JP2007199280A - Developer storage case - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developer cartridge in which toner hardly leaks.
A developer cartridge 43 of the present invention includes a case main body 43a and a supply roller 48 rotatably supported by the case main body 43a. The supply roller 48 includes a supply roller shaft 48b, a cylindrical supply roller body 48a covering the supply roller shaft 48b, and a fixing member 180 fixed to the supply roller shaft 48b. A gap G1 is provided between the end surface 170 of the supply roller main body 48a and the inner side surface 190 of the case main body 43a. The fixing member 180 partially fills this gap G1.
[Selection] Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer storage case that stores a developer such as toner.

For example, a laser printer prints on a recording medium (for example, printing paper) using a developer (for example, toner). The laser printer has a case for accommodating the developer. The developer storage case includes a case main body and a pair of rollers rotatably supported by the case main body. One roller is called a supply roller. The other roller is called a developing roller. The supply roller carries the developer contained in the case main body. The supply roller has a rotation shaft and a cylindrical roller body that covers the rotation shaft. The developing roller is in contact with the supply roller outside the case body rather than the supply roller. When both the developing roller and the supply roller rotate while being in contact with each other, the developer is supplied from the supply roller to the developing roller. At this time, the developer is positively or negatively charged by friction between the developing roller and the supply roller. The developing roller carries a positively or negatively charged developer.
The laser printer has a photoconductor that contacts the developing roller. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor. When both the developing roller and the photosensitive member rotate while being in contact, the developer carried by the developing roller adheres to the electrostatic latent image portion of the photosensitive member. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member becomes visible. The visualized developer is transferred from the photoreceptor to the recording medium, whereby printing or drawing is performed on the recording medium.
The following Patent Document 1 discloses a laser printer having the above configuration.

JP 2002-287487 A

The particle size of the developer is very small. For this reason, even if the case body is tightly sealed, the developer may leak out of the case body. When the developer leaks, various devices disposed outside are contaminated. It is necessary to configure the developer storage case so that the developer does not leak.
The inventors have discovered that an event occurs in which the developer carried by the roller body of the supply roller moves in the direction of the rotation axis, for example. That is, it has been discovered that an event occurs in which the developer moves from the roller body toward the inner surface of the case body. In this case, the developer that has moved toward the inner surface of the case main body may enter a small space (for example, a space between the developing roller and a member that seals it) that exists near the inner surface of the case main body. is there. When this space communicates with the outside of the case body, the developer that has entered the space may leak out of the case body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a technique capable of suppressing an event in which developer leaks from the inner surface of a case body.

The inventors have created a technique for providing a gap between the end surface of the roller body and the inner surface of the case body. In this way, the developer that has moved from the roller body in the direction of the rotation axis enters the gap. Therefore, it is difficult for the developer to reach the inner surface of the case body. If this configuration is adopted, it seems that the phenomenon that the developer leaks from the inner surface of the case body can be suppressed.
However, the entered developer accumulates in the gap. If the developer accumulates near the inner surface of the case body, the developer that has lost its place of leakage leaks from the inner surface of the case body to the outside of the case body. Even if a gap is provided between the end surface of the roller body and the inner side surface of the case body, the developer leakage can be suppressed until the gap is filled with the developer, but after the gap is filled with the developer. Causes developer leakage. The present invention effectively suppresses developer leakage by preventing the developer from accumulating in the gap between the end surface of the roller body and the inner surface of the case body.

The technique of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are only diagrams for explaining the technical idea of the present invention. The shape and position of each member are not limited as shown in these drawings. The technical scope of the present invention is construed based on the description of the claims.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of the developer storage case 500. The developer storage case 500 includes a case main body 502 and a first roller 504 that is rotatably supported by the case main body 502. The first roller 504 includes a rotation shaft 506, a cylindrical roller body 508 that covers the rotation shaft 506, and a fixing member 510 that is fixed to the rotation shaft 506 and / or the roller body 508. In FIG. 1, the fixing member 510 is fixed to the rotating shaft 506. A gap 512 is provided between the end surface 508 a of the roller body 508 and the inner surface 502 a of the case body 502. The fixing member 510 described above partially fills this gap 512.
A gap 512 is provided in the developer storage case 500. The developer that has moved from the roller body 508 in the direction of the rotation axis 506 enters the gap 512. For this reason, it is difficult for the developer to reach the inner surface 502a of the case body. In this technique, when the first roller 504 rotates, the fixing member 510 also rotates. For this reason, the fixing member 510 can scrape off the developer that has entered the gap 512. It is difficult for the developer to accumulate near the inner side surface 502 a of the case body 502. By using the developer storage case 500, it is possible to effectively suppress the phenomenon of developer leakage.

The first roller 504 may be a so-called supply roller or a so-called developing roller. Other types of rollers may also be used.
Further, the fixing member 510 is not limited to being fixed to the rotating shaft 512. Another example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of a part of the developer storage case 500. The fixing member 510a in FIG. 2 is fixed to the roller body 508. The fixing member 510b is fixed to both the rotating shaft 506 and the roller body 508. Even if these fixing members 510a and 510b are used, the developer that has entered the gap 512 can be scraped off.

The fixing member may be configured separately from the roller body. On the other hand, the fixing member may be configured integrally with the roller body.
In the latter case, the roller body and the fixing member can be formed by cutting a material. In this way, since the roller body and the fixing member can be manufactured from one material, it is possible to reduce the number of types of materials necessary for constituting the developer accommodating case.

