JP5143674B2 - Toner receiving apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner receiving device such as a developing device used in an image forming apparatus that visualizes an electrostatic latent image such as a laser beam printer or a multifunction machine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a developing device using a two-component developer used in a laser beam printer or the like, toner is consumed according to printing, and therefore toner is replenished as needed from a toner replenishing device.

  Although the developing device is taken out during maintenance of the image forming apparatus or when troubleshooting, the developing device is generally arranged in the horizontal direction, so toner supply from the toner replenishing device is prevented. The apparatus is provided with a shutter.

  Further, in order to prevent the developer and toner from overflowing when the developing device is handled, the developing device is often provided with a shutter member, and a mechanism for opening and closing two shutters at the same time is usually used.

Patent Document 1 discloses a developing device provided with an opening / closing means for opening / closing a shutter means in conjunction with an operation of inserting / extracting a toner cartridge, and Patent Document 2 discloses an attachment / detachment of a toner cartridge. The development process unit is equipped with a toner cartridge with excellent print quality that does not cause the malfunction of the development process unit and thus the printer or get dirty when replacing the shutter. It is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-42259 (released on February 12, 1992) JP 2002-139903 A (published on May 17, 2002)

  However, recent image forming apparatuses are required to be reduced in size, and accordingly, the developing apparatus is also reduced in size. For this reason, since the toner replenishing device such as a toner bottle or a toner cartridge and the developing device cannot be disposed close to each other, there may be a structure in which they are connected by a toner replenishing pipe.

  Accordingly, the toner in the toner bottle or the toner cartridge is supplied to the developing device from above through a vertically long toner supply pipe (toner conveying device). In this case, it is necessary to provide a shutter at each of the toner discharge port of the toner conveying device and the toner receiving port of the developing device. In order to prevent toner from entering the gaps between the shutters, and to prevent toner leakage. For this reason, the shutter is required to be more confidential and position accuracy is also required.

  In such an image forming apparatus, when the developing device is mounted at a high speed or when the opening / closing timings of the two shutters are shifted, the toner tends to leak. That is, toner may leak from the vicinity of the two shutter members due to the relationship between the toner gravity and the shutter opening / closing timing. Therefore, the inside of the image forming apparatus becomes dirty when the developing device is mounted, and further, toner scattering and toner dropping occur. Furthermore, it may fall on the transfer paper, increase the opening / closing load of the shutter, or in the worst case, the shutter cannot be opened / closed. Therefore, in a developing device used in an image forming apparatus, a simple shutter opening / closing mechanism that does not cause toner leakage when the developing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus is desired.

  However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a developing device and a toner cartridge are arranged side by side, and the technique of Patent Document 2 does not consider the opening / closing timing of two shutters. The problem cannot be solved.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and when a toner receiving device such as a developing device is attached to an image forming apparatus, or when a toner replenishing device such as a toner cartridge is attached to an image forming apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner receiving device and an image forming apparatus capable of preventing toner leakage and toner dropping in a connecting operation between the toner replenishing device and the toner receiving device.

  A toner receiving apparatus according to the present invention receives a toner replenished from a toner replenishing apparatus having a toner discharging member having a toner discharging port formed on a lower surface and a first shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner discharging port. A toner receiving member, wherein a toner receiving port for receiving toner discharged from the toner discharging port is formed, and the toner receiving port is positioned below the toner discharging port when connected to the toner discharging member And a second shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner receiving port, and the second shutter member when being connected to the toner replenishing device, the second shutter member is changed from a closed state to an open state, and then the first shutter member is opened. And a shutter opening / closing mechanism that changes the closed state from the closed state to the open state.

  According to the above configuration, when the toner supply port is connected to the toner supply device, the toner discharge port located above is changed from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, the toner dropped from the toner discharge port enters the toner receiving port and does not adhere on the second shutter member for the toner receiving port. As a result, toner leakage and toner dropping can be prevented. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a toner receiving device capable of preventing toner leakage and toner dropping between the toner replenishing device and the toner receiving device.

  Further, the toner receiving device of the present invention is connected to the toner replenishing device by the relative movement of the toner receiving member in one direction relative to the toner replenishing device, and the relative movement of the toner receiving member in the opposite direction. The shutter opening / closing mechanism can be disconnected from the toner replenishing device, and the shutter opening / closing mechanism is connected to the toner receiving member at an end on the opposite direction side, and can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the parallel movement; A first abutting member that abuts on the first shutter member and opens the first shutter member, and the elastic member includes a first elastic member and a second elastic member that are sequentially arranged in the one direction. And the second shutter member is connected to the first elastic member so that the second shutter member is opened in accordance with the contraction operation of the first elastic member, and is connected to the toner supply device. Along with the parallel movement in one direction, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are pushed by the toner replenishing device, and the second shutter member is opened as the first elastic member contracts. After that, it is preferable that the abutting member abuts on the first shutter member with the contraction operation of the second elastic member, and the first shutter member is opened.

  According to the above configuration, when the toner replenishing device and the toner receiving device are connected by a simple configuration using two elastic members, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are moved along with the parallel movement for the connection. The elastic member is pushed by the toner replenishing device, the second shutter member is opened in accordance with the contraction operation of the first elastic member, and the contact member is then moved in accordance with the contraction operation of the second elastic member. The first shutter member can be brought into an open state by contacting the shutter member.

