JP4040304B2 - Toner supply container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to a toner replenishing container that can be attached to and detached from an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.In a vesselRelated.
[0002]
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming system. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, a word processor, and the like.
[0003]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, fine powder toner as a developer is used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer. When the toner of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body is consumed, the toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus main body using a toner supply container (toner supply container).
[0004]
Since toner is an extremely fine powder, a method is known in which a toner supply container is placed inside the image forming apparatus main body so that the toner is not scattered during toner supply operation, and the toner is discharged little by little from a small opening. ing.
[0005]
In any case, these toner replenishing containers are configured to discharge toner by receiving some driving from the image forming apparatus main body side and driving the conveying member and the container main body on the toner replenishing container side. Yes. There are several methods for such drive transmission means. For example, as described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 05-75768, a gear portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a toner bottle as a toner supply container, and a drive source is provided in this gear. There is a configuration in which the toner bottle is rotated by meshing with a rotating drive gear connected to the toner bottle.
[0006]
Further, as described in JP-A-10-63084, a protrusion for rotation driving is provided on the end surface of the toner bottle, and this protrusion is engaged with a recess provided in a driving part from the main body of the image forming apparatus. Thus, there is a configuration for transmitting the drive.
[0007]
As another example, there is a method as disclosed in JP-A-10-63076. This is provided with a plurality of engaging grooves on the inner diameter of the rotational force transmitting portion of the image forming apparatus main body, and on the toner container side, there are provided protrusions that engage with the engaging grooves. The rotation drive is transmitted.
[0008]
As described above, various drive transmission methods have been proposed as methods for driving the toner supply container.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above conventional example has some technical problems.
[0010]
In the case of the method described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-75768, when the toner bottle is inserted and set in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the gear portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle and the drive gear section in the main body of the image forming apparatus are successfully It is necessary to engage with each other, and it is necessary for the user to insert the work with care, which places a burden on the user in replenishment operability. Further, since the toner bottle is rotated by the meshing of the gear and the gear, the toner bottle receives a force that tends to shift in the direction perpendicular to the axis due to the rotational moment. There is a risk that it will not be possible. In order to prevent such a shift, it is necessary to surround and support the entire periphery of the toner bottle. In this case, the toner bottle cannot be easily attached and detached, and at the same time, the replenishment system itself This complicates the structure and leads to increased costs.
[0011]
In the case of the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-63084 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-63076, the protrusion (or dent) on the end surface of the toner bottle is engaged with the dent (or protrusion) of the main body drive unit. When the toner bottle is inserted into the toner bottle, it is necessary to align the rotation direction of the toner bottle. If this is done by the user, the replenishment operability will be reduced and the drive will not be transmitted accurately due to a slight misalignment. It may become.
[0012]
In order to prevent such engagement failure, a guide rib is provided on the outer surface of the toner bottle so that the position in the rotation direction when the toner bottle is inserted is always determined. It is necessary to control the rotational operation so as to stop at a predetermined rotational position, and both increase the complexity and cost of the replenishment system.
[0013]
Also, in many coupling drive transmissions due to such uneven engagement, when the phase of the toner bottle and the main body drive part is inserted out of phase, the main body drive part is retracted by a spring, and when the phase matches, the engagement position is reached. There is a case where it is configured to return. In such a configuration, even if the phase of the bottle is deviated when the toner bottle is inserted, the main body drive unit retreats, so that when the bottle is rotated, the phase can be matched and engaged. Since the configuration of the main body driving unit is complicated and the main body driving unit is retracted to the back side, an extra space is required, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of making the apparatus main body compact.
[0014]
The present invention is a further development of the above-described conventional toner supply container.
[0015]
  An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container capable of reliably attaching and detaching a toner replenishing container to / from an image forming apparatus main body and a toner replenishing operation with a simple operation and configuration.VesselIs to provide.
[0016]
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container that does not require alignment in the rotational direction of the toner replenishing container at the time of toner replenishing operation with the toner replenishing container and can be reliably replenished by simple operation.VesselIs to provide.
[0017]
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container in which the mechanism of the toner replenishing container and the image forming apparatus main body is simple and inexpensive.VesselIs to provide.
[0018]
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container capable of downsizing the image forming apparatus main body.VesselIs to provide.
[0019]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The above object is achieved by the toner supply container according to the present invention. In summary, the first invention according to the present invention is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, receives a rotational driving force from the driving unit of the main body of the image forming apparatus, and rotates the container itself to store the toner contained therein. A substantially cylindrical toner supply container for supplying to the image forming apparatus main bodyThe image forming apparatus main body includes an opening for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus main body, and includes a toner supply container main body for storing toner, and a sealing member for sealing the opening.In the toner supply container,
  The sealing member is formed integrally with the sealing portion that seals the opening and the sealing portion, and is in pressure contact with the driving portion of the image forming apparatus main body to transmit the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. A cylindrical holding portion, and
  An inside of the holding portion is arranged so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and is attached to the image forming apparatus main body.As the toner supply container is inserted,The operation of the image forming apparatus main body causes the toner supply container toSlide in the direction opposite to the insertion directionThen, the holding part is elastically deformed in the diameter-enlarging direction, is brought into close contact with the driving part of the image forming apparatus main body, and the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body is transmitted to enable rotation of the toner supply container main body. BeSlide core and said slide coreToner supply container for image forming deviceA spring member biasing in the insertion direction;With
  In the slide core,Of the slide coreIn the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the toner supply container into the image forming apparatus main bodyElastic deformation in the diameter expansion direction as the slide movesdo itClose contact engagement with the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main bodyWhen saidLocking part for maintaining the elastic deformation state of the holding partIs provided,
  In the holding part,When the toner supply container is taken out, it acts on the slide core by the action from the image forming apparatus main body.Moving the slide core in the biasing direction of the spring member;Of the holding partWith the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main bodyRelease part for releasing the tight engagement stateIs provided,
A toner supply container.
[0020]
  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the holding partIsAxiallyFormedMultiple slitsgrooveThe inner surface of the image forming apparatus has a tapered surface that decreases in diameter in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body.
[0021]
  According to another embodiment of the invention,The close engagement surface of the holding unit with the main body drive unit isWith elastomerIt is configured.
