JP2022006898A - Developing cartridge, toner cartridge, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent a toner in a toner storage chamber from moving to a waste toner storage chamber when an impact is applied due to transportation and conveyance in a configuration having a partition wall for dividing the toner storage chamber from the waste toner storage chamber.SOLUTION: A bottom member 22 is provided with a hole part 22c. A partition part 23a extends from a bottom part of a developer container 23 toward the bottom member 22, penetrates the bottom member 22 through the hole part 22c, and its end projects to the outside of a frame body. A seal member 101 made of an elastic body is provided between the bottom member 22 and a portion of the partition part 23a inside the frame body. The bottom member 22 has a fall prevention rib 22d that is provided to be adjacent to the end of the partition part 23a projecting from the bottom member 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

The present invention relates to a developing cartridge, a toner cartridge and an image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method, a process cartridge type apparatus configuration is known. That is, in order to facilitate toner replenishment and maintenance, a photoconductor, a charging means, a developing means, a cleaning means, etc. are collectively made into a cartridge in the frame, and a process cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body is put into practical use. Has been done.

It is known that the developing cartridge and the toner cartridge have a structure for collecting the toner supplied to the photoconductor of the cleaning cartridge and the waste toner remaining without being transferred. Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a toner accommodating chamber and a waste toner accommodating chamber are partitioned by a partition member made of a resin and a sealing member made of an elastic elastomer by a partition wall molded in two colors. When an external force is applied to the developing cartridge or the toner cartridge due to an impact during transportation or the like, the partition walls of the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber may be deformed, and the sealing property of the sealing member constituting the partition wall may be deteriorated. In this case, the unused toner in the toner storage chamber may move to the waste toner storage chamber, and the number of images that can be formed may decrease.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-3266

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY In the present invention, in a developing cartridge, a toner cartridge, and an image forming apparatus having a partition partitioning a toner accommodating chamber and a waste toner accommodating chamber, the toner in the toner accommodating chamber is transferred to the waste toner accommodating chamber when an impact is applied during transportation or transportation. The purpose is to suppress the movement.

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention according to the present application is
A developing cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The cover member is provided with a through hole, and the cover member is provided with a through hole.
The partition portion extends from the bottom portion of the container toward the cover member, penetrates the cover member through the through hole, and the end portion thereof protrudes out of the frame body.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the portion of the partition portion in the frame and the cover member is further provided.
The cover member is a developing cartridge characterized by having a protruding portion provided adjacent to an end portion of the partition portion protruding from the cover member.

The second invention according to the present application is
A developing cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The partition portion extends from the bottom of the container toward the cover member, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the cover member.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the end portion of the partition portion other than the portion that abuts on the cover member and the cover member is further provided.
The cover member and the portion of the end portion of the partition portion that comes into contact with the cover member are a developing cartridge characterized in that they are fastened by a fastening member.

The third invention according to the present application is
A toner cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming device body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The cover member is provided with a through hole, and the cover member is provided with a through hole.
The partition portion extends from the bottom portion of the container toward the cover member, penetrates the cover member through the through hole, and the end portion thereof protrudes out of the frame body.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the portion of the partition portion in the frame and the cover member is further provided.
The cover member is a toner cartridge characterized by having a protruding portion provided adjacent to an end portion of the partition portion protruding from the cover member.

The fourth invention according to the present application is
A toner cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming device body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The partition portion extends from the bottom of the container toward the cover member, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the cover member.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the end portion of the partition portion other than the portion that abuts on the cover member and the cover member is further provided.
The cover member and the portion of the end portion of the partition portion that comes into contact with the cover member are toner cartridges characterized in that they are fastened by a fastening member.

According to the present invention, in a developing cartridge, a toner cartridge, and an image forming apparatus having a partition partitioning a toner accommodating chamber and a waste toner accommodating chamber, the toner in the toner accommodating chamber accommodates waste toner when an impact is applied during transportation or transportation. It is possible to suppress the movement to the room.

Sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus main body and process cartridge of Example 1. Sectional drawing of the process cartridge of an Example Perspective view of a state in which the opening / closing door of the image forming apparatus main body of the embodiment is opened and the tray is pulled out. Perspective view of the photoconductor cartridge inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. Perspective view of the photoconductor cartridge of the embodiment and the guide member of the image forming apparatus Perspective view of the photoconductor cartridge of the embodiment and the guide member of the image forming apparatus Perspective view of the driven side and the non-driven side of the developing cartridge and the tray of the embodiment. The figure when the developing cartridge of an Example is attached to the tray. The figure when the developing cartridge of an Example is attached to the tray. The figure when the developing cartridge of an Example is attached to the tray. The figure when the developing cartridge of an Example is attached to the tray. Sectional view and side view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Exploded view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Non-drive side perspective view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Perspective view of the drive side of the process cartridge of the embodiment Perspective view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Top view and sectional view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Sectional view and side view of the process cartridge of the embodiment Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 1 Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 1 Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 1 Exploded view of the developing cartridges of Examples 1 and 2. Sectional drawing of the partition structure of the toner accommodating chamber and the waste toner accommodating chamber of Example 1. Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 2 Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 2 Exploded view of the developing cartridge of Example 2 Sectional drawing of the partition structure of the toner accommodating chamber and waste toner accommodating chamber of Example 2 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 3 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 3 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 3 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 3 Sectional drawing of the partition structure of the toner accommodating chamber and waste toner accommodating chamber of Example 3 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 4 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 4 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 4 Exploded view of the toner cartridge of Example 4 Sectional drawing of the partition structure of the toner accommodating chamber and waste toner accommodating chamber of Example 4

(Example 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the rotation axis direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum is "longitudinal direction", and in the longitudinal direction, the side where the electrophotographic photosensitive drum receives the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body is the "driving side", and the opposite side thereof. Is the "non-driving side".

