Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide one form of an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image carrier; a developer carrier; an ejection means; a loading tray that includes a loading surface on which a recording material is loaded; a supply port; a cover that is configured to be movable between a closed state at which it covers the supply port and becomes at least a part of the loading surface and an open position at which it exposes the supply port; and an information display unit that is provided on the rear face of the cover or a predetermined surface opposite to the rear face of the cover together with the supply port in a state where the cover is at the closed position, and that displays information on the procedure for supplying a developer from the supply container to the developer container. In a width direction of the recording material parallel to the loading surface and orthogonal to the ejection direction of the recording material, the supply port and the information display unit are respectively provided in an area of the loading surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 24

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses form images by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum to a transfer material as a transfer medium. Known methods of supplying developer include a process cartridge method and a toner supply method. In the process cartridge method, the photosensitive drum and a developer container are integrated as a process cartridge, and when the developer runs out, the process cartridge is replaced with a new one.

[0003] On the other hand, the toner supply method is a method in which new toner is supplied to the developing container when the toner runs out. Conventionally, a single-component developing device of the toner supply method has been proposed in which a toner supply box capable of supplying toner is connected to a toner transport path through which the toner is transported (see Patent Document 1). The toner stored in the toner supply box is transported to the toner transport path by a transport screw. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-30084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, users have come to demand various ways of using image forming apparatuses, such as the above-mentioned process cartridge system and toner supply system.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developer carrier that carries a developer contained in a developing container and develops the electrostatic latent image as a toner image by supplying the developer to the image carrier, a discharge unit that discharges the recording material onto which the toner image has been transferred to the outside of a device main body, a loading tray including a loading surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge unit is loaded, a supply port to which a supply container containing a developer can be attached and which supplies the developer from the supply container to the developing container, and a supply port that covers the supply port and has at least a part of the loading surface. and an information display unit provided on the back surface of the cover or on a predetermined surface facing the back surface of the cover together with the supply port when the cover is in the closed position, the information display unit displaying information regarding a procedure for replenishing developer from the supply container to the developing container, the information display unit being parallel to the loading surface and in a width direction of the recording material perpendicular to the discharge direction of the recording material, the supply port and the information display unit being each provided within the area of ​​the loading surface. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, one embodiment of an image forming apparatus can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a toner pack; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8]3A is a perspective view showing a rotating container unit of a toner pack, and FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view showing a shutter member and a seal member, and FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a toner pack in a covered state, and FIG. [Figure 11] 1A is a perspective view showing a toner pack in a covered state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a toner pack in an open state. [Figure 12] 1A is a perspective view showing a toner receiving section in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a toner receiving section in an open state. [Figure 13] 1A is a perspective view showing a toner receiving section in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a toner receiving section in an open state. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing a cylindrical portion and a base seal; FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing a shutter member and a shutter sheet, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the shutter member and the shutter sheet. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a toner receiving portion in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a toner receiving portion in an open state. [Figure 20] 1A is a perspective view showing the toner receiving portion and the toner pack in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the toner receiving portion and the toner pack in an open state. [Figure 21] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before the developing container and the toner pack are attached, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the toner pack is attached to the developing container, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the supply base has been rotated a predetermined angle from the state shown in Figure 21(b). [Figure 22]22(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner supply port and the toner discharge port are open, and FIG. 22(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the replenishing base has been rotated a predetermined angle from the state shown in FIG. 22(a). [Figure 23] 22(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the replenishing base has been rotated a predetermined angle from the state shown in FIG. 22(b), and FIG. 22(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner supply port and the toner discharge port are covered. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the contents of an instruction sheet according to the first embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to the first embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to the second embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view showing the position of an instruction sheet according to the first and second modified examples. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the contents of an instruction sheet according to the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 33] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view showing a shutter member and a toner pack, and FIG. [Diagram 34] FIG. [Diagram 35] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment. [Diagram 36] 11A and 11B are a top view and a side view showing a configuration for preventing the cover from being left closed. [Figure 37] 13A and 13B are top and side views showing another configuration for preventing the cover from being left closed. [Figure 38]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a seal that indicates a target position of lever movement. [Figure 39] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a guide groove for lever movement. [Diagram 40] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a configuration in which the entire exterior surface is formed by the ribs of the cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <First Example> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. The recording material includes various sheet materials of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and thick paper, plastic film such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 as seen along the direction of the rotation axis of a photosensitive drum 21 described later, with the up-down direction being parallel to the vertical direction and the left-right direction being parallel to the horizontal direction. The rotation axes of a developing roller 31, a pair of discharge rollers 80, a pair of registration rollers 15, and a cover 83 described later are parallel to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0012] [Overall configuration] 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has a printer main body 100 as the device main body, and an operation unit 300 attached to the exterior surface of the printer main body 100. The printer main body 100 has an image forming section 10 that forms a toner image on a recording material (sheet) P, a feeding section 60 that feeds the recording material to the image forming section 10, a fixing section 70 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming section 10 to the recording material, and a discharge roller pair 80. The printer main body 100 also has a control section 360 that controls the image forming operation on the recording material P by the image forming section 10.

[0013] The image forming section 10 has a scanner unit (not shown), an electrophotographic process cartridge 20, and a transfer roller 12 that transfers a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 to a recording material. The process cartridge 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21, a pre-exposure device 23, and a developing device 30 including a developing roller 31.

[0014] The photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 21 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive member on a drum-shaped base body formed of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 21 as an image carrier is rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (clockwise direction in the figure) at a predetermined process speed.

[0015] The charging roller 22 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging portion. A desired charging voltage is applied to the charging roller 22 by a charging high-voltage power supply, thereby uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 21 is negatively charged by the charging roller 22. The pre-exposure device 23 neutralizes the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 21 before it enters the charging portion in order to generate a stable discharge in the charging portion.

[0016] A scanner unit (not shown) serving as an exposure means uses a polygon mirror to irradiate the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device, thereby scanning and exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. Note that the scanner unit is not limited to a laser scanner device, and may be, for example, an LED exposure device having an LED array in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0017] The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrier that carries a developer, a developing container 32 that serves as a frame of the developing device 30, and a supply roller 33 that can supply the developer to the developing roller 31. The developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 are rotatably supported by the developing container 32. The developing roller 31 is disposed at an opening of the developing container 32 so as to face the photosensitive drum 21. The supply roller 33 rotatably contacts the developing roller 31, and the toner contained in the developing container 32 as the developer is applied to the surface of the developing roller 31 by the supply roller 33. Note that the supply roller 33 is not necessarily required as long as the developing roller 31 is configured to be sufficiently supplied with toner.

[0018] The developing device 30 of this embodiment uses a contact development method as a development method. That is, the toner layer carried by the developing roller 31 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 in a development section (development area) where the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing roller 31 face each other. A development voltage is applied to the developing roller 31 by a development high-voltage power supply. Under the development voltage, the toner carried by the developing roller 31 is transferred from the developing roller 31 to the drum surface according to the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21, so that the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image. Note that this embodiment employs a reversal development method. That is, the toner image is formed by adhering to the surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21, which is charged in the charging process and then exposed in the exposure process, where the charge amount is attenuated.

[0019] In this embodiment, a toner having a particle size of 6 μm and a normal charging polarity of negative polarity is used. As an example of the toner in this embodiment, a polymerized toner produced by a polymerization method is used. The toner in this embodiment does not contain a magnetic component, and is a so-called non-magnetic one-component developer in which the toner is carried on the developing roller 31 mainly by intermolecular forces and electrostatic forces (image forces). However, a one-component developer containing a magnetic component may also be used. In addition to toner particles, the one-component developer may contain additives (e.g., wax or silica particles) for adjusting the fluidity and charging performance of the toner. A two-component developer composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier may also be used as the developer. When a magnetic developer is used, a cylindrical developing sleeve with a magnet arranged inside is used as the developer carrier.

[0020] The developing container 32 is provided with a storage section 36 that stores toner supplied from a toner pack 40 described later, and a stirring member 34 as a stirring means disposed inside the storage section 36. The stirring member 34 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), thereby stirring the toner in the developing container 32 and sending the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The stirring member 34 also circulates the toner that is not used for development and is peeled off from the developing roller 31 within the developing container, thereby making the toner in the developing container uniform. The stirring member 34 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, a swinging type stirring member may be used.

