JPH0362064A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve workability by vertically elevating a toner hopper with respect to a developing device by interlocking with the attachment or detachment of the developing device. CONSTITUTION:To remove the developing device from an image forming device main body, the toner hopper 2 elevates with respect to the developing device 1 by interlocking with the removal of the developing device 1. On the other hand, to load the developing device 1 to the image forming device main body, the toner hopper 2 is lowered with respect to the developing device 1 by interlocking with the loading of the developing device 1. Thus, only the attachment or detachment of the developing device elevates the toner hopper to extremely improve workability.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a positive image forming apparatus, and particularly relates to an image forming apparatus in which a toner hopper moves up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the developing apparatus when the developing apparatus is installed and removed inside the main body of the image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a forming device.

(Prior Art) Generally, in an image forming apparatus in which a developing device is detachably installed inside the main body of the image forming apparatus, a toner supply section that supplies toner from an upper toner hopper to a lower developing device is used to connect the developing device to the image forming apparatus. Some devices are designed to slide when attached to or removed from the main body.

However, the sliding part requires high positional accuracy when attaching and detaching the developing device, which increases costs, or if the sliding part is made smaller to reduce the burden on the operator when attaching and detaching the developing device, the toner supply There were problems such as the route being complicated.

Therefore, first, the present inventor proposed Utility Application No. 63-141421.
In this issue, we proposed an image forming apparatus shown in FIG. This image forming apparatus A includes a developing device I, a toner hopper 2 disposed above the developing device W1, and a rotatable portion inside the main body of the device for vertically raising and lowering the toner hopper 2 with respect to the developing device 1. The lever member 3 is freely disposed, and when the developing device 1 is slid in the axial direction of the developing roller to be attached to and detached from the inside of the main body of the image forming apparatus 8, the lever member 3 is moved. By rotating the toner hopper 2, the toner hopper 2 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction with respect to the developing device 1. Note that 4 in the figure is a bottle provided in the toner hopper 2, and 5 is a guide provided inside the main body of the image forming apparatus to guide the bottle.When the bottle 4 is guided by the guide 5, the toner hopper 2 is adapted to smoothly move up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the developing device 1. The broken line in the figure shows the state in which the toner hopper 2 is raised relative to the developing device 1.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, according to the above-described image forming apparatus, the developing device 1
When removing the developing device 1 from the image forming apparatus A and attaching the developing device 1 to the image forming apparatus A, it is necessary to rotate the lever member 3. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with extremely good workability by raising and lowering a toner hopper in the vertical direction in conjunction with the operation.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developing device and a toner hopper disposed above the developing device inside the device main body,
In an image forming apparatus in which the toner hopper moves up and down with respect to the developing device when the developing device is slid in the axial direction of the developing roller and attached to the inside of the main body of the image forming device, it is necessary to attach and detach the developing device. The toner hopper is moved up and down relative to the developing device in conjunction with the toner hopper.

(Function) According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the developing device is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the toner hopper rises relative to the developing device in conjunction with the removal operation of the developing device.
When the developing device is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the toner hopper is lowered relative to the developing device in conjunction with the attaching operation of the developing device. Thereby, the toner hopper can be raised and lowered only by the operation of attaching and detaching the developing device.

(Example) Examples of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
This will be explained based on the diagram. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as those in the prior art, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views illustrating the operation of this embodiment.

This embodiment differs from the conventional image forming apparatus A in that, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lever member 3 is removed and a rotating member is installed at the lower end of one of the toner hoppers 2. The roller 6 is rotatably mounted, and the elevation guide member 7 that comes into contact with the roller 6 is provided inside the main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be movable in the attachment/detachment direction in conjunction with the attachment/detachment operation of the developing device 1.

Here, to explain in detail the different points, the elevating guide member 7
The toner hopper 2 is lowered to the developing device 1 which is attached and detached in the axial direction A of the developing roller (not shown) to the first surface 8 connected to the developing device 1 and from the first surface 8 to the second surface. Face 9
The inclined surface 10 connecting the toner hopper 2 and the second surface 9 from which the toner hopper 2 rises to release the connection with the developing device 1 are continuously formed in this order in the mounting direction. The first surface 8 and the inclined surface 10 of the lifting guide member 7 are provided only in a small area at the front end of the lifting guide member 7, and the remaining area is provided on the second surface 9. is provided. Furthermore, the elevating guide member 7 locks the developing device W1 by a known means, and interlocks with the developing device 1 by sliding against a sliding member 11 fixedly installed inside the main body of the image forming apparatus. It is arranged so that it can be moved in the attachment/detachment direction A.

Subsequently, the operation of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment based on the above configuration will be explained.

First, when the developing device 1 and the toner hopper 2 are connected, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 8, and can perform a developing operation.

Next, when removing the developing device 1 from the main body of the device,
As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 10 and then switches to the second surface 9. As a result, the toner hopper 2 is guided by the guide 5 by the pin 4 inside the apparatus main body and moves upward, and the connection with the developing device 1 is released. In this state, the developing device 1 can be removed.

On the other hand, when installing the developing device 1 inside the main body of the device,
As the developing device 1 is inserted, the lifting guide member 7 also moves into the main body of the device, and just before the developing device 1 is completely installed inside the main body, the roller 6 of the toner hopper 2 comes into contact with it. The surface extends from the second surface 9 to the inclined surface 10 and the first surface.
Switches to side 8. As a result, the toner hopper 2 is lowered and connected to the developing device immediately before the developing device 1 is attached to the main body of the device.

In this embodiment, when removing the developing device 1, by pulling out the developing device 1 slightly, the toner hopper 2 disconnects from the developing device 1 and rises, completely inserting the developing device 1 inside the main body of the device. The first surface 8, inclined surface 10, and second surface 9 of the elevating guide member 7 and the rollers 6 of the toner hopper 2 are arranged so that the toner hopper 2 descends and connects with the developing device 1 just before the installation is finished. This improves work efficiency.

In this embodiment, an image forming apparatus in which one elevating guide member 7 is slidably provided on a sliding member 11 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.
1-58035, in which a support body on which an image forming unit is removably attached is configured to be removably inserted into an active position of the apparatus main body and a non-active position outside the apparatus main body by means of a pair of sliders. It is also possible to apply it to devices.

(Effects) According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the developing device is removed from the image forming apparatus main body, the toner hopper rises relative to the developing device in conjunction with the removal operation of the developing device.
When the developing device is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the toner hopper is lowered relative to the developing device in conjunction with the attaching operation of the developing device. As a result, the toner hopper can be raised and lowered only by the operation of attaching and detaching the developing device, resulting in extremely good workability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views explaining the operation of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows a conventional image forming apparatus. FIG. A... Image forming device, 1... Developing device, 2... Toner hopper, 6... Roller, 7. Lifting guide member, 8.
...first side, 9...second side

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A developing device and a toner hopper disposed above the developing device are provided inside the device main body, and the developing device is slid in the axial direction of the developing roller to be detached from the inside of the image forming device main body. In the image forming apparatus in which the toner hopper moves up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the developing device, the toner hopper moves up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the developing device in conjunction with the attachment/detachment operation of the developing device. image forming device. (2) An elevating guide member having a first surface where the toner hopper descends and connects with the developing device and a second surface where the toner hopper ascends and disconnects from the developing device is linked to the attachment/detachment operation of the developing device. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner hopper is movable, and the toner hopper includes a rotating member that comes into contact with the elevating guide member.