Patent Application
20140064794
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-192572, filed on Aug. 31, 2012, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a developer container, a developer replenishing device, a developing device, and an image forming apparatus, such as, a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a plotter, or a multifunction peripheral (MFP) including at least two of coping, printing, facsimile transmission, plotting, and scanning capabilities, and further relates to prevention of erroneous installation of a developer container.
2. Description of the Background Art
Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines, form latent images on an image bearer, develop the latent images by a developing device, and then transfer the developed image onto sheets of recording media. To maintain a desired image density, developer is supplied to the developing device by developer replenishing devices such as toner replenishing devices. For example, when the concentration of toner in developer supplied to the photoreceptor decreases, a toner replenishing device supplies toner contained in a toner container, which is generally called a toner bottle or toner cartridge, to the developing device. In the description below, toner replenishing devices may represent developer replenishing devices and toner containers may represent developer containers as a matter of convenience.
Typically, developer containers are removably mountable in a mount provided in developer replenishing devices and replaced when no toner remains therein or color is to be changed.
There are developer containers that include a container body, a cap provided to an opening at one end of the container body, and a spiral groove formed in the outer circumference of the container body. Such a configuration is proposed, for example, in JP-2007-065613-A. In this configuration, as the container body and the spiral groove thereof rotate, developer or toner contained in the container body moves toward a supply opening (i.e., toner outlet) formed in the cap.
The developer container is inserted into the developer replenishing device from an insertion opening formed therein and positioned in the developer replenishing device such that the supply opening faces a receiving part of the developer replenishing device so that developer can be supplied from the container body thereto.
To increase the capacity, cylindrical container bodies that are long in the axial direction thereof may be used in developer containers. In such a configuration, the developer container filled with developer tends to be heavy, and it is not easy for users or operators to insert the heavy developer container into the insertion opening while holding the developer container, in particular, keeping an orientation proper for installation.
The term “orientation proper for installation” used here means that the developer container is oriented in the axial direction of the developer container being inserted properly and that the supply opening formed in the cap can face and closely contact a receiving inlet of the developer replenishing device.
When the developer container inserted is oblique to the axial direction of the developer container being inserted properly, clearance can be present between the supply opening formed in the cap and the receiving part of the developer replenishing device, allowing developer to leak through the clearance.
Relating to this inconvenience, the above-described JP-2007-065613-A proposes forming a guiding portion to guide the toner container to slide in a toner-container holder formed in a toner replenishing device. The guiding portion can be a guide face (or sliding face) on which the bottom face of the toner container slides. Alternatively, the toner-container holder includes guiding portions into which sliding pieces provided on both sides of the toner container in a horizontal direction are fitted such that the guiding portions guide the toner container.
In this configuration, the toner container being inserted can be prevented from inclining relative to the axial direction as the bottom face of the toner container slides on the guide face of the toner-container holder, or the sliding pieces slide in the guiding portions of the toner-container holder.
In view of the foregoing, one embodiment of the present invention provides a developer container removably installable in an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus. The developer container includes a container body to contain developer, a cap connectable to the container body, and a flange projecting beyond an outer circumferential surface of the cap in a radial direction extending from a center of a cross section of the container body. The flange is formed along a circumference of the container body and provided between the container body and the cap. In the cap, a supply opening is formed.
Another embodiment provides a developer replenishing device that includes a receiving inlet and a developer tank. The receiving inlet communicates with the supply opening of the above-described developer container to receive developer therefrom, and the received developer is stored in the developer tank.
Yet another embodiment provides a developing device that includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer, and a developer containing compartment to which developer is supplied by the above-described developer replenishing device.
Yet another embodiment provides an image forming apparatus that includes an image bearer on which a latent image is formed, and the above-described developing device.
A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner and achieve a similar result.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, and particularly to
It is to be noted that the suffixes Y, M, C, and K attached to each reference numeral indicate only that components indicated thereby are used for forming yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images, respectively, and hereinafter may be omitted when color discrimination is not necessary. Further, the term “cylindrical” used in this specification is not limited to round columns but also includes polygonal prisms.)
It is to be noted that distinctive features of the present embodiment relate to a developer container described with reference to
In the configuration shown in
As the container body 33Y is rotated, toner contained in the container body 33Y is transported in the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32Y to the toner outlet W serving as a supply opening and discharged from the toner outlet W.
The cap 34Y of the developer container 32Y is provided with a shutter 34d, an identification (ID) chip 35 serving as a data storage device, a shutter seal 36 of the shutter 34d, and the like.
In an end face an a head side (on the left in
Between the first and second positioning holes 34a and 34b, a quadrate recess 35a (shown in
Roughly speaking, the cap 34Y shown in
The large and moderate cylindrical portions and the wide box portion 34n together form an inner insertion portion of the cap 34Y.