[0021] In addition, a developing blade 35 that regulates the amount of toner carried by the developing roller 31 is disposed at the opening of the developing container 32 in which the developing roller 31 is disposed. The toner supplied to the surface of the developing roller 31 passes through the portion facing the developing blade 35 as the developing roller 31 rotates, whereby the toner is uniformly formed into a thin layer and is negatively charged by frictional charging.

[0022] 1, the feeding section 60 has a front door 61 supported by the printer body 100 so as to be able to open and close, a tray section 62, and a liftable pickup roller 65. The tray section 62 forms the bottom surface of a recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened. Note that the front door 61 closes the recording material storage space when closed relative to the printer body 100, and supports the recording material P together with the tray section 62 when open relative to the printer body 100.

[0023] The fixing unit 70 is a thermal fixing type that fixes an image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 70 includes a fixing film 71, a fixing heater such as a ceramic heater that heats the fixing film 71, a thermistor that measures the temperature of the fixing heater, and a pressure roller 72 that is in pressure contact with the fixing film 71.

[0024] Next, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When an image formation command is input to the image forming apparatus 1, an image forming process is started by the image forming section 10 based on image information input from an external computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1. A scanner unit (not shown) irradiates a laser beam toward the photosensitive drum 21 based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 21 is pre-charged by the charging roller 22, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating it with the laser beam. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 31, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21.

[0025] In parallel with the above-mentioned image forming process, the pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61 and the tray section 62. The recording material P is fed by the pickup roller 65 to the pair of registration rollers 15, and the skew of the recording material P is corrected by hitting the nip of the pair of registration rollers 15. The pair of registration rollers 15 is then driven in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image, and conveys the recording material P toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0026] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 12 as a transfer means from a transfer high voltage power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the recording material P conveyed by the registration roller pair 15. The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing section 70, and the toner image is heated and pressurized when passing through a nip between a fixing film 71 and a pressure roller 72 of the fixing section 70. This melts the toner particles, and then fixes them, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing section 70 is discharged in a discharge direction DD by a discharge roller pair 80 as a discharge means. Then, the recording material P is discharged to the outside (outside the machine) of the image forming apparatus 1 through a discharge port 85 for discharging the recording material out of the machine, and is loaded on a discharge tray 81 (loading tray) arranged on the upper part of the printer main body 100.

[0027] The discharge tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream in the discharge direction DD of the recording material, and the recording material P discharged to the discharge tray 81 slides down the discharge tray 81 so that its rear end is aligned by the regulating surface 84. The discharge opening 85 is an opening formed in the regulating surface 84, and has a width in the width direction WD perpendicular to the discharge direction DD that is sufficient to allow the passage of a recording material of the maximum width that can be conveyed by the image forming apparatus 1. Note that, hereinafter, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 is faced to the front.

[0028] As described above, the recording material P discharged from the discharge port 85 to the outside of the housing 100a is loaded onto the discharge tray 81. The housing 100a of the printer main body 100 accommodates the developing container 32 having the container portion 36, and is provided with the discharge port 85. In this embodiment, the housing 100a accommodates the photosensitive drum 21, the developing device 30, the fixing portion 70, the pair of registration rollers 15, etc. Furthermore, a top surface portion 200 is fixed to the upper portion of the housing 100a in the vertical direction, and the discharge tray 81 is disposed thereon. The top surface portion 200 is fixed so as not to move relative to the housing 100a.

[0029] The image forming apparatus 1 has a toner receiving section (attachment section) 600 equipped with a supply port (attachment opening) 32a. As described later, in this embodiment, the toner receiving section 600 is provided in the developing container 32. A part of the toner pack 40 is inserted into the supply port 32a of the toner receiving section 600, and after a predetermined operation is performed, toner is permitted to be replenished from the toner pack 40 to the storage section 36. Note that the toner receiving section 600 does not necessarily have to be provided in the developing container 32, and may be provided in the housing 100a of the printer main body 100.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2(a), the discharge tray 81 includes an openable and closable cover 83. The cover 83 is configured to be movable relative to the housing 100a and the top surface portion 200. Specifically, the cover 83 is configured to be movable between a closed position that covers the supply port 32a and an open position that exposes the supply port 32a to the outside of the housing 100a. In FIG. 1, the cover 83 drawn with a solid line indicates the cover 83 in the open position, and the cover 83 drawn with a dashed line indicates the cover 83 in the closed position. The cover 83 in the closed position constitutes at least a part of the loading surface on which the recording material P discharged from the discharge port 85 is loaded.

[0031] In this embodiment, the discharge tray 81 includes a loading section 87 for loading the recording material P discharged from the discharge opening 85 together with the cover 83. The loading section 87 is configured so as not to move relative to the housing 100a or the top surface 200, and forms part of the loading surface. However, the loading section 87 may be omitted, and the entire loading surface of the discharge tray 81 on which the recording material P is loaded may be formed by the cover 83. Here, the loading surface refers to the surface that actually comes into contact with the recording material P and supports the recording material P.

[0032] 2(b), when the cover 83 is opened, the cover back surface 83a, the upper wall 93, and the supply port 32a are exposed to the outside. The upper wall 93 is for protecting the developing container 32 from above, and the supply port 32a is for attaching the toner pack 40 to supply the developer to the developing container 32.

[0033] 1 and 2(b), when the toner pack 40 is attached to the replenishing port 32a of the toner receiving unit 600, a part of the toner pack 40 protrudes toward the outside of the housing 100a, restricting the movement of the cover 83 to the closed position. When the toner pack 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming operation is restricted. When the image forming apparatus 1 is used to perform the image forming operation, it is necessary to remove the toner pack 40 and move the cover 83 to the closed position.

[0034] In this embodiment, in the width direction WD of the recording material P, which is parallel to the stacking surface and perpendicular to the discharge direction DD of the recording material P, the cover 83 and the upper wall 93 are formed across the entire width of the discharge tray 81. In other words, the width of the discharge tray 81 (the width of the portion for supporting the recording material P) is equal to the width of the cover 83 in the width direction WD.

[0035] An opening is formed in the upper wall 93, and the toner receiving portion 600 is exposed to the outside of the housing 100a. When the cover 83 is in the closed position, the supply port 32a and the upper wall 93 of the toner receiving portion 600 are covered by the cover 83. At this time, the supply port 32a and the upper wall 93 face the cover rear surface 83a. When the cover 83 is opened, the user can access the supply port 32a. Note that in this embodiment, a method (direct supply method) is adopted in which the user supplies toner from a toner pack 40 filled with replenishment toner to the developing device 30 while the developing device 30 is still attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0036] Therefore, when the remaining amount of toner in the process cartridge 20 becomes low, it is not necessary to remove the process cartridge 20 from the printer body 100 and replace it with a new process cartridge, thereby improving usability. Also, it is possible to replenish toner to the developing container 32 at a lower cost than replacing the entire process cartridge 20. Incidentally, the direct replenishment method can reduce costs compared to replacing only the developing device 30 of the process cartridge 20, since it is not necessary to replace various rollers, gears, etc. The image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pack 40 constitute an image forming system 1000. Incidentally, the process cartridge 20 may be configured to be removable from the printer body 100.

[0037] [Recovery of residual toner after transfer] This embodiment employs a cleanerless configuration in which the transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 21 without being transferred to the recording material P is collected in the developing device 30 and reused. The transfer residual toner is removed in the following process. The transfer residual toner is a mixture of positively charged toner and negatively charged toner that does not have a sufficient charge. The photosensitive drum 21 after transfer is discharged by the pre-exposure device 23, and the transfer residual toner is charged negatively again by causing uniform discharge by the charging roller 22. The transfer residual toner that has been charged negatively again in the charging section reaches the developing section as the photosensitive drum 21 rotates. Then, the surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21 that has passed the charging section is exposed by the scanner unit with the transfer residual toner still attached to the surface, and an electrostatic latent image is written thereon.

[0038] Here, the behavior of the transfer residual toner that has reached the development section will be described separately for the exposed and non-exposed sections of the photosensitive drum 21. The transfer residual toner adhering to the non-exposed section of the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the development roller 31 in the development section due to the potential difference between the potential (dark section potential) of the non-exposed section of the photosensitive drum 21 and the development voltage, and is then collected in the development container 32. This is because the normal charging polarity of the toner is negative, and the development voltage applied to the development roller 31 is positive relative to the potential of the non-exposed section. The toner collected in the development container 32 is agitated and dispersed with the toner in the development container by the agitation member 34, and is carried by the development roller 31 for reuse in the development process.

