JP2017191308A - Developer container, developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developer container, a developing apparatus and a process cartridge having improved usability. SOLUTION: A sealing member 54 which is a partition portion for partitioning a developer housed in a frame body 6 with respect to a transport direction R4 for transporting the developer and a transport belt 5 for transporting the developer are provided and sealed. When not in use, the member 54 comes into contact with the inner wall of the frame body 6 and extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction for transporting the developer, and when not in use, the member 54 is housed on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the sealing member 54. The amount of one developer is larger than the amount of the second developer accommodated on the downstream side in the transport direction. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic printer or an electrophotographic copying machine that forms an image on a recording material, and a developer container, a developing apparatus, and a process cartridge used for these.

  Here, the image forming apparatus refers to an apparatus that forms an image on a recording material. The process cartridge means a cartridge having at least an image carrier. In many cases, the charging unit, the developing unit, the cleaning unit, and the image carrier are integrally formed into a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, the developing device means a device having at least a developer carrying member. In many cases, the developer carrying member, the developing frame that supports the developer carrying member, and the parts related thereto are integrated and detachable from the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. The developer container refers to a container for containing the developer.

  Conventionally, electrostatic recording systems, electrophotographic recording systems, and the like are often used in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers. For example, a developing device that conveys toner from a developer container to a developing unit that forms an image by providing a belt-shaped conveying member that supports a cylindrical flexible sheet member by a shaft. Known (Patent Document 1).

  In order to form a stable image, various members are arranged in a complicated manner in the developing unit. Therefore, a developing device is known in which a gap is closed using a leakage preventing member so that toner does not leak from between a plurality of members.

  However, particularly when a strong vibration is applied, such as when the developing device is transported, if a large amount of toner is present in the developing portion, the toner may leak not a little even if the leakage prevention member is used.

  Therefore, there is a model in which a toner seal is provided as a partition member that partitions the developing unit and the storage unit so that a large amount of toner does not enter the developing unit when the developing device is not used. In this case, it is necessary to remove the toner seal when using a new developing device.

US Publication No. 2014-0341610

  However, when using a developing device having a conventional belt-shaped conveying member, there are the following problems.

  For example, forgetting to pull the toner seal. In some cases, the user forgets to pull the toner seal and attaches the developing device with the toner seal left to the image forming apparatus.

  In addition, a large amount of toner adheres to the toner seal after pulling. For this reason, the user's hand or clothes may be soiled with toner.

  For this reason, improvement of usability (ease of use) is required.

Therefore, the present invention provides
A frame housing the developer;
A partition portion for partitioning the developer contained in the frame with respect to the transport direction in which the developer is transported, and a belt-shaped transport member for transporting the developer,
The partition portion is in contact with the inner wall of the frame body when not in use and extends in a direction crossing a transport direction for transporting the developer,
When not in use, the first developer amount accommodated on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the partition portion is larger than the second developer amount accommodated on the downstream side in the transport direction. It is to provide.

  The present invention also provides a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.

  In the present invention, usability (ease of use) can be improved in a configuration (a developer container, a developing device, etc.) including a belt-like toner conveying member.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to the first embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a conveyance belt according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a processing step of a conveyance sheet according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a developing unit according to a fifth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in the embodiments should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied and various conditions. The scope is not intended to be limited to the following embodiments.

<Embodiment 1>
(Configuration of Development Unit of First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a developing unit D that is a developing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the developing unit D includes a developing roller 1 as a developer carrying member, a regulating blade 2 as a regulating member for regulating the layer thickness of the developer, and a supply roller 3 as a developer supplying member. Is provided. Further, a blowout prevention sheet 4 that prevents the developer from blowing out, a conveyance belt 5 that is a developer conveyance member, and a frame 6 are provided. A developer is accommodated in the frame.

  In addition, the developing unit D contains toner of any one of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black as a developer.

  The developing roller 1 that is a developer carrying member and the supply roller 3 that is a developer supply member have axes and are arranged in parallel to each other. Hereinafter, when the notation of simply the axial direction is used, it means the axial direction of the developing roller 1 and the supply roller 3. In the first embodiment, the axial direction of the drive shaft that drives the belt-shaped conveyance member is also the same as the axial direction of the developing roller and the supply roller. Similarly, when the notation of the depth direction is simply used hereinafter, it means the left-right direction in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. At this time, the left side in FIG. 1 where the developing roller 1 and the supply roller 3 are located is referred to as the front side in the depth direction, and the right side in FIG. On the other hand, when the notation of thickness direction is simply used, it means the vertical direction in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. In this case, the upper side in FIG. 1 where the regulating blade 2 is located is referred to as the upper side in the thickness direction, and the lower side in FIG. 1 where the blowout prevention sheet 4 is located is referred to as the lower side in the thickness direction.

  Further, the direction from the left side to the right side in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 is a transport direction in which the developer is transported in order to supply the developer to the developing roller as the developer carrying member.

