JP7600809B2 - Developer cartridge and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a developer cartridge and an image forming device.

Conventionally, in image forming devices such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction devices, for example electrophotographic printers, the main body of the printer, i.e., the main body of the device, is provided with an image forming unit, LED head, transfer unit, fuser, etc., and the image forming unit is provided with a photosensitive drum, charging roller, developing roller, supply roller, toner cartridge as a developer container, etc.

There is a known toner cartridge that blocks the discharge of developer by providing an opening/closing member (shutter) at the discharge port so as to seal the space between the toner cartridge and the developer discharge port (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-146509 A

However, when the toner cartridge is operated, developer that spills from the discharge port or the opening and closing member of the discharge port may soil the inside and outside of the image forming device.

The present invention was made to solve the above technical problems, and its purpose is to improve stains caused by developer spilled from the discharge port of the developer container or the opening and closing member of the discharge port.

With this objective in mind, the developer cartridge to which the present invention is applied comprises a developer container equipped with a developer storage section that stores developer, a discharge port formed in the developer container for discharging the developer stored in the developer storage section, an opening/closing member that is movable between a closed position that blocks the discharge port and an open position that opens the discharge port, and a developer receiving member that is connected to the developer container and positioned below the discharge port and the opening/closing member, and that is positioned so as to overlap the entire discharge port in the vertical direction.
The developer receiving member moves to a first position retracted from below the discharge port when it is attached to a mounted device that receives the supply of developer discharged from the discharge port, and moves to a second position protruding below the discharge port when it is detached from the mounted device.
In addition, when the surface of the developer receiving member facing the discharge outlet is defined as a first surface, a second surface is provided on the opposite side to the first surface, and the distance between the developer receiving member and the discharge outlet is narrowed when the developer container is grasped and the developer receiving member is left standing with the second surface facing down, compared to when the developer container is held in the air with the developer receiving member facing down.

According to the present invention, when the developer cartridge is operated, developer spilled from the discharge port or the opening and closing member of the discharge port is received by the developer receiving member, making it possible to improve the dirt inside and outside of the image forming device.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit main body according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the shutter unit when it is in an open position in the embodiment of the present invention. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the toner cartridge and the image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention when they are not fixed and when they are fixed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of a toner cartridge and a tray according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are an exploded perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a process of inserting and removing the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the toner container is gripped and suspended in the air according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the shutter unit is in a closed state according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the toner container according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In this case, a toner cartridge 22 as a developer cartridge and a printer 10 as an image forming device will be described. In the drawings, the horizontal direction is the X-axis, and as shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which paper P as a medium is transported from the downstream side of an image forming section Q described below toward a fixing device 14 as a fixing device is the positive direction, and the positive direction of the X-axis is the front. The vertically upward direction is the positive direction of the Z-axis, and the right side in the width direction (main scanning direction) when viewed from the front of the paper perpendicular to both the X-axis and Z-axis is the positive direction of the Y-axis.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The printer 10 is composed of a housing Cs of the printer 10 and a device body Bd of the printer 10. The device body Bd of the printer 10 is a main body part that forms images and is composed of an image forming unit 11, an LED head 12 as an exposure device, a transfer roller 13 as a transfer device, a fixing device 14, etc. A paper feed cassette 15 as a medium storage section is arranged below the device body Bd, that is, on the negative side of the Z axis. Paper P is stacked and stored in the paper feed cassette 15. A paper feed mechanism including a paper feed roller 16 is arranged adjacent to the negative side of the X axis of the paper feed cassette 15, and after the paper feed roller 16 separates the paper P one by one, the paper P is fed to a paper transport path as a media transport path. The paper P fed in the Rt1 direction by the paper feed mechanism is supplied to the image forming section Q. Here, the image forming section Q is composed of the image forming unit 11, the LED head 12, and the transfer roller 13, and an image is formed by the image forming section Q.

The LED head 12 is disposed above the photoconductor drum 31 serving as an image carrier provided in the image forming unit 11, i.e., on the positive side of the Z axis, so as to face the photoconductor drum 31. The image forming unit 11 extends with the width direction (Y axis direction) as its longitudinal direction, and is disposed so as to be freely attached and detached to the device main body Bd. The LED head 12 exposes the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 based on the print data to form an electrostatic latent image as a latent image.

Here, the photoconductor drum 31 is an organic photoconductor formed by sequentially laminating a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer as a photoconductive layer on a conductive support made of an aluminum metal pipe.

