Toner storage container and image forming apparatus including same

Abstract

The invention relates to a toner container and an image forming apparatus including the same. The toner storage container includes a container main body, a transmission gear, a cover member, and a seal member. The transmission gear is attached to the container main body in a state in which movement in the circumferential direction is restricted, and transmits rotational driving force to the container main body. The cover member covers the opening of the container main body and maintains a rotation-stopped state when the container main body and the transmission gear rotate. The sealing member is disposed between the container body and the lid member. The transmission gear has a large-diameter portion having an outer diameter larger than that of the other portions. The cover member has a main body part and a cylindrical holding part that protrudes from the main body part in the rotation axis direction and holds the container main body and a part of the transfer gear. The front end portion of the holding portion is in contact with a stepped portion of the large-diameter portion on the side close to the cover member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner storage container and an image forming apparatus provided with the toner storage container. The toner storage container is installed in the image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process and stores toner. Background Art

[0002] In an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method, a development process is performed by supplying toner from a developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of an image carrier (e.g., a photosensitive drum). The toner used in such a development process is supplied to the developer from a toner storage container. For example, the toner storage container includes a container body that stores the toner and rotates.

[0003] In the toner storage container of the above structure, there is a case where the opening of the container body is covered by a cover that does not rotate when the container body rotates. In this case, the toner is more likely to leak out from between the container body and the cover than when the cover rotates integrally with the container body when the container body rotates. Summary of the invention

[0004] 1. Technical issues to be resolved

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a toner container capable of suppressing wear and deformation of a sealing member by reducing variation in pressing force acting on the sealing member, and an image forming apparatus including the same.

[0006] (II) Technical solution

[0007] The toner storage container of the first structure of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a cylindrical container body that stores toner and rotates; a cylindrical transmission gear that is installed on the outer peripheral surface of one end side of the container body in a state where circumferential movement is restricted and transmits a rotational driving force to the container body; a cover member that covers an opening portion provided at one end portion of the container body in the direction of the rotation axis and keeps the rotation stopped when the container body and the transmission gear rotate; and a sealing member that is arranged between the container body and the cover member and at least a part of which is made of elastic material, and the toner storage container is removable relative to the image forming device. The transmission gear has a large diameter portion whose outer diameter is larger than other portions, and the cover component has: a main body portion, which has a connecting portion connected to the interior of the container body via the opening portion; a cylindrical retaining portion, which protrudes from the main body portion toward the container body along the direction of the rotation axis and retains a portion of the container body and the transmission gear in the direction of the rotation axis; and a locking portion, which is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the retaining portion, and clamps a flange portion and the sealing component formed on the peripheral portion of the opening portion between the locking portion and the main body along the direction of the rotation axis, and the front end portion of the retaining portion is in contact with a step portion on one side of the large diameter portion close to the cover component.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is an image forming apparatus including: a toner container having the above-described structure; and a mounting portion for mounting the toner container.

[0009] (III) Beneficial effects

[0010] According to the first structure of the present invention, since the front end of the retaining portion of the cover member contacts the step portion of the large diameter portion of the transmission gear on the side close to the cover member, no excessive load is applied to the sealing member, the inclination of the container body can be restricted, and the toner leakage of the toner storage container can be suppressed. In addition, the wear and deterioration of the sealing member can be suppressed, and the service life of the sealing member is extended, so that the toner storage container can be used for a long time and can be repeatedly used by refilling the toner.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the second configuration of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which toner leakage from the toner container is unlikely to occur. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of an image forming apparatus 100 equipped with toner containers 4 a to 4 d according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1An enlarged view of the vicinity of the image forming portion Pa in FIG.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing toner containers 4 a to 4 d and container mounting portions 30 a to 30 d according to the present embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the toner container 4 d according to the present embodiment as viewed from the upstream side in the insertion direction.

[0016] Figure 5 It is an exploded perspective view of the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the toner container 4 d according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of an end portion of the toner container 4 d of the present embodiment, cut along the axial direction, on the downstream side in the insertion direction.

[0018] Figure 7 It is an exploded view showing the layer structure of the sealing member 43 .

[0019] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of an end portion of the toner container 4d on the downstream side in the insertion direction cut along the axial direction in a state where the toner container 4d is mounted on the container mounting portion 30d.

