JPH0361946B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in a toner receiving device for receiving toner in a separate toner container unit in an electrostatic recording device using a dry type developer.

In an electrostatic recording device using a dry two-component developer or an electrostatic recording device using one-component toner, the toner is consumed as copies are made;
After a large number of copies have been made, it is necessary to replenish toner. Toner is generally replenished by replenishing a toner receiving device (hopper) of an electrostatic recording device from a toner container unit containing toner. Toner is a powder with an average particle size of more than 10 microns and is easily scattered, so when replenishing toner, install the toner container unit above the opening that is the toner receiving port of the hopper with the opening facing down. , the toner often leaks or scatters to the outside, contaminating the surrounding area. In addition, toner contamination is often caused by erroneous operation when installing the toner container unit or during other operations. Furthermore, if the toner in the toner container unit solidifies due to humidity or other factors, the toner in the toner container unit will remain in the container even if both the opening lid of the toner container unit and the opening/closing lid of the hopper are opened. will not fall into the hopper.
Toner supply was often insufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a hopper that reliably drops the toner contained in a toner container unit attached thereto into the hopper. In the toner receiving device, the opening/closing lid and/or the sliding portion of the sliding surface thereof are provided with unevenness so that the opening/closing lid is moved with moderate vibration. achieved.

That is, vibration is applied to the container in conjunction with the opening and closing of the lids of the toner container unit and the toner receiving device, thereby ensuring that the toner is dropped and filled.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the structure of the toner container unit will be explained, and then the structure and operation of the toner receiving device (hopper) of the present invention, which is equipped with this toner container unit and receives toner replenishment, will be explained.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the toner container unit 1, showing a case where the opening thereof is sealed with a film-like sheet, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 1) in this state.

In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a container body, which has a cylindrical shape with at least one end open, and is made of plastic, paper, or the like. 12 is a fixed lid, but the fixed lid 12 may be integrally molded with the container body 11 as a plastic molded product.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a mouthpiece, which is attached to the open end of the container body 11. Note that the container body 11 may be made of plastic and may be molded integrally with the mouthpiece 13. This mouthpiece 13 has a protruding portion 131 that engages with a sliding portion of a sliding lid 15, which will be described later.
(Fig. 3) on the left and right with respect to the sliding direction.

14 is a film-like sheet that seals the opening 132 of the mouthpiece 13, and is releasable around the opening 132 and on the lower end surface 133 of the mouthpiece 13.
For example, it is bonded with an adhesive. The tip 141 of this film-like sheet 14 is adhesively fixed to a tip fixing part 1321 near one end of the opening 132,
After being releasably adhered to the lower end surface 133, the extension part is returned down from the sealed end near the other end of the opening 132, passes through the outside of the slide lid 15, and is attached to the base part 1.
The rear end 142 is adhesively fixed to a rear end fixing part 1322 on the upper surface near the front end fixing part 1321 of No. 3. As the material of the film-like sheet 14, a material that is flexible and strong against breakage, such as polyester film, is used.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a sliding lid, which is made of metal, plastic, etc., and serves both to protect the film-like sheet 14 for sealing during storage or transportation, and for opening the seal. The slide lid 15 is provided with a slide groove 151 that engages with the protrusion 131 of the base portion 13. As is clear from the sectional view of FIG. 2, the toner inside the container body 11 is supported by both the film-like sheet 14 and the slide lid 15 during storage or transportation.

Figure 3 shows toner container unit 1 when replenishing toner.
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view in this state (BB sectional view in FIG. 3), and FIG. 5 shows an external view in the same state as seen diagonally from below.

When the slide lid 15 is pulled out in the direction of the fixed parts 1321 and 1322 (rightward in the figure), the film-like sheet 14 is pulled as the slide lid 15 moves, and is gradually peeled off from the other end side of the lower end surface 133 of the opening 132. be done. When the slide lid 15 is fully pulled out to the right, the opening 132 is almost open, and the toner T in the container body 11 is replenished by falling.

