JP5377564B2 - Developer container and image forming apparatus to which the container is applied - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developer storage container able to discharge developer stored in a container body, without causing any residue. <P>SOLUTION: A toner container 50 comprises: a container body 51 used as a main storage area for toner; and a cylindrical part 52 projecting from a lower part of one side of the container body 51. The cylindrical part 52 is provided with a toner discharge port 521. A rotary member 54 having a toner conveyance function is arranged in a range from the upper part of the cylindrical part 52 from the bottom wall 511 of the container body 51. The rotary member 54 includes: a second conveying member 56 configured such that toner is conveyed toward the cylindrical part 52 from the container body 51 side; and a first conveying member 55 configured such that toner that has not been discharged from the toner discharge port 521 is returned toward the container body 51 from the cylindrical part 52 side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer storage container for storing a developer, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the developer storage container.

  In an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet using a developer, a developer container such as a toner container is indispensable. The toner container is a container for storing toner (developer) to be replenished to the developing device, and is mounted on the image forming apparatus in a detachable manner by the user. In general, a toner container includes a container main body serving as a toner storage space, a toner discharge port provided at an appropriate position on the bottom wall of the container main body, a conveyance screw for conveying toner toward the toner discharge port, and a toner inside the container main body. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). It is also known that the conveying screw has a double structure of an inner side and an outer side (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

JP 2003-287948 A JP-A-5-46021 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-53438

  An important point in the toner container is that the toner can be discharged from the toner discharge port without leaving the toner in the container main body as much as possible. However, the shape of the toner container is determined based on various design philosophies in the image forming apparatus, not only considering the toner discharging property. For this reason, depending on the shape of the container, there is a problem that the toner is compressed in the vicinity of the toner discharge port, and the discharge of the toner is hindered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a developer container that can discharge the developer stored in the container body without remaining, and an image forming apparatus to which the developer container is applied. With the goal.

A developer container according to an aspect of the present invention has a bottom wall, a container main body that stores the developer, a projecting projection from the container main body that is connected to the bottom wall, and a developer discharge port. A cylindrical member, and a rotating member that spans from the container main body to the cylindrical portion and has a function of conveying the developer in the container main body, the rotating member extending in the bottom wall A rotation shaft extending to the rotation shaft, and disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotation shaft, and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft and conveys the developer in a first conveyance direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container main body side. A first conveying member that is disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and radially outside the first conveying member, and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft and from the container main body side to the cylindrical portion side A second conveying member that conveys the developer in a second conveying direction toward Said tubular portion has a circular cross section inner wall surface corresponding to the rotation locus of the protruding portion in the radial direction of the second conveying member, wherein the first conveying member, the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft A conveying member projecting in a spiral shape, wherein the second conveying member is a spiral conveying member having a hollow portion through which the rotation shaft provided with the first conveying member can be inserted; The outer diameter of the spiral of the 2 conveying member is reduced in diameter toward the second conveying direction .

  According to this configuration, the developer is transported in the second transport direction from the container body toward the cylindrical portion provided with the developer discharge port by the transport function of the second transport member accompanying the rotation of the rotating member. Here, the cylindrical portion has an inner wall surface having a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation trajectory of the most projecting portion in the radial direction of the second conveying member, so the developer that has not been discharged from the developer discharge port Nowhere to go. However, since the rotating member is provided with the first conveying member that conveys the developer in the first conveying direction from the cylindrical part side toward the container main body side, excess developer is transferred from the cylindrical part to the container main body. Can be returned. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a problem that the developer that has lost its place in the cylindrical portion is pressed and agglomerated to block the developer discharge port, and as a result, the developer cannot be discharged.

In addition , since the outer diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member is reduced as it goes in the second conveying direction, the developer can be smoothly directed toward the tip of the cylindrical portion.

  In this case, it is desirable that the inner diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member is substantially constant over the entire axial length of the rotating shaft.

  According to this configuration, toner conveyance in the first conveyance direction by the first conveyance member positioned inside is not hindered. Therefore, the toner can be stably returned from the cylindrical portion to the container main body by the first conveying member.

A developer storage container according to another aspect of the present invention has a bottom wall, a container main body that stores the developer, a projecting projection from the container main body that is connected to the bottom wall, and a developer discharge port. And a rotating member that spans from the container main body to the cylindrical portion and has a function of conveying the developer in the container main body, and the rotating member extends from the bottom wall. A rotating shaft extending in a direction, and disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and the developer is fed in a first transport direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container body side. A first conveying member to be conveyed; and disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and radially outside the first conveying member, and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and the cylindrical portion from the container body side A second transport member that transports the developer in a second transport direction toward the side. , The cylindrical portion, said and second has a circular cross section inner wall surface corresponding to the rotation locus of the protruding portion in the radial direction of the conveying member, the rotating member is in the direction parallel to the rotational axis extend further Ru comprising a dispersion member for dispersing the developer transported radially outward.

  According to this configuration, since the developer present around the developer given the driving force by driving the first conveying member or the second conveying member is dispersed radially outward by the dispersing member, The movement of the agent in the first transport direction or the second transport direction can be promoted.

  Alternatively, in the above configuration, the rotation member further includes a dispersion member that extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis and is attached to the second conveyance member and disperses the conveyed developer radially outwardly, The dispersion member has a thickness D1 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft, and a distance D2 between the outermost circumference of the spiral of the first transport member and the radial inner surface of the dispersion member is larger than the thickness D1. desirable.