The overall configuration of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and the image forming process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “image forming apparatus”) is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming method. The image forming apparatus includes, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (LED printer, laser beam printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, a word processor, and the like. In the image forming apparatus, image formation is performed by the following process. First, the electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image carrier is uniformly charged. The electrophotographic photosensitive member is, for example, a drum-type photosensitive member drum. Next, an electrostatic latent image (electrostatic image) is formed on the photoconductor drum by selectively exposing the charged photoconductor drum. Next, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum is developed as a toner image with toner as a developer. The toner image formed on the photoconductor drum is transferred to the recording material, and the toner image is fixed to the recording material by applying heat or pressure to the toner image transferred on the recording material. Recording materials include, for example, recording paper and plastic sheets.

The process cartridge is a cartridge in which the photoconductor drum and the process means acting on the photoconductor drum are integrated into a cartridge, and is removable from the image forming apparatus main body. The process means are, for example, developing means, charging means, cleaning means and the like. Examples of the process cartridge include a photoconductor cartridge provided with a cleaning means, a cleaning cartridge having a photoconductor drum, a developing cartridge provided with a developing means, and a toner cartridge to which a developing agent is supplied can be attached and detached. The developing cartridge is a cartridge in which the process means acting on the photoconductor drum is made into a cartridge so that it can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body. The toner cartridge is a cartridge that does not include a photoconductor drum or process means and contains a developer that is consumed during image formation, and is attached to and detached from the developing cartridge, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus main body. It is possible. In an image forming apparatus having a process cartridge, toner replenishment and maintenance of various process means can be easily performed.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter, also referred to as an apparatus main body A) and a process cartridge (hereinafter, a photoconductor cartridge B, a developing cartridge C) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C. Here, the image forming apparatus main body A is a portion of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus other than the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C.

<Overall configuration of electrophotographic image forming apparatus>
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a laser beam printer using an electrophotographic technique in which a photoconductor cartridge B and a developing cartridge C can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body A. When the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C are mounted on the apparatus main body A, the exposure device 3 (laser scanner unit) for forming a latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum 62 (hereinafter referred to as a drum) of the photoconductor cartridge B. ) Is placed. A sheet tray 4 containing a recording medium P (hereinafter referred to as a sheet material) to be image-formed is arranged under the developing cartridge C.

The apparatus main body A has a pickup roller 5a, a feeding roller pair 5b, a transport roller pair 5c, a transfer guide 6, a transfer roller 7, a transport guide 8, a fixing device 9, and a discharge roller along the transport direction D of the sheet material P. A pair of 10 and a discharge tray 11 and the like are sequentially arranged. The fixing device 9 is composed of a heating roller 9a and a pressure roller 9b.

<Image formation process>
The outline of the image formation process will be described with reference to FIG. Based on the print start signal, the drum 62 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow R at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed). The charging roller 66 to which the bias voltage is applied comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62, and the drum 62
The outer peripheral surface of the surface is uniformly charged. The exposure apparatus 3 outputs the laser beam L according to the image information. The laser beam L passes through the laser aperture 71k provided in the cleaning frame 71 of the photoconductor cartridge B, and scans and exposes the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, in the developing cartridge C, the toner T1 in the toner accommodating chamber 29 as the developer accommodating portion is rotated by the rotation of the first conveying member 43, the second conveying member 44, and the third conveying member 50. It is stirred, conveyed, and sent out to the toner supply chamber 28. The toner T1 is supported on the surface of the developing roller 32 by the magnetic force of the magnet roller 34 (fixed magnet). The toner T1 is frictionally charged by the developing blade 42, and the layer thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 32 is regulated. The toner T1 is transferred to the drum 62 according to the electrostatic latent image, and is visualized as a toner image.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet material P stored in the lower part of the apparatus main body A is removed from the seat tray 4 by the pickup roller 5a, the feeding roller pair 5b, and the transport roller pair 5c together with the output timing of the laser beam L. Be sent out. The sheet material P is conveyed to a transfer position between the drum 62 and the transfer roller 7 via the transfer guide 6. At this transfer position, the toner image is sequentially transferred from the drum 62 to the sheet material P.

The sheet material P to which the toner image is transferred is separated from the drum 62 and conveyed to the fixing device 9 along the conveying guide 8. The sheet material P passes through the nip portion of the heating roller 9a and the pressure roller 9b constituting the fixing device 9. Pressurization / heat fixing treatment is performed at this nip portion, and the toner image is fixed to the sheet material P. The sheet material P that has undergone the toner image fixing process is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 10 and discharged to the discharge tray 11. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the drum 62 after transfer is used again in the image forming process after the residual toner on the outer peripheral surface is removed by the cleaning blade 77. In the above configuration, the charging roller 66, the developing roller 32, the transfer roller 7, and the cleaning blade 77 are process means for acting on the drum 62.

<Structure of the entire cartridge>
The overall configuration of the process cartridge will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 13 to 15. In the first embodiment, the description of the screw for connecting the parts will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge has a photoconductor cartridge B and a developing cartridge C. The photoconductor cartridge B includes a drum 62, a charging roller 66, a cleaning blade 77, a cleaning frame 71 that supports them, and a lid member 72 that is fixed to the cleaning frame 71 by welding or the like. In the photoconductor cartridge B, the charging roller 66 and the cleaning blade 77 are arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62, respectively.

The cleaning blade 77 has a rubber blade 77a, which is a blade-shaped elastic member made of rubber as an elastic material, and a support member 77b that supports the rubber blade 77a. The rubber blade 77a is in contact with the drum 62 in the counter direction with respect to the rotation direction of the drum 62. That is, the rubber blade 77a is in contact with the drum 62 so that its tip end faces the upstream side in the rotation direction of the drum 62. A drum contact sheet 65 for preventing waste toner from leaking from the cleaning frame body 71 is provided at the edge of the cleaning frame body 71 so as to come into contact with the drum 62. The drum 62 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow R in the figure according to the image forming operation by receiving a driving force from a main body driving motor (not shown) which is a driving source.

The charging roller 66 is rotatably attached to the photoconductor cartridge B via the charging roller bearing 67 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame 71 (substantially parallel to the rotation axis direction of the drum 62). The charging roller 66 is pressed against the drum 62 by pressing the charging roller bearing 67 toward the drum 62 by the urging member 68. The charging roller 66 is driven by the rotation of the drum 62.