  Further, in the toner receiving device of the present invention, the force necessary to contract the first elastic member by the first maximum contraction amount corresponding to the first elastic member is the second elastic member is the second elastic member. A second force connected to the first elastic member when the first elastic member is contracted by the first maximum contraction amount. It is preferable that the shutter member is open.

  According to the above configuration, when the first elastic member is contracted by the first maximum contraction amount, the second shutter member connected to the first elastic member is in an open state. The amount of movement of the toner can be minimized, and the size of the toner receiving device can be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the toner receiving device of the present invention, it is preferable that the amount of contraction with respect to the same force is greater in the first elastic member than in the second elastic member.

  Accordingly, when the first elastic member and the second elastic member start to be pushed by the toner replenishing device, the first elastic member can be contracted more greatly than the second elastic member. As a result, the second shutter member can be opened more quickly.

  Furthermore, in the toner receiving device of the present invention, it is preferable that the first elastic member and the second elastic member are springs, and the central axes coincide with each other.

  Furthermore, in the toner receiving device of the present invention, it is preferable that the first elastic member and the second elastic member are springs and have different outer diameters.

  As a result, the toner receiving device can be reduced in size.

  The toner receiving device of the present invention is a toner conveying device for conveying the toner discharged from the toner cartridge by the toner replenishing device, and a developing device for performing a developing process using the toner received from the toner replenishing device. It may be.

  Alternatively, the toner receiving device of the present invention may be a developing device in which the toner replenishing device is a toner cartridge and a developing process is performed using toner received from the toner replenishing device.

  Alternatively, in the toner receiving device of the present invention, the toner replenishing device may be a toner cartridge, and the toner transporting device for transporting the toner received from the toner replenishing device to the developing device may be used.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a toner supply device having a toner discharge member having a toner discharge port formed on a lower surface thereof, a first shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner discharge port, and the toner supply device. And the above-described toner receiving device for receiving the replenished toner.

  Accordingly, it is possible to realize an image forming apparatus capable of preventing toner leakage and toner dropping between the toner supply device and the toner receiving device.

  A toner receiving apparatus according to the present invention receives a toner replenished from a toner replenishing apparatus having a toner discharging member having a toner discharging port formed on a lower surface and a first shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner discharging port. And a toner receiving member in which a toner receiving port for receiving the toner discharged from the toner discharging port is formed, and the toner receiving port is positioned below the toner discharging port when connected to the toner replenishing device. And a second shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner receiving port, and the second shutter member when being connected to the toner replenishing device, the second shutter member is changed from a closed state to an open state, and then the first shutter member is opened. And a shutter opening / closing mechanism that changes the state from the closed state to the open state. Accordingly, a toner receiving device that can prevent toner leakage and toner dropping between the toner replenishing device and the toner receiving device can be realized.

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

(Overall configuration of image forming apparatus)
First, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the embodiment of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 100 converts a multicolor or monochromatic image as a visible image on a predetermined sheet (recording paper) based on image data included in an input command such as image data transmitted from the outside via a communication network or the like. To form. As shown in FIG. 3, an image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes an exposure unit E, photosensitive drums 101a to 101d corresponding to image carriers on which latent images are formed by the exposure unit E, and developing devices 102a to 102a. 102d, charging rollers 103a to 103d, cleaning units 104a to 104d, toner supply pipes 105a to 105d, intermediate transfer belt 11, primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d, secondary transfer roller 14, fixing device 15, paper transport paths P1, P2, P3, a paper feed cassette 16, a manual paper feed tray 17, a paper discharge tray 18, a toner cartridge unit 20, and the like.

  The image data of the color image handled in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is image data corresponding to the four hues of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Are used to form visible images in the image forming sections 55a to 55d. This corresponds to a color image using each color. Accordingly, the developing devices 102a to 102d, the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, the charging rollers 103a to 103d, and the cleaning units 104a to 104d are provided in four each so as to form four types of latent images corresponding to the respective colors. Yes.

  Each of the image forming units 55a to 55d has the same configuration. For example, the black image forming unit 55a includes a photosensitive drum 101a, a developing device 102a, a charging roller 103a, a transfer roller 13a, a cleaning unit 104a, and the like. The The image forming units 55 a to 55 d are arranged in a line in the moving direction (sub-scanning direction) of the intermediate transfer belt 11. The symbols a to d correspond to a for black, b for cyan, c for magenta, and d for yellow, and the above-mentioned means distinguished by these symbols constitute four image stations. Has been.

  The photoconductor drums 101a to 101d are disposed above the exposure unit E and are substantially cylindrical image carriers, and are controlled to rotate in a predetermined direction by a drive unit and a control unit (not shown). The photoconductive drums 101a to 101d are configured by forming a photoconductive layer on a base material. For example, a metal drum made of aluminum or the like is used as a base material, and a photoconductive layer such as amorphous silicon (a-Si), selenium (Se), or an organic photo semiconductor (OPC) is formed in a thin film on the outer peripheral surface thereof. ing. The configuration of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is not particularly limited to the above configuration.

  The charging rollers 103a to 103d are contact type chargers that uniformly charge the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a contact-type roller-type charging roller 103 is used as a charger. However, instead of the charging rollers 103a to 103d, charger-type or brush-type chargers are used. You may substitute.