  According to this configuration, since the distance D2 is larger than the thickness D1, there is sufficient space between the outermost periphery of the spiral of the first transport member and the radially inner surface of the dispersion member, and the first transport member Thus, a developer transport area is secured. Accordingly, the developer can be reliably transported in the first transport direction by the first transport member.

A developer storage container according to still another aspect of the present invention has a bottom wall, a container main body that stores the developer, a projecting projection from the container main body that is connected to the bottom wall, and a developer discharge port. And a rotating member that spans from the container main body to the cylindrical portion and has a function of conveying the developer in the container main body, and the rotating member is formed on the bottom wall. A rotating shaft extending in the extending direction, and disposed on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and in the first transport direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container body side. A first conveying member that conveys the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and disposed radially outside the first conveying member, and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft and from the container body side to the cylindrical shape A second conveying member that conveys the developer in a second conveying direction toward the portion side Wherein the said cylindrical portion, said has a circular cross section inner wall surface corresponding to the rotation locus of the protruding portion in the radial direction of the second conveying member, wherein the developer discharge opening, said tubular portion of a layout on the bottom surface has been fall opening, in a position corresponding to the chute of the rotary shaft, that has a flexible pressing member is attached to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotary shaft.

  According to this configuration, the developer conveyed to the vicinity of the dropping port of the cylindrical portion is pressed or stirred toward the dropping port by the flexible pressing member. Accordingly, the developer can be fluidized in the vicinity of the drop port in the narrow space of the cylindrical portion, and the developer can be discharged well from the drop port.

  In this case, the rotating shaft includes a holding piece that is integrally attached to the end portion on the cylindrical portion side, and the flexible pressing member is a film member, and the film member is attached to the holding piece. A base end and a free end opposite to the base end, the axial length of the free end being longer than the base end, and a part of the free end is rotated It is desirable to be on the axis.

  According to this configuration, since a part of the free end portion of the film member is located on the rotation shaft, the first transport member or the second transport member does not exist near the end portion of the rotation shaft. A pressing force can be applied to the developer by a part of the free end portion, and the developer can flow.

  In the above configuration, the bottom wall of the container main body has a semicircular inner wall surface corresponding to the rotation locus of the most protruding portion in the radial direction of the second transport member, and the semicircular inner wall surface is The container main body is connected to a circular inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion, and the container body includes a first side wall extending upward from one end edge of the bottom wall and the first side wall extending upward from the other end edge of the bottom wall. A second side wall facing the first side wall, a third side wall connecting the one end edges of the first side wall and the second side wall, and a fourth side connecting the other end edge of the first side wall and the second side wall facing the third side wall. The cylindrical portion protrudes from the third side wall, the rotating shaft has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, and the first end One end portion is pivotally supported on the fourth side wall, and the second end portion is pivotally supported on the protruding front end surface of the cylindrical portion. Can.

  According to this configuration, the entire area on the semicircular bottom wall of the container main body is a developer conveyance area by the rotating member. Therefore, the developer on the bottom wall can be efficiently conveyed to the cylindrical portion by the rotating member, and the toner can hardly be left on the bottom wall. Further, there is no need to install a stirring paddle or the like for sending the developer toward the rotating member in the container body, and the configuration can be simplified.

  An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an image carrier that carries a developer image on a circumferential surface thereof, a developing device that includes a developing roller that supplies developer to the circumferential surface of the image carrier, and the development And a developer container described above, which is assembled to the apparatus and replenishes the developer with the developer.

  In this case, the developing device includes a developing housing having a shape elongated in a first direction along the axial direction of the developing roller, and the developer container has a second direction in which the rotation axis is orthogonal to the first direction. It is desirable that it is assembled to the developing device in a direction along the direction.

  According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to take a layout in which the toner container is arranged immediately above the developing device in the image forming apparatus, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom of the arrangement position of the toner container.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the developer from aggregating in the cylindrical portion in the developer container including the container main body and the cylindrical portion protruding from the container main body and having the developer discharge port. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a developer storage container that can discharge the developer stored in the container main body without remaining, and an image forming apparatus to which the developer storage container is applied.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a developing device and a toner container incorporated in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a developing device and a toner container shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of a developing device alone. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of a developing device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner container. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the toner container with the line-of-sight direction changed by 180 degrees from FIG. 6. FIG. 3 is a side view of a toner container. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a toner container. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rotating member disposed in a toner container. It is a side view of a rotation member, and is a figure accompanied with a partial cross-sectional view. FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a toner container for explaining toner operation by a rotating member. FIG. 4 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of a toner container and a developing device for explaining the operation of toner by a rotating member. It is a partial side view of a rotating member showing a desirable example of a film member. It is a fragmentary sectional view of a rotation member which shows a desirable example of a rotation member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a monochrome printer is illustrated as the image forming apparatus 1, but the image forming apparatus may be a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions, and an image forming apparatus that forms a color image. It may be.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes a main body housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing structure, a paper feeding unit 20, an image forming unit 30, a fixing unit 40, and a toner container 50 (developer housing) accommodated in the main body housing 10. Container).

  A front cover 11 is provided on the front side (right side in FIG. 1) of the main body housing 10, and a rear cover 12 is provided on the rear side. By opening the front cover 11, the user can take out the toner container 50 from the front side of the main body housing 10 when the toner runs out. The rear cover 12 is a cover that is opened at the time of sheet jam or maintenance. The units of the image forming unit 30 and the fixing unit 40 can be taken out from the rear side of the main body housing 10 by opening the rear cover 12. Further, on the upper surface of the main body housing 10, a paper discharge unit 13 for discharging the sheet after image formation is provided.

