JP2009075450A - Image formation material accommodating body and image forming apparatus mounted with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to unseal a sealing member provided to a process cartridge, by a simple structure compared to the case where an automatic winding means is provided. <P>SOLUTION: The process cartridge 3 includes: a toner accommodating section 62 for accommodating toner T; a second toner discharge port 104 through which the toner T accommodated in the toner accommodating section 62 passes; the sealing member 161 having a sealing portion 161a that seals the second toner discharge port 104 and opens the second toner discharge port 104 by being peeled by external force, and an extension portion 161b that extends to the outside; and a side plate 30d locking the extension portion 161b with a space S between them. The process cartridge 3 is structured such that the second toner discharge port 104 is opened by exerting external force on the extension portion 161b in the position of the space S, thereby peeling the sealing portion 161a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming material container and an image forming apparatus to which the image forming material container is mounted.

  Image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and facsimiles that perform image formation using image forming materials such as toner contain image forming materials and image forming processes such as photosensitive drums, chargers, developing devices, and cleaning. There is known a configuration in which members used in the above are integrated into a process cartridge, which is an example of an image forming material container, and the process cartridge is shipped in an image forming apparatus.

  This process cartridge is provided with a sealing member (an example of a sealing means) for sealing an image forming material for preventing the image forming material accommodated therein from leaking outside during transportation or the like. It is configured to be wound and opened by the automatic winding means.

The automatic winding means is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge, and a winding shaft for winding up a sealing member for sealing the image forming material, and an image forming apparatus for rotating the winding shaft. A gear train or the like to which driving force is transmitted from the main body is included.
JP 2006-106305 A JP 2003-195615 A

  The present invention is equipped with an image forming material container and an image forming material container capable of opening the sealing means provided in the image forming material container with a simple structure as compared with the case where the present invention is not applied. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an image forming material container according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an image forming material container that contains at least an image forming material, and an image forming material that is accommodated in the image forming material container. A sealing means having a passing part through which a material passes, a sealing part that seals the passing part and opens the passing part by being peeled off by an external force, and an extending part extended to the outside; A locking portion that locks the extending portion across a space, and the external portion is applied to the extending portion at the position of the space so that the sealing portion is peeled off and the passage portion is opened. It is characterized by that.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image forming material container of the present invention comprises at least an image forming material container that accommodates an image forming material and a passage portion through which the image forming material accommodated in the image forming material container passes. An image forming material container main body provided, a sealing portion that seals the passage portion of the image forming material container main body and opens the passage portion by being peeled off by an external force, and the image forming material container A sealing means having an extending portion extending to the outside of the main body, and provided outside the image forming material container main body, and the extending portion has a space outside the image forming material container main body. And a locking portion that locks at a distance.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing means has a larger locking force at the locking portion than an adhesive force at the passage portion. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sealing portion seals the passage portion without being bent in the direction of the extension portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the sealing portion bends a direction side of the extending portion to seal the passage portion. And

  The invention according to claim 6 is the storage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the sealing means provided in the direction in which the external force is applied and the sealing portion is peeled off is stored. It further has a portion.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an image forming apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention includes the image forming material container according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and an openable / closable opening / closing section. An image forming apparatus main body on which the image forming material container is mounted in an opened state, and when the opening / closing portion is closed after the image forming material container is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, The opening means provided in the opening / closing part presses the extension part at the position of the space to open the passage part.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 7, wherein the opening means is urged to a first position that presses the extension portion to open the passage portion, and The holding means provided in the opening / closing part can be held at a second position different from the first position against the urging force to the first position, and the image forming material container includes Release means for releasing the holding of the opening means by the holding means at the second position is provided, and when the opening / closing portion is closed in a state where the opening means is held by the holding means, the opening is opened by the release means. When the holding of the means at the second position is released and then the opening / closing part is opened, the opening means moves to the first position.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to claim 8, further comprising detecting means for detecting the image recording medium on a conveyance path of the image recording medium, wherein the image recording medium is A part of the image recording medium that is detected by the detecting means and exposed from the image forming apparatus is arranged, and the exposed part of the image recording medium is guided to open the opening / closing part and remove the image recording medium. It is characterized by that.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the eighth aspect, a measuring unit that measures the number of the image recording media on which image recording has been performed, and a display that displays predetermined information regarding the image forming apparatus. And when the number of the image recording media measured by the measuring means is a predetermined value, the display means displays that the opening / closing section is opened, and image formation is performed until the opening / closing section is opened. Control means for executing control to stop the operation is further provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sealing means for sealing the passage portion can be opened with a simple structure as compared with the case where the present invention is not applied.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sealing means for sealing the passage portion can be opened with a simple structure as compared with the case where the present invention is not applied.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the external force is applied, the passage means is reliably opened without the sealing means being detached from the locking portion.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the passage portion is opened, the sealing portion is peeled off from the passage portion without tearing in the middle, so that the sealing portion does not block a part of the passage portion. .