  The developing roller 1 is an elastic roller and rotates in the direction of the arrow R1. The regulating blade 2 is a SUS flat plate and abuts against the developing roller 1 to regulate the amount of toner on the developing roller 1 to be constant. The supply roller 3 is a roller made of a foaming member that can contain toner therein, and rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 while contacting the developing roller 1, thereby supplying the developing roller 1 with toner. The blowout prevention sheet 4 is a flexible sheet member, and prevents toner leakage from the frame 6 by contacting the developing roller.

  The frame 6 is roughly divided into two parts, and a part on the upper side in the thickness direction is an upper lid 61 and a part on the lower side in the thickness direction is a lower lid 62. In addition, the surface (not shown) of the axial direction both sides and the surface of the depth direction back side are integrated with the lower cover 62 among the frame bodies 6, and the lower cover 62 has fulfill | performed the function as a container. The upper lid 61 has a flat plate shape and functions as a lid as the name implies. By welding the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62 at a plurality of positions, the function of the frame body 6 as a developer container for containing the developer is realized.

  The conveyor belt 5, which is a belt-shaped conveyance member, supports a flexible belt-shaped (or cylindrical) conveyance sheet 51 by a drive shaft 52 and a support shaft 53 that are coaxial with the developing roller 1 and the supply roller 3. Yes. The conveyance sheet 51 is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet having a thickness of 300 μm, and is formed into a cylindrical shape by bending one sheet and heating and compressing a portion where both ends are overlapped.

  The conveyance sheet 51 circulates in the direction of the arrow R4 as the drive shaft 52 rotates in the direction of the arrow R3. Hereinafter, when the notation of simply the circulation direction is used, it means the circulation direction of the conveyance belt 5, more specifically the conveyance sheet 51. Therefore, the circulation direction is not always constant at positions in the depth direction and the thickness direction in the developing unit D, and the direction is changed depending on the phase of the transport sheet 51.

  Further, hereinafter, when the notation of the inside and outside of the conveyance belt 5 and the conveyance sheet 51 is used, it means that the conveyance sheet 51 is inside and outside the cylindrical shape. That is, the drive shaft 52 and the support shaft 53 are provided inside the conveyor belt 5.

(Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus of First Embodiment)
Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the image forming process according to the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

  The image forming apparatus 100 includes development units Dy, Dm, Dc, and Db that are different from yellow y, magenta m, cyan c, and black b, respectively, in a detachable manner from the apparatus main body. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a cleaning unit 110 in which a photosensitive drum 111 as an image carrier, a charging roller 112 as a charging unit, and a cleaning member 113 are integrated.

  A part of the image forming operation is executed in a state in which the developing units Dy, Dm, Dc, Db and the cleaning unit 110 are mounted on the apparatus main body.

  The photosensitive drum 111 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by the charging roller 112 while rotating in the direction of the arrow R5. Then, the laser beam transmitted from the exposure unit 120 is exposed on the photosensitive drum 111 to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The developing roller 1 that is a developer carrier is configured to be able to contact and separate from the photosensitive drum 111 that is an image carrier, and the developing roller 1 is exposed to the photosensitive drum 111 in a state where the developing roller 1 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 111. Toner is supplied onto the drum 111. This visualizes the electrostatic latent image and forms a toner image (developer image).

  The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 130 by a bias applied to the primary transfer roller 132.

  The toner image primary-transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 130 is a secondary transfer position which is a nip portion between the secondary transfer roller 133 and the secondary transfer counter roller 134 due to the circular movement of the intermediate transfer belt 131 in the arrow R6 direction. It is conveyed to.

  The toner image is secondarily transferred to the recording material P at the secondary transfer position. The toner image secondarily transferred onto the recording material P is fixed to the recording material P by being pressurized and heated by the fixing unit 140 to form a final image.

  Further, of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 111, a part of the toner remaining without being transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 130 is conveyed to the cleaning member 113 and scraped off from the surface of the photosensitive drum 111.

(Configuration of Conveyor Belt of Embodiment 1)
Next, the structure of the conveyance belt 5 which is a belt-shaped conveyance member in Embodiment 1 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the front side in the depth direction that is the periphery of the drive shaft 52 in the transport belt 5.

  The drive shaft 52 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 20 mm as a base shaft, and further has a plurality of protrusions 521. The protrusions 521 are provided with a plurality of protrusions 521a, 521b, and 521c in the axial direction, and a plurality of protrusions 521 are also provided in the same phase in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 52. Further, the projecting portions 521 are provided at a total of two locations for every 180 ° in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 52 at predetermined positions in the axial direction, like the projecting portions 521a and 521d, 521b and 521e. The protruding portion 521 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is integrated with the drive shaft 52.

  The conveyance sheet 51 has a plurality of insertion ports 511. The insertion port 511 is provided at the same position as the protruding portion 521 in the axial direction. Further, in the circulation direction, the drive shaft 52 is provided at equal intervals of half the circumferential length, that is, every 31.4 mm.