  The paper feeding unit 20 includes a paper feeding cassette 21 that accommodates a sheet on which image forming processing is performed. A part of the sheet feeding cassette 21 protrudes further forward from the front surface of the main body housing 10. The sheet feeding cassette 21 is provided with a sheet accommodating space for accommodating the bundle of sheets, a lift plate for lifting the bundle of sheets for feeding. A sheet feeding portion 21 </ b> A is provided at an upper portion on the rear end side of the sheet feeding cassette 21. In the sheet feeding portion 21A, a pickup roller (not shown) for feeding the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle in the sheet feeding cassette 21 one by one is disposed.

  The image forming unit 30 performs an image forming process for forming a toner image on a sheet fed from the paper feeding unit 20. The image forming unit 30 includes a photosensitive drum 31 (image carrier), a charging device 32, an exposure device (not shown in FIG. 1), a developing device 33, a transfer device, which are arranged around the photosensitive drum 31. A roller 34 and a cleaning device 35.

  The photosensitive drum 31 rotates around its axis, and an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed on its peripheral surface. As the photosensitive drum 31, a photosensitive drum using an amorphous silicon (a-Si) material can be used. The charging device 32 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 31, and includes a charging roller that contacts the photosensitive drum 31. The exposure apparatus has a laser light source and optical equipment such as a mirror and a lens, and irradiates the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 with light modulated based on image data given from an external device such as a personal computer. An electrostatic latent image is formed.

  The developing device 33 supplies toner to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 in order to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 31 to form a toner image. The developing device 33 includes a developing roller 331 that carries toner to be supplied to the photosensitive drum 31, a first conveying screw 332 that circulates and conveys the developer inside the developing housing 60 (see FIGS. 2 to 5), and A second conveying screw 333. The developing device 33 will be described in detail later.

  The transfer roller 34 is a roller for transferring a toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 onto a sheet, and forms a transfer nip portion with the photosensitive drum 31. The transfer roller 34 is given a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of the toner. The cleaning device 35 has a cleaning roller and the like, and cleans the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 31 after the toner image is transferred.

  The fixing unit 40 performs a fixing process for fixing the transferred toner image on the sheet. The fixing unit 40 includes a fixing roller 41 having a heating source therein, and a pressure roller 42 that is pressed against the fixing roller 41 and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing roller 41. When the sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is passed through the fixing nip portion, the toner image is fixed on the sheet by heating by the fixing roller 41 and pressing by the pressure roller 42.

  The toner container 50 stores toner (developer) to be supplied to the developing device 33. The toner container 50 includes a container main body 51 (container main body) serving as a main storage location of toner, a cylindrical portion 52 protruding from a lower portion of one side surface (rear surface in FIG. 1) of the container main body 51, and a container main body 51. A lid member 53 that covers the other side surface, and a rotating member 54 that is contained inside the container and conveys toner. The toner stored in the toner container 50 is supplied into the developing device 33 from the toner discharge port 521 provided on the lower surface of the front end of the cylindrical portion 52 when the rotating member 54 is driven to rotate. The toner container 50 will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS.

  In the main body housing 10, a main conveyance path 22F and a reverse conveyance path 22B are provided to convey the sheet. The main conveyance path 22 </ b> F passes through the image feeding unit 21 and the fixing unit 40 from the sheet feeding unit 21 </ b> A of the paper feeding unit 20, and the paper discharge port 14 provided to face the paper discharge unit 13 on the upper surface of the main body housing 10. It extends to. The reverse conveyance path 22B is a conveyance path for returning a sheet printed on one side to the upstream side of the image forming unit 30 in the main conveyance path 22F when performing duplex printing on the sheet.

  A registration roller pair 23 is arranged on the upstream side of the transfer nip portion between the photosensitive drum 31 and the transfer roller 34 in the main conveyance path 22F. After the sheet is temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 23 and skew correction is performed, the sheet is sent out to the transfer nip portion at a predetermined timing for image transfer. A plurality of transport rollers for transporting the sheet are disposed at appropriate positions on the main transport path 22F and the reverse transport path 22B. For example, a pair of paper discharge rollers 24 is disposed in the vicinity of the paper discharge port 14.

  The reverse conveyance path 22 </ b> B is formed between the outer side surface of the reverse unit 25 and the inner surface of the rear cover 12 of the main body housing 10. Note that one roller of the transfer roller 34 and the registration roller pair 23 is mounted on the inner surface of the reversing unit 25. The rear cover 12 and the reversing unit 25 can be rotated about the axis of the fulcrum 121 provided at the lower end thereof. When a sheet jam occurs in the reverse conveyance path 22B, the rear cover 12 is opened. When a sheet jam occurs in the main conveyance path 22F, or when the unit of the photosensitive drum 31 and the developing device 33 are taken out, the reversing unit 25 is opened in addition to the rear cover 12.

  Next, the structures of the developing device 33 and the toner container 50 and their arrangement relation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 is a plan view showing the assembled state of the developing device 33 and the toner container 50, FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the developing device 33 alone, and FIG. 5 is an internal structure of the developing device 33. FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the toner container alone.

  The developing device 33 includes a developing housing 60 having a box shape that is long in one direction (the axial direction of the developing roller 331). The developing housing 60 has an opening extending in the longitudinal direction, and a part of the peripheral surface of the developing roller 331 is exposed from the opening. In the present embodiment, the developing housing 60 is assembled to the main body housing 10 so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the left-right direction (first direction) of the main body housing 10.

  The top plate 60T near the left end of the developing housing 60 is provided with a toner replenishing port 60H for receiving the toner supplied from the toner container 50 into the housing. The developing device 33 and the toner container 50 are assembled so that the toner replenishing port 60H and the toner discharge port 521 of the toner container 50 overlap in the vertical direction. As shown by an arrow A in FIG. 2, the toner container 50 is attached to and detached from the developing device 33 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the developing housing 60 (front / rear direction / second direction). Since the toner container 50 has a housing shape that is long in one direction when viewed from above, when the toner container 50 is mounted on the developing device 33, a substantially L-shaped structure is formed when viewed from above (FIG. 2). reference).

  On the top surface of the top plate 60T, a developing shutter plate 61 that is slidable in the left-right direction is disposed. The developing shutter plate 61 is always urged leftward by an urging spring 62. The urging spring 62 is a coil spring, and ends thereof are attached to spring seats 621 and 622 provided on the right edge of the developing shutter plate 61 and a rib adjacent to the developing shutter plate 61, respectively. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the toner replenishing port 60H is opened. However, when the toner container 50 is not attached, the developing shutter plate 61 is urged by the urging spring 62 and is located on the left side. Close the supply port 60H.

  A pressing plate 522 is attached to a lower portion of the leading edge (other end portion 524) of the cylindrical portion 52 of the toner container 50. In addition, a container gear 54 </ b> G for inputting a rotational driving force to the rotating member 54 is disposed on the distal end surface of the cylindrical portion 52 so as to be exposed. A gear holder 63 including an input gear 631 and a coupling 632 is disposed in the left rear portion of the toner supply port 60 </ b> H of the developing housing 60. The coupling 632 receives a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown) provided in the main body housing 10. The input gear 631 meshes with the container gear 54G in a state where the toner container 50 is mounted on the developing device 33, and transmits the rotational driving force to the container gear 54G.

  When the toner container 50 is attached to the developing device 33, the cylindrical portion 52 of the toner container 50 enters from the front to the rear with respect to the toner supply port 60H. At this time, the pressing plate 522 of the toner container 50 interferes with the developing shutter plate 61 in a state of closing the toner supply port 60H, and moves the developing shutter plate 61 to the right. Specifically, the oblique projection 623 protruding from the upper surface of the developing shutter plate 61 interferes with the pressing plate 522, and the developing shutter plate 61 moves to the right against the urging force of the urging spring 62. Pushed away. When the cylindrical portion 52 of the toner container 50 enters a predetermined position, the toner replenishing port 60H is completely opened and the container gear 54G meshes with the input gear 631.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the development housing 60 includes an internal space 600. In the case of the two-component development method, the internal space 600 is filled with a developer composed of toner and carrier. The carrier is agitated and mixed with the toner in the internal space 600 to charge the toner and convey the toner to the developing roller 331. The toner is sequentially supplied to the developing roller 331 and consumed, and the consumed amount is appropriately supplied from the toner container 50.

  The internal space 600 of the developing housing 60 is partitioned into a first passage 602 and a second passage 603 that are long in the left-right direction by a partition plate 601 extending in the left-right direction. The partition plate 601 is shorter than the width in the left-right direction of the developing housing 60, and the first communication portion 604 and the second communication portion that connect the first passage 602 and the second passage 603 to the right end and the left end of the partition plate 601, respectively. 605 is provided. As a result, a circulation path reaching the first passage 602, the first communication portion 604, the second passage 603, and the second communication portion 605 is formed inside the developing housing 60.

  The toner replenishing port 60H described above is disposed above the vicinity of the left end of the first passage 602. A first conveyance screw 332 is accommodated in the first passage 602, and a second conveyance screw 333 is accommodated in the second passage 603. Each of the first and second conveying screws 332 and 333 includes a shaft and a blade member protruding in a spiral shape on the circumference of the shaft. The first conveying screw 332 is driven to rotate around the shaft to convey the developer in the direction of arrow a in FIG. On the other hand, the second conveying screw 333 is driven to rotate around the shaft, thereby conveying the developer in the direction of arrow b.

  By rotating the first and second conveying screws 332 and 333, the developer is circulated and conveyed along the above-described circulation path. The toner newly replenished from the toner replenishing port 60H will be described. The toner falls into the first passage 602, is mixed with the existing developer, and is conveyed by the first conveying screw 332 in the direction of arrow a. At this time, the toner is stirred with the carrier and charged. Next, the toner enters the second passage 603 from the downstream end of the first passage 602 through the first communication portion 604 and is conveyed in the direction of arrow b by the second conveying screw 333. During this conveyance, the toner is similarly charged, while a part is supplied to the peripheral surface of the developing roller 331. The remaining toner and carrier are returned to the upstream end of the first passage 602 via the second communication portion 605.

  Next, the detailed structure of the toner container 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 is a perspective view of the toner container 50 viewed from the cylindrical portion 52 side (rear side in FIG. 1), FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the toner container 50 viewed from the lid member 53 side while changing the line-of-sight direction by 180 degrees, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the toner container 50, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the rotating member 54 disposed in the toner container 50, and FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view of the rotating member 54. It is a side view.

  As described above, the toner container 50 includes the container main body 51, the cylindrical portion 52, the lid member 53 (fourth side wall), and the rotating member 54. The container body 51 includes a bottom wall 511 having a semicircular cross section, a first side wall 512 extending upward from one end edge of the bottom wall 511, and the other end of the bottom wall 511 in order to form a space for storing toner. A second side wall 513 extending upward from the edge and facing the first side wall 512, a third side wall 514 connecting the first side wall 512 and the second side wall 513 at the end edge on the cylindrical part 52 side, and the first side wall 512 And the top wall 515 which connects the upper end edges of the 2nd side wall 513, and the 1st flange part 516 formed in the edge of the side facing the cover member 53 are provided. In addition, the side of the first flange portion 516 of the container main body 51 is a side opening surface.

  The container main body 51 has a vertically long external shape in which the bottom wall 511 has the narrowest width, and the distance between the first side wall 512 and the second side wall 513 increases as it goes upward from the bottom wall 511. Yes. The first side wall 512 and the second side wall 513 are flat members, and the first side wall 512 and the second side wall 513 have a linear inner surface in a cross-sectional view.

  A cap 517 that closes an opening for filling toner into the container main body 51 is attached to the upper portion of the third side wall 514. A wireless tag 518 in which management information of the toner container 50 is recorded is attached to the second side wall 513. A pair of grooves 519 parallel to the direction in which the bottom wall 511 extends is formed near the upper ends of the first side wall 512 and the second side wall 513. The groove 519 is a portion that is guided by a guide member (not shown) on the main body housing 10 side when the toner container 50 is mounted on the main body housing 10.

  The cylindrical portion 52 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the third side wall 514 to the bottom wall 511. One end portion 523 of the cylindrical portion 52 is connected to the lower end portion of the third side wall 514, and the internal space of the container body 51 and the internal space of the cylindrical portion 52 are in communication with each other. The other end 524 of the cylindrical portion 52 is a protruding end of the cylindrical portion 52, and the container gear 54 </ b> G is disposed in a state of protruding further outward from the other end 524. The bottom portion 525 of the cylindrical portion 52 is flush with the bottom wall 511 of the container main body 51, thereby forming a bowl-shaped portion having a semicircular cross section from the first flange portion 516 to the other end portion 524. Has been. The cylindrical portion 52 has a slightly tapered shape from the one end portion 523 toward the other end portion 524.

  As described above, the cylindrical portion 52 is provided with the toner discharge port 521, and the cylindrical portion 52 is attached to the developing device 33. The toner discharge port 521 is a drop port disposed on the bottom portion 525 (lower surface) of the cylindrical portion 52. An engaging portion 526 that engages with a part of the developing housing 60 at the time of mounting is disposed on the bottom portion 525. The toner stored in the container main body 51 is sent to the cylindrical portion 52 by a rotational drive of a rotating member 54 described later, and is discharged from the toner discharge port 521. The cylindrical portion 52 includes an inner wall surface having a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation locus of the most projecting portion in the radial direction of the rotating member 54 (second transport member 56).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the toner discharge port 521 is provided in the vicinity of the other end 524 of the bottom 525. A shutter plate 527 that slides along the direction in which the cylindrical portion 52 extends is attached to the lower surface of the toner discharge port 521. The shutter plate 527 is biased in the direction of the other end 524 so as to always block the toner discharge port 521 by a biasing member (not shown). On the other hand, when the cylindrical portion 52 is mounted on the developing device 33, the shutter plate 527 interferes with a part of the developing housing 60 and slides in the direction of the one end portion 523. FIG. 9 shows a state where the shutter plate 527 is retracted and the toner discharge port 521 is opened. Note that the shutter plate 527 and the above-described engaging portion 526 are an integral member.

  The lid member 53 covers the side opening surface of the container main body 51, and includes a lid main body portion 531 having a concave shape, and a second flange that is provided on the periphery of the lid main body portion 531 and abuts against the first flange portion 516. Part 532. The lid main body portion 531 includes an inclined surface that is inclined so as to swell upward from below, and a vertical surface that is continuous with the upper end of the inclined surface. The vertical surface of the lid main body portion 531 is a portion that protrudes considerably from the second flange portion 532, and the user can grip the portion and perform an attaching / detaching operation on the main body housing 10 of the toner container 50. A shaft support 533 that rotatably supports a first end 542 of a rotating shaft of a rotating member 54 described later is provided at the lower end of the inner surface of the lid main body 531. The second flange portion 532 is welded to the first flange portion 516 in a state where the first end portion 542 is inserted into the shaft support portion 533.

  The rotating member 54 is a member that is disposed from the bottom wall 511 of the container main body 51 to the top of the cylindrical portion 52, and is a member that conveys toner by being driven to rotate about an axis. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the rotating member 54 includes a rotating shaft 541, a first conveying member 55, a second conveying member 56, and a pair of dispersing members 57 that rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 541. .

  The rotation shaft 541 is disposed so as to extend in the direction in which the bottom wall 511 extends, and includes a first end 542 and a second end 543 at both ends thereof. The first end 542 is rotatably supported by the shaft support 533 of the lid member 53. A cylindrical holding piece 544 (holding piece) is integrally attached to the second end portion 543. By inserting the barrel 545 of the container gear 54G into the cylindrical holding piece 544, the container gear 54G and the rotating shaft 541 are integrated. The body portion 545 is rotatably supported by the other end portion 524 of the cylindrical portion 52.

  The cylindrical holding piece 544 is attached with a flexible film member 546 (flexible pressing member) that sends toner to the toner discharge port 521 (falling port). The film member 546 is a rectangular thin PET film, protrudes in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 541, and is attached to the peripheral surface of the cylindrical holding piece 544. The film member 546 circulates when the rotating shaft 541 rotates, fluidizes the toner present near the other end 524 of the cylindrical portion 52, and sends it out to the toner discharge port 521.

  The first conveying member 55 is a conveying member that is integral with the rotating shaft 541 and that protrudes in a spiral shape on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 541. The second transport member 56 is a hollow spiral transport member disposed on the outer periphery of the rotary shaft 541 with a gap between the rotary shaft 541 and the first transport member 55. That is, the second transport member 56 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 541 and radially outside the first transport member 55. The pair of dispersion members 57 are rod-shaped members arranged in parallel with the rotation shaft 541 and are members that respectively connect the side portions of the second transport member 56. One dispersion member 57 and the other dispersion member 57 are arranged at an interval of 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 541.

  In other words, the second conveying member 56 is composed of a plurality of semicircular arch-shaped conveying pieces, and these arch-shaped conveying pieces are integrated by a pair of dispersion members 57. As a result, a hollow portion is provided near the shaft center. A spiral second transport member 56 is formed. The inner diameter of the hollow portion of the second transport member 56 is larger than the spiral outer diameter of the first transport member 55. And the aspect by which the rotating shaft 541 provided with the 1st conveyance member 55 in the surrounding surface was inserted concentrically in the said hollow part is a structure of the rotating member 54 of this embodiment. In addition, the spiral direction of the 1st conveyance member 55 and the spiral direction of the 2nd conveyance member 56 are reverse directions.

  The pair of dispersion members 57 are connected by connecting pieces 572 at the end portions 571 thereof. The connecting piece 572 is fixed in the vicinity of the first end 542 of the rotating shaft 541 at the center thereof. Although not shown in FIG. 10, a similar connecting piece is also arranged on the second end 543 side. That is, the rotation shaft 541, the second transport member 56, and the dispersion member 57 are integrated by the connecting piece 572, and when the rotation shaft 541 rotates, the second transport member 56 and the dispersion member 57 also rotate together.

  The rotating member 54 is extended over the cylindrical part 52 from the container main body 51, and includes a first part 54 </ b> A located in the container main body 51 and a second part 54 </ b> B located in the cylindrical part 52. The first transport member 55 and the second transport member 56 are formed over substantially the entire length of the rotation shaft 541 in the axial direction. That is, the first transport member 55 and the second transport member 56 exist in both the first portion 54A and the second portion 54B. Similarly, the dispersion member 57 is also disposed across both the first portion 54A and the second portion 54B.

  The outer diameter of the spiral of the first conveying member 55 is constant over the entire axial direction of the rotating shaft 541. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member 56 is reduced as it goes from the first end 542 to the second end 543 of the rotating shaft 541 as shown in FIG. Such a reduction in the outer diameter of the spiral is achieved by changing the radial thickness of the spiral piece (arch-like conveyance piece) of the second conveyance member 56. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the spiral of the second transport member 56 is constant over the entire axial length of the rotating shaft 541.

  In the portion P1 near the first end 542 of the rotating shaft 541, the radial thickness (projection height from the dispersion member 57) of the spiral piece of the second transport member 56 is as shown in the enclosed circle. The thickest T1. On the other hand, in the portion P2 near the center in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 541, the radial thickness of the spiral piece is T2 which is thinner than T1. Further, in the portion P3 close to the second end 543, the radial thickness of the spiral piece is T3 which is thinner than T2. That is, the relationship of T1> T2> T3 is established, whereby the envelope L of each spiral piece is inclined by the angle θ with respect to the dispersion member 57 extending in the horizontal direction H. In other words, the spiral of the second transport member 56 has a tapered shape that tapers at an angle θ. The tapered shape of the cylindrical portion 52 described above is also a tapered taper of this angle θ.

  When a rotational driving force that rotates the rotation shaft 541 in a predetermined rotation direction is applied to the container gear 54G, the first conveyance member 55 and the second conveyance member 56 generate toner conveyance force according to their spiral directions. To do. The second transport member 56 transports toner in a direction (hereinafter referred to as a second transport direction) from the container main body 51 side toward the cylindrical portion 52 (toner discharge port 521). That is, the toner is transported from the first end 542 side to the second end 543 side of the rotation shaft 541. On the other hand, the first conveying member 55 conveys the toner in a direction in which the toner is returned from the cylindrical portion 52 side to the container body 51 side (hereinafter referred to as a first conveying direction). That is, the toner is transported from the second end 543 side of the rotating shaft 541 toward the first end 542 side.

  On the other hand, the dispersion member 57 serves to disperse the toner conveyed by the first conveyance member 55 and the second conveyance member 56 to the outside in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 541. In other words, the dispersing member 57 disperses the toner present around the toner given the propulsive force by the spiral piece of the first conveying member 55 or the second conveying member 56 radially outward. Thereby, the movement of the toner in the first conveyance direction or the second conveyance direction is promoted.

  As described above, the rotating member 54 of the present embodiment has the ability to transport toner in different directions on the radially inner side (first transport member 55) and the outer side (second transport member 56). The toner conveying operation by the rotating member 54 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a schematic side sectional view of the toner container for explaining the operation of the toner by the rotating member, and FIG. 13 is a schematic horizontal sectional view of the toner container and the developing device.

  The second transport member 56 is rotationally driven to apply a pressing force toward the toner in the second transport direction. The toner directed to the cylindrical portion 52 by the second conveying member 56 moves exclusively in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the rotating member as indicated by an arrow C1 in the drawing. The same applies to the inside of the cylindrical portion 52, and the toner moves toward the other end portion 524 in a portion near the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 52. At this time, since the dispersion member 57 simultaneously diffuses the toner in the vicinity of the second conveyance member 56, the toner smoothly proceeds in the second conveyance direction.