[0039] On the other hand, the transfer residual toner adhering to the exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 remains on the drum surface without being transferred from the photosensitive drum 21 to the developing roller 31 in the developing portion. This is because the normal charging polarity of the toner is negative, and the developing voltage applied to the developing roller 31 has a potential that is more negative than the potential of the exposed portion (light portion potential). The transfer residual toner remaining on the drum surface is carried by the photosensitive drum 21 together with other toner transferred from the developing roller 31 to the exposed portion, and moves to the transfer portion, where it is transferred to the recording material S.

[0040] In this manner, this embodiment has a cleanerless configuration in which the transfer residual toner is collected in the developing device 30 and reused, but a conventionally known configuration may be used in which the transfer residual toner is collected using a cleaning blade that contacts the photosensitive drum 21. In that case, the transfer residual toner collected by the cleaning blade is collected in a collection container that is installed separately from the developing device 30. However, by adopting a cleanerless configuration, no installation space is required for a collection container that collects the transfer residual toner, etc., making it possible to further reduce the size of the image forming apparatus 1, and also reducing printing costs by reusing the transfer residual toner.

[0041] [Toner pack composition] Next, the structure of the toner pack 40, which is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 1 and serves as a supply container for storing toner, will be described. As shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5, the toner pack 40 includes a shutter member 41, a seal member 504, a supply base 501, an outer ring member 510, an inner ring member 511, and a pouch 503, and is configured by assembling these members. The pouch 503 is a flexible container for storing toner. A rotation axis z shown by a dashed line in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 is the rotation center line of the toner pack 40.

[0042] The supply base 501 as a container base has an outer peripheral portion 501b as a side extending along an axial direction D1 parallel to the rotation axis z, and a toner discharge port 501r formed in the outer peripheral portion 501b. The supply base 501 also has a recess 501f recessed radially inward from the outer peripheral portion 501b, and protrusions 501y, 501y protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral portion 501b. The toner discharge port 501r is a through hole leading to the pouch 503. The protrusions 501y, 501y are arranged with a phase difference of 180 degrees from each other.

[0043] 4 to 7, the outer ring member 510 is a resin member having an outer peripheral surface formed into a substantially hexagonal shape, and the outer ring member 510 is formed with engagement portions 510y, 510y with which the convex portions 501y, 501y of the supply base 501 can be engaged. The outer ring member 510 is disposed so as to cover the inner ring member 511, and forms the outermost shape of the toner pack 40 so as to function as a handle when gripping the toner pack 40. In other words, the outer ring member 510 is operated at a position radially farther away from the rotation axis z, and therefore the force required when the user operates the outer ring member 510 can be reduced, improving usability.

[0044] The inner ring member 511 as a support member is a resin member whose outer peripheral surface is formed in a substantially hexagonal shape, similar to the outer ring member 510, and is connected to the opening 503a of the pouch 503 (see FIG. 10(a)). As a result, the inner ring member 511 supports the opening 503a of the pouch 503 so that the opening 503a is maintained in an open state. The inner ring member 511 is fixed to the supply base 501 so that the opening 503a communicates with the toner discharge port 501r, as described later. The inner ring member 511 and the pouch 503 may be connected by any method, for example, a method using various adhesives such as hot melt, or a method of thermally welding the pouch 503 to the inner ring member 511. It is preferable that the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring member 510 has a shape such as a polygon that is not slippery when a user grips and rotates it.

[0045] Further, recesses 511y, 511y into which the protrusions 501y, 501y can be engaged are formed in the inner ring member 511. The recesses 511y, 511y have a groove shape through which the protrusions 501y, 501y can pass, and the engagement portions 510y, 510y have a rib shape that surrounds the protrusions 501y, 501y.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 6, the inner race member 511 is assembled to the supply base 501 such that the convex portion 501y and the concave portion 511y engage with each other. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the outer race member 510 is assembled to the supply base 501 such that the convex portion 501y and the engaging portion 510y engage with each other. As a result, the outer race member 510 and the inner race member 511 are supported by the supply base 501 such that relative rotation with respect to the supply base 501 is restricted.

[0047] Furthermore, the convex portion 501y is connected to the concave portion 511y and the engagement portion 510y in the axial direction D1 of the rotation axis z and in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1. For example, the convex portion 501y may be pressed into the concave portion 511y and the engagement portion 510y, or may be connected using welding or an adhesive. As a result, the supply base 501, the outer race member 510, the inner race member 511, and the pouch 503 are integrally connected as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b). The outer race member 510 is a cylindrical member having an outer circumferential surface 510d at a position farther from the rotation axis z than the supply base 501 in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1. The inner race member 511 is fixed to the supply base 501 inside the outer race member 510.

[0048] Hereinafter, the integrally joined replenishing base 501, outer ring member 510, inner ring member 511 and pouch 503 will be referred to as the rotating container unit 401, and the integrally joined shutter member 41 and seal member 504, as described below, will be referred to as the container shutter unit 402. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, the toner pack 40 includes the container shutter unit 402 and the rotating container unit 401 which is rotatable relative to the container shutter unit 402. As shown in Fig. 8(a), the rotating container unit 401 is provided rotatable about a rotation axis z with respect to the container shutter unit 402 in the z1 direction and in the z2 direction opposite to the z1 direction.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 9(a) and (b), the shutter member 41 as a container shutter is made of a resin member having a substantially cylindrical shape, and the shutter member 41 has a notch 41f and grooves 41g and 41h formed therein. The notch 41f and the groove 41g are formed on the outer periphery of the shutter member 41, and the groove 41h is formed on the bottom surface of the shutter member 41. The notch 41f is substantially rectangular, and the groove 41g is formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction in a partial range (about 90°) in the circumferential direction of the shutter member 41. The groove 41h is formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction in a partial range (about 90°) in the circumferential direction of the shutter member 41 on the bottom surface.

[0050] The seal member 504 is made of an elastically deformable material such as urethane foam or nonwoven fabric, and is fixed to the inner surface of the shutter member 41 with double-sided tape or the like. More specifically, the seal member 504 is disposed at a position different from the notch portion 41f of the shutter member 41. That is, the seal member 504 and the shutter member 41 are integrally joined to each other to constitute the container shutter unit 402. In this way, the container shutter unit 402 can suppress toner leakage at the interface between the seal member 504 and the shutter member 41.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, when the rotating container unit 401 is assembled to the container shutter unit 402, the rib 501x ​​protruding from the outer circumferential portion 501b of the supply base 501 is aligned with the recess 41x formed in the shutter member 41. Then, the assembled state in which the rib 501x ​​penetrates the recess 41x is shown in FIG. 10(a). At this time, the cylindrical portion 41c of the shutter member 41 is inserted into the groove-shaped inner diameter portion 501e formed at the end of the supply base 501. The inner diameter portion 501e and the cylindrical portion 41c are cylindrical grooves and protrusions, respectively, that are concentric with the rotation axis z. Therefore, the cylindrical portion 41c (annular rib) is inserted into the inner diameter portion 501e (annular groove), and the supply base 501 is guided to be rotatable about the rotation axis z relative to the shutter member 41.

[0052] Furthermore, the supply base 501 is provided with a hole 501k disposed radially inside the inner diameter portion 501e (see FIG. 6). The shutter member 41 is provided with a mounting portion 41d (see FIG. 9(a)) that is inserted into the hole 501k. The mounting portion 41d is formed with an engaged portion 41k that opens to the tip side of the toner pack 40, and the engaged portion 41k defines a hole with two chamfered edges. Therefore, the mounting portion 41d has a two-chamfered convex shape to match the shape of the engaged portion 41k. The outermost diameter of the mounting portion 41d is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the hole 501k, and the mounting portion 41d is freely rotatable inside the hole 501k.

[0053] In addition, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) ribs 510b extending in the axial direction D1 are formed on the end surface 510x of the outer race member 510 on the shutter member 41 side. As shown in Fig. 10(b), the base end portion 41b of the shutter member 41 is surrounded by the end surface 510x and the ribs 501x, and movement in the axial direction D1 and in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1 is restricted. As a result, the rotating container unit 401 including the supply base 501 is attached to the container shutter unit 402 including the shutter member 41 so as to be rotatable relative to the container shutter unit 402 around the rotation axis z and so as to be restricted in movement in the axial direction D1 and in a radial direction.

[0054] The seal member 504 fixed to the shutter member 41 has a sliding surface 504b that slides against the outer circumferential portion 501b of the supply base 501. The seal member 504 is pressed by the outer circumferential portion 501b in a direction approaching the shutter member 41, i.e., outward in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and is deformed, generating a surface pressure between the outer circumferential portion 501b and the sliding surface 504b. This makes it possible to suppress toner leakage at the interface between the seal member 504 and the supply base 501.