  The drive shaft 52 receives power from the image forming apparatus 100 via a gear (not shown) and rotates in the direction of the arrow R3. As the drive shaft 52 rotates, the projecting portion 521 is inserted into the insertion port 511 as shown in FIG. When the drive shaft 52 rotates in this state, power is transmitted from the drive shaft 52 to the transport sheet 51 via the protrusion 521, and the transport sheet 51 circulates in the direction of arrow R4. When the drive shaft 52 rotates approximately 180 °, the projecting portion 521 is inserted into the insertion port 511 located upstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction, and the power is transmitted to the transport sheet 51 again, so that the transport belt 5 continues. It enables efficient circulatory movement. The insertion port 511 is rectangular and is designed to be slightly larger than the protruding portion 521 in both the axial direction and the circulation direction. Thereby, the protrusion 521 is easily inserted into the insertion port 511.

  Further, the conveyance sheet 51 has a plurality of belt protrusions that are conveyance blades 512. Conveying blades 512 that are belt protrusions are formed by making a U-shaped cut into the conveying sheet 51 except for the upstream side in the circulation direction and folding it back to the outside of the conveying belt 5. Thereby, when the conveyance sheet 51 performs the circulation movement, the effect of conveying the toner in the circulation direction can be improved. For this reason, it is preferable to use a material that is strong enough not to bend by the powder pressure of the toner as the material of the conveying blade 512, that is, the material of the conveying sheet 51.

  Further, the conveying sheet 51 is integrally provided with a sealing member 54 that is a partition member. In the present embodiment, the partition member and the transport sheet are configured as separate members, but a configuration in which a part of the transport sheet functions as a partition portion may be employed. A specific configuration will be described later. The sealing member 54 that is a partition member is a flexible PET sheet having a thickness of 100 μm, and the width in the axial direction (longitudinal direction of the partition member) is set longer than the width of the transport sheet 51. Moreover, a partition member is longer than the length of the longitudinal direction of an insertion port. In addition, when comparing the belt protrusion that is the conveyance blade and the sealing member that is the partition member, the length of the sealing member that is the partition member is longer from the conveyance sheet portion to the free end. The sealing member 54 is heated and compressed with the conveyance sheet 51 at the joint portion 541 and is integrated with the conveyance sheet 51. On the other hand, the other end of the sealing member 54 is bent at the bent portion 542 and bonded to the inner wall surface of the frame 6 at the bonding portion 543. The adhesive portion 543 uses a double-sided tape, and is set so that the adhesive strength is lower than that of the joint portion 541.

(Toner filling and opening operation of Embodiment 1)
Next, toner filling and unsealing operations to the developing unit D of Embodiment 1 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the developing unit D as in FIG. 1, and the process from the filling of the toner to the unsealing operation and the developing toner existing state will be described in order from (a) to (d). Is.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the transport belt 5 is provided with two first and second sealing members 54a and 54b which are first and second partition members. While the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b are positioned in the vicinity of the drive shaft 52, the first sealing member 54a on one side is upstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction and the second sealing member 54b on the other side. The phase of the conveyor belt 5 is adjusted so as to be downstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction. That is, the first sealing member 54a is bonded to the lower lid 62, and the second sealing member 54b is bonded to the upper lid 61. In other words, it can be said that it is in contact with the upper and lower inner walls in the direction of gravity. Thereby, a space formed by the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b, the conveyance sheet 51, and the inner wall surface of the frame body 6 is formed, and the developer to be stored is partitioned. The upper lid 61 is provided with a filling port 63. The filling port 63 is provided in the vicinity of the support shaft 53, that is, on the far side in the depth direction. Therefore, when the toner is filled from the filling port 63, the toner T sequentially moves from the rear side in the depth direction to the front side, that is, in the direction of the arrow F1. The direction of the arrow F1 is also the toner transport direction. At this time, since the insertion port 511 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the transport sheet 51 as described above, the toner moves in and out of the transport belt 5 through the insertion port 511.

  When the toner is further charged from the state shown in FIG. 4A, the state shown in FIG. 4B is obtained. A space formed by the conveyance sheet 51 and the inner wall surface of the frame 6 is partitioned by the first and second sealing members 54a54b which are partition members. The partition member extends in a direction crossing the transport direction. For this reason, the progress of the toner (toner transport) is blocked by the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b which are partition members. The space filled with the toner is located on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the sealing member that is the partition member. Further, the other partitioned space is located on the downstream side in the transport direction. For this reason, the first developer amount accommodated on the upstream side is larger than the second developer amount accommodated on the downstream side (FIGS. 1 and 4B). In this embodiment, the second developer amount is 0 g. However, it is not limited to this. For example, there is a case where toner is applied to the surface of the developing roller for the purpose of lubricating the developing roller. For this reason, the amount of the second developer may be about 0 g to 5 g. In any case, when not in use, the amount of the first developer is larger than the amount of the second developer. Roughly, the amount of the first developer is 1/50 or less of the amount of the first developer.

