JP3326978B2 - Toner container - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a developing device for a developing device. The present invention relates to a toner container in a developing device which can be detachably mounted on a device main body by sliding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a developing device having a single developing device, there has been a developing device in which a toner container containing toner to be supplied to the developing device of the developing device is detachably mounted on a developing device main body by sliding. Are known.

[0005] [Prior Art] [0006] In the present application, a rotary developing unit having a plurality of developing units and rotatably provided in proximity to a photosensitive drum as a latent image carrier is provided.
A plurality of hoppers corresponding to each of the plurality of developing devices in a one-to-one correspondence, and a rotary toner storage unit provided coaxially at one end of the rotary developing device unit; And a toner conveying means for connecting the toner developing device and a toner container accommodating a toner supplied to a corresponding developing device to a toner receiving port of the hopper. In this prior application, a peripheral portion of a toner receiving port in the hopper portion fixed to the face plate of the rotary developing unit unit serves as a mounting portion of a toner container, and the mounting portion and the peripheral portion are formed of toner. An apparatus configured to be detachable by sliding the container in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotary developing unit is disclosed.

Here, in the above-mentioned type in which the toner container is attached and detached by sliding, in a state where the toner container is completely mounted by the sliding of the toner container, the peripheral portion of the toner discharge port of the toner container and the toner on the main body side are removed. It is important that the peripheral edge of the receiving port be in close contact with the toner to prevent toner scattering.

[0005]

However, as the adhesion is increased, a greater force is required when removing the toner container by sliding, and the user directly slides and pulls the toner container by hand. When pulling out, there is a possibility that an excessive force may act in a direction different from the proper takeout direction. When a force in a direction different from the slide removing direction acts, the toner container attaching / detaching portion of the apparatus main body may be damaged, or the toner container portion engaged with the attaching / detaching portion may be damaged. There is a problem that the toner remaining in the container is inadvertently scattered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner container configured to be detachable from a developing device main body by a slide, and to remove the toner container when the toner container is pulled out. An object of the present invention is to provide a toner container capable of restricting the direction of a force acting on the toner container to an appropriate drawing direction.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner container, wherein an opening for discharging the stored toner is formed in a peripheral wall, and the toner container is slidably attached to and detached from a developing device main body. in the toner container body configured by the direction and sliding in the same direction of the slide, a toner container which have a a slide member attachable to該収container body in a state of partially exposed to the outside When the slide member is attached to the container body by slide,
To regulate the withdrawal of the slide member from該収container body by sliding in the direction opposite to that in the mounting and engagement of the slide member to the container body, the engagement mechanism of the該収container body and the slide member Installed and attached to the container body
The container body has a slide member portion exposed to the outside at
The developing device main body is attached to the developing device main body.
Bendable from a specified point in the direction where the end approaches
And while bending the slide member portion in this direction.
A protruding portion whose tip abuts the developing device main body at some time
Between the end of the slide member portion and the predetermined location.
It is characterized by being provided in a place .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the toner container of the first aspect, the free end portion extends away from the surface of the slide member toward the front side in the sliding direction toward the container body. The engagement between the flexible stopper piece provided on the slide member and the container body portion where the free end of the stopper piece faces when the slide member is attached to the container body by sliding. It is characterized by constituting a mechanism.

[0009]

[0010] The toner container of claim 3 is claim 1 or
2. The toner container of claim 2 , wherein the slide member is a shutter for shielding the opening that can be attached to a peripheral portion of the opening in the container main body.