  The exposure unit E includes a semiconductor laser (not shown), a polygon mirror 4, a first reflection mirror 7, a second reflection mirror 8, and the like, and is modulated by image data of each hue of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is irradiated with a light beam such as a laser beam. On each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, electrostatic latent images are formed based on image data of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow hues. In the present embodiment, the exposure unit E is a method using a laser scanning unit (LSU) provided with a laser irradiation unit and a reflection mirror, but the light emitting elements are arranged in an array, for example, EL or LED writing. A method using a head may be used.

  Developing devices (toner receiving devices) 102a to 102d supply toner to the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d on which the electrostatic latent images are formed, and develop the electrostatic latent images into toner images. Each of the developing devices 102a to 102d contains toner of each hue of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and an electrostatic latent image of each hue formed on each of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is black, The toner images are visualized as cyan, magenta, and yellow toner images.

  The cleaning units 104a to 104d remove and collect the toner remaining on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d after development and image transfer with a lubricant or the like.

  Toner replenishing pipes (toner replenishing devices) 105a to 105d are respectively connected to the developing devices 102a to 102d on the rear side thereof to replenish the toner in the toner cartridge unit 20 to the developing devices 102a to 102d. Here, the rear side of the developing devices 102 a to 102 d indicates a side closer to the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 when the developing devices 102 a to 102 d are mounted on the image forming apparatus 100.

  Further, the developing devices 102a to 102d can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100 for maintenance. Specifically, the developing devices 102 a to 102 d can be detached by being pulled toward the front side of the image forming device 100. That is, each of the developing devices 102a to 102d is relative to the corresponding toner supply pipes 105a to 105d (hereinafter referred to as a mounting direction, in this case, from the front side to the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100). It is attached to the corresponding toner supply pipe by parallel movement in the horizontal direction, and is in a relative reverse direction (hereinafter referred to as a detaching direction, here, a horizontal direction from the rear side to the front side of the image forming apparatus 100. ) Is removed from the corresponding toner supply pipe 105.

  The intermediate transfer belt 11 is disposed above the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, and is stretched between the driving roller 11a and the driven roller 11b to form a loop-shaped moving path. The outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 faces the photosensitive drum 101d, the photosensitive drum 101c, the photosensitive drum 101b, and the photosensitive drum 101a in this order. Primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d are arranged at positions facing the respective photosensitive drums 101a to 101d with the intermediate transfer belt 11 interposed therebetween. Each of the positions where the intermediate transfer belt 11 faces the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d is a primary transfer position. The intermediate transfer belt 11 is formed endlessly with a film having a thickness of about 100 to 150 μm.

  The primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d have constant voltage control of a primary transfer bias opposite to the charging polarity of the toner in order to transfer the toner images carried on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d onto the intermediate transfer belt 11. Applied. As a result, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d are sequentially transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11, and a full-color toner image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. .

  However, when image data of only a part of the hues of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is input, a part of the four photosensitive drums 101a to 101d corresponding to the hue of the input image data. The electrostatic latent image and the toner image are formed only on the photosensitive members 101a to 101d. For example, when forming a monochrome image, an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed only on the photosensitive drum 101a corresponding to the black hue, and only the black toner image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11. Transcribed.

  Each of the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d is configured by covering the surface of a shaft made of a metal (for example, stainless steel) having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm with a conductive elastic material (for example, EPDM, urethane foam, or the like). A high voltage is uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer belt 11 by a conductive elastic material. In this embodiment, the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d are used as the transfer electrodes, but a brush or the like can also be used.

  At each primary transfer position, the toner image transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 is conveyed to a secondary transfer position that is a position facing the secondary transfer roller 14 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11. The secondary transfer roller 14 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 whose inner peripheral surface is in contact with the peripheral surface of the driving roller 11a at a predetermined nip pressure during image formation. In order to constantly obtain the nip pressure, either the secondary transfer roller 14 or the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 11a is made of a hard material such as metal, and the other is a soft material such as an elastic roller (elastic rubber roller or Foamed resin roller, etc.).

  When the paper fed from the paper feed cassette 16 or the manual paper feed tray 17 passes between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11, the toner transfer polarity (−) Is applied with a high voltage of reverse polarity (+). As described above, the electrostatic latent images on the respective photosensitive drums 101a to 101d are visualized with toners corresponding to the respective hues to become toner images, and these toner images are stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 11. The Thereafter, the stacked toner images are moved to a contact position between the conveyed paper and the intermediate transfer belt 11 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11, and are transferred by the secondary transfer roller 14 disposed at this position. A toner image is transferred from the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 onto the sheet.

  The toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 11 due to the contact between the intermediate transfer belt 11 and the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d and the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 11 to the sheet are not transferred and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11. Since the toner remaining in the toner causes a color mixture of toner in the next process, the toner is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 12. The intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 12 includes a cleaning blade as a cleaning member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 11. The portion of the intermediate transfer belt 11 in contact with the cleaning blade is supported from the back side by an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 11b.

  The sheet on which the toner image is transferred as a visible image is guided to a fixing device 15 including a heating roller 15a and a pressure roller 15b, and passes between the heating roller 15a and the pressure roller 15b to be heated and pressed. Receive. As a result, the toner image that becomes a visible image is firmly fixed on the surface of the paper. The paper on which the toner image is fixed is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 18 by the paper discharge roller 18a.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, a substantially vertical direction for feeding the paper stored in the paper cassette 16 to the paper discharge tray 18 between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 and via the fixing device 15. A paper transport path P1 is provided. In the paper transport path P1, a pickup roller 16a that feeds the paper in the paper cassette 16 one by one into the paper transport path P1, a transport roller r10 that transports the fed paper upward, and the transported paper is predetermined. A registration roller 19 that guides between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 at the timing and a paper discharge roller 18 a that discharges the paper to the paper discharge tray 18 are disposed.