If the fixing member largely fills the gap, the significance of providing the gap becomes poor. For this reason, it is preferable that the fixing member has a volume that is not more than half the volume of the gap.
In this way, a sufficiently large gap can be provided between the end surface of the roller body and the inner surface of the case body.
The volume of the gap can be obtained by subtracting the volume of the rotating shaft 506 in the area from the volume of the area indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.

Various shapes can be adopted for the above-described fixing member. Examples of the shape of the fixing member are listed below.
(1) When the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member may have a rectangular shape extending radially outward from the center of the end surface of the roller body.
(2) When the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member may extend from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller body toward the outside in the radial direction and bend in the counter-rotating direction of the first roller. .
(3) When the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member may have a sector shape that spreads radially outward from the center of the end surface of the roller body.
(4) When the end surface of the roller main body is viewed from the front, the fixing member may have a blade shape extending radially outward from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller main body in the radial direction.
(5) When the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member may extend outward beyond the end surface of the roller body. The fixing member 510b in FIG. 2 corresponds to this configuration.
(6) The fixing member may extend from the end surface of the roller body to the inner surface of the case body.
Regardless of the configuration (1) to (6) described above, the developer that has entered the gap can be effectively scraped off.

The developer storage case may further include a second roller that is rotatably supported by the case body, and a side seal member that is fixed to the case body. The second roller is in contact with the first roller on the outer side of the case body than the first roller. The case body has a region facing the rotation surface at the end of the second roller in the rotation axis direction. The side seal member is disposed in the facing region and is in contact with the second roller. The end surface of the roller body of the first roller may face both the case body and the side seal member.
If this structure is utilized, the edge part of a 2nd roller can be sealed with a side seal member.
The end surface of the roller body faces both the case body and the side seal member. If the fixing member is not provided, the developer accumulates in the gap between the end surface of the roller body and the inner surface of the case body, and in a slight space between the side seal member and the rotation surface (circumferential surface) of the second roller. There is a possibility of developer entering. This may cause developer leakage. In the present invention, since the fixing member is provided, it is difficult for the developer to accumulate in the gap between the side seal member and the second roller. The phenomenon that the developer enters between the side seal member and the second roller can be effectively suppressed.

The side seal member may have a first layer fixed to the case body and a second layer laminated on the first layer and in contact with the second roller. The first layer may be formed of an elastic material. The second layer may be formed of a fiber material.
Since the first layer is formed of an elastic material, the side seal member can be firmly pressed against the second roller. In general, the fiber material has a low coefficient of friction. For this reason, the second roller can rotate smoothly while in contact with the second layer.

The fixing member may be formed of the same fiber material as that of the second layer of the side seal member.
According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of types of materials necessary for configuring the developer storage case. Further, since the developer is entangled with the fibers of the fixing member, the fixing member can effectively scrape the developer.

The developer storage case may include a layer thickness regulating member fixed to the case body. The layer thickness regulating member is in contact with the second roller and regulates the thickness of the developer carried by the second roller. A cutout may be provided at a predetermined position of the layer thickness regulating member. If comprised in this way, the contact area of the layer thickness control member with respect to a 2nd roller will become large in parts other than a notch, and will become small in a notch part. When the contact area is large, a small pressure is applied from the layer thickness regulating member to the second roller, and when the contact area is small, a large pressure is applied from the layer thickness regulating member to the second roller. Accordingly, the developer layer of the second roller is thicker in the portion where the contact area is large, and the developer layer of the second roller is thinner in the portion where the contact area is small.
Said notch is provided in the position corresponding to the edge part of the rotation direction of the 2nd roller. For this reason, the developer layer becomes thin at the end of the second roller in the rotation axis direction. The end of the second roller in the rotation axis direction is near the inner side surface of the case body. According to this configuration, the developer layer of the second roller can be thinned near the inner side surface of the case body. This has been found to make it difficult for the developer to leak from the inner surface of the case.
In the above configuration, the developer enters the notch of the layer thickness regulating member. If the developer accumulates in the notch, the developer layer of the second roller cannot be thinned by the notch. In order to avoid this, it is preferable that the fixing member has a length that penetrates into the notch during the rotation of the first roller.
According to this configuration, the developer that has entered the notch is removed by the fixing member, and a gap is formed again. By utilizing this technique, developer leakage can be effectively suppressed.

Here, the main features of the techniques described in the following examples are summarized.
(Embodiment 1) The developer accommodating case is a developer cartridge that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus main body (for example, a copier, a laser printer, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine, etc.) that forms an image using the developer. .
(Mode 2) When the developer cartridge is attached to the photosensitive cartridge, a process cartridge can be configured. The user can replace only the photoconductor cartridge and can also replace only the developer cartridge. The entire process cartridge can also be replaced. The photosensitive member cartridge has a photosensitive member. The developing roller of the developer cartridge is in contact with the photoreceptor.
(Mode 3) An image forming apparatus having a developer accommodating case is very useful. This image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor and the developer storage case described above. The developer carried by the developing roller of the developer containing case is supplied to the surface of the photoreceptor. Then, the developer supplied to the surface of the photoreceptor is transferred to the recording medium.

(Mode 4) The fixing member has a first portion that covers the supply roller shaft, and a second portion that extends from the first portion toward the radially outer side of the end surface of the supply roller body. A notch is provided between the first part and the second part. By providing this notch, the second portion can be easily bent.
(Mode 5) The fixing member contacts the second layer of the side seal member during rotation of the supply roller. According to this configuration, the fixing member can scrape off the developer attached to the side surface of the second layer of the side seal member.
(Mode 6) The fixing member contacts the developing roller during rotation of the supply roller. According to this configuration, the fixing member can scrape off the developer that tends to enter the gap between the side seal member and the developing roller.
(Mode 7) The fixing member bends by contacting the developing roller. Thereby, the developer adhering to the edge part between the contact surface of the side seal member with respect to the developing roller and the side surface of the side seal member can be scraped off well.

