that the probability of deformation of this part due to pressing is reduced. In addition, since the container body firmly and tightly encloses the fixing portion, the possibility of the nozzle insertion member such as the nozzle receiving member 330 becoming separated even over time is reduced.

(Implementation Option K)

In the powder container according to any of Embodiments A to J, the nozzle receiving hole is a through hole of the seal ring, and a closed space is formed around the conveying nozzle and between the seal ring and the nozzle receiving member.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent the seal ring between the nozzle insertion member and the opening/closing member such as the container shutter 332 from being pinched. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the nozzle receiving hole cannot be opened and closed due to the pinched seal ring.

(Embodiment L)

A powder container such as a toner container 32 removably attached to an imaging apparatus such as a copier 500, wherein the powder container includes a container body such as a container body 33 including a container neck, such as a container neck 33a at the first end and containing imaging powder such as toner; a conveyor such as a spiral rib 302 located inside the container body for transporting powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body; a nozzle receiving member such as a nozzle receiving member 330 located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving opening such as a receiving opening 331 for receiving a powder conveying nozzle such as a conveying nozzle 611 that is provided in the imaging apparatus wherein the nozzle receiving member is configured to direct the nozzle to transport the powder into the interior of the container body; and a scooping portion, such as a scooping portion 304, receiving powder from the conveyor and rotating to lift the received powder from bottom to top in the body of the powder transport container to a powder receiving opening such as a nozzle opening 610 formed in the powder transport nozzle. The nozzle receiving member includes a shutter such as a container shutter 332 for opening and closing the nozzle receiving opening; a support portion such as the shutter side support portions 335a for providing a movable support for the shutter; an opening such as a space 335b between the side support portions located adjacent the support portion and configured to communicate with the powder receiving opening of the conveying nozzle inserted into the nozzle receiving member. The support part and the hole located next to the support part are configured to alternately intersect the powder receiving zone.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, even if powder accumulates momentarily above the powder receiving channel, since the supporting part passes through the accumulated powder and reduces the accumulation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the accumulated toner undergoes cohesion at rest and occurs. Toner movement fails when the device resumes operation.

(Embodiment M)

In the powder container according to Embodiment L, either the inner edge of the opening, such as the space 335b between the side support portions, adjacent to the support portion, such as the shutter side support portions 335a, or a combination of this inner edge and the outer surface of the support portion serves as powder jumper, which allows the powder to move from the scooping part to the powder receiving hole.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent powder from passing through the gap between the conveying nozzle, such as the conveying nozzle 611, and the inner wall, such as the bulge 304h, of the container body, such as the container body 33, which forms the scooping part. Therefore, the scooped powder can be effectively introduced into the powder receiving hole. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the replenishment rate even when the amount of powder in the container body decreases. It is also possible to reduce the amount of toner remaining in the container body when replacing a powder container such as the toner container 32. In addition, since the amount of powder remaining in the container body during replacement is reduced, operating costs can be reduced, resulting in increased economic efficiency, and the amount of remaining powder to be discarded can be reduced, thereby reducing environmental impact.

(Implementation option N)

In the powder container according to Embodiment M, the scooping part and the powder bridge are rotated in the same rotation direction and are located adjacent to each other, so that the inner edge of the hole located adjacent to the support part and the convexity, such as the convexity 304h, which protruding towards the inside of the container body, in the scooping part are arranged in this order from the downstream side to the upstream side in the direction of rotation.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent powder from passing through the gap between the conveying nozzle, such as the conveying nozzle 611, and the inner wall, such as the bulge 304h, of the container body, such as the container body 33, which forms the scooping portion.

(Implementation Option O)

In the powder container according to Embodiment L, the container body is held by the powder transport device to be rotatable relative to the powder transport nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body as an axis of rotation when moving the powder, the nozzle receiving member is fixed relative to the container body, and the scooping part includes itself a bulge, such as bulge 304h, which is a surface of the inner wall of the container body projecting inwardly in the container body, and includes an inner wall that projects from the bulge to the surface of the inner wall of the container body.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to scoop the powder by rotating the container body.

(Implementation option P)

In the powder container according to Embodiment L or M, the container body is held by the powder transport device to be rotatable relative to the powder transport nozzle about a longitudinal direction of the container body as an axis of rotation when moving the powder, the nozzle receiving member is fixed relative to the container body, the scooping part includes includes a convexity, such as a convexity 304h, which is a surface of the inner wall of the container body projecting inwardly in the container body, and includes an inner wall that projects from the convexity to the surface of the inner wall of the container body, and the convexity and the powder bridge are located at state of contact or with a small gap located between them.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to scoop the powder by rotating the container body. In addition, it is possible to prevent powder from passing through the gap between the conveying nozzle, such as the conveying nozzle 611, and the inner wall, such as the bulge 304h, of the container body, such as the container body 33, which forms the scooping part.