  The toner conveyed in the second conveyance direction eventually reaches the other end 524 of the cylindrical portion 52. Part of the reached toner falls into the developing housing 60 from the toner discharge port 521 while being pressed by the film member 546. Then, the first and second conveying screws 332 and 333 are circulated and conveyed in the developing housing 60.

  On the other hand, the toner that has not been ejected from the toner discharge port 521 is driven in the first transport direction only in the portion close to the central axis of the cylindrical portion 52 as shown by the arrow C2 in the drawing by driving the first transport member 55. Is transported in reverse. The reversely conveyed toner eventually passes through the boundary between the cylindrical portion 52 and the container main body 51 and is returned to the container main body 51 together with the dispersion effect of the dispersion member 57.

  As described above, the toner container 50 according to the present embodiment has a circulation conveyance function in which the toner once sent to the cylindrical portion 52 by the second conveyance member 56 is returned to the container main body 51 by the first conveyance member 55. ing. For this reason, even in the toner container 50 having a structure in which the cylindrical portion 52 is provided with the toner discharge port 521 at the tip, the toner can be prevented from aggregating in the vicinity of the toner discharge port 521.

  That is, the cylindrical portion 52 is slightly larger than the inner space having a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation trajectory of the second conveying member 56 that is the most protruding portion in the radial direction of the rotating member 54, that is, the spiral outer diameter of the second conveying member 56. This is a portion having a narrow cylindrical internal space having an inner diameter. In the toner container 50 having such a cylindrical portion 52, when the rotating member 54 is provided only with a function of transporting toner in the second transport direction, if the discharge amount is small relative to the toner feed amount, Eventually, the toner loses its place and is pressed and hardened in the cylindrical portion 52, and finally aggregates. In this case, the toner discharge port 521 is blocked by the toner aggregate, and a problem that the toner cannot be discharged occurs. On the other hand, in the toner container 50 of the present embodiment, since the first transport member 55 has a transport function of feeding in the reverse direction in the first transport direction within the cylindrical portion 52, the toner is not compressed. That is, in the cylindrical part 52, there is no escape place of toner on the outer side in the radial direction, so the toner tends to go in the axial direction of the cylindrical part 52. A first conveying member 55 is disposed at the axial center portion, and conveys toner in the first conveying direction. Accordingly, the toner can be efficiently returned from the cylindrical portion 52 to the container main body 51 before the toner is aggregated.

  In particular, in the rotating member 54 of the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member 56 is reduced as it goes in the second conveying direction, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 52 is also the tip (the other end 524). ), The toner can be smoothly directed toward the tip of the cylindrical portion 52 along these tapered shapes. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member 56 is substantially constant over the entire axial direction of the rotating shaft 541. Therefore, toner conveyance in the first conveyance direction by the first conveyance member 55 located inside is not hindered. Therefore, the first conveying member 55 can stably return the toner from the cylindrical portion 52 side to the container main body 51 side.

  According to the present embodiment, in a toner container 50 having a container shape including a container main body 51 and a cylindrical portion 52 that protrudes from the container main body 51 and has a toner discharge port 521, toner is contained in the cylindrical portion 52. Aggregation can be suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the toner container 50 that can be supplied to the developing device 33 without the toner stored in the container main body 51 remaining.

  The toner container 50 and the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the following modified embodiment can be taken.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the toner container 50 is illustrated as a specific example of the developer container. The developer container may be, for example, a developing unit in which a toner storage unit and a developing roller are integrated, or an intermediate hopper that is interposed between the toner container and the developing device.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the example in which the rectangular film member 546 is attached to the end of the rotating shaft 541 of the rotating member 54 has been described. Instead, a trapezoidal film member 546A as shown in FIG. 14 may be attached. The film member 546A includes a base end portion 546B attached to the cylindrical holding piece 544 and a free end portion 546T opposite to the base end portion 546B. The length of the free end portion 546T in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 541 is longer than the base end portion 546B, and a part of the free end portion 546T (extension portion 546E) is positioned on the second end portion 543 of the rotation shaft 541. doing.

  In practice, it is difficult to form the spirals of the first conveying member 55 and the second conveying member 56 until the second end 543 of the rotating shaft 541 is in the immediate vicinity. Therefore, in the vicinity of the second end portion 543, there is substantially no member that applies a pressing force to the toner, and the toner tends to be in a state that does not flow so much. In this case, in place of the rectangular film member 546 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the film member 546 </ b> A having the extension 546 </ b> E is employed, so that the toner is more fluidized in the vicinity of the second end 543. Can be made. That is, as the rotation shaft 541 rotates, the extension 546E stirs the toner in the vicinity of the second end 543 and promotes the toner flow. This facilitates the discharge of toner from the toner discharge port 521 and the toner transport in the first transport direction by the first transport member 55.

  (3) A desirable example of the rotating member 54 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rotating member 54. Here, a preferred embodiment is illustrated with respect to the relationship between the thickness of the dispersion member 57 and the distance between the outermost periphery of the spiral of the first transport member and the radially inner surface of the dispersion member 57. It is assumed that the dispersion member 57 has a thickness D1 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 541. On the other hand, a distance D2 is defined between the spiral outermost peripheral portion 55A of the first transport member 55 and the radially inner surface 57A of the dispersion member 57.