(First embodiment)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the laser printer 10 of this embodiment. Hereinafter, the laser printer 10 may be simply described as the printer 10. In this embodiment, the right direction in FIG. 3 is the front side of the printer 10.
(Whole structure of laser printer)
First, the overall configuration of the laser printer 10 will be briefly described.
(Structure of casing)
The printer 10 has a casing 12. The casing 12 is composed of a plurality of plate-like members. FIG. 3 shows a rear cover member 14, a front cover member 16, and the like as members constituting a part of the casing 12. The front cover member 16 can swing in the direction of the arrow R1 or R2 about the shaft 18. When the front cover member 16 swings in the direction of the arrow R1, the casing 12 is opened. In this state, a process cartridge 40 described later can be replaced. When the front cover member 16 swings in the direction of arrow R2, the casing 12 is closed.

The printer 10 includes a paper feeding device 20, a process cartridge 40, an exposure device 70, a toner fixing device 90, and the like. Each of these devices 20, 40, 70, 90 is arranged inside the casing 12. Below, each apparatus 20,40,70,90 is demonstrated in order.
(Configuration of paper feeder)
The paper feeding device 20 includes a paper feeding tray 22 and four rollers 28, 30, 32, 34 and the like. Print sheets (not shown) are stacked on the paper feed tray 22. The paper feed tray 22 has a bottom plate 24 on which stacked printing papers are placed.
The paper feed roller 28 rotates counterclockwise. When the paper supply roller 28 rotates, the uppermost printing paper stored in the paper supply tray 22 is fed to the right (arrow D1). The printing paper fed in the right direction contacts the roller 30. Further, the printing paper passes between the rollers 32 and 34. The printing paper that has passed through the rollers 32 and 34 is sent between the two registration rollers 38 and 38 along the rail 36.

The lower registration roller 38 rotates counterclockwise. Thereby, the printing paper can be sent in the direction of arrow D2. The upper registration roller 38 is driven by contact with the printing paper fed by the lower registration roller 38 and rotates clockwise.
When the printing paper is fed in the direction of the arrow D2 by the registration rollers 38, 38, printing or drawing is printed on the printing paper. Specifically, printing is performed by the process cartridge 40, the exposure device 70, and the fixing device 90.

(Process cartridge configuration)
The process cartridge 40 can be attached to and detached from the casing 12. When the front cover 16 is opened (arrow R1), the process cartridge 40 can be removed from the casing 12. The old process cartridge 40 can be replaced with a new one.
A detailed configuration of the process cartridge 40 will be described later. Here, the configuration will be briefly described. The process cartridge 40 has a casing 42. A through hole 42 a is formed on the upper surface of the casing 42. A toner chamber 45 is formed on the right side inside the casing 42. Toner is stored in the toner chamber 45. Three rollers 48, 50, 52 and a photosensitive drum 54 are arranged on the left side inside the casing 42. Each of these rollers 48, 50, 52 and drum 54 is connected to a drive source (not shown). The roller 48 located on the rightmost side is called a supply roller. A developing roller 50 is disposed on the left side of the supply roller 48. A photosensitive drum 54 is disposed on the left side of the developing roller 50. A transfer roller 52 is disposed below the photosensitive drum 54. The printing paper fed in the direction of the arrow D 2 by the registration roller 38 enters between the photosensitive drum 54 and the transfer roller 52. The photosensitive drum 54 rotates clockwise and the transfer roller 52 rotates counterclockwise. As the photosensitive drum 54 and the transfer roller 52 rotate, the printing paper is further fed leftward (arrow D2). In the process of feeding in the left direction, the toner attached to the photosensitive drum 54 is transferred to the printing paper.

(Configuration of exposure apparatus)
The exposure device 70 is disposed above the process cartridge 40. The exposure apparatus 70 is fixed to the casing 12. The exposure apparatus 70 has a casing 72. A through hole 72 a is formed in the lower surface of the casing 72. In the casing 72, a polygon mirror 74, a reflecting mirror 76, a lens 78, a reflecting mirror 80, and the like are provided. The exposure apparatus 70 has a light source (not shown). A laser beam is emitted from the light source. The laser beam supplied from the light source is deflected by the polygon mirror 74 and travels toward the reflecting mirror 76. The laser beam is reflected by the reflecting mirror 76 and passes through the lens 78. The laser beam that has passed through the lens 78 is further reflected by the reflecting mirror 80. The laser beam reflected by the reflecting mirror 80 goes out of the casing 72 from the through hole 72a and travels downward. The laser beam that has jumped out of the casing 72 passes through the through hole 42 a of the process cartridge 40 and reaches the photosensitive drum 54. Thereby, the photosensitive drum 54 is exposed in a predetermined pattern. An arrow L in FIG. 3 indicates the locus of the laser beam described above.

(Configuration of toner fixing device)
Next, the configuration of the toner fixing device 90 will be described. The toner fixing device 90 is disposed behind the process cartridge 40 (on the left side in FIG. 3). The toner fixing device 90 includes a frame 92, a heating roller 94, and a pressure roller 96.
The frame 92 rotatably supports the heating roller 94 and the pressure roller 96. The heating roller 94 includes a metal tube 94a and a halogen lamp 94b disposed therein. A halogen lamp 94b heats the metal tube 94a. The heating roller 94 rotates clockwise. The pressure roller 96 is urged toward the heating roller 94 by a mechanism not shown. The pressure roller 96 is driven to rotate counterclockwise when the heating roller 94 rotates clockwise.
The printing paper that has passed through the process cartridge 40 enters between the heating roller 94 and the pressure roller 96. When the heating roller 94 rotates clockwise, the printing paper between the heating roller 94 and the pressure roller 96 is sent leftward. The printing paper is heated by the heating roller 94 heated to a high temperature. As a result, the toner transferred to the printing paper is fixed by heat. The printing paper that has passed through the toner fixing device 90 is sent in the upper left direction (arrow D3).