The outer circumference of the large cylindrical portion of the cap 34Y is cut away partly, forming a cutout 34P0 shown in
In
A projection 34g disposed at the wide box portion 34n enables identification of each developer container, in particular, that is, compatibility. The projection 34g is provided on a sliding piece 34g1 laterally projecting from the cap 34Y, and the position of the projection 34g varies among respective colors. The sliding piece 34g1 fits in a guiding portion 301 (shown in
In
The configuration shown in
In insertion of the developer containers 32, the developer container 32 may lean toward a side (i.e., one-sided) inside the insertion opening from the following reason, thus inhibiting proper installation of the developer container 32.
The external diameter of developer containers often varies depending on the consumption of toner contained therein. For example, the developer container for containing black toner, which is typically consumed more than other color toners, can be made greater in external diameter than developer containers for other color toners. In such cases, the insertion opening formed in the developer replenishing device is often sized for the developer container for the most consumed color toner, that is, the developer container largest in external diameter.
In addition, the container body is typically larger in diameter than the cap provided to the opening at one end of the container body. Accordingly, the insertion opening formed in the developer replenishing device is larger than the cap. Therefore, in the case of the developer container for toner that is used less than black toner, the clearance between the inner face enclosing the insertion opening and the cap is greater than the clearance between the inner face enclosing the insertion opening and the cap of the developer container for black toner.
When the diameter of the cap and that of the insertion opening are different in dimension, the developer container is likely to deviate within the difference in dimension and lean toward a given part inside the insertion opening. In particular, in insertion of developer containers having container bodies smaller in external diameter than the largest external diameter, the possibility of leaning is higher since the difference in dimension is greater.
If the developer container 32 leans to one side during insertion, the relative positions of the guiding portions 301 provided to the insertion opening A1 sized for the largest developer container (for example, the developer container 32K for black) and the sliding pieces 34g1 of the developer container are disturbed. In this state, while one of the sliding pieces 34g1 on both sides of the cap 34 fits in the guiding portion 301, the other sliding piece 34g1 is not fitted in the guiding portion 301 due to the above-described difference in dimension but, for example, steps on the upper face of the guiding portion 301.
This situation can also arise when the operator or user fails to check the insertion state during the insertion of the developer container 32.
Referring to
In
The developer containers 32 are inserted into the insertion openings A1 to A4, respectively. The sliding pieces 34g1 project laterally from a bottom face B2 of the cap 34Y. The container mount 70 is formed on the back side of the wall 71A, and the sliding pieces 34g1 can fit in guiding portions 301 provided to the container mount 70. The guiding portions 301 extend in the direction perpendicular the surface of the paper on which
In
In
In view of the foregoing, further a flange or collar 300 is positioned between the container body 33Y and the cap 34Y in the present embodiment. The flange 300 projects in a radial direction extending from a center of a cross section of the container body 33Y. For example, the “cross section” here means a cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction (indicated by arrow Q in
As shown in
The flange 300 projects by an amount to make the external diameter of the flange 300 similar to or slightly smaller than the external diameter of the container body 33Y so that the developer container 32Y does not lean to a part of the inner face of the insertion opening A1 (in
As shown in
On the side of the cap 34Y facing the container body 33Y, the flange 300 is closer to the container body 33Y than the sliding piece 34g1. Depending on the position of the flange 300, alignment between the sliding piece 34g1 of the cap 34Y and the guiding portion 301 of the developer replenishing device can be checked when the cap 34Y is inserted into the insertion opening.
The above-described configuration enables determination of whether the developer container 32Y is deviating toward a part of the inner face enclosing the insertion opening and whether the cap 34Y is at an improper position when the developer container 32Y is inserted.
Specifically, when the developer container 32Y deviates toward a side in the insertion opening, it is possible that the sliding piece 34g1 of the cap 34Y is not fitted in but positioned above the guiding portion 301 provided adjacent to the insertion opening while the developer container 32Y is inserted.
At that time, it is possible that the sliding piece 34g1 at one side of the cap 34Y is disengaged from the guiding portion 301.
By contrast, as the developer container 32Y deviates to one side of the insertion opening A1, the corresponding portion of the flange 300 approaches to the inner face enclosing the insertion opening A1. If insertion of the developer container 32Y is continued, the flange 300 contacts the end face (i.e., rim) enclosing the insertion opening A1.
It is to be noted that, in
With this configuration, whether or not the developer container 32Y is inserted properly can be determined. Consequently, the user or operator can be invited to draw out and reinsert the developer container 32Y so that the flange 300 does not contact the end face of the insertion opening, that is, both sliding pieces 34g1 of the cap 34Y can fit in the respective guiding portions 301 of the container mount 70. Additionally, it is desirable that, before the sliding piece 34g1 steps onto the guiding portion 301, the flange 300 contacts the end face of the insertion opening A1.