  The filling process is completed by closing the filling port 63 in this state. Therefore, when not in use, the toner in the developing unit D is in the presence state shown in FIG. For this reason, when not in use, a large amount (first developer amount) of developer is accommodated on the upstream side in the transport direction with the partition member as a boundary.

  Next, the opening operation will be described. When the unused development unit D is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 in a state where the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 100 operates. Thereby, power is transmitted to the drive shaft 52 via a gear (not shown), and the drive shaft 52 starts to rotate in the direction of the arrow R3.

  At this time, since both ends of the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b are fixed to the transport sheet 51 and the frame body 6, tension acts on the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b. As described above, the bonding portion between the first and second sealing members 54 a and 54 b and the frame body 6 with respect to the bonding strength of the bonding portion 541 between the first and second sealing members 54 a and 54 b and the transport sheet 51. The bonding strength of 543 is set small. For this reason, the bonding portion 543 is gradually peeled off while the bonding state of the bonding portion 541 is maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 3, it is desirable that the sealing member 54 be provided with a refracting portion 542. Thereby, among the tensions acting on the bonding part 543, the component acting in the vertical direction rather than the shearing direction of the bonding surface is increased, so that the bonding part 543 can be peeled with less tension.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4C, the first and second sealing members 54a and 54b move to the downstream side in the circulation direction with respect to the unused state of FIG. 4B. As a result, the first sealing member 54a is separated from the inner wall surface of the lower lid 62, and the space formed by the transport sheet 51 and the inner wall surface of the frame 6 is released. At this time, the toner is gradually moved in the direction of arrow F2 (conveyance direction) mainly by the propulsive force of the second sealing member 54b and the conveyance blade 512 (see FIG. 3). Then, as shown in FIG. 4D, when toner is supplied to the supply roller 3 and the developing roller 1, a developable toner exists.

  In this way, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to pull the toner seal member at the start of use of the developing unit. Further, the troublesomeness of pulling the toner seal member can be eliminated, and usability (ease of use) is improved.

  In addition, when the developing unit D is used, the sealing member 54 circulates in a state in which the sealing member 54 is continuously in contact with the inner wall surface 6 of the frame 6 in the axial direction, so that the toner conveying performance of the conveying belt 5 is improved. be able to.

  Note that a predetermined torque is required when the bonding portion 543 is peeled off. In particular, when sealing is performed using the two sealing members 54a and 54b as in the first embodiment, if two adhesive portions are peeled at the same time, the torque required for peeling increases accordingly. Therefore, the length of the first sealing member 54a and the second sealing member 54b, that is, the distance from the bonding portion 541 to the bonding portion 543 may be changed by two sealing members. Thereby, since the timing at which the two sealing members are peeled can be shifted, the timing at which the respective torques increase is different, and the maximum torque can be reduced.

  In the above description, thermal welding is performed as a method for forming the joint portion 541 between the sealing member 54 and the conveyance sheet 51, but the joining method is not limited to thermal welding. For example, an adhesive, a double-sided tape, ultrasonic fusion, or the like may be used, and a configuration in which protrusions and holes are provided and hooked may be used. Similarly, the method for forming the bonding portion 543 between the sealing member 54 and the frame 6 may not be the double-sided tape as described above. However, it is necessary to select a method for forming the bonding portion 541 and the bonding portion 543 so that the bonding strength of the bonding portion 541 is larger than the bonding strength of the bonding portion 543. This is because if the bonding strength of the bonding portion 541 is set to be smaller than the bonding strength of the bonding portion 543, the bonding portion 541 is peeled before the bonding portion 543 is peeled off, and the toner supply may be insufficient. There is.

  Moreover, although the case where the member different from the conveyance sheet 51 was joined as the sealing member 54 was shown above, the sealing member 54 may be the same member as the conveyance sheet 51.

  Here, FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a part of a process of processing the sheet-like transport sheet 51 into a cylindrical shape. Among these, FIG. 5A is a schematic bird's-eye view showing the transport sheet 51 as a sheet material before being processed into a cylindrical shape. FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the transport sheet 51 when the sealing member 54 is a separate member from the transport sheet 51. FIGS. 5C, 5 </ b> D, and 5 </ b> E are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the conveyance sheet 51 when the sealing member 54 is the same member as the conveyance sheet 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, before the conveyance sheet 51 is processed into a cylindrical shape, the conveyance sheet 51 has a rectangular shape. Here, for the following description, portions located at both ends of the transport sheet 51 are referred to as a first end surface 513a and a second end surface 513b, respectively. At that time, the front and back of the sheet material is not particularly mentioned, and the description includes both the front and back surfaces.

  Usually, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B, the conveying sheet 51 is processed into an endless cylindrical shape by joining both end faces (513a, 513b) of the conveying sheet 51. On the other hand, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 5C, by joining one end surface 513a of the transport sheet 51 to a portion away from the other end surface 513b, a portion including the end surface 513b becomes a free end. Therefore, a partition portion in which the formed free end 514 has a function as the partition member described above may be used. In FIGS. 5C to 5D, not a partition member as a separate member, but a part of the transport sheet plays a role as a partition portion.

  Further, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional views of FIG. 5D and FIG. 5E, a cylindrical shape may be formed by combining two transport sheets 51a and 51b. At that time, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), a configuration may be adopted in which both ends of one transport sheet 51a are free ends, and as shown in FIG. 5 (e), each of the two transport sheets 51a and 51b is free. The structure which has an end may be sufficient.

  As a result, the sealing member 54 is less likely to peel from the transport sheet 51, and the number of components can be reduced.

  Further, a member for reducing toner intrusion from an end portion in the axial direction, that is, a gap between the conveyance belt 5 and the frame body 6 may be further provided. Here, FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the conveying belt 5 as in FIG. 3, and shows the ridgeline of the lower lid 62 together. In addition, in order to make an argument easy to understand, some parts are omitted in comparison with FIG. As shown in the figure, the entry of toner from the gap between the conveyance belt 5 and the frame body 6 may be reduced by providing elastic sealing pads 64 on both side surfaces of the lower lid 62. At that time, when the phase of the conveying belt 5 is adjusted in the toner filling step, the sealing portion 54 is arranged so that the bonding portion 541 and the bonding portion 543 of the sealing member 54 overlap with the sealing pad 64, thereby improving the toner sealing performance. be able to.

  In the above description, the insertion port 511 is provided for the purpose of transmitting power from the drive shaft 52 to the conveyance sheet 51. On the other hand, a plurality of holes may be formed in places other than the insertion port 511, that is, where the protruding portion 521 is not inserted. Thereby, toner circulation to the inside and outside of the conveyance belt 5 can be made more active.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, in order to partition the two spaces formed by the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62 and the conveyor belt 5, first and second sealing members 54 a serving as partition members in contact with the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62, respectively. The case where a total of two sealing members 54b are arranged has been described. On the other hand, the toner may be partitioned by a single sealing member 54c as a partition member.

  For example, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the center of one sealing member 54c is joined to the conveyance sheet 51, whereby both ends in the circulation direction of the sealing member 54c are free ends, and each free end is an upper lid. The toner may be sealed by adhering to 61 and the lower lid 62.

  In addition, the configuration shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 and the schematic perspective view of FIG. 9 may be employed. In addition, about the schematic perspective view of FIG. 9, like FIG. 6, in order to make an argument easy to understand, some site | parts are abbreviate | omitted and described.

  In FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 9A, the developing unit D is provided with a frame partition 65. On the other hand, FIG.9 (b) is a schematic perspective view which abbreviate | omitted the frame partition part 65 for description.

  The frame partition 65 is a frame having an opening 651 in the center, and is integrated with the bottom surface and both side surfaces of the lower lid 62. Further, when the upper lid 61 is assembled to the lower lid 62, the top surface 652 of the frame body partitioning portion 65 is in close contact with the upper lid 61.

  On the other hand, the sealing member 54 d which is a partition member is a flexible sheet member, and one end is fixed to the transport sheet 51. As shown in FIG. 9B, the other end of the sealing member 54d is folded at the refracting portion 542 and bonded to the frame partitioning portion 65 at the bonding portion 543. The adhesive part 543 is continuously provided in a square shape so as to avoid the opening 651 of the frame partition part 65. Thus, when the toner is filled as in the first embodiment, the toner can be partitioned by the sealing member 54d which is a partition member.

  Thereafter, by attaching the developing unit D to the image forming apparatus 100 similar to that of the first embodiment, power is transmitted to the drive shaft 52, and the conveying sheet 51 performs a circular motion in the direction of the arrow R4. At that time, the tension in the direction of arrow F3 acts on the sealing member 54d, and the adhesive portion 543 between the sealing member 54d and the frame partitioning portion 65 is gradually peeled off. As a result, the sealing member 54d, which is a partition member, is separated from the frame partition part 65 of the frame body, the opening 651 is opened, and toner is supplied to the vicinity of the developing roller 1 through the opening.

<Embodiment 3>
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the toner is sealed by bonding the sealing member 54 to the frame body 6 has been described. On the other hand, in this embodiment, it is what is called light sealing (partition) in which the partition member 54 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the frame 6 with the tension of the sheet material.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the developing unit D in the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the first and second partition members 54e and 54f is heat-compressed with the conveying sheet 51 at the joining portion 541, and is integrated with the conveying sheet 51 as in the case of FIG. 3 described above. It is the same. On the other hand, the other ends of the first and second partition members 54e and 54f are free ends, and the free lengths of the first and second partition members 54e and 54f are within the surface of the transport sheet 51 and the frame body 6. It is set to be sufficiently long with respect to the clearance formed with the wall surface. Thereby, when the conveyance belt 5 is assembled to the frame body 6, the first and second partition members 54 e and 54 f are in contact with the inner wall surface of the frame body 6. Specifically, the first partition member 54 e is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the lower lid 62, and the second partition member 54 f is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the upper lid 61. Thereby, the space which the 1st and 2nd partition member, the conveyance sheet 51, and the inner wall face of the frame 6 form is partitioned off.