(Configuration of paper discharge mechanism)
A conveyance roller 97 is disposed immediately below the left end of the frame 92. The conveyance roller 97 rotates counterclockwise. The conveyance roller 97 further sends the printing paper sent via the toner fixing device 90 to the upper left. The printing paper sent to the upper left by the conveyance roller 97 is sent in the right direction along the rail 98 (arrow D4).
A pair of paper discharge rollers 100, 100 are disposed on the right side of the rail 98. The lower paper discharge roller 100 rotates clockwise. When the lower paper discharge roller 100 rotates clockwise, the upper paper discharge roller 100 follows and rotates counterclockwise.
The printing paper sent by the transport roller 96 enters between the pair of paper discharge rollers 100, 100. When the lower paper discharge roller 100 rotates clockwise, the printing paper between the two paper discharge rollers 100, 100 is fed rightward. The printing paper is sent out of the casing 12. A paper discharge tray 110 is formed on the upper surface of the casing 12. The printing paper sent out of the casing 12 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 110.

The overall configuration of the printer 10 has been briefly described. Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 40 will be described in detail.
(Detailed configuration of process cartridge)
FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 40. The process cartridge 40 is composed of two cartridges 43 and 44. The cartridge 43 arranged on the right side is called a developer cartridge, and the cartridge 44 arranged on the left side is called a photoreceptor cartridge. The developer cartridge 43 and the photoconductor cartridge 44 are detachably connected. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the photosensitive member cartridge 44 after the developer cartridge 43 is separated. According to the process cartridge 40, only the developer cartridge 43 can be replaced, and only the photosensitive member cartridge 44 can be replaced. The entire process cartridge 40 can also be replaced.

(Configuration of photoconductor cartridge)
The configuration of the photoconductor cartridge 44 will be described. The photoreceptor cartridge 44 has a casing 44a. A through hole 42a through which the laser beam passes is formed on the upper surface of the casing 44a. An inflow hole 44b for receiving printing paper is formed on the lower surface of the casing 44a. Also, a delivery hole 44c through which the printing paper comes out is formed on the left side surface of the casing 44a. The printing paper enters the photosensitive cartridge 44 through the feeding hole 44b, passes between the photosensitive drum 54 and the transfer roller 52, and exits from the feeding hole 44c.
In the casing 44a of the photoconductor cartridge 44, a photoconductor drum 54, a transfer roller 52, and a charger 66 are disposed.

  The photosensitive drum 54 is in contact with the developing roller 50 on the left side of the developing roller 50. The photosensitive drum 54 has a drum body 54a and a drum shaft 54b. The drum main body 54a has a cylindrical shape. The drum main body 54a is a positively charged photoconductor. The drum body 54a is rotatably attached to the drum shaft 54b. The drum shaft 54 b is fixed to the casing 44 a of the photoreceptor cartridge 44. The drum main body 54a is connected to a drive source (not shown). The drum body 54a rotates clockwise.

  The transfer roller 52 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 54 below the photosensitive drum 54. The transfer roller 52 includes a transfer roller main body 52a and a transfer roller shaft 52b. The transfer roller body 52a has a cylindrical shape that covers the transfer roller shaft 52b. The transfer roller shaft 52b is rotatably supported by the casing 44a of the photosensitive cartridge 44. The transfer roller 52 rotates counterclockwise. The transfer roller shaft 52b is connected to a voltage supply circuit (not shown). A bias is applied from the voltage supply circuit to the transfer roller 52 during transfer (when the toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 54 is transferred to the printing paper).

  The charger 66 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 54. A gap is provided between the charger 66 and the photosensitive drum 54. The charger 66 is a scoroton type. The charger 66 has a discharge wire 66a and a grid 66b. The discharge wire 66a extends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. A high voltage is applied to the discharge wire 66a. The grid 66b is disposed between the discharge wire 66a and the photosensitive drum 54. A bias voltage is applied to the grid 66b. Thereby, the discharge amount of the discharge wire 66a is adjusted. A high voltage is applied to the discharge wire 66a to cause corona discharge, and a bias voltage is applied to the grid 66b. As a result, the surface of the photosensitive drum 54 (the drum main body 54a) is positively charged.

(Configuration of developer cartridge)
Next, the configuration of the developer cartridge 43 will be described. The developer cartridge 43 has a case main body 43a. A toner chamber 45 is formed in the case body 43a. The toner chamber 45 stores toner. In this embodiment, a positively charged non-magnetic one-component toner is used. For example, a polymerized toner obtained by copolymerizing a styrene monomer or an acrylic monomer by suspension polymerization is used. As the acrylic monomer, acrylic acid, alkyl (C1 to C4) acrylate, alkyl (C1 to C4) methacrylate and the like can be employed. This polymerized toner has a substantially spherical shape and is excellent in fluidity. A colorant and a wax are blended in the polymerized toner. In order to improve fluidity, an external additive such as silica is added. An agitator 46 is accommodated in the toner chamber 45. The agitator 46 is supported by the case body 43a so as to be rotatable about a shaft 46a. When the agitator 46 rotates clockwise, the toner in the toner chamber 45 is agitated. As a result, the toner is supplied to the supply roller 48.

An opening 43b is formed on the left surface of the case main body 43a. The opening 43b extends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. A supply roller 48 is disposed on the right side of the opening 43b. A developing roller 50 is disposed on the left side of the opening 43b. The supply roller 48 and the developing roller 50 are disposed at a position facing the opening 43b.
The supply roller 48 includes a supply roller main body 48a, a supply roller shaft 48b, and a fixing member 180 (not shown in FIG. 4 but shown in FIG. 6 and the like). The supply roller main body 48a has a cylindrical shape that covers the supply roller shaft 48b. The supply roller main body 48a is formed of a conductive foam material. The supply roller shaft 48b is made of metal. The supply roller shaft 48b is rotatably supported by the case main body 43a of the developer cartridge 43. The supply roller 48 rotates counterclockwise. The fixing member 180 will be described in detail later.

  The developing roller 50 is located on the outer side of the case main body 43 a with respect to the supply roller 48. The developing roller 50 is in strong contact with the supply roller 48. The developing roller 50 includes a developing roller main body 50a and a developing roller shaft 50b. The developing roller body 50a has a cylindrical shape that covers the developing roller shaft 50b. The developing roller body 50a is made of a conductive rubber material. As this rubber material, conductive urethane rubber or silicon rubber containing carbon fine particles can be employed. The developing roller shaft 50b is made of metal. A voltage supply circuit (not shown) is connected to the developing roller shaft 50b. During development (when toner is attached to the photosensitive drum 54), a bias is applied to the developing roller 50 from this voltage supply circuit. The developing roller shaft 50b is rotatably supported by the case body 43a. The developing roller 50 rotates counterclockwise.

  A layer thickness regulating member 47 is fixed to the case main body 43a. The layer thickness regulating member 47 is disposed on the left side of the opening 43b. The layer thickness regulating member 47 extends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4 and is in contact with the developing roller 50. The layer thickness regulating member 47 regulates (adjusts) the thickness of the toner layer formed on the surface of the developing roller 50.

FIG. 6 simply shows a front view of the developer cartridge 43 when viewed in the VI direction of FIG. FIG. 6 does not show the photoreceptor cartridge 44. In FIG. 6, the developing roller 50 is indicated by a broken line. The developing roller 50 extends in the left-right direction at a position facing the opening 43b of the case main body 43a. The layer thickness regulating member 47 is fixed to the upper part of the case main body 43a. The layer thickness regulating member 47 extends in the left-right direction.
At the left and right ends of the case main body 43a, there are regions 140 and 140 facing the rotation surface of the developing roller 50 (the cylindrical surface of the developing roller main body 50a). Side seal members 150 and 150 are attached to the opposing regions 140 and 140 of the case main body 43a, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the right end portion (the right end portion in FIG. 6) of the developer cartridge 43. The configuration of the right end portion of the developer cartridge 43 will be described in detail. Since the left end portion of the developer cartridge 43 is the right end portion of the developer cartridge 43 reversed left and right, detailed description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 7, a part of a frame member 160a described later is notched so that the configuration of the layer thickness regulating member 47 is well changed.
In FIG. 7, the developing roller 50 is not shown. A hole 143a for rotatably supporting the developing roller 50 is provided at the right end of the case main body 43a. The developing roller shaft 50b (see FIG. 4) extends outward (to the right in FIG. 7) beyond the hole 143a.
A lower seal member 152 is bonded to the lower frame 43c of the case main body 43a. The lower seal member 152 extends over substantially the entire region of the case body 43a in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 6). FIG. 6 shows the situation well.

8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. In FIG. 8, the developing roller 50 is indicated by a broken line. A broken arrow indicates the rotation direction of the developing roller 50.
The configuration of the side seal member 150 will be described. The side seal member 150 has a two-layer structure. The lower layer 150a of the side seal member 150 is joined to the facing region 140 (see FIG. 6) of the case main body 43a. This lower layer 150a is made of sponge. The upper layer 150b of the side seal member 150 is laminated on the lower layer 150a. The upper layer 150b is made of felt. The upper layer 150b is in contact with the rotating surface of the developing roller 50.
The upper layer 150b extends upward beyond the lower layer 150a. The portion extending upward beyond the lower layer 150a is joined to the sponge layer 150c.
By configuring the lower layer 150a and the sponge layer 150c with a sponge that can be elastically deformed, the upper layer 150b can be strongly pressed against the developing roller 50. Thereby, a high sealing effect can be obtained.

Next, the configuration of the layer thickness regulating member 47 will be described in detail. The layer thickness regulating member 47 includes a holding member 160 and a contact member 162. The holding member 160 holds the contact member 162. The abutment member 162 is shown in FIG. 7, although not visible in the cross-sectional view of FIG. The abutting member 162 extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 50 and abuts over substantially the entire area of the developing roller 50 in the direction of the rotating axis. The contact member 162 is made of rubber.
The holding member 160 includes two frame members 160a and 160b and a stainless plate 160c. The front (left side in FIG. 8) frame member 160a has a substantially L-shape. A stainless steel plate 160c is sandwiched between the front frame member 160a and the rear frame member 160b. Each of the two frame members 160a and 160b and the stainless steel plate 160c extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 50 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 7, the contact member 162 is joined to the stainless steel plate 160c. The contact member 162 is not joined to the left and right end portions (the left and right end portions in FIG. 6) of the stainless steel plate 160c. A side seal member 150 (a part of the sponge layer 150c and the upper layer 150b) is joined to the end portion.