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the passage portion is opened, the sealing portion remains attached at the bent portion on the direction side of the extending portion, so that the sealing means is the image forming material container. No longer hangs down due to its own weight.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is no possibility that the peeled sealing portion comes out and the surroundings are contaminated by the image forming material attached to the sealing portion.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the passage portion is opened by the operation of closing the opening / closing portion, it can be peeled off with a simpler structure as compared with the case where the present invention is not applied.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the image forming material container can be shipped in a state of being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body. Moreover, the workability | operativity for opening a passage part improves at the time of installation.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the sealing means is surely peeled off at the time of installation, and printing failure due to forgetting to open the passage portion can be prevented.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the sealing means is surely peeled off at the time of installation, and printing failure due to forgetting to open the passage portion can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the overall structure of the color printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side with the manual feed tray open, and FIG. 3 is the color of FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the printer as viewed from the side with the manual feed tray closed and the paper feed cassette pulled out. FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the color printer shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side with a front cover as an example of an opening / closing part opened.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a color printer 1 as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a printer main body (an example of an image forming apparatus main body) 10 and the printer main body 10. A front cover 20 is provided.

  2 and 3, the inside of the printer main body 10 includes four process cartridges (an example of an image forming material container) 3, 4, 5, 6 that are detachably mounted and arranged substantially vertically. A transfer belt 7 disposed along the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6 is provided. The process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6 are removed from the space formed by opening the transfer belt 7. It is configured to be detachable in a substantially horizontal direction. The process cartridges 3, 4, 5, and 6 are formed with photosensitive drums (an example of an image carrier) 11, 12, 13, and 14 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by image exposure of a scanning optical system 8 to be described later. Developing rollers (an example of developing means) 31, 32, 33, and 34 that supply toner (an example of an image forming material) to the electrostatic latent image and visualize the toner are provided.

  In addition, the color printer 1 includes a scanning optical system 8 that performs image exposure on the photosensitive drums 11, 12, 13, and 14, respectively, and is formed on the photosensitive drums 11, 12, 13, and 14. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner of each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) by the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. .

  The scanning optical system 8 as an exposure apparatus includes four semiconductor lasers that are driven to light based on image data corresponding to each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), black (K), and cyan (C). It is composed of an fθ lens, a polygon mirror, or a plurality of reflection mirrors for deflecting and scanning four laser beams emitted from four semiconductor lasers.

  Further, the color printer 1 includes a paper feed cassette 16 (see FIG. 3) for supplying paper (an example of an image recording medium) P on which an image is transferred and formed below these process cartridges. The printer body 10 is formed with a cassette housing portion for housing the paper feed cassette 16 so that it can be pulled out.

  The color printer 1 is provided with a cover-like front cover 20 that constitutes an apparatus side wall portion above the paper feed cassette 16 and on the drawer side (front side in FIGS. 1 to 5) of the paper feed cassette 16. . The front cover 20 is provided so that the side surface of the apparatus can be opened and closed around a pivot fulcrum J provided at the lower part of the cassette housing portion. The front cover 20 is opened to open the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6. Is installed, and the photosensitive drums 11, 12, 13, and 14 are exposed to perform maintenance for a paper jam or the like.

  Such a front cover 20 is provided with an openable and closable manual feed tray 22 so that desired paper P can be fed from the manual feed tray 22 from the outside of the printer main body 10.

  A discharge tray 10a for discharging the paper P on which an image is formed is formed on the upper portion of the printer body 10. Further, an operation panel 10 b is provided on the upper front surface of the printer main body 10. The operation panel 10b includes a display unit (an example of a display unit) 10b-1 that displays predetermined information about the color printer 1 under the control of a control unit (an example of a control unit) 10c that controls the operation of the color printer 1, and a user. A button (not shown) that accepts an operation from the control unit 10 and outputs the operation accepted via the button to the control unit 10c.

  Then, the color printer 1 includes a fixing device 15 that performs a fixing process on the image-transferred paper P, and reverses the front and back of the paper P on which the image is fixed on one side by the fixing device 15 to return to the transfer unit. A transport path 9 for transporting double-sided printing, a controller including an image processing circuit for performing image processing on an image signal, an electric circuit including a high-voltage power supply circuit, and a counter for measuring the number of sheets P on which image recording has been performed ( An example of measuring means) 41, a jam sensor (an example of detecting means) 42 for detecting when the paper P becomes unable to travel on the transport path, and the like are provided.

  Next, the process cartridge detachably attached to the printer main body 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Since the four process cartridges 3, 4, 5, and 6 have the same configuration, the process cartridge 3 that is positioned at the top is described in detail here, and the other process cartridges 4, 5, 6 are described in detail. Description of is omitted.