The transfer roller 13 is disposed below the photoconductor drum 31, i.e., on the negative side of the Z axis, so as to face the photoconductor drum 31. The toner image formed as a developer image on the photoconductor drum 31 in the image forming unit 11 is transferred by the transfer roller 13 to the paper P supplied to the transfer section between the photoconductor drum 31 and the transfer roller 13.

The paper P is then transported along the paper transport path in the Rt2 direction to the fixing device 14, where the toner image on the paper P is heated by the heating roller 19 and pressed by the pressure roller 20 to be fixed to the paper P, forming an image on the paper P.

The paper P discharged from the fixing unit 14 is transported in the Rt3 direction by a transport roller 17 as a transport member, and then discharged outside the device body Bd by a paper discharge roller 18.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming unit 11 includes a toner cartridge 22 that is detachably mounted to the image forming unit main body 21, and the main body of the image forming unit 11, i.e., the image forming unit main body 21, which is the device to which the toner cartridge 22 is attached and which receives a supply of unused toner (hereinafter simply referred to as "toner") as a developer from the toner cartridge 22 and forms an image.

Next, we will explain the internal structure of the toner cartridge 22 and the image forming unit main body 21.

The toner cartridge 22 has a toner storage section Rm1 as a developer storage section that stores toner therein, a waste toner storage section Rm2 as a waste developer storage section that stores waste toner as waste developer, and an outer frame Fr2 equipped with a shutter unit 41 as an opening/closing member. A toner discharge port h1 as a discharge port is formed at the bottom of the toner storage section Rm1, in this embodiment, at the bottom Twb of the outer frame Fr2, and the shutter unit 41 plays the role of an opening/closing member that opens and closes the toner discharge port h1 by operating the lever Lv (Figure 5). In addition, a recovery spiral 39 is rotatably arranged in the waste toner storage chamber Rm2 to recover the waste toner sent from the cleaning member 36 that removes the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 31 after the transfer of the toner image as waste toner. Here, agitation members Mx1 and Mx2 are rotatably provided inside the toner storage section Rm1 and the shutter unit 41, respectively.

The image forming unit main body 21 has a base frame Fr1 that is formed to extend in the width direction and has a process element housing section CP inside as a main body section that houses each element for performing the image forming process. The base frame Fr1 has a toner supply port h3 as a supply port that accepts the supply of toner discharged from the toner discharge port h1 of the toner cartridge 22, and a toner storage section Rm3 as a developer storage section that stores the toner supplied from the toner supply port h3.

The elements housed inside the process element housing CP include the photosensitive drum 31, the charging roller 32 as a charging member that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 31, the developing roller 33 as a developer carrier that holds the toner, the supply roller 34 as a supply member that supplies the toner to the developing roller 33, the developing blade 35 as a developer layer regulating member that uniformly thins the toner supplied to the developing roller 33, the cleaning blade 37 that constitutes the cleaning member 36, and the spiral 38 as a transport member for transporting the waste toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 37. Also, agitating members Mx3-1 and Mx3-2 that agitate the toner are disposed inside the toner storage section Rm3.

The photosensitive drum 31, charging roller 32, developing roller 33, supply roller 34, etc. are connected to a drive motor (drum motor) (not shown) that serves as a drive unit for image formation, and are rotated by driving the drive motor.

Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the image forming unit body in an embodiment of the present invention.

The image forming unit main body 21 has side plates SL, SR formed at one end and the other end in the width direction of the base frame Fr1, and an insertion/removal guide Gm1 is formed on the inside of the side plates SL, SR as a guide portion. When the toner cartridge 22 (FIG. 2) is moved in the direction of attachment/detachment to the image forming unit main body 21, the insertion/removal guide Gm1 engages with the insertion/removal guide 221 (FIG. 7) as a guided member to guide the toner cartridge 22. For this reason, the insertion/removal guide Gm1 is formed so as to be inclined downward in the negative direction of the Z axis as it approaches the attachment end position from the attachment start position of the toner cartridge 22 at the rear end of the side plates SL, SR to the attachment end position of the toner cartridge 22 formed at a predetermined position in front.

Figure 4 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, it is a view of the toner cartridge 22 when it is attached to the image forming unit main body 21. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 22 is inserted, removed, and otherwise operated by a user by gripping the recesses X1 and X2. The recesses X1 and X2 serve as gripping parts that are gripped when operating the toner cartridge 22.