[0020] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the contact portion between the transmission gear 41 and the retaining portion 422 of the cover member 42 .

[0021] Fig.10 It is a side view schematically showing a connection portion between a container body 40 and a cover member 42 of a toner container 4 d according to a modified example of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an image forming apparatus 100 equipped with toner containers 4 a to 4 d according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the vicinity of the image forming portion Pa in FIG.

[0023] Figure 1 The image forming apparatus 100 shown is a so-called tandem color printer and has the following structure. Figure 1The image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are arranged in sequence. These image forming units Pa to Pd are arranged corresponding to images of different four colors (yellow, cyan, magenta, and black), and form yellow, cyan, magenta, and black images in sequence through charging, exposure, development, and transfer processes.

[0024] The image forming sections Pa to Pd are provided with photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d that carry visible images (toner images) of respective colors. Figure 1 The intermediate transfer belt 8 rotates counterclockwise as shown. The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8 which moves while contacting the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and then are transferred to a sheet S as an example of a recording medium by the secondary transfer roller 9. The toner images are fixed on the sheet S in the fixing unit 13 and then discharged from the main body of the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 1 As shown, the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d rotate clockwise, and image forming processing is performed on each of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d.

[0025] The paper S to which the toner image has been transferred is stored in a paper cassette 16 at the lower part of the image forming apparatus 100 and is conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 9 via a paper feed roller 12a and a pair of registration rollers 12b. The intermediate transfer belt 8 is mainly a seamless belt.

[0026] Next, the image forming units Pa to Pd will be described. Although the image forming unit Pa will be described in detail below, the image forming units Pb to Pd also have basically the same structure, so their description will be omitted. Figure 2 As shown, around the photosensitive drum 1a, along the drum rotation direction ( Figure 2 The photosensitive drum 1a is provided with a charging device 2a, a developing device 3a, a cleaning device 7a, and a primary transfer roller 6a across the intermediate transfer belt 8. In addition, a belt cleaning unit 19 is provided on the upstream side of the intermediate transfer belt 8 in the rotation direction relative to the photosensitive drum 1a, across the intermediate transfer belt 8, and facing the tension roller 11.

[0027] Next, the image forming process in the image forming apparatus 100 is described. When the user inputs an image forming start command, the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are first rotated by a main motor (not shown), and the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are uniformly charged by the charging rollers 20 of the charging devices 2a to 2d. Then, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are irradiated with light by a light beam (laser) emitted from the exposure device 5, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on each of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d.

[0028] The developing devices 3a to 3d are filled with a predetermined amount of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toners, respectively. When the ratio of the toner in the two-component developer filled in each developing device 3a to 3d becomes lower than a predetermined value due to the formation of a toner image described later, toner is replenished from the toner container 4a to 4d to each developing device 3a to 3d. The toner in the developer is supplied to the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d by the developing roller 21 of the developing device 3a to 3d and is electrostatically attached. Thus, a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image formed by exposure from the exposure device 5 is formed.

[0029] Then, the primary transfer rollers 6a to 6d are used to apply an electric field between the primary transfer rollers 6a to 6d and the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d at a predetermined transfer voltage, and the yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner images on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8. These four-color images are formed in a predetermined positional relationship predetermined in order to form a predetermined full-color image. After that, in preparation for the subsequent formation of a new electrostatic latent image, the cleaning blades 22 and the rubbing rollers 23 of the cleaning devices 7a to 7d remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d.

[0030] The driving roller 10 is rotated by a belt driving motor (not shown). When the intermediate transfer belt 8 starts to rotate counterclockwise with the rotation of the driving roller 10, the paper S is conveyed from the registration roller pair 12b to the secondary transfer roller 9 provided adjacent to the intermediate transfer belt 8 at a predetermined timing, and a full-color image is transferred. The paper S to which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 13. The toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 is removed by the belt cleaning unit 19.

[0031] The paper S conveyed to the fixing section 13 is heated and pressurized by the fixing roller pair 13a, so that the toner image is fixed on the surface of the paper S, thereby forming a predetermined full-color image. The paper S with the full-color image formed thereon is assigned a conveying direction by the branching section 14 that branches in multiple directions, and is discharged to the discharge tray 17 by the discharge roller pair 15 directly (or after being conveyed to the double-sided conveying path 18 and double-sided printing is performed).

