JPH0511606A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate possibility that the hand or the clothes of an operator is soiled. CONSTITUTION:A sheet for sealing 25 is stuck on the circumferential edge 23 of an aperture so as to cover the aperture 21. Besides, a first shutter 3 and a second shutter 4 are provided. Then, the leading edge of the sheet 25 is folded back and coupled to the tip of a first shutter 3. Besides, the central part of the sheet 25 is coupled to the tip of a second shutter 4 by a coupling belt 29. By opening the first shutter 3, the half of the sheet 25 can be peeled off. By opening the second shutter 4, the left half of the sheet 25 can be peeled off. Since the sheet 25 is folded double so that the sealing surfaces face each other and the sealing surface soiled by toner does not appear to the outside, there is no possibility that the clothes or the like is soiled. Besides, the hand is not soiled because the sheet 25 need not be directly pulled by hand.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improved toner cartridge, and more particularly to a toner cartridge having an improved method for peeling off a sealing sheet for sealing the opening of the toner cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional structure of a toner cartridge is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-41364 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-4.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1365 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-132962. According to these publications, a technique of attaching a seal or tape (hereinafter, simply referred to as “seal”) to the opening of the toner cartridge to seal the opening, and a slide lid that slides to remove the seal or tape are disclosed. The technology of providing is known.

Each of the conventional toner cartridges is provided with one slide lid that covers the container opening. Then, by sliding this slide lid from the closed state to the completely opened state,
The seal can be peeled off until the container opening is half open. At this point, the peeled seal will loosen,
After that, the slack part was held by hand and pulled, and the other half was peeled off.

[0004]

In the conventional toner cartridge having the above-mentioned structure, even if the slide lid is slid from the closed state to the open state, the seal can be removed only until the container opening is half opened. To remove half of the seal, you must directly pull the seal by hand. However, a large amount of toner adheres to the seal due to the action of static electricity or the like, and if the seal is directly held by a hand, there is a problem that the hand is stained black.

Further, since the surface of the peeled seal (the seal surface) on which the toner adheres is on the outside, there is a risk of touching the clothes of the operator and soiling the clothes unless care is taken in handling. . Furthermore, the above-mentioned actual development number 59-41
In the ones disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 364 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-41365, since the seal is double-folded along the container opening, a long seal is required, and there is a drawback that a large amount of sealing material is wasted. It was

The present invention has been made in view of the above prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge which is hardly contaminated with the hands and clothes of the operator and is easy to handle.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toner cartridge, a container body in which toner can be stored, an opening peripheral edge that is provided in the container body and forms an opening in the container body, and the opening is closed. A sealing sheet attached to the periphery of the opening, and a first slide means and a second slide means that are provided in association with the periphery of the opening and are slidable along the opening. The first slide means has its tip movable substantially from one end side to the other end side of the opening, and the second slide means,
The tip is movable from the central portion of the opening to the other end side, and further, the first connecting means for connecting the end of the sealing sheet located on one end side of the opening and the tip of the first sliding means, and the opening. Sealing sheet located approximately in the center of the
It is characterized by including a second connecting means for connecting the tip of the sliding means.

Further, according to the present invention, in the toner cartridge, the first slide means and the second slide means are provided on the periphery of the opening.
It is characterized in that slide guide means for guiding the slide means is provided. Further, according to the present invention, in the toner cartridge, the first sliding means is provided outside relative to the opening peripheral edge, and the second sliding means is provided inside relative to the opening peripheral edge. It is characterized by

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the toner cartridge, a slide guide means for guiding the first slide means is provided on the peripheral edge of the opening. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the toner cartridge, the first slide means is provided with slide guide means for guiding the second slide means.

Further, the present invention is a method for peeling off a sealing sheet for sealing an opening of a toner container, wherein a first sliding means and a second sliding means are provided in association with the container opening, and the first sliding means seals the sheet. The end of the sealing sheet is pulled back to the side opposite to the sealing surface, the sealing sheet is peeled off at least until the container opening is half opened, and the second slide means is used to pull the back surface of the sealing sheet at the central portion of the sealing sheet. The sealing sheet is peeled off until the other half of the container opening is opened.

[0011]

In the toner cartridge according to the present invention, by sliding the first sliding means, the sealing sheet is peeled off at least until the container opening is half opened. Then, when the second slide means is slid, the central portion of the sealing sheet is pulled, and the sealing sheet is peeled off until the other half of the container opening is opened.

