Patent Grant
10705454
The entire disclosure of Japanese patent Application No. 2018-088039, filed on May 1, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a toner supply device and an image forming apparatus.
JP 2011-34118 A discloses a conventional toner storage container having a structure including: a flexible container body in which toner is stored; and a bottom plate member detachably supporting the container body, and further including a shutter that covers a toner discharge port formed in the container body.
In a toner supply device, it is required to attach a toner bottle at a correct position of a device body in order to appropriately supply toner.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an object is to provide a toner supply device in which a toner bottle can be attached at an appropriate position, and an image forming apparatus including the toner supply device.
To achieve the abovementioned object, according to an aspect of the present invention, a toner supply device reflecting one aspect of the present invention comprises: a device body; and a toner bottle that can be attached to or detached from the device body, wherein a toner supply port through which toner to be supplied to the device body from the toner bottle passes is formed in each of the device body and the toner bottle, either one of the device body and the toner bottle includes: a shutter that can be selectively moved between a shielding position to shield the toner supply port and an open position to open the toner supply port; and a first engagement part that is moved in conjunction with the shutter, the other one of the device body and the toner bottle includes a second engagement part that can be engaged with the first engagement part, the shutter is moved, during attachment operation to attach the toner bottle to the device body, from the shielding position to the open position and the shutter opens the toner supply port by moving the second engagement part while the second engagement part abuts on the first engagement part, and then the first engagement part is engaged with the second engagement part in a manner integrally movable, and the shutter is moved, during detachment operation to detach the toner bottle from the device body, from the open position to the shielding position and the shutter closes the toner supply port in the state in which the first engagement part and the second engagement part are engaged with each other, and then engagement between the first engagement part and the second engagement part is disengaged.
The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention:
Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In the following description, identical components and identical constituent elements will be denoted by the same reference signs. Names and functions thereof are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.
<Image Forming Apparatus 100>
The image forming apparatus 100 includes image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, an intermediate transfer belt 30, a primary transfer roller 31, a secondary transfer roller 33, a cassette 37, a driven roller 38, a drive roller 39, a timing roller 40, a fixing device 50, and a casing 80.
The casing 80 defines an outer shell of the image forming apparatus 100. The casing 80 houses, inside thereof the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, the intermediate transfer belt 30, the primary transfer roller 31, the secondary transfer roller 33, the cassette 37, the driven roller 38, the drive roller 39, the timing roller 40, and the fixing device 50.
The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, the intermediate transfer belt 30, the primary transfer roller 31, the secondary transfer roller 33, the cassette 37, the driven roller 38, the drive roller 39, and the timing roller 40 constitute an image former. The image former forms a toner image on a sheet S as a recording medium conveyed along a conveyance path 41 described later.
The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are sequentially arranged along the intermediate transfer belt 30. The image forming unit 1Y receives toner supply from a toner bottle 15Y to form a yellow (Y) toner image. The image forming unit 1M receives toner supply from a toner bottle 15M to form a magenta (M) toner image. The image forming unit 1C receives toner supply from a toner bottle 15C to form a cyan (C) toner image. The image forming unit 1K receives toner supply from a toner bottle 15K to form a black (BK) toner image.
The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are sequentially arranged along the intermediate transfer belt 30 in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 30. Each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K includes a photoreceptor 10, a charging device 11, an exposure device 12, a developing device 13, and a cleaning device 17.
The charging device 11 uniformly charges a surface of the photoreceptor 10. The exposure device 12 irradiates the photoreceptor 10 with laser light and exposes the surface of the photoreceptor 10 in accordance with a received image pattern. Consequently, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a received image is formed on the photoreceptor 10.
The developing device 13 applies developing bias to a developing roller 14 while rotating the developing roller 14, and makes toner adhere to the surface of the developing roller 14. Consequently, the toner is transferred from the developing roller 14 to the photoreceptor 10, and a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image is developed on the surface of the photoreceptor 10. The photoreceptor 10 has a function as an image carrier that carries a toner image on the surface thereof.