  6 is a perspective view of a process cartridge that is an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the process cartridge of FIG. 6, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the internal structure of the process cartridge of FIG. 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the process cartridge 3 has a process cartridge main body 30. The process cartridge main body 30 is provided with a scanning optical path 30c extending from one end portion in the horizontal direction to the vicinity of the other end portion. Scanning light from the scanning optical system 8 passes through the scanning optical path 30c and passes through the photosensitive drum 11. To reach.

  The process cartridge main body 30 includes a cartridge upper main body 30a positioned on the upper side via the scanning optical path 30c and a cartridge lower main body 30b positioned on the lower side via the scanning optical path 30c. The cartridge upper body 30a includes a photosensitive drum 11, a charging device 11a for charging the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 to a predetermined potential, a static eliminating device 11b for removing residual charges of the photosensitive drum 11 after image transfer, and a cleaning. An apparatus 36 and the like are disposed, and a developing device (an example of an image forming material container body) 35 is disposed on the cartridge lower body 30b.

  The cleaning device 36 includes a cleaning blade 66 and a waste toner container 58. The cleaning blade 56 scrapes off and removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after image transfer, and the waste toner storage unit 58 stores the waste toner removed by the cleaning blade 56. ing.

  For example, a two-component developing system is adopted for the developing device 35 of the present embodiment.

  The developing device 35 includes a developing device main body 60. The developing device main body 60 includes a toner storage portion (an example of an image forming material storage portion) 62 in which toner is stored, and a developing chamber 66 in which the developing roller 31 is disposed. It is divided into.

  The toner container 62 is divided into a main tank 68 located at the lower part and a sub tank 70 located at the upper part with the scanning optical path from the scanning optical system 8 as a boundary. The main tank 68 and the sub tank 70 are formed in a substantially rectangular cross section, and the toner storage volume of the main tank 68 is larger than the toner storage volume of the sub tank 70. The main tank 68 and the sub tank 70 are connected to each other by a toner passage 72.

  The toner passage 72 is made of an elastic member such as urethane foam, and is bonded to the upper portion of the main tank 68 with an adhesive or the like and is pressed against the lower portion of the sub tank 70. The toner passage 72 is provided so as to connect a toner intake port 68 a that opens to the main tank 68 and a toner supply port 70 a that opens to the sub tank 70. As described above, the main tank 68 and the sub tank 70 are connected by the toner intake port 72a, the toner passage 72, and the toner intake port 68a. Further, since the toner passage 72 is formed of an elastic member, toner leakage can be prevented even if the cartridge upper body 30a and the cartridge lower body 30b vibrate or displace independently.

  The cartridge lower body 30 b has a housing 74. The housing 74 is provided below the photosensitive drum 11, and a housing hole 76 that opens toward the photosensitive drum 11 is formed. A developing chamber 66 is formed in the housing 74, and developer G composed of toner and carrier is accommodated in the developing chamber 66.

  Further, the developing roller 31 is provided in the housing 74 so as to be partially exposed from the housing hole 76, and the developing roller 31 is rotatably supported on the peripheral wall of the housing 74. The developing roller 31 adsorbs the carrier contained in the developer G by magnetic force, forms a magnetic brush of the developer G on the surface of the developing roller 31, and develops the toner adsorbed on the carrier facing the photosensitive drum 11. Transport to area. Then, the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 is visualized by a magnetic brush of developer G made of carrier and toner formed on the surface of the developing roller 31.

  Below the developing roller 31, a first agitating / conveying auger 78 and a second agitating / conveying auger 80 are arranged along the axial direction of the developing roller 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first agitating / conveying auger 78 and the second agitating / conveying auger 80 include rotating shafts 78 a and 80 a, respectively, and these rotating shafts 78 a and 80 a are the peripheral walls of the housing 74. Each is supported rotatably. Spiral blades 78b and 80b are spirally wound at a predetermined pitch on the first agitation transport auger 78 and the second agitation transport auger 80. Then, when the first stirring / conveying auger 78 and the second stirring / conveying auger 80 are rotated, the first stirring / conveying auger while the developer G stored in the developing chamber 66 is stirred by the spiral blades 78b, 80b. 78 and the second agitating / conveying auger 80 are conveyed in the axial direction.

  A first partition wall 82 is provided between the first agitating / conveying auger 78 and the second agitating / conveying auger 80, and the first agitating wall 82 allows the inside of the developing chamber 66 to be in the first agitating state. The first agitation path 84 in which the conveyance auger 78 is arranged and the second agitation path 86 in which the second agitation conveyance auger 80 is arranged are divided into two. Connection ports 88 and 90 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first partition wall 82, and the first stirring channel 84 and the second stirring channel 86 are connected by the connection ports 88 and 90. Has been. Accordingly, the developer G in the developing chamber 66 is agitated in the first agitating path 84 and the second agitating path 86 by the rotation of the first agitating and conveying auger 78 and the second agitating and conveying auger 80, respectively. And is circulated between the first stirring path 84 and the second stirring path 86.

  Between the main tank 68 and the developing chamber 66, a second partition wall 92, a curved wall 94, and a third partition wall 96 are provided.

  The curved wall 94 is formed so as to extend from the lower part of the second partition wall 92 toward the main tank 68, and a tunnel-like dispense chamber 98 is formed at the bottom of the housing 74. A dispense auger 100 that stirs and conveys the toner along the longitudinal direction is provided in the dispense chamber 98 through which the toner from the toner container 62 toward the developing roller 31 passes. A first toner discharge port 102 that connects the main tank 68 and the dispensing chamber 98 is formed in the vicinity of one end of the curved wall 94 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the toner T accommodated in the main tank 68 is agitated by a first agitator 108 to be described later, and is conveyed in the main tank 68 in the axial direction of the first agitator 108 to be discharged to the first toner. The gas is discharged from the outlet 102 to the dispensing chamber 98.

  On the other hand, the dispensing chamber 98 and the developing chamber 66 are connected to the other end portion of the third partition wall 96 in the longitudinal direction, and the second toner through which the toner from the toner container 62 to the developing chamber 66 passes is connected. A toner discharge port (an example of a passing portion) 104 is formed. The toner T in the dispense chamber 98 is conveyed in the axial direction of the dispense auger 100 by the dispense auger 100 and supplied to the developing chamber 66 from the second toner discharge port 104.

  The second toner discharge port 104 is formed such that its lower end is positioned below the surface position of the developer G accommodated in the developing chamber 66. As a result, at least a part of the second toner discharge port 104 is buried in the developer G stored in the developing chamber 66, and the toner supplied from the dispensing chamber 98 to the developing chamber 66 is contained in the developer G. And is easily mixed with the carrier accommodated in the developing chamber 66.

  The dispense auger 100 has substantially the same configuration as the first agitating / conveying auger 78 and the second agitating / conveying auger 80, and includes a rotating shaft 100a as shown in FIG. 68 is rotatably supported on the peripheral wall. A spiral blade 100b is wound around the rotation shaft 100a at a predetermined pitch.

  A plate piece 106 is formed on the rotary shaft 100 a of the dispense auger 100 at a position facing the second toner discharge port 104. The plate piece 106 protrudes in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 100a, and the longitudinal direction is provided along the axis of the rotary shaft 100a. Accordingly, the toner T is conveyed in the direction of the rotation axis of the dispense auger 100 by the rotation of the dispense auger 100 and reaches the position facing the second toner discharge port 104 and is stirred by the spiral blade 100b. At the same time, the plate piece 106 is also agitated and supplied to the developing chamber 66 from the second toner discharge port 104.

  The main tank agitator 107 as the first agitating and conveying member includes a first agitator 108 and a second agitator 114. The first agitator 108 has a first rotating shaft 108 a, a first support portion 108 b, a first agitating and conveying film 110 as a film member, and an auxiliary film 112, and is rotatably supported on the peripheral wall of the main tank 68. Has been. The second agitator 114 includes a second rotating shaft 114a, a second support portion 114b, and a second agitating / conveying film 116 as a film member, and is also rotatably supported on the peripheral wall of the main tank 68. .

  The extending direction of the first stirring / transporting film 110 from the first rotating shaft 108a and the extending direction of the second stirring / transporting film 116 from the second rotating shaft 114a form an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The first agitator 108 and the second agitator 114 are configured to rotate while maintaining an angle of approximately 90 degrees. As a result, the second agitator 114, which rotates with a delay to the region where the toner T is agitated and conveyed by the rotation of the first agitator 108 and the toner T is reduced, is agitated and conveyed to the toner T. Since the toner is replenished, the agitation and conveyance of the toner T in the main tank 68 is stabilized.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the toner intake port 68 a is disposed between the first rotation shaft 108 a of the first agitator 108 and the second rotation shaft 114 a of the second agitator 114. Accordingly, when the toner T in the sub tank 70 is conveyed into the main tank 68 via the toner passage 72 and the toner intake port 68a, there is no obstacle such as a rotating shaft, and the toner T is smoothly conveyed. The In addition, the area between the first rotating shaft 108a and the second rotating shaft 114a in the main tank 68 is an area having a higher conveying capacity than the other areas (the first agitating and conveying film 110 and the first agitating film 110 in one cycle). 2), the toner T accumulation in the vicinity of the toner intake port 68a is suppressed, and toner clogging can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the toner intake port 68a is disposed in the vicinity of one end of the first rotation shaft 108a, and the first toner discharge port 102 is disposed at the other end of the first rotation shaft 108a. It is arranged near the part. That is, the toner intake port 68a is arranged on the upstream side where the toner T is conveyed, and the first toner discharge port 102 is arranged on the downstream side. Therefore, even when the toner is excessively supplied from the toner intake port 68a, the toner T is leveled while being agitated and conveyed by the first agitating and conveying film 110 and the second agitating and conveying film 116, A substantially constant amount of toner T can be discharged from the first toner discharge port 102. Further, a substantially constant amount of toner T can be discharged from the first toner discharge port 102 until the toner T in the main tank 68 is almost empty.