[0011]

In the toner container according to the first aspect, when the toner container main body attached to the developing device main body is pulled out from the apparatus main body, the exposed portion of the slide member attached to the container main body is used by the user. Is applied by hand in a predetermined direction. The force applied to the slide member, opposite to that during the mounting and engaging the sliding member to the container body, i.e. to regulate the withdrawal of the slide member from該収container body by the orientation of the slide to pull the slide member,
The container is transmitted to the container body via an engagement mechanism between the container body and the slide member, and the container body is removed from the developing device main body together with the slide member . Specifically, the container body
End of the slide member exposed to the outside when attached to
At a predetermined position in a direction in which the end approaches the developing device body.
Apply force to bend from This makes the end
While approaching the imaging device body, the slide member
The tip of the protrusion provided on the portion comes into contact with the main body.
Then, the force continuously applied is applied to the tip of the protrusion as a fulcrum.
With the principle of leverage, the slide inside the container body is increased
In addition to the members, the container
It reaches the body. This allows a relatively small force to be applied to the slide
By adding to the exposed part of the material, together with the slide member
The container main body is removed from the developing device main body.

The slide member may be attached to the container body from the time when the slide member is attached to the developing device main body in a state where the toner for replenishment is stored, or the empty container body may be attached to the developing device main body. When pulling out from the main body, the main body may be attached to the main body of the toner container mounted on the main body of the developing device by sliding.

In the toner container according to the second aspect, the toner container is provided on a slide member attached to the container body.
The free end of the stopper piece extending toward the front side in the sliding direction comes into contact with the container body portion facing the stopper member, and the force applied to the slide member by the user is transmitted to the container body. The stopper piece is provided so that its free end extends toward the front side in the sliding direction, and is flexible, so that when the slide piece is attached to the container body by sliding, the stopper piece follows the slide member surface. To bend. Therefore, the stopper piece does not hinder the attachment to the container body. Moreover, the stopper piece can be easily formed by partially cutting and raising the slide member or integrally forming the slide member.

[0014]

[0015] In the toner container according to claim 3, said slide member, because it is opening the shutter for shielding attachable to the peripheral edge of the opening in the container body, the shutter and the slide member, developing By mounting the toner container main body attached to the apparatus main body by sliding so as to completely cover the above-mentioned opening, the toner adhered to the inner wall of the container from the opening can be prevented from scattering.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a color electrophotographic printer (hereinafter, referred to as a printer) as an image forming apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer according to the present embodiment. First, an outline of the entire printer will be described. In FIG. 1, a photosensitive drum 1 as a latent image carrier is uniformly charged by a charging charger 2 as a uniform charging unit while being driven to rotate in the direction of arrow A, and then image information is formed by a laser optical device 3. And an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface. Here, the image information to be exposed is monochromatic image information obtained by decomposing a desired full-color image into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color information. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum 1 is developed by a rotary developing device 4 described later with yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners as predetermined developers. Each color image is formed. Each color image formed on the photoconductor drum 1 is placed on an intermediate transfer belt 5 rotating in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 in synchronization with the photoconductor drum 1 for each of the primary colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The transfer is performed sequentially by the transfer charger 6. The yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 5 are transferred from a double-sided copying / automatic paper feed cassette 7 or a manual paper feed tray 7a through paper feed rollers 8, 8a and registration rollers 9 to a transfer unit. Is collectively transferred by the secondary transfer charger 11 onto the transfer paper 10 transported to the transfer paper. After the transfer, the transfer paper 10 is fixed to the toner image by the fixing device 12, and is discharged out of the apparatus as a full-color print.

The toner on the photosensitive drum 1 that has not been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 5 is removed by a photosensitive cleaner 13.
Is removed from the photosensitive drum 1 by the
The toner on the intermediate transfer belt 5 that has not been transferred onto
It is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 5 by the intermediate transfer belt cleaner 14.

Next, a rotary developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the developing device,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the developing unit 40 of the developing device, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a plane including the central axis 52 of the first and second toner containers 91. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the toner container unit 45. In FIG. 2, the rotary developing device has developing devices for each of four colors, for example, black, cyan, yellow and magenta, and has a substantially cylindrical outer periphery which is rotatably mounted around a central axis in the printer body. And four toner containers 41, 42, 43, and 44 corresponding to the respective developing devices in a one-to-one correspondence and containing black, yellow, magenta, and cyan toners, respectively. A toner container unit 45 mounted so as to be substantially coaxial with the front side of the central axis direction from the central unit 40 and rotating integrally with the developing unit 40 around the central axis; Unit 45 (hereinafter, referred to as a revolver developing unit)
And a storage table 46 slidable substantially parallel to the center axis line on the printer main body, and a non-rotatable cover 47 for covering the rotation supply unit.

