JP2020056827A - Developer replenishing container - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a developer replenishing container comprising an ejection chamber that is a non-rotating part, an accommodation chamber rotating relatively to the ejection chamber, and a seal member for suppressing the splashing of a developer by being pressed against the accommodation chamber and provided in the ejection chamber, which can reduce stresses in a sliding direction that occurs in the seal member.SOLUTION: The developer replenishing container comprises: an ejection chamber 4c which is a non-rotating part, and has an ejection opening from which a developer is ejected; an accommodation chamber 2 which accommodates the developer therein and rotates relatively to the ejection chamber 4c; a flange seal 77b which is an elastic annular seal member for sealing a portion where the ejection chamber 4c and the accommodation chamber 2 are connected; an annular pressing part 2c for pressing the flange seal 77b toward the accommodation chamber 2 and capable of sliding relative to the flange seal 77b; and an annular receive part 4e which is provided in the ejection chamber 4c, and receives the flange seal 77b in such a way that the flange seal 77b pressed by the pressing part 2c is slidable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer supply container that can be attached to and detached from a developer supply device in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunction peripheral having a plurality of these functions.

  Conventionally, a developer such as a toner is used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine. Such an image forming apparatus has a configuration in which a developer that is consumed during image formation is supplied from a developer supply container.

  As a conventional configuration, a discharge chamber that is a non-rotating portion, a storage chamber that rotates relative to the discharge chamber, and a seal that is provided in the discharge chamber and that suppresses the scattering of the developer by being pressed by the storage chamber, A developer supply container having the same is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). In the above configuration, the seal member is fixed to the discharge chamber with an adhesive. The seal member fixed to the discharge chamber with an adhesive rubs against the opening of the rotating storage chamber during the developer supply operation, thereby preventing the developer from leaking from the gap between the discharge chamber and the storage chamber. Preventing.

JP 2014-186138 A

  In such a configuration, one surface of the seal member is rubbed against the storage chamber, and the other surface is fixed to the discharge chamber. A force is applied to the member in the sliding direction. As a result, a greater stress is applied to the seal member. Therefore, it is necessary to cope with the stress, and the selection of the seal member is limited.

  According to the present invention, in a developer supply container that is detachable from a developer supply device, the developer supply container has a discharge port for discharging the developer, and has a discharge chamber for discharging the developer, and an opening for supplying the developer to the discharge chamber. A rotatable storage chamber that holds the developer and is held in the discharge chamber so as to be rotatable relative to the discharge chamber; and an elastic annular seal that seals a portion where the discharge chamber and the storage chamber are connected. A sealing member, an annular pressing portion slidable with respect to the sealing member, and pressing the sealing member toward the housing chamber; and an annular pressing portion provided in the discharge chamber and pressed by the pressing portion. An annular receiving portion for receiving the seal member so as to be slidable on the seal member.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the stress of the sliding direction which arises in a sealing member can be reduced.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a main part of the developing device. 3A is a perspective view of a mounting portion of the developer supply device, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion. FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a developer supply container and a developer supply device. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of developer supply control. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the developer supply device. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a developer supply container, and FIG. 3B is a side view illustrating the periphery of a discharge port. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a part of a developer supply container in a conventional configuration, and FIG. FIG. 3A is a partial side view of a developer supply container in a maximum extension state of a pump unit, and FIG. 3B is a partial side view of the developer supply container in a maximum contraction state of a pump unit. FIG. 5 is a development view illustrating a shape of a cam groove of the developer supply container. It is a partial sectional view of (a) an accommodation room and a flange part in a first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) It is an enlarged sectional view of the circumference of a regulation part. 5 is a simulation model illustrating an operation of the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a simulation model of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is an expanded sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial sectional view of (a) an accommodation room and a flange part in a second embodiment of the present invention, and (b) It is an enlarged sectional view of the circumference of a regulation part. 9 is a simulation model illustrating an operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a simulation model illustrating an operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a simulation model of a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a simulation model of a second embodiment of the present invention.

  Next, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

(First embodiment)
As an example of the configuration in the present invention, an embodiment in which the invention is applied to a developer supply container that is detachable from a developer supply device in an image forming apparatus will be specifically described.

(Image forming device)
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus 100 equipped with a developer supply device to which a developer supply container of the present embodiment is detachably mounted. The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a copying machine using an electrophotographic method.

  The image forming apparatus 100 has a drum-type photoconductor (electrophotographic photoconductor) 104. The photoconductor 104 is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow R1 (clockwise) in FIG. Around the photoreceptor 104, image forming process devices such as a charger 203 as a charging unit, a developing unit 201 as a developing unit, and a cleaner unit 202 as a cleaning unit are arranged.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 100 has a document table glass 102, and a document G is placed on the document table glass 102. Then, an optical image corresponding to the image information of the original G is formed on the photoconductor 104 uniformly charged in advance by the charger 203 by the plurality of mirrors M and the lenses Ln of the optical unit 103. Then, an electrostatic latent image (electrostatic image) is formed on the photoconductor 104. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 104 is developed (visualized) by a dry developing device (one-component developing device) 201 using a toner (one-component magnetic toner) as a developer (dry powder). As a result, a toner image (developer image) is formed on the photoconductor 104.

  The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with cassettes 105 to 108 that store recording media (hereinafter, also referred to as “sheets”) P. Among the cassettes 105 to 108, information input by an operator such as a user from an operation unit (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 100 or a cassette selected based on the size of the document G, Sheet P is fed. As a recording medium, a recording paper, an OHP sheet, or the like is appropriately used. One sheet P conveyed by the feed separation devices 105A to 108A is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the conveyance unit 109. Then, the sheet P is conveyed to the transfer unit in synchronization with the rotation of the photoconductor 104 and the scan timing of the optical unit 103.

  In the transfer section, a transfer charger 111 and a separation charger 112 are arranged to face the photoconductor 104. The toner image formed on the photoconductor 104 is electrostatically transferred to the sheet P by the transfer charger 111 in the transfer section. Toner remaining on the photoconductor 104 after transfer (transfer residual toner) is removed from the photoconductor 104 by the cleaner unit 202 and collected. Then, the sheet P to which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photoconductor 104 by the separation charger 112. The sheet P separated from the photoconductor 104 is transported to the fixing unit 114 by the transport unit 113, and the toner image is fixed (fused and fixed) in the fixing unit 114 by heat and pressure.

  Thereafter, in the case of one-sided copying, the sheet P passes through the discharge reversing unit 115 and is discharged by the discharge roller 116 to a discharge tray 117 provided outside the image forming apparatus 100. In the case of double-sided copying, the sheet P passes through the discharge reversing unit 115 and is partially discharged to the discharge tray 117 by the discharge roller 116 once. Then, at the timing when the end of the sheet P passes through the flapper 118 and is still nipped by the discharge roller 116, the flapper 118 is controlled and the discharge roller 116 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that image formation is performed again. It is transported inside the device 100. Thereafter, the sheet P is conveyed to the registration rollers 110 via the re-feed conveyance sections 119 and 120, and then discharged to the discharge tray 117 along the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

(Developer)
Next, the developing device 201 according to the present embodiment will be further described. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a main part of the developing device 201 in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the developing device 201 includes a developing container 201a, a developing roller 201f, a stirring member 201c, and sending members 201d and 201e. In this embodiment, a one-component magnetic toner as a developer T is supplied to the developing device 201 from a developer supply device 20 in which a developer supply container (toner cartridge) 1 described later is mounted.

