JP7809507B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

In electrophotographic image forming devices, a configuration is known in which a detachable supply container is used to replenish developer to a developer container. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a shutter member of the supply container is opened and closed by rotating the supply container attached to the image forming device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-154300

However, the shutter member described in Patent Document 1 can be opened and closed at any time by rotating the supply container, and cannot restrict toner replenishment when it is not desirable to replenish toner using the supply container.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an image forming device that can regulate the movement of an operating member using an actuator.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a toner container can be attached and which has an opening for supplying toner and a container shutter for opening and closing the opening. The toner container comprises: an attachment portion to which the toner container is attached, the attachment portion including an inlet for receiving toner supplied from the toner container; and an operating member for operating the container shutter from the outside when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion, the operating member being configured to be movable together with the container shutter; a toner storage portion configured to store toner received from the inlet; and a toner storage portion provided so as to be openable and closable between a closed position that covers the attachment portion and an open position that exposes the attachment portion to the outside. a lid portion for restricting the movement of the operating member, a detection portion for outputting a signal according to the position of the lid portion, an actuator for restricting the movement of the operating member, a control portion for controlling the actuator, and a sensor for outputting a signal that changes according to the amount of toner contained in the toner storage portion , wherein the control portion controls the actuator to release the restriction on the movement of the operating member when the detection portion detects that the lid portion is in the open position and when predetermined conditions are satisfied, and the predetermined conditions include a state of the signal output from the sensor indicating that the amount of toner contained in the toner storage portion is less than a predetermined amount .

The present invention also provides an image forming apparatus comprising: a receiving section having an inlet for receiving toner supplied from the outside, a main body shutter for opening and closing the inlet, and an operating member for operating the main body shutter from the outside to open and close the shutter; a toner storage section configured to store the toner received through the inlet; a lid section that is openable and closable between a closed position that covers the operating member and an open position that exposes the operating member to the outside; a detection section that outputs a signal according to the position of the lid section; an actuator for restricting the movement of the operating member; a control section that controls the actuator; and a sensor that outputs a signal that changes according to the amount of toner stored in the toner storage section , wherein the control section controls the actuator to release the restriction on the movement of the operating member when the detection section detects that the lid section is in the open position and predetermined conditions are met , and the predetermined conditions include the state of the signal output from the sensor indicating that the amount of toner stored in the toner storage section is less than a predetermined amount .

According to the present invention, the movement of the operating member can be restricted by the actuator.

1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. 1 is a schematic view showing an entire image forming apparatus. 1A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the rear cover closed, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the rear cover open, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing an open/close detection sensor. FIG. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the discharge tray closed, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the discharge tray open, FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with a supply pack attached to a supply unit, and FIG. 1D is a plan view showing a state where the supply pack is attached to the supply unit. (a) is a partial schematic diagram showing the supply unit when the discharge tray is closed, (b) is a partial schematic diagram showing the supply unit when the discharge tray is partially open, and (c) is a partial schematic diagram showing the supply unit when the discharge tray is open. 1A is a perspective view showing the supply unit, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the supply unit and a part of the supply pack, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing the supply unit when the operating unit is located at the supply position. 1A is a perspective view showing an operation unit, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the operation unit and a top surface unit, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing how the operation unit is attached to the top surface unit. 10A is a perspective view showing the supply pack when the pack shutter is located in the closed position, and FIG. 10B is another perspective view showing the supply pack when the pack shutter is located in the closed position. 10A is a perspective view showing the supply pack when the pack shutter is in the open position, and FIG. 10B is another perspective view showing the supply pack when the pack shutter is in the open position. 1A is an exploded perspective view showing a supply pack, and FIG. 1B is another exploded perspective view showing the supply pack. 1A is a bottom view showing the first locking mechanism in a locked state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the first locking mechanism in a locked state. 1A is a bottom view showing the first locking mechanism in an unlocked state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the first locking mechanism in an unlocked state. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the supply pack is attached to the supply unit. FIG. 10A is an exploded perspective view showing a second locking mechanism, and FIG. 10B is another exploded perspective view showing the second locking mechanism. 1A is a perspective view showing a second locking mechanism in a locked state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the second locking mechanism in an unlocked state. 1A is a perspective view of the second locking mechanism in a locked state as viewed from the bottom side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the second locking mechanism in an unlocked state as viewed from the bottom side. 1A is a bottom view showing the second locking mechanism in a locked state, FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a bottom view showing the second locking mechanism in an unlocked state. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a window portion and a first marking portion, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a window portion and a second marking portion. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the function of a power supply board. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether a solenoid is energized during a replenishment operation by a user. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether a solenoid is energized during a replenishment operation by a user. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether a solenoid is energized during a replenishment operation by a user. 1A is a plan view showing the second locking mechanism and the operating unit in an unlocked state, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view showing the second locking mechanism and the operating unit in an unlocked state. 1A is a plan view showing the second locking mechanism and the operating portion in a locked state, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view showing the second locking mechanism and the operating portion in an unlocked state. 10A is a plan view showing the state in which the operating unit is operated when the second locking mechanism is in the locked state, and FIG. 10B is a bottom view showing the state in which the operating unit is operated when the second locking mechanism is in the locked state.

The following describes in detail, by way of example, embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangement of the components described in these embodiments may be modified as appropriate depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the invention is applied. In other words, it is not intended that the scope of the present invention be limited to the following embodiments.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. The recording material includes various sheet materials of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and cardboard, plastic film such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

In the following description, the height direction of the image forming apparatus 1 (the direction opposite to the vertical direction) when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as the Z direction. The direction that intersects with the Z direction and is parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 11 (main scanning direction) described below is referred to as the X direction. The direction that intersects with the X and Z directions is referred to as the Y direction. The X, Y, and Z directions preferably intersect perpendicularly with each other. For convenience, the positive side in the X direction is referred to as the right side and the negative side is referred to as the left side; the positive side in the Y direction is referred to as the front side or front side and the negative side is referred to as the rear side or back side; and the positive side in the Z direction is referred to as the upper side and the negative side is referred to as the lower side.

[Overall configuration]
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming section 20 that forms a toner image on a recording material, a feeding section 30 that feeds the recording material P, a fixing section 9 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming section 20 to the recording material, and a pair of discharge rollers 10.

The image forming unit 20 includes a scanner unit 50, an electrophotographic process unit 40, and a transfer roller 7 that transfers a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 of the process unit 40 to a recording material P. The process unit 40 includes the photosensitive drum 11, a cleaning unit 13 arranged around the photosensitive drum 11, a charging roller 17, a developing roller 12, and a storage section 18 that stores toner. The process unit 40 may be fastened to the housing 72 of the image forming device 1 with screws, and may also be removable by a service technician.

The photosensitive drum 11 serving as an image carrier is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive element. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 11 has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive material on a drum-shaped substrate made of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 11 serving as an image carrier is driven and rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (direction R in the figure) at a predetermined process speed.

The charging roller 17 contacts the photosensitive drum 11 with a predetermined pressure, forming a charging portion. Furthermore, a desired charging voltage is applied by a charging high-voltage power supply, uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 11 is negatively charged by the charging roller 17.

The scanner unit 50 scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 by using a polygon mirror to irradiate the photosensitive drum 11 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Note that the scanner unit 50 is not limited to a laser scanner device, and may, for example, be an LED exposure device having an LED array in which multiple LEDs are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 11.

The developing roller 12 is rotatably supported by a storage compartment 18, which serves as a toner storage compartment. The developing roller 12 is also disposed at the opening of a developer container 230 (see Figure 4), which includes the storage compartment 18, so as to face the photosensitive drum 11. The storage compartment 18 may also be provided with a supply roller that applies the toner contained in the storage compartment 18 as developer to the surface of the developing roller 12.

The process unit 40 of this embodiment uses a contact development method. That is, the toner layer carried by the development roller 12 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 11 in the development section (development area) where the photosensitive drum 11 and development roller 12 face each other. A development voltage is applied to the development roller 12 by a development high-voltage power supply. Under the development voltage, the toner carried by the development roller 12 transfers from the development roller 12 to the drum surface in accordance with the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image.

The toner in this embodiment does not contain a magnetic component, and is a so-called non-magnetic single-component developer in which the toner is carried on the developing roller 12 mainly by intermolecular forces and electrostatic forces (image forces). However, single-component developers containing magnetic components may also be used. Single-component developers may also contain additives (e.g., wax or silica microparticles) in addition to toner particles to adjust the fluidity and charging performance of the toner. Two-component developers composed of non-magnetic toner and magnetic carrier may also be used. When a magnetic developer is used, a cylindrical developing sleeve with a magnet disposed inside is used as the developer carrier, for example.

The fixing unit 9 is a thermal fixing unit that fixes the image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 9 includes a heating roller 9a incorporating a fixing heater 9c, and a pressure roller 9b that presses against the heating roller 9a.

The feeding unit 30 has a cassette 4 on which the recording material P is loaded, a pickup roller 3 as a conveying unit, a feeding roller 5a, and a separation roller 5b. A front cover 70 is provided on part of the front end surface of the image forming apparatus 1, and the front cover 70 covers the circuit board 100. The housing 72 has the front cover 70, a discharge tray 14, a rear cover 73 (see Figure 3(a)), and an exterior cover 71 that forms the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1 other than the front cover 70, discharge tray 14, and rear cover 73. The housing 72 has a discharge opening 15 through which sheets pass before being discharged to the discharge tray 14.

As shown in Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has a circuit board 100. The circuit board 100 is composed of a wiring board 101 made of an insulator and electronic components 111 and 121 soldered to the wiring board 101. Conductive wiring is provided on and inside the wiring board 101, so the electronic components 111 and 121 are electrically connected. The circuit board 100 has the function of converting AC current supplied from outside the image forming apparatus 1 into DC, and converting the input voltage to obtain the specified voltage value required for the image formation process.