Figure 5 is an external perspective view of the shutter unit in the open position in an embodiment of the present invention. The shutter unit 41 is composed of a shutter member 411 and a lever member 412, and the shutter member 411 moves when the lever Lv included in the lever member 412 is operated. In this embodiment, the shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are arranged extending in the width direction so as to be rotatable around the Y axis. When the shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are in the position shown in Figure 6, the shutter opening h2 overlaps with the toner discharge port h1 (Figure 2). The shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are engaged with pinion gears 414, 415 provided on each member, and the shutter member 411 can be rotated when the lever Lv is operated. For example, when lever Lv is pushed in the R1 direction, that is, when lever member 412 is operated to rotate clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 5, the rotation is transmitted to shutter member 411 via pinion gears 414 and 415, causing shutter member 411 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, shutter closing portion 411-1 of shutter member 411 is rotated to a closed position that covers toner discharge port h1 (FIG. 2), closing toner discharge port h1 (FIG. 2), and stopping the supply of toner from toner storage portion Rm1 (FIG. 2) to toner storage portion Rm3.

On the other hand, when the lever Lv is pushed in the R2 direction from a state in which the shutter unit 41 is in the closed position, that is, when the lever member 412 is operated to rotate counterclockwise, the shutter member 411 is rotated to the open position.

Using the above configuration, the movement of toner within the image forming unit 11 and the image formation operation will be explained with reference to Figure 2.

The toner contained in the toner container Rm1 is discharged from the toner discharge port h1 through the shutter opening h2 (Fig. 5) formed in the shutter unit 41, and is replenished to the toner storage unit Rm3 through the toner supply port h3. When the lever member 412 (Fig. 5) is operated, the shutter opening h2 (Fig. 5) of the shutter member 411 (Fig. 5) is rotated to an open position where it overlaps with the toner discharge port h1, and the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port h1.

In the image forming unit 11, the drive motor rotates the developing roller 33 and the supply roller 34 counterclockwise in FIG. 2. The toner that has been frictionally charged by the supply roller 34 is supplied to the developing roller 33, and as the developing roller 33 rotates, it is sent to the contact area between the developing roller 33 and the developing blade 35, where it is formed into a thin layer by the developing blade 35.

The photoconductor drum 31 is rotated clockwise by the drive motor, and the charging roller 32 is rotated counterclockwise together with the photoconductor drum 31, so that the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 32. The photoconductor drum 31 is then exposed to light by the LED head 12 (Fig. 1) to form an electrostatic latent image on its surface, and toner on the developing roller 33 is electrostatically attached to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image. The toner image on the photoconductor drum 31 is then transferred to paper P by the transfer roller 13 (Fig. 1).

The toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 after the toner image is transferred is scraped off by the cleaning blade 37 as the photoconductor drum 31 rotates, falls to the bottom of the cleaning member 36, and is collected as waste toner in the waste toner storage chamber Rm2 by the rotation of the spiral 38.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge and an image forming unit in an embodiment of the present invention when they are not fixed and when they are fixed. Figure 6-a is a cross-sectional view when they are not fixed, that is, when the shutter member 411 has been rotated from the state shown in Figure 5 to the closed position as described above. Figure 6-b is a cross-sectional view when they are fixed, that is, when the shutter member 411 is in the open position.

Figure 6-b shows the state in which the lever Lv (Figure 5) is operated from the unlocked state shown in Figure 6-a to rotate the lever to the open position with the engagement groove 413 engaging with the post 211 provided on each of the side plates SR and SL (Figure 4). In Figure 6-b, the insertion/removal direction dir and the extension direction of the engagement groove 413 intersect, so the relative positions of the toner cartridge 22 and the image forming unit main body 21 can be fixed while allowing toner to be supplied from the toner cartridge 22 to the image forming unit main body 21.

On the other hand, when the lever Lv (FIG. 5) is operated from the fixed state shown in FIG. 6-b and the post 211 is rotated to the closed position with the post 211 engaged with the engagement fixing groove 413, the state becomes as shown in FIG. 6-a. As a result, the insertion/removal direction dir and the extending direction of the engagement fixing groove become approximately parallel, so that the toner cartridge 22 can be removed from the image forming unit main body 21 in a state in which toner cannot be supplied from the toner cartridge 22 to the image forming unit main body 21.