With the above-described aspect of the present embodiment, when the flange 300 contacts the end face of the insertion opening A1, it can be deemed that the developer container 32Y being inserted is deviating to one side of the insertion opening A1.
In other words, this configuration enables the operator to foresee the possibility that the toner outlet W, serving as the supply opening, formed in the cap 34Y does not closely contact the supply inlet 73w (receiving inlet) of the developer replenishing device 60, allowing toner to leak, or that the relative positions of the container body 33Y and the driving unit 91 therefor are not proper at the time of insertion of the developer container 32Y.
With this configuration, the operator can easily check the insertion state of the developer container 32Y even if the operator overlooks the relative positions of the guiding portion 301 adjacent to the insertion opening in the developer replenishing device 60 (or the container mount 70) and the sliding piece 34g1 on the bottom of the cap 34Y, which is a blind spot for the operator.
It is to be noted that, in addition to the configuration including the flange 300 to enable the operator to check the insertion state, the following configuration may be provided to facilitate engagement between the sliding piece 34g1 of the cap 34Y and the guiding portion 301 adjacent to the insertion opening formed in the developer replenishing device.
That is, a projecting piece 302 shown in
This configuration can inhibit inclination of the cap 32Y (in
Additionally, although the cap 34Y may deviate and cause one of the sliding pieces 34g1 to ascend onto the guiding portion 301, resulting in the inclination in the circumferential direction thereof, such inclination can be inhibited by the lateral projection 34c shown in
In the present embodiment, since the flange 300 is disposed between the container body 33Y and the cap 34Y, that is, upstream from the lateral projection 34c in the insertion direction of the developer container 32Y, the operator can foresee that the lateral projection 34c moves while stepping onto the engagement portion.
Next, descriptions are given below of the developing device, the developer replenishing device, and the image forming apparatus that use the developer container according to the present embodiment with reference to
Referring to
As shown in
An intermediate transfer unit 15 including an intermediate transfer belt 8 is provided beneath the container mount 70. The image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K respectively corresponding to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are arranged in parallel, facing the intermediate transfer belt 8.
The developer replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are provided beneath the replaceable developer containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K, respectively. Each developer replenishing device 60 supplies toner contained in the corresponding developer container 32 to the developing device 5 of the corresponding image forming unit 6.
It is to be noted that other image forming units 6 have a similar configuration to that of the yellow image forming unit 6Y except the color of the toner used therein, and different color toner images are formed in the respective image forming units 6. Thus, only the image forming unit 6Y is described below and descriptions of other image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K are omitted.
Referring to
When the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position to receive a laser beam L emitted from an exposure unit 7 (shown in
Then, the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the developing device 5Y, where the latent image is developed with toner into a yellow toner image (development process).
Subsequent to the developing, surface of the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position facing a primary-transfer bias roller 9Y via the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the toner image is transferred therefrom onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 (primary-transfer process). After the primary-transfer process, a certain amount of toner tends to remain on the photoreceptor drum 1Y.
When the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the cleaning unit 2Y, a cleaning blade 2a of the cleaning unit 2Y mechanically collects the toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 1Y (cleaning process). Further, when the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the discharger, electrical potentials remaining thereof are removed. Thus, a sequence of image forming processes performed on the photoreceptor drum 1Y is completed.
The above-described image forming processes are performed in the image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K similarly to the yellow image forming unit 6Y. That is, the exposure unit 7 disposed beneath the image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K directs laser beams L according to image data onto the photoreceptor drums 1M, 1C, and 1K in the respective image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K. More specifically, the exposure unit 7 includes light sources to emit the laser beams L, multiple optical elements, and a polygon mirror that is rotated by a motor. The exposure unit 7 directs the laser beams L to the respective photoreceptor drums 1 via the multiple optical elements while deflecting the laser beams L with the polygon mirror.
Then, the toner images formed on the respective photoreceptor drums 1 through the development process are transferred therefrom and superimposed one on another on the intermediate transfer belt 8. Thus, a multicolor toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.
As shown in
The intermediate transfer belt 8 is supported by the multiple rollers and is rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow shown in
The four primary-transfer bias rollers 9 are pressed against the corresponding photoreceptor drums 1 via the intermediate transfer belt 8, and four contact portions between the primary-transfer bias rollers 9 and the corresponding photoreceptor drums 1 are hereinafter referred to as primary-transfer nips. Each primary-transfer bias roller 9 receives a transfer bias in the polarity opposite the polarity of toner.
While rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in
Then, the intermediate transfer belt 8 carrying the multicolor toner image reaches a portion facing the secondary-transfer roller 19. The secondary-transfer roller 19 and the secondary-transfer backup roller 12 press against each other via the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the contact portion therebetween is hereinafter referred to as a secondary-transfer nip. The multicolor toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred onto a sheet P (recording medium) transported to the secondary-transfer nip (secondary-transfer process). A certain amount of toner tends to remain on the intermediate transfer belt 8 after the secondary-transfer process.