[0022]
  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus main body can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body, receives the rotational driving force from the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body, and rotates the container itself to store the toner contained therein. A substantially cylindrical toner supply containerThe image forming apparatus main body includes an opening for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus main body, and includes a toner supply container main body for storing toner, and a sealing member for sealing the opening.In the toner supply container,
  The sealing member includes a sealing portion that seals the opening, and a cylindrical body that is formed integrally with the sealing portion.
  Inside the cylindrical body, it is arranged so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and to the image forming apparatus main body.As the toner supply container is inserted,Toner supply container for image forming deviceCylindrical slide core that slides in the direction opposite to the insertion direction;The aboveSlide core of toner supply containerTo the image forming deviceA spring member biasing in the insertion direction;With
  The slide core is axiallyFormedMultiple slitsThe slide core is divided into a plurality of segments by a groove, and the slide core is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body by the action from the main body of the image forming apparatus.By sliding, it is elastically deformed in the direction of diameter reduction,Of the slide coreClose contact engagement with the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body on the inner surface of the cylinderThe toner supply container main body can be rotated by transmitting the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body.Holding part to
  The cylindrical body isArranged in a plurality of axial slit grooves formed in the cylindrical body,To maintain the elastic deformation state of the slide coreTo engage with the image forming apparatus main body side locking portion.Has locking partAnd
  When the toner replenishing container is taken out, the locking portion elastically deforms the locking portion in the reduced diameter direction by an action from the image forming apparatus main body, and the engagement state with the image forming apparatus main body side locking portion is changed. It has an inclined claw part for releasing,
  When the toner replenishing container is taken out, the state of engagement with the image forming apparatus main body side locking portion is released by the action from the image forming apparatus main body, and the cylindrical body is moved by the action from the image forming apparatus main body. Act to move the slide core in the biasing direction of the spring member, and release the close engagement state of the holding portion with the drive portion of the image forming apparatus main body;
A toner supply container.
[0026]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  Hereinafter, the toner replenishment container according to the present invention.VesselThis will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
[0027]
Example 1
First, the configuration of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which is an example of an image forming apparatus to which a toner supply container according to the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.
[0028]
[Electrophotographic image forming apparatus]
In the electrophotographic copying machine main body (hereinafter referred to as “apparatus main body”) 100 shown in FIG. 1, when an original 101 is placed on an original platen glass 102, an optical image corresponding to image information of the original 101 is displayed on the optical unit 103. An image is formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as “photosensitive drum”) 104 as an image carrier by a plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln. Of the recording media (hereinafter referred to as “paper”) P loaded in the cassettes 105, 106, 107, 108, information input by the user (user) from the operation unit 100 a shown in FIG. The optimum paper P is selected from the paper size information in the cassettes 105-108. Here, the recording medium is not limited to paper, and may be selected as appropriate, such as an OHP sheet.
[0029]
Then, one sheet P conveyed by the sheet feeding / separating devices 105A, 106A, 107A, and 108A is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the conveyance unit 109, and the sheet P is further conveyed by the registration roller 110 to the photosensitive drum. The rotation of 104 and the scanning timing of the optical unit 103 are synchronized and conveyed to the transfer unit. In the transfer unit, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 is transferred onto the paper P by the transfer discharger 111. Then, the separation discharger 112 separates the paper P on which the toner image has been transferred from the photosensitive drum 104.
[0030]
After that, the sheet P conveyed to the fixing unit 114 by the conveying unit 113 fixes the toner image on the sheet P by heat and pressure in the fixing unit 114. , And is discharged to the paper discharge tray 117 by the paper discharge roller 116. In the case of double-sided copying, the same path as in the case of single-sided copying after being conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the paper refeeding conveyance paths 119 and 120 under the control of the flapper 118 of the paper discharge reversing unit 115. Are discharged to the paper discharge tray 117.
[0031]
In the case of multiple copying, the paper P passes through the paper discharge reversing unit 115 and is once discharged out of the apparatus by the paper discharge roller 116. After that, the end of the paper P passes through the flapper 118, and the flapper 118 is controlled at the timing when it is still nipped by the paper discharge roller 116. It is conveyed to. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the re-feed conveyance units 119 and 120, and then discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 along the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.
[0032]
Meanwhile, in the apparatus main body 100 having the above-described configuration, a developing device 201 as a developing unit, a cleaner device 202, a primary charger 203, and the like are disposed around the photosensitive drum 104.
[0033]
The developing device 201 develops an electrostatic latent image in which information of the document 101 is formed on the photosensitive drum 104 by the optical unit 103 using toner. A toner supply container 1 for supplying toner to the developing device 201 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 100 by a user.
[0034]
Further, the developing device 201 includes a toner hopper 201a and a developing device 201b as storage means. The toner hopper 201a has a stirring member 201c for stirring the toner supplied from the toner supply container 1. The toner stirred by the stirring member 201c is sent to the developing device 201b by the magnet roller 201d. The developing device 201b includes a developing roller 201f and a feeding member 201e. The toner sent from the toner hopper 201a by the magnet roller 201d is sent to the developing roller 201f by the feeding member 201e, and is supplied to the photosensitive drum 104 by the developing roller 201f.
[0035]
The cleaner device 202 is for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 104. The primary charger 203 is for charging the photosensitive drum 104.
[0036]
When the user opens the toner supply container replacement front cover 15 (hereinafter referred to as “pre-replacement cover”), which is a part of the exterior cover shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 3, the container cradle 50 is driven. It is pulled out to a predetermined position by a system (not shown). Then, the toner supply container 1 is placed on the container cradle 50. When the user takes out the toner replenishing container 1 from the apparatus main body 100, the container receiving base 50 is pulled out, and the toner replenishing container 1 placed on the container receiving base 50 is taken out. Here, the pre-replacement cover 15 is a dedicated cover for attaching and detaching (replacing) the toner supply container 1 and is opened and closed only for attaching and detaching the toner supply container 1. The maintenance of the apparatus main body 100 is performed by opening and closing the front cover 100c.
[0037]
The toner replenishing container 1 may be directly attached to the apparatus main body 100 or removed from the apparatus main body 100 without using the container cradle 50.
[0038]
[Toner supply operation]
First, a toner replenishing operation of a toner replenishing container (hereinafter referred to as “toner bottle”) will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C are diagrams showing the state of the process of inserting the toner bottle 1 into the apparatus main body 100 and supplying the toner at each stage.