The revolver developing unit includes a housing 46
For example, two support rollers 49 rotatably attached to the front support plate 48 support the disk-shaped front end wall 50 of the developing unit 40 and the disk-shaped rear end wall 51 of the developing unit 40. A central shaft 52 having a tapered tip protruding from the center.
Is rotatably supported by a center shaft insertion hole 54 formed in the rear plate 53 of the main body, so that its rotation axis is substantially the same as the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 1 in the printer main body as shown in FIG. It is positioned at a position parallel to each other in the same horizontal plane, and is rotatable.

The accommodating base 46 has a front cover plate 48, a rear support plate 55, and a side cover 59 having front and rear ends fixed to both support plates and reinforced by connecting rods 56, 57, 58, respectively.
And The front support plate 48 has an insertion hole 60 into which the revolver developing unit can be inserted, and a motor 61 for driving a toner supply roller provided in the toner container unit 45 in addition to the support roller 49 and A gear train 62 driven by a motor 61 is attached.
An intermediate plate 63 is attached to the connection rods 56 and 57 near the rear support plate 55, and a positioning pin 63b is provided on the intermediate plate 63 so as to fit into a positioning hole 63a formed in the rear plate of the main body. Have been. A base end of a bracket 64 holding a rotary positioning roller 66 is swingably attached to a positioning pin portion between the middle plate 63 and the rear support plate 55. The bracket 64 is urged by a spring 67 in the direction of the arrow.

The main body front side plate 68 is formed with an insertion hole 69 into which the accommodating table 46 holding the revolver developing unit can be inserted, and the like is provided between the main body front side plate 68 and the main body rear side plate 53. Up and down guides 70 and 71 for slidably supporting the storage table 46 are hung. Guided portions 72 and 73 are provided at the upper end and side portions of the accommodation side cover 59 as the accommodation portion guided by these guides 70 and 71, respectively. Is formed with a guide pin groove 75 into which a guide pin 74 implanted upward in the guide 71 is inserted.

A revolver output gear 78 driven by a revolver rotation motor such as a stepping motor (not shown) is attached to the main body rear side plate 53. The revolver output gear 78 is a rear surface of the rear end plate of the developing unit 40. The rear end plate 51, which is fixed by screws or the like, meshes with a revolver input gear 79 having substantially the same diameter as the rear end plate 51 to rotate the revolver developing unit. A development output gear 81 driven by a development drive motor (not shown) for driving a development roller and the like in the development unit 40 described later is also attached to the main body rear side plate 53.

In FIG. 3, the developing unit 40 includes the above-mentioned substantially disk-shaped front and rear end plates and partition walls provided between the front and rear end plates. The partition wall includes a hollow cylindrical portion 82 into which a cylindrical black toner bottle containing black toner can be inserted, and a space around the hollow cylindrical portion 82 extending radially from the hollow cylindrical portion 82 so as to be substantially circumferential to each other. Developing device casings 83, 8 partitioned into four developing chambers of the same type
3C, 83M, and 83Y. In each of these developing chambers, a two-component developer including a carrier as a developer and toner of each color is accommodated. In the example shown in the drawing, the developing chamber of the black developing device containing the black toner and the carrier is located at the developing position opposed to the photosensitive drum, and the developing device of the yellow developing device containing the yellow toner and the carrier is arranged in the counterclockwise direction in the figure. A developing chamber is a developing chamber of a magenta developing device containing magenta toner and a carrier, and a developing chamber of a cyan developing device containing cyan toner and a carrier.