As shown in FIG. 15, on the drive side, the drum 62 is rotatably supported by the hole portion 73a of the drum bearing 73 on the drive side drum flange 63 provided on the drive side. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, on the non-driving side, the drum shaft 78 press-fitted into the hole portion 71c provided in the cleaning frame body 71 rotatably supports the hole portion of the non-driving side drum flange 64. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developing cartridge C has a developing roller 32, a developing container 23 for supporting the developing roller 32, a developing blade 42, and the like. A magnet roller 34 is provided in the developing roller 32. The developing blade 42 regulates the toner layer on the developing roller 32.

As shown in FIG. 13, spacing members 38 are attached to both ends of the developing roller 32, and when the spacing member 38 and the drum 62 come into contact with each other, the developing roller 32 is held with a slight gap from the drum 62. To. As shown in FIG. 2, a developing roller contact sheet 33 for preventing toner from leaking from the developing cartridge C is provided at the edge of the bottom member 22 so as to come into contact with the developing roller 32. The toner storage chamber 29 formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is provided with a first transport member 43, a second transport member 44, and a third transport member 50. The first transport member 43, the second transport member 44, and the third transport member 50 stir the toner stored in the toner storage chamber 29 and transport the toner to the toner supply chamber 28.

An opening 29a (a portion shown by a broken line) is provided between the toner accommodating chamber 29 and the toner supply chamber 28, and the opening 29a is sealed with a sealing member (not shown) until the developing cartridge C is used. It has been stopped. This sealing member is a sheet-like member made of a material such as polyethylene, one end of which is welded to the developing container 23 around the opening 29a, and the other end of which is fixed to the first transport member 43. When the first transport member 43 rotates when the developing cartridge C is used for the first time, the seal member is wound around the first transport member 43 while the welded portion with the developing container 23 is peeled off, and the opening 29a is opened. Will be done. As shown in FIG. 13, the developing roller 32 is rotatably attached to the developing container 23 by bearing members 27 and 37 provided at both ends.

<Detachment of cartridge>
The mounting of the photoconductor cartridge B on the apparatus main body A will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. The mounting of the developing cartridge C will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 8 to 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus main body A in which the opening / closing door 13 is opened in order to attach / detach the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C. An opening / closing door 13 is rotatably attached to the apparatus main body A, and when the opening / closing door 13 is opened, the cartridge insertion port 17 opens. The side surface of the internal space accessible from the cartridge insertion slot 17 is composed of a drive side plate 15 and a non-drive side plate 16, and the photoconductor cartridge B is attached to the drive side plate 15 and the non-drive side plate 16 when the photoconductor cartridge B is mounted on the apparatus main body A, respectively. A guide member 19 is provided. The apparatus main body A is provided with a tray 18 for mounting the developing cartridge C on the apparatus main body A.

The mounting of the photoconductor cartridge B will be described. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C are viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the drum 62. The insertion direction of the photoconductor cartridge B is the D direction. A part 23p of the developing container 23 on the upstream side in the D direction is arranged on the upstream side in the D direction of the end portion of the photoconductor cartridge B on the upstream side in the D direction. That is, when the photoconductor cartridge B is viewed from the upstream side in the D direction, a part 23p of the developing container 23 overlaps the photoconductor cartridge B in the direction perpendicular to the D direction. As a result, the size of the toner accommodating chamber 29 as seen in the cross section of FIG. 2 becomes larger. As shown in FIG. 4, the photoconductor cartridge B can be mounted on the apparatus main body A in a state where the developing cartridge C is not mounted.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a structure in which a photoconductor cartridge B inserted into the device main body A for mounting on the device main body A is guided. The photoconductor cartridge B has a first guided portion 73e, 71h and a second guided portion 71a, 71g. The apparatus main body A has guide members 19a and 19b. The guide members 19a and 19b are the members described as the guide members 19 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The mounting of the photoconductor cartridge B on the apparatus main body A will be described with reference to FIG. Since the configuration of the photoconductor cartridge B attached to the apparatus main body A is the same for the drive side and the non-drive side, the non-drive side will be described here as an example.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the photoconductor cartridge B is inserted into the apparatus main body A, the first guided portion 71h provided on the photoconductor cartridge B is provided on the non-driven side plate 16 of the apparatus main body A. It is guided by the guide member 19b. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the photoconductor cartridge B is further inserted in the D direction along the guide member 19b, the first guided portion 71h and the second guided portion 71g do not drive the apparatus main body A. It is guided by a guide member 19b provided on the side plate 16. As shown in FIG. 6C, when the photoconductor cartridge B is further inserted in the D direction, the first guided portion 71h is no longer guided by the guide member 19b, and the second guided portion 71g is guided by the guide member. Guided by 19b. At this time, the photoconductor cartridge B can be mounted at a predetermined position, and the photoconductor cartridge B is supported by the apparatus main body A. The support structure will be described later. The guide mechanism by the guide member and the guided portion described here is similarly provided on both sides (driving side and non-driving side) in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body A. The above description is for the non-driving side, but the same applies to the guide mechanism on the driving side, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The attachment / detachment of the developing cartridge C to / from the tray 18 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the tray 18 is provided with support surfaces 18a and 18e for supporting the supported surface 22f provided on the developing cartridge C, and position limiting portions 18b and 18f. As shown in FIG. 8, the tray 18 comes into contact with the position-restricted portion 26a provided on the bottom surface of the developing cartridge C, and restricts the developing cartridge C from moving in the D1 direction and the D2 direction with respect to the tray 18. A position regulating unit 18b is provided. Here, the D1 direction is the position tray insertion direction, and the D2 direction is the tray take-out direction. The placement restriction portion 18b is provided with a first contact surface 18c, a second contact surface 18d, and a slope 18g connecting the support surface 18a and the first contact surface 18c. Since the position regulation unit 18f shown in FIG. 7B has the same configuration as the position regulation unit 18b, the description thereof will be omitted. The above-mentioned configuration regarding the position regulation of the tray 18 and the developing cartridge C is provided on both sides (driving side and non-driving side) in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body A, but both are the same. Hereinafter, the drive side will be described as an example.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the opening / closing door 13 (see FIG. 3) is opened, the tray 18 is pulled out from the image forming position, and the developing cartridge C is attached / detached to / from the tray 18. As shown in FIG. 8, when the user grips a handle (not shown), the developing cartridge C is mounted on the tray 18 in the arrow E direction (the direction substantially perpendicular to the tray insertion direction D1 and the tray removal direction D2). As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom surface 22h of the position-restricted portion 26a abuts on the support surface 18a. At this time, the support surface 18a is inclined, and the user can move the developing cartridge C in the direction of arrow G (in a direction substantially parallel to the support surface 18a) with the position-restricted portion 26a in contact with the support surface 18a. can. When the developing cartridge C is moved more than a certain amount in the direction of the arrow G, as shown in FIG. 10, the bottom surface 22h of the position-restricted portion 26a comes into contact with the support surface 18a and comes into contact with the slope 18g. The slope of the slope 18g is larger than the slope of the support surface 18a, and the bottom surface 2
When the 2h comes into contact with each other, the position-restricted portion 26a is inclined so as to be able to slide down with respect to the slope 18g due to the weight of the developing cartridge C. Therefore, in the state of FIG. 10, the developing cartridge C moves in the arrow H direction (a direction substantially parallel to the slope 18g) along the slope 18g, and after the bottom surface 22h and the slope 18g are out of contact with each other, the development cartridge C moves in the E direction (by its own weight). It moves in a substantially vertical direction or in a direction substantially parallel to the first contact surface 18c). After moving in the E direction, as shown in FIG. 11, the position-regulating portion 26a of the developing cartridge C is located at the position-regulating portion 18b, the supported surface 22f is supported by the support surface 18a, and the tray 18 is moved to the tray 18. Installation of the developing cartridge C is completed. The developing cartridge C is mounted in the apparatus main body A along the guide rail (not shown) in the D1 direction of FIG. 8 while being mounted on the tray 18. When the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C are mounted in the apparatus main body A, the coupling pin 69 and the coupling hole 23b are coupled as shown in FIG.