[0039]
As shown in the figure, the apparatus main body 100 is provided with a toner replenishing device 400, and the toner replenishing device 400 is connected to the toner bottle 1 to rotate and drive the toner bottle 1 (driving force transmission unit). 20 is provided. The drive unit 20 is rotatably supported by a bearing 23 and is configured to be driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100.
[0040]
Further, the apparatus main body 100 is provided with a partition wall 25 that forms a toner supply path 24 that communicates with the hopper 201a. The partition wall 25 rotatably supports a part of the toner bottle 1 and also has a toner supply path 24. Inner and outer bearings 26a and 26b for sealing are fixed. Further, a screw member 27 for conveying the replenished toner to the hopper 201a is disposed in the toner replenishment path 24.
[0041]
FIG. 7A shows a state in which the toner bottle 1 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100. A toner replenishing opening (hereinafter simply referred to as “opening”) 1 a having a cylindrical shape, for example, is provided on one end surface of the front end of the toner bottle 1, and the opening 1 a is opened by the sealing member 2. It is in a sealed state.
[0042]
FIG. 7B shows a state in which the insertion of the toner bottle 1 further proceeds and the claw portion 3 as a locking portion provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 is engaged with the driving portion 20 on the apparatus main body side. Has been. The engagement between the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 is performed by an insertion force when the user inserts the toner bottle 1. At this time, since the sealing member 2 is locked in the thrust direction (axial direction) with the drive unit 20 by the locking surface provided in the claw portion 3, unless the sealing member 2 releases this locking, The drive unit 20 is fixed in position.
[0043]
In FIG. 7C, after the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 are engaged, the slide member 300 moves backward in the direction of the arrow b in conjunction with the closing operation of the replacement front cover 15, whereby the toner bottle 1 Also, the sealing member 2 is relatively moved away from the toner bottle 1 and the opening 1a is opened, so that the toner can be supplied. At this time, the drive shaft 1b fixed to the main body (hereinafter referred to as “bottle main body”) 1A of the toner bottle 1 is not completely detached from the sealing member 2, and a part of the drive shaft 1b is in the sealing member 2. To remain. The drive shaft 1b has a non-circular cross-sectional shape capable of transmitting rotational drive such as a square or a triangle.
[0044]
When a motor (not shown) is driven in this state, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the main body driving unit 20 to the sealing member 2 and further transmitted from the sealing member 2 to the drive shaft 1b, whereby the toner bottle 1 rotates. It has become. That is, the sealing member 2 serves two functions of sealing the toner and transmitting the rotational driving force of the toner bottle 1 at the same time.
[0045]
Further, since the toner bottle 1 is rotatably supported by the bottle receiving roller 23 provided on the container receiving table 50, the toner bottle 1 can be rotated smoothly even with a slight driving torque. The bottle receiving rollers 23 are arranged at four locations in a position that becomes a ridge with respect to the bottle main body 1A. The bottle receiving roller 23 is rotatably provided in the toner supply device 400 of the apparatus main body 100. As the toner bottle 1 rotates in this way, the toner contained in the toner bottle 1 is sequentially discharged from the opening 1a, and the hopper 201a on the apparatus main body 100 side by the screw member 27 provided in the toner supply path 24. The toner is replenished.
[0046]
[How to replace the toner supply container]
Next, a toner bottle replacement method will be described.
[0047]
When substantially the entire amount of toner in the toner bottle 1 is consumed during the image forming process, the toner in the toner bottle 1 has run out due to the toner supply container empty detection means (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 100. This is detected and the fact is notified to the user by the display means 100b such as liquid crystal (see FIG. 2).
[0048]
In this embodiment, the user himself replaces the toner bottle 1, and the procedure is as follows.
[0049]
First, the replacement front cover 15 in the closed state is rotated about the hinge 18 and opened to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 7A in which the bottle body 1A in the state shown in FIG. 7C is in a direction opposite to the arrow b direction by a toner replenishing portion opening / closing means described later in conjunction with the opening operation of the replacement front cover 15. The sealing member 2 that has moved in the direction indicated by the arrow a and separated from the bottle main body 1A until then has been in a state of opening the toner supply opening 1a is press-fitted into the toner supply opening 1a, and the toner supply opening The part 1a is closed, and the state shown in FIG.
[0050]
Next, the user pulls out the toner bottle 1 with no toner attached to the apparatus main body 100 in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 7A, that is, in the direction of arrow b shown in FIG. Then, it is removed from the apparatus main body 100. In addition, the method of releasing the locking of the claw portion 3 when removing it according to the present invention will be described in detail later. Thereafter, the user inserts a new toner bottle 1 into the apparatus main body 100 in the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 7A, and then closes the replacement front cover 15. As described above, the sealing member 2 is separated from the container body 1A by the toner replenishing portion opening / closing means in conjunction with the operation of closing the replacement front cover 15, and the toner replenishing opening portion 1a is opened (FIG. 7). (C)). The above is the procedure for replacing the toner supply container.
[0051]
[Toner supply container (toner bottle)]
Next, the toner bottle of this embodiment will be further described with reference to FIGS.
[0052]
The toner bottle 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an opening 1a having a diameter smaller than that of the bottle main body, that is, the cylindrical portion 1A, protrudes from the center of one end surface thereof. The opening 1a is provided with a sealing member 2 for closing the opening 1a. As can be understood from the description related to FIGS. The opening 1a is opened and closed by sliding in the axial direction (arrow ab direction).
[0053]
The sealing member 2 includes a cylindrical holding portion (hereinafter referred to as a “holding portion”) that presses against the sealing portion 2b that seals the opening 1a and the main body driving portion 20 (FIG. 7) and transmits a driving force from the main body. 2). The holding portion 2c is provided with a plurality of slit grooves 2d in the axial direction, and a slide core 3 that slides in the axial direction is provided inside the holding portion 2c. As the slide core 3 moves in the axial direction, the holding portion 2c is pushed open in the radial direction (radial direction) so as to come into pressure contact with the drive portion 20 of the main body of the image forming apparatus and to transmit the rotational drive to the toner bottle 1. It is configured to fulfill its functions. The configuration of the sealing member 2 will be described in detail later.
[0054]
First, the internal configuration of the toner bottle 1 will be described.