[0055] More specifically, when viewed in the axial direction D1 of the rotation axis z, the supply base 501 and the shutter member 41 are cylindrical members. The supply base 501 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis z along the inner circumferential surface 41j of the shutter member 41 inside the shutter member 41.

[0056] 10(a) and 11(a) show a state in which the toner discharge port 501r formed in the supply base 501 is blocked by the shutter member 41 and the seal member 504. At this time, the toner contained in the pouch 503 can move to the toner discharge port 501r through the opening 503a of the pouch 503, the inner space of the inner ring member 511, the opening 501a of the supply base 501, and the inner space of the supply base 501. However, since the toner discharge port 501r is blocked by the shutter member 41 and the seal member 504, the toner contained in the pouch 503 is sealed so as not to leak out to the outside when the toner pack 40 is in a single state. The opening 503a of the pouch 503 is provided at one end of the pouch 503 in the axial direction D1.

[0057] 10(b) and 11(b) show a state in which the toner discharge port 501r formed in the supply base 501 is open and not covered by the shutter member 41 and the seal member 504. At this time, the toner discharge port 501r is positioned facing the notch portion 41f of the shutter member 41, and the toner contained in the pouch 503 can be discharged to the outside of the toner pack 40 through the toner discharge port 501r and the notch portion 41f.

[0058] For example, the state of toner pack 40 shown in Fig. 11(a) is the covered state, and the state of toner pack 40 shown in Fig. 11(b) is the open state. In this case, toner pack 40 becomes the open state when rotating container unit 401 is rotated about rotation axis z in the direction of arrow z1 by approximately 90° from the covered state. Also, toner pack 40 becomes the covered state when rotating container unit 401 is rotated about rotation axis z in the direction of arrow z2 by approximately 90° from the open state. Note that the degree to which rotating container unit 401 is rotated to transition to the open state or the covered state may be freely set.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the positions of the supply base 501 when the toner pack 40 is in the covered state are the covered position and the first covered position, and as shown in FIG. 11(b), the positions of the supply base 501 when the toner pack 40 is in the open state are the open position and the first open position.

[0060] When the supply base 501 is in the closed position, the toner discharge port 501r is covered by the shutter member 41. When the supply base 501 is in the open position, the toner discharge port 501r is opened by the shutter member 41 so that the toner in the pouch 503 is discharged to the outside of the toner pack 40 through the toner discharge port 501r.

[0061] After mounting the toner pack 40 in the developing container 32, the user grips the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring member 510 and rotates the outer ring member 510 in the direction of the arrow z1 around the rotation axis z. This causes the supply base 501 to rotate in the direction of the arrow z1 around the rotation axis z, and the toner discharge port 501r of the supply base 501 is exposed through the notch portion 41f. As a result, the toner pack 40 changes from a closed state to an open state, and the toner in the pouch 503 can be discharged to the outside of the toner pack 40. Here, the axial direction D1 parallel to the rotation axis z is a direction along the vertical direction, and the mounting direction of the toner pack 40 to the image forming apparatus 1 is a direction along the axial direction D1. That is, the toner pack 40 is configured to be mounted in the image forming apparatus 1 so that the axial direction D, which is the direction of the rotation axis z, is a direction along the vertical direction.

[0062] The material of pouch 503 is composed of a resin sheet such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or a composite material thereof, or a composite material of nonwoven fabric, paper, and a resin thereof, etc. When pouch 503 is composed of a material that can be elastically deformed by the user, the user can easily discharge the toner in pouch 503 by pressing or squeezing pouch 503 with his / her fingers.

[0063] When the user finishes discharging the toner in the pouch 503 into the developing container 32, he or she grips the outer peripheral surface 510d of the outer ring member 510 and rotates the outer ring member 510 in the direction of the arrow z2 about the rotation axis z. This causes the supply base 501 to also rotate in the direction of the arrow z2 about the rotation axis z, and the toner discharge port 501r of the supply base 501 is blocked by the shutter member 41 and the seal member 504. As a result, the toner pack 40 changes from an open state to a blocked state, and the toner pack 40 can be removed from the developing container 32.

[0064] [Toner receiving section of the developing container] Next, a description will be given of the toner receiving part 600 provided in the developing container 32. As shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 15, the toner receiving part 600 has a receiving base unit 602 and a receiving shutter unit 601 supported rotatably about a rotation axis z with respect to the receiving base unit 602.

[0065] Figures 12(a) and 13(a) show a state in which toner supply port 32r leading to storage section 36 is covered, and Figures 12(b) and 13(b) show a state in which toner supply port 32r is open. Hereinafter, the state of toner receiving section 600 in which toner supply port 32r is covered as shown in Figures 12(a) and 13(a) is referred to as a covered state, and the state of toner receiving section 600 in which toner supply port 32r is open as shown in Figures 12(b) and 13(b) is referred to as an open state.

[0066] The receiving base unit 602 has a cylindrical portion 32g as a main body base portion having a substantially cylindrical shape, a base seal 506, and a shutter suppressing member 512. In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 32g is integrally formed with the developing container 32 (see FIG. 1(a)), but is not limited thereto. For example, the cylindrical portion 32g may be formed of a separate member from the developing container 32 and fixed to the developing container 32. Also, the cylindrical portion 32g may be provided in a portion of the printer main body 100 other than the developing container 32, and toner may be replenished to the developing container 32 via the cylindrical portion 32g.

[0067] The cylindrical portion 32g has a supply port 32a through which toner is supplied from the toner pack 40 to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 (see FIG. 1(a)), an outer peripheral portion 32b as a side surface extending along the axial direction D1, and a toner supply port 32r formed in the outer peripheral portion 32b. The cylindrical portion 32g also has an engagement portion 32e that protrudes upward in the axial direction D1 from its bottom surface 32h (see FIG. 19(a)). The engagement portion 32e engages with an engaged portion 41k of the shutter member 41, as described later. That is, the engagement portion 32e has a boss shape with two chamfers corresponding to the engaged portion 41k having a hole shape with two chamfers.

[0068] Also, the engagement portion 32e is press-fitted into the hole portion 512e of the shutter holding member 512. Therefore, the hole portion 512e has a hole shape with two chamfered faces, similar to the engagement portion 32e. The shutter holding member 512 is attached to the engagement portion 32e of the cylindrical portion 32g after the shutter member 507 of the receiving shutter unit 601 is assembled to the cylindrical portion 32g. Also, in this embodiment, the shutter holding member 512 is press-fitted and fixed into the engagement portion 32e of the cylindrical portion 32g, but this is not limiting. For example, the shutter holding member 512 may be fixed to the cylindrical portion 32g by welding, an adhesive, or the like.

[0069] 16(a) and 16(b), the base seal 506 is made of an elastically deformable material such as urethane foam or nonwoven fabric, and is fixed to the cylindrical portion 32g with double-sided tape or the like. This allows the base seal 506 to suppress toner leakage at the interface between the base seal 506 and the cylindrical portion 32g. The base seal 506 also has an opening 506a at a position corresponding to the toner supply port 32r, and the toner that passes through the opening 506a is supplied to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 (see FIG. 1(a)) through the toner supply port 32r.

[0070] 12(a) to 15 and 17, the receiving shutter unit 601 has a shutter member 507 and a shutter sheet 505. The developing container 32 (see FIG. 1(a)) includes the storage portion 36, the cylindrical portion 32g, and the shutter member 507, and rotatably supports the developing roller 31. The toner pack 40 is configured to be mountable in the developing container 32.

[0071] The shutter member 507 has an inner diameter portion 507h, an outer diameter portion 507k, and a protruding portion 507e connecting the inner diameter portion 507h and the outer diameter portion 507k. The protruding portion 507e protrudes radially inward from the outer diameter portion 507k, and has a horizontal portion 507x having a substantially fan-shaped shape and a rising portion 507s extending in the axial direction D1, as shown in FIG. 13. The horizontal portion 507x is configured to be able to pass through the groove portion 41g (see 9(a)) of the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40. The rising portion 507s is configured to be able to pass through the groove portion 41h (see 9(a)) of the shutter member 41.

[0072] 17(a) and (b), a shutter sheet 505 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rising portion 507s with double-sided tape or the like. The shutter sheet 505 is a film having a thickness of about 100 μm, and is disposed so that a tip portion 505a of the shutter sheet 505 protrudes from an edge portion 507a of the rising portion 507s. A sliding surface 505k of the shutter sheet 505 is configured to be slidable against a sliding surface 506d of the base seal 506 (see FIG. 16(a)).