  Further, inside the image forming apparatus 100, a paper conveyance path P2 in which a pickup roller 17a and a conveyance roller r10 are arranged is formed between the manual paper feed tray 17 and the registration roller 19. Further, a paper transport path P3 is formed between the paper discharge roller 18a and the upstream side of the registration roller 19 in the paper transport path P1.

  The paper discharge roller 18a is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. When the single-sided image is formed to form an image on one side of the paper and the second-side image is formed during double-sided image formation to form an image on both sides of the paper, Driven in the rolling direction, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 18. On the other hand, when the first side image is formed in the double-sided image formation, the discharge roller 18a is driven in the normal rotation direction until the rear end of the paper passes through the fixing device 15, and then reversely rotated with the rear end of the paper sandwiched. Driven in the direction, the sheet is guided into the sheet conveyance path P3. As a result, the sheet on which the image is formed on only one side during the double-sided image formation is guided to the sheet conveyance path P1 with the front and back sides and the front and rear ends reversed.

  The registration roller 19 is connected to the secondary transfer roller 14 at a timing when the sheet fed from the sheet cassette 16 or the manual feed tray 17 or conveyed via the sheet conveying path P3 is synchronized with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11. Guided to the intermediate transfer belt 11. Therefore, the registration roller 19 stops rotating when the operation of the photosensitive drum 101 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 is started, and the sheet fed or conveyed prior to the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11 is registered at the front end. The movement in the paper transport path P1 is stopped in a state where it is in contact with the roller 19. Thereafter, the registration roller 19 rotates at a timing at which the front end portion of the sheet and the front end portion of the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 face each other at a position where the secondary transfer roller 14 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 are in pressure contact with each other. To start.

  Note that in all of the image forming units 55a to 55d, the primary transfer rollers 13a to 13d press the intermediate transfer belt 11 against all of the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d when full-color images are formed. On the other hand, at the time of monochrome image formation in which image formation is performed only in the image forming unit 55a, only the primary transfer roller 13a presses the intermediate transfer belt 11 against the photosensitive drum 101a.

(Structure of developing device and toner supply pipe)
(Developing device and toner supply pipe according to reference embodiment)
First, before describing the structure of the developing device and the toner replenishment pipe according to the present embodiment, the structure of the developing device and the toner replenishment pipe according to the present embodiment and the problems thereof will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the developing device 302 according to the reference embodiment and the toner supply pipe that is not connected to the developing device 302. The toner supply pipe in the reference embodiment has the same configuration as the toner supply pipe 105 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the developing device 302 is connected to the toner supply pipe 105 by moving in parallel in a predetermined mounting direction L, and is moved in parallel in a detaching direction R that is opposite to the mounting direction L. The connection with the toner supply pipe 105 is released.

  7A is a cross-sectional view of the developing device 302 and the toner supply pipe 105 that are not connected to each other, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A, the toner supply pipe 105 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, a toner discharge member 105t having a toner discharge port 105h formed on the lower surface, and a toner discharge port 105h. And a shutter (first shutter member) 105s that can be opened and closed. Further, the toner discharging member 105t is formed with a protruding portion 105e that contacts the member of the developing device 302.

  The shutter 105s is a member having a hole 105g having the same shape as the toner discharge port 105h. By sliding in the mounting direction R, the shutter 105s is aligned with the toner discharge port 105h, thereby opening the toner discharge port 105h. By sliding in the removal direction L, the toner discharge port 105h is closed. The shutter 105s is urged from a position where the toner discharge port 105h is opened to a position where the toner discharge port 105h is opened (that is, in the attaching / detaching direction R) by an urging means such as a spring (not shown). Accordingly, when no force is applied to the shutter 105s, the shutter 105s closes the toner discharge port 105h, and when a force in the mounting direction R is applied to the shutter 105s, the shutter 105s opens the toner discharge port 105h. Will be translated in parallel.

  The shutter 105 s has a bent portion 105 sa for engaging with the developing device 302.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, the developing device 302 includes a toner receiving member 302t having a toner receiving port 302h formed on the upper surface on the rear side, and a shutter capable of opening and closing the toner receiving port 302h. 302s.

  Further, the developing device 302 includes a tip protrusion 302p, a spring 302m, a cover 302o, a vertical plate 302k, and a contact portion 302e.

  The tip protrusion 302p is attached from the vertical wall 302f of the toner receiving member 302t facing the toner supply pipe 105 toward the toner supply pipe 105, and is along the mounting direction L. The tip protrusion 302p has an outer diameter of 12 mm and a length of 25 mm. The tip protrusion 302p is formed integrally with the vertical wall 302f.

  The spring 302m is a spring having a spiral inner diameter of 12 mm and a length of 40 mm, which is externally mounted on the tip protrusion 302p.

  The cover 302o is a cylindrical cover that includes the spring 302n. The vertical plate 302k is a plate integrated with the cover 302o and the shutter 302s.

  The contact portion 302e can contact the bent portion 105sa of the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105, and is formed integrally with the toner receiving member 105t in the present embodiment.