The photoreceptor 10 and the intermediate transfer belt 30 contact each other at a part where the primary transfer roller 31 is provided. The primary transfer roller 31 has a roller shape and is rotatable. Transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the toner image is applied to the primary transfer roller 31, thereby transferring toner image from the photoreceptor 10 to the intermediate transfer belt 30. A yellow (Y) toner image, a magenta (M) toner image, a cyan (C) toner image, and a black (BK) toner image are sequentially superimposed and transferred from the photoreceptors 10 to the intermediate transfer belt 30. Consequently, a color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 30.
The intermediate transfer belt 30 is stretched around the driven roller 38 and the drive roller 39. The drive roller 39 is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated), for example. The intermediate transfer belt 30 and the driven roller 38 are rotated in conjunction with the drive roller 39. Consequently, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 30 is conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 33.
The cleaning device 17 contacts and is pressed against the photoreceptor 10. The cleaning device 17 collects the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 after transference of the toner image.
In the cassette 37, sheets S are set. The sheets S are fed one by one from the cassette 37 by a pickup roller 42 and conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 33 along the conveyance path 41 by the timing roller 40.
The secondary transfer roller 33 has a roller shape and is rotatable. The secondary transfer roller 33 applies, to a sheet S being conveyed, the transfer voltage having the polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner image. Consequently, the toner image is attracted from the intermediate transfer belt 30 to the secondary transfer roller 33, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 30 is transferred. The conveyance timing of the sheet S to the secondary transfer roller 33 is adjusted by the timing roller 40 in accordance with a position of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 30. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 30 is transferred to an appropriate position on the sheet S by the timing roller 40.
The fixing device 50 pressurizes and heats the sheet S passing through the fixing device. Consequently, the toner image is fixed on the sheet S. The fixing device 50 fixes the toner image on the sheet S conveyed along the conveyance path 41. The sheet S on which the toner image has been fixed is ejected to a tray 48.
In the above description, the image forming apparatus 100 adopting a tandem system as a printing system has been described, but the printing system of the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited to the tandem system. Arrangement of the respective constituent elements in the image forming apparatus 100 can be changed as appropriate in accordance with the adopted printing system. As the printing system of the image forming apparatus 100, a rotary system or a direct transfer system may also be adopted. In the case of the rotary system, the image forming apparatus 100 includes one photoreceptor 10 and a plurality of developing devices 13 coaxially rotatable. At the time of printing, the image forming apparatus 100 sequentially guides each of the developing devices 13 to the photoreceptor 10 and develops a toner image of each color. In the case of the direct transfer system, the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 10 is directly transferred onto the sheet S in the image forming apparatus 100.
(Toner Bottle 15)
The toner bottle 15 includes a shutter 18 that opens/closes the toner supply port 16. The shutter 18 is movable relative to a body of the toner bottle 15. The shutter 18 illustrated in
The toner bottle 15 includes a seal member 20. The seal member 20 is arranged between the body of the toner bottle 15 and the shutter 18, and seals the toner supply port 16. The seal member 20 includes, at a position corresponding to the toner supply port 16, a through hole penetrating the seal member 20 in a thickness direction.
The toner bottle 15 includes a guide protrusion 19 protruding from a side surface of the toner bottle 15. A pair of guide protrusions 19 is provided on both side parts of the toner bottle 15. Each guide protrusion 19 has a triangle shape in a side view. Typically, the guide protrusion 19 in the side view has an isosceles triangle shape, and a base of the isosceles triangle extends in the longitudinal direction of the toner bottle 15.
The toner bottle 15 includes a pair of engagement parts 22 protruding downward from the body of the toner bottle 15. Each engagement part 22 is fixed to the body of the toner bottle 15. Each engagement part 22 includes an abutment surface 23 and an engagement surface 25. The abutment surface 23 faces one side in the longitudinal direction of the toner bottle 15, and the engagement surface 25 faces the other side in the longitudinal direction of the toner bottle 15.
