JP7379223B2 - developer supply device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer supply device for supplying developer to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine thereof, which forms an image using developer.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copying machines have used developers such as fine powder toner. In such an image forming apparatus, developer consumed during image formation is replenished from a toner cartridge serving as a developer replenishment container. The developer is replenished by installing the toner cartridge into a developer receiving section provided in the main body of the apparatus.

Here, the developer receiving portion is provided with a receiving port for receiving the developer discharged from the toner cartridge. A shutter member that can be opened and closed is provided at the reception port to prevent foreign matter from entering. As such a shutter member, a configuration has been proposed in which a pair of shutter members are rotated in conjunction with the attachment/detachment operation of a toner cartridge (Patent Document 1). In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the tips of the pair of shutter members abut each other at the center of the intake opening, thereby shielding the intake opening.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-36704

However, in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the tips of the pair of shutter members come into contact with each other at the center of the intake port, thereby shielding the intake port. A gap may occur depending on the contact state. If a gap occurs, there is a possibility that foreign matter may enter through the receiving port.

Further, Patent Document 1 also describes that the shutter member is composed of one piece, but if the number of shutter members is simply one, the locus of the shutter member due to rotation becomes large, so when the shutter member is rotated, There is a possibility that the shutter member may interfere with the toner cartridge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a structure that can prevent foreign matter from entering through a receiving port while preventing interference with a developer supply container when a shutter member rotates.

The developer supply device of the present invention includes a developer supply container that can be inserted into and removed from the device main body and has a discharge port for discharging the developer, and a developer supply container that can be inserted into and removed from the device main body, and a developer supply container that can be inserted into and removed from the device main body. has a receiving port connected to the discharge port to receive the developer discharged from the discharge port, and a direction in which the receiving port approaches the discharge port in conjunction with the insertion operation of the developer supply container. the developer replenishing container has a receiving part that is movable in a direction in which the receiving port moves away from the discharge port in conjunction with the extraction operation of the developer replenishing container; and a cover part that can individually cover the receiving port; a shutter member capable of opening and closing the receiving port in conjunction with movement of the receiving portion, the shutter member being perpendicular to the insertion direction of the developer supply container and the moving direction of the receiving portion, respectively. The developer replenishment container is rotatable about a rotation shaft arranged as shown in FIG. It is characterized by having a recess through which the shutter member rotating about the center can pass.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering through the receiving port while preventing interference with the developer supply container when the shutter member rotates.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the toner supply device according to the first embodiment, respectively showing (a) a state in which a replacement door is closed and (b) a state in which a part of the replacement door is open. (a) A perspective view and (b) a sectional view of a toner cartridge according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge drive device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a developer receiving device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the developer receiving device according to the first embodiment, and shows (a) an open state of the shutter member and (b) a shielded state of the shutter member. FIG. 3 is a side view of the leading end of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. According to the first embodiment, (a) a state in which the toner cartridge is not installed, (b) a state in which the toner cartridge is being inserted, (c) a state in which the toner cartridge is further inserted, and (d) a state in which the toner cartridge is installed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the developer receiving device showing various states. (a) A graph showing the relationship between the height positions of each member when the toner cartridge is inserted, and (b) a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the trajectory of the shutter member when it rotates and the toner cartridge support surface. (a) Side view of the shutter member according to the second embodiment, (b) Cross-sectional view of the developer receiving device when the shutter member is in the shielding state, (c) Developer when the shutter member is in the open state A sectional view of the receiving device.

<First embodiment>
A first embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 9(b). First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described using FIG. 1.

[Image forming device]
The image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an electrophotographic full-color laser printer. In the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, first, second, third, and fourth image forming sections Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb are arranged in parallel inside an apparatus main body 100A. These image forming units Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb each form toner images of four different colors through charging, exposure, development, and transfer processes. The control unit (controller) includes a CPU and memory such as ROM and RAM. When the control section receives a print command signal output from an external interface such as a host computer, it sequentially operates the image forming sections Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb according to an image forming control sequence stored in the memory.

In each image forming section Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb, a photosensitive drum 1 serving as an image carrier rotates at a predetermined circumferential speed (process speed). Further, the intermediate transfer belt 7, which is disposed opposite to the photosensitive drum 1 of each image forming unit Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb and is stretched around a driving roller 6a, a driven roller 6b, and a tension roller 6c, is moved by the driving roller 6a to each photosensitive drum 1. It is rotated at a circumferential speed corresponding to the rotational circumferential speed of the drum 1.

Then, in the first color yellow image forming section Py, the outer peripheral surface (surface) of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by a charging roller 2. Next, the exposure device 3 scans and exposes the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 1 with a laser beam generated based on image information from an external device such as a host computer. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in accordance with the image information. Then, this latent image is developed using yellow toner (developer) by the developing device 4, and a yellow toner image (developed) is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Similar steps of charging, exposing, and developing are also performed in the second color magenta image forming portion Pm, the third color cyan image forming portion Pc, and the fourth color black image forming portion Pb.