Figure 7 is an external perspective view of a toner cartridge and a tray in an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 22 includes a toner container R as a developer container that serves as a housing having a toner container portion Rm1 (Figure 2) inside, and a tray 50 as a developer receiving member, and is arranged to extend in the width direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction which is the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 31 (Figure 2). The toner container R is composed of a cylindrical outer frame Fr2 with a bottom, and side covers ScR and ScL which cover one end and the other end of the outer frame Fr2 in the width direction. The lever Lv is arranged at the end of the toner container R on the side cover ScL side so as to be able to swing freely relative to the outer frame Fr2.

The tray 50 and toner container R are connected by guide engagement portions 53 provided at both ends of the tray 50 in the width direction engaging with guides 59, which are long holes provided in the side covers ScL and ScR, so that they can move within the guides 59. The guide engagement portions 53 are protrusions that protrude in the Y-axis direction from side surfaces 56R and 56L provided at both ends of the tray 50 in the width direction. As described above, the tray 50 is supported by the side covers ScL and ScR relative to the toner container R.

The direction of movement of the tray 50 is determined by the guide direction in which the guide 59 extends, and the tray 50 can protrude and retract below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41. In this embodiment, the guide 59 extends in the X-axis direction in the state of FIG. 1 in which the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the printer 10. Therefore, the tray 50 is provided so as to be movable in the guide direction, i.e., in the X-axis direction, and can protrude in the positive direction of the X-axis and retract in the negative direction of the X-axis. In the following, the direction in which the tray 50 protrudes is referred to as the protruding direction, and the direction in which it retracts is referred to as the retracting direction. Also, in the following drawings in which the toner cartridge 23 is placed on a desk, the protruding direction and the retracting direction are inclined with respect to the horizontal X-axis.

In this embodiment, the guide 59 is a through hole, but it is not limited to this and may be a groove that does not penetrate on one side or the other.

The tray 50 has a first surface S1 facing the toner discharge port h1 (Fig. 2), a second surface S2 disposed on the opposite side of the first surface S1, side surfaces 56R and 56L disposed at both ends of the tray 50 in the Y-axis direction, a rib 55 disposed on the protruding direction side, and a convex portion 58 disposed on the retracting direction side. In addition, the first surface S1 has an uneven surface S1-1 in the area between the rib 55 and the convex portion 58.

The rib 55, the sides 56R, 56L, and the protrusion 58 allow the toner received by the tray 50 to remain on the uneven surface S1-1, making it difficult for the received toner to slip out of the tray due to vibration or other reasons.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. This figure will be used to explain the locations of the cross sections in the cross-sectional views of Figures 9 and 11.

Figure 9 shows an exploded perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that Figure 9-b is a cross-sectional view taken along the Cr1-Cr1 arrow in Figure 8, and is a cross-sectional view at a position overlapping with a hole 57 on the side cover ScR side, which will be described later. The toner cartridge 22 has, as members for movably connecting the toner container R and the tray 50, a spring 51 as a biasing member at each end of the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge 22, a spring receiving member 52 as a biasing member receiving member that determines the biasing direction of the spring 51 and supports the spring 51, and a hole 57 that houses the spring 51 and the spring receiving member 52. The spring receiving member 52 is provided on each of the side covers ScR and ScL so that the spring 51 biases in the protruding direction.

With the above structure, the tray 50 is biased in the protruding direction by the spring 51 and positioned below the toner discharge port h1, as shown in FIG. 9-b. Furthermore, the spring 51 contracts and the spring receiving member 52 passes through the hole 57, causing the tray 50 to retreat from below the toner discharge port h1.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the process of inserting and removing a toner cartridge in an embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the receiving tray 50 during the process of inserting and removing the toner cartridge 22 will be described using Figure 10. Note that the mounting direction dir1 in which the toner cartridge 22 is mounted to the image forming unit main body 21 and the removal direction dir2 in which the toner cartridge 22 is removed are parallel to the insertion and removal direction dir guided by the insertion and removal guide Gm1 described above. In this embodiment, the insertion and removal direction dir determined based on the insertion and removal guide Gm1 is inclined 15° downward from the horizontal with the positive side of the X axis, but is not limited to this configuration.

As shown in FIG. 10-a, when the toner cartridge 22 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21, the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41. When the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the image forming unit main body 21 set in the printer 10 (FIG. 1) from the detached state, the insertion guide Gm1 is engaged with the insertion guide 221 (FIG. 7) and guides the attachment in the attachment direction dir1 inclined by 15° from the horizontal direction with the attachment side facing down. In this embodiment, when the rib 55 of the tray 50 is abutted against the base frame Fr1 of the image forming unit main body 21 as shown in FIG. 10-b and pushed in the attachment direction dir1 of the tray 50, the spring 51 contracts against its own biasing force. Accordingly, the guide engagement portion 53 (FIG. 7) is moved according to the guide 59 (FIG. 7), and the tray 50 is retracted from below the toner discharge port h1. Furthermore, when the lever Lv is operated as described above while in the position shown in Figure 10-c, toner can be replenished from the toner discharge port h1 to the toner storage section Rm3. This relative position in the guide direction between the toner container R and the tray 50 that allows the toner cartridge 22 to supply to the image forming unit main body 21 when the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the image forming unit main body 21 is the first position, and is determined by the shapes of the base frame Fr1, the rib 55, and the tray 50.

As shown in FIG. 10-c, when the toner cartridge 22 is removed from the image forming unit body 21 set in the printer 10 from its installed state, the insertion/removal guide Gm1 and the insertion/removal guide 221 are engaged, so the removal of the toner cartridge 22 is guided in the removal direction dir2. The rib 55 of the receiving tray 50 protrudes to the second position described above while remaining in contact with the base frame Fr1 of the image forming unit body 21 due to the biasing force of the spring 51, as shown in FIG. 10-b. Thereafter, the rib 55 leaves the base frame Fr1 as shown in FIG. 10-a, and the toner cartridge 22 is removed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the tray 50 is configured to be able to protrude and retract below the toner discharge port h1 as the toner cartridge 22 is inserted and removed.

In addition, when inserting or removing the toner cartridge 22, the tray 50 is moved so as to block the space vertically below the toner discharge port h1, preventing toner from spilling out of the toner discharge port h1 and soiling the inside of the printer 10.

Furthermore, the first position is located further in the removal direction dir2 than the second position. Also, the recesses X1 and X2 are formed on the removal direction dir2 side of the toner cartridge 22. Therefore, after the user grasps the recesses X1 and X2 to remove the toner cartridge 22 from the image forming unit main body 21, the user can place the toner cartridge 22 on a desk with the tray 50 facing down without changing the place where the user grasps the toner cartridge 22, thereby improving the operability of the toner cartridge 22.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. Note that Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows Cr2-Cr2 in Figure 8. The uneven surface S1-1 will be described with reference to Figure 11. Note that "on a desk" is an example of a horizontal surface. In this embodiment, the cartridge has convex parts Co1 and Co2 below the toner discharge port h1, i.e., on the negative side of the Z axis, and convex parts Co3, Co4, and Co5 in the storage direction. In other words, there are five concave parts Re1 to Re5 between the rib 55 and each of the convex parts Co1 to Co5, in that order from the rib 55 side.

The distances between the rib 55 and the convex portion Co1, between the convex portion Co1 and the convex portion Co2, and between the convex portion Co2 and the convex portion Co3 are wider than the distances between the convex portion Co3 and the convex portion Co4 and between the convex portion Co4 and the convex portion Co5.

Here, the height of each of the convex portions Co1 to Co4 is 0.5 mm, and the convex portion Co5, which is the convex portion closest to the side where the tray is stored, is formed to a height of about 1.0 mm. The height here refers to the height at which the convex portion protrudes from the surface of the adjacent concave portion.

Note that the height and number of each protrusion in this embodiment are merely examples and are not limited to this form. Although there are differences depending on the type of toner, if the height of each protrusion is 0.5 mm or more, it is possible to trap toner sufficiently.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge when a toner container in an embodiment of the present invention is gripped and held in the air. More specifically, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the positive side of the Y axis from the side surface 56R. As shown in Figure 7, the tray 50 has a symmetrical structure, so the description will be given with reference to the side cover ScR side as a representative. The tray 50 can be rotated around the guide engagement portion 53 as an axis until the guide 59 and the guide engagement portion 53 engage in the guide direction and the negative end of the side surface 56R in the X axis abuts at a position (position S in Figure 12) away from the center of the guide engagement portion 53 in the guide direction. The side cover ScR has a regulating portion A shown by a thick line that regulates the angle of the tray 50 relative to the side cover ScR. The regulating portion A is arranged parallel to the guide direction (X axis direction) in which the tray 50 is moved, and the angle of the tray 50 relative to the protruding direction during movement is regulated by the side surface 56R abutting against the regulating portion A. FIG. 12 also shows line L1, which overlaps with regulating portion A and extends in the X-axis direction, and line L2, which overlaps with the positive side of the Z-axis of side surface 56R. The distance from the center of guide engagement portion 53 to line L1 is greater than or equal to the distance from guide engagement portion 53 to line L2. The distance here refers to the closest distance between the line (e.g., line L1) and the center of guide engagement portion 53.