The circuit board 100 is oriented so that the surface of the wiring board 101 on which the electronic components 111 and 121 are mounted intersects the ejection direction. Furthermore, the wiring board 101 is located between the front cover 70 and the scanner unit 50 in the ejection direction. The electronic components 111 and 121 are located on the surface of the wiring board 101 facing the scanner unit 50.

Next, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When an image formation command is input to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming process is initiated by the image forming unit 20 based on image information input from an external computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The scanner unit 50 irradiates the photosensitive drum 11 with laser light based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 11 is pre-charged by the charging roller 17, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 11 by irradiating it with laser light. This electrostatic latent image is then developed by the developing roller 12, forming a toner image on the photosensitive drum 11.

In parallel with the image formation process described above, the pickup roller 3 of the feeding unit 30 feeds out the recording material P supported by the cassette 4. The recording material P is separated into individual sheets by the feeding roller 5a and separation roller 5b and transported to the transport roller pair 5c. The recording material P is then transported by the transport roller pair 5c toward the transfer nip N1, which serves as an image formation unit formed by the transfer roller 7 and photosensitive drum 11.

A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 7 from a high-voltage transfer power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 11 is transferred to the recording material P being transported by the transport roller pair 5c. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is transported to the fixing unit 9, where the toner image is heated and pressurized as it passes through the nip between the heating roller 9a and pressure roller 9b of the fixing unit 9. This melts the toner particles and then solidifies them, fixing the toner image to the recording material P. After passing through the fixing unit 9, the recording material P is discharged from the discharge outlet 15 by the discharge roller pair 10 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine) and stacked on the discharge tray 14. After the toner image is transferred to the recording material P, any toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 13.

Note that, although the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured to be capable of forming an image on only one side of the recording material P, this is not limited to this. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may be provided with a double-sided conveying path for reversing the recording material P with an image formed on the first side, and the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to be capable of forming images on both sides of the recording material P.

As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), a rear cover 73 that is supported so as to be able to open and close is provided on the rear surface of the image forming apparatus 1. The rear cover 73, which serves as an opening and closing member, covers the process unit 40 when closed and exposes the process unit 40 when opened.

In addition, opening the rear cover 73 opens the transport path 19 (see Figure 2) through which sheets transported by the transport roller pair 5c pass. That is, the rear cover 73 can move between a closed position H1, which covers the transport path 19, and an open position H2, which exposes the transport path 19 to the outside. This makes it possible to clear jams that occur in the transport path 19.

The outer surface 73b of the rear cover 73, i.e., the surface that constitutes the exterior surface of the housing 72, is provided with a gripping portion 73c that the user can grip when opening or closing the rear cover 73. The inner surface 73d of the rear cover 73, opposite the outer surface 73b, is provided with a rib 74 and a support portion 75 that rotatably supports the transfer roller 7. The rib 74 extends from the outer surface 73b in the direction in which the rear cover 73 is closed.

The image forming device 1 has an opening 76 that is located at a position corresponding to the rib 74 when the rear cover 73 is closed, and a rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is provided inside the opening 76. The opening 76 may be provided in the process unit 40 or in a component of the image forming device 1 other than the process unit 40.

As shown in FIG. 3(c), the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 has a flag portion 81 and a sensor portion 82. When the flag portion 81 is pressed by the rib 74 of the rear cover 73, the sensor portion 82 transitions, for example, from an OFF state to an ON state. Furthermore, when the rear cover 73 is opened, the rib 74 of the rear cover 73 moves away from the flag portion 81, causing the sensor portion 82 to transition, for example, from an ON state to an OFF state. In this way, the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 can detect whether the rear cover 73 is open or closed. It can detect whether the rear cover 73 is open or closed.

[Developing container]
Next, the developing container 230 and its peripheral configuration will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. As shown in Figure 4, the developing container 230 is composed of the storage unit 18 and a supply unit 200 that serves as an attachment unit and a receiving unit. The supply unit 200 has an operation unit 201, a cylindrical toner receiving unit 202, a supply path 203 that connects the toner receiving unit 202 and the storage unit 18, and a main body shutter 206 that serves as a main body shutter. A side opening 205 that connects to the supply path 203 is formed in the inner wall of the toner receiving unit 202.

As shown in Figure 5, the supply pack 210, which will be described later, is attached to the supply unit 200, and toner discharged from the supply pack 210 is supplied to the storage unit 18 through the opening 207 in the main body shutter 206, the side opening 205 in the toner receiving unit 202, and the supply path 203.

As shown in FIG. 4, the supply path 203 is connected to one end of the storage unit 18 in the longitudinal direction of the developer container 230, i.e., the X direction. Inside the storage unit 18, as shown in FIG. 5, an agitator 60 is provided, which rotates around a rotation shaft 60a extending in the X direction. The agitator 60 has a blade portion 60b fixed to the rotation shaft 60a, and is driven to rotate by a drive motor 311 as a drive source, thereby agitating the toner in the storage unit 18 and transporting the toner toward the developing roller 12. In this embodiment, the agitator 60 is composed of the rotation shaft 60a and the blade portion 60b. However, a spiral-shaped agitator may also be used to distribute the toner throughout the entire length of the storage unit 18.

The agitating member 60 also circulates the toner that has not been used for development and has been scraped off the developing roller 12 within the storage section 18, thereby homogenizing the toner within the storage section 18. The agitating member 60 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, an oscillating type agitating member may also be used. Furthermore, in addition to the agitating member 60, another agitating member may also be provided.

The storage unit 18 is also provided with a remaining amount detection unit 312 that serves as a sensor for detecting the amount of toner in the storage unit 18. The remaining amount detection unit 312 includes a light-emitting unit 312a and a light-receiving unit 312b. Light emitted from the light-emitting unit 312a passes through the interior of the storage unit 18 and is received by the light-receiving unit 312b. In other words, the light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b form an optical path Q1 within the storage unit 18. The light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b may each have their light-emitting element and light-receiving element located inside the storage unit 18, or they may each be located outside the storage unit 18, with the light guide guiding the light between the inside and outside of the storage unit 18.

Furthermore, the light-emitting element 312a and the light-receiving element 312b are provided in the central portion of the storage unit 18 in the X direction. By providing the light-emitting element 312a and the light-receiving element 312b in the central portion of the storage unit 18, the amount of remaining toner in the storage unit 18 can be detected accurately. In other words, while developer (toner) may be unevenly distributed at the ends of the storage unit 18 in the X direction, the central portion of the storage unit 18 has less uneven distribution of developer, making it possible to detect the actual amount of remaining toner.

In this embodiment, an LED is used for the light-emitting unit 312a, and a phototransistor that is turned on by light from the LED is used for the light-receiving unit 312b, but this is not limiting. For example, a halogen lamp or fluorescent lamp may be used for the light-emitting unit 312a, and a photodiode or avalanche photodiode may be used for the light-receiving unit 312b.

The light-receiving portion 312b, which is a phototransistor, receives light emitted from the light-emitting portion 312a and outputs a signal (current) corresponding to the amount of light received. In other words, the light-receiving portion 312b of the remaining amount detection portion 312 emits a signal with an intensity corresponding to the amount of toner remaining in the container 18. This signal is converted into a voltage and input to the engine controller 130 (see FIG. 22). In other words, the light-receiving portion 312b changes its output value based on the amount of toner (developer) contained in the container 18.

The engine controller 130 determines whether the light-receiving element 312b has received light from the light-emitting element 312a based on the input voltage level. The engine controller 130 calculates the amount of toner (amount of developer) in the container 18 based on the length of time that the light-receiving element 312b detects light when the toner in the container 18 is stirred by the stirring member 60 for a certain period of time. That is, the ROM of the engine controller 130 pre-stores a table that can output the remaining toner amount from the light-receiving time when the toner is transported by the stirring member 60, and the engine controller 130 predicts/calculates the remaining toner amount based on this table.

When there is a large amount of remaining toner, the light path Q1 is more likely to be blocked by the toner, and the time that the light receiving element 312b receives light is shorter. On the other hand, when there is a small amount of remaining toner, the time that the light receiving element 312b receives light is longer. Therefore, the engine controller 130 can determine the level of remaining toner in the storage unit 18 based on the time that the light receiving element 312b receives light.

The method for detecting/estimating the remaining toner amount is not limited to the method described above, and various well-known methods for detecting/estimating the remaining toner amount can be used. For example, two or more metal plates or conductive resin sheets extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller can be placed on the inner wall of the storage section 18, and the capacitance between the two metal plates or conductive resin sheets can be measured to detect/estimate the remaining toner amount. Alternatively, a load cell can be provided to support the developing container 230 from below, and the remaining toner amount can be calculated based on the weight measured by the load cell.

[Supply Department]
Next, the supply unit 200 will be described. The discharge tray 14, which serves as a cover, is supported so as to be openable and closable between a closed position in which the recording material P can be stacked as shown in FIG. 6A and an open position in which the discharge tray 14 is open relative to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 6B. In the closed position, the discharge tray 14 covers the supply unit 200. In other words, in the closed position, the discharge tray 14 covers an operation unit 201 (described later). When the discharge tray 14 is opened to the open position, a top surface 240 and the supply unit 200 disposed on the top surface 240 are exposed. As shown in FIG. 6C, a supply pack 210 is detachably attached to the supply unit 200, allowing a user or service technician to replenish toner from the outside without removing the developer container 230 from the housing 72. The developer container 230 functions as a receiving unit (support unit, receiving unit) that receives the supply pack 210. The receiving unit includes a toner receiving unit 202.

The support unit 260 and discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239, which are linked to the opening and closing of the discharge tray 14, will be described using Figure 7. Figure 7(a) is a side view showing the support unit 260 when the discharge tray 14 is in the closed position. Figure 7(b) is a side view showing the first cam portion 253a of the support member 253 in contact with the developing container 230. Figure 7(c) is a side view showing the support unit 260 when the discharge tray 14 is in the open position. Figures 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are side views viewed along the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 11.

As shown in Figures 7(a) to (c), the support unit 260 includes a tray gear 251, an idler gear 252, and a support member 253. The tray gear 251 and the idler gear 252 function as a connecting portion that connects the discharge tray 14 and the support member 253 so that the discharge tray 14 and the support member 253 move in conjunction with each other.