In the image forming sections Py, Pm, Pc, and Pb, the toner images of each color formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 are transferred to a primary transfer roller (transfer member) that is disposed facing the photosensitive drum 1 with the intermediate transfer belt 7 in between. 8, the images are sequentially transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7 in an overlapping manner. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7. After the toner image has been transferred, the photosensitive drum 1 is used for the next image formation after the transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is removed by a drum cleaner 5.

On the other hand, the recording material P is conveyed from the feeding cassette 10 to the registration rollers 13 by the feeding roller 11 through the conveying path 12a. The recording material P is, for example, a sheet such as paper or a plastic sheet. Next, the recording material P is conveyed by the registration roller 13 to the secondary transfer nip portion Tn between the intermediate transfer belt 7 and the secondary transfer roller 14 . The recording material P is nipped and conveyed at this secondary transfer nip Tn, and the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7 is transferred onto the recording material P by the secondary transfer roller 14 during this conveyance process. After the toner image has been transferred, the intermediate transfer belt 7 is used for the next image formation after the transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7 is removed by a belt cleaner 9.

The recording material P carrying an unfixed toner image is introduced into the nip portion of the fixing device 15 with the image carrying surface facing left in FIG. Then, the recording material P is nipped and conveyed by the nip portion of the fixing device 15, so that the toner image is heated and fixed onto the recording material P. When forming an image on only one side of the recording material P, the recording material P discharged from the fixing device 15 is discharged onto the discharge tray 17 through the discharge roller 16 .

[Toner supply device]
Next, the toner supply device 18 as a developer supply device that supplies toner to the developing device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 5 while referring to FIG. First, since the toner in the developing device 4 is consumed during image formation, toner as a developer is supplied from the toner supply device 18 to the developing device 4 as needed. The toner supply device 18 is equipped with a toner cartridge 19 as a user-replaceable developer supply container, and the toner stored in the toner cartridge 19 is supplied to the developing device 4 . When all the toner in the toner cartridge 19 is consumed, it becomes possible to newly supply toner to the developing device 4 by replacing the toner cartridge 19.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toner supply device 18 for each color is arranged at the upper part of the apparatus main body 100A, and develops each color on the back side of the apparatus main body 100A (the back side of the page in FIG. 1) across the intermediate transfer belt 7. connected to device 4. Further, the toner cartridges 19 of each color are removable from the main body of the apparatus and can be replaced by the user. The toner supply device 18 will be specifically explained below.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the toner supply device 18 includes a toner cartridge 19, a cartridge mounting portion 20 provided in the device main body 100A (FIG. 1), a replacement door 21, and the like. The toner cartridge 19 can be inserted into and pulled out from the cartridge mounting section 20 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2(b). The cartridge mounting section 20 is capable of attaching and detaching the toner cartridge 19, and when the toner cartridge 19 is mounted, connects the toner cartridge 19 and the developing device 4, so that toner can be supplied to the developing device 4.

The replacement door 21 is a door that is provided in the cartridge mounting section 20 and opens and closes when the toner cartridge 19 is replaced. In the case of this embodiment, the device main body 100A is provided with a front door that can be opened and closed on the front side (the front side in the paper of FIG. 1, the side operated by the user), and by opening the front door, replacement can be performed. Door 21 can now be opened. When replacing the toner cartridge 19, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the replacement door 21 is opened so that the toner cartridge 19 can be removed and inserted.

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the toner cartridge 19 viewed from below, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge 19. The toner cartridge 19 includes a toner container 191 that stores toner therein, as shown in FIG. 3(b). As will be described later, the toner cartridge 19 transports the toner therein by rotating the toner container 191 and discharges it from the discharge port 194. The toner container 191 has an opening at one end in the longitudinal direction (same direction as the insertion direction), and a toner conveying member 192 is provided inside the toner container 191 near the opening.

The toner conveying member 192 rotates in synchronization with the toner container 191. Further, a cartridge frame 193 is provided at the opening of the toner container 191 and communicates with the inside of the toner container 191 . The cartridge frame 193 rotatably supports the toner container 191, and when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A (FIG. 1), the cartridge frame 193 supports the cartridge mounting part 20 (FIG. 2(a)) disposed in the apparatus main body 100A. , (b)).

A toner discharge path 197 for discharging toner is provided below the distal end of the cartridge frame 193 (one longitudinal end of the toner cartridge 19). A cartridge shutter 196 is provided at the bottom of the cartridge frame 193 below the toner discharge path 197 and is movable depending on the installation state of the toner cartridge 19 in the apparatus main body 100A. Supported.