The above structure allows the tray 50 to have some play with respect to the toner container R, and when the toner cartridge 22 is suspended in the air by gripping the toner container R, for example, at recesses X1 and X2 (Figure 4), the tray 50 tilts with the rib 55 side facing down, as shown in Figure 12. This allows the tray 50 to move smoothly. This is because, unlike the present embodiment, if the angle of the tray 50 were restricted, friction would occur between the components as it was fixed, hindering the movement of the tray 50.

Furthermore, the regulating portion A is disposed so that the closest distance between the line L1 and the surface B of the toner container R is 0.5 mm. This allows the tray 50 to protrude below the toner discharge port h1 without getting caught on the surface B of the toner container R. Note that this is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is sufficient that the toner container R is disposed so that it fits on the positive side of the Z axis from the line L1.

Figure 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge in this embodiment when placed on a desk. Note that Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the Cr2-Cr2 arrow in Figure 8. When the tray 50 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21 (Figure 3), it is positioned in a second position where it is protruded below the toner discharge port h1 by the urging force of the spring 51 (Figure 9). The tray 50 also has a protrusion 54 as a protrusion on the protruding direction side of the second surface S2. When the tray 50 is in the second position and placed on a desk with the second surface S2 facing down, the side surface 56R of the tray 50 abuts against the abutment portion C of the toner container R. Also, due to the symmetrical structure as described above, the regulating portion A, the abutment portion C, the protrusion 54, and the side surface 56L are provided in positions that overlap in the Y-axis direction not only on the side cover ScL side but also on the side cover ScR (Figure 7) side.

The protrusion 54 lifts the protruding side of the first surface S1 toward the positive side of the Z axis, so that the first surface S1 of the tray 50 is tilted with the protruding side facing up relative to the desk surface on which it is placed. By tilting in this way, for example, when the toner cartridge 22 is placed on a desk with the tray 50 facing down, the toner is more likely to move toward the protrusion 58, so that the toner received on the first surface S1 is less likely to scatter over a wide area outside the rib 55.

Of the edges that form the toner discharge port h1, the tray 50 extends to a second position where the angle θ between a line a extending in the direction of gravity from the edge eg1 on the side where the tray 50 protrudes and a line b connecting the edge eg1 to the apex 551 of the rib 55 of the tray 50 is 20° in this embodiment. As a result, the rib 55 is positioned on the positive side of the X-axis from the edge eg1, so that it can receive toner that has spilled from the toner discharge port h1.

As described above, when placed on a desk, the tray 50 tilts relative to the desk surface with the rib 55 facing up, so that when the tray 50 is placed on the desk with the second surface S2 facing down, the distance between the apex of the rib 55 of the tray 50 and the toner discharge port h1 is narrower than when the toner container R is held in the air. In other words, the tray 50 and the toner container R are closer together when the tray 50 is allowed to stand on its own compared to when it is in operation, and the space between the toner discharge port h1 and the apex 551 of the rib 55 is smaller, making it even more difficult for the toner to scatter over a wide area.

The distance referred to here represents the closest distance between the edge eg1 of the toner discharge port h1 on the side where the tray 50 protrudes and the tray 50. In this embodiment, this corresponds to the distance from eg1 to the vertex 551 on the line b shown in FIG. 13.

The angle θ is not limited to 20° as in the embodiment, but may extend to the range of 10°≦θ≦30°. The reason is that if the angle θ is less than 10°, the range in which the tray 50 can receive toner is narrow, and if it exceeds 30°, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to design the tray 50 to accommodate it.

In addition, if the tray 50 is not provided, when the toner discharge port h1 is placed on the desk with the recesses X1 and X2 (FIG. 4) held, the toner discharge port h1 may come into contact with the desk and soil the desk. In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention in which the tray 50 is provided, the second surface S2 comes into contact with the desk, so the toner discharge port h1 can be placed without coming into contact with the desk. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the center of gravity of the toner container R is on the toner discharge port h1 side (positive side of the X axis), but the rib 55 of the tray 50 is extended beyond the edge eg1 to the positive side of the X axis, so that the posture when placed on the desk can be stabilized. As described above, after the recesses X1 and X2 (FIG. 4) are held and the toner cartridge 22 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21 (FIG. 4), it can be stably placed on the desk without changing the place of holding, so that the operability of the toner cartridge 22 can be improved.