Further, when the second slide means is slid, the sealing sheet is folded such that the sealing surfaces (surfaces to which toner adheres) face each other. Therefore, the sealing surface to which the toner powder is attached does not appear on the surface.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toner cartridge 1 has a container body 2 in which toner (not shown) is stored, and an opening is formed on the bottom surface of the container body 2, for example, although not shown in the drawing. This opening is closed by a sealing sheet described later. A first shutter 3 and a second shutter 4 for peeling off this sheet are provided. The first shutter 3 slides by being guided by a first guide rail 5 provided on the side of the opening, and the second shutter 4 is guided by a second guide rail 6 provided by the first shutter 3 and slides. .

In the toner cartridge 1 shown in FIG. 1, the outer shape of the container body 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, but the container body 2
The outer shape of the may be any shape, may be a cylindrical shape,
It may have a semicircular or semielliptical shape. A hole 7 is formed on the upper surface of the container body 2 according to this embodiment.
A removable cap 8 is fitted on the. When the container main body 2 is filled with toner, the cap 8 is removed and the toner is put in through the hole 7. When the container main body 2 is filled with toner, the above-mentioned hole 7 may be omitted if the container main body 2 is turned upside down and is inserted from the opening.

As shown in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge 1 is used, for example, when replenishing the developing device 10 of a copying machine with toner. That is, when the toner in the hopper 11 of the developing device 10 is low, the hopper 1
The toner cartridge 1 is set on the toner cartridge 1 and the toner in the toner cartridge 1 is replenished to the hopper 11. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 is a photosensitive drum of a copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the toner cartridge 1 taken along the line III-III in FIG. Also, FIG.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. Further, FIG. 5 is a sectional end view of the toner cartridge 1 taken along the line VV in FIG. First, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an opening 21 is formed in the lower surface of the container body 2,
The periphery of the opening 21 is surrounded by an opening peripheral edge 23 that projects in the horizontal direction. Sealing sheet 2 so as to close the opening 21
5 is arranged, and the adhesive sheet 2 is formed around the sealing sheet 25.
It is affixed to the opening peripheral edge 23 by 4. The sealing sheet 25 is, for example, a flexible thin resin sheet.

A first guide rail 5 is formed so as to be connected to both left and right sides of the opening peripheral edge 23. As shown in FIG. 5, the first guide rail 5 holds the left and right side portions of the first shutter 3 so as to hold them, and
Guides so that it can slide in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 3). Further, second guide rails 6 are formed along the left and right sides of the first shutter 3. The second guide rail 6 has an inverted L-shaped cross section from the left and right sides of the first shutter 3 upward. This second guide rail 6
Holds the left and right side portions of the second shutter 4 so as to be held, and guides the second shutter 4 slidably in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 3).

Both the first shutter 3 guided by the first guide rail 5 and the second shutter 4 guided by the second guide rail 6 have their rear ends (on the right side in FIG. 3) formed substantially at right angles. Operation parts 26 and 27 are formed extending. Further, the container body 2 also has an operating portion 28 formed at a position facing the operating portions 26 and 27. The operator opens the first shutter 3 and the second shutter 4 by holding the operation unit 28 of the main body with the left hand and holding the operation units 26 and 27 with the right hand in order, for example.

The tip of the sealing sheet 25 is folded back to the side opposite to the sealing surface and fixed to the tip of the first shutter 3. Further, in the substantially central portion of the sealing sheet 25,
A connecting band 29 extending in a direction orthogonal to the arrow A direction is attached,
The connecting band 29 is fixed to the tip of the second shutter 4. Next, an operation for peeling off the sealing sheet 25 to supply the toner in the container body 2 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge 1 in which the sealing sheet 25 has been peeled halfway from its tip, and FIG. 7 is a cross-section of the toner cartridge 1 in which the sealing sheet 25 is completely peeled. It is a figure. As shown in FIG. 6, by pulling the first shutter 3 in the direction of arrow A, the sealing sheet 25 can be peeled from its tip to its center. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, by pulling the second shutter 4 in the direction of arrow A, the sealing sheet 25 can be peeled from the center to the rear end, and the opening 21 can be completely opened.

FIG. 8 is an illustrative view showing a state of the sealing sheet 25 when the first shutter 3 and the second shutter 4 are opened. Next, description will be made with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. The tip of the sealing sheet 25 is folded back in the direction opposite to the sealing surface and connected to the tip of the first shutter 3. Therefore, by sliding the first shutter 3 in the direction of arrow A and completely opening it, the sealing sheet 25 is opened from the leading edge side to the trailing edge side thereof.
When the first shutter 3 is completely opened, the central portion is peeled off (see FIG. 8B).