The cartridge shutter 196 is provided with an outlet 194 for discharging toner. The cartridge shutter 196 is located at a position where the toner discharge path 197 and the discharge port 194 do not communicate with each other so that the toner is not discharged from the toner cartridge 19 when the toner cartridge 19 is not installed in the apparatus main body 100A. On the other hand, when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A, the cartridge shutter 196 moves to a position where the toner discharge path 197 and the discharge port 194 communicate with each other. The communication between the toner discharge path 197 and the discharge port 194 allows the toner to be discharged from the toner cartridge 19 . In this embodiment, the cartridge shutter 196 moves in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the toner cartridge 19 to open and close the discharge port 194.

Near the discharge port 194 of the cartridge frame 193, there is a hole for opening the discharge port 194 to the outside of the toner cartridge 19, and a hole adjacent to the hole to avoid the rotation locus of a shutter member (connection pipe shutter) 213, which will be described later. A recess 198 is provided for this purpose. When the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A, the discharge port 194 is connected to a connection pipe 201 (see FIGS. 5 and 6A) as a receiving section provided in the cartridge installation section 20.

An input gear 195 is arranged near the cartridge frame 193 on the outer peripheral surface of the toner container 191 . When the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge installation section 20, the input gear 195 meshes with an output gear 202 (see FIG. 4) provided in the cartridge installation section 20, thereby transmitting the drive from the apparatus main body 100A to the toner cartridge 19. to communicate. The input gear 195 is connected to the toner container 191 and the toner conveying member 192, and rotates in synchronization with them.

Further, the toner container 191 has a cylindrical shape and has a spiral protrusion on its inner wall, and when the toner container 191 rotates in response to a drive from the apparatus main body 100A, the toner inside is transported to the vicinity of the opening. The toner conveying member 192 divides the toner conveyed to the vicinity of the opening of the toner container 191 into predetermined volumes, and conveys the toner through the inside of the cartridge frame 193 to the toner discharge path 197. The toner conveyed to the toner discharge path 197 is discharged from the toner cartridge 19 through the discharge port 194 . The toner discharged from the toner cartridge 19 falls through the connecting pipe 201 due to its own weight and is sent to the developing device 4 .

[Toner cartridge drive mechanism]
Next, the drive mechanism for rotationally driving the toner cartridge 19 as described above will be explained using FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drive mechanism disposed above the toner cartridge 19 in the cartridge mounting section 20. As shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment, a drive mechanism for rotating the toner cartridge 19 is disposed in the upper part of the cartridge mounting section 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A, the input gear 195 of the toner cartridge 19 meshes with the output gear 202 disposed in the cartridge installation section 20. The output gear 202 is connected to a drive transmission gear train via a transmission shaft 211, and is rotated by driving from a motor 210, which is a driving source. The rotation of the output gear 202 transmits drive to the input gear 195, and the toner container 191 and toner conveying member 192 of the toner cartridge 19 rotate.

[Cartridge mounting section]
Next, the cartridge mounting section 20 will be explained in detail using FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the lower side of the toner cartridge 19 in the cartridge mounting section 20. As shown in FIG. When the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge mounting section 20, the cartridge frame 193 (FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) is on the rear side (inner side) of the apparatus main body 100A, and the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge 19 is It is installed so that it is approximately horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge mounting section 20 includes a cartridge tray 203, a cartridge mount 204, a retraction hook 205, and the like. Cartridge tray 203 rotatably supports toner container 191 . Cartridge mount 204 supports cartridge frame 193. The retraction hook 205 is arranged on the cartridge mount 204 to retract and fix the cartridge frame 193.

When inserting the toner cartridge 19 into the apparatus main body 100A, the cartridge frame 193 is inserted along guide rails 206 provided in parallel to the insertion direction at both ends of the cartridge tray 203 in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the toner cartridge 19. be done. Then, it is delivered to the support rib 207 of the cartridge mount 204. There is an abutment part 208 on the back side of the cartridge mount 204 against which the cartridge frame 193 abuts, and when the cartridge frame 193 is inserted to the vicinity of the abutment part 208, the retraction hook 205 operates. The retracting hook 205 engages with a portion of the cartridge frame 193, draws the cartridge frame 193 to the abutting portion 208, and fixes the cartridge frame 193. The retraction hook 205 has a toggle mechanism and operates in two states: retracted and fixed and released.

When the toner cartridge 19 is fixed to the cartridge mounting portion 20, the connection pipe 201 is connected to the discharge port 194. The connecting pipe 201 moves vertically in synchronization with the movement of the toner cartridge 19, which moves approximately horizontally when being inserted into or removed from the apparatus main body 100A. When the toner cartridge 19 is not installed in the cartridge mounting section 20, the connecting pipe 201 moves downward and retreats from the insertion/removal track of the toner cartridge 19. When the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge mounting section 20, the connection pipe 201 moves upward and connects to the discharge port 194.

The toner supply pipe 209 accommodates a part of the connection pipe 201 on the upper side, and is connected to the developing device 4 on the lower side. In this embodiment, the toner is transported to the developing device 4 by falling due to its own weight, but it is also possible to arrange a screw, a toner sensor, etc. inside the toner supply pipe 209 and transport the toner to the developing device 4 with the screw. good.