(Implementation Option Q)

In the powder container according to Embodiment L, the container body is held by the powder transport device to be rotatable relative to the conveying nozzle about the longitudinal direction of the container body as an axis of rotation when moving the powder, the nozzle receiving member is fixed relative to the container body, and the scooping part includes a rib , such as scooping ribs 304g, projecting from the nozzle receiving member to a region near the inner wall of the container body.

Therefore, as explained for the modifications, it is possible to cause a given rib to receive powder moved by a conveyor such as the spiral rib 302, lift the powder from bottom to top simultaneously with rotation, and cause the powder to slide along the surface of the rib and enter it into a powder receiving hole such as an orifice 610 nozzles.

(Embodiment R)

A powder container such as a toner container 32 removably attached to an imaging apparatus such as a copier 500, wherein the powder container includes a container body such as a container body 33 including a container neck, such as a container neck 33a at the first end and containing imaging powder such as toner; a conveyor such as a spiral rib 302 located inside the container body for transporting powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body; a nozzle receiving member such as a nozzle receiving member 330 located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving opening such as a receiving opening 331 for receiving a powder conveying nozzle such as a conveying nozzle 611 that is provided in the imaging apparatus wherein the nozzle receiving member is configured to direct the nozzle to transport the powder into the interior of the container body; and a scooping portion such as a scooping portion 304 projecting into the interior of the container body and having a ridge-like projection such as a bulge 304h. The nozzle receiving member includes a shutter such as a container shutter 332 for opening and closing the nozzle receiving opening; a support portion such as the shutter side support portions 335a for providing a movable support for the shutter; an opening such as a space 335b between the side support portions located adjacent the support portion and configured to communicate with the powder receiving opening of the conveying nozzle inserted into the nozzle receiving member. The comb-shaped protrusion of the scooping part faces the supporting part of the element for receiving the nozzle.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to scoop the powder by rotating the container body. In addition, it is possible to prevent powder from passing through the gap between the conveying nozzle, such as the conveying nozzle 611, and the inner wall, such as the bulge 304h, of the container body, such as the container body 33, which forms the scooping part.

(Embodiment S)

An image forming apparatus such as a copier 500 includes an image forming unit such as a duplicator 100 that forms an image on an image medium such as a photoreceptor 41 by using an imaging powder such as a toner; a powder conveyor such as a toner replenishment device 60 that moves powder to the imaging unit; and a powder container such as a toner container 32 according to any one of embodiments A to R. The powder container is configured to be detachably attached to the imaging device.

Therefore, as explained in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent powder from scattering, preventing a decrease in the installation accuracy of the powder container that occurs due to scattered toner, and preventing an increase in torque on the powder container. Therefore, it is possible to stably move the powder to its destination when moving. Stable movement of the imaging powder can result in a stable amount of powder being moved to the imaging unit. Therefore, the image density can be stabilized, resulting in good images being generated.

(Implementation option A1)

A powder container removably attached to the imaging device, the powder container comprising:

a container body including a container mouth at a first end and containing imaging powder;

a conveyor located inside the container body for transporting powder from a second end of the container body to a first end along a longitudinal direction of the container body;

a nozzle receiving member located in the neck of the container and having a nozzle receiving hole for receiving a powder transport nozzle that is provided in the image forming apparatus, and for guiding the powder transport nozzle into an interior portion of the container body; And

a scooping part for scooping powder coming from the conveyor while rotating the scooping part and designed to transport the powder into the powder receiving hole of the powder transport nozzle, wherein

The hole for receiving the nozzle is located in the inner lower part of the container neck.

(Implementation option A2)

The powder container according to Embodiment A1, in which the outer surface of the container mouth provided in the container body is a positioning portion relative to the image forming apparatus.

(Implementation option A3)

The powder container according to Embodiment 1, in which

the axis of rotation of the container body corresponds to the longitudinal direction, and

a cylindrical outer surface of a container neck provided in the container body includes a rotating shaft portion to be inserted into a rotating shaft receiving portion of the image forming apparatus.

(Implementation option A4)

The powder container according to Embodiment A3, in which the outer surface of the container mouth provided in the container body is a positioning portion relative to the image forming apparatus.

(Implementation option A5)

The powder container according to Embodiment A3, wherein the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion that is threaded on its outer periphery and is configured to fix the nozzle receiving member relative to the neck of the container, wherein

The screwing direction of the thread is the same as the rotation direction of the powder container.

(Implementation option A6)

The powder container according to Embodiment A3, in which

the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the neck of the container, and

the outer diameter of the fixing part is larger than the inner diameter of the container neck,

a protrusion is formed on one of the outer surface of the locking portion and an inner surface of the container neck, while an engagement hole to be engaged with the projection is formed on the other of the outer surface of the locking portion and the inner surface of the container neck, and

the locking portion is pressed into the neck of the container at the location where the protrusion and the coupling hole engage.

