JPH06337588A - Toner supply tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a leakage of toner without decreasing efficiency in the supply of toner to a developing part by passing the toner to the developing part or hindering it according to the rotating position of an eccentrically rotating eccentric shutter shaft provided in a toner supply part. CONSTITUTION:The toner supply part 29 at the side of a tank 21 is composed of a cylindrical part 35 having a toner entrance 35a, a center hole 35b, and a toner exit 35c; and the eccentric shutter shaft 36 which is inside the cylindrical part 35. This eccentric shutter shaft 36 can rotate in the circumferential direction, around a shaft center 36a. Toner is caused to pass when the eccentric shutter shaft 36, toner entrance 35a, center hole 35b and toner exit 35c are positioned by the rotation of the eccentric shutter shaft 36 so as to make a communicating space between them. The discharge of toner is hindered when the eccentric shutter shaft is positioned so as to close the exit 35c.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention forms a latent electrostatic image on a photoconductor, develops the latent electrostatic image into a toner image in a developing section, and transfers the toner image to a sheet for recording. The present invention relates to a toner replenishing tank for replenishing toner to a developing unit, which is applied to an electrostatic recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional electrostatic recording apparatus. Reference numeral 1 is a drum-shaped photosensitive member, 2 is a developing roller 3, a toner transfer roller 4 and a toner replenishing roller 5 which are in contact with the photosensitive member 1. And a replaceable toner replenishing tank 6, a developing roller 7, a transfer roller 8, an cleaning unit 8a, 8b for removing the residual toner on the photoconductor 1 and a toner collecting chamber 8c, and 9 A charging roller 10 is an optical writing unit that exposes the surface of the photoconductor 1 with a laser beam L to form an electrostatic latent image.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a pickup roller which comes into contact with the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets P and feeds the sheet in the conveying direction, 12
Is a conveyance roller, 13 is a registration roller for sending the paper P to the photoconductor 1 at a timing, 14 is a fixing roller for fixing the transfer image of the paper, 15 is a separation claw for peeling the paper from the fixing roller 14, and 16 is the paper P. A discharge roller that discharges to the outside.

The toner replenishing tank 6 has a toner T stored therein, a toner replenishing port 20 for feeding the toner T toward the toner replenishing roller 5 of the developing section 2 is provided on one side, and the toner T is further accommodated. The tank portion 21 is provided with a plate-shaped agitator 23 that rotates clockwise around the rotating portion 22.
Is provided.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 4, the agitator 23 is provided with a large number of through holes 25 to reduce the load of the toner T when the tank portion 21 is rotated, and the tip of the agitator 23 is further provided. A flexible thin film body (for example, a polyethylene terephthalate film) 26 made of synthetic resin and having one end slidably contacting the inner wall of the tank portion 21 is fixed to this.

The recording method in the electrostatic recording apparatus of FIG. 3 is known, and the photosensitive member 1 has a charge roller 9 on the surface of which uniform electric charges are formed, and an optical writing unit 10 based on image data. The surface is exposed by the laser beam L controlled by, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. This electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing roller 3 that receives the toner T via the toner replenishing roller 5 and the toner transfer roller 4.

The toner image is transferred onto the paper P sent between the photoconductor 1 and the transfer roller 7 with a timing by the registration roller 13. The sheet P after transfer is image-fixed by the fixing roller 14 and then discharged to the outside by the discharge roller 16.

After the transfer, the residual toner on the photosensitive member 1 is removed by the cleaning members 8a and 8b in the cleaning unit 8, and the removed residual toner is recovered in the toner recovery chamber 8c.

In the developing section 2, the toner T is lifted from the tank section 21 of the toner replenishing tank 6 so as to ride on the thin film body 26 by the rotation of the agitator 23, and from the toner replenishing port 20 to the base 2a of the developing section 2. The toner will be sent out and toner will be replenished.

[0010]

In the toner replenishing tank 6 in the conventional electrostatic recording apparatus, as described above, the toner T is transferred from the tank portion 21 to the thin film member 26 of the agitator 23.
The toner is supplied to the base 2a of the developing section 2 from the toner replenishing port 20 provided outside the rotation range of the agitator 23. Therefore, the toner replenishing port 20 is opened after being attached to the developing section 2, and when the toner replenishing tank 6 is replaced, the toner inside leaks out from the toner replenishing port 20 to cause toner scattering and dirt. There was a problem of causing the problem of.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing tank capable of preventing toner leakage without reducing the efficiency of replenishing toner to the developing section.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electrostatic latent image which is detachably provided on the main body of an electrostatic recording apparatus and which is formed on a photoconductor with a toner. In a toner replenishing tank for replenishing toner to a developing unit for erasing, a toner replenishing unit communicating with the developing unit is provided on the side of the toner replenishing tank, and an eccentric shutter shaft that eccentrically rotates is provided inside the toner replenishing unit. It is characterized in that the toner is passed through the developing unit or blocked depending on the rotation position of the shutter shaft.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that an elastic body for sealing is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the toner replenishing portion to seal a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the toner supply portion and the peripheral surface of the eccentric shutter shaft.