Next, in this state, the second shutter 4 is pulled in the direction of arrow A to be opened. Then, the central portion of the sealing sheet 25 is pulled through the connecting band 29 (see FIG. 8).
(See C), and as the second shutter 4 slides, the sealing sheet 25 is pulled so that the sealing surfaces face each other (see FIG. 8D). Therefore, the second shutter 4
When the sheet is completely opened, the opening 21 is opened and the sealing sheet 25 is in a state where the sealing surfaces face each other. Therefore, since the dirty surfaces of the sealing sheet 25, that is, the sealing surfaces to which the toner adheres due to static electricity or the like, face each other, and the surface that appears outside does not have the toner adhered, there is no risk of soiling clothes or the like.

The second shutter 4 is the first shutter 3
Can be opened only after opening. This is because even if the second shutter 4 is opened before the first shutter 3 is opened, the central portion of the sealing sheet 25 is pulled, and the sealing sheet 5 cannot be peeled off due to the adhesive force. . Next, the container body 2
After the toner inside is completely supplied, the first shutter 3 is closed. When the first shutter 3 is closed, the second shutter 4 connected by the sealing sheet 25 is also automatically closed. Then, when the first shutter 3 is completely closed, the second shutter 4 also returns to the initial closed position, and the sealing sheet 25 also returns to the original position.

In the above-described embodiment, the guide rail 5 of the first shutter 3 is provided in the lower portion of the container body 2, and the guide rail 6 of the second shutter 4 is provided in the first shutter 3. Both of the guide rails may be provided in the lower portion of the container body 2. Further, by adjusting the sliding amount of the first shutter 3 and the second shutter 4, the connecting portion between the second shutter 4 and the sealing sheet 25 can be located closer to the tip than the center of the sealing sheet 25.

[0025]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it is possible to provide a toner cartridge that is easy to handle with almost no risk of soiling the hands and clothes of the operator. In particular, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to directly pull the sealing sheet by hand, the sealing sheet can be completely peeled off only by operating the first slide means and the second slide means, and the peeled state At
There is no risk of soiling the clothes because the sealing sheet is folded in two so that the sealing surfaces face each other.

Further, according to the present invention, if the first slide means and the second slide means are closed after the toner is replenished, the sealing sheet is closed as in the original, which is easy to handle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which toner is replenished by the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to this embodiment with the first shutter 3 opened.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to this embodiment with the second shutter 4 opened.

FIG. 8 is an illustrative view showing a movement of a sealing sheet due to opening of a first shutter and a second shutter.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 toner cartridge 2 container body 3 First shutter 4 Second shutter 5,6 guide rail 21 opening 23 Opening edge 25 Sealing sheet 29 connection belt

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A container body in which toner can be stored, an opening peripheral edge which is provided in the container main body and forms an opening in the container main body, and a seal which is arranged so as to close the opening and whose periphery is attached to the opening peripheral edge. Sheet, and a first slide means and a second slide means which are provided in association with the periphery of the opening and are slidable along the opening. The first slide means has a tip end from the one end side of the opening to the other side. The second slide means can move to the end side, the tip of the second slide means can move from the central portion of the opening to the other end side, and further, the end of the sealing sheet positioned on one end side of the opening and the first slide. Toner cart comprising: first connecting means for connecting the tip of the means; and second connecting means for connecting the sealing sheet located substantially in the center of the opening and the tip of the second slide means. Tsu di. 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that a slide guide means for guiding the first slide means and the second slide means is provided at the peripheral edge of the opening. 3. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first sliding means is provided outside relative to the opening peripheral edge, and the second sliding means is inside relative to the opening peripheral edge. It is provided in. 4. The toner cartridge according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that a slide guide means for guiding the first slide means is provided at the peripheral edge of the opening. 5. The toner cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the first slide means is provided with slide guide means for guiding the second slide means. 6. A method of peeling off a sealing sheet for sealing an opening of a toner container, wherein a first sliding means and a second sliding means are provided in association with the opening of the container, and the sealing sheet is sealed by the first sliding means. Pull the end so as to fold back to the side opposite to the sealing surface, peel off the sealing sheet at least until the container opening is half opened, and pull the back side of the seal at the center of the sealing sheet by the second slide means to open the container opening. A method for peeling a sealing sheet for sealing an opening of a toner container, characterized in that the sealing sheet is peeled off until the remaining half of the sheet is opened.