  Next, the operation of each unit when the developing device 302 is attached to the image forming apparatus and connected to the toner supply pipe 105 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, when the developing device 302 is translated in the mounting direction L, the cover 302o of the developing device 302 comes into contact with the protrusion 105e of the toner supply pipe 105, and at the same time, the developing device 302 contacts. The portion 302e contacts the bent portion 105sa of the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the developing device 302 is further translated in the mounting direction L, the spring 302 m housed in the cover 302 o is contracted in the mounting direction L. Then, since the toner receiving member 302t and the contact portion 302e start to move in the mounting direction L in synchronization, the shutter 305s starts to open and the toner receiving port 305h is opened. At the same time, the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105 is pushed by the contact portion 302e of the developing device 302 and moves in the mounting direction L, so that the toner discharge port 105h is opened.

  Thereafter, when the developing device 302 is further pushed in the mounting direction L, as shown in FIG. 7D, the shutter 302s and the shutter 105s are completely opened and stopped. At this time, the spring 302m is in a contracted state in the cylindrical cover 302o.

  However, in such a mechanism using one spring, the toner in the toner supply pipe 105 starts to fall at the same time in the stage of FIG. 7C, and therefore the toner falls on the shutter 302s. Then, the toner enters the gap between the shutters to reduce the sliding at the time of opening and closing, or the toner leaks from the periphery of the shutter. Therefore, the leaked toner falls and causes problems such as in-machine contamination and toner scattering. When a lot of toner accumulates, the shutter member may lock.

(Developing apparatus and toner supply pipe according to this embodiment)
Next, the developing devices (toner receiving devices) 102a to 102d and the toner supply pipe 105 according to the present embodiment, and the connecting operation thereof will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the developing device 102 according to the present embodiment and the toner supply pipe 105 that is not connected to the developing device 102. As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 102 is connected to the toner supply pipe 105 by moving in parallel in a predetermined mounting direction L, and is moved in parallel in a detaching direction R opposite to the mounting direction L. The connection with the toner supply pipe 105 is released.

  1A is a cross-sectional view of the developing device 102 and the toner supply pipe 105 that are not connected to each other, as shown in FIG.

  The configuration of the toner supply pipe 105 according to the present embodiment is the same as that described in the reference embodiment. Therefore, a detailed description of the configuration of the toner supply pipe 105 according to this embodiment is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, the developing device 102 includes a toner receiving member 102t having a toner receiving port 102h formed on the rear upper surface, a shutter 102s capable of opening and closing the toner receiving port 102t, a shutter 102s and a shutter opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the shutter 105s. The toner receiving port 102h has the same shape as the toner discharge port 105h.

  The toner receiving member 102t has a vertical wall 102f facing the toner supply pipe 105. The vertical wall 102f is formed with a protruding bar 102p extending toward the toner supply pipe 105, that is, parallel to the mounting direction L. In the present embodiment, the protruding rod 102p is formed with a diameter of 4 mm and a length of 15 mm.

  The shutter opening / closing mechanism is formed integrally with a spring 102m having a spiral inner diameter of 4 mm and a length of 30 mm, and an inner packet part 102ke having an outer diameter of 8 mm, which further encloses the spring 102m, and the inner packet part 102ke and the shutter 102s. The vertical plate 102k, a spring 102n with a spiral inner diameter of 8 mm and a length of 15 mm, a cylindrical cover 102o covering the spring 102n, and a toner receiving member 102t are translated in the mounting direction L. At this time, it has an abutting portion 102e that abuts against the shutter 105s and opens the shutter 105s.

  The inner packet part 102ke is fixed to the shutter 102s via a vertical plate 102k. Therefore, when the inner packet part 102ke is translated, the shutter 102s is also translated by the same distance as the inner packet part 102ke.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the spring 102m and the spring 102n are sequentially arranged in the mounting direction L, and the end of the spring 102m on the detaching direction R side is the vertical wall of the toner receiving member 102t. 102f. In this embodiment, the spring 102m and the spring 102n are arranged in series on the central axis of the protruding rod 102p.

  Furthermore, the spring constant of the spring 102m is set smaller than the spring constant of the spring 102n. Therefore, when the same force is applied to the spring 102m and the spring 102n, the amount of contraction of the spring 102m is larger than the amount of contraction of the spring 102n.

  Further, the protrusion 102b is disposed on a part of the inside of the spring 102m. A spring is selected as the spring 102m that can be contracted until the protruding rod 102p and the inner packet part 102ke can contact each other. Therefore, assuming that the length of the spring 102m when no force is applied to the spring 102m is Lm and the length of the protruding rod is Lp, the maximum contraction amount of the spring 102m (hereinafter referred to as the first maximum contraction amount) is Lm. -Lp (15 mm in this embodiment).

  On the other hand, an inner packet part 102ke is arranged in a part of the inside of the spring 102n. A spring that can be shrunk until the inner packet part 102ke and the cover 102o can contact each other is selected as the spring 102n. For this reason, the maximum amount of contraction of the spring 102n (hereinafter referred to as the second maximum amount of contraction) is the length of the spring 102n when no force is applied to the spring 102n, and the inner portion 102ke of the spring 102n is externally provided. When the length of the portion is Lke, it is represented by Ln-Lke.