In this embodiment, the abutment portion C is positioned so that when the tray 50 is in the second position described above, the ratio of (the distance between the protrusion 58 and the abutment portion C): (the distance between the abutment portion C and the rib 55) in the guide direction is 66:34. In this way, when placed on a desk, the toner container R abuts against the tray 50 at a position sufficiently separated from the guide engagement portion 53, making the structure less susceptible to deformation or damage due to an impact such as pressing down on the toner container R from above. Note that this is not limited to this embodiment, and the ratio may be between 50:50 and 100:0.

The aforementioned regulating portion A also regulates the angle at which the rib 55 is tilted upward during insertion and removal, keeping the tray 50 and the toner discharge port h1 apart. This prevents, for example, the outer side of the rib 55 (the surface facing the protruding direction) from contacting the toner discharge port h1 when the tray 50 protrudes, preventing it from rubbing and becoming dirty.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge when the shutter unit is in a closed state in an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, it is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows Cr3-Cr3 in Figure 13. Line L3 is a cross section that overlaps with the toner discharge port h1. Figure 14 shows the state in which the lever Lv has been operated as described above, in which the toner discharge port h1 is closed by the shutter closing portion 411-1, and the shutter opening h2 is in a position that does not overlap with the toner discharge port h1.

In this embodiment, on the ScR side, side surface 56R extends 41 mm from the right edge eg4 of toner discharge port h1, and on the ScL side, side surface 56L extends 15 mm from the left edge eg3 of toner discharge port h1 in the longitudinal direction to the outside of toner discharge port h1. This means that when the tray 50 protrudes, sides 56R and 56L are positioned outside toner discharge port h1, making it possible to receive toner that spills from toner discharge port h1.

When the tray 50 is in the second position protruding below the toner discharge port h1 due to the configuration described in Figures 13 and 14, the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41, and can be said to be in a position overlapping with the entire discharge port at least in the vertical direction.

This is not limited to this embodiment, and it is sufficient that both ScR and ScL protrude to a position where they overlap vertically with the toner discharge port h1.

Figure 15 is a bottom view of a toner container in an embodiment of the present invention. The tray 50 has been removed in Figure 15 and is therefore not shown. In this embodiment, the toner discharge outlet h1 is rectangular, and of the edges forming the toner discharge outlet h1, the side in the direction in which the tray 50 protrudes is eg1, the side in the direction in which the tray 50 retracts is eg2, the side on the side cover ScL side is eg3, and the side on the side cover ScR side is eg4. Line D is a straight line that overlaps with the edge eg2 of the toner discharge outlet h1.

In this embodiment, the regulating portion A is provided at the longitudinal end of the tray 50, but it is sufficient that the tray 50 is located on the retreating direction side of the edge eg2 of the toner discharge port h1, that is, on the negative side of the X-axis from the line D of the toner container R.

In this embodiment, the contact portion C is provided at both ends of the toner container R in the longitudinal direction, but only one may be provided outside the edges eg1-eg4 of the toner discharge port h1 as long as sufficient strength is ensured. However, since the strength can be ensured by abutting at a location farther away from the guide engagement portion 53, it is desirable to provide it, for example, within region F. Also, providing multiple contact portions in the longitudinal direction reduces the maximum distance between the point at which force is applied to the receiver 50 in the longitudinal direction and the contact portion that serves as the fulcrum, and also increases the strength because the balance of the force applied in the longitudinal direction is less likely to be disrupted.

As a modified example that can balance the forces applied in the longitudinal direction with one contact portion, it is possible to use the entire area G as the contact portion that contacts the rib 55 of the tray 50. In this modified example, the contact portion is provided in the middle over a wide area in the longitudinal direction, so the maximum distance to the contact portion is small and contact with the tray over a wide area in the longitudinal direction can be reduced, preventing the balance of the applied forces from becoming significantly unbalanced. The contact portion may also extend to the end in the longitudinal direction, as in area H.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tray 50 is provided with sides 56R and 56L that are close to the toner container R, so that the tray 50 abuts against the toner container at abutment part C, but conversely, a protruding part serving as an abutment part may be provided in area F (e.g. area G) on the toner container R side.