When the toner supply is completed, slide the slide lid 15 to the left. The film-like sheet 14 that was peeled off earlier also returns to its original position, returning to the state shown in FIG. Next, the toner container unit 1 is removed from the copying machine hopper, which will be described next.

Next, the toner receiving device (hopper) 2 of the present invention
I will explain about it. 9, 10, and 11 all show cross sections of the toner receiving device 2, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the toner receiving device, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the main part thereof, and FIG. 8 is a cover for opening and closing. FIG. Further, FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a state in which the toner container unit 1 is not attached. 1st
FIG. 0 is a sectional view showing a state in which the toner container unit 1 is only installed. Figure 11 shows that after installing the toner container unit 1, turn the knob 2, which will be explained later.
5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid is opened and the device 5 is moved to the right in the figure. Moreover, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the Z-Z cross section in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing how the components of the toner receiving device 2 of the present invention are attached.

First, the structure of the toner receiving device 2 of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. An upper lid 21 and an inner lid 22 are integrally fixed to the upper surface of the toner receiving device 2. The upper lid 21 is made of molded synthetic resin and has an upper lid opening 2.
11 is provided, and the inner lid 22 is also made of molded synthetic resin, and the inner lid opening 22 is located at the position corresponding to the upper lid opening 211.
There is 1. The openings 211 and 221 are openings for attaching the toner container unit 1. The upper lid 21 also has a long hole 212 provided for moving the knob 25.

There is an opening/closing lid 23 which is held between the upper lid 21 and the inner lid 22 and slides to open and close the openings 211 and 221. The opening/closing lid 23 is also made of molded synthetic resin, and a knob mounting plate 231 is fixed at one end thereof, the tip of which passes through a long hole 212 in the upper lid 21 to the upper surface of the upper lid 21, and a knob 25 is attached thereto. Opening/closing lid 23
The other end has an upwardly protruding inclined surface, to which a blade 232 made of a thin elastic plate is attached.

Further, a compression spring 233 is provided at the right end of the opening/closing lid 23, and the compression spring 233 is connected to a rising portion 233 provided on the end surface of the sliding plate 24 that slides on the opening/closing lid 23.
1 and pushes the sliding plate 24 to the left in the figure. The other end surface of the sliding plate 24 is bent to form a U-shaped portion 242, and the opening/closing lid 23 is sandwiched between the U-shaped portions 242. 242.

A push-up spring A 222 and a push-up spring B 223 are attached to the upper surface of the inner lid 22 to push the opening/closing lid 23 upward, and the upper surface of the opening/closing lid 23 is in contact with the back surface of the upper lid 21 . The blade 232 is in sliding contact with the sliding surface on the back surface of the upper lid 21, and is used to remove toner adhering to the sliding surface when the opening/closing lid 23 is closed to the left. In addition, a packing 224 made of sponge material is attached to the upper surface of the inner lid 22.
This prevents toner from entering between the opening and closing lid 23.

Steps 2301 are provided on both upper surfaces of the opening/closing lid 23, and a step 2101 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper lid 21, and when the lid is closed (FIG. 9), the opening/closing lid 23 is moved by a push-up spring A222. , push-up spring B223
The stepped portion 2301 and the stepped portion 210 are pushed up by the
1 is engaged. FIG. 15 shows a situation in which the push-up spring B223 pushes up the opening/closing lid 23.
FIG. 14 shows this engagement relationship.

In addition, there is a compression spring 234 at the left end of the inner lid 22.
The lock claw member 261 and the lower lock plate 262 push the lock member 26, which is integrally coupled and is slidable from side to side, to the right. The lock member 26 is a member that attaches and holds the toner container unit 1, and the lock member 26 is a member that attaches and holds the toner container unit 1.
When the lid 3 is closed, the tip 2302 of the opening/closing lid 23 prevents the locking member 26 from moving to the right.