Since the internal structure of each of the four developing chambers is exactly the same, the internal structure will be described below with reference to the black developing chamber at the developing position in FIG. In the drawing, the same reference numerals as the corresponding members in the black developing room are indicated by the same reference numerals with the suffixes of Y, M, and C added to distinguish the yellow, magenta, and cyan developing rooms, and the description is omitted. I do.

In the black developing device at the developing position in the drawing, an opening facing the photosensitive drum 1 is formed in the developing device casing 83, and the developing chamber is partially exposed through the opening into the developing chamber. A developing roller 84 is provided. In the developing chamber, a doctor blade 85 that regulates the amount of developer carried by the developing roller 84 and conveyed to the portion facing the photosensitive drum 1, and the development regulated by the doctor blade 85 and pressed into the developing chamber. An upper transport screw 86 for transporting a part of the developer along the central axis direction from the rear to the front, a guide 87 thereof, and a stirring paddle 88 for stirring the developer in the developing chamber are provided. The stirring paddle 88 has a plurality of developer discharge holes 89a over the width direction of the developing roller 84.
Are formed, and a plurality of agitating plate portions 90 radially extending from the peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical portion 89. In the hollow cylindrical portion 89, the above-described upper conveyance is performed along the center axis direction. A lower transport screw 91 that transports the developer in a direction opposite to that of the screw 86 is accommodated. In a developing device casing below the lower conveying screw 91, when a developer is exchanged due to development deterioration in the developing chamber, a developer discharging port used as an outlet for a deteriorated developer and an inlet for an unused developer (toner mixed) is provided. An outlet 92 is formed. The outlet 92 is covered from the outside by a cap 93 attached with a screw 94.

In FIG. 4, the upper and lower transport screws 86,
A front end portion 91 is outside the effective width region of the developing roller 84 (outside the front end wall 50 of the developing unit in the illustrated example).
A drop portion 96 is provided to extend the developer and convey the developer conveyed by the upper conveying screw 86 to the extended portion onto the lower conveying screw 91 by its own weight. The front end of the lower conveying screw 91 extends further forward than the dropping portion 96, and a communication chamber below the toner supply roller 97 provided corresponding to each developing chamber of the toner container unit 45 described later in detail. Extends to As a result, of the developer pumped up by the developing roller 84, the developer regulated by the doctor blade 85 and transported to the front side by the guide 87 and the upper transport screw 86 falls onto the lower transport screw 91 at the drop section 96. Then, the toner is conveyed within the effective width of the developing roller 84 by the lower conveyance screw 91,
The developer is discharged from the developer discharge port of the hollow cylindrical portion of the stirring paddle in the width into the developing chamber, and can be carried on the developing roller 84 again. That is, so-called horizontal stirring of the developer in the developing chamber is performed. The hollow cylindrical portion 82 of the stirring paddle 88
By the rotation of the stirring paddle 88, the developer discharged from the developer discharge port into the developer reservoir at the lower portion of the developing chamber is subjected to so-called vertical stirring. Further, the toner dropped onto the lower transport screw 91 by the rotation of the replenishing roller 97 is transported by the lower transport screw 91 to the drop section 96, where it is taken into the developer dropped from the upper transport screw 86. Then, the mixed developer enters the developing chamber through the developer outlet, thereby increasing the toner concentration of the developer in the developing chamber. (Hereinafter, margin)

The rear end wall 51 of the developing unit 40
The developing output gear 8 on the main body side is located behind the revolver input gear 79 fixedly mounted on the rear end wall 51.
A developing input gear or the like (not shown) on the revolver developing unit side, which is not shown, is rotatably provided and meshes with the shaft 1 of the developing roller 84 and the upper and lower conveying screws 86 and 91 which project through the rear end wall 51 and the like. A gear is fixed at the end. Thus, each rotating body (such as a developing roller) is driven via the developing input gear and the like.

In FIG. 5, the toner container unit 45 has a disk-shaped unit face plate 108 (see also FIG. 2).
And a total of four toner receiving cases 109 mounted on the front surface of the face plate so as to correspond to each developing device on a one-to-one basis.
Y, M, C, 110, and toner supply rollers 97Y, M, C, 9 provided in respective toner receiving cases.
7 and the like. When the corresponding developing chamber is located at the developing position, the toner replenishing roller is arranged such that the front end wall portion of the case and the unit face plate 1 are located almost directly above the extended portion of the lower conveying screw 91 into the case.
08.

The unit face plate 108 is shown in FIG.
A circular through hole 111 through which a cylindrical black toner container as shown in (b) can penetrate is formed at the center thereof,
Each toner receiving case 109Y, M, C, 110
Are mounted so as to escape through the through hole 111. The unit face plate 108 is also formed with a through hole for a lower transfer screw 91 extending from the developing chamber of each developing device, and each lower transfer screw is formed at a front portion of the unit face plate 108 through each through hole. Each toner receiving case 10
9Y, M, C, and 110.

The unit face plate 108 bears the shaft of the toner replenishing rollers 97Y, M, C, and 97. The unit face plate 108 is provided at the end of the shaft that protrudes toward the developing unit 40 through the face plate 108. A gear not shown is fixed. Then, as shown in FIG.
A replenishment input gear 136 for driving input that meshes with the gear is rotatably provided on the surface of the developing unit side. Of the supply input gears 136 provided for each toner supply roller, the supply input gear 136 of the toner supply roller 97 in the case corresponding to the developing device at the developing position as shown in FIG. The gear 61 is engaged with a gear 62 driven by a supply motor 61 attached to the plate 48, and can be driven to rotate by the motor 61. The toner supply control is performed by the drive control of the supply motor 61.

The above four toner receiving cases 109
Of the Y, M, C, and 109, three color toner receiving cases 109Y, M, and C corresponding to the respective color developing units are:
All have the same shape. That is, taking the case of receiving the cyan toner as an example, as shown in FIG. 5, the extended portion of the lower transport screw 91 in the case and the toner supply roller 97C are surrounded, and the corresponding developing chamber is located at the developing position. A peripheral wall having a toner receiving port is formed at a position above the toner supply roller 97C. Around the toner receiving port, a color toner container 44 containing color toner and having the same shape for each color is attached by sliding the revolver developing unit in the rotation axis direction with the toner discharge port facing downward. A detachable portion 113 is formed. A seal member 114C that seals the space between the toner supply roller 97C and the peripheral surface of the case is attached to the inner wall surface of the case facing the toner supply roller 97C. The inside of the toner container attaching / detaching portion 113 is partitioned into a toner container side and a developing chamber side by the seal and the toner replenishing roller 97C, and a case peripheral wall portion surrounding the seal, the toner replenishing roller 97C and the lower conveying screw 91C. Thus, a communication chamber that communicates with the developing chamber of the corresponding developing device through the through hole of the unit face plate, the above-mentioned falling part, and the like is defined. The toner supply roller 97
As Y, M, C and 97, those having a roller portion in which a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction are formed on the peripheral surface portion are used (see FIG. 7).

The color toner containers 42, 43, 44
Has a shape that can be fitted to the peripheral wall around the lower conveying screw 91 of the toner receiving case on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the revolver developing unit with respect to the corresponding toner receiving case.

The above four toner receiving cases 109
Among the Y, M, C, and 109, the black toner receiving case 110 corresponding to the black developing device is provided in the color toner receiving cases 109Y, M, and C as shown in FIG. It has a peripheral wall shape that is substantially the same as the overall peripheral wall shape of the two with the 44 attached. A sealing member 114 for sealing between the toner replenishing roller 97 and the inner wall surface of the case is provided on the peripheral wall portion having the same shape as the color toner receiving case. Screw 91
A communication chamber with the developing chamber accommodating the extended portion is formed. Further, at the portion of the peripheral wall portion having the same shape as the color toner container facing the center line of the revolver developing unit, the toner outlet 121 of the black toner container 41 as shown in FIGS. Corresponding toner receiving port 12
2 are formed. Then, the toner receiving port 122
A shutter 124 for closing the cover from the inside is rotatably mounted on a support shaft 123 parallel to the rotation shaft of the revolver developing unit. A sealing member 1 for improving the shielding property of the toner receiving port 122 is provided at an edge of the shutter 124.
25 are attached.

The black toner container 41 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), a toner outlet 121 is formed in the peripheral wall at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a ridge 126 for feeding toner is spirally formed on the inner peripheral surface from the other end to the toner outlet 121 side. It is formed in a shape. This spiral ridge 1
Reference numeral 26 denotes a spiral which feeds the stored toner from the rear end toward the front end where the toner discharge port 121 is formed by rotation integrally with the revolver developing unit while being attached to the unit. Also, the toner outlet 121
A projection 128 for detection is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall on the rear end side in the longitudinal direction, and a knob 1 is provided on the end surface on the distal end in the longitudinal direction.
29 are provided.

The black toner container 41 is removed from the black toner container 41 with the toner outlet 121 facing upward, and the sealing member sealing the outlet is removed. The rear end of the cover 47 enters the hollow cylindrical portion 82 of the developing unit 40 through the notch 47a for inserting the toner container so as to pass through the notch 130 for passing formed in the developing unit 40. And, the front end portion is completely inserted, for example, until the front end wall portion of each case of the toner container unit 45 is substantially flush with the front surface. The user holds the knob 129 and holds the toner discharge port 121.
Is the toner receiving port 12 of the black toner receiving case.
Rotate clockwise in the figure to match 2.

During rotation with the knob 129,
For example, a link 134 attached to the side of the revolver developing unit as shown by a broken line in FIG. 5, specifically, a rear surface portion of the front support plate 48 of the housing table.
(Can swing around the support shaft 123) and the set detection device 12
7 is detected.

Here, the color toner container attaching / detaching section 1
As shown in FIG. 6, the toner container 13 has a shape in which the toner container can be attached and detached by sliding in the direction of the rotation axis of the revolver developing unit as shown in FIG.

Next, in this embodiment, the structure of the slide shutter for pulling out the toner container will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a slide shutter used in the toner container according to the present invention. In FIG.
In the slide shutter-117 mounted on the container 44, a thin portion 135 for facilitating the bending of the slide shutter-117 is provided in a portion that does not enter the toner container 44, and the toner container 44 is pulled out. On the side, that is, on the near side, there is provided a projection 136 upright on the shutter-117. The position of the projection 136 is smaller than the length from the toner container 44 to the projection 136.
The length from the end 138 in the pull-out direction to the protrusion 136 is set longer. Further, the chata-117
At the time of mounting, the toner outlet 121 of the toner container 44
The shutter 1 is engaged with the inner surface of the pull-out side of the shutter.
A part of 17 is cut and raised on a surface opposite to the surface on which the protrusion is provided, and a stopper piece 137 having flexibility is provided.

In the above structure, for example, when replacing the toner container 44, first, as shown in FIG. 9, the toner container 44 is formed in the toner discharge port 121 of the toner container 44 already attached to the developing device main body. In addition, a slide shutter 117 for shielding the outlet is mounted in the slit 116 that has been sealed with a seal or the like. At the time of this mounting, the shutter 1
Since the free end of the stopper piece 137 provided on the member 17 has flexibility in the mounting direction, it can be mounted smoothly.
In the mounted state, the free end is engaged with the inner side surface, so that the shutter 117 cannot be removed from the toner container 44 in the pulling-out direction. And the end 1
38 facing the side of the developing device main body (the direction of arrow a in the figure)
When the shutter 117 is pressed down, the thin portion 135 formed on the shutter 117 is bent, and the protrusion 136 provided upright on the shutter 117 contacts the side surface. And furthermore,
When the end 138 is pushed down in the direction a, the protrusion 136 is pressed.
Is set so that the length from the end portion 138 to the projection 136 is longer than the length from the toner container 44 to the projection 136. With the portion where the portion 136 abuts on the side surface as a fulcrum, the shutter on the toner container 44 side from the bent portion
117 is applied in the sliding direction (the direction of the arrow b in the figure), and the toner container 44 is moved with a small force to the shutter.
It can be pulled out in the b direction together with 117. Here, the toner container 44 is pulled out together with the shutter 117, and the direction in which the force at the time of pulling is applied is limited to the sliding direction, so that the pulling force acts in a direction other than the sliding direction of the shutter 117. The toner container 44
Unnecessary force is not applied to the attaching / detaching portion 113. Therefore, the detachable portion 113 is not damaged at the time of pulling out, so that the toner container 44 can be reliably pulled out from the detachable portion 113 together with the shutter 117, and the toner remaining in the toner container 44 can be removed. Can also be prevented from scattering.

[0040]

Effects of the Invention According to the toner container according to claim 1 to 3, adding a relatively small force on the exposed portion of the sliding member
The container body together with the slide member can be
Can be removed from the main unit.

In particular, according to the toner container of claim 2,
Since a simple configuration such as a stopper piece provided on the ride member is employed to transfer the force applied to the slide member to the container body, an increase in the number of parts and a reduction in cost can be suppressed.

[0042]

According to the toner container of the third aspect , the slide member and the shutter for blocking the toner discharge opening of the main body of the toner container can also be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rotary developing device of the printer.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a developing unit of the rotary developing device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a communication structure between a developing device and a toner container in the rotary developing device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a toner accommodating portion of the rotary developing device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a color toner container and the container attaching / detaching portion in the rotary developing device.

FIG. 7A is a front view of a black toner container of the rotary developing device. (B) is a plan view of the container.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a slide shutter of the toner container according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a use state of the toner container according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 photosensitive drum 4 rotary developing device 40 developing unit 41 black toner container 42 yellow toner container 43 magenta toner container 44 cyantoner container 45 toner container unit 61 toner supply roller drive Motor 97 Toner supply roller 109 Color toner receiving case 110 Black toner receiving case 113 Color toner container attaching / detaching part 117 Slide shutter 121 Toner outlet 122 Toner receiving Mouth 135 Thin part 136 Protrusion 137 Stopper 138 Slide shutter-End

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Kazuyuki Sugihara 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Takayuki Maruta 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo No. Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinji Kato 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan Ricoh Co., Ltd. (56) References Hikaru 2-64963 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/08

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A toner container main body having an opening for discharging the stored toner formed in a peripheral wall thereof and being detachably mounted on the developing device main body by sliding, and a slide in the same direction as the sliding direction. to have the the slide member attachable to該収container body in a manner exposed to the outside
A toner container, when fitted with the slide member in該収container body by sliding, from該収container body by reverse slide as when installing by engaging the slide member to the vessel body to regulate the withdrawal of the slide member is provided with engagement mechanism between該収container body and the slide member, it is exposed to the outside in a state attached to the container body Sly
The container body is attached to the developing device body
In the state where the end portion approaches the developing device main body.
When the slide member portion is formed to be bendable from a predetermined location and is being bent in the direction.
The protrusion, the tip of which abuts the developing device main body, is
A toner container provided at a position further from the predetermined portion than an end of the toner member portion . 2. A flexible stopper piece provided on the slide member such that a free end portion extends toward the front side in the direction of sliding toward the container body while moving away from the surface of the slide member, and the storage member is slid by the storage member. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein when the slide member is attached to the container main body, the engaging mechanism is formed by the container main body portion where the free end of the stopper piece faces. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the slide member is attached to the container body.
Opening shielding system that can be attached to the periphery of the opening
3. The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner is a cutter.
Container.