[0032] Next, the toner containers 4a to 4d will be described. Figure 3 4a to 4d and the container mounting parts 30a to 30d. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , only the toner container 4d is shown in a state in which it is being mounted on the container mounting portion 30d, and the toner containers 4a to 4c are shown in a state in which they have been completely mounted on the container mounting portions 30a to 30c.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the toner containers 4a to 4d are respectively provided from the front side ( Figure 3right front side) toward the rear side ( Figure 3 The container mounting parts 30a to 30d are arranged in the left and right directions. The container mounting parts 30a to 30d are formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the front-back direction. The outer diameter of the toner container 4d storing black toner is larger than the outer diameter of the toner containers 4a to 4c storing yellow, cyan and magenta toners. The inner diameter of the container mounting part 30d is larger than the inner diameter of the container mounting parts 30a to 30c.

[0034] A toner replenishing port 303 is provided at the lower portion of each container mounting portion 30 a to 30 d and on the downstream side in the insertion direction (see FIG. Figure 8 The toner replenishment port 303 is connected to a replenishment tube 304 extending in the vertical direction (see Figure 8 ) is connected to the interior of the developing devices 3a~3d of each image forming unit Pa~Pd.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the toner container 4 d according to the present embodiment as viewed from the upstream side in the insertion direction. Figure 5 The downstream side of the toner container 4d in the insertion direction of the present embodiment ( Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the end portion of the vehicle body (right inner side). Figure 6 The toner container 4d storing black toner is described below, and the toner containers 4a to 4c storing yellow, cyan, and magenta toners have the same structure.

[0036] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the toner container 4 d includes a container body 40 , a transmission gear 41 provided at the rear of the container body 40 , a cover member 42 provided at the rear side of the transmission gear 41 , and a sealing member 43 accommodated inside the cover member 42 .

[0037] The container body 40 is cylindrical and extends in the insertion direction (arrow A direction) relative to the container mounting portion 30d. In the present embodiment, the front-to-back direction of the image forming apparatus 100 is the length direction of the container body 40. The container body 40 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis Y extending in the length direction. Black toner (not shown) is stored in the container body 40. The toner stored in the container body 40 is transported from the front side to the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 (from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction).

[0038] The container body 40 has: a handle portion 401, a large diameter cylinder portion 402 arranged on the downstream side of the handle portion 401 relative to the colorant conveying direction (arrow A direction), a medium diameter cylinder portion 403 arranged on the downstream side of the large diameter cylinder portion 402, and a small diameter cylinder portion 404 arranged on the downstream side of the medium diameter cylinder portion 403.

[0039] The handle portion 401 is provided at the end portion on the upstream side of the insertion direction of the container body 40. The internal space of the handle portion 401 is communicated with the internal space of the large diameter cylinder portion 402. The large diameter cylinder portion 402, the middle diameter cylinder portion 403, and the small diameter cylinder portion 404 are formed into a cylindrical shape centered on the rotation axis Y. The middle diameter cylinder portion 403 is provided between the large diameter cylinder portion 402 and the small diameter cylinder portion 404. The outer diameter of the middle diameter cylinder portion 403 is smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter cylinder portion 402 and larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter cylinder portion 404.

[0040] On the outer peripheral surface of the container body 40, a substantially annular first step portion 405 is formed between the large diameter cylinder portion 402 and the middle diameter cylinder portion 403, and a spiral second step portion 406 is formed between the middle diameter cylinder portion 403 and the small diameter cylinder portion 404. The step difference of the first step portion 405 (the difference in outer diameter between the large diameter cylinder portion 402 and the middle diameter cylinder portion 403) is smaller than the step difference of the second step portion 406 (the difference in outer diameter between the middle diameter cylinder portion 403 and the small diameter cylinder portion 404).

[0041] A spiral conveying rib 407 is continuously provided on the inner circumference of the large diameter cylinder 402, the middle diameter cylinder 403, and the small diameter cylinder 404 of the container body 40. The conveying rib 407 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumference of the container body 40 and has a substantially V-shape in cross-section.