The supply pack 210 is attached to the toner receiving portion 202 from above in the vertical direction. The support member 253 supports the toner receiving portion 202 from below in the vertical direction. The support member 253 is positioned below the toner receiving portion 202 in the vertical direction. The support member 253 includes a first cam portion 253a as a support portion that supports the developing container 230, and a gear portion 253c that meshes with the idler gear 252.

The tray gear 251 is fixed to the discharge tray 14 and rotates in conjunction with the opening and closing of the discharge tray 14. The tray gear 251 engages with a shaft provided at the center of rotation of the discharge tray 14. The support member 253 is connected to the tray gear 251 via an idler gear 252.

The support member 253 is configured to be movable between a support position where the first cam portion 253a contacts the developer container 230 and supports the developer container 230, and a retracted position where it is retracted from the support position. The support member 253 moves between the support position and the retracted position in conjunction with the movement of the discharge tray 14. The state in which the support member 253 is in the support position is referred to as the support state of the support member 253 and the support unit 260. The state in which the support member 253 is in the retracted position is referred to as the retracted state of the support member 253 and the support unit 260.

When the discharge tray 14 is in the open position, the support member 253 and support unit 260 are in a supporting state, and the support member 253 is in a supporting position. When the discharge tray 14 is in the closed position, the support member 253 and support unit 260 are in a retracted state, and the support member 253 is in a retracted position.

When the support member 253 is in the support position, it can support the developer container 230. In this state, the developing roller 12 is separated from the photosensitive drum 11.

When the support member 253 is in the retracted position, the first cam portion 253a of the support member 253 is separated from the developer container 230. The developing roller 12 is in a position where it can develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 (in this embodiment, the developing roller 12 is in a position where it abuts against the photosensitive drum 11). Note that if the developing roller 12 is capable of developing the electrostatic latent image, the support member 253 and the developer container 230 may be in contact with each other when the support member 253 is in the retracted position.

The engine controller 130 (see Figure 22) of the image forming apparatus 1 allows image formation operations to be performed while the support member 253 is positioned in the retracted position. The engine controller 130 restricts image formation operations from being performed while the support member 253 is positioned in the support position.

In other words, the engine controller 130 allows image forming operations to be performed when the discharge tray 14 is positioned in the closed position. Furthermore, the engine controller 130 restricts image forming operations from being performed when the discharge tray 14 is positioned in the open position.

The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 that outputs a signal corresponding to the position of the support member 253 or the discharge tray 14. The engine controller 130 is configured to allow or restrict the execution of image formation operations based on the output (signal) of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239. In this embodiment, the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 outputs a signal corresponding to the position of the support member 253, but this is not limited to this. Because the discharge tray 14 and the support member 253 are linked, the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 may be configured to output a signal corresponding to the position of at least either the support member 253 or the discharge tray 14. In other words, the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 as a detection unit can detect the position of either the discharge tray 14 or the support member 253 by detecting the position of either the discharge tray 14 or the support member 253.

As described below, the detected portion (detection target) of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is provided on the support member 253. However, the location of the detected portion of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is not limited to this. For example, the detected portion may be located on part of the support unit 260 or on the discharge tray 14.

The discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is a sensor configured to be turned ON when the discharge tray 14 is open and turned OFF when it is closed. The discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is a microswitch-type contact sensor that is turned ON when it comes into contact with the second cam portion 223b provided on the support member 253, and turned OFF when it separates from the second cam portion 253b.

In addition to sensors that come into contact with the object to be detected, non-contact sensors such as photoelectric sensors can also be used as the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239.

The toner receiving portion 202 is provided with a supported portion 202f. As described above, when the discharge tray 14 is closed, the first cam portion 253a of the support member 253 is separated from the supported portion 202f of the developing container 230 (see Figure 7(a)). At this time, the developing container 230 is positioned at the unit abutment position where the developing roller 12 abuts against the photosensitive drum 11. Because the first cam portion 253a is separated from the supported portion 202f, the photosensitive drum 11 and developing roller 12 are in stable abutment, and the developing roller 12 is ready to develop an electrostatic latent image.

As shown in Figure 7(a), when the discharge tray 14 is in the closed position and the support member 253 is in the retracted position, the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 and the second cam portion 253b are separated. At this time, the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is in the OFF state. At this time, the engine controller 130 allows the image formation operation to be performed.

As shown in Figure 7(c), when the discharge tray 14 is in the open position and the support member 253 is in the support position, the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 comes into contact with the second cam portion 253b. At this time, the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is in the ON state, which is different from the OFF state. At this time, the engine controller 130 restricts the image forming operation from being performed. In other words, the engine controller 130 can control the image forming apparatus 1 so that the image forming apparatus 1 does not start an image forming operation when the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is in the ON state.

The angle between the discharge tray 14 when it is opened from the closed position and the discharge tray 14 in the closed position is called the opening angle of the discharge tray 14. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 7(a), when the discharge tray 14 is in the closed position, the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is defined as 0 degrees. Then, as the discharge tray 14 opens from the closed position to the open position, the opening angle increases. As shown in Figure 7(b), when the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 reaches a predetermined angle (45 degrees in this embodiment), the first cam portion 253a of the support member 253 comes into contact with the developer container 230. In other words, the support member 253 begins to support the developer container 230, and the developer container 230 begins to move relative to the photosensitive unit 300.

The developing container 230 is connected to the photosensitive unit 300 via a rotation axis Q, and is rotatable around the rotation axis Q. The first cam portion 253a presses and moves the developing container 230 in the direction DS in which the developing roller 12 moves away from the photosensitive drum 11.

Note that if the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is less than 45°, the support member 253 does not support the developer container 230, and the photosensitive drum 11 and developing roller 12 can remain in contact with each other. Therefore, even if the discharge tray 14 is opened by the user removing the recording material P or due to vibration, the photosensitive drum 11 and developing roller 12 can remain in contact with each other as long as the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is less than 45°.

On the other hand, the position of the discharge tray 14 when the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 switches between the OFF state and the ON state is called the intermediate position of the discharge tray 14. In other words, when the discharge tray 14 is located in the intermediate position between the closed position and the open position, the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 switches from the OFF state to the ON state.

The second cam portion 253b is configured to come into contact with the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 when the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is less than 45°, causing the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 to switch from an OFF state to an ON state. In other words, when the discharge tray 14 is positioned in the intermediate position, the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is less than 45°, and the developing roller 12 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 11. When the discharge tray 14 moves from the closed position to the open position, the developing roller 12 separates from the photosensitive drum 11 after the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 switches from an OFF state to an ON state.

As a result, the engine controller 130 can detect the movement of the discharge tray 14 and support member 253 before the developing roller 12 separates from the photosensitive drum 11, based on the signal state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239. Because the engine controller 130 restricts image formation operations when the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is ON, image formation operations are restricted with the support member 253 supporting the developing container 230 until the discharge tray 14 reaches an opening angle of 45° from the intermediate position. Furthermore, when the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 is 45° or more, image formation operations are restricted with the photosensitive drum 11 and developing roller 12 separated.

The opening angle (support start angle) at which the support member 253 begins to support the developing container 230 is not limited to 45°; the support start angle may be greater than 45° or less than 45°. To allow image formation to continue even if the discharge tray 14 moves to a certain extent, the support start angle is preferably greater than 10°, and more preferably greater than 30°.

Furthermore, at the intermediate position of the discharge tray 14, which is the point at which the state of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 switches, the user cannot attach the supply pack 210 because it is blocked by the discharge tray 14. In other words, when the supply pack 210 can be attached, the signal of the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is always in the ON state.

As shown in Figure 7(c), when the opening angle of the discharge tray 14 reaches a predetermined angle (75° in this embodiment), the supply section 200 is exposed, and the first cam portion 253a of the support member 253 supports the developing container 230.

The opening angle of the discharge tray 14 when it is in the open position is not limited to 75°, and may be greater than 75° or less than 75°. It is preferable that the opening angle be such that when the discharge tray 14 is positioned in the open position, the discharge tray 14 is maintained in the open position when no external force is acting on it.

When the discharge tray 14 is open (when the discharge tray 14 is in the open position), the support member 253 is in the support position, and the developing container 230 is in the unit retracted position, retracted from the unit abutment position. At this time, the developing roller 12 is separated from the photosensitive drum 11. Also, at this time, the toner receiving portion 202 engages with the operating portion 201, allowing the user to attach the resupply pack 210 to the resupply portion 200 and replenish toner.

When the user attaches the supply pack 210 to the toner receiving section 202, the developing container 230 receives a force in a direction that moves the developing roller 12 closer to the photosensitive drum 11. At this time, by supporting the developing container 230 with the support member 253, the position of the developing container 230 is stabilized, allowing the supply pack 210 to be attached stably. Furthermore, when attaching the supply pack 210, the developing roller 12 can be prevented from being pressed against the photosensitive drum 11.

As shown in Figures 6(b) to 6(d), the operating member 201 is disposed on the top surface 240 and forms the supply port 204, which is an inlet for replenishing toner. In the X direction, the width of the supply port 204 is narrower than the width of the storage section 18. The operating member 201 is provided to surround the supply port 204 and has a ring portion 201a that is rotatably supported on the top surface 240 or the toner receiving section 202, and a lever portion 201b that is integral with the ring portion 201a. The operating member 201 is a member that externally controls the opening and closing of the main body shutter 206 and the pack shutter 214.

As shown in Figure 8(a), the toner receiving portion 202 is disposed inside the main body shutter portion 206 and is provided with guide portions 247 and 248 that are integral with the toner receiving portion 202. The main body shutter portion 206 is a cylindrical member that is concentric with the toner receiving portion 202 and is rotatably disposed inside the toner receiving portion 202. The main body shutter portion 206 has an opening 207 (see Figure 8(c)), and in the closed position shown in Figure 8(a), the opening 207 and the side opening 205 of the toner receiving portion 202 are misaligned. A seal member 243 is fixed to the main body shutter portion 206 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 207.