  As described in the first embodiment, when the toner is sealed by bonding the sealing member 54 to the frame body 6, a certain amount of torque is required to peel off the bonding portion 543 between the sealing member 54 and the frame body 6. It takes. On the other hand, when the toner is sealed by light sealing as in the third embodiment, the torque applied at the time of opening can be reduced.

  In addition, the assembly process of the developing unit D can be simplified by using light sealing. In order to adhere the sealing member 54 to the frame body 6, it is necessary to hold the sealing member 54 at an appropriate position in the space corresponding to the free length of the sealing member 54. Further, a process such as pressing the sealing member 54 against the surface of the frame 6 is required. On the other hand, in the case of light sealing as in the third embodiment, it is necessary to pay attention to the contact angle when assembling the transport belt 5 and the frame body 6 and does not require a complicated work as in the bonding process. .

  Similarly to the embodiment of FIG. 10, when sealing with a single sealing member as in Embodiment 2, the sealing member 54 is replaced with a partition member that does not adhere to the inner wall surface of the frame body 6 and lightly sealed. It is good also as a stop structure.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view showing the developing unit D when lightly sealed (partitioned) with one partition member, and FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the same case. Here, FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the upper lid 61 is separated from the lower lid 62 and the conveying belt 5 (before assembly in the assembling process of the developing unit D) with respect to the developing unit D of FIG.

  The partition member 54g is a flexible PET sheet having a thickness of 50 μm. Of the partition member 54g, one end is integrated with the conveyance sheet 51 at the joint portion 541, and the other end is a free end.

  The pushing portion 611 that is a sandwiching portion for sandwiching the partition member is a columnar member having one end fixed to the upper lid 61, and a surface (front end) facing the fixed portion has a gently curved shape. Similarly, the push-in part 621 is a columnar member having one end fixed to the lower lid 62, and the surface (front end) facing the fixed part has a gently curved shape.

  Among the partition member joining portion 541, the pressing portion 611 that is the sandwiching portion, and the pressing portion 621, the second pressing portion 621 is provided on the most front side in the depth direction. Next, the first push portion 611 and the joint portion 541 are arranged in the depth direction. On the other hand, with respect to the axial position, a total of two second pushing portions 621 are provided at both axial ends along the inner wall surface of the lower lid 62. Similarly, a total of two first pushing portions 611 are provided at both axial ends so that the side surface of the first pushing portion 611 is along the inner wall surface of the lower lid 62 when the upper lid 61 is assembled to the lower lid 62. Both the first and second push-in portions 611 and 621 have a predetermined width in the axial direction, and are set to overlap the partition member 54g in the axial direction.

  Next, the assembly process of the developing unit D will be described with reference to FIG. When assembling the developing unit D, the transport belt 5 in which the partition member 54g is integrated in the joint portion 541 is attached to the lower lid 62 in advance. At that time, as shown in FIG. 12, the free end of the partition member 54 g is lifted above the push-in portion 621 in the thickness direction. Thereafter, the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62 are integrated by assembling the upper lid 61 in the direction of arrow F5 and welding the end faces. At this time, the partition member 54g is pushed by the first and second pushing portions 611 and 621, and the partition member 54g is sandwiched by the pushing portion 611 and the lower lid 62, and the pushing portion 621 and the upper lid 61. Therefore, the assembled state shown in FIG. 11 is obtained, and the space formed by the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62 is partitioned by the sealing member 54g.

  Thereafter, by attaching the developing unit D to the image forming apparatus 100, power is transmitted to the drive shaft 52, and the conveying sheet 51 performs a circular motion in the direction of the arrow R4. Then, the partition member 54g is pulled out in the direction of the arrow F4, and the toner is supplied to the supply roller 3 and the developing roller 1.

  Moreover, as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 13, the sealing pad 64 which has elasticity may be provided in the position which contacts the pushing parts 611 and 621 when the upper cover 61 and the lower cover 62 are assembled | attached. Thereby, the gap formed by the sealing member 54g and the frame body 6 is filled, and the toner sealing property can be improved.

  Further, as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 14, the member that pushes in the partition member 54g may be configured to be sandwiched between members that are continuous in the axial direction, such as the first and second push-in portions 612 and 622. Good. Thereby, since the bending of the sealing member 54g is reduced, the sealing property of the toner can be further improved. Further, the first and second push-in portions 612 and 622 which are the sandwiching portions have a gently curved surface in contact with the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62, whereby the first and second push-in portions 612 and 622 are separated from the partition member 54g. The area in contact with can be reduced, and the torque at the time of opening can be reduced.