A sponge member 164 is disposed between the case main body 43a and the rear frame member 160b. The sponge member 164 extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 50. The sponge member 164 seals between the case main body 43a and the frame member 160b. A sponge member 166 is also disposed between the sponge member 164 and the stainless steel plate 160c. This sponge member 166 also extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 50 and functions as a seal.
An elastic member (for example, sponge) 168 that fills around the supply roller shaft 48b is disposed at the lower portion of the case body 43a. The side seal member 150 is also bonded to the sponge 168.

Returning to FIG. 7, the configuration around the fixing member 180 of the supply roller 48 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the supply roller 48 has a fixing member 180. A gap G1 is formed between the end surface 170 of the supply roller main body 48a and the inner side surface 190 of the case main body 43a. The fixing member 180 is disposed so as to partially fill the gap G1. The supply roller body end surface 170 is formed flat.
FIG. 9 shows the case body inner side surface 190 and the side seal member 150 when viewed in the IX direction of FIG. In FIG. 9, the supply roller 48 is indicated by a broken line. As shown in FIG. 9, the end surface 170 of the supply roller body 48 a faces both the case body inner surface 190 and the side seal member 150. The fixing member 180 has a length that reaches the developing roller 50 (the length in the radial direction of the supply roller main body end surface 170). In the state of FIG. 9, since the fixing member 180 and the developing roller 50 are in contact, the fixing member 180 is bent.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the end surface 170 of the supply roller main body 48a. As shown in FIG. 10, the exposed portion of the supply roller shaft 48b (the portion protruding from the supply roller main body 48a) has a substantially D shape when viewed in the direction of the paper of FIG. This situation is also shown in FIG. The unexposed portion of the supply roller shaft 48b has a cylindrical shape.
The fixing member 180 is made of resin (specifically, polypropylene resin). The fixing member 180 has a portion 182 formed in a shape corresponding to the D-shape of the supply roller shaft 48b, and a portion 184 extending upward from the portion 182. The fixing member 180 is fixed to the supply roller shaft 48b by fitting the portion 182 into the supply roller shaft 48b.

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of region XI in FIG. A notch 186 is formed between the portion 182 and the portion 184. When viewed in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 11, the notch 186 has a substantially circular shape. The notch 186 is formed in the fixing member 180 over the entire region in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. Since the notch 186 is provided, the portion 184 can be easily bent rightward (clockwise) in FIG.
As can be seen from FIG. 10, the portion 184 of the fixing member 180 has a rectangular shape extending from the supply roller shaft 48 b toward the radially outer side of the supply roller main body end surface 170. The portion 184 extends outward (upward in the state of FIG. 10) beyond the end surface 170 of the supply roller main body. The fixing member 180 has a length that does not contact the layer thickness regulating member 47 (see FIG. 7) even when the supply roller 48 rotates (the length in the radial direction of the supply roller main body end surface 170). On the other hand, the fixing member 180 has a length that contacts the developing roller 50 and the lower frame 43c while the supply roller 48 is rotating. A cutout 186 (see FIG. 11) is provided in the fixing member 180 so that the fixing member 180 can be easily bent by contacting the developing roller 50 or the like. When the fixing member 180 comes into contact with the developing roller 50 or the lower frame 43c, the portion 184 bends.
The fixing member 180 has the same width (width in the left-right direction in FIG. 6) as the distance between the supply roller main body end surface 170 and the case main body inner surface 190 (see FIG. 7). That is, the fixing member 180 is in contact with the supply roller main body end surface 170 and is in contact with the case main body inner surface 190. The fixing member 180 is in contact with the upper layer 150b and the lower layer 150a of the side seal member 150.

(Operation of process cartridge)
The configuration of the process cartridge 40 has been described in detail. Subsequently, the operation of the process cartridge 40 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 4 again.
The toner in the toner chamber 45 adheres to the supply roller 48. The toner adhering to the supply roller 48 is positively charged by friction between the supply roller 48 and the developing roller 50. The positively charged toner covers the surface of the developing roller 50. The contact member 162 (see FIG. 7) of the layer thickness regulating member 47 contacts the toner layer on the surface of the developing roller 50. Thereby, the toner layer is adjusted to a constant thickness.
On the other hand, the surface of the drum body 54 a is positively charged by the charger 66. The positively charged surface of the drum body 54a receives the laser beam emitted from the exposure device 70 (see FIG. 3). Thereby, a predetermined portion of the surface of the drum main body 54a is exposed. The potential of the exposed portion of the drum body 54a is lowered. Which part is exposed depends on the contents of printing. An electrostatic latent image based on the print content is formed on the drum body 54a.
The toner covering the developing roller 50 adheres to the exposed portion of the drum main body 54a. At this time, the toner does not adhere to the non-exposed portion of the drum body 54a. Thereby, the electrostatic latent image formed on the drum main body 54a becomes a visible image.
The visible image carried on the drum body 54 a is transferred to the printing paper between the photosensitive drum 54 and the transfer roller 52. At this time, a bias is applied to the transfer roller 52. The toner is transferred to the printing paper by the potential difference between the photosensitive drum 54 and the transfer roller 52.
A desired image (printing or drawing) is printed on the printing paper through the above-described processes.