  In this case, the distance D2 is desirably larger than the thickness D1. By setting the distance D2 to be greater than the thickness D1, a sufficient space exists between the outermost peripheral portion 55A of the spiral of the first transport member 55 and the radially inner surface 57A of the dispersion member. As a result, a toner conveyance area by the first conveyance member 55 is secured inside the spiral of the second conveyance member 56. Therefore, it is possible to reliably carry the toner in the first carrying direction by the first carrying member 55.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 10 Main body housing 31 Photosensitive drum (Image carrier)
33 Developing device 331 Developing roller 50 Toner container (developer container)
51 Container body (container body)
511 Bottom wall 512 First side wall 513 Second side wall 514 Third side wall 52 Cylindrical portion 521 Toner discharge port (falling port)
53 Lid member (4th wall)
54 Rotating member 541 Rotating shaft 546 Film member (flexible pressing member)
55 1st conveyance member 56 2nd conveyance member 57 Dispersion member

Claims (9)

A container body having a bottom wall and containing a developer;
A cylindrical portion provided from the container main body and connected to the bottom wall and provided with a developer discharge port;
A rotating member that spans the cylindrical portion from the container body and has a function of transporting the developer in the container body,
The rotating member is
A rotating shaft extending in the extending direction of the bottom wall;
A first conveying member that is disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and conveys the developer in a first conveying direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container body side;
It is arranged on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and radially outside of the first conveying member, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and in the second conveying direction from the container main body side toward the cylindrical portion side. A second conveying member that conveys the developer,
The cylindrical portion has an inner wall surface with a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation locus of the most protruding portion in the radial direction of the second transport member ,
The first conveying member is a conveying member provided in a spiral shape on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft,
The second transport member is a spiral transport member having a hollow portion through which the rotation shaft including the first transport member can be inserted,
The developer storage container , wherein the outer diameter of the spiral of the second transport member is reduced in diameter toward the second transport direction . The developer container according to claim 1 ,
The developer storage container, wherein the inner diameter of the spiral of the second conveying member is substantially constant over the entire axial length of the rotating shaft. A container body having a bottom wall and containing a developer;
A cylindrical portion provided from the container main body and connected to the bottom wall and provided with a developer discharge port;
A rotating member that spans the cylindrical portion from the container body and has a function of transporting the developer in the container body,
The rotating member is
A rotating shaft extending in the extending direction of the bottom wall;
A first conveying member that is disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and conveys the developer in a first conveying direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container body side;
It is arranged on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and radially outside of the first conveying member, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and in the second conveying direction from the container main body side toward the cylindrical portion side. A second conveying member that conveys the developer,
The cylindrical portion has an inner wall surface with a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation locus of the most protruding portion in the radial direction of the second transport member,
The rotating member further includes a dispersing member that extends in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft and disperses the conveyed developer radially outward. The developer container according to claim 1 ,
The rotating member further includes a dispersing member that extends in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft and is attached to the second conveying member, and disperses the conveyed developer radially outward.
The dispersion member has a thickness D1 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft,
A developer storage container in which a distance D2 between the outermost periphery of the spiral of the first conveying member and the radially inner surface of the dispersion member is larger than the thickness D1. A container body having a bottom wall and containing a developer;
A cylindrical portion provided from the container main body and connected to the bottom wall and provided with a developer discharge port;
A rotating member that spans the cylindrical portion from the container body and has a function of transporting the developer in the container body,
The rotating member is
A rotating shaft extending in the extending direction of the bottom wall;
A first conveying member that is disposed on a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and conveys the developer in a first conveying direction from the cylindrical portion side toward the container body side;
It is arranged on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and radially outside of the first conveying member, rotates integrally with the rotating shaft, and in the second conveying direction from the container main body side toward the cylindrical portion side. A second conveying member that conveys the developer,
The cylindrical portion has an inner wall surface with a circular cross section corresponding to the rotation locus of the most protruding portion in the radial direction of the second transport member,
The developer discharge port is a drop port disposed on the lower surface of the cylindrical part,
A developer container, wherein a flexible pressing member protruding in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating shaft is attached to a position corresponding to the dropping port of the rotating shaft. In the developer container according to claim 5 ,
The rotating shaft includes a holding piece that is integrally attached to the end portion on the cylindrical portion side,
The flexible pressing member is a film member, and the film member includes a base end portion attached to the holding piece, and a free end portion opposite to the base end portion,
The developer storage container, wherein a length of the free end portion in the axial direction is longer than that of the base end portion, and a part of the free end portion is positioned on the rotation shaft. In the developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The bottom wall of the container body has a semicircular inner wall surface corresponding to the rotation locus of the most projecting portion in the radial direction of the second transport member, and the semicircular inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion It is connected to a circular inner wall surface,
The container body includes a first side wall extending upward from one end edge of the bottom wall, a second side wall extending upward from the other end edge of the bottom wall, and facing the first side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall. A third side wall connecting one end edges of the side walls; and a fourth side wall facing the third side wall and connecting the other end edges of the first side wall and the second side wall;
The cylindrical portion protrudes from the third side wall,
The rotating shaft has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end is pivotally supported on the fourth side wall, and the second end is A developer container that is pivotally supported at the protruding front end surface of the cylindrical portion. An image carrier that carries a developer image on its peripheral surface;
A developing device including a developing roller for supplying a developer to the peripheral surface of the image carrier;
The developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is assembled to the developing device and replenishes the developer with the developer.
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 .
The developing device includes a developing housing having a long shape in a first direction along the axial direction of the developing roller,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the developer container is assembled to the developing device in a direction along a second direction in which the rotation axis is orthogonal to the first direction.

Images