[Connection pipe operation]
Next, the operation of the connecting pipe 201 accompanying the attachment/detachment operation of the toner cartridge 19 will be explained using FIGS. 6(a) to 7. FIG. 6A shows a state where the connecting pipe 201 has moved upward in the vicinity of the connecting pipe 201 of the cartridge mounting section 20, that is, a state of the connecting pipe 201 when the toner cartridge 19 is mounted. . FIG. 6B shows a state in which the connecting pipe 201 of the cartridge mounting section 20 is moved downward, that is, a state in which the toner cartridge 19 is not mounted.

The connection pipe 201 serving as a receiving portion is connected to the discharge port 194 (FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) to receive the toner discharged from the discharge port 194 when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A. It has an inlet 212 . The connecting pipe 201 also moves in a direction in which the receiving port 212 approaches the discharge port 194 in conjunction with the insertion operation of the toner cartridge 19, and in a direction in which the receiving port 212 approaches the discharge port 194 in conjunction with the removing operation of the toner cartridge 19. They are each movable in the direction of separation. Further, in the case of this embodiment, a single shutter member 213 is provided which can open and close the receiving port 212 in conjunction with the movement of the connecting pipe 201. This will be explained in detail below.

First, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the toner cartridge 19 is installed, the connecting pipe 201 moves upward, and the receiving port 212 in the connecting pipe 201 is opened upward. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the toner cartridge 19 is not installed, the connecting pipe 201 is located downward, and the shutter member 213 located above the connecting pipe 201 covers the upper surface of the receiving port 212. ing.

When the toner cartridge 19 is not installed in the apparatus main body 100A, there is a large space above the cartridge mounting section 20, so that foreign objects and the like may fall into the receiving port 212. In the event that a foreign object or the like falls into the receiving port 212, the foreign object passes through the connecting pipe 201 and the toner supply pipe 209 and reaches the developing device 4, contributing to image defects. In the present embodiment, the shutter member 213 alone covers the upper surface of the receiving port 212 without any gaps, thereby suppressing foreign matter from falling from the receiving port 212, thereby enabling more stable image formation.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vertical movement of the connecting pipe 201 is caused by the protrusions of the arms 218 provided at both ends of the connecting pipe 201 in the width direction relative to the cam grooves 199 provided on both sides of the cartridge frame 193 in the width direction. This is done by engaging the portions 215. That is, the cam groove 199 is formed in a substantially horizontal direction, with respect to the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19, an inclined portion 199a that is inclined upwardly from downstream to upstream, and an inclined portion 199a that is continuous upstream of the inclined portion 199a. It has a horizontal portion 199b.

In the operation of inserting the toner cartridge 19 in the insertion direction be lifted up. At this time, as will be described later, the shutter member 213 rotates to open the receiving port 212. Then, when the toner cartridge 19 is further inserted in the insertion direction X and installed at a predetermined position, the convex portion 215 engages with the horizontal portion 199b, and the upward movement of the connecting pipe 201 is stopped. In this state, the receiving port 212 of the connecting pipe 201 is connected to the discharging port 194 of the toner cartridge 19.

On the other hand, in the operation of pulling out the toner cartridge 19 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction 201 is lowered downward. In this state, the connection between the receiving port 212 of the connecting pipe 201 and the discharge port 194 of the toner cartridge 19 is released, and the receiving port 212 is retracted downward with respect to the discharge port 194. At this time, as will be described later, the shutter member 213 rotates to cover the reception port 212. In this way, the vertical position of the connecting pipe 201 is defined with respect to the horizontal position during the attachment/detachment operation of the toner cartridge 19, and the connection pipe 201 can be moved in synchronization with the attachment/detachment operation of the toner cartridge 19.

[Shutter member]
Next, the configuration and operation of the shutter member 213 will be explained using FIGS. 8(a) to 8(d). 8A to 8D are cross-sectional views sequentially showing the operating states of the toner cartridge 19, the connection pipe 201, and the shutter member 213 when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge installation section 20. 8(a) shows a state in which the toner cartridge 19 is not installed, FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c) show a state in which the toner cartridge 19 is being installed, and FIG. 8(d) shows a state in which the toner cartridge 19 is installed. Indicates the condition.

The shutter member 213 includes a cover portion 213a that can independently shield the reception port 212, and a support portion 213b that is formed integrally with the cover portion 213a and supports the cover portion 213a on the frame of the cartridge mounting section 20. The cover portion 213a and the support portion 213b may be formed separately and fixed to each other. However, at least the cover portion 213a is not a combination of a plurality of separate members, but is a single member made of, for example, resin. In this embodiment, the cover portion 213a and the support portion 213b are integrally formed of resin, and the shutter member 213 is a single member.

The shutter member 213 is rotatable around a rotation shaft 214 arranged perpendicular to the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19 and the moving direction (in the present embodiment, the vertical direction) of the connecting pipe 201. be. For example, the rotation shaft 214 is fixed to the support portion 213b of the shutter member 213, and is rotatably supported by the frame of the cartridge mounting portion 20 or a member supported by the frame. However, a configuration may also be adopted in which the rotation shaft 214 is fixed to a frame or the like, and the support portion 213b is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft 214.

The rotation axis 214 is arranged such that the rotation center thereof is parallel to the moving direction of the connecting pipe 201 and located upstream in the insertion direction of the toner cartridge 19 from a line M passing through the center of the receiving port 212 (FIG. 8(a)). It is located. In this embodiment, the rotation center of the rotation shaft 214 is located upstream of the connection pipe 201 in the insertion direction X (on the left side in FIG. 8(a)). Furthermore, the rotation shaft 214 is arranged upstream of the receiving port 212 in the insertion direction X. As shown in FIGS. 8(b) to 8(d), the shutter member 213 rotates from the shielding state in which the receiving port 212 is blocked to the upstream side in the insertion direction X to open the receiving port 212. state.

The toner cartridge 19 has a recess 198 through which the shutter member 213, which rotates around the rotation shaft 214 in conjunction with the movement of the connecting pipe 201, can pass during insertion into and withdrawal from the apparatus main body 100A. In this embodiment, the recess 198 is a notch formed by cutting out a portion of the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19 that faces the connection pipe 201 when it is installed in the apparatus main body 100A. Further, the recess 198 is formed so that the upstream side of the receiving port 212 is longer than the downstream side with respect to the insertion direction X when the toner cartridge 19 is attached to the apparatus main body 100A.

Next, the operation of the shutter member 213 in conjunction with the mounting operation of the toner cartridge 19 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the toner cartridge 19 is not installed, the connection pipe 201 is located below, and the upper surface of the receiving port 212 is covered with the shutter member 213, as described above. Note that the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge mounting section 20 in the insertion direction X shown by the arrow in FIG. 8(a).

As shown in FIG. 8(b), in the first stage of mounting the toner cartridge 19, the cartridge shutter 196 engages with the engaging portion disposed on the cartridge mount 204, and only the cartridge shutter 196 moves within the toner cartridge 19. stop. As a result, the cartridge shutter 196 is moved relative to the toner cartridge 19.

In the second stage of mounting the toner cartridge 19, the recess 198 provided on the lower surface of the cartridge frame 193 of the toner cartridge 19 reaches above the shutter member 213. Further, the cam groove 199 (FIG. 7) disposed on the side surface of the cartridge frame 193 engages with the convex portion 215 (FIG. 6(b)) of the connecting pipe 201, so that the connecting pipe 201 starts to move upward.

As shown in FIG. 8(c), in conjunction with the upward movement of the connecting pipe 201, the opening movement of the shutter member 213 is also performed. As described above, the shutter member 213 rotates around the rotation axis 214. At this time, since the cover portion 213a of the shutter member 213 is constituted by a single unit, the rotation locus 216 where the rotation radius of the cover portion 213a of the shutter member 213 is the maximum is above the lower surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193. pass through. That is, since the single cover part 213a is configured to cover the entire reception port 212, the rotation locus 216 of the cover part 213a becomes larger than that in a configuration in which the reception port 212 is covered with a plurality of members.

Furthermore, when the toner cartridge 19 passes above the connection pipe 201, the connection pipe 201 is raised as the toner cartridge 19 is installed, so it is difficult to increase the vertical stroke of the connection pipe 201. difficult. Therefore, even when the toner cartridge 19 is not installed, the receiving port 212 is located at a position somewhat close to the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19 when the toner cartridge 19 is installed. The cover portion 213a of the shutter member 213 that covers the reception opening 212 is also located at a position close to the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 19 when it is installed. As a result, if the rotation locus 216 of the cover portion 213a is large, the rotation locus 216 will pass above the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19, that is, the lower surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, a recess 198 is formed in a part of the lower surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193, in a portion facing the connection pipe 201 when the cartridge frame 193 is attached to the apparatus main body 100A. Although the recessed portion 198 is formed by cutting out a part of the cartridge frame 193, it may be formed so as to be recessed above the lower surface 198a without being cut out.

As described above, in this embodiment, the recess 198 of the cartridge frame 193 is positioned above the shutter member 213 when the toner cartridge 19 is inserted. Therefore, when the shutter member 213 rotates about the rotation shaft 214 to shift from the shielding state to the open state, the cover portion 213a does not come into contact with the cartridge frame 193. Interference with the toner cartridge 19 can be prevented when the shutter member 213 rotates.

Further, the rotation shaft 214 of the shutter member 213 is disposed perpendicular to the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19 and the movement direction of the connection pipe 201, and the rotation center is on the upstream side of the connection pipe 201 in the insertion direction X. It is located in Further, the shutter member 213 rotates upstream in the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19 when transitioning from the shielding state to the open state (during the opening operation). Therefore, the recess 198 of the toner cartridge 19 can be placed on the upstream side in the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19. That is, in this embodiment, as described above, the recess 198 is configured such that the upstream side of the receiving port 212 is longer than the downstream side with respect to the insertion direction X when the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the apparatus main body 100A. It is formed.

Here, if the rotation axis of the shutter member 213 is parallel to the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19, the shutter member 213 will rotate in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction X. In this case, the region where the maximum rotation locus 216 of the shutter member 213 is above the lower surface of the cartridge frame 193 becomes larger in the insertion direction X. Therefore, it is necessary to extend the recess 198 toward the downstream side in the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19, that is, toward the leading end side of the toner cartridge 19.

Furthermore, when the rotation center of the rotation shaft 214 of the shutter member 213 is arranged downstream of the connection pipe 201, the shutter member 213 can be rotated downstream in the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19 during the opening operation. Become. In this case, the area where the maximum rotation locus 216 of the shutter member 213 is above the lower surface of the cartridge frame 193 becomes larger downstream in the insertion direction X. Therefore, in this case as well, it is necessary to extend the recess 198 toward the downstream side in the insertion direction X of the toner cartridge 19, that is, toward the leading end side of the toner cartridge 19.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the rotation axis 214 of the shutter member 213 is arranged as described above, the maximum rotation locus 216 of the shutter member 213 is above the lower surface of the cartridge frame 193. The area can be made smaller. That is, the rotation center of the rotation shaft 214 is arranged upstream of the connection pipe 201, and the shutter member 213 rotates upstream in the insertion direction X during the opening operation. At this time, since the recess 198 gradually enters above the shutter member 213 as the toner cartridge 19 is inserted, the recess 198 enters above the shutter member 213 as the shutter member 213 rotates. The amount becomes larger. In other words, the area where the recess 198 faces above the shutter member 213 increases as the shutter member 213 rotates. Therefore, even if the area of the recess 198 is reduced, interference between the shutter member 213 and the lower surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193 can be prevented.

Furthermore, since the area where the maximum rotation locus 216 of the shutter member 213 is above the lower surface of the cartridge frame 193 can be made smaller, the recess 198 does not need to be extended toward the front end of the toner cartridge 19 . That is, the recess 198 can be formed so that the upstream side of the receiving port 212 is longer than the downstream side with respect to the insertion direction X when the toner cartridge 19 is attached to the apparatus main body 100A.

If the recessed portion 198 is extended toward the distal end of the toner cartridge 19, it may be necessary to extend the toner cartridge 19 itself depending on the case. As a result, there is a risk that the toner cartridge 19 will become larger and the portion to which it is attached will also become larger. Therefore, by configuring as in this embodiment, the size of the recess 198 can be made as small as possible, and the extension of the recess 198 toward the distal end can be suppressed. Further, the toner cartridge 19 can be made smaller.

When the toner cartridge 19 is further pushed in from the state shown in FIG. 8(c), the shutter member 213 moves to the open position, and the upward movement of the connection pipe 201 is completed. At this time, the receiving port 212 and the discharge port 194 of the connecting pipe 201 communicate with each other, but the toner discharge path 197 in the cartridge frame 193 does not communicate with each other yet.

When the toner cartridge 19 is installed in the cartridge mounting section 20 in the third step of installing the toner cartridge 19, the toner discharge path 197 in the cartridge frame 193 and the discharge port 194 also communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 8(d), the receiving port 212, the discharge port 194, and the toner discharge path 197 of the connecting pipe 201 communicate with each other. This allows toner to be supplied from the toner cartridge 19 to the developing device 4 via the connecting pipe 201.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the relationship between the height positions of the respective members in the vicinity of the connection pipe 201 during installation of the toner cartridge 19 will be described. In FIG. 9A, the horizontal axis indicates the position of the toner cartridge 19 in the insertion direction X, and the 0 point is the position where the toner cartridge 19 has been completely installed. The vertical axis indicates the height of each member, and the zero point is the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19, that is, the lower surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the recess 198 is a portion exposed by cutting out the bottom surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193, and is the bottom surface of the cartridge shutter 196. Further, the uppermost end of the shutter member 213 is the height at the insertion position of the toner cartridge 19 of the rotation locus 216 at which the rotation radius of the cover portion 213a of the shutter member 213 is maximum.

FIG. 9(b) shows the specific location where the height is shown in FIG. 9(a). The location where the height is indicated is an intersection point 217 where the maximum rotation locus 216 of the shutter member 213 and the support surface of the toner cartridge 19 intersect. The intersection point 217 is a point that should be taken into consideration in order to avoid contact between the toner cartridge 19 and the shutter member 213 when the toner cartridge 19 is attached or detached.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when the toner cartridge 19 is installed, the rising operation of the connecting pipe 201 and the opening operation of the shutter member 213 are started when the recess 198 of the cartridge frame 193 passes the intersection point 217. It's later. That is, after the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 19 is switched to the bottom surface of the recess 198, the uppermost end of the shutter member 213 is higher than the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 19. Therefore, when the uppermost end of the shutter member 213 passes through a height position corresponding to the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19, the passing position is within the recess 198 of the cartridge frame 193. Therefore, the shutter member 213 does not come into contact with the cartridge frame 193.

To extract the toner cartridge 19 from the apparatus main body 100A, the operation is the reverse of the above-mentioned operation, and when the uppermost end of the shutter member 213 passes above the lower surface of the toner cartridge 19, it is set to pass through the inside of the recess 198. . That is, after the top end of the shutter member 213 passes through the intersection point 217, the end of the recess 198 passes through the intersection point 217. In other words, after the top end of the shutter member 213 becomes lower than the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 19, the bottom surface of the toner cartridge 19 switches from the bottom surface of the recess 198 to the bottom surface 193a of the cartridge frame 193.

In this embodiment, the intake port 212 is covered by a shutter member 213 having a single covering portion 213a. For this reason, compared to a structure in which the cover is divided into a plurality of parts and covered by abutment above the intake port 212, it is possible to eliminate the mating part of the shutter above the intake port 212, and from the intake port 212. This makes it possible to prevent foreign objects from falling. and. By being able to suppress foreign matter from falling from the receiving port 212, more stable image formation is possible. Further, as described above, since the recess 198 is formed in the toner cartridge 19, even if the cover 213a is a single unit, it can be prevented from interfering with the toner cartridge 19 during the attachment/detachment operation of the toner cartridge 19. That is, in this embodiment, while preventing interference with the toner cartridge 19 when the shutter member 213 rotates, it is possible to suppress intrusion of foreign matter from the receiving port 212.

<Second embodiment>
The second embodiment will be described using FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c). In this embodiment, the center of gravity position of the shutter member 213A is defined. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment described above, so the same configurations are given the same reference numerals, illustrations and explanations are omitted or simplified, and the points different from the first embodiment will be described below. I will mainly explain.

The connecting pipe 201 may be biased in a direction opposite to the direction toward the toner cartridge 19 (downward). This is to prevent the connecting pipe 201 from accidentally moving upward and interfering with the toner cartridge 19 because the connecting pipe 201 is urged downward when the toner cartridge 19 is inserted. It is. In both the first embodiment and this embodiment, the connection pipe 201 is urged downward by a spring serving as an urging means (not shown).

Here, when the toner cartridge 19 is inserted, the connecting pipe 201 is lifted by engaging the convex portion 215 of the connecting pipe 201 with the cam groove 199 of the cartridge frame 193, as described above. Therefore, if the connecting pipe 201 is biased downward by the spring, the user may insert the toner cartridge 19 while applying force to move the connecting pipe 201 against the biasing force of the spring. become. Therefore, the operating force for inserting the toner cartridge 19 increases. In this embodiment, the position of the center of gravity of the shutter member 213A is defined in order to reduce the operating force required for inserting the toner cartridge 19.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c), the shutter member 213A serves as an engaging portion that can engage with the connecting pipe 201 and transmit the moving operation of the connecting pipe 201 to the shutter member 213A. It has an engagement shaft 213c. Note that this configuration may be similar to the first embodiment.

In addition, within the range in which the shutter member 213A rotates from the shielding state where the intake port 212 (see FIG. 8(a) etc.) to the open state where the intake port 212 is opened, the center of gravity position 213d satisfies the following. It is formed. That is, the center of gravity position 213d is located on the vertical line passing through the center of rotation of the shutter member 213A, or on the opposite side of the vertical line to the engagement shaft 213c. This will be explained in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the shutter member 213A includes a rotation shaft 214 and an engagement shaft 213c formed in a shaft shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the shutter member 213A is rotatably fixed to the connecting pipe stopper 220 by a rotation shaft 214. Furthermore, the connecting pipe 201 is fixed to a connecting pipe stopper 220 so as to be movable in parallel in the direction of arrow B (vertical direction). Note that this configuration may also be the same in the first embodiment.

In the shutter member 213A and the connecting pipe 201, an engaging shaft 213c provided on the shutter member 213A side and an engaging groove 201a as a non-engaging portion provided on the connecting pipe 201 side are engaged with each other. The movement movement of one side and the movement of the other side are engaged so as to interlock with each other. That is, when the connecting pipe 201 moves upward, the shutter member 213A rotates from the shielding state to the open state, and when the connecting pipe 201 moves downward, the shutter member 213A rotates from the open state to the shielding state.