[0055]
  As described above, the toner bottle 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape, is disposed substantially horizontally in the apparatus main body 100, and rotates upon receiving rotational driving from the apparatus main body 100. On the inner surface of the toner bottle 1, as shown in FIG.dIs provided. As the toner bottle 1 rotates, the spiral protrusion 1dThe toner is conveyed in the axial direction along the direction of the toner and discharged from an opening 1a provided on the end surface of the toner bottle 1.
[0056]
The internal configuration of the toner bottle 1 in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the shape and configuration of the toner bottle 1 is a bottle shape that discharges toner when the toner bottle 1 rotates.
[0057]
That is, the gist of the present invention is that the toner bottle 1 that discharges toner by being driven is characterized by the configuration of the drive transmission unit between the toner bottle 1 and the apparatus main body 100. As for the internal structure, a generally well-known bottle-like one having a spiral protrusion 1c formed as in the present embodiment or other structures may be used.
[0058]
For example, a configuration inside the bottle as shown in FIG. 10 may be used as a modification of the present embodiment. In this modification, a plate-like baffle member 40 is provided inside the bottle body, and a plurality of inclined protrusions 40a inclined with respect to the axial direction of the toner bottle 1 are provided on the surface of the baffle member 40, and one end of the inclined protrusion 40a is provided. Reaches the opening 1a. The toner is finally discharged from the inclined protrusion 40a through the opening 1a. The principle that the toner is discharged is that the toner swept up by the baffle member 40 by the rotation of the toner bottle 1 slides down on the surface of the baffle member 40 and is conveyed forward of the toner bottle 1 by the inclined protrusion 40a. By repeating this operation, the toner in the toner bottle is agitated and conveyed sequentially and discharged from the opening 1a.
[0059]
Further, the drive type in the present invention is not limited to the rotational drive as shown in the present embodiment, but by receiving some driving force such as vibration or swinging of the toner bottle or other methods. As long as the toner is replenished, the driving type is not particularly limited. That is, as long as it is a toner bottle that discharges toner by receiving some drive from the apparatus main body 100, the drive may be any of drive types such as rotation, swing, vibration.
[0060]
In the modified example, the plate-like baffle member 40 is constituted by a member different from the toner bottle 1, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the baffle member 40 via the sealing member 2. The toner bottle 1 is indirectly rotated.
[0061]
As described above, either the configuration in which the rotational driving force is directly or indirectly transmitted to the toner bottle 1 through the sealing member 2 may be used.
[0062]
8 and 9, the bottle main body 1A is provided with the opening 1a on one end surface thereof as described above, and the opening 1a is engaged with the drive shaft 2a protruding from the sealing member 2 in the opening 1a. A joint hole 1b is provided. The engagement hole 1b is provided with a through hole 1c so that the drive shaft 2a can slide in the axial direction. The through hole 1c is located substantially on the central axis of the opening 1a and is formed on the sealing member 2. Engage with the provided drive shaft 2a. Since the engaging portion 1b is for transmitting the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100 to the bottle main body 1A via the sealing member 2, the cross-sectional shape of the through hole 1c of the engaging hole portion 1b is the rotational driving force. The shape is a quadrangular shape, an H-cut shape, a D-cut shape, etc. The engagement hole 1b is fixed to the bottle body 1A by appropriate means.
[0063]
[Sealing member]
Next, the sealing member 2 will be further described with reference to FIGS.
[0064]
11 is an external perspective view of the sealing member 2 according to the present invention, FIG. 12 is a partial sectional perspective view of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a front sectional view of the sealing member 2.
[0065]
11 and 12, the sealing member 2 includes a sealing portion 2b that seals the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 so that it can be opened, and a cylindrical holding portion 2c that engages with the driving portion 20 of the apparatus main body. I have. The outer diameter of the sealing part 2b is set to be an appropriate amount larger than the inner diameter of the opening part 1a. Then, the toner replenishing port which is the opening 1a is sealed by the sealing member 2 by press-fitting the sealing part 2b into the opening 1a.
[0066]
As described above, the sealing member 2 has the drive shaft 2a for engaging with the engagement hole 1b and transmitting the drive force received from the apparatus main body 100 to the engagement hole 1b. The drive shaft 2a is formed over the sealing portion 2b and the holding portion 2c. The drive shaft 2a has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the through hole 1c of the engagement hole 1b and is slightly smaller than the through hole 1c. As a result, the drive shaft 2a is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 1b. The drive shaft 2a has the same cross section as the through hole 1c of the engagement hole 1b and is polygonal. In this embodiment, a square is adopted.
[0067]
Then, the drive shaft 2a is loosely fitted in the engagement hole portion 1b as described above, whereby the bottle main body 1A and the sealing member 2 are locked to each other in the rotation direction of the bottle main body 1A. On the other hand, it is configured to be movable in the axial direction. As a result, when the toner bottle 1 is attached to the toner replenishing device 400, the sealing member 2 and the bottle body 1A can be separated as will be described later, and the toner supply port, that is, the opening 1a can be opened (opened). It becomes.
[0068]
Incidentally, the engagement length between the drive shaft 2a and the engagement hole portion 1b has a length that does not come off when the sealing member 2 and the bottle body 1A are separated from each other. Thereby, even if the sealing member 2 is separated from the bottle main body 1, the engagement hole 1 b can receive a driving force via the sealing member 2.
[0069]
Next, the internal configuration of the sealing member 2, which is the greatest feature of the present invention, will be described in detail.
[0070]
A slide core 3 is provided inside the holding portion 2 c of the sealing member 2. The slide core 3 is supported so as to be slidable in the axial direction (arrow ab direction) in the holding portion 2c, and is guided by a guide groove 3c and a guide protrusion 2g provided inside the holding portion 2c. It is supported.
[0071]
The slide core 3 is normally always urged in the direction of the arrow a by the spring S. However, when a force is applied in the b direction, the slide core 3 can slide in the b direction by a predetermined amount. The original state is restored by the elastic force. The slide core 3 is urged in the direction of the arrow a by the spring S, but the slide core 3 is not completely detached from the holding portion 2c by the guide protrusion 2g.