  The sub-tank agitator 119 as the second agitating and conveying member includes a third agitator 120 and a fourth agitator 126. The third agitator 120 and the fourth agitator 126 are rotatably supported on the peripheral wall of the sub tank 70.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second toner discharge port 104 that connects the dispensing chamber 98 and the developing chamber 66 and passes the toner from the dispensing chamber 98 toward the developing roller 31 provided in the developing chamber 66. Is sealed by a sealing member (an example of a sealing means) 161.

  The seal member 161 is formed in a strip shape having a predetermined width, and as shown in detail in FIG. 9, a sealing portion 161 a on one side of the seal member 161 seals the second toner discharge port 104. ing. Therefore, in a state where the seal member 161 seals the second toner discharge port 104, the connection between the dispensing chamber 98 and the developing chamber 66 is cut off.

  The sealing portion 161a is bonded to the outer peripheral edge of the second toner discharge port 104 by an adhesive member provided on one side of the sealing portion 161a. The adhesive force of the adhesive member is such that when an external force is applied to the seal member 161, the sealing portion 161a is peeled off and the second toner discharge port 104 is opened. The second toner discharge port 104 is sealed so that it can be opened.

  The other side of the seal member 161 is an extending portion 161b, and extends outward from an extraction hole 68b formed in the side wall of the main tank 68 of the process cartridge main body 30.

  Here, a side plate (an example of a locking portion) 30d is formed on the side wall where the extraction hole 68b is formed so as to face the side wall. The side plate 30d extends from the rear end of the process cartridge main body 30 at a predetermined angle with the side wall, and is substantially parallel to the side wall at the position of the extraction hole 68b. And the extension part 161b mentioned above is latched across the space S in the part which became substantially parallel. In addition, a reinforcing plate 30e straddling the side plate 30d and the side wall is formed at the lower portion of the side plate 30d so that the side plate 30d is not displaced toward the side wall and the distance between both is reduced.

  Here, in the sealing member 161 of the embodiment, the locking force with respect to the side plate 30d in the extended portion 161b is larger than the adhesive force with respect to the second toner discharge port 104 in the sealing portion 161a. If the adhesive force of the sealing part 161a is greater, the extended part 161b is detached from the side plate 30d when an external force is applied, and the sealing part 161a remains sealed with the second toner discharge port 104. However, if the locking force of the extending portion 161b is greater, this does not occur, and the second toner discharge port 104 through which the toner T passes is reliably opened.

  On the side opposite to the side wall of the side plate 30d, a lock release piece (an example of a release means) 30f is provided so that a part thereof protrudes from the tip of the side plate 30d. A lock claw (an example of a holding means) 24 provided on the front cover 20 and holding a seal opener (an example of an opening means) 23 in the second position is provided in the unlocking piece 30f for closing the front cover 20. It comes to contact with it. The details of the seal opener 23 will be described later.

  By providing the seal member 161, the toner in the process cartridge 3 attached to the printer main body 10 is prevented from moving from the dispense chamber 98 to the developing chamber 66 when the color printer 1 is transported. As a result, toner leakage from the housing hole 76 opened toward the photosensitive drum 11 is prevented in advance. When an external force is applied to the seal member 161, the sealing portion 161 a is peeled off, the second toner discharge port 104 is opened, and the toner T can move from the dispense chamber 98 to the developing chamber 66.

  Next, the seal opener 23 provided on the front cover 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 is a perspective view showing the front cover and the process cartridge attached to the printer body in the opened state with the seal opener in the second position, FIG. 11 is a plan view of FIG. 10, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view of FIG. 12 and FIG. 14 is a plan view of FIG. 12, with the seal opener being opened as the first position. FIG. 15 is a plan view of FIG. 14, FIG. 16 is a diagram conceptually showing the main part of FIG. 14, and FIG. 17 is a seal opener. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the front cover and the process cartridge attached to the printer main body in a closed state with the first position as the first position. Plan view of 7, FIG. 19 is a diagram conceptually showing a main part of FIG. 17.

  As shown in these drawings, the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6 mounted on the printer main body 10 when the front cover 20 is closed by rotating about the rotation fulcrum J are described above. The seal opener 23 is disposed at a position where it can be fitted into the space S (a space separated because the extended portion 161b of the seal member 161 is locked to the side plate 30d).

  The seal opener 23 is attached to the attachment base 25 via a support pin 26 that is formed on the attachment base 25 and is attached across two holes that are vertically oriented when the front cover 20 is closed. It is possible to turn to a first position that fits into the space S when 20 is closed, and a second position that is rotated about 90 ° outward from the first position. And it is urged | biased by the 1st position by urging members, such as a torsion spring and a leaf spring which are not illustrated.