[0042] A pair of first engaging protrusions 50 (rotation restricting portions) are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter cylinder portion 404. One of the pair of first engaging protrusions 50 is arranged so as not to overlap with the conveying rib 40. The other of the pair of first engaging protrusions 50 is arranged so as to overlap with the conveying rib 407. The pair of first engaging protrusions 50 are arranged at positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis Y.

[0043] A pair of second engaging protrusions 51 (movement limiting portions) are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter cylinder 404. Each of the second engaging protrusions 51 is arranged so as not to overlap with the conveying rib 407. Each of the second engaging protrusions 51 is arranged so as to be 90 degrees offset in the circumferential direction relative to the first engaging protrusions 50. That is, the pair of first engaging protrusions 50 and the pair of second engaging protrusions 51 are arranged so as not to overlap with each other in the circumferential direction.

[0044] A circular opening 52 is provided at the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 404. An annular flange 53 is provided at the peripheral edge of the opening 52 so as to protrude radially outward.

[0045] The transmission gear 41 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter cylindrical portion 404 of the container body 40. The transmission gear 41 is formed into a cylindrical shape centered on the rotation axis Y. The transmission gear 41 includes a large diameter portion 411, a middle diameter portion 412 provided on the downstream side of the large diameter portion 411 with respect to the toner conveying direction, and a small diameter portion 413 provided on the downstream side of the middle diameter portion 412. The outer diameter of the transmission gear 41 decreases in the order of the large diameter portion 411, the middle diameter portion 412, and the small diameter portion 413.

[0046] Gear teeth 55 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 411. The diameter of the large diameter portion 411 including the gear teeth 55 is smaller than the outer diameters of the large diameter cylinder portion 402 and the middle diameter cylinder portion 403 of the container body 40, and is larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter cylinder portion 404. With respect to the insertion direction, the end portion of the upstream side of the large diameter portion 411 faces the second engagement protrusion 51 of the container body 40.

[0047] A plurality of engagement ribs 56 extending in the insertion direction are provided throughout the inner circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 411 and the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41. The plurality of engagement ribs 56 are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction (eg, 10 to 20 are provided at equal intervals).

[0048] A pair of first engaging protrusions 50 are inserted between two sets of engaging ribs 56 among the plurality of engaging ribs 56. Thus, the rotation of the transmission gear 41 relative to the container body 40 is restricted. In addition, the other engaging ribs 56 (engaging ribs 56 without the first engaging protrusions 50 inserted) other than the two sets of engaging ribs 56 function as reinforcements for reinforcing the transmission gear 41.

[0049] The cover member 42 covers the opening 52 of the container body 40. The cover member 42 includes a main body 421, a retaining portion 422 extending from the main body 421 toward the upstream side in the insertion direction, a locking cylinder 423 protruding from the main body 421 toward the downstream side in the insertion direction, a cover-side restricting portion 424 provided on the upper side of the locking cylinder 423, and a cover-side baffle 425 provided on the lower side of the main body 421, the retaining portion 422, and the locking cylinder 423.

[0050] A communication portion 60 is provided inside the main body 421, and the communication portion 60 communicates with the toner storage space of the container body 40 via the opening 52 of the container body 40. A toner discharge port 61 is provided at the lower end of the communication portion 60.

[0051] The retaining portion 422 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape protruding from the main body 421 toward the container body 40 side with the rotation axis Y as the center. The inner peripheral surface of the retaining portion 422 faces the outer peripheral surfaces of the middle diameter portion 412 and the small diameter portion 413 of the transmission gear 41. A total of four locking portions 62 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the retaining portion 422 of the cover member 42. The flange portion 53 (end portion on the downstream side of the insertion direction) and the sealing member 43 of the container body 40 are clamped in the gap D between each locking portion 62 and the main body 421. The gap D is narrower than the sum of the thickness of the flange portion 53 and the sealing member 43. Therefore, the sealing member 43 is compressed to a predetermined thickness, and the sealing performance between the container body 40 and the cover member 42 is maintained.

[0052] The transmission gear 41 is sandwiched between the holding portion 422 and the second engagement protrusion 51 of the container body 40 . Thus, the movement of the transmission gear 41 in the insertion direction of the container body 40 is restricted, and the transmission gear 41 is prevented from falling off from the container body 40 .

