JPH0749488Y2 - Process unit - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a process unit that can be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer. More specifically, when a new process unit is used, a developer is used. Even when the sealed seal of the enclosed developer container is opened, the developer does not adhere to the peeled seal member at the time of opening, and as a result, the peeled seal member may stain hands and clothes. Regarding no process unit.

(Prior Art) With the personalization of image forming apparatuses, process units that can be easily maintained have been commercialized.

In this process unit, process means such as a main charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means are arranged on the peripheral surface of a photosensitive drum that forms an electrostatic latent image, and the life of the photosensitive drum and the process means It is intended to simplify the maintenance by making the service life almost the same and replacing them integrally.

Aside from this, there is also known a process unit of a developing device alone, in which the developing device and the developer accommodating container are integrally formed, and the developing device is discarded together with the developing device when the developer is used up.

A common feature of the developing means of these process units is to prevent the developer stored in the developing means from spilling out of the process unit or being biased to one side of the process unit when not in use. In some cases, the developer is enclosed in a storage container and the sealing member that is sealed during use is peeled off to be supplied to the developing means.

(Technical problem to be solved by the invention) In the above-mentioned process unit, the seal member is peeled off at the time of use, but since this seal member also serves as a sealing member for the developer container, the seal member is peeled off at the time of opening. The developer is attached to the seal. As a result, there arises a problem that the peeled seal member stains the operator's hand and clothes. Moreover, this problem is common to general users who are unfamiliar with the peeling operation of the seal member.
It will be even bigger.

(Purpose of Invention) The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a process unit in which there is no risk of soiling a hand or clothes by the seal member even when the seal member of the developer container is peeled off for opening when using the process unit.

(Structure of the Invention) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides at least a developing means and a developer container in which a developer is hermetically housed by a seal member that can be opened to supply the developer to the developing means at the time of use. In the process unit which is equipped with and is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the seal member has a cut line so that the developer accommodated therein can be dropped into the developing means and the developer. A first seal member fixed to the container; and a peelable second seal member having a shape similar to the cut line, which is attached so as to cover the cut line of the first seal member. The second seal member is formed with an elongated strip-shaped peeling portion that is integral with the sticking portion and is used to peel the sticking portion from the first seal member in the longitudinal direction. The end portion of the peeling portion is formed. Is a professional It adopts a configuration that it is exposed to the outside of the process unit.

(Effect of the Invention) An important feature of the present invention is that it is composed of a first seal member with which the developer enclosed in the developer accommodating container is in direct contact, and a second seal member for opening. It is in.

That is, the first seal member is directly fixed to the developer container. The first seal member is provided with a cut line that allows the developer to drop from the container side to the developing means side due to its own weight. Then, a second seal member is attached on this cut line so that the developer does not drop when it is not needed, and the second seal member is peeled off from the first seal member when in use. By doing so, since the developer is not directly attached to the peeled second seal member, there is no possibility that the operator's hand or clothes will be soiled by the second seal member even after peeling. is there.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment) The process unit of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Of these drawings, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing only the developing portion of the process unit, and FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the developer container and the first seal member, the second seal member, and the peeling portion. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing only a developer container portion, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an image forming apparatus equipped with a process unit.

First, with reference to FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 as a whole is a typical copying machine of an image forming apparatus.

On the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 2 having a photosensitive layer on its surface, a main charging corona discharger 3 for applying a uniform charge to the surface of the photosensitive drum 2, and adjacent to the corona discharger 3 are provided. Optical system 4 for projecting the original placed on the original placing table 10 onto the photosensitive drum 2 using the exposure lamp 11, and developing for visualizing the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure. The process means 5, the transfer corona discharger 6 for transferring the visible image onto the transfer paper, and the cleaning means 7 for removing the untransferred developer from the photosensitive drum 2 are arranged in this order. .

The process means other than the optical system 4 and the transfer corona discharger 6 among these process means is the housing 8.
A process unit P is integrally formed inside.

Mounting guides 9a and 9b are formed on the housing 8 of the process unit P so that they can be mounted at predetermined positions on the main body 1 while sliding on the guide rails 9c: 9d provided on the main body 1 of the copying machine. It has become.

In such a copying machine 1, the feeding roller 1 is fed from the paper feeding unit 12.
The transfer paper conveyed to the transfer area at 3, 14 holds the developer image on its surface by the transfer corona discharger 6 at a position below the process P, and then separated from the photosensitive drum 2 by the separation belt 15. After being fed, it moves on the conveyance guide 16 and moves to the fixing roller.
After fixing the developer at 17, discharge the paper onto the paper discharge tray 19
Emitted at 18.

