JPH0436780A - Liquid developer replenishing container - 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 Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a replenishment container for a high viscosity electrostatic latent image liquid developer.

[Conventional technology]

Replenishment methods for high-viscosity electrostatic latent image liquid developer (toner containing colorant and resin as main components dispersed in a carrier liquid with high resistance and low dielectric constant) are as follows: 1) Inside machines such as copying machines and printers. A method in which a suction pump is installed in the machine and the liquid developer contained in the tube or cylinder is sucked by the pump inside the machine, 2)
3) A method that uses the force of an elastic body known as Excel (trade name) (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-153562), 3) A method that incorporates a pressure-generating bag known as Glow Pack (trade name) (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-12540) .

4) A system with a built-in pump in the container (Utility Model Publication No. 1-1535)
60) etc.

In the case of copiers, printers, etc., general users may be responsible for attaching and detaching the liquid replenishment container, but in the case of method 1), if the container is attached or detached during use, it may get dirty around it, or if it is not attached properly, the pump may Air may be sucked in during suction and the developer may not be suctioned. 2) and 3)
The disadvantage of this method is that it is expensive.

In addition, in the case of method 4), there is a drawback that the replenishment rate decreases, especially when a high viscosity liquid developer is used.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

A first object of the present invention is to provide a liquid developer replenishment container that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and can be replenished without reducing the replenishment rate even when using particularly high-viscosity electrostatic latent image liquid developer. It is something to do. A second object of the present invention is to provide a liquid developer replenishment container that is easy to install and has excellent operability, without causing stains even when installed and removed by a general user. A third object of the present invention is to provide a liquid developer replenishing device that has a simple mechanism, is low in cost, and is highly safe.

[Means to solve the problem]

The liquid developer replenishment container of the present invention has a liquid developer replenishment unit mainly consisting of a cylinder with a valve-type liquid inlet in which a piston having a valve-type discharge port is built into a variable-volume storage portion capable of storing liquid developer. By connecting the piston from the discharge port side and opening the discharge port valve, when no pressure is applied,
The valve at the inlet opens and the liquid developer introduced into the cylinder from the storage section through the inlet is discharged to the outside through the discharge port and replenished. is characterized in that it is reduced by approximately the amount of the discharge capacity without air circulation.

It is known that a liquid developer replenishment container with a built-in pump is very useful in terms of quantitative replenishment safety and cost (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 153560/1999). Figure 6 (A) (B) and Figure 7 (A) (B) (Figure (B) is the supply section)
A specific example is shown below. Note that the liquid discharge port 1 of the supply container shown in FIG. 6 is located at the bottom, and the liquid discharge port 1 of the supply container shown in FIG. 7 is located at the top. In these supply containers, when the piston 2 is pushed from the liquid discharge port L side, the ball valve 8 of the discharge port 1 opens, and the liquid developer (low viscosity liquid developer in this case) 4 in the cylinder 5 is released from the discharge port. From 1, it is discharged and replenished to the outside of the container. When the pressing force on the piston 2 is released, the spring 6 causes the piston 2 to return to its original position. At the same time, the force of this spring 6 opens the valve 9 of the liquid introduction lower, so that the storage section 3
The developer 4 inside is introduced into the cylinder 5 again through the introduction lower. At this time, air flows into the container 12 through the air circulation hole 1o in the example shown in FIG. 6 and the air circulation pipe 11 in the example shown in FIG. Replenishment will take place. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, if the liquid level of the liquid developer 4 is level, the replenishment performance is good, but as shown in FIG. If a large amount of liquid developer is discharged and replenished at once, the liquid developer above the liquid introduction tube 13 can be replenished, but the inflow from the surroundings is not enough, causing air to be drawn in, resulting in a phenomenon of insufficient replenishment. In addition, a large amount of the high-viscosity liquid developer 4' remains on the inner wall of the storage section 3, and together with the above-mentioned phenomenon, replenishment performance is significantly reduced.