[0053] The sealing member 43 is formed in an annular shape and is arranged radially inside the holding portion 422 of the cover member 42. The sealing member 43 is arranged between the flange portion 53 of the container body 40 and the main body portion 421 of the cover member 42 in a compressed state.

[0054] The sealing member 43 is fixed to the surface of the main body 421 of the cover member 42 that is opposite to the flange 53 (the surface on the upstream side in the insertion direction). Alternatively, the sealing member 43 may be fixed to the flange 53 of the container body 40, but when the sealing member 43 is fixed to the flange 53, when the cover member 42 is mounted on the container body 40, the sealing member 43 may come into contact with the holding portion 422 and be damaged. Therefore, from the viewpoint of the ease of assembly of the toner container 4d, it is preferable to fix the sealing member 43 to the main body 421 of the cover member 42.

[0055] Figure 7 4 is an exploded view showing the layer structure of the sealing member 43. The sealing member 43 includes: a first sealing layer 431, a first adhesive layer 432, a second sealing layer 433, and a second adhesive layer 434. The first sealing layer 431 constitutes the outer surface layer of the sealing member 43, and is opposed to the flange portion 53 of the container body 40. The first sealing layer 431 is composed of, for example, an elastic material, that is, polyurethane foam. The first adhesive layer 432 is laminated on the back side (downstream side in the insertion direction) of the first sealing layer 431. The first adhesive layer 432 is composed of, for example, a double-sided tape, and bonds the first sealing layer 431 to the second sealing layer 433.

[0056] The second sealing layer 433 is laminated on the back side (downstream side in the insertion direction) of the first adhesive layer 432. The thickness of the second sealing layer 433 is 50% or more relative to the overall thickness of the sealing member 43. The second sealing layer 433 is made of, for example, an elastic material, i.e., polyurethane foam. The second adhesive layer 434 is laminated on the back side (downstream side in the insertion direction) of the second sealing layer 433. The second adhesive layer 434 is made of, for example, a double-sided tape, and bonds the second sealing layer 433 to the main body 421 of the cover member 42.

[0057] Next, the operation of mounting the toner containers 4a to 4d in the container mounting portions 30a to 30d will be described. In addition, since the mounting operations of the toner containers 4a to 4d are the same, only the operation of mounting the toner container 4d in the container mounting portion 30d will be described below, and the operation of mounting the toner containers 4a to 4c in the container mounting portions 30a to 30c will be omitted.

[0058] When the toner container 4d is mounted on the container mounting portion 30d, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the toner container 4 d is inserted into the container mounting portion 30 d from the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction (the cover member 42 side).

[0059] Figure 8 4 is a cross-sectional view of the end portion of the toner container 4d on the downstream side of the insertion direction in the axial direction when the toner container 4d is installed in the container installation portion 30d. Figure 8 As shown, in a state where the engaging cylinder 423 of the cover member 42 of the toner container 4d is engaged with the boss 302 of the mounting portion side shutter 301 of the container mounting portion 30d, the main body 421 of the cover member 42 presses the boss 302. As a result, the mounting portion side shutter 301 moves from the closed position to the open position, and the toner replenishing port 303 of the container mounting portion 30d is opened.

[0060] When the toner container 4d is mounted on the container mounting portion 30d, the cover side shutter 425 provided on the cover member 42 moves from the closed position to the open position, opening the toner discharge port 61 of the main body 421 of the cover member 42. Therefore, the communication portion 60 of the main body 421 communicates with the replenishing pipe 304.

[0061] When the toner container 4d is mounted on the container mounting portion 30d as described above, the fitting protrusion 63 provided on the cover side restriction portion 424 of the cover member 42 of the toner container 4d is fitted into the mounting portion side restriction portion 305 of the container mounting portion 30d. Thus, the toner container 4d is positioned relative to the container mounting portion 30d.

[0062] Next, the operation of replenishing toner from the toner container 4d to the developing device 3d of the image forming unit Pd in ​​the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. The operation of replenishing toner from the toner containers 4a to 4c to the developing devices 3a to 3c of the image forming units Pa to Pc is similar, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] When toner is replenished from the toner container 4d to the developing device 3d of the image forming portion Pd, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, when the toner container 4d is mounted on the container mounting portion 30d, the toner replenishing motor (not shown) is driven. Thus, the rotational driving force from the toner replenishing motor is transmitted to the transmission gear 41 of the toner container 4d via the gear train and the drive input gear (both not shown), and the transmission gear 41 rotates.