<Waste toner transfer mechanism>
The waste toner transfer mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 12, 16 to 18. FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the photoconductor cartridge B cut along the cutting line GG of FIG. 12B. As shown in FIG. 12, the waste toner removed from the surface of the drum 62 by the cleaning blade 77 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the lid member 72 by the first screw 86 and the second screw 87 as the waste toner transport member. It is conveyed to the waste toner discharge port 72a. Then, it is discharged to the outside of the photoconductor cartridge B. The first screw 86 is arranged in the vicinity of the drum 62, and the second screw 87 is arranged at the longitudinal end of the cleaning frame 71. Here, the rotation axis of the first screw 86 is parallel to the rotation axis of the drum 62, and the rotation axis of the second screw 87 is orthogonal to the rotation axis of the drum 62. The first screw 86 rotates by transmitting a driving force from the drum coupling 70 by a gear (not shown). The second screw 87 receives a driving force from the first screw 86 and rotates.

FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge shown in FIG. 17A cut along the cutting line JJ. As shown in FIG. 17B, the waste toner discharge port 72a is located at a position facing the waste toner receiving port 23c provided in the developing container 23. The waste toner discharged from the waste toner discharge port 72a flows into the waste toner storage chamber 30 provided at the rear end portion (rear end portion of the insertion direction D1) of the developing cartridge C from the waste toner receiving port 23c.

FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge shown in FIG. 18B cut along the cutting line KK. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a third screw 88 is provided in the waste toner accommodating chamber 30, and the waste toner flowing in from the waste toner receiving port 23c has a developing roller in the waste toner accommodating chamber 30. It is conveyed in the direction of the rotation axis of 32. As shown in FIG. 18, the third screw 88 rotates by transmitting a driving force from the developing coupling 21 by a gear (not shown). The third screw is arranged in parallel with the first screw 86 shown in FIG. 12 (a).

Shutters (not shown) are provided at the waste toner discharge port 72a and the waste toner reception port 23c shown in FIG. When the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C are connected to each other in the apparatus main body A, the respective shutters are opened, and the waste toner discharge port 72a and the waste toner receiving port 23c communicate with each other. When the photoconductor cartridge B and the developing cartridge C are separated, the respective shutters are closed to prevent waste toner from leaking to the outside. In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the driving force of the first screw 86 is transmitted from the drum coupling 70 has been described as an example, but the configuration in which the driving force is transmitted from the developing coupling 21 may also be used.

<Partition configuration of toner storage room and waste toner storage room>
The partition configuration of the toner storage chamber 29 and the waste toner storage chamber 30 of the developing cartridge C of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 23. 19 to 22 are exploded views of the developing cartridge C of the first embodiment. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the partition configuration of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 19, the bottom member 22 has an energy director 22a for welding the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23, and a seal attachment surface 22b to which the seal member is attached. The energy director 22a is provided so as to surround the peripheral edge of the bottom member 22. As shown in FIG. 20, the seal member 101 is an elastic member made of urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the seal attachment surface 22b of the bottom member 22 with double-sided tape (not shown). The seal member 101 intersects with the energy director 22a of the bottom member 22 at both ends in the longitudinal direction M, and is attached so as to cover (overlap) the energy director 22a from above at the intersection.

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 23, the developing cartridge C has a developing container 23 as a container and a bottom member 22 as a cover member covering the downward opening of the developing container 23. The developing cartridge C has a toner accommodating chamber 29 and a waste toner accommodating chamber 30 in the frame of the developing cartridge C formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22. The bottom member 22 is provided with a hole portion 22c which is a through hole. The developing container 23 has a partition portion 23a that serves as a partition wall between the toner accommodating chamber 29 and the waste toner accommodating chamber 30.

The partition portion 23a extends from the upper surface of the internal space of the developing container 23 (corresponding to the bottom of the developing container 23 having a downward opening) toward the bottom member 22, passes through the hole portion 22c which is a through hole, and passes through the bottom member 22. And its end protrudes out of the frame. In the first embodiment, the partition portion 23a is composed of a flat plate-shaped member substantially perpendicular to the bottom member 22 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction M of the developing container 23.

A seal member 101 made of an elastic body is provided between the portion inside the frame of the partition portion 23a and the bottom member 22. The seal member 101 has a hole portion 101a which is a through hole. The seal member 101 is provided in the bottom member 22 so that the hole portion 101a, which is a through hole of the seal member 101, and the hole portion 22c, which is a through hole of the bottom member 22, overlap.

The hole 101a of the seal member 101 is smaller in the insertion direction D and the longitudinal direction M of the developing cartridge C than the hole 22c of the bottom member 22. That is, in the cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the end portion of the partition portion 23a penetrates the bottom member 22, the size of the hole portion 101a of the seal member 101 is smaller than the size of the partition portion 23a.

When the developing container 23 is assembled to the bottom member 22, the end portion of the partition portion 23a on the bottom member 22 side penetrates the hole portion 101a provided in the seal member 101, penetrates the hole portion 22c of the bottom member 22, and the bottom portion. It protrudes from the material 22 to the outside of the frame. The partition portion 23a compresses the seal member 101 in the direction N (here, the vertical direction) in which the partition portion 23a is inserted into the hole portion 22c. After assembling the developing container 23 to the bottom member 22, the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23 are integrated by ultrasonic welding the energy director 22a as shown in FIG. 22. The internal space of the developing cartridge C is divided into a toner accommodating chamber 29 and a waste toner accommodating chamber 30 by the developing container 23, the bottom member 22, the sealing member 101, and the partition portion 23a.

The bottom member 22 has a fall prevention rib 22d which is a protruding portion provided so as to be adjacent to the end portion of the partition portion 23a protruding from the bottom member 22 from the waste toner accommodating chamber side. The fall prevention rib 22d is provided on the upstream side (waste toner storage chamber 30 side) in the D direction with respect to the hole portion 22c, and is a protruding portion that projects substantially vertically from the bottom member 22.

The length of the end portion of the partition portion 23a protruding from the hole portion 22c protruding outward from the bottom member 22 and the length in the direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom member 22 of the fall prevention rib 22d are about the same. The surface of the partition portion 23a protruding from the hole portion 22c on the side of the waste toner accommodating chamber 30 and the surface of the fall prevention rib 22d on the side of the toner accommodating chamber 29 face each other.

When an external force acts on the partition portion 23a and the partition portion 23a tries to be deformed so that the end portion of the partition portion 23a approaches the fall prevention rib 22d, the end portion of the partition portion 23a and the facing portions of the fall prevention rib 22d are opposed to each other. Contact and suppress the deformation of the partition portion 23a. The external force acting on the partition portion 23a is caused by, for example, an impact applied to the process cartridge during transportation or transportation of the process cartridge, or a change in the internal pressure of the toner storage chamber 29 due to the movement of the toner in the toner storage chamber 29. do.

According to the first embodiment, even if an external force acts on the partition portion 23a, the deformation of the partition portion 23a is suppressed by the fall prevention rib 22d. Therefore, it is suppressed that the sealing property of the sealing member 101 compressed between the partition portion 23a and the bottom member 22 is deteriorated, and the transfer of toner from the toner accommodating chamber 29 to the waste toner accommodating chamber 30 is suppressed. .. During transportation or transportation of the process cartridge, the toner storage chamber 29 may be filled with toner only, and even if an impact is applied to the process cartridge in such a state, the toner storage chamber 29 to the waste toner storage chamber 29 may be filled. It is possible to suppress the movement of the toner to 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of toner in the toner accommodating chamber 29 from decreasing and the number of printable sheets from decreasing.

Although an example of providing a fall prevention rib 22d of the partition portion 23a on the waste toner storage chamber 30 side with respect to the hole portion 22c of the bottom member 22 has been described, the fall prevention rib 22d is provided with toner in the hole portion 22c of the bottom member 22. It may also be provided on the room 29 side. As a result, the fall prevention ribs are adjacent to the end of the partition 23a protruding from the hole 22c so as to be sandwiched from both sides of the toner storage chamber side and the waste toner storage chamber side, so that the partition portion 23a is deformed. Can be suppressed more reliably.

Further, the relationship between the length of the partition portion 23a protruding from the bottom member 22 and the length of the fall prevention rib 22d protruding from the bottom member 22 is not limited to the above example. For example, it suffices to prevent the partition portion 23a from being deformed to such an extent that the sealing member 101 deteriorates the sealing property when an external force is applied to the partition portion 23a.

Further, an example of providing the partition portion 23a on the developing container 23, the energy director 22a and the seal sticking surface 22b on the bottom member 22 has been described, but if the same effect can be obtained, it is provided on either the developing container 23 or the bottom member 22. May be good.

<Example 2>
Example 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the parts different from the first embodiment described above will be described in detail. 22 and 24 to 26 are exploded views of the developing cartridge of the second embodiment. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the partition configuration of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 24, the bottom member 22 has an energy director 22a for welding the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23, a seal attachment surface 22b to which the seal member is attached, and a fastening hole 22e. .. A plurality of fastening holes 22e are provided in the longitudinal direction M. The energy director 22a is provided so as to surround the peripheral edge of the bottom member 22. As shown in FIG. 25, the seal member 101 is an elastic member made of urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the seal attachment surface 22b of the bottom member 22 with double-sided tape (not shown). The seal member 101 intersects with the energy director 22a of the bottom member 22 at both ends in the longitudinal direction M, and is attached so as to cover (overlap) the energy director 22a from above at the intersection. The seal member 101 is attached to the bottom member 22 at a position on the toner accommodating chamber 29 side from the position where the fastening hole 22e is provided. As shown in FIG. 22, the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23 are integrated by ultrasonic welding the energy director 22a.

As shown in FIG. 26, the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23 are fastened with the fastening member 102. Figure 2
As shown in 7, the developing cartridge C has a developing container 23 as a container and a bottom member 22 as a cover member covering the downward opening of the developing container 23. The developing cartridge C has a toner accommodating chamber 29 and a waste toner accommodating chamber 30 in the frame of the developing cartridge C formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22. The developing container 23 has a partition portion 23a that serves as a partition wall between the toner accommodating chamber 29 and the waste toner accommodating chamber 30.

The partition portion 23a extends from the upper surface of the internal space of the developing container 23 (corresponding to the bottom of the developing container 23 having a downward opening) toward the bottom member 22, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the bottom member 22. .. A seal member 101 made of an elastic body is provided between the bottom member 22 and a portion other than the portion of the end portion of the partition portion 23a that abuts on the bottom member 22. In the second embodiment, of the end portion of the partition portion 23a, the portion on the waste toner accommodating chamber 30 side abuts on the bottom member 22 and is fastened by the fastening member 102, and the portion on the toner accommodating chamber 29 side other than that portion is sealed. It is sealed by the member 101. In the second embodiment, the partition portion 23a is composed of a flat plate-shaped member substantially perpendicular to the bottom member 22 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction M of the developing container 23.

A plurality of fastening holes 23e are provided at positions corresponding to the fastening holes 22e of the bottom member 22 at the portion of the end portion of the partition portion 23a on the bottom member 22 side that abuts on the bottom member 22. A seal member 101 is provided between the portion on the toner accommodating chamber 29 side and the bottom member 22 from the portion of the partition portion 23a on the bottom member 22 side where the fastening hole 23e is provided. By co-fastening the fastening hole 22e of the bottom member 22 and the fastening hole 23e of the developing container 23 by the fastening member 102, the bottom member 22 and the portion of the end portion of the partition portion 23a that comes into contact with the bottom member 22 are fastened. To. The seal member 101 is compressed between the bottom member 22 and the partition portion 23a in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom member 22 (here, the vertical direction N), and the gap between the bottom member 22 and the partition portion 23a is sealed.

When an external force acts on the partition portion 23a and the partition portion 23a tries to be deformed, the partition portion 23a is fastened to the bottom member 22 by the fastening member 102, so that the deformation of the partition portion 23a is suppressed. The external force acting on the partition portion 23a is caused by, for example, an impact applied to the process cartridge during transportation or transportation of the process cartridge, or a change in the internal pressure of the toner storage chamber 29 due to the movement of the toner in the toner storage chamber 29. do.

According to the second embodiment, even if an external force acts on the partition portion 23a, the partition portion 23a is fastened to the bottom member 22 by the fastening member 102, so that the deformation of the partition portion 23a is suppressed. Therefore, it is suppressed that the sealing property of the sealing member 101 compressed between the partition portion 23a and the bottom member 22 is deteriorated, and the transfer of toner from the toner accommodating chamber 29 to the waste toner accommodating chamber 30 is suppressed. ..

Although an example in which a plurality of fastening members 102 are provided has been described here, fastening is performed if the fastening force necessary for suppressing the deformation of the partition portion 23a is obtained when a force for deforming the partition portion 23a is applied. The number of members may be one. Further, as shown in FIG. 27, the partition portion 23a has a shape such that the ceiling portion of the developing container 23 projects concavely toward the bottom member 22. That is, the partition portion 23a includes a side surface of the toner storage chamber 29 on the side of the waste toner storage chamber 30, a side surface of the waste toner storage chamber 30 on the side of the toner storage chamber 29, and a bottom surface. Further, the bottom surface is composed of a portion to be fastened to the bottom member 22 by the fastening member 102 and a portion to compress the seal member 101 toward the bottom member 22. Although the case where the partition portion 23a has a hollow structure is exemplified as described above, a solid structure may be used as in the case of the partition portion 23a of the first embodiment.

<Example 3>
In Examples 1 and 2, an example in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus having a process cartridge composed of a photoconductor cartridge and a developing cartridge has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In Example 3, an example in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus having a process cartridge in which the toner container is detachable as a separate unit as a toner cartridge among the constituent members of the developing cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus will be described. do. In the third embodiment, the parts different from the first and second embodiments will be described in detail.

28 to 31 are exploded views of the toner cartridge of the third embodiment. FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view of the partition configuration of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 28, the lid member 103 has an energy director 103a used for welding the lid member 103 and the toner container 104, and a seal attachment surface 103b to which the seal member is attached. The energy director 103a is provided so as to surround the peripheral edge of the lid member 103. As shown in FIG. 29, the seal member 105 is an elastic member made of urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the attachment surface 103b of the lid member 103 with double-sided tape (not shown). At both ends of the seal member 105 and the lid member 103 in the lateral direction Q, they intersect with the energy director 103a of the lid member 103, and are attached so as to cover (overlap) the energy director 103a from below at the intersections. ..

As shown in FIGS. 30 and 32, the toner cartridge T has a toner container 104 as a container and a lid member 103 as a cover member that covers the upward opening of the toner container 104. The toner cartridge T has a toner storage chamber 106 and a waste toner storage chamber 107 in the frame of the toner cartridge T formed by the toner container 104 and the lid member 103. The lid member 103 is provided with a hole 103c which is a through hole. The toner container 104 has a partition portion 104a that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber 106 and the waste toner storage chamber 107.

The partition portion 104a extends from the bottom of the toner container 104 toward the lid member 103, penetrates the lid member 103 through the hole portion 103c which is a through hole, and its end portion protrudes outside the frame body. In the third embodiment, the partition portion 104a is composed of a flat plate-shaped member substantially perpendicular to the lid member 103 and substantially parallel to the lateral direction Q of the toner container 104.

A seal member 105 made of an elastic body is provided between the portion inside the frame of the partition portion 104a and the lid member 103. The seal member 105 has a hole portion 105a which is a through hole. The seal member 105 is provided in the lid member 105 so that the hole portion 105a, which is a through hole of the seal member 105, and the hole portion 103c, which is a through hole of the lid member 103, overlap each other.

The hole 105a of the seal member 105 is smaller in the lateral direction Q and the longitudinal direction R than the hole 103c of the lid member 103. That is, in the cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the end portion of the partition portion 104a penetrates the lid member 103, the size of the through hole of the seal member 105 is smaller than the size of the partition portion 104a.

When the toner container 104 is assembled to the lid member 103, the end portion of the partition portion 104a on the lid member 103 side penetrates the hole portion 105a provided in the seal member 105 and penetrates the hole portion 103c provided in the lid member 103. Then, it protrudes from the lid member 103 to the outside of the frame. The partition portion 104a compresses the seal member 105 in the direction N (here, the vertical direction) in which the partition portion 104a is inserted into the hole portion 103c. After assembling the toner container 104 to the lid member 103, the lid member 103 and the toner container 104 are integrated by ultrasonic welding the energy director 103a as shown in FIG. 31. The internal space of the toner cartridge T is divided into a toner storage chamber 106 and a waste toner storage chamber 107 by a toner container 104, a lid member 103, a seal member 105, and a partition portion 104a.

The lid member 103 has a fall prevention rib 103d, which is a protruding portion provided so as to be adjacent to the end portion of the partition portion 104a protruding from the lid member 103 from the waste toner accommodating chamber side. The fall prevention rib 103d is a protruding portion that is provided on the waste toner accommodating chamber 107 side in the longitudinal direction R with respect to the hole portion 103c and projects substantially vertically from the lid member 103.

The length of the end portion of the partition portion 104a protruding from the hole portion 103c protruding outward from the lid member 103 and the length in the direction substantially perpendicular to the lid member 103 of the fall prevention rib 103d are about the same. The surface of the partition portion 104a protruding from the hole portion 103c on the waste toner storage chamber 107 side and the surface of the fall prevention rib 103d on the toner storage chamber 106 side face each other.

When an external force acts on the partition portion 104a and the partition portion 104a tries to deform so that the end portion of the partition portion 104a approaches the fall prevention rib 103d, the end portion of the partition portion 104a and the facing portions of the fall prevention rib 103d face each other. Contact and suppress the deformation of the partition portion 104a. The external force acting on the partition portion 104a is, for example, an impact applied to the toner cartridge T during transportation or transportation of the toner cartridge T, a change in the internal pressure of the toner storage chamber 106 due to the movement of the toner in the toner storage chamber 106, or the like. caused by.

According to the third embodiment, even if an external force acts on the partition portion 104a, the fall prevention rib 103d suppresses the deformation of the partition portion 104a. Therefore, it is suppressed that the sealing property of the sealing member 105 compressed between the partition portion 104a and the lid member 103 is deteriorated, and the transfer of toner from the toner accommodating chamber 106 to the waste toner accommodating chamber 107 is suppressed. .. When transporting or transporting the toner cartridge T, the toner storage chamber 106 may be filled with toner, and even if an impact is applied to the toner cartridge T in such a state, the toner cartridge T is discarded from the toner storage chamber 106. It is possible to prevent the toner from moving to the toner storage chamber 107. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of toner in the toner accommodating chamber 29 from decreasing and the number of printable sheets from decreasing.

Although an example of providing a fall prevention rib 103d of the partition portion 104a on the waste toner storage chamber 107 side with respect to the hole portion 103c of the lid member 103 has been described, the fall prevention rib 103d is provided in the toner storage chamber with respect to the lid member 103 hole portion 103c. It may also be provided on the 106 side. As a result, the fall prevention ribs are adjacent to the end of the partition portion 104a protruding from the hole portion 103c so as to be sandwiched from both sides of the toner storage chamber side and the waste toner storage chamber side, so that the partition portion 104a is deformed. Can be suppressed more reliably.

Further, the relationship between the length of the partition portion 104a protruding from the lid member 103 and the length of the fall prevention rib 103d protruding from the lid member 103 is not limited to the above example. For example, it suffices to prevent the partition portion 104a from being deformed to such an extent that the sealing member 105 deteriorates the sealing property when an external force is applied to the partition portion 104a.

Further, an example in which the partition portion 104a is provided on the toner container 104, the energy director 103a and the seal sticking surface 103b are provided on the lid member 103 has been described, but if the same effect can be obtained, it is provided on either the toner container 104 or the lid member 103. May be good.

<Example 4>
Example 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the fourth embodiment, the parts different from the above-described embodiments will be described in detail. 33 to 36 are exploded views of the toner cartridge T of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view of the partition configuration of the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 33, the lid member 103 has an energy director 103a for welding the lid member 103 and the toner container 104, a seal attachment surface 103b to which the seal member is attached, and a fastening hole 103e. .. A plurality of fastening holes 103e are provided in the lateral direction Q. The energy director 103a is provided so as to surround the peripheral edge of the lid member 103. As shown in FIG. 34, the seal member 105 is an elastic member made of urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the seal attachment surface 103b of the lid member 103 with double-sided tape (not shown). The seal member 105 intersects with the energy director 103a of the lid member 103 at both ends in the lateral direction Q, and is attached so as to cover (overlap) the energy director 103a from below at the intersection. The seal member 105 is attached to the position on the toner storage chamber 106 side from the position where the fastening hole 103e is provided in the lid member 103. As shown in FIG. 35, the lid member 103 and the toner container 104 are integrated by placing the toner container 104 on the lid member 103 and ultrasonically welding the energy director 103a.

As shown in FIG. 36, the lid member 103 and the toner container 104 are fastened with the fastening member 108. As shown in FIG. 37, the toner cartridge T has a toner container 104 as a container and a lid member 103 as a cover member that covers the upward opening of the toner container 104. The toner cartridge T has a toner storage chamber 106 and a waste toner storage chamber 107 in the frame of the toner cartridge T formed by the toner container 104 and the lid member 103. The toner container 104 has a partition portion 104a that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber 106 and the waste toner storage chamber 107.

The partition portion 104a extends from the bottom portion of the toner container 104 toward the lid member 103, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the lid member 103. A seal member 105 made of an elastic body is provided between the partition portion 104a and the portion other than the portion that abuts on the lid member 103 and the lid member 103. In the fourth embodiment, of the end portions of the partition portion 104a, the portion on the waste toner accommodating chamber 107 side abuts on the lid member 103 and is fastened by the fastening member 108, and the portion on the toner accommodating chamber 106 side other than that portion is sealed. It is sealed by the member 105. In the fourth embodiment, the partition portion 104a is composed of a flat plate-shaped member substantially perpendicular to the lid member 103 and substantially parallel to the lateral direction Q of the toner container 104.