  Here, in the present embodiment, a force (for example, 100 g weight) necessary for contracting the spring 102m to the first maximum contraction amount is a force necessary for contracting the spring 102n to the second maximum contraction amount (for example, 280 g weight). That is, the use load (for example, 100 g) of the spring 102m is set smaller than the use load (for example, 280 g) of the spring 102n. Thus, when the cover 102o is pushed toward the vertical wall 102f, the spring 102n can continue to contract even after the spring 102m contracts by the first maximum contraction amount.

  In the present embodiment, the first maximum contraction amount is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the movement amount of the shutter 102s from the closed state to the open state. Accordingly, when the spring 102m is contracted by the first maximum contraction amount, that is, when the inner packet portion 102ke is moved by the first maximum contraction amount, the shutter 102s can be opened.

  In addition, the distance from the surface of the contact portion 102e that contacts the bent portion 105sa of the shutter 105s to the toner receiving port 102h is designed to be the same as the distance between the bent portion 105sa and the hole 105g in the shutter 105s. As a result, when the contact portion 102e comes into contact with the bent portion 105sa, the hole 105g in the shutter 105s and the toner receiving port 102h coincide with each other.

  Next, an operation when the developing device 102 is mounted will be described. Here, similarly to the description corresponding to FIG. 7, in the operation when the developing device 102 is mounted, the developing device 102 is relatively moved while the position of the toner supply pipe 105 is kept constant.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, when the mounting is started and the toner receiving member 102t of the developing device 102 is translated in the mounting direction L, the cover 102o comes into contact with the protrusion 105e of the toner supply pipe 105.

  Thereafter, when the toner receiving member 102t is further pushed in the mounting direction L, the spring 102m having a small spring constant starts to shrink as shown in FIG. Although the spring 102n also contracts, the amount of contraction is small compared to the spring 102m because the spring constant is large. As a result, the toner receiving member 102t and the contact portion 102e of the developing device 102 move in the mounting direction L. Therefore, the inner packet part 102ke provided between the spring 102m and the spring 102n moves relative to the toner receiving member 102t in the attaching / detaching direction R. Accordingly, the shutter 102s integrated with the inner packet part 102ke also moves in the attaching / detaching direction R with respect to the toner receiving member 102t in which the toner receiving port 102h is formed. Accordingly, the toner receiving opening 102h starts to be opened by the shutter 102s.

  Further, when the toner receiving member 102t is translated in the mounting direction L, the spring 102m contracts to the first maximum contraction amount described above, the inner packet part 102ke comes into contact with the protruding rod 102p, and the spring 102m is not further contracted. 102 ke does not move relative to the toner receiving member 102 t. As described above, the first maximum contraction amount is set to be the same or slightly smaller than the movement amount of the shutter 102s from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, at this stage, all of the toner receiving port 102s is opened.

  At this stage, the dimensions of the contact portion 102e, the spring 102n, and the bent portion 105sa are designed so that the contact portion 102e of the developing device 102 contacts the bent portion 105sa of the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105. . As described above, the distance from the surface of the contact portion 102e that contacts the bent portion 105sa of the shutter 105s to the toner receiving port 102h is the same as the distance between the bent portion 105sa and the hole 105g in the shutter 105s. Because of the design, at this time, the hole 105g in the shutter 105s and the toner receiving port 102h coincide with each other.

  Further, when the toner receiving member 102t is pushed in the mounting direction L, the spring 102n having a relatively large operating load (for example, 280 g) and a spring constant starts to contract greatly, and at the same time, the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105 and the toner receiving The member 102t starts to move in the mounting direction L. As a result, the hole 105g of the shutter 105s starts to partially overlap the toner discharge port 105h, and the toner discharge port 105h starts to open.

  Here, since the hole 105g in the shutter 105s and the toner receiving port 102s coincide with each other, the toner receiving port 102s is always positioned vertically below the opening in the toner discharge port 105s. That is, the shutter 105h is changed from the closed state to the open state while the toner receiving port 102h is positioned vertically below the opening portion of the toner discharge port 105h by the shutter 105s.

  Thereafter, when the spring 102n is contracted until it comes into contact with the inner packet part 102ke and the inner plate surface of the cover 102o, the movement of the developing device 102 is stopped. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1D, the second maximum contraction amount of the spring 105n is set so that the shutter 105s of the toner supply pipe 105 completely opens the toner discharge port 105h. Therefore, at the same time as the movement of the developing device 102 stops, the toner receiving port 102h and the toner discharge port 105h coincide.

  In this way, first, after ensuring that the shutter 102s on the developing device 102 side is sufficiently opened, the shutter 105s of the toner transport pipe 105 is opened, so that the toner does not fall into each shutter portion and enters the toner receiving port 102h. Accepted. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a shutter opening / closing mechanism that is not affected by the toner falling on the shutter.

  The operation when the developing device 102 is attached / detached is the reverse of the case where the developing device 102 is attached, that is, moves in the order from FIG. 1D to FIG. In this case, the urging means (not shown) in the toner replenishment pipe 105 first closes the shutter 105s together with the attaching / detaching operation of the developing device 102, and then closes the shutter 102s by the recovery of the springs 102n and 102m. . Of course, when no force is applied to the springs 102m and 102n, the shutter 102s is kept closed.

(Modification)
In the present embodiment, the two springs having different inner diameters are used, but the inner diameters may be the same so as to sandwich the vertical plate 102k, and the spring load and spring constant may be different. However, in this case, two shrinkage margins are required.

