JPH0926695A - Developer supply container, process cartridge and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: When a developer supply container is attached to a process cartridge, it is possible to prevent toner from scattering to the outside. An electrophotographic photosensitive member 1, a developing unit 3 for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a developer accommodating portion 3a for accommodating a developer to be supplied to the developing unit. The process cartridge is detachably attached to the replenishing opening of the developer accommodating portion, and the seal member 12 of the opening portion desired in the replenishing opening is peeled off to replenish the developer accommodating portion. In the developer replenishing container, a driving force transmission unit that is coupled to the driving unit 15 in the developer accommodating unit to transmit the driving force, and a winding force that winds the seal member in the unsealing direction by the driving force from the driving force transmission unit. The take-up member 9 is provided, and the take-up member 9 is provided so as to be located inside the developer accommodating portion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, a process cartridge detachable from the image forming apparatus, and a developer supply container attachable to the process cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer or a copying machine forms a latent image by selectively exposing a uniformly charged electrophotographic photosensitive member. The developer on the developer carrying member is attached to this latent image to visualize it.

On the other hand, the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the charging means, the developing means, the cleaning means, etc. are collectively made into a cartridge in a frame body, and a user loads the cartridge into the apparatus main body to replenish the toner and reach the end of its life. The one that allows replacement of parts such as an electrophotographic photoreceptor and facilitates maintenance has been put into practical use. FIG. 2 shows an example of the process cartridge. Around the electrophotographic photosensitive drum 1, which is an image carrier, a charging unit 2 and toner (developer).
The developing means 3 and the cleaning means 4 which accommodate the above are arranged and covered with a housing composed of frames 6 and 7 to integrally form a cartridge 5, which is configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

At the same time, a method has also been proposed in which a used process cartridge that has run out of toner is newly replenished with toner and used. An example of this toner replenishment type process cartridge is shown in FIG. As in the case of FIG. 2, a housing composed of frames 6 and 7 in which a charging unit 2, a developing unit 3 containing a toner (developer), and a cleaning unit 4 are arranged around a photosensitive drum 1 which is an image carrier. And is made into a cartridge integrally and is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. An opening 3b for attaching a replenishing container is provided above the toner containing portion 3a in the developing means 3, and the opening 3b is covered with a developing container lid 3c. The developer replenishing container 8 contains the toner 20 in the toner containing portion 8a therein, the opening 8b of the toner containing portion 8a, the seal 9 which can open the opening 8b and seals the toner 20. Has a replenishing container lid 8c that covers the.

Here, the toner storage portion 3a of the cartridge
When the toner inside is consumed, the replenishing container 8 is attached as shown by the arrow and the toner 20 is replenished in the following manner. First, the seal 9 is pulled out, and then the lids 3c and 8c of the developing container and the replenishing container of the cartridge are slid to expose the openings 3b and 8b, and the toner is replenished from the replenishing container 8 to the cartridge 5. Then, the lids 3c and 8c of the developing container and the replenishing container are closed, and the replenishing container 8 is removed from the cartridge 5.

Also, a method has been proposed in which toner is replenished in the same manner as a process cartridge, even for a developing device that includes at least a developer accommodating portion and does not include an electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Further, a method of automatically winding the above seal has been proposed.

FIG. 4 shows the method. Reference numeral 15 is a gear which is a driving member and is coaxially connected to the sleeve. A seal winding member 9 is driven by the driving member 15 via the belt 21, the bevel gear 22, and the like. Seal winding member 9
A seal 12 is coupled to the tip of the, and the seal is wound as the seal 12 rotates. The seal 12 can be automatically wound by attaching the supply container 8 and driving the sleeve 3.

[0009]

The present invention is a further development of the above-mentioned prior art.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge which can be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus which solves the above problems, a developer supply container which can be attached to the process cartridge, the developer supply cartridge and the process cartridge. An object is to provide an image forming apparatus that can be mounted.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A developer supply container for realizing the object of the present invention has an electrophotographic photoreceptor and a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor. And a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer to be supplied to the developing means, which is detachably attached to the replenishing opening of the developer accommodating portion, and is opened at a desired opening in the replenishing opening. In a developer replenishing container for replenishing the developer contained in the developer accommodating section by peeling off the seal member of the section, a driving force transmitting section coupled to a driving section in the developer accommodating section and transmitting a driving force. When,
A winding member that winds the seal member in the unsealing direction by a driving force from the driving force transmitting portion, and the winding member is provided so as to be located in the developer accommodating portion; A process cartridge in which the developer supply container is mounted, and an image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge is detachable.

In this structure, when the developer replenishing container is mounted on the process cartridge and, for example, this process cartridge is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the seal member of the developer replenishing container is automatically closed in the developer containing portion. The developer, such as toner, is not wound up and scattered to the outside, and the used seal member does not need to be discarded.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of a process cartridge and a developer supply container of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. This process cartridge
It is provided with an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process means. Here, as the process means, for example, a charging means for charging the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing means for forming a toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a cleaning means for removing the toner remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, etc. There is.