The replenishment container of the present invention takes advantage of the advantages of the pump-type replenishment container disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-153560, and
This improves the problem of poor replenishment, which is a drawback when using a liquid developer.

A specific example of the replenishment container of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B). In this supply container 16, a volume variable storage section 15 is housed in the outer container 14, and a liquid developer (not shown) is further housed therein. In principle, the replenishment section shown in FIG. 1(B) can be
), but differs in that there is no air circulation hole 10 or air circulation pipe 11, and instead of air flowing into the container 12, the volume of the variable volume storage section 15 is reduced. .

The variable volume storage section 15 may have any shape or structure as long as no air flows into the interior and no negative pressure is applied even if the volume is reduced, for example, as shown in FIG. A cylinder-shaped thing (17 is a cylinder,
18 is a piston), a bellows type bag 1 as shown in FIG.
9. A rubber bag (not shown) can be used. In any case, when replenishing the liquid developer, there is no inflow of air, no negative pressure is applied, and the liquid developer can be squeezed out to the end.
2, air is not drawn into the liquid introduction port 13, and a large amount of liquid developer 4' does not remain on the inner wall of the housing portion 3, and good replenishment performance can be maintained. For example, when we conducted a continuous discharge test using a liquid developer with an apparent viscosity of 15 Pa-8ec, we found that the conventional supply section 1 shown in FIG.
In case 2, only 52% of the total filling amount was discharged, but
In the case of the supply container 16 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a high discharge rate of 96% of the total filling amount was confirmed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the supply container of the present invention shown in FIG. In a machine where a replenishment container can be installed inside the machine, liquid developer can be replenished into the developer tank 21 by repeatedly pushing up the piston 2 using a solenoid or the like as a driving force and releasing this pushing force. I can do it.

〔effect〕

The liquid developer replenishment container of the present invention is particularly improved over the conventional pump type, and by using this replenishment container, high viscosity liquid developer can be stably and quantitatively replenished. In addition, since the contact area with the air is small, problems such as drying out during long-term storage can be prevented, and there is also the advantage that it can be installed inside an aircraft with simple operation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(A) is a partially cutaway schematic diagram of an example of the liquid replenishment container according to the present invention, and FIG. 1(B) is an enlarged sectional view of the replenishment part of the replenishment container shown in FIG. 1(A). FIGS. 2 and 3 are both schematic diagrams of a storage section of an example of the replenishment container of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the replenishment container of the present invention is installed in a copying machine, a printer, or the like. 6(A) and 7(A) are schematic diagrams of conventional upright type and inverted pump type liquid developer supply containers, and FIG. 6(B)
and FIG. 7(B) is an enlarged sectional view of the replenishment part of the replenishment container of FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 2(A). FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the replenishment container shown in FIG. 6 filled with high viscosity liquid developer. 111. Liquid discharge port 2... Piston 3...
Conventional storage section 4...Low viscosity liquid developer 4'...High viscosity liquid developer 5...Cylinder 7...Liquid introduction port 10...Air flow port 12...Conventional supply container 14... Outer container 15... Volume variable storage section 16 of the present invention... Replenishment container 17 of the present invention... Cylinder 19... Bellows type bag 20... Supply container protective cover 21...・Developer tank 18...Piston 6...Spring 8.9...Ball valve 11...Air flow pipe 13...Liquid introduction pipe Patent applicant Rico Co., Ltd. -

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A valve-type liquid discharge port is installed in a variable volume storage section that can store an electrostatic latent image liquid developer in which toner mainly composed of colorant and resin is dispersed in a carrier liquid with high resistance and low dielectric constant. By connecting a liquid developer replenishment unit mainly consisting of a cylinder with a valve-type liquid inlet equipped with a piston, and opening the valve at the discharge port by pushing the piston from the discharge port side, the valve at the inlet port is closed when no pressure is applied. is opened and the liquid developer introduced into the cylinder from the storage section through the inlet is discharged to the outside through the discharge port and replenished. A liquid developer supply container characterized in that the liquid developer supply container is reduced in size by approximately the amount of the discharge capacity.