In the present embodiment, a gap G1 is provided between the supply roller main body end surface 170 and the case main body inner side surface 190 (see FIG. 7). The toner that moves from the supply roller body 48a in the direction of the rotation axis enters the gap G1. Since the gap G1 is provided, it is possible to prevent the toner from directly moving from the supply roller main body 48a to the case main body inner surface 190.
The supply roller 48 has a fixing member 180 that partially fills the gap G1. The fixing member 180 rotates integrally with the supply roller shaft 48b. As a result, the fixing member 180 scrapes off the toner that has entered the gap G1.
As is apparent from FIGS. 7 and 10, the fixing member 180 is configured to have a very small volume compared to the volume of the gap G1. The volume of the fixing member 180 is at least half of the volume of the gap G1. Since the volume of the fixing member 180 is small, a large volume of the gap G1 is secured.
The fixing member 180 extends from the supply roller main body end surface 170 to the case main body inner surface 190. The fixing member 180 extends outward from the supply roller shaft 48b beyond the supply roller main body end face 170. Because of these configurations, the rotating fixing member 180 can pass through the entire area of the gap G1. Therefore, the fixing member 180 can scrape the toner over the entire area of the gap G1.
If the fixing member 180 is not provided, toner accumulates in the gap G1. In this case, the toner accumulated in the gap G1 enters the slight gap G2 (see FIG. 9) between the side seal member 150 and the developing roller 50. When the toner moves in the gap G2, the toner may leak from the case main body 43a. In this embodiment, since the fixing member 180 is provided, toner does not accumulate in the gap G1. The toner can be prevented from staying near the inner surface 190 of the case body. It is possible to prevent toner from entering the gap G2.
9, the fixing member 180 has a length that reaches the upper layer 150b of the side seal member 150 (the length in the radial direction of the supply roller main body end surface 170). For this reason, the fixing member 180 can scrape off the toner adhering to the side surface of the upper layer 150b. The fixing member 180 has a length that contacts the developing roller 50. The fixing member 180 bends when it contacts the developing roller 50. The fixing member 180 can be scraped off the toner adhering to the edge portion between the contact surface of the side seal member 150 with the developing roller 50 and the side surface of the side seal member 150 by rotating while being bent. The fixing member 180 can scrape off toner that tends to enter between the upper layer 150 b of the side seal member 150 and the developing roller 50.
According to the technique of this embodiment, it is possible to effectively suppress the phenomenon of toner leakage from the developing cartridge 43.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 12 shows the supply roller 48 of the second embodiment. Here, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described.
The fixing member 210 of the present embodiment has a portion 212 that is fixed around the supply roller shaft 48 b and a portion 214 that extends upward from the portion 212. The portion 212 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The upper end of the portion 214 is bent in advance in the right direction (clockwise direction) in FIG. This is different from the first embodiment. The portion 214 is bent in the counter-rotating direction of the supply roller 48.
Even if the fixing member 210 is bent in advance as in the present embodiment, the toner adhering to the edge portion between the contact surface of the side seal member 150 with respect to the developing roller 50 and the side surface of the side seal member 150 can be effectively removed. Can be scraped off.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a front view of a part of the developer cartridge 43 of the third embodiment. Here, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, the configuration of the layer thickness regulating member 47 is different from that of the first embodiment. A cutout 250 is formed in the stainless steel plate 160 c and the contact member 162. The notch 250 is provided at a position corresponding to the end of the developing roller 50 (not shown) in the rotation axis direction (the right end in FIG. 13). According to this configuration, the contact area of the abutting member 162 with respect to the developing roller 50 is large at a portion other than the notch 250 and is small at the notch 250 portion. When the contact area is large, a small pressure is applied from the contact member 162 to the developing roller 50, and the toner layer of the developing roller 50 becomes thick. When the contact area is small, a large pressure is applied from the contact member 162 to the developing roller 50, and the toner layer of the developing roller 50 becomes thin.
The notch 250 is provided at a position corresponding to the end of the developing roller 50 in the rotation axis direction. For this reason, the toner layer becomes thin at the end of the developing roller 50 in the rotation axis direction. The end of the developing roller 50 in the rotation axis direction is near the inner side surface 190 (see FIG. 7) of the case main body 43a. According to this configuration, the toner layer of the developing roller 50 can be made thin near the inner surface 190 of the case body.
If a large amount of toner is present near the inner surface 190 of the case body, the possibility that the toner leaks from the inner surface 190 of the case body increases. According to the configuration of this embodiment, the toner layer of the developing roller 50 can be made thin near the inner surface 190 of the case body. It is possible to avoid a state where a lot of toner is present near the inner surface 190 of the case body.
In the above configuration, toner may enter the notch 250. When the toner enters the notch 250, the toner stays near the inner surface 190 of the case body. In this case, toner leakage is likely to occur. In order to avoid this, the fixing member 280 of this embodiment has a length that enters the notch 250 while the supply roller 48 rotates. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the fixing member 280 has entered the notch 250.
According to this embodiment, when the fixing member 280 enters the notch 250, the toner that has entered the notch 250 can be scraped off. Toner leakage can be effectively suppressed.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a part of the supply roller 48 of the fourth embodiment. Here, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described.
In the first embodiment, the fixing member 180 (see FIG. 7 and the like) is configured separately from the supply roller main body 48a. On the other hand, the fixing members 380a and 380b of the present embodiment are configured integrally with the supply roller main body 48a. The supply roller main body 48a and the fixing members 380a and 380b are formed by cutting a material (foamed material).
The thickness G3 of the fixing members 380a and 380b is equal to the distance between the supply roller main body end surface 170 and the case main body inner surface 190 (see FIG. 7). That is, the fixing members 380 a and 380 b are in contact with the case body inner side surface 190 and the side seal member 150.
In this embodiment, the pair of fixing members 380a and 380b are provided symmetrically about the supply roller shaft 48b. FIG. 15 shows a view in the XV direction of FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, each fixing member 380a, 380b has a rectangular shape extending radially outward from the supply roller shaft 48b.
When this embodiment is adopted, the supply roller main body 48a and the fixing members 380a and 380b can be formed from one material. It is possible to reduce the number of types of materials necessary for constituting the developing cartridge 43.

Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.
(1) The shape of the fixing member can be changed. For example, a shape as shown in FIG. 16 can be adopted. FIG. 16 is a diagram when the supply roller main body end surface 170 of the present modification is viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 16, the fixing members 390a and 390b may have a sector shape that spreads outward from the supply roller shaft 48b in the radial direction.
(2) Further, for example, a shape as shown in FIG. 17 may be employed. FIG. 17 shows a view when the supply roller main body end surface 170 of this modification is viewed from the front. The fixing members 400a to 400f of this modification have a blade shape extending radially outward from the supply roller shaft 48b in the radial direction. When this shape is adopted, the toner can be effectively scraped off.
(3) The material of the fixing member can be changed to a material other than resin. For example, PET or the like can be employed. Further, for example, the fixing member may be configured by the same felt as the upper layer 150 b of the side seal member 150. In this case, the upper layer 150b of the side seal member 150 and the fixing member can be formed from the same material. The number of types of materials necessary for configuring the developer cartridge 43 can be reduced.
(4) The dimension of the fixing member can be changed. For example, the fixing member may not be in contact with the supply roller main body 48a. Further, the fixing member may not be in contact with the case body inner side surface 190. Further, the fixing member may not exceed the supply roller main body end surface 170. For example, the length of the fixing member may be shorter than the radius of the supply roller main body end surface 170.

  The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology illustrated in the present specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical utility by achieving one of the objects.

The perspective view of a part of developer storage case is shown. The figure for demonstrating the technical idea of this invention is shown. The front view of a part of developer storage case is shown. The figure for demonstrating the technical idea of this invention is shown. A sectional view of a laser printer of an example is shown. The expanded sectional view of a process cartridge is shown. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the photosensitive member cartridge. FIG. 5 shows a front view of the developer cartridge when viewed in the VI direction of FIG. 4. The perspective view of the right end part of a developer cartridge is shown. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. The figure of the vicinity of the side seal member when viewed in the IX direction of FIG. 7 is shown. The figure which looked at the supply roller main body end surface from the front is shown. An enlarged view of region XI in FIG. 10 is shown. The supply roller of 2nd Example is shown. The figure which looked at the supply roller main body end surface from the front is shown. The front view of a part of developer cartridge of the third embodiment is shown. The perspective view of a part of supply roller of 4th Example is shown. The figure at the time of seeing to the XV direction of FIG. 14 is shown. The modification of a fixing member is shown. The modification of a fixing member is shown.

Explanation of symbols

10: Laser printer 20: Paper feeding device 40: Process cartridge 45: Toner chamber 47: Layer thickness regulating member 48: Supply roller 48a: Supply roller body 48b: Supply roller shaft 50: Developing roller 52: Transfer roller 54: Photosensitive drum 66: Charger 70: Exposure device 90: Fixing device 150: Side seal member 170: Supply roller main body end surface 180: Fixing member 190: Case main body inner surface

Claims (15)

A developer storage case for storing the developer;
A case body and a first roller rotatably supported by the case body;
The first roller has a rotation shaft, a cylindrical roller body covering the rotation shaft, and a fixing member fixed to the rotation shaft and / or the roller body.
A gap is provided between the end surface of the roller body and the inner surface of the case body,
The developer storage case, wherein the fixing member partially fills the gap.   The developer storage case according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is configured separately from the roller body.   The developer storage case according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is formed integrally with the roller body.   4. The developer accommodating case according to claim 3, wherein the roller body and the fixing member are formed by cutting a material.   The developer storage case according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a volume that is not more than half of the volume of the gap.   The fixing member has a rectangular shape extending from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller body toward the outside in the radial direction when the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front. Developer storage case.   When the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member extends from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller body toward the outside in the radial direction and is bent in the counter-rotating direction of the first roller. The developer accommodating case according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   6. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein when the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member has a fan shape that spreads outward from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller body in the radial direction. Developer storage case.   6. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein when the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front, the fixing member has a blade shape extending radially from the vicinity of the center of the end surface of the roller body radially outward. A developer storage case.   10. The developer storage case according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member extends outward beyond the end surface of the roller body when the end surface of the roller body is viewed from the front.   The developer storage case according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member extends from an end surface of the roller body to an inner surface of the case body. A second roller rotatably supported by the case body, and a side seal member fixed to the case body,
The second roller is in contact with the first roller on the outer side of the case body than the first roller,
The case main body has a region facing the rotation surface at the end of the second roller in the rotation axis direction,
The side seal member is disposed in the facing region and is in contact with the second roller,
The developer containing case according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein an end surface of the roller body of the first roller faces both the case body and the side seal member. The side seal member has a first layer fixed to the case main body, and a second layer laminated on the first layer and in contact with the second roller,
The first layer is formed of an elastic material,
The developer storage case according to claim 12, wherein the second layer is made of a fiber material.   The developer accommodating case according to claim 13, wherein the fixing member is formed of the same fiber material as that of the second layer of the side seal member. A layer thickness regulating member that is fixed to the case body, is in contact with the second roller and regulates the thickness of the developer carried by the second roller;
A notch is provided at a predetermined position of the layer thickness regulating member,
The predetermined position is a position corresponding to the end of the second roller in the rotation axis direction,
The developer storage case according to claim 12, wherein the fixing member has a length that enters the notch during rotation of the first roller.

Images