Toner container

Abstract

To provide a toner container that has improved toner discharge properties.SOLUTION: A toner container has: a storage part for storing toner; a nozzle part that is provided with a discharge port for discharging the toner stored in the storage part to the outside of the toner container, and that is fixed to the storage part to be arranged side by side with the storage part in a first direction; and a loosening member that is to loosen the toner, and that is at least partially provided inside the storage part. The loosening member is configured to be swingable centered on a swing axis extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction with respect to the storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner container used in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for replenishing toner in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a method is known in which a toner container is attached to a replenishing port exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus and the toner is replenished. Patent Document 1 discloses a toner container that has a stirring member provided inside a toner bottle and that can dissolve and replenish toner with the stirring member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] CN216485993U Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a toner container having improved toner discharge properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a toner container comprising: a storage section for storing toner; a nozzle section provided with an outlet for discharging the toner stored in the storage section to the outside of the toner container, the nozzle section being fixed to the storage section so as to be aligned with the storage section in a first direction; and a loosening member for loosening the toner, at least a portion of which is provided in the storage section, the loosening member being configured to be swingable relative to the storage section about a swing axis extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toner container with improved toner discharge properties. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion and the toner pack when toner is replenished in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a mounting portion according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a mounting portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the mounting section according to the first embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the mounting portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus-side shutter according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view of the toner pack according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toner pack according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view of a release member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a release member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toner pack according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a bottom view of the vicinity of the nozzle according to the first embodiment (when the pack-side shutter is closed). [Figure 16] 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a bottom view of the vicinity of the nozzle according to the first embodiment (when the pack-side shutter is open). [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vicinity of the nozzle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a front view of the vicinity of the nozzle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mounting portion and a toner pack in the middle of mounting in the first embodiment. [Figure 20] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion and the toner pack when mounting is completed in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 21] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion and the toner pack when mounting is completed in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 22] 5A and 5B are perspective views of the toner pack mounted in the mounting portion when the operating lever is in a closed position and an open position, as viewed from above. [Diagram 23] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion and a toner pack according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 24] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion and a toner pack according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is a front view of the unwinding member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 26] 11A and 11B are a front view and a perspective view of a toner pack according to a second embodiment. [Figure 27] 13A and 13B are perspective views of the vicinity of the nozzle when the pack-side shutter is closed and when it is open according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] 11A and 11B are a perspective view, a front view, and a top view of a release member according to a second embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a toner pack according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion and the toner pack when mounting is completed in the second embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion and a toner pack according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 32] 11A and 11B are a perspective view and a front view of a release member according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 33] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mounting portion according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 34] 13A and 13B are a top view and a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 35] 11A and 11B are a front view and a perspective view of a toner pack according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 36] 13A and 13B are a front view and a perspective view of a release member according to a third embodiment. [Figure 37] 11A and 11B are a cross-sectional view and a bottom view of a toner pack according to a third embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion and a toner pack according to a third embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a drive transmitting part and a driven part according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 40] FIG. 11 is a front view of a release member according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] <Example 1> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Image forming device system) Fig. 2(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an image forming system 1000 according to the embodiment 1. Fig. 2(b) is a perspective view of the image forming system 1000.

[0010] The image forming system 1000 includes an image forming apparatus 1 and a toner pack 100 (toner container, toner cartridge) that can be attached to the image forming apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 without the toner pack 100 attached.

[0011] The toner pack 100 contains toner to be attached to an attachment portion 106 of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 3 and to replenish the image forming apparatus 1. A detailed configuration of the toner pack 100 will be described later. The toner pack 100 is attached by moving the toner pack 100 in an attachment direction M shown in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the attachment direction M of the toner pack 100 is the direction of gravity, but it may be a direction inclined toward the direction of gravity.

[0012] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material P based on image information input from an external device. The recording material P includes various sheet materials of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and thick paper, plastic films such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

[0013] 2(a) and 2(b), the image forming apparatus 1 has the following configuration: an image forming section 10 that forms a toner image on a recording material P, a pickup roller 65 that feeds the recording material P to the image forming section 10, a fixing section 70 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming section 10 onto the recording material P, and a pair of discharge rollers 80.

[0014] The image forming section 10 has a scanner unit 11, an electrophotographic process unit 20, and a transfer roller 12 that transfers a toner image, as a developer image, formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process unit 20 onto a recording material P. The process unit 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22, a pre-exposure section 23, and a developing device 30 (developing unit, developing section) including a developing roller 31.

[0015] The photosensitive drum 21 (image carrier) is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive body. The photosensitive drum 21 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive body on a drum-shaped base body formed of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 21 is rotated by a motor in a predetermined rotation direction (clockwise direction in the figure) at a predetermined process speed.

[0016] The charging roller 22 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging section. A desired charging voltage is applied by a charging high-voltage power supply to uniformly charge 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 section 23 neutralizes the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 21 before it reaches the charging section in order to generate a stable discharge in the charging section.

[0017] The scanner unit 11 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 11 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.

[0018] The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrier that carries a developer, a developing container 32 (developing frame) that is 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 supplied 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 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 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.