Furthermore, the center of gravity position 213d of the shutter member 213A is located closer to the engagement shaft 213c than the vertical line C drawn perpendicularly from the center of rotation of the rotation shaft 214 within the operating range of the shutter member 213 from the shielding state to the open state. It is set so that there is no such thing. In other words, within this operating range of the shutter member 213, the center of gravity position 213d is located on the vertical line C passing through the center of rotation of the shutter member 213A, or on the opposite side of the vertical line C to the engagement axis 213c. Here, the shielding state of the shutter member 213 is the closed position shown in FIG. 10(b), and the open state is the open position shown in FIG. 10(c).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10(c), when the toner cartridge 19 is inserted in the direction of the arrow 201 moves in the direction of arrow B. At this time, the shutter member 213A rotates around the rotation shaft 214, and the force in the direction of arrow D acting on the center of gravity 213d due to the positional relationship between the center of gravity 213d and the engagement shaft 213c is transmitted through the engagement shaft 213c. It acts on the connecting pipe 201 in the direction of arrow E. Since the direction of arrow E is the same as the direction of arrow B, that is, the direction in which the connecting pipe 201 is displaced upward, the force in the direction of arrow D acting on the center of gravity position 213d is converted into a force that displaces the connecting pipe 201 upward. be done.

Thereby, the insertion resistance when inserting the toner cartridge 19 can be reduced. That is, the force based on the center of gravity position 213d of the shutter member 213A assists the force of lifting the connecting pipe 201 against the biasing force of the spring, thereby reducing the operating force when inserting the toner cartridge 19. Here, if the center of gravity position 213d is located closer to the engagement shaft 213c than the vertical line C in the shielded state, a force is required to lift the center of gravity position 213d once when inserting the toner cartridge 19. . Therefore, in this case, the operating force required when inserting the toner cartridge 19 increases. On the other hand, by regulating the position of the center of gravity 213d as in the present embodiment, the operating force when inserting the toner cartridge 19 can be reduced.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the shutter member 213A is formed such that the center of gravity 213d is located on the vertical line C when in the shielding state. When the center of gravity 213d is on the opposite side of the vertical line C to the engagement shaft 213c in the shielding state, the center of gravity 213d exerts a force on the shutter member 213A to rotate it to the open state. Therefore, if the urging force of the spring that urges the connecting pipe 201 downward is not sufficient, there is a possibility that the shutter member 213A may open slightly.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the center of gravity 213d is positioned on the vertical line C in the shielding state, the center of gravity 213d does not exert any force on the shutter member 213A to rotate it to the open state. , it is possible to maintain a stable shielding state. However, if the biasing force of the spring is sufficient, the center of gravity position 213d may be located on the opposite side of the engagement shaft 213c with respect to the vertical line C even in the shielded state.

18...Toner supply device (developer supply device)/19...Toner cartridge (developer supply container)/100...Image forming device/100A...Device main body/194...Discharge port/198 ... Recessed part / 201 ... Connection pipe (receiving part) / 212 ... Reception port / 213, 213A ... Shutter member / 213a ... Covering part / 213c ... Engagement shaft (engaging part )/213d...Center of gravity position/214...Rotation axis

Claims (5)

a developer supply container that can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body and has an outlet for discharging the developer;
The developer replenishment container has a receiving port that is connected to the discharge port and receives the developer discharged from the discharge port when the developer supply container is attached to the apparatus main body, and is linked to the insertion operation of the developer supply container. a receiving portion that is movable in a direction in which the receiving port approaches the discharge port, and in a direction in which the receiving port moves away from the discharge port in conjunction with an extraction operation of the developer replenishing container;
a shutter member having a cover portion that can independently shield the reception port, and a shutter member that can open and shield the reception port in conjunction with movement of the reception portion;
The shutter member is rotatable about a rotation axis disposed perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the developer replenishment container and the direction of movement of the receiving portion, respectively;
The developer replenishment container has a recess through which the shutter member, which rotates about the rotation shaft in conjunction with movement of the receiving portion, can pass during insertion into and withdrawal from the apparatus main body.
A developer supply device characterized by: The rotation axis is arranged such that the rotation center is parallel to the movement direction and located upstream in the insertion direction from a line passing through the center of the reception port,
The shutter member is rotated from a shielding state in which the intake port is blocked to an open state in which the shutter member rotates to retreat upstream in the insertion direction and opens the intake port.
The developer supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The recess is formed such that when the developer replenishment container is attached to the apparatus main body, the recess is longer upstream than downstream of the receiving port with respect to the insertion direction.
The developer supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shutter member has an engaging portion that engages with the receiving portion and can transmit a moving operation of the receiving portion to the shutter member, and the shutter member changes the receiving port from a shielded state in which the shutter member shields the receiving port. Formed so that the center of gravity of the shutter member is located on a vertical line passing through the center of rotation of the shutter member or on a side opposite to the engaging portion from the vertical line within the range of rotation to the open state where the shutter member is opened. has been,
The developer supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The shutter member is formed such that the center of gravity is located on the vertical line when in the shielding state.
The developer supply device according to claim 4, characterized in that:

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