JPH02298973A - toner supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner in a toner cartridge to a developing section.

Conventional technology Conventionally, toner replenishment devices for replenishing toner in a toner cartridge to a developing section have generally had a toner cartridge disposed above the developing section and allowing the toner to fall from within the toner cartridge under its own weight. be. However, in such a toner replenishing device, it is necessary to secure a space above the developing section for arranging the toner cartridge, and in addition, it is necessary to store the toner supplied from within the toner cartridge by falling under its own weight, and also to A hopper with an agitation device to prevent coagulation must be provided in front of the developing section. For this reason, the toner replenishing device becomes large, and the overall size of the copying apparatus cannot be reduced.

Therefore, JP-A-62-170987 and JP-A-63
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62857 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-27866, a toner cartridge is provided with a feeding mechanism that sends out toner toward a developing section, and a hopper is omitted, thereby improving the toner replenishment device and copying apparatus as a whole. Efforts are being made to downsize the device.

In addition, Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-88349 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-9
As described in Japanese Patent No. 2976, the toner cartridge is rotated to cause the toner to fall under its own weight toward the developing section, and the hopper is omitted, thereby reducing the size of the toner replenishing device and the copying device as a whole. ing.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention First, in a toner replenishing device in which a delivery mechanism is provided within a toner cartridge, the toner cartridge, which is a consumable item, has a complicated structure and is very expensive.

In addition, in a toner replenishing device that rotates a toner cartridge, the toner is supplied by falling under its own weight, so the toner cartridge must be placed above the developing section, which reduces the degree of freedom in arranging the toner cartridge. In addition, it is not possible to downsize the toner replenishing device in the vertical direction.

Means for Solving the Problems A casing having a toner replenishment port opening facing the developing section is provided, and a toner cartridge holder that removably stores and holds a toner cartridge containing toner and rotates integrally with the toner cartridge is provided. An opening is provided in the casing and communicates with a toner discharge port formed on the outer periphery of the toner cartridge, and an opening is formed on the outer periphery of the toner cartridge holder, and an opening is formed on the outer periphery of the toner cartridge holder on the inner periphery of the casing. A plurality of toner conveying portions are provided that protrude toward the toner.

The working toner cartridge is housed and held in the toner cartridge holder, and a toner discharge port formed on the outer periphery of the toner cartridge is communicated with an opening formed on the outer periphery of the toner cartridge holder. When the toner cartridge and toner cartridge holder are rotated together in this state, the toner in the toner cartridge is discharged into the casing through the toner discharge port and the opening. The toner discharged into the casing is transported toward the toner replenishment port by a toner transport section that rotates integrally with the toner cartridge holder, and is replenished from the toner replenishment port to the developing section.

Example An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

It has a developing roller 2, a conveying member 3, and an agitating member 4 that rotate in opposition to a drum-shaped photoreceptor 1, and is also provided with a developing section 5 that stores a developer in which toner and magnetic powder are mixed. . A casing 6 is attached to the developing section 5, and the second casing 6 is formed with a toner supply lower opening facing the developing section 5. Note that a toner replenishment roller 10 sandwiched between seal members 8 and 9 is rotatably provided in the toner replenishment lower.

A toner cartridge holder 11 is provided in the casing 6.
is provided rotatably around a horizontal axis, and a toner cartridge 12 containing toner is removably housed and held in this toner cartridge holder 11. The toner cartridge 12 has a cylindrical tube portion 1.
3, a rear flange 14, and a front flange 15, and a handle 16 is formed on the front flange 15. A protrusion 17 is formed on the periphery of the rear flange 14, and a toner outlet 18 is provided in the cylindrical portion 13 for discharging the toner stored inside.
is formed along the axial direction of the toner cartridge 12.

Next, the toner cartridge holder 11 is composed of a cylindrical tube part 19 and a rear flange part 20, and the front end where the toner cartridge 12 is attached/detached is open. The cylindrical portion 19 has a groove portion 21 that slidably fits into the protrusion 17 when the toner cartridge 12 is attached to or removed from the toner cartridge holder 1.
1 along the axial direction. Further, an opening 22 is formed in the cylindrical portion 19 along the axial direction of the toner cartridge holder 11, and the opening 22 substantially coincides with and communicates with the toner outlet 18 of the toner cartridge 12 housed and held. Furthermore, on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 19,
A plurality of fins 23 are formed along the axial direction of the toner cartridge holder 11 and protrude toward the inner peripheral surface of the casing 6 as toner conveying portions.