  The developer T supplied to the developing device 201 is stirred by the stirring member 201c, sent to the developing roller 201f by the sending members 201d and 201e, and supplied to the photoconductor 104 by the developing roller 201f.

  In the developing device 201, a developing blade 201g that regulates a coating amount of the developer T on the developing roller 201f is arranged in contact with the developing roller 201f. Further, in the developing device 201, a leakage prevention sheet 201h is arranged in contact with the developing roller 201f in order to prevent leakage of the developer T from between the developing roller 201f and the developing container 201a.

  In the present embodiment, the developing device 201 is a one-component developing device, and the developer T supplied to the developing device 201 from the developer supply container 1 is a one-component magnetic toner, but is not limited thereto. . Specifically, the developing device 201 may be a one-component developing device that performs development using a one-component non-magnetic toner. In this case, the developing device 201 is supplied with a one-component non-magnetic toner as a developer T. Will be. Further, the developing device 201 may be a two-component developing device that performs development using a two-component developer in which a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner are mixed. Will be replenished. In this case, a configuration in which a magnetic carrier is supplied together with the non-magnetic toner as the developer T may be employed.

(Developer supply device)
Next, the developer supply device 20 will be described. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a mounting portion 20a of the developer supply device 20 to which the developer supply container 1 is mounted, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 20a. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the developer replenishing device 20 to which the developer replenishing container 1 is attached, which is shown together with a schematic diagram of a drive system and a control system.

  The developer replenishing device 20 includes a mounting portion (mounting space) 20a in which the developer replenishing container 1 is removably (removably) mounted, and a hopper for temporarily storing the developer discharged from the developer replenishing container 1. 20b.

  The developer supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a in a direction indicated by an arrow M in FIG. 3B.

  That is, the developer supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a such that its longitudinal direction (the direction of the rotation axis) substantially coincides with the direction of the arrow M. The direction of arrow M is substantially parallel to the direction of arrow X in FIG. 8 described later (the direction of the rotation axis of the developer supply container). The direction in which the developer supply container 1 is removed from the mounting portion 20a is opposite to the direction of the arrow M.

  The mounting portion 20a is configured to contact the flange portion 4 (discharge chamber) of the developer supply container 1 when the developer supply container 1 is mounted, thereby restricting the rotation of the flange portion 4 in the rotation direction. It has a regulation part (projection part) 21. Further, when the developer supply container 1 is mounted, the mounting portion 20a communicates with a discharge port 4a (see FIG. 7B) which is a hole provided in the developer supply container 1, and 1 has a developer receiving port 23 which is a hole for receiving the developer discharged from the printer 1. The developer discharged from the discharge port 4 a of the developer supply container 1 is supplied to the hopper 20 b through the developer receiving port 23. In the present embodiment, the diameter of the developer receiving port 23 is set to 3.0 mm in order to make the developer receiving port 23 a fine hole (pinhole) in order to suppress contamination by the developer in the mounting portion 20a. Have been. The diameter of the developer receiving port 23 may be any diameter as long as the developer can be discharged from the discharge port 4a. As shown in FIG. 4, the hopper 20b includes a transport screw 20b1 for transporting the developer to the developing device 201, an opening 20b2 communicating with the developing device 201, and an amount of the developer stored in the hopper 20b. And a remaining amount sensor 20b3 for detection.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the mounting section 20a has a drive gear 300 that functions as a drive mechanism (drive section). As shown in FIG. 4, a rotational driving force is transmitted from the driving motor 500 via the driving gear train to the driving gear 300 to apply the rotational driving force to the developer supply container 1 set in the mounting portion 20a. I do.

  The operation of the drive motor 500 is controlled by a control device (CPU) 600 as shown in FIG. The controller 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the developer remaining amount information input from the remaining amount sensor 20b3, as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the drive gear 300 is set to rotate in only one direction in order to simplify the control of the drive motor 500. That is, the control device 600 controls only the on (operation) / off (non-operation) of the drive motor 500. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the reversing driving force obtained by periodically reversing the drive motor 500 (drive gear 300) in the forward direction and the reverse direction is applied to the developer supply container 1, The drive mechanism can be simplified.

  In the present embodiment, the developer replenishing device 20 includes the mounting portion 20a, the hopper 20b, the drive motor 500, the control device 600, and the like, and the developer replenishing container 1 is detachably mounted on the mounting portion 20a. .

(How to attach / remove the developer supply container)
Next, a method of attaching / detaching the developer supply container 1 will be described.

  First, an operator opens an exchange cover (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 101, inserts the developer supply container 1 into the mounting portion 20a of the developer supply device 20, and mounts the same. With this mounting operation, the flange portion 4 of the developer supply container 1 is held and fixed by the developer supply device 20. Thereafter, when the operator closes the replacement cover, the mounting process ends. Thereafter, the control device 600 controls the drive motor 500 to rotate the drive gear 300 at an appropriate timing.

  On the other hand, when the developer in the developer supply container 1 becomes empty, the operator opens the replacement cover and takes out the developer supply container 1 from the mounting portion 20a. Then, a new developer supply container 1 prepared in advance is inserted into the mounting portion 20a, mounted, and the replacement cover is closed, whereby the replacement operation from removal of the developer supply container 1 to re-mounting is completed. .

(Developer supply control)
Next, the developer supply control by the developer supply device 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of developer supply control by the control system. The developer supply control is executed by controlling various devices by a control device (CPU) 600.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 600 controls the operation / non-operation of the drive motor 500 according to the output of the remaining amount sensor 20b3, so that a certain amount or more of the developer is not stored in the hopper 20b. I have.

  Specifically, first, the remaining amount sensor 20b3 checks the amount of the developer in the hopper 20b (the remaining amount of the developer and the amount of the stored developer) (S100). If the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3 is less than the predetermined amount, the control device 600 drives the drive motor 500 to execute the developer supply operation for a predetermined time (S101). Note that when the developer is not detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3, the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the remaining amount sensor 20b3 is less than a predetermined amount. When the controller 600 determines that the developer amount detected by the developer sensor 20b3 has reached a predetermined amount as a result of the developer supply operation, the controller 600 turns off the drive of the drive motor 500 and stops the developer supply operation. (S102).

  Note that when the developer is detected by the developer sensor 20b3, the control device 600 determines that the amount of the developer detected by the developer sensor 20b3 has reached a predetermined amount. By stopping the developer supply operation, a series of developer supply control ends. Such developer replenishment control is repeatedly executed when the amount of the developer in the hopper 20b becomes less than a predetermined amount when the developer is consumed with the image formation.

  In the present embodiment, the developer supply device 20 temporarily stores the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1 in the hopper 20b, and then supplies the developer to the developing device 201. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may have the following configuration. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the above-mentioned hopper 20b is omitted, and the developer T is directly supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developing device. The example shown in FIG. 6 is an example in which a two-component developing device 800 is used as a developing device. The developing device 800 has a stirring chamber for supplying the developer T and a developing chamber for supplying the developer T to the developing sleeve 800a. Stirring screws 800b that are opposite to each other are provided. The stirring chamber and the developing chamber communicate with each other at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the developer T is circulated and conveyed through these two chambers. Further, a magnetic sensor 800c for detecting the toner concentration in the developer T is installed in the stirring chamber, and the control device 600 controls the operation of the drive motor 500 based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 800c. In the case of this configuration, the developer T supplied from the developer supply container 1 is a non-magnetic toner or a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier.