[0072]
Further, the abutting portion 3 b and the locking portion 3 a are provided at the tip of the slide core 3, and the locking portion 3 a forms a ring-shaped convex portion protruding over the entire circumference of the slide core 3. When the slide core 3 slides in the direction of the arrow b, the locking portion 3a is configured to be fitted and locked in the locking groove 2e provided on the inner surface of the holding portion 2c.
[0073]
In addition, a plurality of slit grooves 2d are formed in the holding portion 2c, whereby it can be easily elastically deformed in the direction of the arrow cd (FIG. 13). Furthermore, since the inner surface of the holding portion 2c has a taper (inclined surface) that decreases in diameter in the direction of the arrow b, the holding portion 2c is locked in the direction of the arrow c at the same time that the slide core 3 is fitted and locked in the locking groove 2e. The main body drive unit 20 is firmly fixed by a pressure contact force with the main body drive unit 20 to be described later, and drive transmission is possible.
[0074]
The holding portion 2c is provided with a plurality of holes 2f, and the release member 4 is rotatably disposed in the holes 2f. The release member 4 is supported on the cylindrical portion 2c by a support shaft 4a, and can freely rotate about the support shaft 4a. This release member 4 is provided so as to protrude radially outward and inward (in the direction of arrow cd) from the holding portion 2c, and has a function for releasing the slide core 3 by the operation of the release ring described later. Plays. The releasing operation of the slide core 3 will be described in detail later.
[0075]
The material of the sealing member 2 is preferably a material that can be elastically deformed so that the holding portion 2c of the sealing member 2 can be freely elastically deformed by sliding the slide core 3 as described above.
[0076]
The sealing member 2 is preferably manufactured by injection molding of a resin such as plastic. However, other materials and manufacturing methods may be arbitrarily divided and joined. Further, the sealing member 2 is required to have an appropriate elasticity in order to press fit into the opening 1a and seal it. As the material, various synthetic resins can be used, and low density polyethylene is most preferable, followed by polypropylene, linear polyamide, for example, trade name nylon, high density polyethylene, polyester, ABS, HIPS (impact polystyrene And the like can be preferably used.
[0077]
As described above, by making the holding portion 2c an elastic member that can be elastically deformed, the drive portion 20 and the holding portion 2c can be easily engaged and disengaged using elastic deformation. Further, since the above material has an appropriate elasticity, the drive unit 20 and the holding unit 2c can be easily disengaged from each other, and has sufficient durability.
[0078]
Further, since the holding portion 2c is elastically deformed radially outward by the slide of the slide core 3 and obtains a drive transmission force by being pressed against the main body drive portion 20, a more reliable and higher drive transmission performance is obtained. Therefore, the material of the portion that is in pressure contact with the main body drive unit can be set as appropriate as in the embodiment shown in FIG.
[0079]
That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, an example is shown in which a part of the holding portion 2c is made of an elastomer 2h that is a highly adhesive material. By adopting such a configuration, higher adhesion can be obtained, and it is possible to reliably transmit a higher driving force. As a material used for such a portion, materials such as adhesive rubber, silicon rubber, and elastomer are suitable. The sealing member having such a configuration can be easily manufactured by two-color molding or insert molding as a manufacturing method.
[0080]
Further, FIG. 18 shows an example in which a part of the holding part 2c is made of the above material, but it is of course possible to use it not only for a part of the holding part 2c but also for the whole.
[0081]
[Main unit drive unit]
Next, the configuration of the drive unit 20 on the image forming apparatus main body side that transmits the drive force to the sealing member 2 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the main body side drive unit 20, and FIG. 15 is a front cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the main body side drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2.
[0082]
In the present embodiment, the shaft 20c is a main body side drive shaft, transmits a rotational drive from a drive motor (not shown), and rotates integrally with the drive unit 20. An introduction portion 20 b for receiving the sealing member 2 is formed on the distal end side of the drive portion 20. Since the introduction portion 20b is an inclined surface, the sealing member 2 can be smoothly guided to the drive portion 20. Further, on the inner surface of the drive unit 20, a drive transmission surface 20 a for contacting the holding unit 2 c of the sealing member 2 and transmitting a driving force is provided. The rotational drive is transmitted to the sealing member 2 by the pressure contact force between the drive transmission surface 20a and the holding portion 2c.
[0083]
In the present invention, the shape of the drive unit 20 shown in FIG. 15 is not limited to this, and may be any other shape as long as the same function can be achieved.
[0084]
[Description of drive transmission]
Next, the mode of drive transmission between the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0085]
FIG. 16A shows a state when the user inserts the toner bottle 1 in the direction of the arrow a in order to set a new toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100. The driving unit 20 in the apparatus main body is shown in FIG. This is a state before the engagement.
[0086]
When the insertion of the toner bottle 1 proceeds, as shown in FIG. 16B, the tip abutting portion 3b of the slide core 3 disposed in the sealing member 2 comes into contact with the driving portion 20, and eventually the locking portion 3a. Until the bottle 1 is locked in the locking groove 2e. At this time, since the holding portion 2c of the sealing member 2 is subjected to the action of spreading in the radial direction by the locking portion 3a, the holding portion 2c is firmly pressed against the drive transmission surface 20a of the driving portion 20, and the sealing member 2 and the driving portion are driven by this tension 20 is firmly fixed so that drive transmission is possible. Since the slide core 3 is in a state in which the position in the axial direction is held by the locking of the locking portion 3a and the locking groove 2e, the toner bottle 1 is then moved as shown in FIG. Even if the sealing member 2 is retracted in the direction of the arrow b, the sealing member 2 is firmly fixed to the driving unit 20 without being pulled back together with the toner bottle 1. On the other hand, since only the toner bottle 1 moves backward, the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 are reliably separated from each other, and the opening 1a is opened. The backward movement of the toner bottle 1 may be configured to slide the toner bottle 1 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100.
[0087]
As for the sliding operation, the sealing member 2 may be fixed and the toner bottle 1 may be slid as described above, or conversely, the toner bottle 1 may be fixed and the sealing member 2 may be slid. Alternatively, both the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 may be slid in a direction away from each other.
[0088]
As described above, in the present invention, the sealing member 2 is elastically deformed in conjunction with the insertion operation of the toner bottle 1 so that the driving force is transmitted by being pressed against the driving transmission surface 20a of the inner surface of the main body driving unit 20. Therefore, unlike the conventional drive transmission means, there is no need for the troublesome work of matching the phases of the concave and convex portions in the case of coupling driving by a combination of concave and convex portions.
