JP2003015395A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Object] To provide an image forming apparatus capable of discharging as much toner as possible without melting and fixing toner to the inner wall of a developer supply container and without generating coarse particles of toner. thing. A toner storage section (developer storage section) 1A3 for storing toner (developer), and the toner storage section 1A3
And a transport member for transporting the toner stored in the toner storage section 1A3 in the direction in which the developer supply opening 1a is provided. In the image forming apparatus provided with a developer supply container having a (developer conveying unit) 2 and a stirring member (developer stirring unit) 4 for stirring the toner stored in the toner storage unit 1A3, A mechanism for providing vibration to the agent supply container is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a developer supply container which can be attached to and detached from a main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, fine powder toner has been used as a developer in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines and printers. Then, when the toner of the image forming apparatus main body is consumed, the toner is replenished to the apparatus main body using a developer replenishing container. As such a developer replenishing container, the toner in the developer replenishing container is conveyed by a screw-shaped conveying member, and the toner is dropped and replenished from a toner discharge port provided on the lower surface of the end of the developer container. There was something that was done.

Further, in order to reduce the frequency of replacement of the developer supply container as much as possible, it is preferable to fill the developer supply container with as much toner as possible. The toner may aggregate due to its own weight. Then, only the toner around the screw is discharged to the outside of the developer supply container, and the toner not around the screw remains in the developer supply container. Therefore, there is also proposed a developer supply container in which a toner stirring member is arranged in addition to the toner conveying member.

From the viewpoint of effective use of resources, it is important to use up the toner in the developer supply container as far as possible.

Therefore, a screw-shaped conveying member and a stirring member are brought into contact with the inner wall of the developer supply container to discharge as much toner as possible in the developer supply container including the toner attached to the inner surface of the developer supply container. Some have adopted the configuration.

[0006]

However, the toner is caught in the rotating screw and the inner wall of the developer supply container, and is rubbed strongly to melt the toner to the inner wall, or the coarse particles are formed by agglomeration of the toner. Will disturb the toner coating state of the developer carrying member.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to increase the amount of toner as much as possible without melting and fixing the toner to the inner wall of the developer supply container or generating coarse particles of the toner. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of discharging the toner.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a container detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer, and the developing device. A developer replenishing opening for discharging the developer contained in the developer accommodating portion and a carrier for conveying the developer contained in the developer accommodating portion in the direction in which the developer replenishing opening is provided. In the image forming apparatus including the developer replenishing container having the developer transporting part and the developer agitating part for agitating the developer contained in the developer accommodating part, vibration is applied to the developer replenishing container. It is characterized in that a mechanism for giving is provided.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a front view of a developer supply container (hereinafter referred to as a toner supply container), and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the same toner supply container.

The toner supply container body 1A has a curved portion 1F which becomes narrower toward the lower portion, a flat portion 1G having a substantially constant width provided at the lower portion of the curved portion 1F, and a flat portion 1G provided at the lower portion of the flat portion 1G. And a circular arc shaped portion 1H. First, the toner supply container body 1A will be described.

Side wall 1 on one end side of the toner supply container body 1A
A cylindrical toner supply opening 1a for supplying the toner stored in the toner storage portion 1A3 to the image forming apparatus main body is provided at a lower portion of A2.

A receiving portion 1b for rotatably holding the conveying member 2 is formed at a position corresponding to the toner replenishing opening 1a inside the side wall 1B on the other end side of the container body 1A. Further, the holding portion 1 for rotatably holding the stirring member 4 is provided on the toner supply opening 1a and the receiving portion lb.
c and 1d are formed respectively.

Next, the transport member 2 will be described.

The conveying member 2 is for conveying the toner stored in the toner storing portion 1A3 to the toner replenishing port portion 1a. The transport unit 2 includes a shaft portion 2A and a spiral-shaped transport blade 2B that is a transport unit that is provided on the shaft portion 2A and transports the toner in a predetermined direction by the rotation of the shaft portion 2A. The transport member 2 is attached to the container body 1A in a state where the axis of the shaft 2A is substantially aligned with the center of the toner supply port la having a substantially circular shape.

The conveying member 2 is not limited to the so-called screw type described in the present embodiment, but may be, for example, a shaft portion 2A having flexible blades attached thereto.

Next, the sealing member 3 will be described.

When the toner replenishing container is set in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the sealing member 3 holds the sealing member 3 by a mechanism provided in the main body, and the toner replenishing container main body 1
A protrusion 3a for separating the sealing member 3 from A is formed.

Next, the stirring member 4 will be described.