The opening/closing lid 23 has a protrusion 2303 that protrudes laterally.
have. A slide member 271 engaged with the protrusion 2303 is placed thereon and slides within the inner lid 22 as the opening/closing lid 23 moves. The slide member 271 has an inner lid opening 2 perpendicular to its sliding direction.
A shaft 272 and a stopper member 273 for supporting the shaft 272 are provided at a position to the left of the shaft 21. The shaft 272 is provided with a leveling plate 28 that is rotatable about the shaft 272. However, the rotation of the leveling plate 28 in the clockwise direction is stopped at the vertical position by the stopper member 273. It can also be rotated counterclockwise to a horizontal position. (Figure 11) Leveling board 2
When the knob 25 is moved to the right and the opening/closing lid 23 is opened, the knob 8 is also moved to the right. Therefore, the leveling plate 28 moves rightward within the toner receiving device 2 while being maintained in a vertical position by the stopper member 273.

In the final stroke of the rightward movement of the leveling plate 28, the protrusion 2201 provided on the lower surface of the inner lid 22
A part of the leveling plate 28 comes into contact with the protruding piece 281 that protrudes above the shaft 272, and the leveling plate 28, which is in a vertical position, is rotated counterclockwise around the shaft 272 until it is nearly horizontal, and the toner is removed. It performs an operation such as kicking up.

Next, the operation of the toner receiving device 2 described above will be explained in relation to the loading operation of the toner container unit 1.

FIG. 9 shows a cross section of the toner receiving device 2 in a state before loading the toner container unit 1, and shows openings 211, 221 of the toner receiving device 2.
is closed by an opening/closing lid 23. Opening/closing lid 2
3 is pushed up by push-up springs A222 and B223, and the back surface of the top cover 21 and the top surface of the opening/closing cover 23 are in close contact with each other at the peripheral edges, so that the toner in the toner receiving device 2 does not leak to the outside. Furthermore, since the stepped portion 2101 provided on the back surface of the top lid 21 and the stepped portion 2301 provided on the top surface of the opening/closing lid 23 are engaged, the knob 2
Even if you try to move 5 to the right, it will be locked and will not move. That is, the openings 211 and 221 are locked in the closed state by the opening/closing lid 23.

In the opening 211 of the toner receiving device 2, the toner container unit 1 is inserted into its fixing portions 1321, 132.
Insert from the 2nd side in the direction of arrow S (Fig. 9). The rear end (right end in the figure) of the slide lid 15 of the toner container unit 1 abuts against the rising portion 241 of the sliding plate 24, and compresses the compression spring 233 while closing the opening 221.
It is loaded by dropping it into the (Figure 10)
Here, the sliding plate 24 moves to the right by l ₁ , and from the tip of the slide lid 15 to the tip of the opening/closing lid (the tip of the sliding plate 24
2) is located on the right. This prevents toner from adhering to the opening/closing lid 23 when the lid is opened.

Furthermore, when the toner container unit 1 is loaded, the opening/closing lid 23, which had been pushed up by the push-up springs A222 and B223, sinks downward by l ₂ (FIG. 14) and engages with the stepped portions 2101 and 2301. The lock is released and the knob 25 can be moved to the right (in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 10).

Then, when the knob 25 is pulled to the right, the step 2304 of the opening/closing lid 23 is engaged with the tip of the sliding lid 15 of the toner container unit 1, so the opening/closing lid 2
3, the slide lid 15 also moves to the right while peeling off the film-like sheet 14 adhered to the lower end surface of the opening 132.

When the opening/closing lid 23 moves to the right, the lock member 26, which had been prevented from moving by the tip 2302 of the opening/closing lid 23, moves to the right by the biased compression spring 234, and the toner container unit 1 is locked. Toner container unit 1 and opening/closing lid 23
While the lid is being opened, the toner container unit 1 is locked by a locking member 26 and cannot be removed.

By moving the opening/closing lid 23 to the right, the toner within the toner container unit 1 falls into the toner receiving device 2. Delayed by this fall, the leveling plate 28 maintains a vertical posture and moves in a sweeping motion to the right inside the toner receiving device 2, smoothing out the piled up toner and carrying it to the right. Evenly distribute the toner inside. Further, in the final step, the leveling plate 28 operates to kick up counterclockwise, and functions to send the toner to the right.