[0073] The outer diameter portion 507k of the shutter member 507 has grooves 507p, 507p with which the rib 510b (see FIG. 8(a)) formed on the outer ring member 510 of the toner pack 40 can be engaged. These grooves 507p, 507p are arranged facing each other in the radial direction and are formed to extend in the circumferential direction in a partial range (about 90°) in the circumferential direction of the outer diameter portion 507k. Therefore, the grooves 507p, 507p divide the upper part of the outer diameter portion 507k into four sections, and the four ribs 510b of the outer ring member 510 engage with these four sections. As a result, the toner pack 40 is configured to be rotatable only within a range of about 90° when attached to the toner receiving portion 600. Therefore, when replenishing toner from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32, the range in which the rotating container unit 401 of the toner pack 40 can be rotated is clarified, and usability can be improved.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 18, a guide groove 507c is formed in an inner diameter portion 507h of the shutter member 507, and a guide rib 32k of the cylindrical portion 32g is inserted into the guide groove 507c. As shown in Fig. 18(a) to Fig. 19(b), the guide groove 507c and the guide rib 32k are a cylindrical groove and a protrusion, respectively, that are concentric with the rotation axis z. Therefore, by inserting the guide rib 32k into the guide groove 507c, the shutter member 507 is guided to be rotatable about the rotation axis z with respect to the cylindrical portion 32g.

[0075] Further, an inner peripheral surface 507d of the shutter member 507 is provided so as to be in sliding contact with the rib 32m of the cylindrical portion 32g. In this manner, the shutter member 507 is supported so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis z with respect to the cylindrical portion 32g.

[0076] Furthermore, a hole 507q disposed radially inside the guide groove 507c is formed in the inner diameter portion 507h of the shutter member 507. The engagement portion 32e passes through the hole 507q, but the outer diameter of the hole 507q is set to be larger than the outermost diameter of the engagement portion 32e, so that the shutter member 507 can freely rotate without interfering with the engagement portion 32e.

[0077] Then, after the shutter member 507 is assembled to the cylindrical portion 32g, the shutter holding member 512 is press-fitted into the engagement portion 32e. As a result, the rib 507j of the shutter member 507 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 32h of the cylindrical portion 32g and the shutter holding member 512 in the axial direction D1. As a result, the movement of the shutter member 507 in the axial direction D1 is restricted. That is, the receiving shutter unit 601 including the shutter member 507 is attached to the receiving base unit 602 including the cylindrical portion 32g and the shutter holding member 512 so as to be relatively rotatable about the rotation axis z and immovable in the axial direction D1 and radial directions.

[0078] The base seal 506 fixed to the cylindrical portion 32g is pressed and deformed by the shutter sheet 505 fixed to the shutter member 507 in a direction approaching the cylindrical portion 32g, i.e., outward in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1. This generates a surface pressure between the sliding surface 506d of the base seal 506 and the sliding surface 505k of the shutter sheet 505 (see FIG. 17(a)). Therefore, even if toner is contained in the developing container 32 alone, toner leakage at the interface between the base seal 506 and the shutter sheet 505 can be suppressed.

[0079] [Connection between the toner pack and the cylindrical part of the developing container] Next, the coupling and detachment operations of the toner pack 40 and the developing container 32 and the opening and closing operations of the toner discharge port 501r and the toner supply port 32r will be described. Figures 3(a) and 11(a) show a shielded state of the toner pack 40 in which the toner discharge port 501r is shielded by a seal member 504 attached to the shutter member 41. Figures 12(a) and 13(a) show a shielded state of the toner receiving section 600 in which the toner supply port 32r is shielded by a shutter sheet 505 attached to a shutter member 507.

[0080] Normally, when starting to supply toner to the developing container 32, both the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600 are in a shielded state. In other words, when the supply base 501 is in the first shielded position, the toner discharge port 501r is in a position not overlapping with the toner supply port 32r of the cylindrical portion 32g when viewed from a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1, and the shutter member 507 is in the second shielded position.

[0081] 20(a), the user fits the toner pack 40 into the toner receiving portion 600. At this time, the engaged portion 41k (see FIG. 3(a)) formed on the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 engages with the engaging portion 32e formed on the cylindrical portion 32g of the toner receiving portion 600.

[0082] The engaged portion 41k and the engaging portion 32e each have a two-chamfered shape, and because they engage with each other, the shutter member 41 is attached to the cylindrical portion 32g so as not to be rotatable about the rotation axis z. In other words, when the toner pack 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the engaged portion 41k is configured to engage with the engaging portion 32e of the image forming apparatus 1 to restrict the rotation of the shutter member 41 about the rotation axis z.

[0083] In other words, the toner pack 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1 so that the rotation of the shutter member 507 about the rotation axis z relative to the cylindrical portion 32g is restricted, and so that the supply base 501 rotates together with the shutter member 507.

[0084] Furthermore, convex portion 507e (see FIG. 13(a)) formed on shutter member 507 of toner receiving portion 600 penetrates notch portion 41f of shutter member 41 of toner pack 40 and engages with concave portion 501f (see FIG. 8(a)) formed on replenishing base 501. When both toner pack 40 and toner receiving portion 600 are in the blocked state, when toner pack 40 is fitted into toner receiving portion 600, engagement between engaged portion 41k and engaging portion 32e and engagement between convex portion 507e and concave portion 501f can be performed simultaneously.

[0085] Here, let us consider a case where a user rotates the outer peripheral surface 510d of the outer ring member 510 in the direction of arrow z1 about the rotation axis z from the state shown in Fig. 20(a) to supply toner from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32. When the outer ring member 510 is rotated in the direction of arrow z1, the supply base 501 also rotates in the direction of arrow z1 in conjunction with the rotation. At this time, the step portion 501n (see Fig. 8(a)) of the recessed portion 501f of the supply base 501 presses the end surface 507f (see Fig. 13(a)) serving as the contact portion of the protruding portion 507e of the shutter member 507.

[0086] In other words, the step portion 501n as the abutting portion abuts against the end surface 507f so that the shutter member 507 rotates together with the shutter member 42 about the rotation axis z when the toner pack 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1. As a result, the shutter member 507 as the main body shutter rotates together with the supply base 501 in the direction of the arrow z1 about the rotation axis z.

[0087] On the other hand, the cylindrical portion 32g of the toner receiving portion 600 and the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 do not rotate because their rotation is restricted as described above. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11(b), the supply base 501 of the toner pack 40 rotates relative to the shutter member 41 in the direction of the arrow z1, and the toner discharge port 501r faces the notch portion 41f of the shutter member 41. In other words, the toner pack 40 is in an open state, and the toner contained in the toner pack 40 can be discharged.

[0088] At the same time, as shown in FIG. 13B, the shutter member 507 of the toner receiving portion 600 rotates in the direction of the arrow z1 relative to the cylindrical portion 32g, and the shutter sheet 505 fixed to the shutter member 507 moves away from the toner supply port 32r. That is, the toner receiving portion 600 is in an open state and can receive the toner discharged from the toner pack 40. In other words, the shutter member 507 is located at a second open position that opens the toner supply port 32r so that the toner supplied from the toner pack 40 can be received in the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 through the toner supply port 32r. When the supply base 501 is in the first open position, the toner discharge port 501r is located at a position overlapping the toner supply port 32r of the cylindrical portion 32g when viewed from a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1, and the shutter member 507 is located at the second open position.

[0089] 20(b), the toner contained in the toner pack 40 is supplied to the developing container 32 through the toner supply port 32r and the toner discharge port 501r. The rotation angle of the outer ring member 510 is restricted to approximately 90° by the engagement between the convex portion 507e of the shutter member 507 and the groove portions 41g and 41h of the shutter member 41, and the engagement between the rib 510b of the outer ring member 510 and the groove portion 507p of the shutter member 507. The rotation angle of the outer ring member 510 is not limited to approximately 90°, and may be less than 90° or greater than 90°.

[0090] Furthermore, by engaging the convex portion 507e of the shutter member 507 with the groove portion 41g of the shutter member 41, the toner pack 40 cannot move in the axial direction D1 relative to the toner receiving portion 600, and the toner pack 40 can be locked to the toner receiving portion 600. This reduces the possibility that the toner pack 40 will unintentionally come off the toner receiving portion 600 during toner replenishment, causing the toner to scatter inside the image forming apparatus 1, and improves the operability of the toner replenishment operation.