  Here, the first position is such that the seal opener 23 fitted into the space S acts as an external force to press the extended portion 161b of the seal member 161, the sealing portion 161a is peeled off, and the second toner discharge port 104 is opened. This is the position to be opened. Also, the second position different from the first position is a position where the seal opener 23 is not fitted into the space S, so that the sealing portion 161a is not peeled off and the second toner discharge port 104 is not opened. is there. Note that the tip of the seal opener 23 is a curved surface so that the extension 161b is not cut when the seal opener 23 is fitted into the space S.

  Here, the second position may be a position where the seal opener 23 does not fit into the space S when the front cover 20 is closed, and the second position needs to be a position rotated about 90 ° outward from the first position. Absent.

  A lock claw 24 is integrally formed with the attachment base 25. The lock claw 24 is adapted to be fitted into a lock hole 23a formed in the seal opener 23 when the seal opener 23 is in the second position. Therefore, when the lock claw 24 is fitted into the lock hole 23a, the seal opener 23 is held at the second position against the biasing force to the first position by the biasing member.

  As described above, the lock claw 24 comes into contact with the lock release piece 30f provided in the process cartridge 3 in accordance with the closing operation of the front cover 20, and is elastically deformed in a direction in which the lock hole 24a is released. Is done. Therefore, when the front cover 20 is closed while the seal opener 23 is held at the second position by the lock claw 24, the lock release piece 30f releases the hold of the seal opener 23 at the second position by the lock claw 24. Will be. When the front cover 20 is opened in the released state, the seal opener 23 is fitted into the space S by the biasing force of the biasing member (when the front cover 20 is closed, the seal opener 23 is fitted into the space S. The extension 161b of the seal member 161 is pressed by an external force and moves to a position where the second toner discharge port 104 is opened.

  In the above configuration, the second toner discharge port 104 is opened by the seal opener 23 as follows.

  When assembling the apparatus, if the front cover 20 is opened and the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6 are attached to the printer body 10, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a seal opener provided on the front cover 20 is provided. 23 is rotated against the biasing force to the second position. As a result, the lock claw 24 is fitted into the lock hole 23a of the seal opener 23, and the seal opener 23 is held at the second position.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the front cover 20 is closed, the lock claw 24 holding the seal opener 23 in the second position contacts the unlocking piece 30 f provided in the process cartridge 3. Accordingly, the lock claw 24 is elastically deformed in a direction in which the lock claw 24 is released from being fitted into the lock hole 23a. Accordingly, the lock release piece 20f releases the holding of the seal opener 23 at the second position by the lock claw 24. Here, as shown in the figure, the seal opener 23 released from being held at the second position is not rotated to the first position. This is because the seal opener 23 is a process such as the tip of the unlocking piece 20f. This is because the movement to the first position is prevented by coming into contact with the constituent members of the cartridge 3.

  If the seal opener 23 is held in the second position and the front cover 20 is closed in this way, the second toner discharge port 104 remains sealed by the sealing portion 161a of the seal member 161, and toner leakage does not occur. Therefore, the process cartridges 3, 4, 5, 6 can be shipped and transported while being mounted on the printer main body 10.

  Next, when the color printer 1 is installed over the user's hand, the front cover 20 is opened as shown in FIGS. As described above, in the case of FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the seal opener 23 is prevented from moving to the first position although the holding at the second position is released by the lock release piece 20f. Since it is in the state, there is no factor that prevents the movement to the first position by opening the front cover 20, and the movement to the first position is performed by the urging force of the urging member (see FIG. 16).

  When the front cover 20 is closed with the seal opener 23 moved to the first position, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the seal opener 23 is provided in the space S ( That is, the extended portion 161b of the seal member 161 fits into a space separated by being engaged with the side plate 30d, and this acts as an external force to press the extended portion 161b of the seal member 161. Then, a force in a direction to peel off the sealing portion 161 a from the second toner discharge port 104 acts, so that the sealing portion 161 a completely peels off from the second toner discharge port 104 against the adhesive force of the adhesive member. Then, the second toner discharge port 104 is opened, and the toner T can move from the dispensing chamber 98 to the developing chamber 66 (see FIG. 19).

  As described above, since the seal member 161 is peeled off and the second toner discharge port 104 is opened only by performing a simple operation of opening and closing the front cover 20, the second toner discharge port 104 is opened. Improved workability.

  Since the sealing portion 161a seals the second toner discharge port 104 without being bent in the direction of the extension portion 161b, the sealing portion 161a has the second toner discharge port as described above. It will peel off completely from the exit 104. Therefore, the peeled sealing portion 161a does not block a part of the second toner discharge port 104 and is fully opened, and the toner T can pass smoothly.

