JPH0439074B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a developer inserted into a developing device in an electrostatic recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine for replenishing an electrostatic image developer. Concerning improvements to containers.

[Prior art]

Generally, in an electrostatic recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrostatic charge image on a moving charge carrier is developed in a developing device, and powder toner is attached to the electrostatic charge image area to form a toner image. , this is transferred and fixed onto recording paper. Since toner is consumed along with development, it is necessary to replenish toner to the developing device according to consumption, and a developer hopper is provided as a storage section for replenishing toner. A large amount of toner is stored in the developer hopper, and before the toner is completely consumed, toner is replenished into the developer hopper from a developer container containing replenishment toner.

As is well known, in an electrophotographic copying machine, it is necessary to replenish toner consumed as the machine is used, and conventional replenishment toner is stored in resin bottles or aluminum foil bags. Therefore, when replenishing toner to a developing device such as an electrophotographic copying machine,
Open the bottle or aluminum foil bag, turn the bottle to one side, and pour toner into the supply hopper. However, with this type of toner replenishment method, toner may scatter into the air during replenishment, fingertips may become dirty due to toner adhering to the bottle stopper, or the environment may be contaminated by toner spilling around during replenishment. There is.

Furthermore, as is well known, in conventional toner replenishment devices, toner for replenishment is stored in an inner and outer dual cylinder case each having a slot for toner outlet formed in a part of the peripheral wall, and the toner is stored in the replenishment hopper at the same time. There is a known toner replenishing device that removes toner by rotating an inner case relative to an outer case after the case is attached. however,
Even when replenishing toner using a toner case with such a structure, when the toner case is pulled out from the replenishment hopper after toner has been loaded, the toner adhering to the opening of the slot of the toner case may spill outside or get on your hands. There are cases where Furthermore, if the inner and outer cylinders of the toner case are carelessly rotated before being attached to the replenishment hopper, the stored toner may flow out and scatter outside, potentially causing an unexpected accident.

In this specification, the term "toner" is used to include not only electrostatic toner of a two-component developer but also a single-component developer.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved developer container in order to prevent developer contamination accidents caused by the developer container as described above. In particular, the purpose is to prevent leakage of the developer before and after mounting the developer container in the developing device or during transportation.

[Structure of the invention]

According to the structure of the present invention, this object is achieved by rotating the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder relatively and aligning the openings provided in both to allow the developer to flow out. In the container, a shutter member formed of a flexible film that closes the opening of the inner cylinder when the openings of the two do not match and opens the opening of the inner cylinder when the openings of both match. This is achieved by a developer container characterized in that an elastic member is provided in a sliding portion of the shutter member in the gap between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to press against the surface of the shutter member. Note that it is more effective to use an elastic film as the flexible film.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Details of embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of a developer container according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof.

The developer container has a double structure consisting of an inner cylinder 1 that is an inner cylinder that accommodates the developer D, and an outer cylinder 2 that is concentric with a gap around the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 1. A flexible shutter member 3, which will be described later, is installed in the space.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the inner cylinder 1 and related members, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the outer cylinder 2 and related members, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the developer container.

The inner cylinder 1 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and an opening groove-shaped slot 1a having a predetermined width and a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction is cut out near the upper side wall of the inner cylinder 1, and serves as a discharge and fall port for the developer D. It is becoming.

At the left end of the inner cylinder 1, a lid member 4 is fitted and fixed to the inner diameter portion of the inner cylinder 1, which is tightly sealed after the inner cylinder 1 is filled with the developer D. Further, at the right end of the inner cylinder 1, there is a sealing part 5a that is fitted and fixed to the inner diameter part of the inner cylinder 1 to be in a closed state, a guide part 5b that is slidably fitted to the inner wall part of the right end of the outer cylinder 2, and A holder member 5 is provided that includes a cylindrical handle portion 5c that projects to the right.

The outer cylinder 2 is a hollow cylinder that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 1 in a concentric cylindrical shape with a predetermined gap, and has an opening on the lower side wall thereof having approximately the same width and length as the slot 1a of the inner cylinder 1. A groove-shaped slot 2a is cut out and serves as an opening for the developer D to be discharged and dropped.

At the left end of the outer cylinder 2, the outer wall of the outer cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 are connected.
A ring 6 for maintaining a predetermined gap between the inner wall of the
is fitted and fixed to the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2. Further, the inner wall of the ring 6 is slidably fitted to the lid member 4.

On a part of the outer periphery of the side wall of the outer cylinder 2, projections 7a and 7b are arranged and fixed in a straight line and in the same phase, and these projections 7a and 7b have the same width dimension, and are attached to a guide rail on the developing device side, which will be described later. 11a. Further, protrusions 8a and 8b are arranged and fixed in a straight line on the side wall opposite to the protrusions 7a and 7b, and both fit into the guide rail 12a. The protrusions 7a, 7b and 8a, 8b are located at asymmetrical positions to prevent the developer container from being incorrectly inserted upside down when loading the developing device.

A projection 5d projects from a part of the flange of the holder member 5 fixed to the right end of the inner cylinder 1.
In addition, two stoppers 9A and 9 are provided at the right end of the outer cylinder 2.
B is fixed.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA' of the developer container having a double structure of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. One end 3a of the flexible shutter member 3 is adhesively fixed to a part of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 2, and the other end 3b is adhesively fixed to the edge of the slot 1a of the inner cylinder 1. The intermediate portion of the shutter member 3 closes the slot 1a and is further folded back.

An elastic member 10A, such as a flocked member, foamed resin material, felt, etc., is adhesively fixed to the other peripheral surface of the slot 1a of the inner cylinder 1, near the folded portion of the shutter member 3. Elastic member 10A
Since the shutter member 3 stretched in a predetermined gap formed between the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 1 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 2 is constantly pressed against the shutter member 3 under a predetermined pressure, there is no pressure from the opening 1a. The developer D does not leak to the outside.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the developer container. In this case, an elastic member 10B is provided on a part of the inner circumferential wall of the outer cylinder 2. In this case as well, slot 1 of inner cylinder 1
It is desirable to provide it at a position on the inner circumferential wall of the outer cylinder corresponding to the vicinity of the edge of a. The elastic member 10A or 1
0B is the inner cylinder 1 with adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape.
Or it is fixed to the outer cylinder 2.

The materials of each member constituting the developer container according to the present invention include, first, a lid member 4 that closes both ends of the inner cylinder 1, a holder member 5, a ring 6 fixed to one end of the outer cylinder 2, and stoppers 9A and 9B. As the material, plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, high impact styrene, metal materials, etc. are used. The material of the shutter member 3 is a plastic film material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, nylon, or polyvinyl chloride, or a metal material such as aluminum foil. Materials and film thicknesses that are flexible and have tensile and bending strength are required. The thickness of the shutter member is preferably 70 to 150μ. Further, the shutter member 3 is bonded to the inner tube 1 and outer tube 2 using double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive, thermal bonding, or the like.
Both the inner tube 1 and the outer tube 2 have a cylindrical shape with both ends open, and are made of, for example, metal, plastic, paper, or the like. When the inner cylinder 1 is made of a paper tube, especially the inner cylinder 1
Because the inner cylinder 1 contains a developer, it must be moisture-proof, so the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 1 must be treated with resin or laminated with polyethylene, nylon, aluminum foil, or the like. In addition, since the gap formed between the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube 1 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 2 must be maintained at a predetermined size and uniformly, the inner tube 1 and the outer tube 2 must be made of strong material and solid. It is necessary to make it.

Next, the developer replenishment process using the developer container will be described.

FIG. 8 is a view showing the developer container installed in the developer replenishing section of the developing device, and is a sectional view taken along the chain line A-A' in FIG. 1.

First, hold the developer container with the holder member 5 facing toward you, and insert the developer container into the insertion/removal opening of the replenishing section 11 of the developing device with the lid member 4 facing toward the back. The replenishing section 11 is provided at the upper part of the developing device, and allows a developer container to be inserted and removed. Regulation grooves 12 are provided on the left and right sides of the inner wall of the supply section.
Guide members 12, 13 having a, 13a, respectively
is permanently installed. The regulating grooves 12a, 13a are located at asymmetrical positions, and the protrusions 7a, 7 of the developer container
b, 8a, and 8b, it is possible to prevent the developer container from being inserted in an upside-down position.

After completely inserting the developer container along the guide members 12 and 13, by rotating the holder member 5, which is integral with the inner cylinder 1, clockwise, the protrusion 7 of the outer cylinder 2
a, 7b, 8a, 8b are fitted into the regulation grooves 11a, 12a, so the outer cylinder 2 cannot rotate, only the inner cylinder 1 rotates, and the opening 1a of the inner cylinder 1 rotates downward. It moves.

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of the developer container when the inner cylinder 1 has finished rotating.

As the holder member 5 is manually rotated clockwise, the end 3b of the flexible seal member 3 adhered to the opening edge of the outer peripheral wall of the inner cylinder 1
rotates together with the inner cylinder 1. As the inner cylinder 1 rotates, the end 3b of the shutter member 3 gradually moves away from the end 3a at the other fixed position, and the turning point of the shutter member also moves half the amount of movement of the end 3b. The slots 1a are then rotated in the same direction to open the slots 1a one after another. In the final process of opening, the shutter member 3 is housed in the gap between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, as shown in FIG.
At the same time, a is fully opened, and the entire amount of developer D in the inner cylinder 1 falls into the hopper 14 and is accommodated.

When removing the developer container from the supply section 11 and replacing it with a new developer container, the holder member 5
When the inner cylinder 1 is rotated counterclockwise, the shutter member 3 is driven again, and the slot 1a of the inner cylinder 1 is closed by the shutter member 3 and the outer cylinder 2. Next, hold the holder member 5 and pull out the developer container. In this way, when the developer container is attached and removed, and when the developer is dropped and replenished, the developer does not scatter outside and contaminate the environment. Furthermore, even after the developer container is removed, since the slot 1a of the container is completely closed, the developer remaining in the container will not leak to the outside.

In the developer container according to the present invention, each slot in the inner tube and the outer tube is made to have the same length as the entire length of the photoreceptor drum and the developing sleeve, so the developer dropped and replenished from the opening covers the entire width of the developing sleeve. It also has the feature of being evenly distributed and creating a uniform and even toner image.

The electrostatic image developer container described above can be used either as a container for a single-component developer using magnetic toner or as a toner replenishment container for a two-component developer using toner and carrier. is not limited to any of these.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an excellent developer container that is easy to handle, prevents developer from flowing out or scattering, and can uniformly supply developer to the entire area of the developing sleeve. Summer. Furthermore, the effect is remarkable in preventing moisture from unused developer contained in the developer container.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a side sectional view and a perspective view of a developer container according to the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and related members constituting the developer container, and FIG. The figure is a front view of the developer container.
9 and 9 are sectional views showing the closed and open states of the developer container, FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the developer container, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an example of the use of the developer container of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the developing device shown in FIG. 1...Inner cylinder, 1a, 2a...Slot, 2...
Outer cylinder, 3... Shutter member, 3a, 3b... End of shutter member, 4... Lid member, 5... Holder member, 10A, 10B... Elastic member, D...
developer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In a developer container in which the developer can flow out by rotating the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder relatively so that the openings provided in both coincide with each other, the openings of both are aligned. A shutter member made of a flexible film is provided to close the opening of the inner cylinder when there is no opening, and to open the opening of the inner cylinder when the openings of both coincide, and to close the gap between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. A developer container characterized in that an elastic member is provided on a sliding portion of the shutter member to press against the surface of the shutter member.