[0091] Next, consider a case where a user rotates the outer peripheral surface 510d of the outer ring member 510 in the direction of arrow z2 about the rotation axis z from the state shown in FIG. 20(b) to remove the toner pack 40 from the cylindrical portion 32g of the developing container 32. When the outer ring member 510 is rotated in the direction of arrow z2, the supply base 501 also rotates in the direction of arrow z2 in conjunction with the rotation axis z. At this time, the step portion 501m (see FIG. 8(a)) of the recess 501f of the supply base 501 presses the end surface 507g (see FIG. 13(b)) of the protrusion 507e of the shutter member 507. As a result, the shutter member 507 rotates in the direction of arrow z2 together with the supply base 501 about the rotation axis z.

[0092] On the other hand, the cylindrical portion 32g of the toner receiving portion 600 and the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 do not rotate because their rotation is restricted as described above. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11(a), the supply base 501 of the toner pack 40 rotates relative to the shutter member 41 in the direction of the arrow z2, and the toner discharge port 501r faces the seal member 504 (see Fig. 10(a)) fixed to the shutter member 41. In other words, the toner pack 40 is in a closed state, and the toner contained in the toner pack 40 cannot be discharged.

[0093] 13(a), the shutter member 507 of the toner receiving portion 600 rotates in the direction of the arrow z2 relative to the cylindrical portion 32g, and the shutter sheet 505 fixed to the shutter member 507 covers the toner supply port 32r. That is, the toner receiving portion 600 is in a blocking state and cannot receive the toner discharged from the toner pack 40. At this time, the shutter member 507 is located at the second blocking position where it blocks the toner supply port 32r.

[0094] In this state, the convex portion 507e of the shutter member 507 is released from the groove portions 41g and 41h of the shutter member 41, so that the toner pack 40 can be removed from the toner receiving portion 600. In addition, since both the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600 are in the shielded state, the toner pack 40 can be removed from the toner receiving portion 600 without scattering the toner.

[0095] [Toner leakage prevention configuration] Next, a configuration for suppressing toner leakage between the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 21(a) to Fig. 23(b). Fig. 21(a) to Fig. 23(b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the positional relationship between the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600 of the developing container 32. The seal member 504 and the base seal 506 are each disposed on a cylindrical curved surface, but are shown here as being flat.

[0096] 21(a) to 23(b) show the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving part 600 viewed in the axial direction D1. When the outer ring member 510 (see FIG. 20(a)) of the toner pack 40 is rotated in the direction of the arrow z1, the supply base 501 moves leftward on the paper in FIGS. 21(a) to 23(b).

[0097] Fig. 21(a) shows a state before the developing container 32 and the toner pack 40 are coupled together. Fig. 21(b) shows a state in which the toner pack 40 is attached to the developing container 32 from the state shown in Fig. 21(a), and shows a state before the replenishing base 501 of the toner pack 40 and the shutter member 507 of the toner receiving portion 600 rotate. In the state shown in Fig. 21(b), the toner supply port 32r and the toner discharge port 501r are covered, and the toner contained in the pouch 503 (see Fig. 3(a)) is not discharged to the outside of the toner pack 40.

[0098] Also, Fig. 21(c) shows a state in which replenishing base 501 and shutter member 507 have rotated from the state shown in Fig. 21(b) by angle Θ1 (0°<Θ1<90°) in the direction of arrow z1 (see Fig. 20(a)) about rotation axis z. Fig. 22(a) shows a state in which replenishing base 501 and shutter member 507 have rotated by 90° in the direction of arrow z1 (see Fig. 20a) from the state shown in Fig. 21(b), and toner supply port 32r and toner discharge port 501r are open.

[0099] 21(b), when the toner pack 40 in the shielded state is attached to the toner receiving portion 600 in the shielded state, the tip portion 505a of the shutter sheet 505 is disposed so as to contact the outer circumferential portion 501b of the supply base 501. The step portion 501n of the supply base 501 is disposed with a gap δ1 between the end face 507f of the shutter member 507 and the end face 507f of the shutter member 507 in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis z. The step portion 501m of the supply base 501 is disposed with a gap δ2 between the end face 507g of the shutter member 507 and the end face 507g of the shutter member 507 in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis z.

[0100] These gaps δ1 and δ2 correspond to the gap (play) when the user attaches the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32. The presence of the gaps δ1 and δ2 allows the toner pack 40 to be easily attached to the developing container 32, and improves the ease of attachment of the toner pack 40.

[0101] After the toner pack 40 is attached to the toner receiving portion 600 of the developing container 32, the user rotates the supply base 501 in the direction of the arrow z1. Then, as shown in FIG. 21(c), the gap δ1 that existed in FIG. 21(b) disappears, and the step portion 501n of the supply base 501 contacts the end surface 507f of the shutter member 507. Then, the end surface 507f is pressed by the step portion 501n, and the supply base 501 and the shutter member 507 rotate together in the direction of the arrow z1. At this time, the gap δ2 has a larger space than in the initial state. Also, the tip portion 505a of the shutter sheet 505 is configured to abut against the outer peripheral portion 501b of the supply base 501 without being separated from the outer peripheral portion 501b.

[0102] Furthermore, when the user rotates the supply base 501 in the direction of the arrow z1, the toner discharge port 501r and the toner supply port 32r are opened without being covered by the shutter sheet 505 and the shutter member 507, as shown in Fig. 22(a). Then, the toner contained in the toner pack 40 is supplied into the developing container 32 through the toner discharge port 501r and the toner supply port 32r. During this toner supply, the base seal 506 prevents the toner from entering the interface with the supply base 501.

[0103] Next, when the user finishes discharging toner from the toner pack 40 and removes the toner pack 40, as shown in FIG. 22(b), he rotates the supply base 501 from the state shown in FIG. 22(a) in the direction of the arrow z2 (to the right on the page) by an angle Θ3 (0°<Θ3<90°). As a result, the step 501m of the supply base 501 comes into contact with the end face 507g of the shutter member 507, and the gap δ2 that existed in FIG. 22(a) disappears. Then, the end face 507g is pressed by the step 501m, and the supply base 501 and the shutter member 507 rotate together in the direction of the arrow z2. At this time, the gap δ1 has a larger space than in the initial state.

[0104] Furthermore, when the user rotates the supply base 501 in the direction of the arrow z2, the gap δ1 formed between the step 501n of the supply base 501 and the end face 507f of the shutter member 507 is positioned above the toner supply port 32r, as shown in Fig. 23(a). At this time, the tip 505a of the shutter sheet 505 abuts against the outer circumferential portion 501b of the supply base 501, so that the toner can be prevented from entering the gap δ1.

[0105] When the user further rotates the supply base 501 in the direction of the arrow z2, as shown in Fig. 23(b), the toner discharge port 501r is covered by the seal member 504, and the toner supply port 32r is covered by the shutter sheet 505 and the shutter member 507. In this state, the toner pack 40 can be detached from the cylindrical portion 32g of the developing container 32, and when the toner pack 40 is detached from the cylindrical portion 32g, the state returns to that shown in Fig. 21(a).

[0106] [Instruction sheet layout] In this embodiment, to facilitate the user's toner supply, an instruction sheet 89 (information display section) is attached to the cover back surface 83a as shown in Fig. 24. The instruction sheet 89 describes the procedure for supplying toner using the toner pack 40.

[0107] 25 shows an example of information that may be written on instruction sheet 89 in this embodiment. Instruction sheet 89 contains text and illustrations to explain four steps, and the numbers indicate the order in which the steps should be performed.

[0108] Step 1 shows how to set the toner pack 40 in the supply port 32a. Step 2 shows how to rotate the toner pack 40 180 degrees clockwise relative to the housing 100a and open a shutter to supply developer. Step 3 shows how to release the toner pack 40 to supply developer to the developing container 32. Step 4 shows how to rotate the toner pack 40 180 degrees counterclockwise relative to the housing 100a and then pull out the toner pack 40 from the supply port 32a.

[0109] By attaching the instruction sheet 89 to the cover back surface 83a, the user can easily notice the presence of the instruction sheet 89 when he or she inserts his or her finger into the hole 88 to open the cover 83. Furthermore, since the instruction sheet 89 is attached in the access direction to the supply port 32a, there is an advantage that the user can easily see the instruction sheet 89.