  When the front cover 20 is closed, the extended portion 161b of the seal member 161 is pressed by the seal opener 23, which is an external force, and the sealing portion 161a is peeled off, whereby the second toner discharge formed on the process cartridge is removed. The outlet 104 is opened. That is, the sealing portion 161a is peeled off by applying an external force to the extending portion 161b at the position of the space S that is separated because the extending portion 161b of the seal member 161 is locked, and the second toner discharge port 104 is peeled off. The seal is opened. Therefore, the seal member 161 provided in the process cartridge can be peeled off with a simpler structure as compared with the case where the automatic winding means is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 20, in a direction in which an external force is applied (that is, a direction in which the seal member 161 is pressed), a seal storage portion (storage portion) 27 in which the seal member 161 from which the sealing portion 161a has been peeled is stored. If there is provided, there is no possibility that the surroundings are contaminated by the toner adhered to the sealing portion 161a which has been peeled off and has come out. Note that the seal housing part 27 does not need to house the entire seal member 161, and may be a part of the seal part 161a to which toner is attached.

  As described above, the seal member 161 is peeled off by opening and closing the front cover 20, and the second toner discharge port 104, which is a toner passage portion, is opened. However, for example, even if it is stated in the instruction manual that the front cover 20 is opened and closed at the time of installation, if the user overlooks the description, the front cover 20 is not opened and closed, and the second toner discharge port 104 is opened. The printing operation is started while being sealed.

  In order to avoid this, the color printer 1 employs the following structure.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 21, the paper P is at a position detected by the above-described jam sensor 42 and a part of the paper P is exposed from the color printer 1 (a position on the discharge tray 10 a in FIG. 21). Moreover, it is arranged so as to be removable from the color printer 1. In the exposed portion, for example, a guide to open the front cover 20 and remove the paper P is written as “Please: open the front cover to remove this paper and close it again”. .

  According to this structure, when the color printer 1 is installed, the user opens the front cover 20 and removes the paper P and then closes the paper P (if printing is attempted without removing the paper P). In this case, since the jam sensor 42 detects the paper P that has become unrunnable, the printing operation is not executed. As a result, the front cover 20 is opened and the paper P is removed, and then the operation of closing the paper P is performed. Therefore, the sealing member 161 is surely peeled off. Therefore, forgetting to open the second toner discharge port 104 can prevent printing failure.

  Note that the following structure is also conceivable as a structure that allows the user to open and close the front cover 20 to ensure that the seal member 161 is peeled off.

  That is, the control unit 10c opens the front cover 20 to the display unit 10b-1 provided on the operation panel 10b when the number of sheets P measured by the counter 41 is a predetermined value (for example, “0”). Is displayed, and control is performed such that execution of the image forming operation by the color printer 1 is stopped until the front cover 20 is opened.

  In the embodiments described so far, the sealing portion 161a of the sealing member 161 is configured to seal the second toner discharge port 104 without being bent in the direction of the extending portion 161b. However, as shown in FIG. 22, the second toner discharge port 104 may be sealed by bending the extending portion 161b in the direction side.

  In this structure, when the second toner discharge port 104 is opened, the sealing portion 161a remains attached to the edge of the second toner discharge port 104 on the extending portion 161b side, as shown in FIG. . Therefore, the seal member 161 does not hang down due to its own weight outside the process cartridge 3 and does not get in the way when the process cartridge 3 is replaced.

  In the above description, the seal member 161 provided in the process cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention seals the passage portion that is the second toner discharge port 104 that connects the dispensing chamber 98 and the developing chamber 66. However, the seal member 161 may be at any location as long as the toner from the toner storage portion 62 toward the developing roller 31 passes. For example, in the present embodiment, the passage portion that is the first toner discharge port 102 that connects the main tank 68 and the dispense chamber 98 may be sealed, and a plurality of locations (for example, the first toner discharge port 102 may be used). And the second toner discharge port 104) may be sealed.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 24, in a process cartridge provided with a developer storage chamber 170 in which a developer G composed of a carrier and toner is stored in advance, the developer storage chamber 170 as a toner storage section. The discharge port 170a, which is a passage portion from the first to the developing roller 31, may be sealed.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the toner container is not limited to a container that contains only toner, but also includes a container that contains toner and a carrier. In other words, in the present invention, the toner accommodating portion accommodates at least toner.

  In these cases, seal openers are provided corresponding to the respective seal members 161.

  In this embodiment, a two-component development process cartridge that records an image with a developer composed of a carrier and toner is employed. However, this is a one-component development process cartridge that records an image only with toner. May be.

  In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to a color image forming apparatus using four toner containers as process cartridges is shown, but the number of toner containers may not be four. Further, a monochrome image forming apparatus having one toner container may be used.

  Further, as another form, the present invention can be similarly applied to an ink tank used in an ink jet printer, and after the ink tank is mounted on the ink head, the ink in the ink tank, which is an example of an image forming material, is the ink tank. The seal-like sealing member that prevents leakage to the outside may be configured to be peeled off in conjunction with the closing operation of the cover of the inkjet printer.

