Toner container and toner supply device unit using the same

Abstract

A toner bottle that is composed of a main body filled with toner and a bottle-side toner discharges port for discharging toner from the main body is adapted to discharge the toner in the main body out of the container whilst the toner bottle is being rotated in the toner bottle's peripheral direction. The toner bottle has a sealing element that seals the bottle-side toner discharge port. This sealing element is formed of a flexible member, and is peeled off the main body of the toner bottle as the toner bottle is rotated so as to open the bottle-side toner discharge port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus using a toner container according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view showing a configuration of a developing unit and a toner supply device that constitute the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an overall front view showing the developing unit and toner supply device;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the developing unit;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a mounting example when toner supply assemblies are set in toner supply assembly mounting mechanisms that constitute the toner supply devices;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the toner supply assembly mounting mechanisms;

FIG. 7A is a side view showing a configuration of a toner supply assembly as a part of the toner supply device and FIG. 7B is its front view, viewed from the end face side of the toner supply assembly from which toner is supplied;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the front end part of a toner bottle as a part of the toner supply assembly;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a configuration when scrapers for toner conveyance are fitted to the front end part of the toner bottle;

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing one example of the scrapers;

FIG. 11 is an illustrative view schematically showing a case where the scrapers are attached to the toner bottle;

FIG. 12 is a front view showing a configuration of the toner bottle;

FIG. 13 is an illustrative view showing a configuration of a sealing element that closes a bottle-side toner discharge port of a toner bottle;

FIG. 14A is an illustrative view showing a state when the sealing element is fitted to the toner bottle; FIG. 14B is an illustrative view showing a state when the sealing element has been folded;

FIG. 15 is an illustrative view showing the positional relationship between the sealing element and scrapers;

FIG. 16 is an illustrative view showing a state where the sealing element has been fitted to a bottle holder;

FIG. 17A is a front view showing a configuration of a bottle holder that constitutes the toner supply device; FIG. 17B is a perspective view showing the bottle holder, when it is viewed from the rear side;

FIG. 18A is a perspective view showing a first casing that constitutes the bottle holder, FIG. 18B is a perspective view showing a second casing that constitutes the bottle holder;

FIG. 19 is an illustrative view showing a positional relationship between a toner discharge chamber of the bottle holder and scrapers of the toner bottle;

FIG. 20 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of the front end part of the toner bottle;

FIG. 21 is a plan view showing a configuration of a snap ring of the toner bottle;

FIG. 22 is a schematic sectional view showing the bottle holder attached to the front end part of the toner bottle;

FIG. 23A is an illustrative view showing the bottle holder with its toner discharge port open, FIG. 23B is an illustrative view showing the bottle holder with the toner discharge port closed by a shutter mechanism;

FIG. 24 is an illustrative view showing the schematic structure of the rear side of the bottle holder;

FIG. 25A is a perspective view showing the configuration of a shutter mechanism for a toner supply device in accordance with the present embodiment, when viewed from the front side, and FIG. 25B is a perspective view showing the shutter mechanism when viewed from the rear side;

FIG. 26A is an illustrative view showing the relationship between the shutter mechanism and a first guide member of the bottle holder, FIG. 26B is an illustrative view showing the relationship between the shutter mechanism and the rotation of the toner bottle;

FIG. 27 is an illustrative view showing the structure of the toner supply assembly mounting mechanism;

FIG. 28 is an illustrative view showing the structure of a supply passage part for coupling the toner supply assembly mounting mechanism with a developing unit;

FIG. 29A is an illustrative view showing the positional relationship between a regulating member and a projection piece before the toner supply device is mounted to a mount base; FIG. 29B is an illustrative view showing the positional relationship between a regulating member and a projection piece when the toner supply device has been mounted to a mount base; and FIG. 29C is an illustrative view showing the positional relationship between a regulating member and a projection piece when the toner supply device is dismounted from a mount base; and,

FIG. 30 is an illustrative view showing an overall configuration of a copier according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A toner container comprising: a toner container body having a toner storing portion filled with toner and a toner discharge port for discharging toner held in the toner storing portion, wherein the toner held in the toner storing portion is discharged out of the container, by rotating the toner container body in the peripheral direction of the toner container body; anda sealing element for sealing the toner discharge port, the toner container, characterized in that the sealing element is formed of a flexible member and is peeled off the toner container body to open the toner discharge port as the toner container body rotates.

2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container body has a cylindrical shape, the toner discharge port is formed at one end portion with respect to the axial direction of the toner container body, and the sealing element is formed in an arc shape and applied over and along the one end portion.

3. The toner container according to claim 1, further including a toner container holder that covers the one end portion of the toner container body including the toner discharge port and supports the toner container body in a rotatable manner, characterized in that the sealing element is fixed at one end thereof to the toner container holder.

4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element is folded inside, and fixed at one end thereof to, the toner container holder, and the folded portion of the sealing element is located on the downstream side of the sealing element's end that is fixed to the toner container holder, with respect to the toner container body's direction of rotation.

5. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element is fixed to the toner container holder in such a manner that the part extending from the sealing element's fixed end makes an acute angle with the fixed portion of the toner container holder.

6. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element is adhered to the toner container holder by thermal fusing.

7. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is formed of a material having air-permeability.

8. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is formed of a material having good slidability.

9. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is formed in a shape covering an angular range of 180 degrees with respect to the peripheral direction of the toner container body.

10. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive strength with which the sealing element is fixed to the toner container holder is specified to be greater than the adhesive strength with which the sealing element seals the toner discharge port of the toner container body.

11. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element after separated from the toner container body remains inside the toner container holder with one end thereof fixed to the toner container holder.

12. A toner supply device comprising: a toner container filled with toner; and,a toner feed device having the toner container mounted thereon for feeding the toner discharged from the toner container to a developing unit,characterized in that the toner container uses a toner container according to claim 1.