(Implementation option A7)

The powder container according to Embodiment A3, in which

the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the neck of the container,

the outer diameter of the fixing part is smaller than the inner diameter of the container neck,

a protrusion is formed on one of the outer surface of the locking part and an inner surface of the container neck, while an engagement hole to be engaged with the protrusion is formed on the other of the outer surface of the locking part and the inner surface of the container neck,

the seal is located in the gap between the fixing part and the container body, and

the nozzle receiving member is inserted into the neck of the container such that the seal is positioned and compressed between the locking portion and the container body at a location where the protrusion and the engagement hole engage.

(Implementation option A8)

The powder container according to Embodiment A3, in which

the nozzle receiving member includes a locking portion for fixing the nozzle receiving member relative to the neck of the container,

the fixing part includes a first part and a second part,

the first outer diameter of the first part is smaller than the inner diameter of the container neck corresponding to the part in the form of a rotating shaft,

the second outer diameter of the second part is larger than the inner diameter of the container neck; And

the fixing part is pressed into the neck of the container.

(Implementation option A9)

The powder container according to Embodiment A8, in which

the pressed-in portion of the locking portion is positioned to correspond to the location of the container gear that transmits rotational force to the container body.

(Implementation option A10)

The powder container according to Embodiment A8, in which

the pressed-in portion of the locking portion is positioned to correspond to the location where the neck of the container is thicker than the rotating shaft portion.

(Implementation option A11)

The powder container according to Embodiment A1, in which

the nozzle receiving hole is a through hole of the O-ring, and

a closed space is formed around the conveying nozzle and between the annular seal and the nozzle receiving member.

EXPLANATIONS OF REFERENCE POSITIONS

26 loading tray

27 feed roller

28 pair of registration rollers

29 pair of output rollers

30 stacking section

32 toner container (powder container)

33 container body (powder storage)

33a container neck

34 front end cover of container

34a hole opening the gear

41 photoreceptors

42a cleaning blade

42 photoreceptor cleaning device

44 charging roller

46Y yellow imager

46 imaging unit

47 exposure device

48 intermediate transfer belt

49 primary transfer bias voltage roller

Claims (43)

1. A nozzle receiving member for use and attachment to a toner container body, the nozzle receiving member comprising: release hole; an opening/closing member for opening and closing the discharge hole by moving the opening/closing member in a longitudinal direction; a locking portion including an engaging portion, a release hole, and a support portion that supports the opening/closing member so that the opening/closing member is slidable relative to the release hole in a longitudinal direction; And a biasing member that is held by the opening/closing member and the locking portion and biasing the opening/closing member in the direction in which the outlet hole is closed in the longitudinal direction, opening/closing element includes: a front end portion at an end in a first direction in which the outlet hole is closed, and a rod portion extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, front end part includes: a front end cylindrical portion, and a sliding portion on an opposite side in a first direction with respect to the front end cylindrical portion, and the sliding part has a cylindrical shape, the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the front end cylindrical part. 2. An element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 1, in which the release hole includes an elastic member with a cylindrical hole, and the front end cylindrical portion fits inside the cylindrical hole in a state in which the opening/closing member closes the discharge hole. 3. Element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, in which the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion that faces the first support portion, the surface of the first support part and the surface of the second support part, which face each other, form part of a cylindrical shape, and the sliding portion is slidably supported by the cylindrical shape. 4. An element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 3, additionally containing: an opening between the first support part and the second support part. 5. Element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 3 or 4, in which the biasing member is disposed between the first support portion and the second support portion in a state in which the opening/closing member closes the outlet opening. 6. An element for receiving a nozzle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, additionally containing: a supporting portion of the rear end of the opening/closing member at the end of the nozzle receiving member, which is the side opposite to the first direction of the nozzle receiving member as an outlet hole, wherein the supporting part of the rear end of the opening/closing element includes an opening through which the shaft part extends, the end of the rod part in the direction opposite to the first direction is bifurcated to form a pair of cantilever elements, the cantilever members include a hook member to prevent the opening/closing member from popping out, and the hook member engages the opening in a state in which the opening/closing member closes the discharge opening. 7. Element for receiving a nozzle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, in which the bias element is a coil spring, and the rod part is inserted inside the coil spring. 8. Element for receiving a nozzle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, additionally containing: O-ring in a position facing the end hole of the toner container body. 9. Element for receiving a nozzle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, in which the supporting part is equipped with a scooping rib. 10. Element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 9, in which the scooping rib protrudes from the end of the supporting part. 11. Element for receiving a nozzle according to claim 9 or 10, in which the scooping edge is curved. 12. Element for receiving a nozzle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, additionally containing: a container drive gear attached to the nozzle receiving member.