Further, the sealing elastic body is wound around the peripheral surface of the eccentric shutter shaft.

[0015]

According to the toner replenishing tank having the above structure, the toner stored in the tank is sent to the developing section through the toner replenishing section so that the toner is placed on the thin film member by the rotation of the agitator. In addition, an eccentric shutter shaft is provided inside the toner replenishing unit that communicates with the developing unit, and the toner outlet provided in the toner replenishing unit is opened / closed depending on the rotational position of the eccentric shutter shaft to determine whether toner replenishment is possible. To prevent the toner from leaking by making it possible and not allowing toner to be supplied at the time of replacement.

The peripheral surface of the eccentric shutter shaft,
Alternatively, by providing an elastic body for sealing on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion that is the toner replenishing portion, the sealing is further performed, and toner leakage can be prevented from the gap between the peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The members corresponding to those described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are cross-sectional views showing a main part in an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a toner replenishing section 29 is provided on the side of the tank section 21. The toner supply section
29 is composed of a cylindrical portion 35 having a toner inlet 35a, a central hole 35b, and a toner outlet 35c, and an eccentric shutter shaft 36 inside the cylindrical portion 35. The eccentric shutter shaft 36 is provided rotatably in the circumferential direction about its axis 36a. The rotation of the eccentric shutter shaft 36 causes the eccentric shutter shaft 36 and the toner inlet 35 to rotate.
a, the central hole 35b, and the toner outlet 35c allow the toner to pass therethrough, and prevent the toner discharge when the eccentric shutter shaft closes the toner outlet 35c. To do. The eccentric shutter shaft 36 is rotatably driven in association with opening and closing of a member which is operated or operates when the toner supply tank is replaced, for example, the main body cover.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the toner replenishing tank is used. The eccentric shutter shaft 36 has a communication space between its peripheral surface and the toner inlet 35a, the central hole 35b and the toner outlet 35c of the cylindrical portion 35. Eccentric rotation to allow agitator
By the rotation of 23, the toner T on the thin film body 26 is sent out to the base portion 2a of the developing unit 2 through the toner inlet 35a, the central hole 35b and the toner outlet 35c.

FIG. 2 shows the state when the toner replenishing tank is replaced. The eccentric shutter shaft 36 is eccentrically rotated so that its peripheral surface closes the toner outlet 35c of the cylindrical portion 35, and then stops. This prevents the toner from flowing out.

Therefore, even if the toner supply tank 6 is replaced in this state, the toner does not leak from the toner outlet 35c. Reference numeral 40 in FIGS. 1 and 2 denotes a sealing elastic body formed of a sponge or the like provided around the toner outlet 35c of the cylindrical portion 35. By sealing the periphery of the toner outlet 35c, toner passing through the gap Prevents leakage of T. The sealing elastic body 40 may be provided at any position within the cylindrical portion 35 as long as it does not interfere with the entrance and exit of the toner T at the toner inlet 35a and the toner outlet 35c. Also eccentric shutter shaft 36
It may be wrapped around the circumference of. Elastic body for sealing
If 40 has a sliding property, the eccentric shutter shaft 36 can smoothly rotate eccentrically.

[0022]

As described above, according to the toner supply tank of the present invention, according to the constitution of claim 1, the eccentric rotation of the eccentric shutter shaft provided in the toner supply section for sending the toner to the developing section. Thus, it is possible to enable or disable the toner replenishment from the toner replenishing section, prevent the toner from leaking when the toner replenishing tank is replaced, and prevent the toner from scattering and being contaminated by the toner.

According to the second and third aspects, the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion which is the toner replenishing portion and the peripheral surface of the eccentric shutter shaft can be sealed by the sealing elastic body. Toner leakage can also be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of using an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state during replacement of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional electrostatic recording device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of an agitator.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Photoreceptor, 2 ... Developing section, 2a ... Base of developing section,
3 ... Developing roller, 6 ... Toner supply tank, 20,29
… Toner supply port, 21… Tank part, 23… Agitator,
26 ... Thin film body, 35a ... Toner inlet, 35b ... Central hole,
35c ... toner outlet, 36 ... eccentric shutter shaft, 3
6a ... Shaft center, 40 ... Elastic body for sealing.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toner replenishing device, which is removably provided in an electrostatic recording apparatus main body and replenishes toner to a developing unit for visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor with toner. In the tank, a toner replenishing portion is formed on a side portion of the toner replenishing tank, and shutter means for eccentrically rotating is provided inside the toner replenishing portion so as to enable or disable replenishment of toner. Toner supply tank. 2. The toner replenishing tank according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body for sealing is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the toner replenishing portion to seal a gap between the toner replenishing portion and the peripheral surface of the eccentrically rotating shutter means. 3. The toner replenishing tank according to claim 1, wherein the sealing elastic body is wound around the peripheral surface of the shutter means.