[0110] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 24, the instruction sheet 89 is attached on the same left side as the supply port 32a. This reduces the need to move one's eyes when replenishing toner, and allows the user to easily replenish toner while checking the toner replenishment procedure, improving operability and usability. Furthermore, if the supply port 32a is in the center of the cover back surface 83a, it is preferable to attach the instruction sheet 89 in the center as well. If the supply port 32a is on the right side, it is preferable to attach the instruction sheet 89 on the right side as well. In other words, it is preferable to attach the instruction sheet 89 in a position corresponding to the supply port 32a.

[0111] 26 is a diagram of the image forming apparatus 1 with the toner pack 40 attached to the supply port 32a, viewed horizontally from downstream to upstream in the discharge direction DD of the recording material P. In the configuration of this embodiment, the instruction sheet 89 is attached to the cover back surface 83a so that the position of the supply port 32a and the position of the instruction sheet 89 in the width direction WD are aligned. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 26, when viewed horizontally from downstream to upstream in the discharge direction DD, at least a portion of the toner pack 40 and the instruction sheet 89 overlap.

[0112] 26, the supply port 32a and the instruction sheet 89 are provided within the area of ​​the loading surface of the discharge tray 81 in the width direction WD. In other words, since the supply port 32a and the instruction sheet 89 are provided in relatively close positions, the user can easily understand the work content by looking at the instruction sheet 89 even while performing the toner supply work.

[0113] 26, when the toner pack 40 is attached to the developing container 32, the toner pack 40 is attached in the direction of the arrow X with the phase of the triangular mark 102a on the toner pack 40 aligned with the phase of the triangular mark 102b on the toner receiving portion 600. In this way, the phase of the rotational direction of the toner pack 40 can be understood and the toner pack 40 can be easily attached, which improves operability and usability.

[0114] <Second Example> Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 27 and 28. In this embodiment, only the position where the instruction sheet 89 is attached is different from the first embodiment, so a description of the other configurations will be omitted.

[0115] Fig. 27 shows a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the cover 83 open. In this embodiment, the supply port 32a is provided on the left side, while the instruction sheet 89 is provided on the right side of the cover back surface 83a. In other words, unlike the first embodiment, the instruction sheet 89 is attached at a position opposite to the position where the supply port 32a is provided. Therefore, when the supply port 32a is provided on the right side in Fig. 27, it is preferable to provide the instruction sheet 89 on the left side.

[0116] Figure 28 is a diagram of the image forming apparatus 1 with the toner pack 40 attached to the supply port 32a, viewed horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side in the discharge direction of the recording material P. In the configuration of this embodiment, the instruction sheet 89 is attached to the cover back surface 83a so that the position of the supply port 32a and the position of the instruction sheet 89 are misaligned in the width direction WD. For this reason, as shown in Figure 27, when viewed horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side in the discharge direction DD, the toner pack 40 and the instruction sheet 89 do not overlap.

[0117] This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which, for example, when a large-sized toner pack 40 is attached to the replenishing port 32a, most of the area of ​​the instruction sheet 89 is blocked by the toner pack 40. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which it becomes difficult for the user to check the information written on the instruction sheet 89 while performing a replenishing operation.

[0118] 28, the supply port 32a and the instruction sheet 89 are provided within the area of ​​the stacking surface of the discharge tray 81 in the width direction WD. In other words, since the supply port 32a and the instruction sheet 89 are provided in relatively close positions, the user can easily understand the work content by looking at the instruction sheet 89 even while performing the toner supply work.

[0119] <Third Example> Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 29 and 30. In this embodiment, only the position where the instruction sheet 89 is attached is different from the first embodiment, so a description of the other configurations will be omitted.

[0120] FIG. 29 shows a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the cover 83 open. In FIG. 29, an extension tray 86 is attached to the discharge tray 81. In such a configuration, the instruction sheet 89 may be attached to the upper wall 93 instead of the cover back surface 83a. With this configuration, it is easy for the user to notice when the user inserts his / her finger into the hole 88 to open the discharge tray 81, and since the instruction sheet 89 is attached in the same direction as the installation direction of the toner pack 40, visibility is good. Furthermore, since the user can easily replenish toner while checking the toner replenishment operation method, operability is good and usability can be improved.

[0121] The extension tray 86 may be supported movably relative to the discharge tray 81 and configured to be movable between a use position capable of supporting the recording material P and a storage position in which it is located when not in use. The extension tray 86 may be configured to be detachable from the discharge tray 81. An instruction sheet 89 may be attached to the upper wall 93 regardless of the presence or absence of the extension tray 86.

[0122] 30, not only the instruction sheet 89 but also a remaining amount display section 94, a replenishment request section 96, and a code display section 97 may be provided on the upper wall 93. The remaining amount display section 94 uses three LEDs to indicate the remaining amount of toner contained in the developing container 32 in stages. The replenishment request section 96 prompts the user to replenish toner by turning on / flashing the LED when the toner contained in the developing container 32 is low. The code display section 97 preferably displays, for example, a QR code (registered trademark), and the QR code is read by a camera such as a smartphone to automatically connect to an Internet site that contains a video explaining the toner replenishment procedure.

[0123] Note that the configuration of the third embodiment is not limited to the configuration in which the instruction sheet 89 is provided on the upper wall 93, and the remaining amount display unit 94, replenishment request unit 96, and code display unit 97 may also be provided in the configuration of the first or second embodiment. In Fig. 31(a), the instruction sheet 89 is attached to the cover back surface 83a, and the remaining amount display unit 94, replenishment request unit 96, and code display unit 97 are provided on the upper wall 93.

[0124] Also, a recess 93a may be formed in the upper wall 93, in which a smartphone or a mobile information terminal for changing the main body settings can be placed, which communicates with the image forming apparatus 1 and changes and confirms the main body settings. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 31(b), a code display unit 97 may be provided on the bottom surface of the recess 93a. With such a configuration, a user notices the existence of the code display unit 97 before placing the smartphone in the recess 93a, reads the QR code with a camera, and connects to an Internet site. Then, with the smartphone placed in the recess 93a, a video explaining the procedure for toner replenishment is played on the screen of the smartphone. This allows the user to perform the toner replenishment work while watching the video.

[0125] In this embodiment, several arrangements are shown as examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. Various combinations of other arrangements are possible, such as arranging the recess 93a and the remaining amount display unit 94 on the upper wall 93, or arranging the instruction sheet 89 on the upper wall 93 and the code display unit 97 on the cover back surface 83a.

[0126] <Fourth Example> Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 32. In this embodiment, only the information written on the instruction sheet 89 is different from the first embodiment, so a description of the other configurations will be omitted.

[0127] In this embodiment, the position of the instruction sheet 89 is the same as in the first embodiment. That is, the instruction sheet 89 is provided on the cover back surface 83a shown in Figures 24 and 26. Here, for example, if a large toner pack 40 is attached to the refill port 32a, most of the area of ​​the instruction sheet 89 may be blocked by the toner pack 40. As a result, it becomes difficult for the user to check the information written on the instruction sheet 89 during the refill operation.

[0128] Figure 32 shows an example of information written on an instruction sheet 89 in this embodiment. The instruction sheet 89 contains sentences and illustrations to explain four procedures, and the numbers indicate the order in which the procedures should be carried out. Compared to Figure 25, the display positions of each procedure written on the instruction sheet 89 are different.

[0129] In Fig. 32, steps 1 and 2 are displayed vertically downward, and steps 3 and 4 are displayed vertically upward. The crucial difference between group 1 consisting of steps 1 and 2 and group 2 consisting of steps 3 and 4 is as follows. The work in group 1 is completed by the time the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply port 32a, whereas the work in group 2 is started after the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply port 32a. Taking these into consideration, in this embodiment, the display positions of the information on steps 3 and 4 are moved vertically upward so that the information can be easily seen by the user even after the toner pack 40 has been attached to the supply port 32a.

[0130] In this embodiment, the position of the instruction sheet 89 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. The instruction sheet 89 described in this embodiment may be applied to the configuration of the second or third embodiment.

[0131] In the first to fourth embodiments, the instruction sheet 89 explains four procedures for toner supply. However, this is not limited to this. It is not necessary to explain all four procedures, and it may be in a form that explains at least one of the procedures. Furthermore, it is not necessary to include both text and illustrations, and it may be in a form that includes only text or only illustrations.

[0132] In the first to fourth embodiments, the instruction sheet 89 is attached to the cover back surface 83a or the top wall 93. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of a sheet, text or illustrations may be directly engraved or embossed on the cover back surface 83a or the top wall 93.