<Embodiment 4>
In the first, second, and third embodiments, the case where the toner is sealed or lightly sealed by the partition member 54 that is integrated with the transport belt 5 even after opening is described. On the other hand, the partition member may be integrated with the frame 6 even after opening.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a regulation sheet 71, which is a flexible sheet material, may be used as the partition member. The regulation sheet 71 is a PET material having a thickness of 100 μm, and one end of the regulation sheet 71 is joined to the upper lid 61 at the joining portion 711. The other end is a free end and is in contact with the transport sheet 51. The length in the axial direction is longer than the conveyance sheet 51 and slightly shorter than the axial width of the inner wall of the frame 6.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 16, you may use the flexible control board 72 as a partition member. The restriction plate 72 is a flexible urethane rubber plate, and one end of the restriction plate 72 is bonded to the upper lid 61 at a bonding portion (not shown). The other end is a free end, and the corner of the regulation plate 72 is brought into contact with the transport sheet 51.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper lid 61 may be provided with a regulation rib 73 that is a frame protrusion, and may have a function as a partition member. The restriction rib 73 that is a frame protrusion is formed integrally with the upper lid 61 by providing a recess in a mold for molding the upper lid 61. In order to have a function of sealing the toner, the regulation rib 73 is continuously formed in the axial direction and has a length in the thickness direction sufficient to contact the conveyance sheet 51. Since the regulation rib 73 is a rigid body, the conveyance sheet 51 is bent by the regulation rib 73.

  Hereinafter, sealing members such as the regulation sheet 71, the regulation plate 72, and the regulation rib 73 that are integrated with the frame body 6 even after opening are collectively referred to as a circulation regulation member 7.

  The position where the circulation regulating member 7 is disposed is desirably downstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction, that is, integrally with the upper lid 61. If the circulation regulating member 7 is disposed upstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction, that is, so as to be integrated with the lower lid 62, the space formed by the transport sheet 51 and the frame body 6 is difficult to be released during the opening operation. . In other words, the flexible regulation sheet 62 and the regulation plate 63 or the conveyance sheet 51 are bent by the conveyance blades 512 and the partition members 54 scattered on the conveyance sheet 51, and toner is generated from the generated gap. May flow in. Further, the toner moves in and out of the conveying belt 5 through the insertion port 511. However, the toner movement amount in those cases is extremely smaller than that in the case where the partition member on the upstream side in the circulation direction with respect to the drive shaft 52 is integrated with the conveyance sheet 51. Therefore, it is not desirable to arrange the circulation regulating member 7 upstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction.

  Further, by arranging the circulation regulating member 7 on the downstream side in the circulation direction from the drive shaft 52, the toner supply performance to the developing roller 1 is improved. In order to stably supply toner to the developing roller 1, it is desirable that a large amount of toner is present closer to the developing roller 1. Whether or not the image can be formed as it is depends on the position of the circulation regulating member 7 in a state where the toner is consumed to some extent due to repeated image formation and the gap in the frame 6 is increased. When the circulation regulating member 7 is not disposed downstream of the drive shaft 52 in the circulation direction, the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. That is, the toner on the transport sheet 51 is transported as it is in the direction of the arrow F7, which is the circulation direction. On the other hand, when the circulation regulating member 7 is provided on the downstream side in the circulation direction from the drive shaft 52, the toner on the transport sheet 51 is regulated by the circulation regulating member 7 as shown in FIG. Since the insertion port 511 is provided at various positions in the conveyance sheet 51, the toner moves in and out of the conveyance belt 5 through the insertion port 511. Therefore, the toner regulated by the circulation regulating member 7 is scraped off in the arrow F8 direction through the insertion port 511. As a result, a large amount of toner is present at a position closer to the developing roller 1, and the toner supply performance to the developing roller 1 is improved.

  The angle at which the circulation regulating member 7 is brought into contact with the transport sheet 51 is preferably an obtuse angle with respect to the circulation direction. When the circulation restricting member 7 is brought into contact with the circulation direction at an acute angle, the circulation restricting member is caught on the conveying blade 512. At this time, the torque of the drive shaft 52 is increased and the gear is damaged, and the conveying blade 512 and the conveying sheet 51 may be broken. Further, when a flexible member such as the restriction sheet 71 or the restriction plate 72 is used as the circulation restriction member 7, the restriction sheet 71 or the restriction plate 72 may be broken.

<Embodiment 5>
In the first to fourth embodiments, the case where there is one conveyance sheet 51 on the conveyance belt 5 is described. On the other hand, for example, as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 19, the transport sheet 51 that supports the two first and second transport sheets 51 c and 51 d with the common drive shaft 52 and the support shaft 53 is axial. The structure divided | segmented into plurality may be sufficient.