An enlarged diameter portion 25 is formed at the opening side end of the cylindrical portion 19 and functions as a journal for a bearing portion 24 integrally formed in the casing 6. A sealing member 26 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the casing 25 and the inner peripheral surface of the casing 6. Further, a stopper 27 is formed on the enlarged diameter portion 25 and engages with the peripheral edge of the front flange 15 of the toner cartridge 12 to prevent the toner cartridge 12 from slipping out.

Further, a seal member 28 is interposed between the outer surface of the back flange portion 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the casing 6, and the inner surface of the back flange portion 20 is provided with the back flange 15. Sponge piece 29 of the elastic member that comes into contact with the outer surface of
is fixed.

A drive shaft 30 is fixed to the back flange portion 20 of the toner cartridge holder 11, and a drive gear 31 is fixed to an end of the drive shaft 30 that penetrates the casing 6 and projects outside the casing 6. has been done. The drive gear 30 is connected to a toner replenishment roller gear 33 fixed to the rotating shaft 32 of the toner replenishment roller 10 via an idle gear 34.

In such a configuration, first, mounting of the toner cartridge 12 into the toner cartridge holder 11 will be described. By aligning the protrusion 17 of the toner cartridge 12 with the groove 19 of the toner cartridge holder 11, pushing the toner cartridge 12 into the toner cartridge holder 11, and engaging the stopper 27 with the peripheral edge of the front flange 15 of the toner cartridge 12. The toner cartridge 12 is prevented from being removed. Note that when the toner cartridge 12 is pushed in, the toner cartridge 12
The back flange 14 of the toner cartridge 12 comes into contact with the sponge piece 29, and the toner cartridge 12 is biased toward the front, and the stopper 27 securely prevents the toner cartridge from coming off.

When the toner cartridge 12 is installed with the protrusion 17 and the groove 19 facing each other, the toner outlet 18 of the toner cartridge 12 and the opening 22 of the toner cartridge holder 11
They communicate with each other in a state where they almost match. Since the toner cartridge 12 is prevented from rotating due to the engagement between the protrusion 17 and the groove 19, the toner discharge port 18 and the opening 22 are always maintained in a communicating state.

When a driving force from a driving section (not shown) is transmitted to the driving shaft 30, the toner cartridge holder 11 and the toner cartridge 12 rotate integrally. This rotation agitates the toner in the toner cartridge 12 and prevents it from coagulating. Further, when the toner discharge port 18 and the opening 22 come downward due to rotation, the toner in the toner cartridge 12 is discharged into the casing 6 through the toner discharge port 18 and the opening 22. The toner discharged into the casing 6 is delivered to the toner replenishing roller 1 by the fins 23 that rotate integrally with the toner cartridge holder 11.
The toner is conveyed to the 0 side and replenished to the developing section 5 by the rotation of the toner replenishing roller 10.

Note that if there is enough toner in the casing 6, even if the toner discharge port 18 and the opening 22 are at the bottom, the opening 22
Since the toner in the casing 6 is blocked by the toner in the casing 6, the toner is not discharged into the casing 6.

Effects of the Invention The present invention stores and holds the toner cartridge in the toner cartridge holder provided in the casing as described above, and communicates the toner discharge port formed in the toner cartridge with the opening formed in the toner cartridge holder. By rotating the toner cartridge holder and the toner cartridge integrally, the toner in the toner cartridge can be discharged into the casing without solidifying. By providing a plurality of toner conveyance sections that protrude toward the toner cartridge holder, the toner conveyance section that rotates integrally with the toner cartridge holder conveys the toner discharged into the casing toward the toner replenishment port of the casing. The developing section can be replenished from the replenishing port, which simplifies the structure of the toner cartridge, which is a consumable item, and makes it inexpensive.Moreover, the toner cartridge can be placed horizontally with respect to the developing section. This has the effect of increasing the degree of freedom regarding the location of the toner cartridge and making it possible to downsize the entire developing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a vertical front view, FIG. 2 is a vertical side view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge holder. It is a diagram. 5... Developing section, 6... Casing, 7... Toner supply port, 11... Toner cartridge holder, 12...
...Toner cartridge, 18...Toner discharge port, 2
2...Opening, 23...Toner transport section

Claims (1)

[Claims] A casing having a toner replenishment port opening facing the developing section is provided, and a toner cartridge holder for removably storing and holding a toner cartridge containing toner and rotating integrally with the toner cartridge is provided in the casing, An opening communicating with the toner discharge port formed on the outer circumference of the toner cartridge is formed on the outer circumference of the toner cartridge holder, and a plurality of openings are formed on the outer circumference of the toner cartridge holder and protrude toward the inner circumference of the casing. A toner replenishing device characterized by being provided with a toner conveyance section.