The present invention relates to storage of a developer and supply of the developer in a process unit P which has been widely used in the copying machine 1 in recent years. The supply of the developer will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing the developing means 5 of the developing process unit P and FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the configuration of the developer accommodating container.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a developing means generally designated by 5 is a developing sleeve 21 positioned on the lower side so as to face the photosensitive drum 2, and a first seal member 20 and a second sealing member 20 on the upper side. The opening 23 is sealed by the seal member 22 and has a developer container 26 in which a developer 24 is enclosed.

In the completely unused process unit P, the developer 24 is housed in the container 26 in a hermetically sealed state by the first and second sealing members 20 and 22.

On the cut line 30 of the first seal member 20, a second seal member 22 having a sealing portion 32 having a shape similar to that of the cut line 30 is detachable on the cut line 30 of the seal portion 32. It is attached.

The second seal member 22 has a peeling portion 34 for peeling off the sealing portion 32 attached on the score line 30.
Are continuously formed integrally with the sealing portion 32.

Thus, the developer 24 is put inside in the state shown in FIG.
And a developer accommodating container 26 that is sealed by the first and second sealing members 20 and 22.

Next, the first and second sealing members 20 and 22 will be described with reference to FIG.

A rib 28 is provided around the opening 23 of the developer container 26, and the first seal member 20 is first adhesively fixed to the rib 28. The first seal member 20 has a cut line 30 as shown in the drawing.

Therefore, the first seal member 20 can be opened in the same shape as the opening 23 of the container 26 along the cut line 30.

The first seal member 20 is formed of, for example, a resin film, and is formed of a material having a weak stiffness.
Therefore, the second seal member 22 with the developer 24 stored therein is
Put the end 36 of the peeling part 34 in the direction of arrow 40 (see Fig. 3)
When the first sealing member 20 is pulled, the sealing portion 32 and the peeling portion 34 are successively arranged from the position of the folded portion 38 where the sealing portion 32 and the peeling portion 34 are continuous.
Is more torn off.

Since the first seal member 20 is a film-like member having a weak rigidity in itself, when the second seal member 22 is adhered to form an integral seal, the developer 24 contained in the container 26
The weight of the second seal member 22
When is peeled off, it can no longer be supported.

Thus, after the second seal member 22 is peeled off, the developer 24 hangs down by its own weight as shown by the broken line in FIG. As a result, the developer 24 is supplied from the container 26 side to the sleeve 21 side.

On the other hand, paying attention to the peeled second seal member 22, this seal member 22 is a cut line of the first seal member 20.
Since it is adhered on the surface 30 and is not in direct contact with the developer 24, it is not contaminated with the developer itself. Therefore, there is no possibility that the peeled second seal member 22 stains the operator's hand or clothes. The end portion 36 of the peeling portion 34 of the second seal member 22 is formed by the process unit P.
Since it is exposed to one side from the housing, it can be peeled off as the process unit P is inserted and attached.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, even when the seal member is peeled off when the developer is supplied, the peeled seal member itself is not contaminated with the developer. There is no risk of soiling the operator's hands or clothes.

Moreover, although the first seal member that is in direct contact with the developer is soiled with the developer, it is discarded as a unit with the process unit. Therefore, the first seal member protects the operator's hand and clothes. It doesn't get dirty.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing only the developing section of the process unit, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the developer container and the first seal member, the second seal member, and the peeling section. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing only the developer container portion, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an image forming apparatus equipped with a process unit. The reference numbers in the figure indicate the following contents. 20 …… First seal member 22 …… Second seal member 26 …… Developer container 30 …… Slit line 32 …… Sealing part 34 …… Peeling part P …… Process unit

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. At least a developing means and a developer container in which the developer is hermetically stored by a seal member which can be opened so as to supply the developer to the developing means when it is used. In the flexible process unit, the seal member has a first seal member fixed to the developer container and having a cut line so that the developer accommodated therein can be dropped into the developing means. A peelable second seal member having a shape similar to that of the cut line, the second seal member being attached so as to cover the cut line of the first seal member, and the attached portion of the second seal member. An elongated strip-shaped peeling portion for peeling the attached portion from the first seal member in the longitudinal direction integrally with the first sealing member, and an end portion of the peeling portion is exposed to the outside of the process unit. The process unit according to claim.