The toner bottle 15 is detachable to the casing 80 of the image forming apparatus 100 (
(Device Body 61)
The relative movement direction of the toner bottle 15 with respect to the device body 61 will be also referred to as a front-rear direction in the present specification. The movement direction of the toner bottle 15 at the time of attaching the toner bottle 15 to the device body 61 is defined as a rear direction, and the movement direction of the toner bottle 15 at the time of detaching the toner bottle 15 from the device body 61 is defined as a front direction. Note that the front side will be also referred to as a near side, and the rear side will be also referred to as a deep side.
An opening 21 at which the floor surface of the housing space 63 is opened is formed on the nearer side than the abutment wall 62. As illustrated in
The device body 61 includes a pair of insertion guides 64. The insertion guides 64 are arranged on the deeper side than the abutment wall 62. Each insertion guide 64 has a shape of a part of a cylindrical surface. The toner bottle 15 housed in the housing space 63 is received by the insertion guides 64 and supported by the insertion guides 64. The toner bottle 15 that is moved inside the housing space 63 slides with respect to the insertion guides 64.
The device body 61 includes a pair of guide parts 65. The guide parts 65 are provided on both side surfaces of the housing space 63. In each guide part 65, a guide groove is formed. When the toner bottle 15 is attached to or detached from the device body 61, the guide protrusions 19 of the toner bottle 15 are engaged with the guide parts 65 and relatively moved with respect to the guide parts 65 along the guide grooves. The guide parts 65 guide the guide protrusions 19 during attachment/detachment operation of the toner bottle 15 with respect to the device body 61.
The device body 61 includes a shutter 70. The shutter 70 is movable with respect to the device body 61. A toner supply port 26 (not illustrated in
The shutter body 71 has a flat plate shape and is a part to open and close the toner supply port 26. The ribs 76 and the protrusions 77 protrude upward from the shutter body 71. Referring to
An abutment wall 67 is provided between the pair of guide walls 66. The abutment wall 67 has a wall shape which is orthogonal to the front-rear direction and extends in the vertical direction. The abutment wall 67 forms a level difference on the floor surface of the housing space 63. The floor surface of the device body 61 located on the nearer side than the abutment wall 67 is formed lower by one level compared with the floor surface of the device body 61 located on the deeper side than the abutment wall 67. The abutment wall 67 faces the shutter 70, more specifically, the shutter body 71. The abutment wall 67 is arranged at the deepest part in a movement path of the shutter 70.
The shutter 70 further includes an arm 72 and an engagement part 73. The engagement part 73 is provided at a tip of the arm 72. The shutter 70 includes a pair of the arms 72, and therefore, a plurality (two) of the engagement parts 73 is provided as well. When the shutter 70 (shutter body 71) is set at the position to close the toner supply port 26 as illustrated in
The shutter 18 of the toner bottle 15 is set on the nearer side than the toner supply port 16, and the toner supply port 16 is not covered with the shutter 18 and opened. The shutter 70 of the device body 61 is set on the deeper side than the toner supply port 26, and the toner supply port 26 is not covered with the shutter 70 and opened. As illustrated in
The device body 61 includes guide rails 83 and 84. The guide rails 83 and 84 each have a rib-like shape protruding upward from the floor surface of the device body 61 and extending in the front-rear direction. Each arm 72 of the shutter 70 is movable along the guide rails 83 and 84. One pair of guide rails 83 and one pair of guide rails 84 are provided for each of the pair of arms 72.
The guide rail 83 and the guide rail 84 are arranged apart from each other in the front-rear direction. A relief part 85 not provided with any guide rail is formed between the guide rail 83 and the guide rail 84. A relief part 86 not provided with any guide rail is formed on the more front side than each guide rail 84.
(Attachment Operation of Toner Bottle 15)
In the toner supply device having the above-described structure, attachment operation to attach the toner bottle 15 to the device body 61 will be described below.
Each arm 72 is set along the guide rail 84. Each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70 faces each relief part 86.