[0089]
In other words, in the present invention, the user can securely set the toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100 simply by inserting the toner bottle 1, and further, when the toner bottle 1 is inserted, alignment of the bottle 1 in the rotation direction is performed. The replacement work can be performed with a simple operation without the need for troublesome work.
[0090]
Further, since the opening operation of the toner replenishing container is performed in conjunction with the replenishing operation in the image forming apparatus main body, the user does not need to perform the opening operation himself, and the user can easily replenish the toner without getting his hands dirty. Can do.
[0091]
[How to cancel drive transmission]
Next, the drive transmission cancellation | release method of the sealing member 2 and the main body drive part 20 is demonstrated using FIG.
[0092]
When the toner supply is completed and the toner bottle 1 is empty, the old toner bottle 1 must be removed and replaced with a new toner bottle. At that time, it is necessary to cancel the drive transmission between the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 that have been engaged so far.
[0093]
FIG. 17A shows a state where the toner supply is finished and the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is opened. The same state as FIG. 16C described above is shown.
[0094]
In FIG. 17A, first, in order to seal the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 that has been replenished, the toner bottle 1 moves in the direction of the arrow in conjunction with a body cover (not shown), and the opening 1a is sealed. Sealed by member 2. The sealed state is shown in FIG.
[0095]
Next, when releasing the drive transmission between the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2, the release ring 21 is caused to enter the release portion 4 provided in the sealing member 2 in the direction of the arrow b in FIG. Thus, as shown in FIG. 17C, the release unit 4 rotates around the support shaft 4a. By this rotation, the other end side of the release portion 4, that is, the inner end pushes the slide core 3 in the direction of the arrow c on the opposite side, thereby releasing the locked state of the slide core 3 that has been locked until then. The released slide core 3 is again urged by the spring force, whereby the support portion 2c returns to the inside in the radial direction by elastic deformation, and the pressure contact force with the instantaneous drive transmission surface 20a is released and the drive transmission is released ( FIG. 17 (C)).
[0096]
With respect to the drive configuration of the release ring 21, the release ring 21 moves in the direction of the arrow b when the front cover 15 is opened in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100 (FIG. 17B). The drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 of the toner bottle 1 may be separated (FIG. 17C), and the front cover 15 may be closed to move in the direction of the arrow b, or a separate drive motor or the like It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which an independent separation operation is performed using Alternatively, any method may be used, such as a configuration in which a separate manual lever is provided and a separation operation is performed in conjunction with this, instead of an interlocking operation with the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100.
[0097]
As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reliably engage the image forming apparatus main body simply by inserting the toner replenishing container 1, and to easily engage by simply pressing the release portion 4 when taking out the toner replenishing container 1. Since it can be released, the replenishing operation of the toner replenishing container can be performed with a very simple operation and configuration. Therefore, it is possible to provide a toner supply container with high operability.
[0098]
In addition, the drive transmission of the toner replenishing container 1 can be canceled, and at the same time, the opening / closing operation of the opening 1a can be realized.
[0099]
Furthermore, despite such a very simple operation and a simple, inexpensive and compact configuration, it is possible to realize a reliable and highly reliable drive transmission.
[0100]
In addition, when a rotational drive is transmitted to the toner replenishing container, there is no need for a rotating bearing mechanism, and a toner replenishing container having a simple configuration and causing no problems such as toner leakage at the bearing, torque increase, and generation of coarse particles is provided. it can.
[0101]
Example 2
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments are possible.
[0102]
For example, as shown in FIG. 19, when the toner bottle 1 has an opening 1a in the cylindrical surface 1d of the bottle main body 1A, the holding portion 2c is not provided in the sealing member 2 described above, but the toner bottle main body 1A You may provide directly in an end surface. In this case, the opening 1a is sealed by the shutter member 5 so as to be opened and closed.
[0103]
Example 3
As another embodiment, the sealing member 2 may have a form as shown in FIG. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 20, an example in which the engagement hole 2i is provided on the sealing member 2 side is shown. In this case, a drive shaft (not shown) protrudes from the toner bottle main body side to perform drive transmission. The engagement hole 2i and the drive shaft on the bottle main body side have a square shape, a H-cut shape, a D-cut shape, or the like so that drive transmission is possible.
[0104]
Example 4
21 to 24 show another embodiment of the sealing member 2 according to the present invention. The sealing member 2 of the present embodiment is different from the sealing member of the first embodiment in that a holding portion 2 c that functions as a driving force receiving portion that receives driving from the main body driving portion 20 is provided on the slide core 3. It differs greatly.
[0105]
In other words, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 2A formed in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 2a formed in the sealing member 2 and in the first embodiment, which forms the holding portion 2c, is predetermined in the axial direction. The slit groove 3d is formed by the length, whereby a plurality of claw-like locking portions 3a are provided at equal intervals in four places on the peripheral surface in this embodiment. When the locking portion 3a is pressed, it can be easily elastically deformed inward in the radial direction. As will be described in detail later, when the sealing member 2 slides in the direction of the arrow a, the locking portion 3a fits into the main body side locking portion 20d as a fixed release ring and moves inward. It is deformed by being pressed, and then elastically returns to the original position and is locked to the locking portion 20d.
[0106]
A slide core 3 is provided inside the cylindrical body 2A. The slide core 3 is prohibited from rotating relative to the cylindrical body 2A within the cylindrical body 2A, but is slidable in the axial direction (arrow ab direction). In other words, the slide core 3 is supported in the cylindrical body 2A in a state of being slidably guided in the axial direction by the guide groove 3c and the guide protrusion 2g provided inside the cylindrical body.
[0107]
The slide core 3 is always urged in the direction of the arrow a by the spring S. However, when a force is applied in the direction of the arrow b, the slide core 3 can slide in the direction of the arrow b by a predetermined amount. It returns to its original state by the elastic force of. As described above, the slide core 3 is urged in the direction of the arrow a by the spring S, but the slide core 3 is not completely detached from the holding portion 2c by the guide protrusion 2g. Such a configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.