When the intermediate transfer belt 8 reaches a position facing the belt cleaning unit, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is collected by the belt cleaning unit. Thus, a sequence of image forming processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is completed.
The sheet P is transported by a sheet feeder 26 provided in a lower portion of the apparatus body 100 to the secondary-transfer nip via a feed roller 27, and a pair of registration rollers 28 (i.e., registration roller pair 28).
More specifically, the sheet feeder 26 contains multiple sheets P piled one on another. The feed roller 27 rotates counterclockwise in
The registration roller pair 28 stops rotating temporarily, stopping the sheet P with a leading edge of the sheet P stuck in the nip. The registration roller pair 28 resumes rotating to transport the sheet P to the secondary-transfer nip, time to coincide with the arrival of the multicolor toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8. Thus, the multicolor toner image is recorded on the sheet P.
Subsequently, the sheet P carrying the multicolor image is transported to a fixing device 20. In the fixing device 20, a fixing belt and a pressing roller apply heat and pressure to the sheet P to fix the multicolor toner image on the sheet P.
Subsequently, the sheet P is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 29 outside the image forming apparatus 100 and stacked as an output image in a stack section 30.
Thus, a sequence of image forming processes performed in the image forming apparatus 1000 is completed.
Next, a configuration and operation of the developing device 5Y is described in further detail below with reference to
The developing device 5Y includes a developing roller 51Y disposed facing the photoreceptor drum 1Y, a doctor blade 52Y disposed facing the developing roller 51Y, two conveying screws 55Y respectively disposed in developer containing compartments 53Y and 54Y, and a concentration detector 56Y to detect concentration of toner in developer G The developing roller 51Y serves as a developer bearer. A casing of the developing device 5Y is divided, at least partially, into the developer containing compartments 53Y and 54Y. The developing roller 51Y includes a magnet roller or multiple magnets fixed in position relative to the casing of the developing device 5Y, a sleeve that rotates around the magnet roller, and the like. The developer containing compartments 53Y and 54Y contain two-component developer G consisting essentially of carrier (carrier particles) and toner (toner particles). An opening is formed on an upper side of the developer containing compartment 54Y, and the developer containing compartment 54Y is connected via the opening to a vertical toner channel 64Y.
The developing device 5Y configured as described above operates as follows.
The sleeve of the developing roller 51Y rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow shown in
The ratio of toner to carrier (the concentration of toner) in the developer G contained in the developing device 5Y is adjusted within a predetermined range. More specifically, the developer replenishing device 60Y (shown in
The toner supplied to the developer containing compartment 54Y is mixed with the developer G therein, and the developer G is circulated between the two developer containing compartments 53Y and 54Y (transported in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper on which
The developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in
Next, referring to
Referring to
The different color toners contained in the respective developer containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K in the container mount 70 are supplied to the corresponding developing devices 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K by the developer replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K (only the developer replenishing device 60Y is illustrated in
It is to be noted that the developer replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K have a similar structure, and the developer containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K have a similar structure except the color of toner used. Therefore, only the structure for yellow is described below, omitting descriptions for other colors.
To replace the developer container 32Y, initially a cover on a proximal side (on the front side of the paper on which
The developer container 32Y is inserted and removed from the front side of the apparatus body 100 with the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32Y kept horizontal.
The developer container 32Y is inserted in the direction Q shown in
When the shutter 34d is opened, the toner outlet W (upstream side in the direction indicated by a broken arrow shown in
Accordingly, toner is discharged from the developer container 32Y through the toner outlet W and received in toner tank 61 through the supply inlet 73w of the developer replenishing device 60Y.
The container body 33Y is held by the container mount 70 rotatably relative to the cap 34Y as shown in
As the container body 33Y rotates, the toner contained in the container body 33Y is transported in the longitudinal direction by the spiral protrusion 33b formed in the container body 33Y and is discharged from the toner outlet W.
That is, the driving unit 91 rotates the container body 33Y of the developer container 32Y as required, thus supplying toner to the toner tank 61Y. It is to be noted that the developer containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are replaced when the respective service lives thereof have expired, that is, almost all toner contained therein is consumed. As described above, the cover of the apparatus body 100 is opened at that time.
Referring to
The toner tank 61Y is positioned beneath the toner outlet W of the developer container 32Y and stores toner discharged through the toner outlet W. A bottom portion of the toner tank 61Y is connected to an upstream side of the toner conveying screw 62Y in a direction in which the developer G is transported (hereinafter “developer conveyance direction”).
The toner end detector 66Y is disposed on a side wall of the toner tank 61Y at a predetermined height from the bottom of the toner tank 61Y. The toner end detector 66Y detects that the amount of toner stored in the toner tank 61Y has fallen to or below a predetermined amount.