In the present invention, in order to ensure that the toner in the toner container unit 1 falls into the toner receiving device 2 in the process of opening the opening/closing lid 23 and the sliding lid 15 using the toner receiving device equipped with the toner container unit described above. In addition, the opening/closing lid 23 and/or the sliding portion such as the side surface or the back surface of the top lid 21 on which it slides are provided with irregularities, so that the sliding portion can be moved along these. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of essential parts showing one embodiment of the present invention. A vibration generating part is provided between the toner receiving device 2, which is a fixed part, and the sliding opening/closing lid 23. A concave-convex plate 209 formed by a deformable leaf spring is provided on the side surface of the toner receiving device 2, and one side A protrusion 2 also fixed to the side of the opening/closing lid 23
39, when the opening/closing lid 23 is moved to open or close the opening/closing lid 23, the protrusion 2 provided on the opening/closing lid 23
39 rubs against the uneven plate 209, causing vibration. Therefore, when the opening/closing lid 23 is moved to the right, vibration occurs, and the toner that is solidified in the toner container unit 1 due to humidity etc. is also removed from the toner receiving device from the opening part when the sliding lid 15 is opened. fall inside.

After the toner is replenished, the knob 25 is moved to the left (in the direction of arrow T in FIG. 11) to return to the state shown in FIG. 10. Since the blade 232 is in sliding contact with the sliding surface on the back surface of the upper lid 21 during movement, the toner adhering to the sliding surface is removed when the toner falls, and the opening/closing lid 23 is always moved smoothly.

When the opening/closing lid 23 moves to the left, the leveling plate 28, which is in a vertical position, rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 272, and moves the toner to the left as shown by the chain line in FIG. It returns by sliding on the toner surface without being carried.

When the opening/closing lid 23 is closed, the sliding lid 15 is also closed, and the film-like sheet 14 that was peeled off earlier also returns to its original state.

Further, when the opening/closing lid 23 is closed, the locking member 26, which has been engaged and locked with the mouthpiece 13 of the toner container unit 1, is pushed and retracted to the left, and the lock is released. Open the toner container unit 1 at the opening 211.
When removed from the opening/closing lid 23, the push-up spring A222,
The step portions 2301 and 2101 are pushed upward by _l2 by the push-up spring B223, and are locked, making it impossible to open the lid by moving the knob 25.

The toner receiving device according to the present invention described above not only prevents the toner from leaking out or scattering when the toner container unit is attached and replenishes toner, but also ensures that the toner container unit does not leak or scatter when the toner container unit is attached and the lid is opened. The toner inside started to fall out.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1, 3 and 5 show perspective views of the external appearance of the toner container unit, and FIGS. 2 and 4 show sectional views thereof. 6 and subsequent figures show the toner receiving device of the present invention, with FIG. 6 being a perspective view, FIG. 7 being a sectional view of a main part thereof, and FIG. 8 being a perspective view of an opening/closing lid. Moreover, FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 show cross sections of three modes, FIG. 12 is a Z-Z sectional view of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view. Furthermore, FIG. 14 shows the engagement of the stepped portion, FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the main part showing the relationship between the push-up spring and the opening/closing lid, and FIG. 16 is a main part showing the sliding part of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Toner container unit, 2... Toner receiving device, 13... Mouth part, 14... Film sheet, 15... Slide lid, 21... Upper lid, 22
...Inner lid, 23...Opening/closing lid, 24...Sliding plate, 2
5... Knob, 26... Lock member, 28... Leveling plate, 209... Uneven plate, 239... Protrusion, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11, 221... Opening part, 222, 223... Push-up spring, 2101, 2301... Step part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a toner receiving device having an opening/closing lid that slides to open and close an opening, the opening/closing lid and/or the sliding portion of its sliding surface are provided with unevenness, and the opening/closing lid is moved with moderate vibration. A toner receiving device characterized in that: