JPH04270365A - Cartridge for toner supply - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perfectly make adhering toner in a toner storing case and to perfectly and surely supply toner since the toner adheres to the inside wall of a cartridge for supplying the toner and becomes residual at the time of supplying the toner. CONSTITUTION:The cartridge 11 for supplying the toner of an electrophotographic image forming device is provided with a trunk part 12 filled with the toner T, a cover 14 to open and close the aperture 13 of the part 12, and oscillating members 16 and 18 giving oscillations to the part 12. The recessed and projected parts on the side face of a silding board 18 as the oscillating member sbut on the inside wall of the sliding hole 17 of ear-like boards 16A and 16B and is taken in and out. As a result, the ear-like boords 16A and 16B, and the part 12 are oscillated, so that the adhering toner T is shaken off.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner supply cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional toner replenishment cartridges in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses do not have means or members for vibrating a body portion containing toner. That is, in the cartridge, an opening is formed in a prismatic cylindrical case into which toner is injected, and toner is supplied to a toner storage case through this opening.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When replenishing toner, the toner replenishing cartridge is shaken to agitate the toner inside. At this time, a phenomenon occurs in which the toner tends to adhere to the inner wall of the toner supply cartridge due to friction between the toner particles. When replenishing toner, toner remains inside the cartridge while adhering to the inner wall of the cartridge. Therefore, when replenishing toner, service personnel or users have taken measures such as tapping the body of the cartridge. This causes the toner to be shaken off the inner wall and completely transferred to the toner storage case.

[0004] However, with such measures, since there are individual differences in the force of hitting depending on the service person or user, it is not always possible to completely shake off the toner adhering to the inner wall, and some toner may still remain inside the cartridge. There was an issue in that there were times when the

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing cartridge that can be handled without any individual differences and that can always completely inject toner from the cartridge into a storage case.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a toner replenishment cartridge that includes a body portion into which toner is injected and a lid that opens and closes an opening formed in the body portion, in which the body portion is vibrated. This is a toner replenishment cartridge equipped with a vibration mechanism.

Further, in the present invention, the vibration mechanism is attached to the body and includes a vibration member having a slide hole, and a slide plate that comes into contact with an inner wall of the slide hole to vibrate the vibration member. It is a replenishment cartridge.

Furthermore, the toner replenishment cartridge according to the present invention is a toner replenishment cartridge having a transparent window portion in the body portion.

[0009]

[Operation] The toner replenishing cartridge according to the present invention vibrates the body using a vibration mechanism to shake off toner adhering to the inner wall of the body and completely inject the entire amount of toner into a storage case of a copying machine, for example. The vibration mechanism vibrates the torso via the vibration member by bringing the slide plate into contact with the inner wall of the slide hole of the vibration member and moving the slide plate in and out of the slide hole.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In these figures, a toner replenishment cartridge 11 for replenishing toner to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, includes a body portion 12 made of a rectangular cylinder into which toner T is injected, and a body portion 12 in which toner T is injected. An opening 1 is provided at the lower end of 12 and can be opened and closed when replenishing toner.
3, and a plate-shaped lid 14 that opens and closes the opening 13.

Further, a window 15 is formed in each side wall 12A close to the opening 13 provided at the lower end of the body portion 12. This window 15 is made of transparent material so that the body part 12
It is designed so that you can see inside. Therefore, Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 2, when the lid 14 is pulled in the direction of the arrow, the opening 13 opens and the toner T in the body 12 falls into the storage case 21 and is injected.

Furthermore, a pair of ear-shaped plates 16A and 16B that protrude upward are fixedly provided at the upper end of the body portion 12 so as to face each other. The ear plates 16A and 16B are made of a plate material integrally formed with the side wall 12A forming member of the body portion 12. Slide holes 17 having flat rectangular openings are formed in these ear-shaped plates 16A and 16B, and a slide plate 18 is inserted into these slide holes 17 so as to be freely removable. Slide plate (vibrating member) 1
8 is formed of a band-shaped thin plate piece, and the above-mentioned ear-shaped plates 16A, 1
It has a cross-sectional shape large enough to be inserted into each slide hole 17 of 6B. Both sides 18A in the width direction of the slide plate 18
is formed in an uneven shape, and the uneven side surface 18A is configured to abut against the inner wall surface of the slide hole 17.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by moving the slide plate 18 in and out in the direction of the arrow, the ear plates 16A and 16B vibrate, and furthermore, the body portion 12 also vibrates. In this way, the ear plates 16A, 16B
The slide plate 18 as a whole constitutes a vibration mechanism that applies vibration to the body portion 12 of the cartridge 11. Note that one end portion of the slide plate 18 is used as a grip portion 18B.

In the toner replenishing cartridge 11 having the above structure, as shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge 11 is attached to a toner storage case 21 of a copying machine. That is, the opening 13 of the cartridge 11 is aligned with the opening of the storage case 21 and held. Then, the lid 14 is pulled in the direction of the arrow to open the opening 13, and the toner T is dropped into the storage case 21. Here, toner T adheres to the inner wall of the body portion 12, but in order to sift off this adhered toner T, the slide plate 18 is moved in and out of the slide hole 17. As a result, the uneven side wall 18A of the slide plate 18 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the slide hole 17, and the ear-like plate 1
Finely vibrate 6A and 16B. Therefore, the body part 12
The toner T also vibrates, and the toner T falls from its inner wall. By looking through the window 15 and moving the slide plate 18 in and out, the toner T can be completely dropped.

[0016]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
Toner can be completely removed from the inner wall of the toner replenishment cartridge and stored in the toner storage case. This toner replenishment work can be reliably carried out by anyone, including service personnel and users, and there is no wastage of toner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner replenishment cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a toner storage case.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a toner replenishment cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a toner replenishment cartridge in a state in which toner has been discharged according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Cartridge 12 Body part 13 Opening 14 Lid 15 Window 16A, 16B Ear plate 17 Slide hole 18 Slide plate 18A Uneven side wall

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toner replenishment cartridge comprising a body portion into which toner is injected and a lid for opening and closing an opening formed in the body portion, comprising a vibration mechanism for vibrating the body portion. Characteristic toner replenishment cartridge. 2. The vibration mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the vibration mechanism includes a vibration member attached to the body portion and having a slide hole, and a slide plate that comes into contact with an inner wall of the slide hole to vibrate the vibration member. Toner replenishment cartridge. 3. The toner replenishing cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner replenishing cartridge has a transparent window portion in the body portion.