For example, a piezoelectric sensor can be used as the toner end detector 66Y. When the controller 90 recognizes that the amount of toner stored in the toner tank 61Y is less than the predetermined amount using the toner end detector 66Y, the controller 90 causes the driving unit 91 (including the driving gear 81) to rotate the container body 33Y of the developer container 32Y for a predetermined period, thereby supplying toner to the toner tank 61Y.
If the toner end detector 66Y continues to report “toner end” even when this operation is repeated, the controller 90 deems the developer container 32Y empty (the end of toner). Then, a display of the apparatus body 100 shows a message to invite users or operators to replace the developer container 32Y.
The toner agitator 65Y is disposed in a center portion inside the toner tank 61Y, that is, adjacent to the toner end detector 66Y, for preventing toner from coagulating inside the toner tank 61Y. The toner agitator 65Y includes a flexible member provided on a shaft and rotates clockwise in
In addition, a tip of the flexible member of the toner agitator 65Y slidably contacts a detection surface of the toner end detector 66Y periodically with rotation cycle of the toner agitator 65Y, thus preventing toner from adhering to the detection surface of the toner end detector 66Y. Accordingly, decreases in the detection accuracy can be prevented or inhibited.
Although not shown, the toner conveying screw 62Y transports the toner stored in the toner tank 61Y obliquely upward. More specifically, the toner conveying screw 62Y linearly conveys the toner from the bottom side of the toner tank 61Y to the upper side of the developing device 5Y. Then, the toner thus conveyed by the toner conveying screw 62Y drops under its own weight through the vertical toner channel 64Y and is supplied to the developer containing compartment 54Y in the developing device 5Y as shown in
Referring to
The user holds a handle 33d and keeps the longitudinal direction of the developer container 32Y horizontal when installing the developer container 32Y into the container mount 70. When being inserted through the insertion section 71, the cap 34Y is situated at the leading end of the developer container 32Y.
The developer container 32Y inserted from the insertion section 71 slides on the bottle receiving face 72a of the bottle holder 72 and is pressed to the cap holder 73.
As shown in
In the cap holder 73, sockets are formed for the caps 34Y, 34M, 34C, and 34K, respectively. When the developer containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are inserted into the container mount 70 in the direction indicated by arrow Q shown in
In
The bottle receiving face 72a serves as a slide face on which the developer container 32Y slides when the developer container 32Y is installed into or released from the container mount 70 and also functions as a holder to hold the rotatable container body 33Y after the developer container 32Y is fully set.
The pressing member 72b shown in
The pressing member 72b is a trapezoidal rib projecting toward the shutter 34d and projecting from the bottle receiving face 72a upward.
In the vertical direction, the chip setting 34k provided to the developer container 32Y shown in
With this arrangement, a part of the recess 35a becomes less likely to overlap with the toner outlet W in the transverse direction. In other words, the bottom 35a1 of the recess 35a is inhibited from approaching the toner outlet W so that the bottom 35a1 does not block a part of the toner outlet W and hinder the discharge of toner.
Further, the relative positions of the toner outlet W and the recess 35 are determined such that, even when toner scatters outside from the toner outlet W of the developer container 32Y, the scattering toner does not reach the connector against the gravity, and that the wall blocks the scattering toner to prevent poor contact, caused by toner adhering to the connector, and consequent defective communication. The recess 35a is on the side of the first positioning hole 34a.
By contrast, as shown in
The mouth portion A is situated on the head of the container body 33Y that is on the leading side when the developer container 32Y is inserted into the container mount 70. The mouth portion A is for discharging toner from the container body 33Y to a space or hollow B inside the cap 34Y.
The container body 33Y is rotated to convey toner from the container body 33Y to the hollow B in the cap 34Y in accordance with consumption of toner in the image forming apparatus 1000.
Out of the insertion portion of the cap 34Y of the developer container 32Y shown in
By reducing the external diameter of the peripheral portion 34P1 adjacent to the cutout 34P0 in the axial direction from the external diameter of other portions in the circumferential direction, a tooth flank that meshes with the gear 33c in the axial direction can be made less likely to interfere with the periphery of the insertion portion. The gear 33c is exposed through the cutout 34P0. Consequently, the engagement between the gear 33c and the tooth flank moving in the axial direction can be smooth without being obstructed by the insertion portion.
It is to be noted that in
A rib 34SG (described in detail with reference to
A pair of shutter retainers 73d, described later with reference to
In the configuration shown in
In the configuration shown in
In
As shown in
The toner outlet W is surrounded by a rib W1 projecting to the shutter seal 36 of the shutter 34d as shown in
The rib W1 can fold back (turn back) an end portion of the shutter seal 36 and also can enhance contact with the shutter seal 36 by pressing the rest of the shutter seal 36. Further, the shutter seal 36 can block toner that is about to leak from the toner outlet W.
In
For example, the shutter 34d is formed of resin such as polystyrene and includes a planar shutter body 34d1 and an elastic deformable portion 34d2 projecting from the shutter body 34d1. The deformable portion 34d2 is thinner than the shutter body 34d1 to be elastic. The shutter body 34d1 is provided with longitudinal walls 34d1a, standing on either outer sides of the shutter body 34d1, and a pair of shutter sliders 34d12 projecting therefrom.
Each longitudinal wall 34d1a is provided with the slide protrusion 34d1c and an L-shaped engaging portion 34d1b. The slide protrusions 34d1c face each other and project to each other. The engaging portion 34d1b is provided to the outer side of the longitudinal wall 34d1a on the opposite side of the slide protrusions 34d1c.
The engaging portion 34d1b includes a planar upper portion that extends in the direction in which the shutter 34d moves, and a projection 34d1b1 extends downward from a front portion of the planar upper portion in the installation direction. The projection 34d1b1 engages the shutter retainer 73d.
The shutter sliders 34d12 are each prisms projecting from a face of the longitudinal wall 34d1a on the same side as the engaging portion 34d1b. The shutter sliders 34d12 extend to the back side in the direction indicated by an arrow shown in
As shown in
In the shutter 34d, the deformable portion 34d2 is cantilevered as shown in
Additionally, as shown in
The deformable portion 34d2 is constructed of a cantilevered piece supported by the shutter body 34d1 and extends (for a length L in
The free ends of the deformable portion 34d2 are bridged together via a connection plate 34d2a. A stopper release member 34d21 is provided at a center position in the bridging direction of the connection plate 34d2a. The stopper release member 34d21 is disposed to face the pressing member 72b (shown in
In
In
In the state shown in
Additionally, reference character 34d1d (shown in
The shutter seal 36 is flat and rectangular parallelepiped. The shutter seal 36 is designed such that the end thereof is folded back by abutting against the rib W1 shown in
Regarding the length of the shutter seal 36, the front end of the shutter seal 36 in the closing direction of the shutter 34d projects outward beyond the end of the shutter body 34d1 by a length L1 shown in
The shutter 34d can be housed inside the wide box portion 34n beneath the large-diameter cylindrical portion of the cap 34Y and slidable therein.
Out of the four sides (i.e., the vertical sides in
By contrast, with reference to
On the outer circumferential face of the moderate cylindrical portion, the lateral projections 34c are positioned on both sides in the direction perpendicular to the vertical arrangement direction of the first and second positioning holes 34a and 34b on an identical plane. Each lateral projection 34c is triangular in plan view, and its apex is positioned such that the outer end in the lateral direction moves away from the outer circumferential face of the moderate cylindrical portion from the head side of the cap 34Y toward the rear side.
Each lateral projection 34c has two inclined faces respectively on the head side and the rear side with reference to the apex. The rising angle of the inclined face on the rear side is greater than the rising angle of the inclined face on the head side.
The cap holder 73a includes a pressing member configured to sandwich the lateral projection 34c upon application of elastic force, and the inclined face on the head side can move while being in contact with the pressing member of the cap holder 73a. That is, when the portion whose inclination is smaller (i.e., a gradient face) faces the pressing member as the lateral projection 34c is moved toward the pressing member, the gradient face can enter the pressing member without resisting. When the apex on the gradient face overstrides the pressing member, the inclined face on the rear side is latched on the pressing member since the inclination thereof is greater than the tapered face. Immediately after the lateral projection 34c passes over the pressing member, resistance from the pressing member decreases abruptly. Thus, resistance, that is, clicking sensation, arises when the lateral projection 34c fits in the pressing member.
In the present embodiment, in the lateral projection 34c, the inclined face on the head side has an inclination of 30°, and the inclined face on the rear side has an inclination of 45°, for example.
By contrast, the shutter 34d is retained at the closing position to close the toner outlet W by the shutter retainer 73d on the body-side shown in
In
In
The shutter retainer 73d includes the first arm 73d1 at one end thereof and the second arm 73d2 at the other end thereof.
In opening and closing movements of the shutter 34d of the developer container 32Y, the projections 34d1b of the shutter 34d are clamped by the second arms 73d2 of the shutter retainers 73d. Then, as the vertical face (facing the first arm 73d1 in
As shown in
As shown in
As the shutter retainer 73d rotates, the first arm 73d1 thereof clamps the vertical face of the guide rail 34YG of the cap 34Y. Then, while engaging the projection 34d1b1 of the engaging portion 34d1b, the second arm 73d2 faces and contacts the side wall of the shutter body 34d1 where the base end of the engaging portion 34d1b is situated. Thus, the second arm 73d2 clamps the side wall.