The process cartridge of this embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 1, the charging means 2 is provided around the photosensitive drum 1,
The developing means 3 accommodating the toner 10 (developer) and the cleaning means 4 are arranged and covered with a housing composed of frames 6 and 7 to integrally form a cartridge 5, which is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. are doing.

Next, the developing means of the process cartridge will be described. Reference numeral 3a denotes a toner storage portion, which has an opening 3b above it. Reference numeral 8 denotes a developer replenishing container, which has toner 20 contained in a toner storage portion 8a thereof, and an opening 8
b is closed by a seal 12. Further, a seal winding member 9 is joined to the tip of the seal 12. The seal take-up member 9 is rotatably attached to a shaft 11 supported by the outer wall of the developer supply container 8 and has a gear at its end. An elastic member 13 such as maltoprene is attached to the outer periphery of the developer supply container 8.

Now, a method for replenishing toner by attaching the developer replenishing container 8 to the cartridge 5 will be described. First, the developing container lid 3c of the cartridge 5 is opened to expose the opening 3b of the developer accommodating portion 3a. Next, the developer supply container 8 is inserted into the opening 3b of the cartridge.
At this time, the elastic member 13 attached to the outer periphery of the developer supply container 8 is compressed, and the toner 10 is prevented from leaking from between the inner wall of the toner storage portion 3 a and the outer wall of the developer supply container 8. The developer supply container 8 is pushed until its bottom surface hits the positioning member 14. Then, the seal winding member 9 and the driving member 15 are engaged with each other. Driving member 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes a gear fixed to the shaft 17 of the stirring rod 16 concentrically.

After that, the sleeve gear 18 and the idle gear 19 are driven by driving the main body of the image forming apparatus (not shown).
The stir bar 16 is rotated via. As a result, the drive member 15 is driven, the seal winding member 14 is rotated, and the seal 12 is automatically wound. When the seal 12 is wound up, the toner 20 is discharged and replenished through the opening 8b of the developer supply container.

FIG. 5 shows an image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, and the configuration of each part of the image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge B of the above-described embodiment is detachable will be described.

(Optical System) The optical system 31 irradiates a light image on the photosensitive drum 37 by irradiating light on the basis of image information read from an external device or the like. As shown in FIG. A laser diode (not shown) in the optical unit 31a, a polygon mirror 31b, a scanner motor 31c, an imaging lens 31d, and a reflection mirror 3
1e is stored.

When an image signal is given from an external device or the like, the laser diode emits light according to the image signal and illuminates the polygon mirror 31b as the image light. This polygon mirror 31b is a cab canner motor 3
The image light which is rotated at a high speed by 1c and is reflected by the polygon mirror 31b is formed by the imaging lens 31d and the reflection mirror 31e.
The surface of the photosensitive drum 37 is selectively exposed by irradiating it to the photosensitive drum 37 via the.

(Recording Material Conveying Means) Next, the structure of the conveying means 33 for conveying the recording material 32 will be described.
The recording material 32 according to the present embodiment can be of two types: a hand and a cassette paper feed. As shown in FIG. 5, when the recording material 32 is set in the paper feed tray 33a and image formation is started, the pickup roller 33b picks up the recording material 3 on the paper feed tray 33a.
2 is fed into the apparatus, and the separation roller pair 33c1,
The sheet 33 is separated and fed one by one by 33c2, and is conveyed so that the leading edge of the recording material 32 abuts on the pair of registration rollers 33d1 and 33d2. And the registration roller pair 33d
1, 33d2 are driven and rotated in accordance with the image forming operation to convey the recording material 32 to the image forming portion. Further, the recording material 32 on which the image has been formed is conveyed to the fixing means 35, and is discharged to the discharge portion 36 by the intermediate discharge roller 33e and the discharge roller pairs 33f1 and 33f2. A guide member 33g for guiding the recording material 32 to be conveyed is provided between the rollers.

The paper feed tray 33a has an inner member 33a.
1 and the outer member 33a2, the inner member 3 when not in use
3a1 and the outer member 33a2 are housed in the outer member 33a1.
Are configured to form the exterior of the device body.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the cassette feeding structure has a loading portion for the cassette 32h on the inner bottom of the apparatus main body, and when the recording material 32 is not fed by hand, the loading operation is performed. To be recorded 3 in the cassette 33h loaded in the unit
2 from the top by the pickup roller 33i and the feeding roller 33j.
It is configured to feed to 3d2. The registration roller pair 33d1 and 33d2 and thereafter are configured to be conveyed by the same members as in the case of the above-mentioned touch.