1 is a perspective view of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side with the manual feed tray opened. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side with the manual feed tray closed and the paper feed cassette pulled out. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side with the manual feed tray closed and a paper feed cassette stored. It is the schematic which shows the internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 from the side in the state which opened the front cover. 1 is a perspective view of a process cartridge that is an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing an internal structure of the process cartridge of FIG. 6. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the A-A 'line | wire of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of internal structure of the process cartridge of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a front cover and a process cartridge attached to a printer body in a state where the seal opener is opened at a second position. It is a top view of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the front cover and the process cartridge with which the printer main body was mounted | worn in the state closed with the seal opener as the 2nd position. FIG. 13 is a plan view of FIG. 12. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a front cover and a process cartridge attached to a printer main body in a state where the seal opener is opened at a first position. FIG. 15 is a plan view of FIG. 14. It is the figure which represented the principal part of FIG. 14 notionally. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a front cover and a process cartridge mounted on a printer main body in a closed state with a seal opener as a first position. It is a top view of FIG. It is the figure which represented the principal part of FIG. 17 notionally. It is the perspective view which represented the accommodating part of the sealing member notionally. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal structure of the color printer of FIG. 1 together with a sheet detected by a jam sensor. FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a process cartridge in which a sealing portion of a sealing member is bent. It is the figure which represented notionally the state by which the sealing member of FIG. 22 was peeled off. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing an internal structure of a process cartridge different from FIG. 7.

Explanation of symbols

1 Color printer (image forming device)
3, 4, 5, 6 Process cartridge (image forming material container)
10 Printer body (image forming device body)
10b-1 Display unit (display means)
10c Control unit (control means)
20 Front cover (opening / closing part)
23 Seal opener (opening means)
24 Locking claw (holding means)
27 Seal storage (storage)
30d Side plate (locking part)
30f Unlocking piece (release means)
35 Developing device (image forming material container body)
41 Counter (Measuring means)
42 Jam sensor (detection means)
62 Toner container 98 Dispensing chamber 102 First toner outlet (passage)
104 Second toner outlet (passage)
161 Seal member (sealing means)
161a Sealing portion 161b Extension portion 170 Developer storage chamber (image forming material storage portion)
170a Discharge port (passage part)
P paper (image recording medium)
S space T toner

Claims (10)

An image forming material accommodating portion for accommodating at least an image forming material;
A passing portion through which the image forming material accommodated in the image forming material accommodating portion passes,
Sealing means having a sealing portion that seals the passage portion and opens the passage portion by being peeled off by an external force, and an extending portion that extends to the outside,
A locking part for locking the extension part across a space;
The image forming material container, wherein the sealing portion is peeled off and the passage portion is opened by applying the external force to the extension portion at the position of the space. An image forming material container main body comprising at least an image forming material container that accommodates the image forming material and a passage portion through which the image forming material accommodated in the image forming material container;
A sealing portion that seals the passage portion of the image forming material container body and opens the passage portion by being peeled off by an external force, and an extension that extends to the outside of the image forming material container body Sealing means having a portion;
A locking portion that is provided outside the image forming material container body, and locks the extending portion with a space outside the image forming material container body;
An image forming material container characterized by comprising: The image forming material container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing unit has a greater locking force at the locking portion than an adhesive force at the passage portion. The image forming material container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion seals the passage portion without being bent in the direction of the extending portion. 4. The image forming material container according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the extending portion is bent to seal the passage portion. 5. The image forming material accommodation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage portion that is provided in a direction in which the external force is applied and that stores the sealing means from which the sealing portion has been peeled off. body. The image forming material container according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An image forming apparatus main body having an openable and closable opening / closing portion to which the image forming material container is mounted in a state where the opening / closing portion is opened;
When the opening / closing part is closed after the image forming material container is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, the opening means provided in the opening / closing part presses the extension part at the position of the space to An image forming apparatus characterized by opening a passage portion. The opening means is biased to a first position that presses the extension portion to open the passage portion, and is biased to the first position by a holding means provided in the opening / closing portion. Therefore, the second position different from the first position can be held,
The image forming material container is provided with a release means for releasing the holding means by the holding means at the second position,
When the opening / closing part is closed with the opening means held by the holding means, the release means releases the holding of the opening means at the second position, and then the opening / closing part is opened. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the opening unit moves to the first position. Further comprising a detecting means for detecting the image recording medium on the conveyance path of the image recording medium;
The image recording medium is detected by the detection means on the conveyance path and a part of the image recording medium is disposed at a position exposed from the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein guidance for removing the image is provided. Measuring means for measuring the number of image recording media on which image recording has been performed;
Display means for displaying predetermined information about the image forming apparatus;
When the number of the image recording media measured by the measuring unit is a predetermined value, the display unit displays that the opening / closing unit is opened, and the image forming operation is stopped until the opening / closing unit is opened. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a control unit that executes control to perform the control.

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