  Instead of the springs 102m and 102n, an elastic member that can be reversibly expanded and contracted by applying force may be used.

  In the above description, the inner packet part 102ke and the shutter 102s are integrally formed. However, the shutter 102s may be moved in accordance with the movement of the inner packet part 102ke. The shutter 102s may be connected.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, as in the embodiment, the developing devices 102a to 102d and the toner cartridge 20 are connected via the toner supply pipes 105a to 105d, respectively, and a shutter opening / closing mechanism is connected to the developing device 102a. However, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above structure.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, an image forming apparatus that directly transfers toner from the toner cartridge unit 20 to the developing device 102 ′ without using a toner supply pipe may be used. Then, the above-described shutter opening / closing mechanism of the developing device 102 can be used in the delivery of toner between the toner cartridge unit 20 and the developing device 102 '. However, in this case, the developing device 102 ′ is fixed and the shutter is opened when the toner cartridge unit 20 is mounted, which is different from the configuration shown in FIG. 1. However, the relative movement directions of the toner supply pipe 105 and the toner cartridge unit 20 which are toner supply devices and the developing devices 102 and 102 'which are toner receiving devices are the same. Therefore, the shutter opening / closing mechanism of the developing device 102 described above can be used on the same principle.

  In the case of the form shown in FIG. 4, the toner cartridge unit 20 includes a toner discharge member 20t having a toner discharge port 20h formed on the lower surface, and a shutter 20s that can open and close the toner discharge port 20h. The shutter 20s includes a bent portion 20sa that comes into contact with the developing device 102 '.

  On the other hand, the developing device 102 ′ includes a toner receiving member 102t ′ having a toner receiving port 102h ′ formed on the upper surface, a shutter 102s ′ that can open and close the toner receiving port 102h ′, and a shutter that opens and closes the shutters 102s ′ and 20s. And an opening / closing mechanism.

  The toner receiving member 102t ′ is a rear-side vertical wall 102f ′ facing the toner cartridge unit 20 and a direction on the vertical wall 102f ′ toward the toner cartridge unit, and the relative movement with respect to the toner cartridge unit 20 A protrusion rod 102p ′ in the direction (mounting direction) is provided.

  Further, the developing device 102 ′ includes a spring 102 m, an inner packet portion 102 ke, a vertical plate 102 k, a spring 102 n, and a cover 102 o that are externally mounted on the protruding rod 102 p ′, similar to the developing device 102, as a shutter opening / closing mechanism. 4 is in contact with a shutter 20s that can open and close the toner discharge port 20h of the toner cartridge unit 20, and a contact portion 102e ′ that opens the shutter 20s from a closed state to a shutter opening / closing mechanism. As prepared.

  The shortest distance from the surface of the contact portion 102e ′ that contacts the bent portion 20sa of the shutter 20s to the side surface that forms the toner receiving port 102s ′ is the same as the shortest distance between the bent portion 20sa and the hole 20g in the shutter 20s. Designed to be

  Further, the contact portion 102e ′, the spring 102n, and the contact portion 102e ′ of the developing device 102 ′ come into contact with the bent portion 20sa at a stage where the inner packet portion 102ke comes into contact with the protruding rod 102p and the spring 102m is not contracted. The dimension of the bent part 20sa is designed.

  Further, the size of the inner packet part 102ke and the length of the spring 105n are set so that the shutter 20s completely opens the toner discharge port 20h when the spring 105n is contracted by the second maximum contraction amount.

  Further, the first maximum contraction amount of the spring 102m is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the movement amount of the shutter 102s from the closed state to the open state.

  Thereby, there exists an effect similar to the form shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the above-described shutter opening / closing mechanism of the developing device 102 can be used for toner transfer between the toner cartridge unit 20 and the toner supply pipe 105. In this case, the toner supply pipe 105 serves as a toner receiving device, and the toner cartridge unit 20 serves as a toner supply device. In this case as well, the relative movement directions of the toner supply device (toner cartridge unit 20) and the toner receiving device (toner supply pipe 105) are the same as in FIG. Therefore, the shutter opening / closing mechanism of the developing device 102 described above can be used on the same principle.

  In the case of the form shown in FIG. 5, the toner cartridge unit 20 includes a toner discharge member 20t having a toner discharge port 20h formed on the lower surface, and a shutter 20s that can open and close the toner discharge port 20h. The shutter 20s is urged by the spring 201 from the open state to the closed state. As a result, the shutter 20s is in a closed state when no force is applied. The shutter 20s includes a bent portion 20sa that comes into contact with the toner supply pipe 105 '.

  On the other hand, the toner supply pipe 105 includes a toner receiving member 102t ″ having a toner receiving port 102h ″ formed on the upper surface, a shutter 102s ″ that can open and close the toner receiving port 102h ″, and a shutter that opens and closes the shutter 102s ″ and the shutter 20s. And an opening / closing mechanism.

  The toner receiving member 102t ″ is a rear-side vertical wall 102f ″ that faces the toner cartridge unit 20, and a direction on the vertical wall 102f ″ that faces the toner cartridge unit, and the relative movement with respect to the toner cartridge unit 20 The projection bar 102p ″ in the direction (mounting direction) is provided.

  Further, the toner replenishing pipe 105 includes a spring 102m, an inner packet part 102ke, a vertical plate 102k, a spring 102n, and a cover 102o, which are externally mounted on a protruding rod 102p ″, similar to the developing device 102, as a shutter opening / closing mechanism. The toner supply pipe 105 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a shutter opening / closing mechanism that is in contact with the shutter 20s that can open and close the toner discharge port 20h of the toner cartridge unit 20 and that makes the shutter 20s open from the closed state. ing.

  The distance from the surface of the contact portion 102e ″ that contacts the bent portion 20sa of the shutter 20s to the toner receiving port 102s ″ is designed to be the same as the distance between the bent portion 20sa and the hole 20g in the shutter 20s. Yes.

  In addition, the dimensions of the contact portion 102e ″, the spring 102n, and the bending portion 20sa are such that the contact portion 102e ″ contacts the bending portion 20sa when the inner packet portion 102ke contacts the protruding rod 102p and the spring 102m does not contract. Is designed.

  Further, the size of the inner packet part 102ke and the length of the spring 105n are set so that the shutter 20s completely opens the toner discharge port 20h when the spring 105n is contracted by the second maximum contraction amount.

  Further, the first maximum contraction amount of the spring 102m is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the movement amount of the shutter 102s from the closed state to the open state.

  Thereby, there exists an effect similar to the form shown in FIG.

  Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, two different springs are used as the shutter opening / closing mechanism. However, as long as the mechanism can control the opening / closing operation of each shutter member in a predetermined order, naturally the technical scope of the present invention is also applicable to them. Belonging to.

  The developing device and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention can prevent toner leakage and toner scattering by controlling the opening and closing operations of the shutter members corresponding to the toner receiving port and the toner discharging port in a predetermined order. It is suitable for multi-function machines, copiers, facsimiles and the like.

FIGS. 4A to 4D are diagrams illustrating a state where a developing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a toner supply pipe. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a developing device and a toner supply pipe according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus including the developing device illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a developing device and a toner supply pipe according to a reference embodiment of the present invention. (A)-(D) are the figures which show the state of mounting | wearing of the image development apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100 Image forming apparatus 101a to 101d Photosensitive drums 102, 302, 102a to 102d Developing devices 102e, 102e ', 102e "abutting portions 102f, 102f', 102f" vertical walls 102k, 102k ', 102k "vertical plates 102ke inclusions 102h, 102h ′, 102h ”toner receiving port 102m spring (first elastic member)
102n Spring (second elastic member)
102o Cover 102p, 102p ′, 102p ″ Projection rod 102s, 102s ′, 102s ″ Shutter (second shutter member)
105s, 20s shutter (first shutter member)

Claims (9)

A toner receiving device for receiving toner replenished from a toner replenishing device having a toner discharging member having a toner discharging port formed on a lower surface and a first shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner discharging port,
A toner receiving port configured to receive toner discharged from the toner discharge port, and when connected to the toner discharge member, the toner receiving member located below the toner discharge port;
A second shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner receiving port;
A shutter opening / closing mechanism that, when connected to the toner replenishing device, changes the second shutter member from a closed state to an open state, and then changes the first shutter member from a closed state to an open state ;
The toner receiving member can be connected to the toner replenishing device by parallel movement in one direction relative to the toner replenishing device, and can be released from the connection to the toner replenishing device by parallel movement in the opposite direction. And
The shutter opening / closing mechanism has an end on the opposite direction side connected to the toner receiving member, abuts on the elastic member capable of expanding and contracting in the direction of the parallel movement, and the first shutter member, and the first shutter member. A contact member that opens the shutter member,
The elastic member includes a first elastic member and a second elastic member that are sequentially arranged in the one direction,
The second shutter member is connected to the first elastic member so as to be in an open state in accordance with the contraction operation of the first elastic member,
The first elastic member and the second elastic member are pushed by the toner replenishing device along with the parallel movement in the one direction for the connection with the toner replenishing device, and the first elastic member is contracted. Then, the second shutter member is opened, and then the abutting member abuts on the first shutter member as the second elastic member contracts, and the first shutter member is opened. age,
The shutter opening / closing mechanism includes a cover that covers the second elastic member,
The toner receiving apparatus, wherein the cover is located above the toner receiving port . The force necessary for contracting the first elastic member by the first maximum contraction amount corresponding to the first elastic member is that the second elastic member is contracted by the second maximum contraction amount corresponding to the second elastic member. less than the force required to Maseru,
The first elastic member when shrunk by weight shrinkage first maximum above, toner according to claim 1 in which the second shutter member connected to the first elastic member is characterized by comprising opened Receiving device. The toner receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic member has a larger amount of contraction with respect to the same force than the second elastic member. The first elastic member and the second elastic member is a spring, the toner receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the central axes coincide. The first elastic member and the second elastic member is a spring, the toner receiving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer diameter of each different in any one of four. The toner replenishing device is a toner conveying device for conveying the toner discharged from the toner cartridge;
Toner receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the developing device for performing development treatment using a toner received from the toner supply device. The toner replenishing device is a toner cartridge;
Toner receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the developing device for performing development treatment using a toner received from the toner supply device. The toner replenishing device is a toner cartridge;
Toner receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a toner conveying device for conveying the toner received from the toner supplying apparatus to a developing device. A toner replenishing device having a toner discharge member having a toner discharge port formed on a lower surface and a first shutter member capable of opening and closing the toner discharge port;
An image forming apparatus, comprising a toner receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 for receiving the toner replenished from the toner replenishing device.

Images