(Transfer Means) The transfer means 34 is for transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 37 in the image forming portion to the recording material 32, and the transfer means 34 of the present embodiment is as shown in FIG. In addition, the transfer roller 34 is used. That is, the transfer roller 34 presses the recording material 32 against the photosensitive drum 37 of the loaded process cartridge B, and a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 37 is applied to the transfer roller 34. As a result, the toner on the photosensitive drum 37 is transferred to the recording material 2.

(Fixing Means) Next, the fixing means 35 fixes the toner image transferred to the recording material 32 by applying a voltage to the transfer roller 34, and as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a driving roller 35a which is driven to rotate, and a fixing roller 35b which has a heat generating member inside and is rotated by being pressed against the driving roller 35a. That is, when the recording material 32 to which the toner image is transferred in the image forming section is passed between the driving roller 35a and the fixing roller 35b, both rollers 35a,
The pressure is applied by pressing 35b, and the fixing roller 3
Heat is applied by the heat generated by 5b.
As a result, the toner transferred to the recording material 32 is fixed.

In each of the above-described embodiments, when the film-shaped seal 12 is peeled off, the toner in the container, including the portion heat-welded around the opening of the toner supply opening,
Although an example of a method of peeling off all the seals leaving one end of the seals as an example, the present invention is not limited to this.
A flexible first film that covers the toner supply opening of the container and is rupturable in the peeling direction, and a strip-shaped first film that tears the first film in the length direction to form the toner supply opening. It may be a system composed of two films.

As the base material of this seal film, uniaxially oriented polypropylene, uniaxially oriented polyethylene or the like is used.

Further, a system using an easy peel film which has been conventionally used may be used. As the easy peel film, a composite film of polyethylene terephthalate / low molecular weight polyethylene or the like is used.

Although the process cartridge shows an example in which the photosensitive drum, the charger, the developing device and the cleaning device are integrated, the charging means, the developing means or the cleaning means as the process means and the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided. An integrally formed cartridge, which can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus (for example, a copying machine, LBP, etc.), or at least one of a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means as a process means, and an electrophotographic photoreceptor. Which is made into a cartridge as a unit and can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus (for example, a copying machine, LBP, etc.), or at least the developing means as the process means and the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made into a cartridge to form an image. It may be detachable from the main body of the forming apparatus (eg, copying machine, LBP, etc.). .

[0031]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the developer supply container is simply attached to the process cartridge, and when the process cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus, the seal member is automatically opened. As a result, the toner is replenished, the developer such as the toner can be prevented from scattering to the outside, and the developer replenishing container can be easily handled.

According to the invention described in claims 3 and 4, the invention can be applied to process cartridges of various forms.

According to the invention described in claim 5, since the seal member provided in the developer supply container can be automatically wound up, the operability for supplying the developer is good, and the toner is scattered to the outside. It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that does not have the above.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a process cartridge and a developer supply container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a mounted state of the developer supply container.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional process cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a developer supply container is attached to a conventional process cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional toner seal automatic winding mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus showing a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image bearing member (photosensitive drum) 2 ... Charging means 3 ... Developing means 3a ... Toner accommodating portion 3b ... Opening portion 3c ... Developing container lid 4 ... Cleaning means 5 ... Cartridge 6 ... Frame body 7 ... Frame body 8 ... Developer Replenishment container 8a ... Toner storage portion 8b ... Opening portion 9 ... Seal winding member 10 ... Toner 11 ... Shaft 12 ... Seal 13 ... Elastic member 14 ... Positioning member 15 ... Driving member 16 ... Stirring bar 17 ... Shaft 18 ... Sleeve gear 19 Idle gear 20 Toner 21 Belt 22 Bevel gear

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A process having an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to the developing means. The developer, which is detachably attached to the replenishment opening of the developer accommodating portion of the cartridge and is accommodated by peeling off the seal member of the opening portion desired in the replenishing opening, is stored in the developer accommodating portion. In a developer replenishing container to be replenished, a driving force transmitting portion connected to a driving portion in a developer accommodating portion and transmitting a driving force, and the sealing force is wound in the unsealing direction by the driving force from the driving force transmitting portion. A developer supply container comprising a winding member, wherein the winding member is provided so as to be located in the developer accommodating portion. 2. An electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to the developing means. ,
The developer replenishing container that replenishes the developer contained in the developer accommodating portion by peeling off the seal member of the unsealing portion desired in the replenishment opening portion in the unsealing direction while winding the seal member around the winding member. In a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus mounted to a replenishment opening of a container, a driving force is transmitted to a winding member in a developer container to drive a sealing member in an opening direction. A process cartridge having a driving force transmission portion. 3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the charging means, the cleaning means and the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed into a cartridge. 4. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein any one of a charging unit and a cleaning unit as a process unit and an electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed into a cartridge. 5. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, wherein the process cartridge according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 is detachably mountable, and the process cartridge is detachably mounted. An image forming apparatus comprising: a mounting unit for mounting the recording medium and a transporting unit for transporting the recording medium.