JP4674478B2 - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner cartridge that supplies toner to a developing device that visualizes an electrostatic latent image using powdered toner.

  An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided with a developing device that forms a visible image by transferring toner to a latent image due to a difference in electrostatic potential. The developing device generally includes a developing member having an endless peripheral surface at a position facing an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, and a developer storage chamber is provided adjacent to the developing member. . Then, the toner is supplied from the developer storage chamber to the developing member, and is transported to the developing region by moving the peripheral surface. When development is repeatedly performed in the development area, the toner in the developer storage chamber is consumed, the amount of toner stored is reduced, and new toner needs to be replenished. As a method for replenishing toner, a toner cartridge containing toner is mounted on a developing device, and toner is supplied from the toner cartridge into a developer containing chamber.

  The toner cartridge contains a replenishing toner and is hermetically sealed. When the toner cartridge is attached to the developing device, the toner cartridge is required to be easily opened and smoothly supplied to the developing device. In addition, high sealing performance is required so that the toner does not leak out and scatter even if there is an inappropriate handling during transportation after the toner cartridge is manufactured or a situation where the toner cartridge is dropped on the floor. . Further, after the toner is replenished, it is required that when the toner cartridge is removed from the developing device, it can be processed so that a slight residual toner adhering to the supply port and the inner surface of the toner cartridge is not dissipated.

As a toner cartridge used in this way, there is a toner cartridge described in Patent Document 1 that has been widely used. In this toner cartridge, as shown in FIG. 11, a toner container main body 41 is made of cardboard or synthetic resin, and its upper part is sealed with a top plate 42 made of metal. A base member 43 made of synthetic resin is joined to the lower end portion. The base member 43 is provided with an opening 46 for discharging toner, and a sealing film 44 is attached to the outer surface of the base member 43. The sealing film 44 is made of synthetic resin, metal stay, or the like, and is applied and adhered to the periphery of the opening by applying a heat-melted adhesive (heat sealing). An opening lid 45 that can slide substantially parallel to the opening surface is provided outside the opening 46, and a sealing film 44 is locked to the tip 45 a of the opening lid 45. Accordingly, as the opening lid 45 is moved in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 11, the sealing film 44 is peeled off from the periphery of the opening, and the opening 46 is opened and accommodated in the cartridge. The toner 47 is supplied to the developing device. After replenishing the toner, the opening lid 45 is closed again and the cartridge is removed from the developing device.
Japanese Patent Publication No.8-10373

The present invention has a simple structure and does not leak toner even when a large impact is applied.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is equipped with a developing device that contains powder toner and transfers the toner to a latent image due to a difference in electrostatic potential to form a visible image. A toner cartridge that supplies toner to the developing device, comprising: a container-like toner storage unit that stores toner; and a mounting base that is joined to the toner storage unit and is detachable from the developing device. And the mounting base includes a cylindrical joint that is joined to the toner storage, and the toner storage includes a substantially cylindrical toner discharge part that is screwed into and joined to the inside of the joint. The toner discharge portion includes a first flange portion projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface of the toner discharge portion, and the toner discharge portion at a position behind the first flange portion with respect to the toner discharge opening. Tension outward from the outer peripheral surface of the part A second flange portion is provided that is provided on the inner side of the joint, and substantially perpendicular direction of the annular surface and the axis of the joint portion, and a first flange portion facing the elastic between them A body ring is inserted and compressed in the axial direction of the cylindrical toner discharge portion and the joint portion, and the tip portion of the toner discharge portion provided with an opening for discharging the toner is elastic. The first flange portion pressed against the body ring protrudes in the axial direction of the toner discharge portion, the gap between the second flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the joint portion, and the tip portion of the toner discharge portion Between the annular surface and the first flange portion when an angular change occurs between the axis of the joint and the axis of the toner discharge portion due to the gap. Changes in the distance between the elastic ring and the elastic ring It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge that is set to be smaller than the amount of compression deformation that has occurred in advance .

  As described above, by screwing the toner storage portion into the mounting base portion mounted on the developing device, these can be easily joined. Since a compressed elastic ring is inserted between these in the joint portion, the attachment base portion and the toner storage portion are joined in a sealed state, and toner leaks from these joint portions. There is no.

  Further, the front end portion of the toner discharge portion and the second flange portion provided behind the toner discharge portion are manufactured with high accuracy so that the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the mounting base portion is reduced. Even if relative displacement occurs such that the axis of the attachment base and the toner storage portion is bent by these gaps, the elastic ring is maintained in a state where compression deformation has occurred over the entire circumference, and the toner storage portion is provided. It is in close contact with the annular surface of the first flange portion and the mounting base portion, and effectively prevents toner leakage.

