Embodiments described herein relate generally to a technique for removing a sealing tape that closes a toner supply port.
In the past, the toner cartridge 2A (hereinafter referred to as cartridge) used in an image forming apparatus is known. A toner supply port 31A of the cartridge 2A is sealed by a sealing tape 4A to prevent a toner from scattering from the toner supply port 31A and then closed by a shutter 6A on the sealing tape 4A.
A user pulls the sealing tape 4A in a predetermined direction while keeping the shutter 6A closed. After peeling the sealing tape 4A off the cartridge 2A, the user inserts the cartridge 2A into the image forming apparatus and mounts the cartridge 2A in the image forming apparatus. When the cartridge 2A is inserted into the image forming apparatus, since the shutter 6A moves in an arrow direction in
In the cartridge 2A in the past, the shutter 6A can open and close even before the cartridge 2A is mounted in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is likely that the shutter 6A opens because of manual operation, impact, or the like before the cartridge 2A is mounted in the image forming apparatus. If the sealing tape 4A is peeled while the shutter 6A is open, it is likely that the toner scatters and the user and things around the user are soiled.
If the cartridge 2A in the past is mounted in the image forming apparatus when the user fails to peel the sealing tape 4A, although the toner is carried in the cartridge 2A, the toner is not supplied from the cartridge 2A to the image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is likely that the toner is compressed and adheres to the cartridge 2A and the cartridge 2A is locked. Further, it is likely that the toner itself cannot be reused, a new toner needs to be prepared, and a breakdown of a motor for carrying the toner is caused.
In general, according to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge and an image forming apparatus main body. The toner cartridge includes a toner container, a sealing tape, an engaging member, a shutter, and a lever. The toner container includes a toner supply port for discharging a toner to the outside and stores the toner. The sealing tape closes the toner supply port. The engaging member includes a first engaging section and the sealing tape is fixed to the engaging member. The shutter includes a second engaging section and moves between a shutter first position where the shutter overlaps the toner supply port in plan view and a shutter second position where the shutter does not overlap the toner supply port in plan view. The lever includes a third engaging section and a fourth engaging section. The lever is present in a lever first position where the third engaging section and the first engaging section are disengaged. When the shutter moves from the shutter first position to the shutter second position, the fourth engaging section and the second engaging section engage. According to the movement of the shutter, the lever moves in a first direction from the lever first position to a lever second position where the third engaging section engages with the first engaging section. Thereafter, the lever moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the lever second position to move the engaging member and the sealing tape in the second direction and release closing of the toner supply port by the sealing tape.
An embodiment is explained below with reference to the drawings.
The image forming apparatus 1 is a MFP (Multi Function Peripheral). The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 11, a display unit 12, an image reading unit 13, a sheet supply unit 14, an image forming unit 15, and a toner container 16. The control unit 11 includes a processor 111, a memory 112, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 113, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 114 and controls the entire image forming apparatus 1. The display unit 12 includes an operation input unit 121 configured to receive setting and displays setting and the like of the image forming apparatus 1. The image reading unit 13 is an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and reads a document. The sheet supply unit 14 picks up sheets from paper feeding cassettes 141 one by one and conveys the sheet to the image forming unit 15 via a conveying path 142.
The image forming unit 15 includes toner cartridges 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K), a transfer belt 151, developing devices 152 (152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K), and a fixing device 153. The toner cartridges 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K) store toners of respective colors and supply the toners of the colors respectively to the developing devices 152 (152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K). The transfer belt 151 transfers toner images onto the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply unit 14. The developing devices 152 (152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K) form toner images of the colors on the transfer belt 151, sequentially superimpose the toner images of the colors, and form one color toner image. The fixing device 153 heats and presses the sheet to fix the toner images on the sheet.
The toner container 16 houses the units 11 to 15. As shown in
The cartridge 2 includes a toner container 3, a sealing tape 4, an engaging member 5, a shutter 6, and a lever 7.
The toner container 3 stores toner. The toner container 3 includes a toner supply port 31 for discharging the toner to the outside. In
When the shutter 6 is present in the initial position, the sealing tape 4 is present between the shutter 6 and the toner container 3 and is not seen from the outside. The sealing tape 4 has a longitudinal shape. A −X direction side end of the sealing tape 4 is bonded and fixed to the periphery of the toner supply port 31 of the toner container 3. A +X direction side end of the sealing tape 4 is bonded and fixed to the engaging member 5. Specifically, as shown in
When the shutter 6 is present in the initial position, the engaging member 5 is present between the shutter 6 and the toner container 3 and is not seen from the outside. The sealing tape 4 is bonded and fixed to the engaging member 5.
The engaging member 5 includes two first engaging sections 51. The first engaging sections 51 include first slopes 52 and first step surfaces 53. The first slopes 52 expand to the outer side of the engaging member 5 in the Y direction toward the −X direction distal end side. The first step surfaces 53 are connected to −X direction distal ends of the first slopes 52 and extend to the center side of the engaging member 5 in the Y direction.