[0108]
According to the present embodiment, unlike the case of the first embodiment, the slide core 3 is formed with a center hole as the holding portion 2c at the center. The slide core 3 is divided into a plurality of segments, in this embodiment, four segments by a wide slit groove 3d formed in the axial direction. For this reason, the slide core 3 is elastic in the radial direction. It can be deformed. The slit groove 3d is at a position corresponding to the locking portion 3a. Therefore, when the locking portion 3a is pressed radially inward, the slit groove 3d can enter the slit groove 3d. The distal end portion of the slide core 3 is a drive shaft abutting portion 3b with which the drive shaft 20c of the main body drive portion 20 abuts, as will be described in detail later.
[0109]
In the slide core 3, the outer diameter of the abutting portion 3b is made larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 2A, and thereafter, the outer diameter is made smaller from the abutting portion 3 toward the inside of the cylindrical body 2A. Therefore, when the slide core 3 is pushed into the cylindrical body 2A, the inner diameter of the holding portion 2c is reduced. For this reason, as will be described later, the drive shaft 20c of the main body drive unit 20 is fitted to the holding unit 2c, and the holding unit 2c is reduced in diameter by the pressing force of the drive shaft 20c in the direction of the arrow b. It is firmly fixed to the main body drive unit 20 by force, and drive transmission is possible.
[0110]
As described above, the main body side locking portion 20d as a fixed release ring is provided on the apparatus main body side, and the release ring that is movable in the axial direction is the same as described in the first embodiment. 21 is arranged. The release ring 21 engages with the claw-like locking portion 3a and pushes down the locking portion 3a downward to release the locking of the locking portion 3a with the main body side locking portion 20d, thereby sliding. It fulfills the function of releasing the core 3 and the drive shaft 20c. The release operation of the slide core 3 will be described in detail later.
[0111]
The sealing member 2, the slide core 3 and the like can be manufactured using the materials described in the first embodiment.
[0112]
According to the present embodiment, the drive shaft 20c of the drive unit 20 on the image forming apparatus main body side that transmits the drive force to the sealing member 2 described above is rotated from a drive motor (not shown) as in the first embodiment. Transmit drive. The distal end portion of the drive shaft 20c is tapered and can be inserted into the center hole of the slide core 3, that is, the holding portion 2c. An annular shoulder 20e formed on the drive shaft 20c comes into contact with the drive shaft abutting portion 3b of the slide core 3.
[0113]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 25 and 26, drive transmission and release modes between the drive unit 20 and the sealing member 2 in the present embodiment will be described.
[0114]
FIG. 25A shows a state when the user inserts the toner bottle 1 in the direction of arrow a in order to set a new toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100. The drive unit 20 in the apparatus main body is shown in FIG. It is the state before engaging with.
[0115]
When the insertion of the toner bottle 1 proceeds, as shown in FIG. 25B, the inclined claw portion of the locking portion 3a of the sealing member 2 comes into contact with the main body side locking portion 20d, and the locking portion 3a As indicated by the arrow, it is pressed radially inward and elastically deformed into the slit groove 3 d of the slide core 3. Eventually, the locking portion 3a passes through the hole of the ring-shaped main body side locking portion 20d and returns to the original position elastically, and the claw portion engages with the main body side as shown in FIG. Locked to the stop 20d.
[0116]
At this time, the tip abutting portion 3b of the slide core 3 disposed in the sealing member 2 contacts the annular shoulder 20e of the drive shaft 20c. Further, when the drive shaft 20c pushes the slide core 3 inward in the axial direction against the force of the spring S, the slide core 3 is reduced in diameter, and the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 are firmly fixed. Thus, drive transmission is possible.
[0117]
Since the slide core 3 is in a state where the axial position is held by the locking of the locking portion 3a and the main body side locking portion 20d, thereafter, as shown in FIG. Even if 1 is retracted in the direction of arrow b, the sealing member 2 is not pulled back together with the toner bottle 1 and is firmly fixed to the drive unit 20. On the other hand, since only the toner bottle 1 moves backward, the sealing member 2 and the toner bottle 1 are reliably separated from each other, and the opening 1a is opened. The backward movement of the toner bottle 1 may be configured to slide the toner bottle 1 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the front cover 15 of the apparatus main body 100, or other configurations may be used. The same as in the case of Example 1.
[0118]
As described above, in this embodiment, the sealing member 2 is elastically deformed in conjunction with the insertion operation of the toner bottle 1 to be brought into pressure contact with the drive shaft 20c of the main body drive unit 20, thereby transmitting the driving force. Therefore, unlike the conventional drive transmission means, there is no need for the troublesome work of matching the phases of the concave and convex portions in the case of coupling driving by a combination of concave and convex portions.
[0119]
Also in this embodiment, the user can securely set the toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100 simply by inserting the toner bottle 1, and further, when the toner bottle 1 is inserted, alignment of the rotation direction of the bottle 1 is performed. The replacement work can be performed with a simple operation without the need for troublesome work.
[0120]
Further, since the opening operation of the toner replenishing container is performed in conjunction with the replenishing operation in the image forming apparatus main body, the user does not need to perform the opening operation himself, and the user can easily replenish the toner without getting his hands dirty. Can do.
[0121]
When the toner supply is completed and the toner bottle 1 is empty, the old toner bottle 1 must be removed and replaced with a new toner bottle. At that time, it is necessary to cancel the drive transmission between the sealing member 2 and the drive unit 20 that have been engaged so far.
[0122]
FIG. 26A also shows a state in which the toner supply is completed and the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 is opened.
[0123]
26A, first, in order to seal the opening 1a of the toner bottle 1 that has been replenished, the toner bottle 1 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow b direction by interlocking with the main body cover (not shown). The part 1 a is sealed with the sealing member 2. The sealed state is shown in FIG.
[0124]
Next, by allowing the release ring 21 to enter in the direction of arrow b, as shown in FIG. 26B, the release ring 21 abuts on the locking portion 3a of the sealing member 2, and the locking portion 3a is moved in the radial direction. Deform inward and in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the engagement between the main body side locking portion 20d and the locking portion 3a is released, the toner bottle is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow a, and the driving portion 20 and the sealing member 2 of the toner bottle 1 are separated. Do. The release operation can be performed with the same configuration as in the first embodiment.
[0125]
As described above, this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
[0126]
The “toner” in the present specification may be a toner that is a one-component developer or a toner that is a two-component developer, and if it is a two-component developer, a carrier is mixed. Also good.