[0064] When the transmission gear 41 rotates, the container body 40 of the toner container 4 d rotates integrally with the transmission gear 41 . That is, the rotational driving force from the toner replenishing motor is transmitted to the container body 40 via the transmission gear 41 .

[0065] On the other hand, the cap member 42 and the sealing member 43 of the toner container 4 d do not rotate but remain in a rotationally stopped state when the container body 40 rotates. Therefore, the container body 40 rotates relative to the cap member 42 and the sealing member 43 .

[0066] When the container body 40 rotates, the toner in the container body 40 is conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the toner conveying direction by the conveying ribs 407 of the container body 40, and is discharged from the container body 40 through the opening 52. The toner discharged from the container body 40 through the opening 52 is introduced into the communication portion 60 of the main body 421 of the cover member 42. The toner introduced into the communication portion 60 is discharged from the communication portion 60 through the toner discharge port 61 of the main body 421. The toner discharged from the communication portion 60 through the toner discharge port 61 is introduced into the replenishment pipe 304 through the toner replenishment port 303 of the container mounting portion 30d, and is replenished from the replenishment pipe 304 to the developing device 3d of the image forming portion Pd.

[0067] As described above, when the toner containers 4a to 4d are mounted on the container mounting portions 30a to 30d, only the flange portion 53 (end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction) of the container body 40 is held by the cover member 42. In this structure, the container body 40 may be tilted downward relative to the cover member 42 due to the weight of the toner stored in the container body 40 and the weight of the container body 40. When the container body 40 is rotated in this state, the load applied to the bottom of the sealing member 43 increases, and the sealing member 43 may be partially worn and deteriorated.

[0068] When the toner containers 4a to 4d are mounted on the container mounting portions 30a to 30d, if the container body 40 is pushed deeper than a predetermined position, the seal member 43 is excessively compressed. If this state is maintained for a long time, the seal member 43 deteriorates.

[0069] If the seal member 43 is worn or deteriorated, toner is likely to leak from between the container body 40 and the cover member 42. In addition, since the service life of the seal member 43 is shortened, when the used toner containers 4a to 4d are filled with toner for reuse, the seal member 43 needs to be replaced, which reduces the reusability.

[0070] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the contact portion between the transmission gear 41 and the retaining portion 422 of the cover member 42. Fig. 9 As shown, the holding portion 422 of the cover member 42 is extended toward the container body 40 (upstream in the insertion direction). More specifically, the front end portion 422a of the holding portion 422 abuts against the stepped portion 414 of the large diameter portion 411 and the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41.

[0071] According to this structure, the contact between the front end portion 422a of the holding portion 422 and the step portion 414 of the transmission gear 41 restricts the position of the container body 40 and the cover member 42 in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the rotation axis Y). Therefore, even when the toner containers 4a to 4d are strongly pressed into the container mounting portions 30a to 30d, no pressing force is applied to the sealing member 43. That is, since the compressed state of the sealing member 43 is kept constant by the gap D between the locking portion 62 and the main body 421, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the sealing member 43 due to excessive compression.

[0072] In addition, the inner peripheral surface 422b of the holding portion 422 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41. According to this structure, the portion of the container body 40 and the transmission gear 41 from the flange portion 53 to the step portion 414 of the transmission gear 41 is supported in the axial direction by the cover member 42. As a result, the axial holding length of the container body 40 and the transmission gear 41 is increased, so that the load that causes the container body 40 to tilt downward can be dispersed and supported not only in the vicinity of the sealing member 43 but also in the axial direction.

[0073] In addition, due to the contact between the inner circumferential surface 422b of the retaining portion 422 and the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41, the radial position (direction perpendicular to the rotation axis Y) of the container body 40 and the cover member 42 is restricted. Here, the tilting amount of the container body 40 is determined by the side with the smaller radial clearance (looseness) between the vicinity of the sealing member 43 (axial support portion) and the retaining portion 422 (long support portion). Generally, the fit between the inner circumferential surface 422b of the retaining portion 422 and the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41 is easier to improve the dimensional accuracy, so by extending the retaining portion 422, it is easier to obtain the effect of restricting the radial position. It is preferred that the distance (axial support distance) L from the flange portion 53 to the front end portion 422a of the retaining portion 422 is larger than the radius R of the opening portion 52.

[0074] As described above, according to the present embodiment, excessive load is not applied to the sealing member 43, the inclination of the container body 40 can be restricted, and the toner leakage of the toner container 4a to 4d can be suppressed. In addition, the wear and degradation of the sealing member 43 can be suppressed, and the life of the sealing member 43 is prolonged, so that the toner container 4a to 4d can be used for a long time and can be repeatedly used by refilling the toner.

[0075] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the large diameter portion 411 of the transmission gear 41 is provided at the end of the transmission gear 41 on the side away from the cover member 42 relative to the rotation axis direction, and the gear teeth 55 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 411, but it is not limited to this, and the gear teeth 55 can also be formed on other parts of the transmission gear 41 other than the large diameter portion 411.

[0076] For example, you can also Fig.10 As in the modified example shown in the figure, the large diameter portion 411 is provided at the substantially central portion of the transmission gear 41 with respect to the rotation axis direction, and the gear teeth 55 are formed at the end of the transmission gear 41 on the side away from the cover member 42. In this structure, the holding portion 422 of the cover member 42 is also in contact with the step portion 414 on the side (downstream side in the insertion direction) of the large diameter portion 411 close to the cover member 42, thereby limiting the longitudinal position of the container body 40 and the cover member 42. In addition, the holding portion 422 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the middle diameter portion 412 of the transmission gear 41, thereby limiting the radial position of the container body 40 and the cover member 42.

[0077] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the toner containers 4a to 4d are described as follows, that is, the toner containers 4a to 4d are installed in the image forming device 100, and store toner for replenishing the developing devices 3a to 3d, and the developing devices 3a to 3d are installed in the image forming device 100, and are two-component developing methods, using two-component developers containing magnetic carriers and toners. However, the present invention can also be applied to the following toner containers, that is, the toner containers store toner for replenishing the developing devices of the magnetic single-component developing method using magnetic toners or the non-magnetic single-component developing method using non-magnetic toners.

[0078] In addition, the present invention is not limited to Figure 1 The tandem color printer shown above can also be applied to various image forming apparatuses using a toner container, such as a color copier, a color multifunction machine, a monochrome printer, a monochrome copier, and a monochrome multifunction machine.

[0079] The present invention can be used for a toner container for storing toner. The present invention can provide a toner container and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same, which can suppress wear and deformation of the sealing member by reducing the variation of the pressing force acting on the sealing member.

Claims

1. A toner storage container, comprising: A cylindrical container body that accommodates toner and rotates; a cylindrical transmission gear which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of one end side of the container body in a state where the circumferential movement is restricted and transmits a rotational driving force to the container body; a cover member that covers an opening provided at one end of the container body in the direction of the rotation axis and keeps the container body and the transmission gear in a rotation-stopped state when the container body and the transmission gear rotate; and a sealing member disposed between the container body and the cover member, at least a portion of which is made of an elastic material, The toner storage container is attachable to and detachable from the image forming device. The toner storage container is characterized in that: The transmission gear has a large diameter portion having a larger outer diameter than other portions. The cover member has: a main body having a communicating portion communicating with the interior of the container body via the opening; a cylindrical holding portion, which protrudes from the main body toward the container body in the direction of the rotation axis and holds a portion of the container body and the transmission gear in the direction of the rotation axis; as well as a locking portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding portion, and sandwiching the flange portion formed on the peripheral edge portion of the opening portion and the sealing member between the locking portion and the main body portion along the rotation axis direction, The front end portion of the holding portion contacts a step portion of the large diameter portion on a side close to the cover member.

2. The toner storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner peripheral surface of the holding portion abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the transmission gear on a side closer to the cover member than the stepped portion.

3. The toner storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that: A distance from a front end portion of the holding portion to the opening is greater than a radius of the opening.

4. The toner storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The large diameter portion is formed at an end portion of the transmission gear on a side away from the cover member with respect to the rotation axis direction, and gear teeth are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion.

5. An image forming device comprising: The toner storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and A mounting portion for mounting the toner storage container.

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