  The elastic ring has a thickness of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm, and an amount of compressive deformation when inserted between the annular surface and the first flange portion is 1 mm to 2 mm. In general, the amount of compressive deformation of the elastic ring can be maintained with accuracy when the toner storage portion and the mounting base portion are made of synthetic resin or the like, and toner leakage can be effectively prevented.

  As described above, the toner cartridge of the present invention has a simple structure in which the toner storage portion that stores the toner and the mounting base portion that is attached to the developing device and can release the toner have a simple structure. Even when a large impact is applied, toner leakage does not occur.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view.
The main part of the toner cartridge is composed of a toner storage unit 1 for storing toner and an attachment base 2 joined to the toner storage 1, and the attachment base 2 is attached to a developing device. A toner supply port 3 for supplying toner into the developing device is provided.

  The toner storage unit 1 is made of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is a bottle-like container. The toner discharge portion 11 has a cylindrical shape, and the toner discharge portion is joined to the attachment base portion.

  The side surface 12 formed toward the toner discharge portion is inclined so that the cross-sectional area of the space in the toner storage portion is gradually narrowed, and is continuous with the opening having a circular cross section. In the region where the cross section of the internal space is gradually narrowed, the side surface is inclined, but is not a continuous inclined surface toward the opening, but a portion 13 whose cross section is slightly enlarged once is provided. The side has an inclined side surface so that the cross section gradually becomes narrower again. A plurality of steps of the inclined portion are provided toward the opening, and the toner flows smoothly by the steps.

As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, the toner discharge portion 11 has a first flange portion 14 at a position close to the opening on the outer peripheral surface, and is located above the first flange portion 14, that is, at a position away from the opening 16. Is provided with a second flange portion 15.
The opening side surface of the first flange portion 14 is continuous over the entire circumference and is an annular surface that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the toner discharge portion 11. Then, at two locations in the circumferential direction, there are engaging portions 17 whose overhang lengths are partially increased, and the upper surfaces of these portions are gently inclined. This inclined surface engages with the protruding portion 26 provided on the mounting base 2 and functions to tighten the toner discharge portion 1 to the mounting base 2.
The second flange portion 15 has substantially the same overhang length over the entire circumference, and its diameter is set to an accurate dimension.

  On the other hand, the mounting base 2 is integrally formed with a cylindrical joining portion 21 and a plate-like portion 22 perpendicular to the axis of the joining portion, as shown in cross-sectional shapes in FIGS. ing. The toner discharge portion 11 provided in the toner storage portion 1 is joined to the joining portion 21 so as to be screwed, and the plate-like portion 22 can be mounted so as to face the toner receiving port of the developing device. It has become. A shutter 23 is attached to the lower surface of the plate-like portion 22 so that it can be opened and closed. When the toner is supplied to the developing device, the shutter 23 is opened. It is to be removed.

Inside the joint portion 21, there is a reduced diameter portion 24 that is continuous over the entire circumference at a predetermined depth from the upper end edge 21 a, and its upper surface is divided in two steps in the radial direction. The inner annular flat surface 24a (annular surface) is opposed to the lower surface of the first flange portion 14 provided in the toner discharge portion 11. And the elastic body ring 25 which deform | transforms flexibly on this annular surface 24a is affixed (refer FIG. 6). The elastic ring 25 is made of a flexible synthetic resin and has a thickness of about 2.5 to 5 mm. In this embodiment, the thickness is 3 mm.
Further, above the position where the reduced diameter portion 24 is provided, protruding portions 26 having a predetermined length in the circumferential direction are provided at two locations facing each other. The lower surface of the protruding portion 26 has a gentle slope in the circumferential direction, and is engaged with an engaging portion 17 partially protruding from the first flange portion 14 provided in the toner storage portion 1. Is.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner storage unit 1 and the mounting base 2 are joined. As shown in FIG. 6, the toner discharge unit 11 is inserted into the joint 21 of the mounting base 2, and the toner storage unit 1. Is rotated around the axis. As a result, the upper surface of the engaging portion 17 protruding from the first flange portion 14 is engaged with the lower surface of the protruding portion 26, and both inclined surfaces are competing with each other. Therefore, the toner storage unit 1 is pushed into the joint 21 and both are firmly joined. Further, the first flange portion is pressed against the annular surface 24a side to compress the elastic ring 25 and cause deformation. The amount of compressive deformation of the elastic ring 25 at this time is preferably about 1 to 2 mm, and is set to 1.5 mm in this embodiment.