The side opening 205 is covered by the main body shutter 206, which is in the closed position, and is therefore indicated by a dashed line in Figure 8(a). As a result, the side opening 205 is blocked by the main body shutter 206, and toner is not discharged into the supply path 203. When the supply pack 210 is not installed, the operation unit 201 is restricted in its rotational direction by the first locking mechanism 250, which will be described later. This first locking mechanism 250 prevents the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d and the main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a from becoming out of phase with each other before the supply pack 210 is installed, preventing the supply pack 210 from being able to be installed.

Furthermore, when the main body shutter 206 is in the open position shown in Figure 8(c), the opening 207 overlaps the side opening 205 of the toner receiving section 202. Therefore, toner supplied from the supply pack 210 (see Figure 6(c)) attached to the supply section 200 can be discharged to the supply path section 203 through the side opening 205 and opening 207.

The main body shutter 206 is provided with a main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a, which, as will be described in detail below, receives drive from the supply pack 210 and is used to rotate the main body shutter 206. When the operating unit 201 is rotated while the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the main body shutter 206 moves between a closed position and an open position.

The operating unit 201 is provided with an operating unit drive transmission protrusion 201d that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the toner receiving unit 202. The operating unit drive transmission protrusion 201d engages with the main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a via a pair of drive transmission surfaces 214b (see FIG. 10(b)) of the pack shutter 214 of the supply pack 210. The main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a is provided with an unlocking recess 201f, which will be described later. The main body shutter 206 moves from the closed position shown in FIG. 8(a) to the closed position shown in FIG. 8(c) when the user rotates the lever portion 201b of the operating unit 201 counterclockwise by 90 degrees.

When forming an image on the recording material P, the toner in the storage unit 18 is agitated by the agitator 60 (see Figure 5), and the side opening 205 must be blocked by the main body shutter 206 to prevent toner from leaking out of the side opening 205. Therefore, during image formation, the operation unit 201 is located in the operating position shown in Figure 8(a) so that the main body shutter 206 is located in the closed position. On the other hand, when replenishing toner into the storage unit 18 from the replenishing pack 210 (described below), the side opening 205 must be opened. Therefore, during toner replenishing, the operation unit 201 is located in the replenishing position shown in Figure 8(c) so that the main body shutter 206 is located in the open position.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the operation unit 201 is provided with a detectable rib portion 201k, which is a detectable portion. An operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is provided near the operation unit 201 as a first detection means for detecting that the operation unit 201 has rotated to the replenishment position when a user grips the lever portion 201b and rotates the operation unit 201 to the replenishment position (see FIG. 8(a)). The operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is a contact-type sensor that transmits an ON signal as a detection signal to the engine controller 130 upon contact with the detectable rib portion 201k. The operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is in an OFF state when the operation unit 201 is in the operating position as shown in FIG. 8(a), and is in an ON state when the operation unit 201 is in the replenishment position as shown in FIG. 8(c). A non-contact sensor such as a photoelectric sensor may also be used as the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225.

As shown in FIG. 9(b), the operating unit 201 is rotatably supported by the support portion 240a of the top surface portion 240. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the operating unit 201 has a retaining member 201j, the aforementioned detectable rib portion 201k, and an opening 201e. In the rotation direction of the operating unit 201, the retaining member 201j is positioned at approximately the same position as the lever portion 201b, while the detectable rib portion 201k is positioned at a different position from the retaining member 201j. The lever lock pressing portion 227a of the lever lock member 227, which will be described later, can be inserted into the opening 201e. By inserting the lever lock pressing portion 227a into the opening 201e, rotation of the operating unit 201 is restricted while it is positioned in the operating position.

As shown in FIG. 9(c), the operating unit 201 is attached to the support unit 240a by aligning the retaining member 201j with the groove 240d provided in the support unit 240a. When the operating unit 201 is in the operating position or the supply position, the retaining member 201j and the groove 240d are positioned so as not to overlap with each other when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the operating unit 201. Furthermore, within the range in which the operating unit 201 rotates between the operating position and the supply position, the retaining member 201j and the groove 240d do not overlap with each other when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the operating unit 201. In other words, when the operating unit 201 is operated between the operating position and the supply position, the operating unit 201 is prevented from slipping out of the support unit 240a of the top surface 240.

[Resupply Pack]
Next, the configuration of the supply pack 210 will be described with reference to Figures 10(a) to 12(b). Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are perspective views showing the supply pack when the pack shutter 214 is in the closed position. Figures 11(a) and 11(b) are perspective views showing the supply pack when the pack shutter 214 is in the open position. Figures 12(a) and 12(b) are exploded perspective views showing the supply pack.

The refill pack 210, which serves as a toner container, has a pouch portion 211, which serves as a bag containing the toner to be replenished, a cylindrical insertion portion 212 that is inserted into the refill port 204, and a pack shutter portion 214 that serves as a container shutter. The insertion portion 212, which serves as a nozzle, is connected to the pouch portion 211. The insertion portion 212 has an opening 213 formed therein, which serves as an opening through which the toner inside the pouch portion 211 is discharged to the outside. The pouch portion 211 is made of an easily deformable plastic bag, but is not limited to this. For example, the pouch portion 211 may be made of a resin bottle container, or a paper or vinyl container.

A holding portion 215 is provided at the tip of the insertion portion 212, and a pouch end portion 216 is formed on the pouch portion 211 at the end opposite the insertion portion 212. The pouch portion 211 has a flattened shape as it approaches the pouch end portion 216, which extends in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the pack shutter portion 214.

The pack shutter portion 214 is a cylindrical member concentric with the insertion portion 212 and is provided radially outward of the insertion portion 212. The pack shutter portion 214 has an opening 214c, and by rotating relative to the insertion portion 212, it can transition between a closed position that blocks the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 and an open position that opens the opening 213. When the opening 214c of the pack shutter portion 214 and the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 overlap, toner can be replenished from the replenishing pack 210 to the replenishing portion 200.

In addition, a seal member 231 that can slide against the outer surface of the insertion portion 212 is fixed to the inner surface of the pack shutter portion 214, and the seal member 231 blocks the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 when the pack shutter portion 214 is in the closed position.

As shown in FIG. 12(a), the insertion portion 212 is formed with a guided portion 232 recessed from the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 212, and each guided portion 232 has a pair of first and second guided portions 232a and 232b. When the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, guide portions 247 and 248 integral with the toner receiving portion 202 fit into the guided portion 232. This restricts relative movement between the insertion portion 212 and the toner receiving portion 202 in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis of the pack shutter portion 214.

12(b), the outer peripheral surface of the pack shutter portion 214 has an alignment portion 217 that engages with the operating portion 201, and a drive transmission surface 214b that faces the alignment portion 217 in the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the pack shutter portion 214. That is, a groove (a recess that recesses inward in the radial direction of the pack shutter portion 214) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pack shutter portion 214, with the alignment portion 217 serving as the groove bottom surface (recess bottom surface) and the drive transmission surface 214b serving as the groove side surface. This groove is open at the tip of the outer peripheral surface of the pack shutter portion 214 in the insertion direction of the insertion portion 212. The drive transmission surface 214b receives a force in the circumferential direction from the operating portion drive transmission protrusion 201d of the operating portion 201, causing the pack shutter portion 214 to rotate relative to the insertion portion 212. A lever lock release rib 214a is provided between the drive transmission surfaces 214b to release the first lock mechanism 250 of the operating unit 201, which will be described later. By providing the lever lock release rib 214a between the drive transmission surfaces 214b, 214b, the first lock mechanism 250 of the operating unit 201 can be released with high precision when the supply pack 210 is attached.

When the pack shutter 214 is in the closed position, the opening 214c provided in the pack shutter 214 and the guided portion 232 recessed from the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 212 overlap with each other in terms of circumferential rotation phase. In this state, the guide portions 247, 248 of the supply unit 200 are inserted into the guided portion 232 of the supply pack 210, and the opening 214c fits onto the periphery of the seal member 243 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the main body shutter 206. When the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the first guided portion 232a on the upstream side of the insertion direction of the guided portion 232 engages with the guide portion 247, and the second guided portion 232b on the downstream side faces the guide portion 248. The circumferentially extending surface that forms the step between first guided portion 232a and second guided portion 232b engages in the insertion direction with the circumferentially extending surface that forms the step between guide portion 247 and guide portion 248, determining the insertion direction position between insertion portion 212 and operating portion 201. Opening 214c has a notched shape that widens toward the tip of insertion portion 212. A pair of circumferentially opposing portions that form opening 214c sandwich seal member 243 in the circumferential direction.

The drive transmission surface 214b of the pack shutter 214 engages with the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d of the operation unit 201 and also engages with the main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a of the main body shutter 206. The pack shutter 214 moves (rotates) due to the operating (operating) force of the operation unit 201, and transmits that operating force to the main body shutter 206, causing the main body shutter 206 to move as well. In other words, the drive transmission surface 214b has a force-receiving area that engages and abuts with the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d. The operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d has a convex shape that extends radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the operation unit 201, and the drive transmission surface 214b has a force-applying area that engages and abuts with the main body shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a.

[Explanation of First Locking Mechanism]
The first locking mechanism 250 will be described with reference to Figures 8(a) to (c) and 13(a) to 14(b). As shown in Figures 8(a) to (c) and 13(b), the first locking mechanism 250 has a lever locking member 227, a lever lock release link 229, and a pressure spring 228. The lever lock release link 229 has an abutment surface 229b that abuts against the lever locking member 227, and the lever locking member 227, which serves as a second restricting member, is pressed against the abutment surface 229b by the pressure spring 228. When the supply pack 210 is not attached, the operation unit 201 is restricted in its rotational direction by the first locking mechanism 250 and is in an operating position, which serves as an initial position.

Figures 13(a) and 13(b) show a bottom view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the operating unit 201 and the first locking mechanism 250 when the lever lock member 227 is locked in the restricted position F1, which serves as the second restricted position. Figures 14(a) and 14(b) show a bottom view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the operating unit 201 and the first locking mechanism 250 when unlocked in the released position F2, which serves as the second released position.

As shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), when the first locking mechanism 250 is in the locked state, the lever locking member 227 is pressed against the operating unit 201 by the pressing spring 228 and is located in the restricted position F1. The lever lock pressing portion 227a of the lever locking member 227 is inserted into the opening 201e of the operating unit 201. When the operating unit 201 is rotated in this state, the inner wall of the opening 201e rotates along rotation trajectories R1 and R2, as shown in Figure 13(a). P1 indicates the transition point between the rotation restriction surface 227b and the inclined surface 227d, and P2 indicates the transition point of the rotation restriction surface 227c. When the first locking mechanism 250 is in the locked state, P1 and P2 are arranged to be inside the rotation trajectories R1 and R2. As a result, the inner wall of opening 201e comes into contact with and engages rotation restriction surfaces 227b and 227c, which are surfaces perpendicular to the rotation direction, restricting the rotation of the operating unit 201. In other words, when in restriction position F1, the lever lock member 227 restricts the movement of the operating unit 201.

As shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b), when the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the lever lock release rib 214a passes through the unlock recess 201f and comes into contact with the lever lock release link 229. The lever lock release link 229 has a sloped surface 229a that comes into contact with the lever lock release rib 214a. The lever lock release link 229 receives a force from the pack shutter unit 214 to move the lever lock member 227 from the restricted position F1 to the released position F2 via contact between the sloped surface 229a and the lever lock release rib 214a. The sloped surface 229a is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the supply pack 210 into the operating unit 201. In other words, the sloped surface 229a is configured to be inclined so that the force received from the lever lock release rib 214a includes a component of force that acts in a direction to move the lever lock release link 229 to the pressed position.

As shown in Figure 14 (b), the lever lock release link 229 is pressed in the direction of the arrow by the force received from the lever lock release rib 214a on the sloped surface 229a, causing the end portion with the sloped surface 229a to ride up onto the side of the lever lock release rib 214a. As a result, the lever lock release link 229 moves to a pressing position where the abutment surface 229b moves the lever lock member 227 to the release position F2. As a result, the lever lock member 227 abutting the lever lock release link 229 moves in the direction of the arrow to the release position F2 while resisting the biasing force of the pressure spring 228.

As shown in Figure 14 (a), when the lever lock member 227 is in the release position F2, P1 moves to the outside of the rotation trajectory R1, and P2 remains on the inside of the rotation trajectory R2. Therefore, when the lever portion 201b is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the slope 227d comes into contact with the inner wall of the opening 201e, and the component force causes the lever lock member 227 to retreat radially outward from the release position F2, allowing it to climb over the slope 227d. Therefore, the lever lock member 227 allows the lever portion 201b to rotate in the direction of the arrow, allowing the operating unit 201 to be rotated to the replenishment position.

When the lever lock member 227 is in the release position F2, P2 remains inside R2, restricting rotation of the lever portion 201b in the direction opposite to the arrow in Figure 14(a). In other words, the lever lock member 227 releases the restriction on movement of the operating portion 201 when in the release position F2. In this embodiment, by providing an assembly phase for the operating portion 201 in the direction in which rotation is restricted, it is possible to prevent the operating portion 201 from rotating to the assembly phase after assembly while still allowing it to rotate to the supply position.

[Toner Replenishment Procedure]
Next, the procedure for replenishing toner using the replenishing pack 210 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 15. First, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c), the user removes the recording material P from the discharge tray 14 and opens the discharge tray 14 from the closed position to the open position. This exposes the replenishing unit 200. The replenishing unit 200 is provided on the upper front surface of the image forming apparatus 1, making it easy to replenishing toner.

When the discharge tray 14 is opened to the open position and the supply unit 200 is exposed, the rotation of the operating unit 201 is restricted by the first locking mechanism 250 described above. The operating unit 201 is then positioned in the operating position.

The user aligns the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d (see FIG. 8(a)) on the supply unit 200 with the alignment notch 217 (see FIG. 12(b)) on the supply pack 210, and then attaches the supply pack 210 to the supply unit 200. If the positions of the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d and the alignment notch 217 do not match, the supply pack 210 will interfere with the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d, making it impossible to insert the supply pack 210.

Figure 6(c) is a perspective view showing the state in which the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(c), the supply pack 210 can be attached to the supply unit 200 when the direction of arrow D, which is the extension direction of the pouch end 216, is parallel to the X direction. When the supply pack 210 is inserted all the way into the supply unit 200, the drive transmission surface 214b forming the alignment notch 217 engages with the operation unit drive transmission protrusion 201d of the operation unit 201. In addition, the drive transmission surface 214b of the pack shutter 214 engages with the main unit shutter drive transmission protrusion 206a of the main unit shutter 206.

In other words, rotation of the operating unit 201 is transmitted to the pack shutter 214, and rotation of the pack shutter 214 is transmitted to the main body shutter 206. As a result, the main body shutter 206 and the pack shutter 214 engage with each other and become integrated, and the operating unit 201, pack shutter 214, and main body shutter 206 move in conjunction with each other. Furthermore, when the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the lock on the operating unit 201 by the first locking mechanism 250 is released, and the operating unit 201 becomes rotatable. Note that when the supply pack 210 is not attached to the supply unit 200, the operating unit 201 and main body shutter 206 do not move in conjunction with each other.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the supply pack 210 attached to the supply unit 200. In Figure 15, the operating unit 201 is in the operating position, and the main body shutter 206 and pack shutter 214 are in the closed position.

Then, as shown in Figure 8 (c), the user rotates the lever portion 201b of the operating portion 201 counterclockwise by 90 degrees. This rotates the operating portion 201 from the operating position to the replenishing position, and the pack shutter portion 214 and main body shutter portion 206 rotate from the closed position to the open position. As a result, the opening 214c of the pack shutter portion 214, the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 of the replenishing pack 210, the opening 207 of the main body shutter portion 206, and the side opening 205 of the toner receiving portion 202 are aligned. This causes the toner in the replenishing pack 210 to pass through the replenishing path portion 203 and be discharged into the storage portion 18.

In other words, when the operating unit 201 is in the refill position, the refill unit 200 is in a refillable state in which it can refill toner from the refill pack 210 to the storage unit 18. At this time, the opening 213 of the refill pack 210 and the side opening 205 of the toner receiving unit 202 are in communication.

When toner replenishment from the replenishing pack 210 to the storage unit 18 is complete, the user returns the operating unit 201 from the replenishing position to the operating position. That is, the user rotates the lever portion 201b of the operating unit 201 clockwise by 90 degrees. This causes the pack shutter portion 214 and the main body shutter portion 206 to rotate from the open position to the closed position.

In other words, when the operating unit 201 is in the operating position, the supply unit 200 is in a non-supply state where toner can be supplied from the supply pack 210 to the storage unit 18. At this time, the opening 213 of the supply pack 210 and the side opening 205 of the toner receiving unit 202 do not communicate with each other.

Then, the user removes the supply pack 210 from the supply unit 200. In this manner, when the supply pack 210 is removed from the supply unit 200, the pack shutter portion 214 is in the closed position, preventing toner leakage from the opening 213 of the supply pack 210.

[Description of Second Locking Mechanism]
Next, the second locking mechanism 400 will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 26(b). In this embodiment, the rotation of the operating unit 201 is restricted by the second locking mechanism 400 in addition to the first locking mechanism 250. The first locking mechanism 250 restricts the rotation of the operating unit 201 when the supply pack 210 is not attached to the supply unit 200. The second locking mechanism 400 restricts the rotation of the operating unit 201 under a predetermined non-energized condition, even when the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200.

As shown in Figures 16 to 17(b), the second locking mechanism 400 is fixed to a side plate 500, which is a frame member of the image forming apparatus 1. Note that only a portion of the side plate 500 is shown in Figures 16 to 17(b) and 19(a) and (b). The second locking mechanism 400 includes a holding member 401 and a solenoid unit 402 fixed to the side plate 500, a locking lever 403, a locking spring 404, and an indicator member 405 (see Figure 19(a)).

The holding member 401 has positioning portions 401a and 401b and a holding portion 401c that holds the lock lever 403. The positioning portions 401a and 401b are inserted into holes 500a and 500b in the side plate 500, thereby positioning the holding member 401 relative to the side plate 500. The solenoid unit 402 has a plunger 402a, a solenoid 402b that can attract the plunger 402a when current is applied, and a solenoid frame 402c. The solenoid frame 402c holds the solenoid 402b as an actuator.

The holding member 401 and solenoid frame 402c are fixed to the side plate 500 by fastening them together with screws 501, 502 into fixing holes 500c, 500d in the side plate 500. The lock lever 403, which serves as a restricting member and first restricting member, has a locking portion 403a that engages with the pin 402d of the plunger 402a, and is rotatably held by the holding portion 401c of the holding member 401. More specifically, the holding portion 401c has a shaft support portion 401d that rotatably supports the shaft portion 403b of the lock lever 403, and the lock lever 403 is configured to be rotatable around the shaft portion 403b supported by the shaft support portion 401d.

The lock spring 404 is a coil spring held by the shaft 403b, with one end engaged with the holding portion 401c of the holding member 401 and the other end engaged with the lock lever 403. The lock lever 403 is biased in the direction of arrow LC1 by the lock spring 404, and rotates in the direction of arrow LC2, opposite to the direction of arrow LC1, due to the plunger 402a being attracted by the solenoid 402b.

The holding portion 401c of the holding member 401 also has an abutment portion 401e formed thereon, against which the lock lever 403 abuts. When the solenoid 402b is not energized, the lock lever 403 abuts against the abutment portion 401e due to the biasing force of the lock spring 404. This holds the lock lever 403 in the locked position E1 shown in Figure 18(a). When the solenoid 402b is energized, the plunger 402a is attracted, causing the lock lever 403 to rotate in the direction of arrow LC2 from the locked position and move to the unlocked position E2 shown in Figure 18(b).

Figures 18(a) and 19(a) are perspective views showing the second locking mechanism 400 when the locking lever 403 is in the locked position E1. Figures 18(b) and 19(b) are perspective views showing the second locking mechanism 400 when the locking lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2. As shown in Figures 18(a) to 19(b), the locking lever 403 has a first engaging portion 403c and a second engaging portion 403d that is formed so as to protrude upward from the first engaging portion 403c and radially outward from the shaft portion 403b.

The first engagement portion 403c as an engagement portion is located in a position where it protrudes into the movement trajectory 420 (see Figure 27(b)) of the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201 when the lock lever 403 is located in the restricted position and the locked position E1 as the first restricted position. Furthermore, the first engagement portion 403c is located in a position retracted from the movement trajectory 420 (see Figure 26(b)) of the detectable rib portion 201k when the lock lever 403 is located in the unrestricted position and the unlocked position E2 as the first unrestricted position. In other words, the first engagement portion 403c is capable of engaging with the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201 when the lock lever 403 is located in the locked position E1. The rotation of the operating unit 201 is restricted by the detectable rib portion 201k engaging with the first engagement portion 403c. Furthermore, when the lock lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2, the detectable rib portion 201k does not engage with the first engagement portion 403c, and therefore rotation of the operating portion 201 is not restricted by the first engagement portion 403c.

Figure 20(a) is a bottom view showing the marking member 405 when the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1. Figure 20(b) is an enlarged view of Figure 20(a). Figure 20(c) is a bottom view showing the marking member 405 when the lock lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2. Figure 21(a) is a perspective view of the marking member 405 and the top surface 240 when the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1. Figure 21(b) is a perspective view of the marking member 405 and the top surface 240 when the lock lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2.

As shown in Figures 19(a) to 20(b), the marking member 405 is supported rotatably relative to the top surface 240 around a pivot 405a. The marking member 405 has a marking portion 405b formed in a generally fan-shaped plate shape, and a boss portion 405c that protrudes downward from the marking portion 405b. The marking member 405 is biased in the direction of arrow LC3 by a coil spring 406 held by the pivot 405a. One end of the coil spring 406 is engaged with the top surface 240, and the other end is engaged with the marking member 405.

The boss portion 405c of the marking member 405, which is biased in the direction of arrow LC3 by the coil spring 406, abuts against the abutment surface 240c provided on the bottom side of the top surface 240 when the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1. This positions the marking member 405 in the locked marking position G1, which serves as the first position. As shown in Figures 21(a) and 21(b), a hole-shaped window portion 240b is formed in the top surface of the top surface 240, and a first mark 405d and a second mark 405e are provided on the upper surface of the marking portion 405b of the marking member 405.

The first mark 405d and the second mark 405e are positioned at different positions in the rotation direction (LC3 direction and LC4 direction) of the marking member 405. In this embodiment, the first mark 405d has the word "Lock," indicating that the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1 and the movement of the operating unit 201 is restricted. The second mark 405e has the word "Unlock," indicating that the lock lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2 and the movement of the operating unit 201 is not restricted.

As shown in FIG. 21(a), when the indicator member 405 is located at the lock indication position G1, the first indication 405d can be seen from the top side of the image forming apparatus 1 through the window portion 240b. In this embodiment, the indicator member 405 is positioned at the lock indication position G1 by the boss portion 405c of the indicator member 405 abutting against the abutment surface 240c of the top surface portion 240, but this is not limited to this. For example, the indicator member 405 may be positioned at the lock indication position G1 by abutting a portion of the indicator member 405 other than the boss portion 405c against the top surface portion 240. Alternatively, the indicator member 405 may be positioned at the lock indication position G1 by abutting any portion of the indicator member 405 against the side panel 500.

As shown in Figures 19(b), 20(b), and 21(b), when the solenoid 402b is energized and the lock lever 403 moves from the locked position E1 to the unlocked position E2, the second engagement portion 403d of the lock lever 403 presses the boss portion 405c. This causes the indicator member 405 to rotate in the direction of arrow LC4, opposite the direction of arrow LC3, against the biasing force of the coil spring 406. The boss portion 405c is then held by the second engagement portion 403d of the lock lever 403, which is positioned in the unlocked position E2, thereby holding the indicator member 405 in the unlocked indicator position G2, which is the second position shown in Figures 19(b), 20(b), and 21(b). At this time, the boss portion 405c is pressed against the second engagement portion 403d by the biasing force of the coil spring 406, so the indicator member 405 does not deviate from the unlocked indicator position G2.

As shown in Figure 21(b), when the indicator member 405 is located in the unlocked indicator position G2, the second indicator 405e can be seen from the top side of the image forming apparatus 1 through the window portion 240b. When the solenoid 402b changes from a powered state to a de-energized state, the lock lever 403 moves from the unlocked position E2 to the locked position E1 due to the biasing force of the lock spring 404. This disengages the second engagement portion 403d of the lock lever 403 from the boss portion 405c of the indicator member 405, and the indicator member 405 moves from the unlocked indicator position G2 to the locked indicator position G1 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 406.

In other words, the indicator member 405 is configured to operate in conjunction with the operation of the solenoid 402b so that it is in the lock indicator position G1 when the lock lever 403 is in the lock position E1, and in the unlock indicator position G2 when the lock lever 403 is in the unlock position E2.

[Control Block]
FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating the function of the circuit board 100 of this embodiment. The circuit board 100 includes a low-voltage power supply unit 110 and a high-voltage power supply unit 120. The low-voltage power supply unit 110 receives power from an external power source via a power supply input unit (not shown) mounted on the edge of the board and converts the AC voltage into a stable DC voltage using a rectifying and smoothing circuit including an electrolytic capacitor. The low-voltage power supply unit 110 then converts the DC voltage into a high-frequency AC voltage using switching elements such as transistors, and inputs the high-frequency AC voltage into a low-voltage power transformer. The low-voltage power transformer converts the high-frequency AC voltage (the input voltage) into an AC voltage (output voltage) having a desired voltage value. The low-voltage power supply unit 110 then converts the AC voltage back into a DC voltage and outputs the resulting DC voltage to the high-voltage power supply unit 120. Furthermore, since the loss of each circuit component in the low-voltage power supply unit 110 manifests itself as heat, a heat sink (not shown) made of aluminum or iron is provided in the low-voltage power supply unit 110 to dissipate the heat.

The high-voltage power supply unit 120 converts the voltage (e.g., 24 V) supplied from the low-voltage power supply unit 110 into the high voltage required for the image formation process, such as charging, developing, and transferring. The voltage supplied from the low-voltage power supply unit 110 is converted into charging voltage by a charging transformer and supplied to the charging roller 17. The voltage supplied from the low-voltage power supply unit 110 is converted into development voltage by a developing transformer 123 and supplied to the developing roller 12. The voltage supplied from the low-voltage power supply unit 110 is converted into transfer voltage by a transfer transformer 124 and supplied to the transfer roller 7.

The low-voltage power supply unit 110 supplies voltage (e.g., 3.3V or 5V) not only to the high-voltage power supply unit 120 but also to the scanner unit 50, drive motor 311, engine controller 130, and video controller 140. The engine controller 130, which serves as a control unit, is responsible for overall control of various process components and controls solenoid 402b. The engine controller 130 includes a CPU (not shown), RAM (not shown) used for calculations and temporary storage of data necessary for controlling the image forming apparatus 1, and ROM (not shown) for storing programs and various data that control the image forming apparatus 1. The video controller 140 communicates with external devices such as personal computers to receive print data and notifies the engine controller 130 of the results of analyzing the print data. The engine controller 130 and video controller 140 may be provided on a board separate from the circuit board 100, or on the same board.

In addition, AC power received by the power input unit from a commercial power source is supplied not only to the low-voltage power supply unit 110 but also to the fixing heater 9c. The rollers and other components in the fixing unit 9 are driven by a drive motor 311.

[Solenoid energization determination process]
Next, the process of determining whether to energize the solenoid 402b in response to a series of replenishment operations by the user will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 23 to 25. In other words, the energization conditions for the solenoid 402b are determined according to the flowcharts of Figures 23 to 25. The solenoid 402b is energized when the discharge tray 14 is opened to the open position and predetermined energization conditions are met, as will be described later, and is then de-energized when non-energization conditions are met.

As shown in Figure 23, in the process of determining whether solenoid 402b is energized, the engine controller 130 first determines whether the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is ON (step S1). That is, the process of determining whether solenoid 402b is energized begins when the user opens the discharge tray 14, as shown in Figure 7(c). Note that when the process of determining whether solenoid 402b is energized begins, solenoid 402b is not energized and is in a non-energized state.

When the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239 is ON, i.e., when the discharge tray 14 is open (Step S1: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is ON (Step S2). When it is determined that the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is ON (Step S2: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is ON (Step S3). As described in Figures 3(a) to 3(c), when the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is ON, the rear cover 73 is in the closed position.

If it is determined that the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is ON (Step S3: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether a jam has been detected within the image forming apparatus 1 (Step S4). One or more recording material detection sensors are arranged on the conveyance path within the image forming apparatus 1 to detect the position of the recording material being conveyed along the conveyance path. The engine controller 130 determines that a jam has occurred, for example, if the fed recording material does not pass the detection position of the recording material detection sensor within a predetermined time after the recording material is fed by the pickup roller 3.

If it is determined that no jam has been detected, i.e., that a jam has not occurred (Step S4: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether a malfunction of the image forming device 1 has been detected (Step S5). A malfunction of the image forming device 1 is determined using various sensors and signals within the image forming device 1. For example, if the cable used to send signals from the remaining amount detection unit 312 to the engine controller 130 is disconnected, causing communication between the remaining amount detection unit 312 and the engine controller 130 to be interrupted, it is determined that a malfunction of the image forming device 1 has occurred.

If it is determined that no malfunction has been detected (Step S5: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether it has completed obtaining information regarding the remaining toner amount in the container 18 from the remaining toner amount detection unit 312 (hereinafter referred to as remaining toner amount detection information) (Step S6). In this embodiment, the remaining toner amount detection information is stored in the RAM of the engine controller 130. The remaining toner amount detection information is updated at predetermined intervals while the agitator 60 is operating and the remaining toner amount is being detected based on the signal output from the remaining toner amount detection unit 312. When the remaining toner amount detection is completed, the remaining toner amount detection information at the time of completion of the remaining toner amount detection is stored in the RAM. Note that the engine controller 130 cannot obtain the remaining toner amount detection information if, for example, there is an abnormality in the remaining toner amount detection unit 312, the image forming apparatus 1 is new and has not yet performed toner amount detection, or the cable transmitting the signal from the remaining toner amount detection unit 312 to the engine controller 130 is disconnected.

If it is determined that acquisition of remaining toner amount detection information has been completed (Step S6: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether the amount of remaining toner in the storage unit 18 detected by the remaining amount detection unit 312 is not full (Step S7). If the detected amount of remaining toner in the storage unit 18 is less than a predetermined amount, the remaining toner amount is deemed not to be full. The engine controller 130 calculates the amount of remaining toner in the storage unit 18 based on the length of time that the light receiving unit 312b detects light when the toner in the storage unit 18 is stirred by the stirring member 60 for a certain period of time.

If it is determined that the remaining toner is not full (Step S7: Yes), the engine controller 130 energizes the solenoid 402b, placing the second locking mechanism 400 in an unlocked state in which the locking lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2 (Step S8).

In other words, the above-mentioned predetermined conditions include the image forming apparatus 1 being powered on, the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 being on, no jam or malfunction being detected, the acquisition of remaining toner amount detection information being completed, and the remaining toner not being full. When the predetermined conditions are met, the engine controller 130 controls the solenoid 402b to release the restriction on movement of the operation unit 201.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the image forming device 1 is not powered on (step S2: No), if it is determined that the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is off (step S3: No), if a jam or malfunction is detected (steps S4, S5: No), if acquisition of remaining toner amount detection information has not been completed (step S6: No), or if the remaining toner amount is full (step S7: No), the process proceeds to step S27 in Figure 25. Step S27 will be described later.

When the solenoid 402b is energized in step S8, as shown in FIG. 24, the engine controller 130 determines whether the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is ON (step S9). That is, when the second lock mechanism 400 is in the unlocked state, the user can rotate the operation unit 201 from the operating position to the supply position. When the user rotates the operation unit 201 counterclockwise by approximately 90 degrees from the operating position to the supply position, the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 switches from OFF to ON.

If it is determined that the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is ON (Step S9: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is OFF (Step S10). That is, when the user rotates the operation unit 201 from the operating position to the supply position in Step S9, the toner supply operation from the supply pack 210 to the developing container 230 begins. Then, when the user completes the supply operation and rotates the operation unit 201 clockwise from the supply position to the operating position, the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 switches from OFF to ON.

If it is determined that the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is OFF (step S10: Yes), the engine controller 130 de-energizes the solenoid 402b, deactivating the solenoid 402b (step S11). This causes the second locking mechanism 400 to enter a locked state in which the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1. Switching the second locking mechanism 400 to the locked state prevents a user from replacing the toner cartridge with another refill pack 210 and refilling the toner cartridge before the remaining toner amount calculation described below is completed (step S18: No). This prevents refilling of toner when it is not desirable to do so, such as when the remaining toner amount in the cartridge compartment 18 is full using the first refill pack 210.

In this embodiment, the solenoid 402b is de-energized when the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 switches from OFF to ON in step S10, but this is not limited to this. For example, the solenoid 402b may be de-energized a predetermined time T1 after the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 switches from OFF to ON. In this case, for the reasons described above, it is desirable to set the predetermined time T1 to a time shorter than the time it takes the user to replace the toner pack 210. Alternatively, step S11 may be omitted, and the solenoid 402b may remain energized at least until the calculation of the remaining toner amount is complete. In this case, it is also desirable to complete the calculation of the remaining toner amount in a time shorter than the time it takes the user to replace the toner pack with another one, for the reasons described above.

Next, the engine controller 130 drives the drive motor 311 to start rotating the agitator 60, and the remaining amount detector 312 begins calculating the amount of toner remaining in the storage unit 18 (steps S12 and S13). The drive motor 311 starts driving a predetermined time after the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 turns OFF in step S10. If the agitator 60 were to start rotating immediately after the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 turns OFF, the driving noise of the agitator 60 and drive motor 311 could confuse the user about the replenishment operation. Therefore, by driving the drive motor 311 a predetermined time after the user completes the rotation of the operation unit 201, user confusion can be reduced and the replenishment operation can be facilitated. In this embodiment, the drive motor 311 is set to start driving 2.5 seconds after the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 detects that it is OFF.

Here, if it is determined in step S10 that the operation unit open/close detection sensor 225 is ON (step S10: No), the engine controller 130 determines whether the solenoid 402b satisfies the energization conditions. In other words, the energization conditions shown in steps S14 to S17 are determined after the user positions the operation unit 201 to the refill position and before the operation unit 201 is returned to the operating position.

Steps S14 to S17 are similar to steps S2 to S5 in Figure 23, respectively, and therefore will not be described in detail. If any of the power-on conditions shown in steps S14 to S17 - that the image forming apparatus 1 is powered on, the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is on, and no jam or malfunction is detected - are not met, the process proceeds to step S27. Step S27 will be described later.

After step S13, as shown in FIG. 25, the engine controller 130 determines whether calculation of the remaining toner amount is complete (step S18). If it is determined that calculation of the remaining toner amount is complete (step S18: Yes), the engine controller 130 determines whether the calculated remaining toner amount in the storage unit 18 is not full (step S19).

If it is determined that the remaining toner is not full (Step S19: Yes), the engine controller 130 again energizes the solenoid 402b (Step S20). This causes the second lock mechanism 400 to enter an unlocked state in which the lock lever 403 is in the unlocked position E2. In this case, the user can once again perform a replenishment operation. Furthermore, if it is determined in Step S18 that the remaining toner is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount and is full (Step S19: No), proceed to Step S27.

Furthermore, if it is determined in step S18 that the calculation of the remaining toner amount has not been completed (step S18: No), the engine controller 130 determines whether the solenoid 402b satisfies the energization conditions. That is, after the calculation of the remaining toner amount begins (step S13), and before the calculation of the remaining toner amount is completed (step S18: No), the energization conditions shown in steps S22 to S26 are determined.

Steps S22 to S26 are similar to steps S2 to S5 in Figure 23 and step S10 in Figure 24, respectively, and therefore will not be described in detail. If any of the power-on conditions shown in steps S22 to S26 are not met - that is, the image forming apparatus 1 is powered on, the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is on, no jam or malfunction is detected, and the operation panel open/close detection sensor 225 is off - the process proceeds to step S27.

In step S27, the engine controller 130 de-energizes the solenoid 402b, and the second locking mechanism 400 enters a locked state in which the locking lever 403 is in the locked position E1.

After completing steps S20 and S27, the engine controller 130 stops the drive motor 311, and the rotation of the agitator 60 is stopped (step S21). This completes the process for determining whether the solenoid 402b is energized. Note that if the energization conditions shown in steps S22 to S26 are not met and the solenoid 402b is de-energized (step S27), the operation of calculating the remaining toner amount also stops when the drive motor 311 is stopped (step S21).

When the second locking mechanism 400 is in the unlocked state, as shown in FIG. 26(a), when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from above with the discharge tray 14 open, the second marking 405e of the marking member 405 can be seen through the window 240b. This allows the user to easily see that toner can be replenished to the replenishment unit 200 using the replenishment pack 210, improving usability. Furthermore, when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from above with the discharge tray 14 open, the detectable rib portion 201k of the operation unit 201 and the locking lever 403 cannot be seen. This prevents the user from accidentally touching the locking lever 403.

As shown in Figure 26 (b), the first engagement portion 403c of the lock lever 403 located in the unlocked position E2 is retracted from the movement trajectory 420 of the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201, and the rotation of the operating unit 201 is not restricted by the lock lever 403. Furthermore, the second engagement portion 403d of the lock lever 403 located in the unlocked position E2 holds the boss portion 405c of the indicator member 405 located in the unlocked indicator position G2.

On the other hand, when the second locking mechanism 400 is in the locked state, as shown in Figure 27(a), when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from above with the discharge tray 14 open, the first mark 405d of the marking member 405 can be seen through the window portion 240b. This allows the user to easily see that the refill pack 210 cannot replenish toner to the refill unit 200, improving usability.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(d), even when the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the user can see the first marking 405d through the window 240b. Therefore, even after attaching the supply pack 210 to the supply unit 200, the user can recognize that the second locking mechanism 400 is in the locked state, thereby improving usability. Note that even when the second marking 405e is displayed through the window 240b when the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, the second marking 405e can be similarly seen.

As shown in Figure 27 (b), the first engagement portion 403c of the lock lever 403 located in the locked position E1 protrudes into the movement path 420 of the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201. At this time, the first engagement portion 403c of the lock lever 403 is separated from the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201 in the circumferential direction of the operating unit 201 by a predetermined gap GP. By providing the gap GP between the first engagement portion 403c and the detectable rib portion 201k, no frictional force is generated between the first engagement portion 403c and the detectable rib portion 201k when the solenoid 402b is energized, allowing for a lower output and smaller solenoid 402b.

When the supply pack 210 is not attached to the supply unit 200, the operating unit 201 is positioned in the operating position by the first locking mechanism 250. More specifically, the lever lock pressing portion 227a of the lever lock member 227 is inserted into the opening 201e of the operating unit 201, thereby positioning the operating unit 201 in the operating position. Therefore, when the supply pack 210 is not attached to the supply unit 200, the operating unit 201 is always positioned in the operating position, and a gap GP is maintained between the first engagement portion 403c and the detectable rib portion 201k.

In other words, when the lock lever 403 is in the locked position E1 and the lever lock member 227 is in the restricted position F1, the lever lock member 227 restricts the movement of the operating part 201 so that the operating part 201 does not come into contact with the first engagement part 403c of the lock lever 403. Therefore, by energizing the solenoid 402b, the lock lever 403 of the second lock mechanism 400 can be easily moved from the locked position E1 to the unlocked position E2.