Subsequently, the shutter 34d contacts the wall 73 surrounding the supply inlet 73w (shown in
As the developer container 32Y moves further in the insertion direction Q in the state in which the movement of the shutter 34d is restricted, the shutter 34d moves relative to the cap 34Y moving in the insertion direction Q. As the cap 34Y reaches a position downstream from the retained shutter 34d in the insertion direction Q, the toner outlet W is opened as shown in
At that time, as shown in
By contrast, in removal of the developer container 32Y from the container mount 70, the above-described processes are performed in reverse. That is, as the shutter 34d closes the toner outlet W, the shutter retainers 73d operate in the order of
Referring to
As indicated by broken lines shown in
The deformable portion 34d2 deforms and changes its posture from the inclined position to the horizontal position. As illustrated in
With this operation, as described with reference to
With this configuration, the toner outlet W can be sealed by the shutter seal 36 until the developer container 32Y is fully mounted in the container mount 70. Accordingly, unintentional leak of toner from the toner outlet W can be inhibited.
With the above-described shutter structure, a seal member that is an existing component can be made into the shutter seal 36 having a portion that can be folded back by the contact with the rib W1. Accordingly, sealing of the toner outlet W can be enhanced without adding a special component, thus securing prevention of leak of toner.
In particular, shaping the toner outlet W into a hexagonal opening is advantageous in that the load to fold back the shutter seal 36 can be localized to the end portion thereof, and that the entire end portion can be folded back continuously with the apex of the hexagon with sliding resistance alleviated. Thus, sealing can be secured over the entire periphery of the toner outlet W.
Next, descriptions are given below of another configuration relating to the shutter retainer 73d and the ID chip 35 with reference to
As shown in
After the front cover 2134P is fixed, the thermal caulking pin 2134P10 is heated while the end thereof is flattened by a jig. However,
In the front cover 2134P, insertion holes into which the thermal caulking pin 2134P10, the main reference pin 734S3, and the sub-reference pin 734S4 are inserted; and an opening to partly expose the ID chip 535 are formed.
When the front cover 2134P engages the main reference pin 734S3 and the sub-reference pin 734S4 and fitted around the thermal caulking pin 2134P10, the front cover 2134P can be positioned to expose the ID chip 535. Then, by flattening the end of the thermal caulking pin 2134P10 while heating, the front cover 2134P is fixed to the front side of the cap 2134Y.
One of the insertion holes formed in the front cover 2134P to receive the references pins 734S3 and 734S4 can be a perfect circle and the other can be a lateral slot. The insertion hole in which the thermal caulking pin 2134P10 fits can be slightly greater in diameter than the thermal caulking pin 2134P10.
With the front cover 2134P thus fixed to the cap 2134Y, the ID chip 535 does not fall off in insertion or removal of the developer container 2132Y from the container mount 70. Further, communication and electrical connection of the ID chip 535 exposed from the mouth portion can be secured.
In addition, relating to the shutter retainer 73d, the configuration shown in
The guide rail 2134YG is different from the guide rail 34YG shown in
In
In this configuration, similarly to the procedure shown in
Referring to
Subsequently, as the developer container 2132Y is moved further in the insertion direction Q, the shutter retainer 73d rotates around the support shaft 73d3, pushed by the protruding portion 2134YG3 as show in
As the shutter retainer 73d rotates, as shown in
Subsequently, the shutter 34d contacts the wall surrounding the supply inlet 73w (shown in
As the developer container 2132Y moves further in the insertion direction Q in this state, the shutter 34d moves relative to the cap 2134Y moving in the insertion direction Q, and the narrow box portion 34Y1 of the cap 2134Y reaches a position downstream from the retained shutter 34d in the insertion direction Q. With the relative movements, the toner outlet W is opened as shown in
At that time, as shown in
Accordingly, the postures of the shutter 34d and the cap 2134Y in the cap holder 73 are determined, and smooth opening of the shutter 34d can be available.
By contrast, in removal of the developer container 2132Y from the container mount 70 (cap holder 73), the above-described processes are performed in reverse. That is, as the shutter 34d closes the toner outlet W, the shutter retainers 73d operate in the order of
In the configuration shown in
When the cap 2134Y moves in the removal direction, the first arms 73d1 face the projections 34d1b of the shutter 34d and prevented from rotating. Therefore, the amount by which the protruding portions 2134YG3 project is determined such that the shutter retainer 73d can be prevented from rotating until the shutter 34d is fully closed and the guide rails 2134YG can be released from the first arms 73d1 when the shutter 34d fully closes the toner outlet W.
The projections 34d1b of the shutter 34d can be clamped by the second arms 73d2 until the toner outlet W is fully closed by the shutter 34d. Accordingly, when the cap 2134Y moves in the removal direction, the shutter 34d traverses the toner outlet W while being clamped. Then, the toner outlet W is closed.
