JPS59101674A - Toner replenishing device of electrophotographic copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a toner from contaminating the inside surface of a holder and the outside circumferential surface of a cartridge by rotating the cartridge containing the toner through a guide member without making it contact with the holder. CONSTITUTION:A toner cartridge 4 in which a seal of an opening part 9 is split-opened is inserted with its opening part 9 up into a guide member 3 along a guide groove 11. After the cartridge 4 is fixed to the guide member 3, when a projecting part 12 is slide-moved along a guide groove 13, the guide member 3 rotates, and in accordance with it, the cartridge 4 rotates, as well. When a replenishing port of the cartridge 4 reaches the lower side and is matched with a hopper 8, a toner drops through the hopper 8 and is led into a developing machine. When drawing out the cartridge 4, the cartridge 4 is rotated by rotating the guide member 3 in the direction opposite to the foregoing, and it is drawn out of a replenishing device body 1 by holding a knob 10 with the replenishing port up and drawing it to this side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device for an electrophotographic copying machine, and more particularly to an improvement of a toner replenishing device using a toner cartridge.

In an electrophotographic copying machine, a cylindrical toner cartridge containing toner and having an opening (toner supply port);
A toner replenishing device is often used, which includes a toner cartridge holder that supports the toner cartridge, and a toner replenishing port. When replenishing toner using such a device, insert the toner cartridge into the toner cartridge holder with the toner replenishment port (generally provided along the longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic copying machine) facing upward. Next, the cartridge is rotated to a predetermined position within the holder to align the toner replenishment port with the toner holster, and the toner is dropped through the hopper, thereby replenishing the developing machine with toner.

However, in the conventional toner replenishing device as described above, when the toner cartridge is rotated, toner spills from the toner replenishing port, contaminates the inner wall of the cartridge holder and the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge body, and the cartridge is replaced with a new one. However, this method has the drawback of staining the operator's hands and causing toner spillage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device that eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional devices and is free from toner stains.

The object of the present invention is to consist of a cylindrical toner cartridge containing toner and having a toner replenishment port, a toner cartridge holder for supporting the toner cartridge, and a toner hole/('-), wherein the cartridge is inserted into the holder. To improve the internal structure of a toner cartridge holder in a toner replenishing device for an electrophotographic copying machine, which rotates so that the toner replenishing port aligns with the hopper and toner is replenished through the hopper. That is, the toner replenishing device of the present invention has a toner cartridge guide provided inside the toner cartridge holder that can rotate integrally with the toner cartridge within a predetermined angle while lightly rubbing against the inner surface of the holder. It is characterized in that a member is provided.

By using the apparatus of the present invention having such a configuration, the cartridge containing toner is rotated within the holder using the guide member without coming into contact with the holder. Problems such as contaminating the inner surface of the cartridge and the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge are avoided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In order to further clarify the structure and effects of the present invention, the present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments of the present invention as shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a toner replenishing device according to the present invention, showing a toner cartridge 4 and a replenishing device main body 1.
are shown separated.

As shown in the figure, the car 1-'J 4 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and toner is accommodated therein. The cartridge 4 includes an opening, that is, a toner replenishment port 9, and this toner replenishment port is normally closed with a film seal or the like. Reference numeral 10 denotes a knob for facilitating attachment and detachment of the toner cartridge to the main body 1 of the replenishing device.

The replenishing device main body 1 includes a hopper 8 and a toner cartridge holder 2 provided above the hopper 8, and a toner cartridge guide member 3 is disposed inside the holder 2. The guide member 3 is thus able to rotate within the holder 2 within a predetermined angle while lightly rubbing against the inner surface of the holder 2. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
is provided, and the protrusion 12 fixed to the guide member 3 is inserted into the groove 1.
3, the guide member can be rotated at a predetermined angle. The cartridge guide member is provided with a groove 11 that fits the replenishment port 9 of the toner cartridge 4. By engaging the replenishment port 9 and the groove 11, the toner cartridge 4 is moved relative to the cartridge guide member 3. It will be fixed. The fixing of the cartridge 4 to the guide member 3 is not limited to the manner shown in the figure, but it is also possible to provide a protrusion separate from the replenishment port of the cartridge 4, or to provide a groove in the guide member that engages with the protrusion. set up or,
A protrusion may be provided on the guide member to engage with a groove in the cartridge.

FIG. 2 schematically shows how development is performed using the toner replenishing device of the present invention. Opening (toner supply port) 9
The toner cartridge 4 with the seal torn open is inserted into the guide member 3 along the guide groove 11 provided in the cartridge guide member 3 with the opening facing upward. After the toner cartridge 4 is identified by the guide member 3 by this insertion, when the protrusion 12 shown in FIG. 1 is slid along the guide groove 13, the guide member 3 rotates and the toner cartridge 4 also rotates. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, when the supply port of the toner cartridge 4 reaches the lower side and aligns with the hole 1, the toner 5 falls through the hole 1 and is introduced into the developing device 7.

The introduced toner is transported by the paddle wheel 16 etc.
It is sent between the developing roll 15 and the photosensitive drum 6 to develop the latent image on the drum 6.

When removing the toner cartridge 4, rotate the cartridge 4 by rotating the guide member 3 in the opposite direction to that described above, then grasp the knob 10 with the replenishment port facing upward, and pull it toward you to remove it from the replenishment device main body 1. taken out.

As can be understood from the above description, in the toner replenishing device of the present invention, the toner cartridge is supplied with toner while being rotated integrally with the cartridge guide member without contacting the holder. - There is almost no chance that the toner holder or toner cartridge guide member will be contaminated by toner. Therefore, when replacing the toner cartridge, the number of times the operator's hands get dirty due to spilled toner is drastically reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the toner replenishing device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing how development is performed using the toner replenishing device of the present invention. 2... Toner cartridge holder, 3... Toner cartridge guide member, 4... Toner cartridge,
8... Toner hopper, 9... Toner supply port.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The toner cartridge includes a cylindrical toner cartridge containing toner and having a toner replenishment port, a toner cartridge holder that supports the cartridge, and a toner hopper, wherein the cartridge rotates within the holder and the toner replenishment port is aligned with the hopper. In a toner replenishing device for an electrophotographic copying machine, in which toner is replenished through the hopper, the cartridge is inserted into the holder by lightly rubbing against the inner surface of the holder, and then at a predetermined angle. The toner replenishing device described above, further comprising a toner cartridge guide member that can rotate integrally with the toner cartridge guide member.