In addition, in this embodiment, the image forming unit main body 21 is given as the mounted device, but the present invention can also be applied to mounted devices that accept a supply of developer different from that of the embodiment, such as a form in which the device is directly inserted into and removed from the printer 10 as the image forming device.

This is not limited to the present embodiment, and the tray 50 does not necessarily have to be configured to be movable. In that case, a space must be provided on the image forming unit main body 21 side to store the tray 50, which requires significant design changes. However, if the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41 and positioned so as to overlap the entire toner discharge port h1 at least in the vertical direction, the tray 50 can receive toner spilled from the toner discharge port h1 when the toner cartridge 22 is operated, and dirt on the inside and outside of the printer can be improved.

The present invention can be applied to developer cartridges in image forming devices such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction devices.

10 Printer 11 Image forming unit 12 LED head 13 Transfer roller 14 Fixing device 21 Image forming unit main body 22 Toner cartridge 31 Photoconductor drum 32 Charging roller 33 Development roller 34 Supply roller 35 Development blade 36 Cleaning member 41 Shutter unit 50 Receptacle 51 Spring 52 Spring receiving member 53 Guide engagement portion 54 Protrusion 55 Rib 56R, 56L Side 57 Hole 58 Convex portion 59 Guide 211 Post 221 Insertion/removal guide 411 Shutter member 412 Lever member 413 Engagement/fixing groove 414, 415 Pinion gear 551 Rib apex Bd Printer main body Cs Printer housing eg1 to eg4 Edge Fr1 Base frame Fr2 Outer frame Gm1 Insertion/removal guide h1 Toner discharge port h2 Shutter opening h3 Supply port Lv Lever Rm1 Toner storage section Rm3 Toner storage section S1 First surface S1-1 Concave-convex surface S2 Second surface ScL Side cover (left)
ScR side cover (right)
SL side plate (left)
SR side plate (right)

Claims (6)

a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer;
a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion;
an opening/closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port;
a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening/closing member, and overlapping the entire discharge port in the vertical direction;
The developer receiving member is
the developer discharged from the discharge port is moved to a first position, which is retracted from below the discharge port, in association with mounting to a receiving device that receives the developer discharged from the discharge port;
When the nozzle is detached from the device to be attached, the nozzle moves to a second position protruding below the outlet,
a second surface is provided on an opposite side to the first surface of the developer receiving member, the second surface being located on the opposite side to the first surface;
This developer cartridge is characterized in that the distance between the developer receiving member and the discharge port is narrowed when the developer container is held by gripping it and the developer receiving member is placed down in the air, compared to when the developer container is held upright with the second surface facing down. The developer container includes:
a contact portion that contacts the developer receiving member when the developer receiving member is in the second position and the developer receiving member is supported by the developer receiving member with the second surface facing down;
The abutment portion is
2. The developer cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the developer outlet is located outside an edge of the discharge port. a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer;
a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion;
an opening/closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port;
a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening/closing member, and overlapping the entire discharge port in the vertical direction;
The developer receiving member is
the developer discharged from the discharge port is moved to a first position, which is retracted from below the discharge port, in association with mounting to a receiving device that receives the developer discharged from the discharge port;
When the nozzle is detached from the device to be attached, the nozzle moves to a second position protruding below the outlet;
The developer container includes:
a regulating portion provided on the retreated side of the discharge port and regulating an angle of the developer receiving member with respect to the protruding direction when the developer receiving member moves. a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer;
a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion;
an opening/closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port;
a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening/closing member, and overlapping the entirety of the discharge port in a vertical direction;
a second surface opposite to the first surface of the developer receiving member, the second surface having a protrusion on a side of the developer cartridge mounting direction relative to a mounting device;
When the second surface is placed on a flat surface,
a developer receiving member that is provided with a developer cartridge that includes a developer receiving member and a developer cartridge that is provided with a developer receiving member having a developer receiving portion that is inclined with respect to the plane by the developer receiving member and a developer receiving member having a developer receiving portion that is inclined with respect to the plane by the developer receiving member and a developer receiving portion that is inclined with respect to the plane by the developer receiving member and a developer cartridge ... In the developer cartridge,
On a removal direction side of the developer cartridge with respect to the mounted device,
a gripping portion that is gripped when inserting or removing the developer cartridge;
4. The developer cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first position is located on the side of the second position in the detachment direction. An image forming device in which developer is supplied by a developer cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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