In the configuration shown in
With this shape, in insertion into the container mount 70, sliding resistance with the guiding portion 301 can be reduced, making the insertion smooth.
Additionally, in the present embodiment, the following structure can inhibit deviation of the developer container being installed in a configuration in which the size of the insertion opening is different from the external size of the developer container.
In the cap 2134Y of the developer container 2132Y shown in
This configuration can reduce the clearance between the circumference of the cap 2134Y and the inner face of the insertion portion and inhibit the developer container 2132Y from leaning to one side.
Next, descriptions are given below of toner usable for the developer replenishing device according to the above-described embodiments.
Toner usable for the above-described embodiments can have a volume average particle side Dv (μm) of 3 μm to 8 μm (3≦Dv≦8). Additionally, when Dn (μm) represents the number average particle size of toner, the ratio of Dv/Dn is 1.00 to 1.40 (1.00≦Dv/Dn≦1.40).
Accordingly, toner particles suitable to image patterns can be selected in image development, and satisfactory developing performance can be attained even when the toner is agitated in the developing device 5 for a relatively long time. Thus, high quality images can be produced. In addition, the above-described toner particles can be effectively and reliably transported without clogging toner conveyance channels (i.e., toner supply path).
It is to be noted that volume average particle diameter V and number average particle diameter Dn of the toner particles can be measured by, for example, COULTER Counter TA-II (COULTER ELECTRONIC COMPANY) or COULTER Multisizer II (COULTER ELECTRONIC COMPANY).
In addition, it is preferable that the toner used in the above-described embodiments be substantially spherical and has first and second shape factors SF-1 and SF-2 both within a range of 100 to 180. With such toner, higher transfer effectiveness can be maintained while preventing degradation of cleaning performance. In addition, the above-described toner particles can be effectively and reliably transported without clogging toner conveyance tubes forming the toner supply path.
The first shape factor SF-1 is a parameter representing the degree of roundness of toner particles and can be expressed by the following formula:
SF-1=(M2/S)×(100π/4)
wherein M represents the maximum particle diameter of a toner particle projected on a two-dimensional plane, and S represents the projected area of the toner particle. The toner particle is a perfect sphere when the first shape factor SF-1 is 100. As the first shape factor SF-1 increases, the degree of sphericity decreases.
In addition, the second shape factor SF-2 represents irregularity (i.e., a degree of unevenness in the spherical surface) of toner particles and can be expressed by the following formula:
SF-2=(N2/S)×(100/44π)
wherein N is the peripheral length of a toner particle projected on a two-dimensional plane and S represents the projected area of the toner particle. The surface of the toner particle is smooth when the second shape factor SF-2 is 100, and the surface of the toner particle becomes more uneven as the second shape factor SF-2 increases.
The first and second shape factors SF-1 and SF-2 can be measured by taking a photograph using a scanning electron microscope, S-800 (Hitachi, Ltd.) and analyzing the photograph using an image analyzer, LUSEX3 (NIRECO CORPORATION).
As described above, the developer container 32 according to the embodiments of the present invention is removably mountable in the apparatus body 100 of the image forming apparatus 1000 and includes the container body 33 capable of containing developer such as toner, the cap 34 in which the supply opening is formed, designed to be attached to the container body 33, and the flange 300 positioned between the container body 33 and the cap 34. The flange 300 projects in a radial direction extending from a center of a cross section of the container body (for example, perpendicular to the insertion direction). The flange 300 is formed along the circumference of the container body 33.
In the developer container 32 and the developer replenishing device 60 according to the above-described embodiments, with a simple structure, a proper posture of the developer container 32 can be maintained during insertion, and relative positions of the developer container 32 and the developer replenishing device 60 can be determined, thereby inhibiting leak of toner. In the developing device 5 and the image forming apparatus 1000 that use the above-described developer container 32 and toner replenishing device 60, above-described effects can be attained.
According to the above-described embodiments, since the flange 300 projecting in a radial direction extending from a center of a cross section of the container body 33 is provided between the container body 33 and the cap 34, the flange 300 contacts the end face enclosing the insertion opening formed in the developer replenishing device 60 when the developer container 32 leaning to one side is inserted into the insertion opening. With this configuration, it can be deemed that the position of the developer container 32 being inserted is improper. Then, the position of the developer container 32 can be corrected to adjust the relative positions between the supply opening formed in the cap 34 and the receiving inlet (supply inlet) to attain close contact therebetween. Thus, inconveniences such as toner leak caused by improper positioning of the developer container 32 can be inhibited.
Numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure of this patent specification may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
It will be understood that if an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “against,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, then it can be directly on, against, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being “directly on”, “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, then there are no intervening elements or layers present.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, term such as “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, it should be understood that these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed above could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-192572 | Aug 2012 | JP | national |