The shutter 18 of the toner bottle 15 is integrally moved with the body of the toner bottle 15 toward the deep side of the housing space 63 until the shutter 18 (specifically, the abutment part 18A illustrated in
The shutter 70 of the device body 61 receives stress from the toner bottle 15 that is being moved in the rear direction until the shutter body 71 abuts on the abutment wall 67, and is moved to the deep side of the housing space 63 integrally with the toner bottle 15. The shutter 70 illustrated in
The abutment wall 67 is arranged in a middle of the movement path of the toner bottle 15 when the toner bottle is attached to the device body 61. While the shutter 70 is stopped, movement of the toner bottle 15 in the rear direction is continued. Each engagement part 22 of the toner bottle 15 and each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70 are moved relative to each other, and the engagement part 22 slides on the inclined surface 74 of each engagement part 73. At this time, the distance between the pair of arms 72 is widened, and the arms 72 are elastically deformed such that the pair of engagement parts 73 is moved in directions away from the shutter body 71.
When the shutter 70 is set at the position abutting on the abutment wall 67, each engagement part 73 is located at the same position as each relief part 85 in the front-rear direction. Each engagement part 73 is set between the guide rail 83 and the guide rail 84 in the front-rear direction and is set at a position not overlapping with the guide rails 83 and 84 in the front-rear direction. Movement of each engagement part 73 in the direction away from the shutter body 71 is not hindered by the guide rails 83 and 84, and movement of each engagement part 73 in the direction away from the shutter body 71 is allowed.
Rigidity of each arm 72 is adjusted such that force necessary to elastically deform the arm 72 is larger than force necessary to move the shutter 70 in the rear direction. When the toner bottle 15 is attached, the arms 72 are not elastically deformed until the shutter 70 abuts on the abutment wall 67, and each of the arms 72 is moved in the rear direction while keeping the original shape. The shutter 70 stops movement by abutting on the abutment wall 67. The force necessary to move, in the rear direction, the shutter 70 that currently abuts on the abutment wall 67 is larger than the force necessary to elastically deform the arms 72. In the state in which the movement of the shutter 70 in the front-rear direction is regulated and the force necessary to move the shutter 70 in the front-rear direction is larger than the force necessary to elastically deform the arms 72, the arms 72 are elastically deformed, and a state between each engagement part 22 and each engagement part 73 is switched between engagement and disengagement.
In this state, the engagement surface 25 of each engagement part 22 of the toner bottle 15 is engaged with the engagement surface 75 of each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70.
Thus, as illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
(Detachment Operation of Toner Bottle 15)
Next, detachment operation to detach the toner bottle 15 from the device body 61 will be described.
Each engagement part 22 of the toner bottle 15 is engaged with each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70, thereby integrally coupling the shutter 70 to the toner bottle 15 in a movable manner. When the toner bottle 15 is moved to the near side, the shutter 70 is moved together with the toner bottle 15, and the shutter 70 is separated from the abutment wall 67, and then moved to the near side.
The regulating part 81 (
When the shutter 70 in moved in the front direction integrally with the toner bottle 15, each protrusion 77 abuts on a front end of the guide groove 87, thereby hindering movement of the shutter 70 as illustrated in
In the position illustrated in
The toner bottle 15 is continuously relatively moved with respect to the shutter 70 that is stopped to be moved in the front direction. When each engagement part 22 of the toner bottle 15 is moved to the more front side than each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70, the engagement part 22 and the engagement part 73 are disengaged from each other. Since the stress which the engagement part 22 acts on the engagement part 73 is released, elastic deformation of each arm 72 is released and the shape of each arm 72 returns to the original shape. Each arm 72 returns to the shape extending in the front-rear direction.
The shutter 18 illustrated in
The body of the toner bottle 15 and the shutter 18 are integrally moved to the outside of the device body 61, thereby detaching the entire toner bottle 15 from the device body 61.
Thus, the toner bottle 15 is moved in the front direction in the state in which each engagement part 22 of the toner bottle 15 is engaged with each engagement part 73 of the shutter 70 as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and not limitation. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by terms of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-088039 | May 2018 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080101821 | Gayne | May 2008 | A1 |
| 20100247160 | Ohta | Sep 2010 | A1 |
| 20120114386 | Takashima | May 2012 | A1 |
| 20130243491 | Nodera | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2011034118 | Feb 2011 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190339633 A1 | Nov 2019 | US |