Referring back to
The hole 62 is present on the +X direction side of the shutter 6. When the shutter 6 is present in the initial position, the hole 62 is present further on the +X direction side than the toner supply port 31. When the cartridge 2 is mounted in the image forming apparatus 1 and the shutter 6 moves in the −X direction, the hole 62 communicates with the toner supply port 31. The second engaging sections 63 project in the Y direction from side surfaces of the shutter 6.
The lever 7 is made of resin and includes a frame-like section 71 (a U-shaped section), third engaging sections 72, a protection sheet 73 (an opposed surface), and fourth engaging sections 74.
The frame-like section 71 has a rectangular frame shape. The frame-like section 71 includes the shutter 6 arranged on the inner side and regulates movement of the lever 7 in the Y direction. The frame-like section 71 guides movement of the lever 7 in the X direction.
Two third engaging sections 72 are provided. The third engaging sections 72 include arm sections 721 and pawl sections 720. The arm sections 721 extend from a +X direction side end of the frame-like section 71 to the −X direction side. The pawl sections 720 are present at −X direction ends of the arm sections 721. The pawl sections 720 include second slopes 722 and second step surfaces 723. The second slopes 722 are present at −X direction ends of the arm sections 721 and parallel to the first slopes 52 (
The protection sheet 73 is made of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and fixed to the +X direction side on the outer surface of the frame-like section 71. The protection sheet 73 extends in the Y direction and lies between sides of the frame-like section 71 (see
Two fourth engaging sections 74 are respectively present in the centers in the X direction of the sides of the frame-like section 71.
The fourth engaging section 74 projects to the shutter 6 side from the inner side surface of the frame-like section 71. When the lever 7 is present in a lever first position where the third engaging section 72 and the first engaging section 51 are disengaged as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
When the cartridge 2 in which the shutter 6 is present in the initial position is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1 in the +X direction, the shutter stopper 18 comes into contact with the shutter 6, slides the shutter 6 in the −X direction relatively to the toner container 3, and locates the shutter 6 in the cartridge mounting position (the shutter second position) where the toner supply port 31 and the hole 62 overlap in plan view (
When the shutter 6 moves in the −X direction relatively to the toner container 3, the shutter 6 pushes the fourth engaging sections 74 of the lever 7 in the −X direction with the second engaging sections 63. As shown in
As explained above, in this embodiment, when the cartridge 2 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1, the shutter 6 automatically moves in the −X direction and is located in the cartridge mounting position where the toner supply port 31 and the hole 62 overlap in plan view. The shutter 6 moving in the −X direction pushes the fourth engaging sections 74 of the lever 7 in the −X direction with the second engaging sections 63 to move the lever 7 in the −X direction and meshes the third engaging sections 72 of the lever 7 with the engaging member 5. According to the movement of the lever 7 in the −X direction, as shown in
After the cartridge 2 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1, when the front cover 161 is closed, the front cover 161 pushes the −X direction side of the lever 7, which projects from the toner container 3, into the +X direction side. At this point, the fourth engaging sections 74 of the lever 7 push the second engaging sections 63 of the shutter 6 in the +X direction. However, the shutter 6 is supported by the shutter stopper 18 and does not move. Therefore, when a certain degree of force is applied to the lever 7 by the front cover 161, the bases of the fourth engaging sections 74 are broken and the lever 7 moves to the +X direction side.
When the lever 7 moves to the +X direction side, as shown in
As shown in
As explained above, in this embodiment, the sealing tape 4 can be removed simply by inserting the cartridge 2 into the image forming apparatus 1 and closing the front cover 161. Therefore, the user can remove the sealing tape 4 without being conscious of special work and convenience of the image forming apparatus 1 can be improved. In this embodiment, the sealing tape 4 can be automatically removed by closing the front cover. Therefore, lock of the cartridge 2 due to a failure to peel the sealing tape 4 can be prevented. Further, in this embodiment, the sealing tape 4 can be removed in a state in which the cartridge 2 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, scattering of the toner can be prevented and the user and things around the user can be prevented from being soiled.
In the embodiment, the lever 7 is pushed in by closing the front cover 161 of the image forming apparatus 1 and the sealing tape 4 is peeled. Therefore, if the front cover 161 bends or an attaching position of the front cover 161 fluctuates, the push-in of the lever 7 is adversely affected. Therefore, after the cartridge 2 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1, the user may directly push the lever 7 projecting from the cartridge 2 into the cartridge 2 side. In this case, a failure to remove the sealing tape 4 can be prevented by configuring the cartridge 2 and the image forming apparatus 1 such that the front cover 161 interferes with the lever 7 and cannot be closed in a state in which the lever 7 is not pushed in.
As explained in detail above, according to the technique described in this specification, it is possible to provide a technique for removing a sealing tape that closes a toner supply port.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of invention. Indeed, the novel apparatus, methods and system described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the apparatus, methods and system described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional application 61/326,595, filed on Apr. 21, 2010; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61326595 | Apr 2010 | US |