A plurality of fastening holes 104b are provided at positions corresponding to the fastening holes 103e of the lid member 103 at the portion of the end portion of the partition portion 104a on the lid member 103 side that abuts on the lid member 103. A seal member 105 is provided between the portion on the toner accommodating chamber 106 side and the lid member 103 from the portion of the partition portion 104a on the lid member 103 side end where the fastening hole 104b is provided. By co-fastening the fastening hole 103e of the lid member 103 and the fastening hole 104b of the toner container 104 with the fastening member 108, the lid member 103 and the portion of the end portion of the partition portion 104a that comes into contact with the lid member 103 are fastened together. Toner. The seal member 105 is compressed between the lid member 103 and the partition portion 104a in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lid member 103 (here, the vertical direction N), and the gap between the lid member 103 and the partition portion 104a is sealed.

When an external force acts on the partition portion 104a and the partition portion 104a tries to be deformed, the partition portion 104a is fastened to the lid member 103 by the fastening member 108, so that the deformation of the partition portion 104a is suppressed. The external force acting on the partition portion 104a is, for example, an impact applied to the toner cartridge T during transportation or transportation of the toner cartridge T, a change in the internal pressure of the toner storage chamber 106 due to the movement of the toner in the toner storage chamber 106, or the like. caused by.

According to the fourth embodiment, even if an external force acts on the partition portion 104a, the partition portion 104a is fastened to the lid member 103 by the fastening member 108, so that the deformation of the partition portion 104a is suppressed. Therefore, it is suppressed that the sealing property of the sealing member 105 compressed between the partition portion 104a and the lid member 103 is deteriorated, and the transfer of toner from the toner accommodating chamber 106 to the waste toner accommodating chamber 107 is suppressed. .. Although an example in which a plurality of fastening members 108 are provided has been described here, if a fastening force necessary for suppressing the deformation of the partition portion 104a is obtained when a force for deforming the partition portion 104a is applied, the fastening is performed. The number of members may be one. Further, it is the same as in the second embodiment that the partition portion 104a may have a solid structure instead of a hollow structure.

Each of the above examples can be appropriately combined and modified within the scope of the present invention.

22: Bottom member, 22c: Hole, 22d: Fall prevention rib, 23: Developing container, 23a: Partition, 29: Toner storage chamber, 30: Waste toner storage chamber, A: Image forming device main body (device main body), C: Development cartridge, 101: Seal member, 103: Lid member, 103a: Hole, 103d: Fall prevention rib, 104: Toner container, 104a: Partition, 105: Seal member, 106: Toner storage chamber, 107: Waste Toner storage room,

Claims (16)

A developing cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The cover member is provided with a through hole, and the cover member is provided with a through hole.
The partition portion extends from the bottom portion of the container toward the cover member, penetrates the cover member through the through hole, and the end portion thereof protrudes out of the frame body.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the portion of the partition portion in the frame and the cover member is further provided.
The developing cartridge is characterized in that the cover member has a protruding portion provided so as to be adjacent to an end portion of the partition portion protruding from the cover member. The developing cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is adjacent to the end portion of the partition portion protruding from the through hole from the waste toner accommodating chamber side. The developing cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is adjacent to the end portion of the partition portion protruding from the through hole so as to be sandwiched from both sides of the waste toner accommodating chamber side and the toner accommodating chamber side. The seal member has a through hole, and is provided in the cover member so that the through hole of the seal member and the through hole of the cover member overlap each other.
The size of the through hole of the seal member is smaller than the size of the partition portion in any one of claims 1 to 3 in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the end portion of the partition portion penetrates the cover member. Development cartridge. A developing cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The partition portion extends from the bottom of the container toward the cover member, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the cover member.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the end portion of the partition portion other than the portion that abuts on the cover member and the cover member is further provided.
A developing cartridge characterized in that the cover member and a portion of the end portion of the partition portion that comes into contact with the cover member are fastened by a fastening member. 5. The portion of the end of the partition portion on the side of the waste toner accommodating chamber is in contact with the cover member and fastened by the fastening member, and the portion on the side of the toner accommodating chamber is sealed by the sealing member. The development cartridge described in. The cover member and the container are welded by using an energy director provided on the peripheral edge of the cover member.
The developing cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sealing member intersects with the energy director and is provided so as to cover the energy director at the intersection. A toner cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming device body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The cover member is provided with a through hole, and the cover member is provided with a through hole.
The partition portion extends from the bottom portion of the container toward the cover member, penetrates the cover member through the through hole, and the end portion thereof protrudes out of the frame body.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the portion of the partition portion in the frame and the cover member is further provided.
The cover member is a toner cartridge characterized by having a protruding portion provided so as to be adjacent to an end portion of the partition portion protruding from the cover member. The toner cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the protruding portion is adjacent to the end portion of the partition portion protruding from the through hole from the waste toner accommodating chamber side. The toner cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the protruding portion is adjacent to an end portion of the partition portion protruding from the through hole so as to be sandwiched from both sides of the waste toner accommodating chamber side and the toner accommodating chamber side. The seal member has a through hole, and is provided in the cover member so that the through hole of the seal member and the through hole of the cover member overlap each other.
The size of the through hole of the seal member is smaller than the size of the partition portion in any one of claims 8 to 10 in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the end portion of the partition portion penetrates the cover member. Toner cartridge. A toner cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming device body or process cartridge.
With the container
A cover member that covers the opening of the container and
Equipped with
A toner storage chamber and a waste toner storage chamber are provided in a frame formed by the container and the cover member.
The container has a partition portion that serves as a partition wall between the toner storage chamber and the waste toner storage chamber.
The partition portion extends from the bottom of the container toward the cover member, and a part of the end portion thereof abuts on the cover member.
A seal member made of an elastic body provided between the end portion of the partition portion other than the portion that abuts on the cover member and the cover member is further provided.
A toner cartridge characterized in that the cover member and a portion of the end portion of the partition portion that comes into contact with the cover member are fastened by a fastening member. 12. The portion of the end of the partition portion on the side of the waste toner accommodating chamber is in contact with the cover member and fastened by the fastening member, and the portion on the side of the toner accommodating chamber is sealed by the sealing member. Toner cartridge described in. The cover member and the container are welded by using an energy director provided on the peripheral edge of the cover member.
The toner cartridge according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the sealing member intersects with the energy director and is provided so as to cover the energy director at the intersection. An image forming apparatus to which the developing cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7 can be attached and detached. An image forming apparatus to which the toner cartridge according to any one of claims 8 to 14 can be attached and detached.

Images