When the lever portion 201b of the operating unit 201 is rotated toward the replenishment position while the second locking mechanism 400 is in the locked state, the detectable rib portion 201k of the operating unit 201 moves the distance of the gap GP and abuts against the second engagement portion 403d, as shown in Figure 28(b). This restricts the rotation of the operating unit 201. At this time, the lock lever 403 does not move from the lock position E1, so the indicator member 405, which is linked to the lock lever 403, also remains held in the lock indicator position G1. Therefore, as shown in Figure 28(a), the first indicator 405d visible through the window portion 240b does not move either.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the user opens the discharge tray 14, the second lock mechanism 400, which is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by the solenoid 402b, can restrict or release the movement of the operation unit 201. Since it is undesirable to replenish toner when the above-mentioned non-energized conditions are met, restricting the operation (rotation) of the operation unit 201 can easily restrict toner replenishment to the image forming device 1. Furthermore, by starting the power-on determination process for the solenoid 402b when the discharge tray 14 is opened, which triggers the user's series of replenishment operations, it is possible to encourage a smooth replenishment operation without requiring the user to perform complicated tasks.

[Other embodiments]
In this embodiment, the energization determination process for the solenoid 402b is started when the discharge tray 14 is opened by the discharge tray open/close detection sensor 239, but this is not limiting. For example, a cover member that can open and close and can cover only the supply unit 200 may be provided separately from the discharge tray 14, and the energization determination process for the solenoid 402b may be started when the cover member is opened. Also, a part of the discharge tray may be configured as a separate body as the cover member.

In addition, in this embodiment, an attraction-type solenoid 402b is used as the actuator that drives the lock lever 403 of the second lock mechanism 400, but this is not limited to this. For example, a push solenoid or a self-holding solenoid may be used instead of the solenoid 402b. Furthermore, a motor, linear actuator, or the like may be used instead of the solenoid 402b. Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism between the solenoid unit 402, lock lever 403, and indicator members 405, 605 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the indicator members 405, 605 may be moved by being pressed by the plunger 402a, rather than the second engagement portion 403d of the lock lever 403.

In addition, in the present embodiment , the first markings 405d, 605d and the second markings 405e, 605e are each composed of a mark with text, but this is not limiting. For example, the first marking may have a pictorial symbol indicating that the lock is locked, and the second marking may have a pictorial symbol indicating that the lock is unlocked. Alternatively, the first markings and the second markings may be distinguished by text, color, pictorial symbol, embossed pattern, material, or the like to indicate the locked and unlocked states of the second locking mechanism 400.

Furthermore, the energization conditions (S2 to S7) for solenoid 402b shown in the flowchart of FIG. 23 are not limited to these. For example, among the conditions shown in S2 to S7 of FIG. 23, solenoid 402b may be energized even if the rear cover open/close detection sensor 80 is ON, no jam is detected, no malfunction is detected, and acquisition of remaining toner amount detection information is complete. However, it is preferable to ensure that solenoid 402b is not energized unless the power to image forming apparatus 1 is ON and the remaining toner amount conditions are met.

The above energization conditions (S2 to S7) may also include successful communication with the memory tag. For example, the toner receiving unit 202 may be provided with a main body contact as an electrical contact, and a memory tag storing predetermined authentication information may be held in the holding portion 215 at the tip of the insertion portion 212 of the supply pack 210. Then, when the supply pack 210 is fully inserted into the supply unit 200, the memory tag of the supply pack 210 may come into electrical contact with the main body contact, enabling communication and allowing the predetermined information to be read.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

1: Image forming device / 5c: Conveying unit (pair of conveying rollers) / 14: Lid unit (discharge tray) / 18: Toner storage unit (storage unit) / 19: Conveying path / 60: Stirring member / 73: Opening/closing member (rear cover) / 80: Rear cover open/close detection sensor / 130: Control unit (engine controller) / 200: Mounting unit, receiving unit (supply unit) / 201: Operating member (operating unit) / 204: Receiving port (supply port) / 206: Main body shutter (main body shutter unit) / 210: Toner container (supply pack) / 211: Bag (pouch unit) / 212: Nozzle unit (insertion unit) / 213: Opening (opening) / 214: Container shutter (pack shutter unit) / 227: Second restricting member (lever lock member) / 239: Detection unit (discharge tray open/close detection sensor) Sensor) / 240: Cover (top surface) / 240b: Window / 312: Sensor (remaining amount detection unit) / 402b: Actuator (solenoid) / 403: Restriction member, first restriction member (lock lever) / 403c: Engagement portion (first engagement portion) / 405: Indicator / 405d, 605d: First indicator / 405e, 605e: Second indicator / 420: Movement trajectory / E1: Restriction position, first restriction position (locked position) / E2: Release position, first release position (unlocked position) / F1: Second restriction position (restricted position) / F2: Second release position (released position) / G1: First position (lock indicator position) / G2: Second position (unlock indicator position) / H1: Closed position / H2: Open position / N1: Image formation unit (transfer nip)

Claims (13)

An image forming apparatus having a detachable toner container, the image forming apparatus having an opening for supplying toner and a container shutter for opening and closing the opening,
a mounting portion to which the toner container is attached, the mounting portion including: a receiving port for receiving toner supplied from the toner container; and an operating member for operating the container shutter from the outside when the toner container is attached to the mounting portion, the operating member being configured to be movable together with the container shutter;
a toner storage section configured to store the toner received through the receiving port;
a cover portion that can be opened and closed between a closed position that covers the mounting portion and an open position that exposes the mounting portion to the outside;
a detection unit that outputs a signal according to the position of the lid unit;
an actuator for restricting movement of the operating member;
a control unit that controls the actuator;
a sensor that outputs a signal that changes depending on the amount of toner contained in the toner container;
and
the control unit controls the actuator to release the restriction on movement of the operating member when the detection unit detects that the cover unit is in the open position and a predetermined condition is satisfied;
the predetermined condition includes a state of the signal output from the sensor indicating that the amount of toner contained in the toner container is less than a predetermined amount;
An image forming apparatus characterized by: a restricting member that includes an engaging portion that can be engaged with the operating member and that can move between a restricting position where the engaging portion protrudes into a movement trajectory of the operating member and a restricting release position where the engaging portion retracts from the movement trajectory of the operating member,
The actuator is configured to move the restricting member between the restricting position and the unrestricted position,
the control unit controls the actuator to move the restricting member from the restricting position to the unrestricted position when the detection unit detects that the cover is in the open position and the predetermined condition is satisfied.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. When the restricting member, the restricting position, and the unrestricted position are respectively defined as a first restricting member, a first restricting position, and a first unrestricted position,
a second restricting member configured to be movable between a second restricting position that restricts movement of the operating member and a second restricting release position that releases restriction on movement of the operating member,
the second restricting member is configured to be in the second restricting position when the toner container is not attached to the attachment portion, and to be in the second unrestricted position when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion,
When the first restricting member is at the first restricting position and the second restricting member is at the second restricting position , the second restricting member restricts movement of the operating member so that the operating member does not come into contact with the engaging portion of the first restricting member.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. a marking member in which a first marking and a second marking are provided at mutually different positions;
a cover provided with a window configured to allow either the first mark or the second mark to be visible;
The sign member is
The cover is configured to move relative to the cover between a first position where the first marking is visible through the window and a second position where the second marking is visible through the window,
The operating member is configured to move in conjunction with the operation of the actuator so that the operating member is in the first position when the movement of the operating member is restricted, and is in the second position when the movement restriction of the operating member is released.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. a marking member in which a first marking and a second marking are provided at mutually different positions;
a cover provided with a window configured to allow either the first mark or the second mark to be visible;
The sign member is
The window is configured to move between a first position where the first marking is visible through the window and a second position where the second marking is visible through the window,
The restricting member is configured to move in conjunction with the operation of the actuator so that the restricting member is at the first position when in the restricting position and is at the second position when in the unrestricted position.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. The first marking has a character indicating that the movement of the operation member is restricted, and the second marking has a character indicating that the movement of the operation member is not restricted.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. the lid portion is a discharge tray that supports recording materials discharged to the outside of the apparatus when in the closed position;
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. the predetermined condition includes that the power supply of the image forming apparatus is ON;
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. an image forming section for forming an image on a recording material;
a conveying section that conveys a recording material toward the image forming section;
a conveying path through which the recording material conveyed by the conveying unit passes;
an opening/closing member that is movable between a closed position that covers the transport path and an open position that exposes the transport path to the outside;
an opening/closing detection sensor that detects the opening and closing of the opening/closing member,
the predetermined condition includes that the open/close detection sensor detects that the open/close member is in the closed position.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. the predetermined condition includes that a sheet is not jammed in the conveying path;
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , a stirring member that stirs the toner in the toner storage portion;
a drive source that drives the stirring member,
the control unit controls the actuator so that the movement of the operation member is restricted after the restriction on the movement of the operation member is released and the container shutter is opened or closed by the movement of the operation member, and before the stirring member is driven by the drive source.
11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: a first fixing member ; the toner container has a bag for storing toner, and a nozzle portion communicating with the inside of the bag and having the opening;
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium. a receiving section having a receiving port for receiving toner supplied from outside, a main body shutter for opening and closing the receiving port, and an operating member for operating the main body shutter from outside to open and close the main body shutter;
a toner storage section configured to store the toner received through the receiving port;
a cover portion that can be opened and closed between a closed position that covers the operating member and an open position that exposes the operating member to the outside;
a detection unit that outputs a signal according to the position of the lid unit;
an actuator for restricting movement of the operating member;
a control unit that controls the actuator;
a sensor that outputs a signal that changes depending on the amount of toner contained in the toner container;
and
the control unit controls the actuator to release the restriction on movement of the operating member when the detection unit detects that the cover unit is in the open position and a predetermined condition is satisfied;
the predetermined condition includes a state of the signal output from the sensor indicating that the amount of toner contained in the toner container is less than a predetermined amount;
An image forming apparatus characterized by: