JPH02157775A - Developing device and developer cartridge therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the developer in a developer supplying cartridge from coming out of the cartridge by forming the cartridge of an elastic substance and cutting the cartridge with a cutter and guide when supplying the developer in the cartridge to a developing machine main body upon loading the cartridge on the developing machine main body. CONSTITUTION:The outside wall of this cartridge 20 containing toner is made of an elastic substance and the cartridge 20 is composed of a cylindrical section 21 with closed one end and a supporting body 22 with closed one end on the side opposite to the section 21 and a handle 22a. A cutter 14 which forms an incision in the outside wall of the cartridge 20 when the cartridge 20 is loaded on a developing machine main body 12 and a guide 15 which expands the incision formed in the outside wall of the cartridge 20 by the cutter 14 are provided to the developing machine main body 12. Therefore, the developer contained in the cartridge is smoothly supplied to the developing machine main body 12 side and, in addition, the incision formed by the cutter 14 is closed by the elasticity of the cartridge 20 and the developer remaining in the cartridge 20 does not come out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a developing device for an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method or an electrostatic recording method, and a developer cartridge for the developing device.

(Prior Art) A developing device used in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method or the like visualizes an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum, which is an image carrier, through a developer (toner). It is something.

As shown in FIG. 9, such a developing device includes a photosensitive tram 100. - There is a device (indicated by 103 in the figure) that is integrated with the charger 101, cleaner 102, etc. into the process cartridge 104, and is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus body integrally with such devices.
This process cartridge 104 is intended to facilitate maintenance work by integrally replacing the equipment within the cartridge, rather than replacing the equipment within the cartridge due to its lifespan or replacing consumables. Therefore, when the toner T in the developing device 103 is consumed and used up, the entire process cartridge 104 must be replaced.

Furthermore, when such a process cartridge as described above is not used, there are some that are designed to be able to replenish toner, which is a consumable item, to a developing device installed in the main body of the apparatus.

As such a developing device, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-156859 is known, and as shown in FIG.
Inside 20 is a cylindrical toner cartridge 1 for replenishing developer.
21 is removably disposed. The toner cartridge 121 has a sealing member 122 disposed in its toner supply portion 121a, and after the toner cartridge 121 is installed in the developing device main body 123, the sealing member 1
22 out of the developing device main body 123.

By peeling off the sealing member 122 from the toner cartridge 121, the toner T in the toner cartridge 121 can be supplied into the developing device main body 123.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the device using the toner cartridge 121, there is a drawback that the toner T adheres to the seal member 122 that is pulled out, which stains the hands and clothes of the worker. . Furthermore, when replacing the toner cartridge 121, residual toner T is often still attached to the inner wall of the used toner cartridge 121, and this toner T flows out from the supply port 121a of the toner cartridge 121 and pollutes the interior of the room. One drawback was that it soiled the hands and clothes of the workers.

Also, if the developing device 103 is incorporated into the process cartridge 104, will it be possible to solve the problem of staining hands, clothes, etc., since there is a limit to the amount of toner that can be filled into the developing device 103 each time? In order to replace the toner, the entire process cartridge 104 may have to be replaced, since it may have to replace the entire process cartridge 104, which has devices that still have sufficient life remaining, which has the drawback of high running costs. In this case, there is an idea of increasing the size of the developing device 103 in the process cartridge 104, but in this case, the process cartridge 104 becomes large and heavy, which reduces its operability and also increases the size of the entire image forming apparatus. There is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a developing device that prevents residual developer from flowing out from a used cartridge when replacing a developer cartridge, and a developer cartridge of the developing device.・Provide the following.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developing device that replenishes developer by installing a cartridge containing developer in a developing device main body. a cutter that is made of an elastic material and that cuts the outer wall of the cartridge when the cartridge is installed in the developing device main body;
The present invention is characterized in that the main body of the developing device is provided with a guide for expanding the cut formed in the outer wall of the cartridge by the cutter.

Further, the present invention provides a developing device that is detachably disposed within the developing device main body;
In a developer cartridge of a developing device that replenishes developer into the developing device main body, the outer wall thereof is composed of an elastic body,
When the developing device is attached to the developing device main body, the outer wall is cut by a cutter of the developing device main body, and the cut of the outer wall formed by the cutter is pushed open by a guide of the developing device main body.

(Function) With the above configuration, the developer is smoothly supplied from the cartridge to the developing device main body, and even when the cartridge is removed from the developing device main body, the cut made by the cutter is closed by the elastic action of the cartridge, and residual development is prevented. The agent will not leak out.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using a copying machine as an example.

First, a 1is1 embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a developing device according to the present invention arranged around a photosensitive drum, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge being installed in the developing device, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view of the toner cartridge.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 denotes a photosensitive drum disposed within the main body of the copying apparatus, and a developing device 10 is disposed in the main body of the apparatus on one side of the photosensitive tram l. The developing device lO is a photosensitive tram l.
A developing sleeve 11 that is disposed close to the developing sleeve 11 and has a magnet lla inside, and a developing device that includes the developing sleeve 11, stores toner T as a developer inside, and supplies the toner T to the developing sleeve 11. a toner cartridge 20 that is removably disposed above the developing device main body 12 and supplies toner T to the developing device main body 12;
It is composed of.

In addition to the developing device, a primary charger, a cleaner, and a transfer charger are arranged around the photosensitive drum.To outline the image forming process using the process equipment, first, the primary charger When the uniformly charged photosensitive drum 1 is exposed to a signal corresponding to an original image via an optical scanning system, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1, and then the electrostatic latent image is transferred to a developing device 110. The toner T supplied through the developing sleeve 11 is visualized and converted into a toner image, and this toner image on the photosensitive tram I is transferred onto transfer paper by a transfer charger.

The toner cartridge 20 is made of one elastic body as shown in FIG.
The toner T is filled inside the support body 22. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge 20 is mounted on the upper part of the developing device body
A cartridge mounting part 13 for inserting the cartridge into the inside is formed parallel to the lower developing sleeve 11, and a wedge-shaped cutter 14 is fixed to the lower part of the front end of the cartridge mounting part 13 near the cartridge insertion opening 13a. The blade section at the front of the cutter 14 is arranged vertically and faces outward, and a pair of pushing guides 15, 15 are provided at both ends of the wide rear section along the cartridge mounting section 13. It extends to the rear end. The pair of guides 15.15 are thin plate-like objects disposed vertically, and the cutter 14.
It is disposed parallel to the rear pressure plate which slightly expands outward along the outer surface of the plate, and a space opened to the top r for toner to fall is formed therebetween.

Then, insert the toner cartridge 2o into the cartridge mounting portion 13 from the cartridge insertion opening 13a of the developing device main body 12.
As the toner cartridge 20 is inserted into the interior, the lower end face and the lower part of the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20 are cut open by the cutter 14 up to the portion adjacent to the support 22, and as shown in FIG.
), the pair of guides 15, 15 expands the cut end in the circumferential direction of the toner cartridge 20 to form an opening 30. In this way, the toner in the toner cartridge 20 falls from the opening 30 of the toner cartridge 20, which is pushed open by the pair of guides 15.15, toward the developing sleeve 11 in the developing device main body 12, and is supplied to the developing device main body 12. becomes.

Note that when the toner cartridge 20 is fully inserted into the cartridge mounting section 13, the support 22 of the toner cartridge 20 and the outer shell of the cartridge insertion opening f3a of the cartridge mounting section 13 fit together, and the toner T inside is pushed outward. It is designed to prevent leakage to the toner cartridge 20.
The joint between the cylindrical portion 21 and the support body is structured so that the lower half of the cylindrical portion 21 can be easily separated from the support body 22, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

Next, when the toner T in the developing device 10 runs out and it is necessary to replace the toner cartridge 20 with a new one, hold the used toner cartridge 20 through the handle 22a at the cartridge mounting portion of the developing device main body 12. The toner cartridge cylindrical portion 21 is separated from the cutter 14 and the guides 15, 15 by pulling it out from the cutter 14 and the guides 15, 15.
The cut end attempts to return to its original state due to the elastic action of the material of the cylindrical portion 21 and is closed. Therefore, even if the toner cartridge 20 is pulled out from the developing device main body 12, the toner T that partially remains inside will not leak out and will not stain the hands, clothes, or interior of the operator.

As for the material composition of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20, resin such as EVA resin or polyurethane is adjusted to have a tensile strength of about 100 to 1000 g/cm'', which is commonly used, and its thickness is adjusted to a cutter. The amount should be about 0.5 to 1.5 μl so that the cutter 14 can be easily cut open, and the blade portion of the cutter 14 will not break and can sufficiently cut the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20. The opening angle may be approximately 5 to 20 degrees.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge being installed in the developing device, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge. It should be noted that the developing device according to this embodiment is completely the same as the developing device of the first embodiment except that a protrusion is formed on the toner cartridge. The same number as the item related to this item will be given, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

At the top of the cartridge mounting portion 13 of the developing device main body 12, a fourth
As shown in the figure, an inward guide groove 16 is formed in the attachment/detachment direction of the toner cartridge 20, and the guide groove 16 is also formed in the upper part of the toner cartridge 20 in the longitudinal direction.
A protrusion 23 is formed that fits and slides, so that the circumferential direction of the toner cartridge 20 can be kept constant when the toner cartridge 20 is installed in the developing device main body 12.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the toner cartridge 20
Since a protrusion 23 is formed along the ridgeline of the cylinder along the lengthwise direction of the toner cartridge 2,
0 into the cartridge mounting portion 13, the toner cartridge 20 can be inserted straight without rotating in the circumferential direction, and the cut made by the cutter 14 at the bottom of the toner cartridge 20 can be made along the cylindrical ridge line without waving. A vine that is formed straight along the Therefore, attachment and detachment of the toner cartridge 20 to and from the developing device main body 12 becomes smooth and easy, and when the used toner cartridge 20 is pulled out from the developing device main body 12, the inconvenience that the cut end does not close completely does not occur.

Further, a protrusion 23 is provided on the toner cartridge 20 in its longitudinal direction.
By providing this, the strength of the toner cartridge 20 can be increased, and in particular, damage to the unused toner cartridge 20 during transportation or storage can be reduced.

Next, the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention are shown in the attached FIGS. 6 to 8.
This will be explained using figures. 6 and 7 are a partial vertical cross-sectional view and a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge of the developing device according to the FF13 embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge of the developing device according to the fourth embodiment. .

Naomoto 3rd. In the developing device according to the fourth embodiment, the developing device main body side is completely the same as that of the second embodiment, and the toner cartridge is also externally completely the same as that of the second embodiment. In the example, the same parts are given the same numbers as those in the second embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

First, the toner cartridge of the developing device according to the third embodiment will be explained. The difference between this toner cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 20 according to the second embodiment is the cylindrical portion 2 of the toner cartridge 20 that is cut by the cutter 14.
1. The thickness of the lower part is made gradually thinner in the circumferential direction than the upper part (the thickness of the end surface of the cylindrical part 21 is also gradually thinner in the lower part), so that it can be easily cut with the cutter 14, and the thickness of the toner cartridge 20 is made thinner. It is also strong enough to withstand shock during transportation. Further, since the upper part of the cylindrical part 21 of the toner cartridge 20 is sufficiently thick, it can maintain its elasticity for a long period of time, and even when the toner cartridge 20 is pulled out from the developing device main body 12, the cut opening can be sufficiently closed. be able to.

In this case, the material of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20 is not limited to one type, but the upper part may be made of a strong material and the lower part may be made of a soft material.

Next, the toner cartridge 2 of the developing device according to the fourth embodiment
0, the difference between this toner cartridge 20 and the toner cartridges 20 according to other embodiments is that the inner surface of the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20 is thinned in the longitudinal direction and on the end surface of the portion cut by the cutter 14. This is because seal members 24 and 25 made of an elastic material are provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the fan-shaped sealing member 24 disposed on the end surface of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20 is attached to its radial end (indicated by double diagonal lines in FIG. 8(a)). (the part shown) is attached to the inner surface of the cylindrical part 21,
A rectangular sealing member 25 disposed in the long direction of the cylindrical portion 21 of the toner cartridge 20 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 21 through its longitudinal end (the portion indicated by double hatching in FIG. 8<a). It is attached to the inside.

Thus, this toner cartridge 20 is attached to the developing device main body 12.
The cylindrical part 21 is inserted into the mounting part 13 of the cutter 1.
4, the sealing member 24.25 is 1g8
As shown in Figure (b), the cylindrical portion 21 is turned up on one side and an opening 30 is formed through the guide 15.15. Then, when the used toner cartridge 20 is pulled out from the developing device main body 12, the cut end closes and the sealing members 24 and 25 close to the cutter 1.
By covering the upper part of the cut section 4, leakage of residual toner can be further prevented than in the toner cartridge 20 according to other embodiments.

Note that even if the cutter 14 comes into contact with the seal members 24 and 25,
The seal members 24 and 25 have a structure that prevents them from being easily turned up and cut.
A film such as FEP can be considered as an example of the material of 4.25.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a cartridge for replenishing developer is formed of an elastic body, and when the cartridge is installed in the main body of a developing device, the cartridge is cut open with a cutter or a guide. Since the developer inside the cartridge is supplied to the developer body, even when the cartridge is removed from the developer body, the cut made by the cutter is closed and the developer inside the cartridge does not leak out. When replacing the developer, the developer does not stain the operator's hands or clothes, nor does it stain the room.

In particular, in image forming bags using image forming process cartridges, there is a problem that the developer capacity is limited, its life is short, and running costs are high. problem is also solved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the developing device according to the first embodiment arranged around the photosensitive drum, ':jSZ is a perspective view of the developing device in which a toner cartridge is being installed, and Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the developing device according to the first embodiment. A perspective view of the toner cartridge of the device, FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge of the developing device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a partial longitudinal section of the toner cartridge of the developing device of the third embodiment. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge of the developing device, ms diagram is a perspective view of the toner cartridge of the developing device according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the process cartridge showing the prior art. 1
FIG. 0 is a cross-sectional view of a developing device showing the prior art. 10-... Developing device, 12... Developing device body, 14...
- Cutter, 15... Guide, 20... Toner cartridge (developer cartridge), 21... Cylindrical portion (outer wall of cartridge), T... Toner (developer). Patent Applicant Canon Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Ryo Yamashita - Figure 3 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a developing device that replenishes developer by installing a cartridge containing developer into the developing device main body,
The outer wall of the cartridge is made of an elastic material, and the developing device main body includes a cutter that cuts the outer wall of the cartridge when the cartridge is installed in the developing device main body, and a guide that expands the cut formed in the cartridge outer wall by the cutter. A developing device characterized by being equipped with. (2) A protrusion is formed on the outer wall of the cartridge to determine the insertion position of the cartridge along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge, and a guide corresponding to the protrusion on the developing device main body side guides the insertion position of the cartridge. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising a groove. (3) In a developer cartridge of a developing device that is removably disposed within a developing device main body and replenishes developer into the developing device main body, the outer wall thereof is composed of an elastic material, and the developer cartridge is installed in the developing device main body. A developer cartridge for a developing device, wherein the outer wall is cut by a cutter of the developing device main body, and the cut of the outer wall formed by the cutter is pushed open by a guide of the developing device main body. (4) A developer cartridge for a developing device according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the outer wall that is cut out by a cutter is made thinner than other portions. (5) An elastic sealing member is provided on the inner surface of the outer wall, one end of which is supported and the other end of which is swingable, and which covers the cut by the cutter from the inner surface of the outer wall when removed from the developing device main body. A developer cartridge for a developing device according to claim 3 or 4.