[0133] <Modification> [Lever section configuration] Next, other modified examples will be described. In this embodiment, the shutter member 507 of the toner receiving unit 600 in the first embodiment is changed to a shutter member 507B. Therefore, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted from the illustrations or will be described with the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0134] As in the first embodiment, the shutter member 507 according to this embodiment has an inner diameter portion 507h, an outer diameter portion 507k, and a protrusion 507e as shown in Fig. 15. That is, the shutter member 507B is different from the shutter member 507 of the first embodiment only in that a fitting portion 513 is additionally provided.

[0135] As shown in Figures 33(a) to 34, the fitting portion 513 of the shutter member 507B has a substantially hexagonal opening 513a with which the outer ring member 510 of the toner pack 40 engages, and a lever portion 513b that can be rotated by the user.

[0136] Fig. 35 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus 1B according to this embodiment. Image forming apparatus 1B has basically the same configuration and function as image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 35, an opening 82a is formed in a discharge tray 81 of image forming apparatus 1B, and the opening 82a is located on the right side of the apparatus.

[0137] The fitting portion 513 of the shutter member 507B is exposed to the outside through the opening 82a, and when refilling the developing container 32 (see FIG. 1) with toner, the user fits the toner pack 40 into the fitting portion 513. More specifically, the outer ring member 510 of the toner pack 40 is fitted into the fitting portion 513.

[0138] Then, the user operates the lever portion 513b exposed from the opening 82a to rotate the lever portion 513b about the rotation axis z (see FIG. 33(b)). This rotates the shutter member 507B and the rotating container unit 401 (see FIG. 5) of the toner pack 40, and the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600B change from the closed state to the open state. As a result, the toner in the toner pack 40 can be replenished to the developing container 32.

[0139] As described above, in this embodiment, the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving portion 600B can be changed from a closed state to an open state by operating the lever portion 513b of the shutter member 507B, rather than operating the outer ring member 510 as in the first embodiment.

[0140] Since the space required to grip lever portion 513b is smaller than the space required to grip outer ring member 510, lever portion 513b is easy to operate even when opening 82a is small, for example, and usability can be improved.

[0141] [Prevents forgetting to close the cover] In this embodiment, a protrusion 83b is further provided on the cover back surface 83a as shown in Fig. 36. Here, the upper side of Fig. 36 is a top view of the vicinity of the fitting portion 513, and the lower side of Fig. 36 is a side view of the vicinity of the fitting portion 513 (the top view of Fig. 36 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 cut at the plane A shown in the side view of Fig. 36). Consider a situation in which a user rotates the fitting portion 513 from the closed position ((a) in Fig. 36) to the open position ((b) in Fig. 36) when replenishing toner, and forgets to return the fitting portion 513 to the closed position after the completion of toner replenishing. In this situation, when closing the discharge tray 81, the protrusion 83b interferes with the lever portion 513b, and the discharge tray 81 cannot be closed.

[0142] This configuration will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in the top view of FIG. 36, in the case of (a), the convex portion 83b and the lever portion 513b do not overlap. On the other hand, in the case of (b), the convex portion 83b and the lever portion 513b overlap. Therefore, in the case of (a), the convex portion 83b and the lever portion 513b do not interfere with each other, and the cover 83 can be closed (moved to the closed position). On the other hand, in the case of (b), the convex portion 83b and the lever portion 513b interfere with each other, and therefore the cover 83 cannot be closed. Looking at the side view of FIG. 36, it can be confirmed that in the case of (b), the cover 83 stops at a position on the upper side in the vertical direction compared to the case of (a). With this configuration, the user can open the cover 83 again and rotate the fitting portion 513 to the closed position, thereby preventing the user from forgetting to close the fitting portion 513.

[0143] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be provided with a cover open / close detection sensor (not shown). This sensor can detect whether the cover 83 is closed relative to the printer body 100. If this sensor detects that the cover 83 is not closed, the control unit 360 does not start image formation. This configuration can prevent image formation from being erroneously started with the lever portion 513b in a position other than the closed position, which could result in toner leaking to the outside from the supply port 32a, etc.

[0144] In addition, in the configuration of Fig. 36, a configuration has been described in which lever portion 513b operated by the user interferes with convex portion 83b when cover 83 is closed. However, this is not limited to this. Fig. 37 shows a configuration in which protrusion portion 520 that interferes with convex portion 83b when cover 83 is closed is provided separately from lever portion 513b operated by the user. When lever portion 513b is moved, protrusion portion 520 also moves the same amount in the same direction.

[0145] As shown in the top view of FIG. 37, in the case of (a), the convex portion 83b and the protrusion portion 520 do not overlap. On the other hand, in the case of (b), the convex portion 83b and the protrusion portion 520 overlap. Therefore, in the case of (a), the convex portion 83b and the protrusion portion 520 do not interfere with each other, and the cover 83 can be closed (moved to the closed position). On the other hand, in the case of (b), the convex portion 83b and the protrusion portion 520 interfere with each other, and therefore the cover 83 cannot be closed. Looking at the side view of FIG. 37, it can be confirmed that in the case of (b), the cover 83 stops at a higher position in the vertical direction than in the case of (a). With this configuration, the user can open the cover 83 again and rotate the fitting portion 513 to the closed position to prevent forgetting to close the fitting portion 513.

[0146] [Target position of lever movement] 38, stickers 99a, 99b may be attached to the locations corresponding to the open and closed positions of lever portion 513b as guides for movement. This allows the user to confirm that fitting portion 513 has rotated to the open position when refilling toner, and to confirm that fitting portion 513 has rotated to the closed position when returning fitting portion 513 to its original position after refilling toner, thereby preventing forgetting to close the fitting portion.

[0147] Also, since it is sufficient to indicate the guide for movement, it is not necessarily required to use stickers 99a and 99b, and for example, a mark may be directly engraved or embossed.

[0148] 38, the instruction sheet 89 may be placed near the fitting portion 513. By placing it near the fitting portion 513, the movement of the line of sight is reduced, visibility is improved, and usability can be improved.

[0149] [Guide groove for lever movement] 39, in order to facilitate the movement of lever portion 513b between the open position and the closed position and to allow the user to intuitively understand in which direction to rotate lever portion 513b, a guide groove 530 may be provided in upper wall 93. Here, guide groove 530 is a sector-shaped groove formed in accordance with the rotation trajectory of lever portion 513n.

[0150] [Part of the cover is the front of the exterior] 40, a part of the exterior member 103 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 may be formed of the rib 83c of the cover 83. Here, the exterior member 103 is an exterior member located on the downstream side of the housing 100a in the discharge direction DD of the recording material P. With this configuration, when the cover 83 is opened, the space on the front side of the supply port 32a is released, improving operability when supplying toner and improving usability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 1. Image forming device 21 Photosensitive drum 31 Developing roller 32a Supply port 80 Discharge Roller Pair 81 Output Tray 83 Cover 89 Instruction Sheet 100 Printer body

Claims

1. an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer container having a supply port for receiving a developer from a supply container and accommodating the developer supplied from the supply container; a developer carrier that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with the developer contained in the developer container; a discharge means for discharging the recording material onto which the toner image has been transferred to the outside of the main body of the apparatus; a stacking tray including a stacking surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge means is stacked; an information display section on which information regarding a procedure for replenishing the developer from the replenishing container to the developing container is displayed, the supply port and the information display unit are each provided within an area of ​​the loading surface in a direction parallel to the loading surface and perpendicular to a discharge direction in which the discharge unit discharges the recording material, The image forming apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the information display unit includes an illustration explaining the procedure.

2. A cover configured to be movable between a closed position that covers the supply port and constitutes at least a part of the loading surface and an open position that exposes the supply port, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information display unit is provided on the back surface of the cover, and when viewed horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side in the recording material discharge direction when the cover is in the open position, at least a portion of the information display unit is provided in a position overlapping with the supply container.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the information display unit is provided on the back surface of the cover, and when viewed horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side in the recording material discharge direction when the cover is in the open position, the information display unit is provided in a position that does not overlap with the supply container.

4. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when viewed from the horizontal direction with the cover in the open position, the information regarding the procedure displayed on the information display unit is displayed in order from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

5. A wall facing the back surface of the cover when the cover is in the closed position, The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the surface of the wall is provided with at least one of a remaining amount display unit that indicates the remaining amount of developer contained in the developing container, a replenishment request unit that prompts the replenishment of developer from the replenishment container to the developing container, and a code display unit that displays a code for connecting to a specified Internet site.

6. A wall facing the back surface of the cover when the cover is in the closed position, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wall is provided with a groove in which a portable information terminal can be placed.

7. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the loading surface is a surface that comes into contact with the recording material discharged from the discharge means and supports the recording material.

Images