  Further, a protrusion-like stopper (not shown) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner discharge unit 11 of the toner storage unit 1. When the toner discharge portion 11 is screwed into the joint portion 21 of the mounting base portion 2, this stopper abuts on the inner peripheral surface thereof to cause elastic deformation, and is fitted into a locking hole (not shown) at a predetermined position. Thus, the elastic deformation is released. As a result, the reverse rotation of the toner storage unit 1 with respect to the mounting base 2 is constrained, so that the two screws cannot be disconnected.

  Inside the portion where the joining portion 21 is attached to the plate-like portion 22, the plate-like portion 22 is opened and the toner supply port 3 is provided. Therefore, the toner dropped into the joining portion 21 from the opening of the toner storage portion 1 is sent from the toner supply port 3 to the toner receiving port of the developing device by opening and closing the shutter 23.

The plate-like portion 22 is provided with a downward hanging portion 22a along the side edge. On the inner side surface of the hanging portion, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, shutters 23 are provided at four locations on one side. Guide claws 22b are provided. The shutter 23 is locked to the guide claw 22 b and is provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, that is, along the mounting surface 22 c of the plate-like portion 22.
An elastic seal 31 is attached to the attachment surface 22 c of the plate-like portion 22 so as to surround the toner supply port 3. The elastic body seal 31 is provided at a position away from the periphery of the toner supply port 3 by about 1 mm or more. The shutter 23 is locked to the guide claw 22b while being pressed against the elastic body seal 31, and slides in a state where the elastic body 31 is compressed and deformed.

  The elastic seal 31 has a thickness of about 1 to 3 mm, and is set so that the amount of compressive deformation when the shutter 23 is pressed is 0.2 to 1.0 mm. If this amount of compressive deformation increases, the resistance to the movement of the shutter 23 increases, making it difficult to open and close. Further, if the amount of compressive deformation is small, the possibility of toner leakage increases. Therefore, it is set so as to satisfy both of these conditions.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a convex portion 23a is provided at a portion of the shutter 23 that contacts the elastic seal 31 when the shutter 23 is closed. The convex portion 23a is continuously provided over the entire circumference of the elastic seal 31 provided so as to surround the toner supply port 3, and the height thereof is set in a range of about 0.2 to 1.0 mm. Is done. The convex portion 23a prevents toner leakage as being pushed into the elastic seal 31, and the height takes into account the contact pressure of the shutter 23 to the elastic seal 31, that is, the amount of compressive deformation. Is set.

  In the toner cartridge as described above, the toner storage unit 1 can be manufactured by integral molding with a synthetic resin, and a high-strength one can be easily manufactured at low cost. In addition, the toner discharge portion 11 can be easily mounted by screwing into the mounting base portion 2, and the toner can be sealed in a simple process after the toner is charged into the toner storage portion 1. And since the elastic ring 25 is sandwiched between the first flange portion 14 and the annular surface 24a of the mounting base 2 in the joint portion with the mounting base 2, the compression deformation occurs. It is possible to prevent the toner from leaking from the joint portion.

  For example, as an assumed severe condition, a case where the operator has accidentally dropped the toner cartridge onto the floor surface is conceivable. As shown in FIG. 9, a case where the tip of the plate-like portion 22 collides with the floor surface is assumed. can do. When an impact is applied under such conditions, the toner storage portion 1 and the cylindrical joint portion 21 of the attachment base portion 2 are relatively positioned so that an angle is generated between these axes as shown by a broken line in FIG. It is displaced to. However, the front end portion 11 a of the toner storage unit 1 is opposed to the inner peripheral surface of the joint portion 21 with a very small gap, and the second flange portion 15 provided above this also has an inner periphery of the joint portion 21. It faces the surface with a minute gap. Therefore, even if a relative displacement that bends between the toner storage portion 1 and the joint portion 21 occurs, the relative displacement angle θ is suppressed to be small by the tip portion 11a of the toner storage portion 1 and the second flange portion 15. Therefore, the displacement between the opposed first flange portion 14 and the annular surface 24a of the mounting base portion 2 is also reduced, so that a gap is generated between the compressed elastic ring 25 and the first flange portion 14. There is nothing, and toner leakage does not occur.

  Further, when the toner storage portion 1 is screwed into the joint portion 21 of the attachment base portion 2, the stopper is fitted in the engaging hole, so that the relative rotation between the toner storage portion 1 and the attachment base portion 2 is performed. Is not restrained, and there is no such a situation that these joints are disconnected due to a drop impact or the like.

  Furthermore, it is conceivable that when the toner drops, the inertial force of the toner stored in the toner storage unit 1 acts on the joint portion with the mounting base 2 and the shutter 23 for closing the toner supply port. Since the cross section of the internal space is gradually reduced toward the opening, the inertial force of the toner is borne by these inclined surfaces, and the impact force acting on the shutter 23 and the like is alleviated. Therefore, it is also possible to prevent the toner from leaking due to the shutter 23 falling off or deforming.

  On the other hand, when the toner cartridge contains toner, the toner supply port 3 is closed by the shutter 23, and the shutter 23 is pressed against the plate-like portion 22 via the elastic seal 31. The leakage of toner from the portion is also effectively prevented. When the toner cartridge is attached to the developing device and the toner contained therein is supplied into the developing device, the toner can be easily dropped into the developing device and supplied by sliding the shutter 23. At this time, since the pressing force of the shutter 23 against the elastic body seal 31 is appropriately set, both the smooth operability of the shutter 23 and the function of preventing toner leakage are compatible.

  In addition, after the toner is supplied to the developing device, the toner cartridge can be sealed by moving the shutter 23 and closing the toner supply port 3, and even if a small amount of toner remains, this leaks out. There is no. Further, since the elastic seal 31 is provided outside the toner supply port 3, the toner does not adhere to the elastic seal 31, and the toner is scattered outside the apparatus when the shutter 23 is closed. Also, it does not leak by adhering to the outside of the shutter 23.

1 is a schematic side view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a toner discharge portion of a toner storage portion provided in the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an attachment base included in the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting base included in the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where a toner storage portion and an attachment base portion are joined in the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an attachment base included in the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 1. It is an expanded sectional view of the part where a shutter and an elastic body seal are pressed. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state assumed when the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 1 is dropped on a floor surface. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the behavior of a portion where the toner storage portion and the attachment base portion are joined when an impact force is applied in the state illustrated in FIG. 9. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional toner cartridge.

1: toner storage unit, 2: mounting base, 3: toner supply port,
11: Toner discharge part, 11a: Front end part of toner storage part, 12: Side face, 13: Step, 14: First flange part, 15: Second flange part, 16: Opening, 17: Engagement part,
21: Joint part, 22: Plate-like part, 22a: Hanging part, 22b: Guide claw, 22c: Mounting surface, 23: Shutter, 23a: Convex part, 24: Reduced diameter part, 24a: Annular surface, 25: Elasticity Body ring, 26: protrusion, 31: elastic body seal

Claims (3)

A toner cartridge that contains powdered toner, is mounted on a developing device that transfers the toner to a latent image due to a difference in electrostatic potential to form a visible image, and supplies the toner to the developing device;
A container-like toner storage section for storing toner;
An attachment base that is joined to the toner storage and can be attached to and detached from the developing device;
The mounting base includes a cylindrical joint that is joined to the toner storage unit,
The toner storage unit includes a substantially cylindrical toner discharge unit that is screwed and joined to the inside of the joint.
The toner discharge portion includes a first flange portion projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface of the toner discharge portion, and the toner discharge portion at a position behind the first flange portion with respect to an opening for discharging toner. A second flange portion projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface of the
An annular surface that is provided on the inner side of the joint portion and is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the joint portion and the first flange portion face each other, and an elastic ring is interposed between them, Compressed in the axial direction of the toner discharge portion and the joint portion,
A tip portion of the toner discharge portion provided with an opening for discharging toner protrudes in an axial direction of the toner discharge portion from the first flange portion pressed against the elastic ring;
The gap between the second flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the joint portion, and the gap between the tip portion of the toner discharge portion and the inner peripheral surface of the joint portion are determined by the gap and the axis of the joint portion and the toner. When an angle change occurs between the discharge portion and the axis of the discharge portion, the change in the distance between the annular surface and the first flange portion is smaller than the amount of compressive deformation generated in advance in the elastic ring. A toner cartridge that is set . The first flange portion engages with a protruding portion provided on the inner surface of the joint portion to join the toner discharge portion and the front joint portion.
The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the second flange portion is provided at a position away from the first flange portion .   The elastic ring has a thickness of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm, and an amount of compressive deformation when inserted between the annular surface and the first flange portion is 1 mm to 2 mm. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is characterized.

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