The stirring member 4 stirs the toner accommodated in the toner accommodating portion 1A3 to destroy the toner solidified in the toner accommodating portion 1A3 and prevent the toner from being offset. The stirring member 4 includes a shaft portion 4A and a stirring blade 4B that is rotated by the rotation of the shaft portion 4A to destroy the toner. The agitating member 4 is rotatably held at both ends 4a and 4b of the shaft portion 4A by holding portions lc and 1d provided above the toner supply opening 1a and the receiving portion lb. Further, the tip end of the shaft end 4a held by the holding portion 1c provided on the toner supply opening 1a side is
A locking claw 4c for receiving rotational drive from the apparatus body side is formed.

Next, the mounting of the toner supply container to the apparatus main body 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the toner replenishing container replacement cover 15 provided on the apparatus main body 100 is opened, and the toner replenishing container is inserted into the apparatus main body 100. As a result, the protrusion 3a of the sealing member 3 is locked by the locking member (not shown) of the apparatus main body 100. After that, when the toner supply container replacement cover 15 is closed, the toner supply container is moved in the direction opposite to the insertion direction by an unillustrated opening mechanism provided in the apparatus main body 100,
As a result, the sealing member 3 is detached from the toner supply opening 1a and held. At this time, the sealing member 3 does not completely separate from the conveying member 2 when it is detached from the toner supply container main body 1A, and the sealing member 3 rotationally driven by the apparatus main body 100 becomes the conveying member 2. Also has a mechanism to transmit rotational drive.

In the present embodiment, the mechanism for vibrating the toner supply container is attached to the stirring member 4. 4e is a stop member for the spring 4f, and the stirring rod 4a is
It is pressed in the direction of arrow I by the spring 4f. Here, 4d is a step member, which is attached to the toner supply container main body 1A, and its details are shown in FIG.
Further, 4g is a protrusion that is pressed against the step member 4d.

Now, the movement of the stirring member 4 will be described.

The stirring member 4 rotates in the direction of arrow II when the toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus main body 100. Then, when the protrusion 4g moves from (1) to (2) of the step member 4d, the stirring member 4 instantaneously moves in the direction of the arrow I, and the protrusion 4g strikes the inner wall of the toner replenishing container, and the inner wall of the toner replenishing container. The toner adhering to is removed.

The above structure may be provided in the toner conveying member, but in order to keep the amount of toner supplied to the image forming apparatus as constant as possible, it is not preferable to make the toner conveying member move in the longitudinal direction. . Therefore, in order to maintain a stable toner supply amount, it is preferable to attach a member for vibrating the toner supply container to the toner stirring member.

If a mechanism for vibrating the toner replenishing container is provided inside the toner replenishing container as in the present embodiment, an extra space for disposing the vibrating member in the image forming apparatus is required. I won't.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The toner supply container according to the present embodiment is
The toner supply container is the same as that of the first embodiment except that a mechanism for vibrating the toner supply container is not provided therein.

As shown in FIG. 5, the mechanism 6 for vibrating the toner supply container 5 in this embodiment is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 100 as shown in FIG. The mechanism 5 for vibrating the toner supply container 5 is configured to move in the direction of arrow III and strike.

By providing the image forming apparatus main body 100 with a mechanism for vibrating the toner replenishing container 5, it is not necessary to provide a vibrating mechanism for each toner replenishing container that is replaced each time toner runs out. There is an advantage that the cost can be reduced.

[0032]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided a container which can be attached to and detached from the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and which contains a developer containing portion for containing a developer, and the developer. A developer replenishing opening for discharging the developer contained in the developer accommodating portion and a carrier for conveying the developer contained in the developer accommodating portion in the direction in which the developer replenishing opening is provided. In the image forming apparatus including the developer replenishing container having the developer transporting part and the developer agitating part for agitating the developer contained in the developer accommodating part, vibration is applied to the developer replenishing container. Since the mechanism for providing the toner is provided, it is possible to obtain the effect that the toner can be discharged as much as possible without melting and fixing the toner on the inner wall of the developer supply container or generating coarse particles of the toner.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a toner supply container according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the toner supply container according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a mechanism for vibrating the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a step member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a toner supply container, a vibration mechanism, and an apparatus main body according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A toner supply container body 2 Transport members 3 Sealing member 4 stirring member 5 Toner supply container 6 Mechanism for vibrating the toner supply container 100 Image forming apparatus main body

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A container that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and includes a developer accommodating section for accommodating a developer and a developer accommodating section for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating section. A developer replenishing opening, a developer conveying section for conveying the developer contained in the developer accommodating section in the direction in which the developer replenishing opening is provided, and a developer accommodating section accommodated in the developer accommodating section. An image forming apparatus comprising a developer replenishing container having a developer agitating section for agitating the existing developer, wherein a mechanism for vibrating the developer replenishing container is provided. 2. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for vibrating the developer supply container is provided inside the developer supply container. 3. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for applying vibration to the developer supply container is attached to the developer stirring section. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for vibrating the developer supply container is provided in the image forming apparatus main body.