[0127]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, the toner supply container of the present inventionAccording to
(1) The attachment / detachment of the toner supply container to / from the image forming apparatus main body and the toner supply operation can be reliably performed with a simple operation and configuration, and the operability can be improved.
(2) The mechanism of the toner supply container and the image forming apparatus main body can be made simple and inexpensive.
(3) The image forming apparatus main body can be made compact.
It can have the effect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a toner supply container is attached to the image forming apparatus.
4 is a front view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is a side view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus showing a state in which a toner container replacement cover is opened.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating a toner supply container mounting operation, that is, (A) when mounting is started, (B) during mounting, and (C) when mounting is completed.
FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of a toner supply container.
FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a drive transmission unit when a drive shaft is provided on a sealing member.
FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing another embodiment of the toner supply container.
FIG. 11 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a sealing member.
12 is a cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 11 showing a sealing member.
13 is a front sectional view of FIG. 12 showing a sealing member.
FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating an example of a drive unit on the image forming apparatus main body side.
FIG. 15 is a front cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the main body side drive unit and the sealing member.
FIGS. 16A and 16B are cross-sectional views illustrating a state when the toner bottle is engaged with a drive transmission unit, that is, (A) before insertion of the toner bottle, (B) completion of insertion, and (C) a state where the bottle is slid and opened. .
FIGS. 17A and 17B show a state of disengagement in the drive transmission part of the toner bottle, that is, (A) a state before sealing, (B) a state after the bottle slides and is sealed, and (C) release of drive transmission is completed. It is sectional drawing which shows time.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a sealing member showing an example when a part of the material of the holding portion of the sealing member is an adhesive member such as an elastomer.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the toner supply container of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the sealing member of the present invention.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the sealing member of the present invention.
22 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the sealing member of FIG. 21. FIG.
FIG. 23 is a front sectional view showing an engagement state between the main body side driving unit and the sealing member.
24 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an engagement state between the main body side drive unit and the sealing member similar to FIG. 23. FIG.
FIGS. 25A and 25B are cross-sectional views illustrating a toner replenishing container mounting operation, that is, (A) when mounting is started, (B) during mounting, and (C) when mounting is completed.
FIG. 26 shows the state of disengagement in the drive transmission portion of the toner bottle, that is, (A) the state when the toner supply container is completely installed, and (B) the release ring transmits the drive after the bottle has been slid and sealed. It is sectional drawing which shows the time of starting cancellation | release.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Toner bottle (toner supply container)
1A Bottle body (toner supply container body)
2 Sealing member
2c Holding part
3 Slide core
3a Locking part
3b Abutment
4 Release part
20 Driving force transmission part
20c Drive shaft of drive transmission unit
20d Main body side locking part
21 Release ring
100 Image forming apparatus main body
400 Toner supply device

Claims (4)

A toner supply container having a substantially cylindrical shape that is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, receives a rotational driving force from a drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body, and replenishes the toner stored therein by rotating the container itself. A toner replenishing container having an opening for replenishing toner to the image forming apparatus main body, and having a toner replenishing container main body for containing toner, and a sealing member for sealing the opening .
The sealing member is formed integrally with the sealing portion that seals the opening and the sealing portion, and is in pressure contact with the driving portion of the image forming apparatus main body to transmit the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. A cylindrical holding portion, and
Inside the holding portion, the toner supply container is slidably disposed in the axial direction, and the toner supply container to the image forming apparatus main body is operated by the action of the image forming apparatus main body in accordance with the insertion operation of the toner supply container to the image forming apparatus main body. The holding portion is elastically deformed in the diameter-expanding direction, is brought into close contact with the driving portion of the image forming apparatus main body, and transmits the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. A slide core that enables rotation of the toner supply container body, and a spring member that urges the slide core in the insertion direction of the toner supply container into the image forming apparatus body ,
The slide core is elastically deformed in the diameter-expanding direction and slides in a direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body. engaging portion is provided for maintaining an elastic deformation state of the holding portion when in close engagement,
When the toner replenishing container is taken out from the holding unit, it acts on the slide core by the action from the main body of the image forming apparatus to move the slide core in the biasing direction of the spring member. A release unit is provided for releasing a close engagement state with the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body ;
A toner supply container. The holding portion has a plurality of slit grooves formed in the axial direction, and a taper surface whose diameter is reduced on the inner surface thereof in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the toner supply container into the image forming apparatus main body. The toner replenishing container according to claim 1.   The toner replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein a close contact surface of the holding portion with the main body driving portion is made of an elastomer. A toner supply container having a substantially cylindrical shape that is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, receives a rotational driving force from a drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body, and replenishes the toner stored therein by rotating the container itself. A toner replenishing container having an opening for replenishing toner to the image forming apparatus main body, and having a toner replenishing container main body for containing toner, and a sealing member for sealing the opening .
The sealing member includes a sealing portion that seals the opening, and a cylindrical body that is formed integrally with the sealing portion.
The cylindrical body is slidably disposed in the axial direction, and in a direction opposite to the direction in which the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus body as the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus body. comprising a slide core having a cylindrical shape that slides, a spring member for biasing the slide core to the insertion direction into the image forming apparatus main body of the toner supply container, and
The slide core is divided into a plurality of segments by a plurality of slit grooves formed in the axial direction. What is the direction in which the toner supply container is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body by the action from the image forming apparatus main body? elastically deformed diameter direction by sliding in the opposite direction, with the cylindrical inner surface of the slide core in close contact engagement with the driving portion of the image forming apparatus main body, and transmits the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body toner It has a holding part that enables rotation of the supply container body ,
The cylindrical body is disposed in a plurality of axial slit grooves formed in the cylindrical body, and engages with the image forming apparatus main body side engaging portion to maintain the elastic deformation state of the slide core. Department have a,
The locking portion, when taking out the toner supply container, is elastically deformed before Symbol locking portion diameter reducing direction by the action of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement state between the image forming apparatus main body side locking portion Has an inclined claw part for releasing
When the toner supply container is taken out, the state of engagement with the image forming apparatus main body side locking portion is released by the action from the image forming apparatus main body, and the cylindrical body is moved by the action from the image forming apparatus main body. Act to move the slide core in the biasing direction of the spring member, and release the close engagement state of the holding portion with the drive portion of the image forming apparatus main body;
A toner supply container.

Images