  At this time, for each of the two first and second transport sheets 51c and 51d, the first transport sheet 51c may be provided with a first partition member 54h, and the second transport sheet 51d may be provided with a second partition member 54i. . At that time, the axial widths of the first and second partition members 54h and 54i are made longer than the widths of the first and second transport sheets 51c51d, and the first partition member 54h and the second partition member 54Ii overlap in the axial direction. It is good to do so. At the same time, the joint portion 541h between the first transport sheet 51c and the first partition member 54h, and the joint portion 541i between the second transport sheet 51d and the second partition member 54i may be at the same position in the circulation direction. As a result, when the toner is partitioned, a portion where the two first partition members 54h and the second partition member 54i overlap with each other is created, and it is difficult for the toner to enter from the gap between the partition members.

  Further, it is preferable to perform the phase adjustment of the transport belt 5 so that the position in the circulation direction of the first and second joint portions 541h and 541i when not opened (when not used) overlaps with the drive shaft 52. If the position in the circulation direction of the first and second joints 541h and 541i is set to a position away from the drive shaft 52, the toner enters from the gap between the two transport sheets 51c and 51d. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, the progress of the toner can be reduced by sealing the gap between the transport sheets 51c and 51d with the drive shaft 52 and the two partition members 54h and 54i.

  On the other hand, as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 20, one partition member 54j may be joined so as to cross the two transport sheets 51c and 51d. Thereby, the progress of the toner between the two transport sheets 51c and 51d can be further reduced.

  Further, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 21 and the schematic perspective view of FIG. 22, similarly to the case of FIG. The center of the partition member 54k may be fixed to the transport sheets 51c and 51d so that both ends of the partition member 54k in the circulation direction are free ends, and the respective free ends are in contact with the upper lid 61 and the lower lid 62.

  In addition, even in the case where the conveyance sheet 51 of the fifth embodiment is divided into a plurality of axial directions, the configurations shown in the first to fourth embodiments are applied. For example, the sealing member 54 may be bonded to the frame 6 when not in use, or may have a light sealing configuration. Further, for example, the circulation regulating member 7 as shown in the fourth embodiment may be used as the sealing member.

<Embodiment 6>
In the embodiments so far, the description has been given using the developing unit as the developing device, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a developer container that contains a developer such as a replenishing toner bottle. In this case, it can be realized by partitioning the developer container having an opening with a partition member at the opening. In addition to the developer container, a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum as an image carrier may be used. The toner chamber and the developing chamber in the process cartridge may be partitioned through an opening, and the opening may be partitioned by a partition portion. By moving the partition portion, the opening may be opened, and the toner in the toner chamber may be supplied to the developing roller that is the developer carrying member in the developing chamber to develop the photosensitive drum that is the image carrying member.

  The developer container and the process cartridge may be detachable from the image forming apparatus. For example, if the developer container is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus is a part of the apparatus configuration excluding the developer container. Similarly, if the process cartridge can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus, the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus here means a part of the apparatus configuration excluding the process cartridge.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Conveying belt 51 Conveying sheet 54 Sealing member 6 Frame 7 Circulation restricting member 100 Image forming apparatus D Process cartridge

Claims (13)

A frame housing the developer;
A partition portion for partitioning the developer contained in the frame with respect to the transport direction in which the developer is transported, and a belt-shaped transport member for transporting the developer,
The partition portion is in contact with the inner wall of the frame body when not in use and extends in a direction crossing a transport direction for transporting the developer,
When not in use, the first developer amount accommodated on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the partition is larger than the second developer amount accommodated on the downstream side in the transport direction. Developer container.   The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the partition portion is in contact with upper and lower inner walls in the gravitational direction of the frame when not in use. The partition has a first partition and a second partition,
The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the first and second partition portions are in contact with an inner wall of the frame body when not in use. The frame has an opening;
The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the partition portion is disposed so as to cover the opening. The frame has a circulation regulating member that regulates the circulation of the developer,
5. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the circulation regulating member is a partition for partitioning the developer stored in the frame body with respect to the transport direction.   6. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the second developer amount is 1/50 or less of the first developer amount.   The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the second developer amount is 0 g or more and 5 g or less. The conveying member has a hole;
The developer container according to claim 1, wherein a length of the hole in a longitudinal direction is shorter than a length of the partition portion in a longitudinal direction. The conveying member has a conveying sheet and a belt protrusion protruding from the conveying sheet,
The length from the said conveyance sheet to the free end of the said belt protrusion part is shorter than the length from the fixing part of the said partition part to a free end, The any one of Claim 1 to 8 characterized by the above-mentioned. Developer container.   10. The developer container according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a sandwiching portion that sandwiches the partition portion. 11. A developer carrier for carrying the developer;
A developing device comprising: the developer container according to claim 1. An image carrier for carrying a developer image;
A process cartridge comprising at least one of the developer container according to claim 1 and the developing device according to claim 11. It has at least one of the developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the developing device according to claim 11, and the process cartridge according to claim 12.
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material.

Images