  In the present embodiment, the developer in the developer supply container 1 is hardly discharged from the discharge port 4a only by the gravitational action, but is discharged from the discharge port 4a by a suction / exhaust operation by the pump unit 6 described later. The variation in the amount of waste gas can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the hopper 20b is omitted as in the example of FIG. 6, the developer can be stably supplied to the developing device.

(Configuration of developer supply container)
Next, the configuration of the developer supply container 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7A is an overall perspective view of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 7B is a partially enlarged view around the discharge port 4 a of the developer supply container 1. FIG. 8A is a partial sectional perspective view of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion A in FIG. 8A.

  The developer supply container 1 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a storage chamber (developer storage section) 2 having an internal space (developer storage space) for storing the developer therein. That is, the storage chamber 2 is configured by a substantially cylindrical cylindrical portion 2b on which a transporting protrusion 2a and a pressing portion 2c described later are formed. Further, the developer supply container 1 has a flange portion 4 which is a non-rotating portion at one end side in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of the storage chamber 2. The storage chamber 2 is rotatable relative to the flange 4. The flange portion 4 includes the above-described discharge port 4a, a shutter 4b described below, a discharge chamber (developer discharge portion) 4c, a reciprocating member 5, a pump portion 6, and the like.

  Note that the cross-sectional shape of the storage chamber 2 may be a non-circular shape, for example, an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape within a range that does not affect the rotation operation in the developer supply step described later.

  In the present embodiment, the developer supply container 1 is configured such that the storage chamber 2 and the discharge chamber 4c are arranged in the rotation axis direction of the storage chamber 2 (the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 8) in a state where the developer supply container 1 is mounted on the developer supply device 20. It is configured to line up. In other words, the length of the storage chamber 2 in the rotation axis direction is sufficiently longer than the length in the vertical direction. The accommodation room 2 has an opening, and the accommodation room 2 is mounted on the flange portion 4 such that the opening communicates with the flange portion 4. When the developer supply container 1 is mounted on the developer supply device 20, the amount of the developer existing on the discharge port 4a is smaller than the configuration in which the storage chamber 2 is located vertically above the discharge chamber 4c. Can be reduced.

  Therefore, the developer in the vicinity of the discharge port 4a is unlikely to be compacted, and a suction and exhaust operation described later can be performed smoothly.

(Material of developer supply container)
In the present embodiment, the developer supply container 1 is configured to discharge the developer from the discharge port 4a by changing the volume in the developer supply container 1 by the pump unit 6. For this reason, it is preferable that the material of the developer supply container 1 has such a rigidity that the material is not largely crushed or greatly expanded with a change in volume. Further, in the present embodiment, the developer supply container 1 substantially communicates with the outside only through the discharge port 4a, and is sealed from the outside except the discharge port 4a. That is, in the present embodiment, since the volume of the developer supply container 1 is reduced or increased by the pump unit 6 and the developer is discharged from the discharge port 4a, the developer supply container 1 maintains a stable discharge performance. Some degree of tightness is required. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the material of the cylindrical portion 2b constituting the storage chamber 2 is made of PET resin, the material of the discharge chamber 4c is made of polystyrene resin, and the material of the pump portion 6 is made of polypropylene resin.

  In addition, as the material of the cylindrical portion 2b and the discharge chamber 4c, other materials such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene may be used as long as they can withstand volume changes. It is also possible. Further, the cylindrical portion 2b and the discharge chamber 4c may be made of metal. In addition, the material of the pump section 6 may be any material as long as the material can exhibit the expansion / contraction function and can change the volume of the developer supply container 1 by changing the volume. For example, a thin material such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polystyrene, polyester, or polyethylene may be used.

  Further, as the material of the pump section 6, rubber or other elastic material can be used.

  Further, the pump section 6, the cylindrical section 2b, and the discharge chamber 4c are made of the same material by adjusting the thickness of the resin material, for example, if the functions described above are satisfied. It may be formed integrally using a method or the like.

(Flange part)
As shown in FIG. 8A, the flange portion 4 is provided with a hollow discharge chamber 4c for temporarily storing the developer conveyed from the storage chamber 2 (the cylindrical portion 2b). The bottom of the discharge chamber 4c is for allowing the developer to be discharged to the outside of the developer supply container 1, that is, for supplying the developer from the discharge chamber 4c to the hopper 20b of the developer supply device 20. , A small outlet 4a is formed. Above the discharge port 4a, there is provided a developer storage section 4d capable of storing a fixed amount of developer before discharging.

  Further, the flange portion 4 is provided with a shutter 4b having an outlet 4a. The shutter 4b abuts against a contact portion 31 (see FIG. 3A) provided on the mounting portion 20a in accordance with the mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 on the mounting portion 20a. Accordingly, the shutter 4b is moved relative to the developer supply container 1 in the direction opposite to the arrow X along the rotation axis direction of the storage chamber 2 with the mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 to the mounting portion 20a. Slide to. When this series of operations is completed, the discharge port 4a provided in the shutter 4b has been moved to the lower part of the developer storage section 4d. At this point, the position of the discharge port 4a matches the position of the developer receiving port 23 of the mounting section 20a shown in FIG. 3B. Therefore, the discharge port 4 a and the developer receiving port 23 are in communication with each other, and the developer can be supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the hopper 20 b of the developer supply device 20. An opening seal 7a is provided between the shutter 4b and the developer storing section 4d.

  The flange portion 4 is configured to be substantially immobile when the developer supply container 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 20a of the developer supply device 20. Specifically, the developer supply device 20 is provided with a rotation direction regulating portion 21 shown in FIG. 3A so that the flange portion 4 does not rotate in the rotation direction of the storage chamber 2 by itself. . Therefore, when the developer supply container 1 is attached to the developer supply device 20, the discharge chamber 4c provided in the flange portion 4 is also substantially prevented from rotating in the rotation direction of the storage chamber 2. State (movement of about backlash is allowed). On the other hand, the storage chamber 2 rotates in the developer supply process without being restricted in the rotation direction by the developer supply device 20.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the developer transported from the storage chamber 2 to the flange portion 4 by the spiral convex portion (transport projection) 2a is transported to the discharge chamber 4c as shown in FIG. For this purpose, a plate-shaped conveying member 8 is provided. The transport member 8 is provided so as to substantially divide a partial area of the storage chamber 2 into two, and rotates integrally with the storage chamber 2. The transport member 8 is provided with a plurality of inclined ribs 8a on both sides thereof, which are inclined toward the discharge chamber 4c with respect to the rotation axis direction of the storage chamber 2. With this configuration, the developer transported by the transport projections 2a is swept up from below vertically by the plate-like transport member 8 in conjunction with the rotation of the storage chamber 2. Thereafter, as the rotation of the storage chamber 2 proceeds, the developer slides down on the surface of the transport member 8 due to gravity, and is eventually delivered to the discharge chamber 4c side by the inclined rib 8a. In the present embodiment, the inclined ribs 8a are provided on both surfaces of the transport member 8 so that the developer is fed into the discharge chamber 4c every time the storage chamber 2 makes a half turn.

  Further, the flange portion 4 is provided with a regulating portion 9 (see FIGS. 8B and 11) for regulating the movement of the flange seal 7b for sealing between the discharge chamber 4c and the storage chamber 2. Details of the restricting section 9 will be described later.

(Containment room)
As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 8 (a), the developer contained in the storage chamber 2 (the cylindrical portion 2b) is directed toward the discharge chamber 4c (the discharge port 4a) with its own rotation. A helically projecting transfer projection 2a is provided for transfer. In the present embodiment, the housing chamber 2 is formed by a blow molding method using a resin of the above-described material.

  In order to increase the capacity of the developer supply container 1 to increase the filling amount, a method of increasing the capacity of the discharge chamber 4c as a developer accommodating space in the height direction is conceivable. However, with such a configuration, the gravitational effect on the developer near the outlet 4a is further increased due to the weight of the developer. As a result, the developer in the vicinity of the outlet 4a is likely to be compacted, which hinders intake / exhaust through the outlet 4a. In this case, the volume change amount of the pump section 6 must be further increased in order to release the developer that has been compacted by the intake air from the discharge port 4a or to discharge the developer by exhaustion. However, in this case, the driving force for driving the pump unit 6 also increases, and the load on the apparatus main body 101 may be excessive. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the storage chamber 2 is arranged horizontally with respect to the discharge chamber 4c and the filling amount is adjusted according to the volume of the storage chamber 2, the discharge port in the developer supply container 1 is formed. The thickness of the developer layer on 4a can be set thin. This makes it difficult for the developer to be compacted by the action of gravity, so that the developer can be stably discharged without increasing the load on the apparatus main body 101.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the conventional configuration, the seal member installation surface 4e provided at the end of the discharge chamber 4c on the upstream side in the arrow X direction has a flange seal as an annular seal member. 7b is fixed with an adhesive (double-sided tape) 7c.

  As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B described later, the flange seal 7b of the present embodiment is provided without being fixed to the seal member installation surface 4e of the discharge chamber 4c. Further, the flange seal 7b is configured to be rubbed (sliding) without being adhered to any contact surface between the seal member installation surface 4e of the discharge chamber 4c and the pressing portion 2c of the storage chamber 2.

(Pump section)
In the present embodiment, the pump unit 6 functions as an intake / exhaust mechanism that alternately performs an intake operation and an exhaust operation via the exhaust port 4a. In other words, the pump unit 6 functions as an airflow generation mechanism that alternately and repeatedly generates an airflow flowing toward the inside of the developer supply container 1 and an airflow flowing from the developer supply container 1 to the outside through the discharge port 4a.

  The pump section 6 is provided downstream of the discharge chamber 4c in the direction of the arrow X, as shown in FIG. The pump section 6 is non-rotating because it is fixed to the discharge chamber 4c. Further, the pump section 6 has a developer accommodating space in which the developer can be accommodated. The developer accommodating space in the pump section 6 plays a large role in fluidizing the developer during the suction operation described later.

  In the present embodiment, the pump section 6 is formed of a resin-made variable volume pump section (bellows pump) whose volume is variable with reciprocation. Specifically, the pump unit 6 is a bellows-shaped pump, and a plurality of “mountain fold” portions and “valley fold” portions are formed alternately and periodically. Therefore, the pump section 6 can alternately repeat compression and expansion by the driving force received from the developer supply device 20 as described later. The pump section 6 allows the volume of the developer supply container 1 to be alternately and repeatedly changed at a predetermined cycle. As a result, the developer in the discharge chamber 4c can be efficiently discharged from the discharge port 4a having a small diameter (about 2.5 mm in diameter).

(Drive receiving mechanism)
The developer supply container 1 includes a drive receiving mechanism (drive input unit, drive force receiving unit) that can be engaged (drive-coupled) with a drive gear 300 that functions as a drive mechanism (drive unit) of the developer supply device 20. A functioning gear portion 3a is provided. The gear portion 3 a is provided on a drive receiving member 3 fixed to the accommodation room 2 so as to be able to rotate integrally with the accommodation room 2. Accordingly, the rotational driving force input to the gear portion 3a from the driving gear 300 causes the gear portion 3a and the housing chamber 2 to rotate integrally, so that the developer stored in the housing chamber 2 is transferred to the discharge chamber 4c. Can be transported.

  In the present embodiment, the gear portion 3a is provided on the downstream side from the approximate center of the storage chamber 2 in the arrow X direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided, for example, at the end on the upstream side of the substantially center of the storage chamber 2 in the arrow X direction. In this case, the drive gear 300 is installed at the corresponding position.

  In the present embodiment, a gear mechanism is used as a drive connection mechanism between the drive input unit of the developer supply container 1 and the drive unit of the developer supply device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, any available coupling mechanism may be used. Specifically, a non-circular concave portion is provided as a drive input portion of the developer supply container 1, and a convex portion having a shape corresponding to the concave portion is provided as a drive portion of the developer supply device 20, and these are drivingly connected to each other. It can be configured.

(Drive conversion mechanism)
Next, a drive conversion mechanism (drive conversion unit) of the developer supply container 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9A is a partial side view in a state where the pump unit 6 is maximally extended in use, and FIG. 9B is a partial side view in a state where the pump unit 6 is maximally contracted in use.

  The developer supply container 1 has a cam, which will be described later, that functions as a drive conversion mechanism for converting a rotational driving force for rotating the storage chamber 2 received by the gear portion 3a into a force for reciprocating the pump portion 6. A cam mechanism including the groove 3b and the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is provided. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotational driving force received by the gear portion 3 a is converted into reciprocating power on the developer supply container 1 side, so that the driving force for rotating the storage chamber 2 and the driving force for reciprocating the pump portion 6. The force is received by one drive input unit (gear unit 3a). Thus, the configuration of the drive input mechanism of the developer supply container 1 can be simplified as compared with the case where two drive input units are separately provided in the developer supply container 1. Further, since the configuration is such that the drive is received from one drive unit (drive gear 300) of the developer replenishing device 20, the configuration of the drive mechanism of the developer replenishment device 20 is smaller than when two drive units are separately provided. It can be simplified.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the developer supply container 1 has a reciprocating member 5 as a member for converting the rotational driving force into the reciprocating power of the pump unit 6. Specifically, the developer supply container 1 has a cam groove 3b provided on the entire circumference of the drive receiving member 3 which rotates integrally with the gear portion 3a. The cam groove 3b will be described later. Further, the developer supply container 1 has a reciprocating member 5 which is non-rotatable and slidable along the arrow X direction. A reciprocating member projection 5a formed by projecting a part from the arm portion 5b of the reciprocating member 5 is engaged with the cam groove 3b. Therefore, when the storage chamber 2 rotates, the reciprocating member projection 5a reciprocates along the cam groove 3b in the direction of the arrow X or in the opposite direction. This reciprocating motion is the reciprocating power of the pump unit 6 because the engaging unit 6a of the pump unit 6 and the engaging unit 5c provided on the reciprocating member 5 are engaged. The reciprocating member 5 is regulated so that the reciprocating member 5 does not rotate in the direction of rotation of the accommodation chamber 2 (allowing play is allowed).

  That is, when the cam groove 3b is rotated by the rotational driving force input from the drive gear 300, the reciprocating member protrusion 5a reciprocates in the direction of the arrow X or in the opposite direction along the cam groove 3b. For this reason, the pump unit 6 is integrally formed with the reciprocating member 5 and alternately repeats the extended state (FIG. 9A) and the contracted state (FIG. 9B), and the developer supply container 1 Can be changed.

  Note that at least one reciprocating member projection 5a may be provided. However, since a moment is generated in the drive conversion mechanism or the like due to the drag when the pump unit 6 expands and contracts, smooth reciprocation may not be performed. It is preferred to provide. In the present embodiment, the two reciprocating member protrusions 5a are arranged so as to face each other at an interval of about 180 ° in the circumferential direction of the developer supply container 1, and these reciprocating member protrusions 5a engage with the cam grooves 3b. I have.

(Placement of drive conversion mechanism)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a drive conversion mechanism (a cam mechanism constituted by a reciprocating member projection 5 a and a cam groove 3 b) is provided outside the accommodation chamber 2. That is, the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4 c, and the storage chamber 2 functioning as the developer storage space do not come into contact with the developer stored in the pump unit 6. It is provided at a position separated from the internal space of the pump section 6. Thereby, the problem assumed when the drive conversion mechanism is provided in the developer accommodating space can be solved. In other words, when the developer enters the rubbing portion of the drive conversion mechanism, heat and pressure are applied to the developer particles to soften them, and some of the particles adhere to each other to form a large lump (coarse particle). It is possible to prevent the torque from increasing due to the biting of the developer into the conversion mechanism.

  Next, a developer supply process from the developer supply container 1 to the developer supply device 20 will be described. First, the setting conditions of the cam groove 3b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a developed view of the cam groove 3b of the drive receiving member 3 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 10, arrow A indicates the rotation direction of the storage chamber 2 (moving direction of the cam groove 3b), arrow B indicates the extension direction of the pump unit 6, and arrow C indicates the compression direction of the pump unit 6. The cam grooves 3b are used when the pump section 6 is extended, the intake cam grooves 3c are used when compressing the pump section 6, and the exhaust cam grooves 3d are used when the pump section 6 is not reciprocated. The stop cam groove 3e and the stop cam groove 3e are formed continuously.

  Next, a developer supply step by the pump unit 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the suction process (the suction operation via the discharge port 4a) and the exhaust process (the discharge operation via the discharge port 4a) by the operation of the pump unit 6 and the operation stop process (the discharge operation) where the pump unit 6 is not operated The intake and exhaust via the outlet 4a are not performed). At this time, the drive conversion mechanism is configured to convert the rotational driving force into reciprocating power. Hereinafter, each developer supply process in a state where the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the above-described intake cam groove 3c, exhaust cam groove 3d, and stop cam groove 3e will be sequentially described.

  The intake process (the intake operation via the outlet 4a) will be described. By the drive conversion mechanism (cam mechanism) described above, the pump section 6 is changed from the most contracted state (FIG. 9B) to the most expanded state (FIG. 9A), so that the suction operation is performed. Done.

  With this suction operation, the capacity of the inside of the developer supply container 1 (the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the pump unit 6) that functions as a developer storage space increases.

  At this time, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is substantially closed except for the outlet 4a, and the outlet 4a is substantially closed by the developer. Therefore, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 decreases as the volume of the portion of the developer supply container 1 that can store the developer increases. At this time, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure (external pressure). Therefore, the air outside the developer supply container 1 moves into the developer supply container 1 through the outlet 4a due to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the developer supply container 1. At this time, since air is taken in from the outside of the developer supply container 1 through the discharge port 4a, the developer located near the discharge port 4a can be released (fluidized). Specifically, by including air in the developer located in the vicinity of the outlet 4a, the bulk density can be reduced, and the developer can be appropriately fluidized. Further, at this time, since the air is taken into the developer supply container 1 through the outlet 4a, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 is large even though the capacity of the developer supply container 1 is increased. The pressure changes around the atmospheric pressure (external pressure).

  In this way, by fluidizing the developer, the developer can be smoothly discharged from the discharge port 4a without the developer being clogged in the discharge port 4a during an exhaust operation described later. . Therefore, the amount (per unit time) of the developer discharged from the discharge port 4a can be made substantially constant over a long period of time.

  In addition, the suction operation is not limited to being performed when the pump unit 6 changes from the most contracted state to the most expanded state. For example, even if the pump unit 6 is stopped halfway from the most contracted state to the most extended state, the suction operation is performed if the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 changes. That is, the intake process is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the intake cam groove 3c shown in FIG.

  Next, the evacuation process (the evacuation operation through the exhaust port 4a) will be described. By the above-described drive conversion mechanism (cam mechanism), the pumping unit 6 changes from the state where the pump unit 6 is most extended (FIG. 9A) to the state where the pump unit 6 is contracted most (FIG. 9B). Done.

  With this evacuation operation, the volume of the inside of the developer supply container 1 (the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the pump unit 6) that functions as a developer storage space decreases. At this time, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is substantially sealed except for the discharge port 4a, and the discharge port 4a is substantially closed with the developer until the developer is discharged. ing. Therefore, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 increases as the volume inside the developer supply container 1 decreases. At this time, since the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure (external pressure), the developer is pushed out from the discharge port 4a by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the developer supply container 1. That is, the developer is discharged from the developer supply container 1 to the developer supply device 20. Since the air in the developer supply container 1 is also discharged together with the developer, the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 decreases.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the developer can be efficiently discharged by using one reciprocating pump unit 6, so that the mechanism required for discharging the developer can be simplified.

  The evacuation operation is not limited to being performed when the pump unit 6 changes from the most extended state to the most contracted state. For example, even if the pump unit 6 stops on the way from the most expanded state to the most contracted state, if the internal pressure of the developer supply container 1 is changed, the exhaust operation is performed. That is, the evacuation process is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the evacuation cam groove 3d shown in FIG.

  Next, an operation stop process in which the pump section 6 does not reciprocate will be described. The developer replenishing device 20 needs to replenish the amount of developer required by the developing device from the developer replenishing container 1 to the developing device. At this time, in order to stabilize the amount of the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1, it is desirable that the volume change amount is fixed every time. For example, in the case where the above-described configuration in which the hopper 20b is omitted (FIG. 6) is employed, the amount of the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1 directly affects the toner concentration in the developer in the developing device. This is particularly important.

  For example, if the cam groove 3b includes only the exhaust process and the intake process, the drive of the drive motor 500 is stopped during the exhaust process or the intake process. At this time, even after the rotation of the drive motor 500 is stopped, the housing chamber 2 rotates by inertia, and the pump unit 6 continues to reciprocate in conjunction therewith until the housing chamber 2 stops, so that the exhaust process or the suction process is performed. Can be considered. The distance that the accommodation room 2 rotates due to inertia depends on the rotation speed of the accommodation room 2. Further, the rotation speed of the storage chamber 2 depends on the torque given to the drive motor 500. Then, the torque applied to the motor changes depending on the amount of the developer in the developer supply container 1. Therefore, the speed of the storage chamber 2 may also change, and it is difficult to make the stop position of the pump unit 6 the same each time.

  Therefore, in order to stop the pump unit 6 at a fixed position every time, it is preferable to provide the cam groove 3b with a region where the pump unit 6 does not reciprocate even when the storage chamber 2 is rotating. In this embodiment, a stop cam groove 3e shown in FIG. 10 is provided to prevent the pump section 6 from reciprocating. The stop cam groove 3e is formed along the rotation direction of the storage chamber 2, and has a straight shape in which the reciprocating member 5 does not move even when the storage chamber 2 rotates. That is, the operation stopping step is a state in which the reciprocating member protrusion 5a is engaged with the stop cam groove 3e.

  In the present embodiment, a period is provided in which the pump section 6 does not reciprocate. However, during this period, the developer is not discharged from the discharge port 4a (the developer that falls from the discharge port 4a due to vibrations during rotation of the storage chamber 2). Is acceptable). Therefore, the shape of the stop cam groove 3e does not have to be orthogonal to the rotation axis direction, but is inclined to the rotation axis direction, unless the exhaust step and the suction step through the outlet 4a are performed. No problem.

(Flange seal part)
Next, the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11A is a partial sectional view of the storage chamber 2 and the flange portion 4 of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged sectional view of a portion B in FIG. 11A.

(Example 1)
As described above, in the conventional configuration as shown in FIG. 8B, a flange seal 7b, which is an elastic annular seal member, is provided on the seal member installation surface (receiving portion) 4e of the discharge chamber 4c with an adhesive material (both sides). (Tape) 7c.

  The flange seal 77b of this embodiment is provided at a portion where the housing chamber 2 and the flange portion 4 are connected. The discharge chamber 4c is provided without being fixed to the seal member installation surface 4e, and can be slid (slidable) on any contact surface between the seal member installation surface 4e and the pressing portion 2c of the storage chamber 2. The flange seal 77b and the pressing portion 2c are provided with inclined surfaces 77d and 2e having an angle α, respectively, and come into contact with each other at the inclined surfaces 77d and 2e. The inclined surface 77d is an inclined surface having a radially outer height (thickness) higher than a radially inner height (thickness). The inclined surface 2e is such that the outside in the radial direction is farther from the seal member installation surface 4e than the inside in the radial direction.

  With this configuration, when the storage chamber 2 is pressed and rotated, the flange seal 77b rotates together with the storage chamber and slides on the seal member installation surface 4e. This is because the frictional force acting between the pressing portion inclined surface 2e and the flange seal inclined surface 77d becomes larger than the frictional force acting between the seal member installation surface 4e and the flange seal bottom surface 77e due to the wedge effect. If the two members have the same frictional force, it is uncertain which one of the flange seals slides. In some cases, stick-slip phenomenon occurs, which causes problems such as vibration and noise. In this case, it is desirable to provide a frictional difference between the two and slide only one of them, as in the present embodiment.

  According to the present embodiment, the flange seal 77b is integrated with the storage chamber 2 even when the storage chamber 2 rotates while swinging in the radial direction or when the rotation axis of the storage chamber 2 and the discharge chamber 4c are misaligned. To rotate. Therefore, there is no fear of breakage due to a lateral displacement force acting between the discharge chamber and the flange seal, which is a concern in the conventional example. Also, since the accommodation chamber and the flange seal are not bonded, no excessive stress acts. Therefore, there is no concern that the rotational torque of the storage chamber increases.

  Further, there is an advantage in assembling. When the flange seal 77b is incorporated in the housing chamber 2, it is not necessary to perform strict alignment. Because the flange seal 77b is held by the inclined surfaces 77d and 2e when the flange seal 77b is incorporated into the accommodation chamber 2, the flange seal 77b is aligned to some extent. Furthermore, even if the frictional force acting when incorporated into the discharge chamber 4c is not uniform, the accommodation chamber is rotated to make the friction chamber uniform and the alignment is performed with high precision.

  In order to verify the operation of the present embodiment, a structural analysis simulation by the finite element method was performed. FIG. 12 shows a simulation model and calculation results. FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C are cross-sectional views showing a calculation initial state, a pressing state, and a pressing rotation state, respectively. FIG. 12D shows the details of the shape of the flange seal 77b in each state.

  The pressing portion inclined surface 2e and the seal member installation surface 4e are modeled as rigid surfaces. The flange seal 77b is made of an elastic body and is constructed with a mesh model as shown. In this model, the flange seal has a Young's modulus of 0.2 MPa. The angle α between the flange seal inclined surface 77d and the accommodation room inclined surface 2e was 45 °. The pressing force of the storage chamber 2 was 2N. Further, the friction coefficient between the flange seal inclined surface 77d and the accommodation chamber inclined surface 2e and the friction coefficient between the flange seal bottom surface 77e and the seal member installation surface 4e were equal to 0.3. Note that the present embodiment is not limited to the numerical values used this time.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, in the initial state, the small-diameter side end 2f of the pressing portion inclined surface 2e and the small-diameter side end 77f of the flange seal inclined surface 77d are equal in the radial direction. FIG. 12B shows a state in which the pressing portion 2c is pressed, but the flange seal inclined surface end 77f is deformed toward the larger diameter side with respect to the storage chamber inclined surface end 2f. In FIG. 12C, the pressing portion 2c is rotated while being pressed as it is. As a result, it was confirmed that the flange seal 77b was rotated integrally with the pressing portion 2c, and the operation of the present embodiment was verified.

  FIG. 12 (d) shows the details of the cross-sectional shape of the flange seal 77b in each step of FIGS. 12 (a), (b), and (c) overwritten. Dotted lines, dashed lines, and solid lines represent the states of FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C, respectively. When pressed against the no-load state (dotted line) (dashed line), the slider slides toward the large diameter side starting from the inclined surface 77d. The bottom surface 77e slides following this, but is settled in a state of being slightly distorted toward the small diameter side. During pressing / rotation (solid line), the flange seal 77b rotates and slides between the flange seal bottom surface 77e and the seal member installation surface 4e, so that distortion generated at the time of pressing is eliminated and the flange seal bottom surface 77e moves to a slightly larger diameter side. .

  As described above, since the flange seal 77b is deformed to the large diameter side by the pressing of the pressing portion 2c and the distortion generated by the pressing is eliminated by rotating, it is understood that excessive stress is not generated in the flange seal.

  Next, the calculation was performed while changing the inclination angle α. The result is shown in FIG. The result is the final state (pressing and rotating state). The calculation conditions are the same as in FIG. 12 except for the inclination angle.

  13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D show the inclination angles α of 60 °, 45 ° (conditions in FIG. 12), 20 °, and 10 °, respectively. As a result of the calculation, except for the inclination angle α of 10 °, the rotation was integrated with the pressing portion 2c as intended. The pressing force is the same for all four patterns, but the amount of penetration of the pressing portion 2c into the discharge chamber 4c is clearly larger when the inclination angle α is larger. At the same time, the smaller the inclination angle α is, the larger the diameter of the end 77f of the flange seal inclined surface is. That is, if the inclination angle is small, the length of the inclined surface becomes large because the penetration amount of the pressing portion inclined surface 2e is large. In addition, the deformation of the flange seal toward the large diameter side increases. There is a concern that the size of the apparatus may be increased when considering the device configuration, and it is not practical if the inclination angle α is 60 ° or more.

  Therefore, it is considered that the inclination angle α is preferably 20 ° to 60 °.

  Another embodiment will be described in view of the characteristics of the flange seal as described above. FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. FIGS. 14A and 14B show the state before the pressing part 2c is assembled and the state after the pressing part 2c is assembled (pressed), respectively.

  The feature of this embodiment is that a vertical side wall 2g is formed at the end of the pressing portion inclined surface 2e of the storage chamber. By setting the gap between the side wall 2g and the inner circumferential side surface 77g of the flange seal as small as 0.1 to 0.3 mm, the pressing portion side wall 2g serves as a guide when the flange seal 77b is assembled to the pressing portion 2c, and has high coaxiality. Accurate assembly becomes possible. It is also possible to adopt a so-called interference fit configuration in which the inner diameter of the flange seal is smaller than the outer diameter of the side wall 2g. The interference fit is preferably 0.3 mm or less. By doing so, the flange seal 77b is temporarily fixed to the pressing portion 2c, so that it is not necessary to limit the vertical direction at the time of assembly to the vertical direction as shown in FIG. The height of the pressing portion side wall 2g is a height at which a gap is formed between the pressing portion side wall 2g and the seal member installation surface 4e after the assembly (after pressing) shown in FIG.

  Regardless of whether the gap between the side wall 2g and the inner diameter side surface 77g of the flange seal is small or interference fit, after being assembled, the flange seal 77b becomes large diameter side by the pressing portion inclined surface 2e as shown in FIG. Go to As a result, the pressing portion side wall 2g and the inner diameter side surface 77g of the flange seal are separated from each other, and the influence of the pressing portion side wall 2g is eliminated.

  In these embodiments, the angle between the pressing portion inclined surface 2e and the flange seal inclined surface 77d does not necessarily need to be the same value. Simulations show that a deviation of about 5 ° has no effect.

  In these embodiments, the relationship among the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the flange seal 77b may be reversed. That is, the present invention is also applicable to a configuration in which the flange seal inclined surface 77d is fixed to the discharge chamber side, the housing chamber 2 rotates, and the flange seal bottom surface 77e slides with respect to the pressing portion 2c.

  Here, the direction in which the flange seal slides by the pressing portion is preferably such that the outer diameter of the flange seal increases as in this example. This is because if the outer diameter is reduced, the flange seal is compressed, and buckling may occur. This sliding direction is defined by the direction of the slope. Accordingly, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the flange seal be inclined in a thicker direction as the radius becomes larger.

(Example 2)
Next, another example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15A is a partial sectional view of the storage chamber 2 and the flange portion 4 of the developer supply container 1, and FIG. 15B is an enlarged sectional view of a portion C in FIG.

  In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the flange seal 77b is not fixed to the seal member installation surface 4e of the discharge chamber 4c, and slides on any contact surface of the seal member installation surface 4e and the pressing portion 2c of the storage chamber 2. It is configured to be rubbed. The flange seal 77b has a side wall 77d whose diameter is one step larger than its inner diameter. The outer diameter portion 2e of the pressing portion 2c contacts the flange seal side wall 77d. The diameter of the pressing outer diameter portion 2e is larger than the inner diameter of the side wall of the flange seal, and the two are in an interference fit.

  With this configuration, when the pressing portion 2c is pressed and rotated, the flange seal 77b rotates together with the pressing portion 2c and slides on the seal member installation surface 4e. Since the pressing outer diameter portion 2e and the flange seal side wall 77d are tightly fitted, the frictional force acting between them is greater than the frictional force acting between the seal member installation surface 4e and the flange seal bottom surface 77e. That's why.

  According to the present embodiment, the flange seal 77b is integrated with the housing chamber 2 even when the housing chamber 2 rotates while swinging in the radial direction or when the rotation axis of the housing chamber 2 and the discharge chamber 4c is misaligned. To rotate. Therefore, there is no fear of breakage due to a lateral displacement force acting between the discharge chamber and the flange seal, which is a concern in the conventional example. Also, since the accommodation chamber and the flange seal are not bonded, no excessive stress acts. Therefore, there is no concern that the rotational torque of the storage chamber increases.

  Further, there is an advantage in assembling. When the flange seal 77b is incorporated into the accommodation room 2, the flange seal 77b is fixed to the accommodation room 2 by interference fit. Therefore, it is not necessary to limit the vertical direction at the time of assembly to the vertical direction as shown in FIG.

  In order to verify the operation of the present embodiment, a structural analysis simulation by the finite element method was performed. FIG. 16 shows a simulation model and calculation results. FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C are cross-sectional views showing a pressed state when assembled into a single flange seal and a storage chamber. FIGS. 16 (d) and 16 (e) show the pressing and rotating state, respectively, when the pressing force is 2N and 10N. The pressing portion 2c and the seal member installation surface 4e are modeled as rigid surfaces. The flange seal 77b is made of an elastic material and is constructed using the same mesh model as in the first embodiment. In this model, the flange seal has a Young's modulus of 0.2 MPa. As described above, the pressing force of the storage chamber 2 was 2N, which is the same as that in Example 1, and 10 N, which is a relatively large load. The interference fit between the pressing outer diameter portion 2e and the flange seal side wall 77d is 0.5 mm, the friction coefficient between the walls is 0.3, and the friction coefficient between the flange seal bottom surface 77e and the seal member installation surface 4e is equal. 0.3. Note that the present embodiment is not limited to the numerical values used this time.

  As shown in FIG. 16B, when the flange seal 77b is assembled to the pressing portion 2c of the storage chamber, the flange seal 77b is deformed such that the flange seal 77b falls down to the inner diameter side of the pressing portion due to interference fit. However, when the pressing portion 2c is pressed against the seal member installation surface 4e, the flange seal bottom surface 77e contacts the seal member installation surface over the entire width direction as shown in FIG. Thereafter, when rotating while pressing the pressing portion 2c, as shown in FIG. 16D, the flange seal bottom surface 77e moves to the outer diameter side of the pressing portion, and the outer peripheral wall becomes substantially perpendicular to the seal member installation surface 4e, and the flange seal bottom surface 77e Maintain contact over the entire area. Then, it was confirmed that the flange seal 77b was rotated integrally with the pressing portion 2c, and the operation of the present embodiment was verified.

  FIG. 16E shows the result of pressing and rotating with a relatively large load as described above in order to confirm the stability of this configuration. The flange seal bottom surface 77e further moves to the outer diameter side of the pressing portion, and the flange seal 77b is greatly deformed. Then, the outer peripheral end of the flange seal bottom surface 77e rises from the seal member installation surface 4e, and the contact area decreases. As a result, the sealing performance is reduced, and the flange seal 77b is greatly deformed, so that the rotational resistance is increased. Therefore, in this configuration, there is a concern that the hermeticity of the developer supply container and the rotational torque may increase under a relatively large pressing force. The relatively large pressing force set here cannot be generated under the conditions of the present configuration, physical properties, and the like.However, for example, the hardness of the flange seal is large, and the flange seal is affected by dimensional variations when the housing chamber and the discharge chamber are assembled. This is a load that can be assumed when the amount of pressing increases. Therefore, it is preferable to consider it.

  Another embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 shows a simulation model and calculation results of the present embodiment. FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C are cross-sectional views showing a pressed state when assembled into a single flange seal and a storage chamber. FIGS. 17 (d) and 17 (e) show the pressing and rotating states, and the pressing force is 2N and 10N, respectively. The conditions, physical properties, and the like of the simulation model are the same as those in the second embodiment.

  In this embodiment, the flange seal bottom surface 77e is an inclined surface having an angle β. In this example, β is 9.5 °.

  As shown in FIG. 17B, when the flange seal 77b is assembled to the pressing portion 2c of the storage chamber, the flange seal 77b is deformed by the interference fit so as to fall down to the inner diameter side of the pressing portion, and the bottom surface 77e is inclined. The angle becomes β ′ smaller than β. According to the calculation result of this example, β ′ is 3.9 °. When the pressing portion 2c is pressed against the seal member installation surface 4e, the flange seal bottom surface 77e contacts the seal member installation surface in the entire width direction as shown in FIG. 17C. Thereafter, when rotating while pressing the pressing portion 2c, as shown in FIG. 17D, the flange seal bottom surface 77e does not substantially move in the pressing portion radial direction, and maintains contact with the entire area of the flange seal bottom surface 77e. At this time, it was confirmed that the flange seal 77b was rotated integrally with the pressing portion 2c. FIG. 17E shows the result of pressing and rotating with a relatively excessive load. The flange seal bottom surface 77e slightly moves to the outer diameter side of the pressing portion, but the deformation is slight, and the contact of the entire area of the flange seal bottom surface 77e is maintained. Also in this case, it was confirmed that the flange seal 77b was rotated integrally with the pressing portion 2c. Therefore, in this example, even when the amount of pressing of the flange seal is increased, there is no concern about the hermeticity of the developer supply container and an increase in the rotational torque of the storage chamber.

  The mechanism by which the phenomenon of the present embodiment occurs will be considered. FIG. 18 is a simulation result showing a detailed cross section of the flange seal 77b in which a portion D of FIGS. 16 and 17 is enlarged. FIGS. 18 (a), (b), (c), and (d) show that when the pressing force is 2N, when the pressing force is 10N, β is 9.5 ° and when the pressing force is 10N, β is changed to 26.6 °. The pressing force is 10 N. In each detail view, four cross-sectional views are overwritten. The thin dotted line represents the flange seal alone, the dashed line represents the time when the flange seal was assembled to the pressing portion, the thick dotted line represents the time when the pressing portion was pressed, and the solid line represents the time when the pressing portion was rotated while pressing the pressing portion. When the flange seal is assembled to the pressing portion (from the fine dotted line to the alternate long and short dash line), the flange seal side wall 77d spreads due to the interference fit, and the flange seal is deformed to fall down to the inner diameter side due to the influence. At this time, the angle β of the flange seal bottom surface 77e changes in the minus direction and becomes β ′. Then, the flange seal is pressed against the seal member installation surface 4e (from the alternate long and short dash line to the thick dotted line). Next, the change (from the thick dotted line to the solid line) when pressed and rotated differs from one another, and will be described in order. As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, in Example 2, the outer peripheral end 77f of the bottom surface of the flange seal moves to the outer peripheral side by rotating, but the amount differs depending on the pressing force. In FIG. 18A in which the pressing force is 2N, the amount of movement is small, and the flange seal bottom surface 77e shows a normal state in which the entire surface contacts the seal member installation surface 4e. However, in FIG. 18B where the pressing force is 10 N, the amount of movement of the outer peripheral end 77f is large, and the outer peripheral side of the flange seal bottom surface 77e is separated from the seal member installation surface 4e, which is an incorrect state.

  FIGS. 18C and 18D show the case where the pressing force is 10N. When the inclination angle β of the flange seal bottom surface 77e is 9.5 ° as shown in FIG. 18C, the amount of movement of the flange seal outer peripheral end 77f is the same as when the pressing force is 2N shown in FIG. 18A. , Is in a normal state. However, when the inclination angle β of the flange seal bottom surface 77e is 26.6 ° as shown in FIG. 18D, the movement of the flange seal outer peripheral end 77f is reversed on the inner diameter side and larger. Further, the flange seal side wall 77d is tilted and separated from the outer diameter portion of the pressing portion (not shown), which is an incorrect state. Therefore, it does not mean that the inclination angle of the bottom surface of the flange seal should be large. When the calculation was examined by changing the inclination angle β, it was confirmed that the flange seal bottom surface 77e was in a normal state in which the entire surface contacted the seal member installation surface 4e at 20 ° or less.

  Then, it is considered why a change in the cross section (from the thick dotted line to the solid line) occurs from the time of pressing to the time of pressing rotation due to the load and the sectional shape acting on these flange seals. The reason for the deformation was considered to be the contact pressure distribution acting on the flange seal bottom surface 77e when pressed (thick dotted line). FIG. 19 shows the cross section of the flange seal and the contact pressure distribution on the bottom surface of the flange seal when pressed. FIGS. 19 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are the same as in FIG. 18, when the pressing force is 2N, when the pressing force is 10N, when β is 9.5 ° and when the pressing force is 10N, β is 26. Changed to 6 ° and at 10 N of pressing force. The higher the contact pressure distribution, the higher the contact pressure, and the degree of shading with respect to the contact pressure has the same scale in FIGS. 19 (a), (b), (c) and (d). The contact pressure distributions are all concentrically distributed. The point on the radius at which the contact pressure is greatest is indicated by an arrow. As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the contact pressure at the outer peripheral end of the flange seal increases with the pressing forces 2N and 10N. Further, the pressing force of 10 N is higher and the contact pressure is higher. When the pressing force is 10N and the inclination angle β of the flange seal bottom surface 77e is 9.5 °, as shown in FIG. 19C, the contact pressure is large at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the flange seal. When the inclination angle β is 26.6 °, as shown in FIG. 19 (d), the contact pressure is higher at the portion on the inner peripheral side than the approximate center in the width direction of the flange seal. Further, the density of the distribution is deeper and the contact pressure is larger than when the inclination angle β is 9.5 °.

  The black arrow shown in each drawing of FIG. 18 is located at a position where the contact pressure is large at the timing of pressing (thick dotted line) read from FIG. , The direction and magnitude of the acting force. The magnitude and direction of the moment generated from the action of the force of the two black arrows in each figure are indicated by white arrows. The size and direction of the arrow correspond to the change in the cross section during the pressing rotation (from the thick dotted line to the solid line). Therefore, it is considered that the change in the cross section during the pressing rotation is caused by the radial inclination of the contact pressure distribution acting on the flange seal bottom surface 77e during the pressing and the moment due to the deviation of the pressing portion from the position where the pressing force acts.

  As described above, by fitting the flange seal into the pressing portion of the storage chamber, it is possible to reduce the damage caused by the lateral displacement force acting between the discharge chamber and the flange seal and increase the rotational torque, which is a concern in the conventional example. No more concerns. Further, even when the pressing force of the pressing portion is large, by providing a slope of 20 ° or less on the bottom surface of the flange seal in a direction in which the radius becomes smaller, the flange seal is prevented from being damaged and the rotational torque is increased.

  In these embodiments, the relationship among the storage chamber 2, the discharge chamber 4c, and the flange seal 77b may be reversed. That is, the present invention is also applicable to a configuration in which the flange seal side wall 77d is fixed to the discharge chamber side, the housing chamber 2 rotates, and the flange seal bottom surface 77e slides with respect to the pressing portion 2c.

Reference Signs List 1 developer supply container 2 storage chamber 2g regulating wall 4c discharge chamber 77b flange seal

Claims (5)

In the developer supply container that is detachable from the developer supply device,
A discharge chamber for discharging the developer, a discharge chamber for discharging the developer, and an opening for supplying the developer to the discharge chamber; the discharge chamber being rotatably held in the discharge chamber relative to the discharge chamber; A rotatable storage chamber for storing the developer, an elastic annular seal member for sealing a portion where the discharge chamber and the storage chamber are connected, and a seal slidable with respect to the seal member. An annular pressing portion for pressing a member toward the storage chamber; and an annular receiving portion provided in the discharge chamber and receiving the seal member slidably on the seal member pressed by the pressing portion. And a developer supply container comprising:   The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the seal member has an inclined surface such that an outer height is higher than an inner height.   3. The developer supply container according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion has an inclined surface such that a radially outer side is more distant from the receiving portion than a radially inner side. 4.   The developer supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container has an annular protrusion on a radially inner side of the receiving portion.   5. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein a height of the protrusion is lower than a height of the seal member in a rotation axis direction of the storage chamber. 6.

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