[0021] The developing container 32 has a toner storage chamber 36 (second storage section, main body storage section) that stores toner. An agitating member 34 (toner transport member) is provided inside the toner storage chamber 36. The agitating member 34 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), thereby agitating the toner in the developing container 32 and transporting the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 circulates the toner that is not used for development and that is scraped off from the developing roller 31 in the developing container, thereby making the toner in the developing container uniform. The agitating member 34 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, a swinging type agitating member may be used.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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. The scanner unit 11 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.

[0024] In parallel with the above-mentioned image forming process, the recording material P is sent out by a pickup roller 65 and conveyed toward a transfer nip formed by a transfer roller 12 and a photosensitive drum 21 .

[0025] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 12 from a high-voltage transfer power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the recording material P. The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred is heated and pressurized as it passes through a fixing section 70. This causes the toner particles to melt and then adhere, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing section 70 is discharged to the outside (outside the machine) of the image forming apparatus 1 by a pair of discharge rollers 80 serving as a discharge means, and is loaded onto a discharge tray 81 serving as a loading section formed on the top of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0026] A top cover 82 serving as a loading tray is provided on the top of the image forming apparatus 1, and a discharge tray 81 serving as a loading surface is formed on the upper surface of the top cover 82. As shown in Figs. 2(b) and 3, the top cover 82 is provided with an opening / closing member 83 supported so as to be openable and closable about a rotation shaft 83a extending in the front-rear direction. An opening 82a that opens upward is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82. As shown in Fig. 3, a mounting portion 106 for mounting a toner pack 100 is exposed from the opening 82a.

[0027] The opening / closing member 83 is configured to be movable between a closed position where the mounting portion 106 is covered so that the toner pack 100 cannot be mounted in the image forming apparatus 1, and an open position where the mounting portion 106 is exposed so that the toner pack 100 can be mounted in the image forming apparatus 1. In the closed position, the opening / closing member 83 functions as a part of the discharge tray 81. The opening / closing member 83 and the opening 82a are formed on the left side of the discharge tray 81 when viewed from the front of the image forming apparatus 1. The front of the image forming apparatus 1 described here is the upstream side of the image forming apparatus 1 in the direction in which the recording material P is sent out by the pickup roller 65. The opening / closing member 83 is opened to the left by hooking a finger into a groove 82b provided in the top cover 82.

[0028] The opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is open so as to expose the mounting portion 106 formed on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 1, and the user can access the mounting portion 106 by opening the opening / closing member 83. Note that in this embodiment, a direct replenishment method is adopted in which, with the developing device 30 attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the user replenishes toner from the toner pack 100 attached to the mounting portion 106 to the developing device 30. At least a portion of the toner pack 100 is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 when attached to the mounting portion 106 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0029] When the remaining amount of toner in the process unit 20 becomes low, it is not necessary to remove the process unit 20 from the image forming apparatus 1 and replace it with a new process unit, thereby improving usability. Also, toner can be replenished to the developing container 32 at a lower cost than replacing the entire process unit 20. Furthermore, the direct replenishment method can reduce costs, since it does not require replacing various rollers, gears, etc., compared to replacing only the developing device 30 of the process unit 20.

[0030] (Toner pack attachment part) First, the configuration of the mounting portion 106 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 106 is a unit for mounting the toner pack 100.

[0031] Fig. 4(a) is an exploded perspective view of the mounting part 106. Fig. 4(b) is an exploded perspective view of the mounting part 106 as viewed from a different direction from Fig. 4(a). Figs. 5(a) and 6(a) are respectively a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting part 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the closed position, and a view of the mounting part 106 as viewed from the mounting direction M. Figs. 5(b) and 6(b) are respectively a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting part 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the open position, and a view of the mounting part 106 as viewed from the mounting direction M. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the mounting part 106 as viewed from the downstream side of the mounting direction M.

[0032] Fig. 8(a) is a perspective view of the device-side shutter 109 seen from the upstream side in the mounting direction M. Fig. 8(b) is a perspective view of the device-side shutter 109 from a different viewpoint than that in Fig. 8(a). Fig. 9(a) is a perspective view of the cover 110 seen from the downstream side of the cover 110 in the mounting direction M. Fig. 9(b) is a perspective view of the cover 110 seen from the upstream side in the mounting direction M.

[0033] The mounting portion 106 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 is provided with a base frame 2 including a first frame 107, a second frame 117, and a cover 110. The cover 110 and the second frame 117 are fixed to the first frame 107. As shown in FIG. 9, the cover 110 has an engaged portion 110h that engages with an engaging portion 107b (FIG. 4(a)) of the first frame 107 so as not to rotate around the rotation axis B relative to the first frame 107. The first frame 107, the cover 110, and the second frame 117 may be integrally formed instead of being separate members. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the second frame 117 is provided with an apparatus side opening 117a (frame opening, receiving opening), and the apparatus side opening 117a communicates with the toner storage chamber 36 of the developing device 30 (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0034] An operating lever 108 and an apparatus-side shutter 109 (second shutter) are each attached to the base frame 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis B (central axis).

[0035] The first frame 107 is provided with a positioning portion 107a. The positioning portion 107a protrudes inward from an inner peripheral surface of the first frame 107 centered on the rotation axis B in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis B. The operating lever 108 is provided with a drive transmission portion 108a (lever convex portion) and an operating portion 108b. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the drive transmission portion 108a of the operating lever 108 is a convex portion that protrudes inward from an inner peripheral surface of the operating lever 108 centered on the rotation axis B in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis B.

[0036] The device-side shutter 109 is a cylindrical member with an open top. As shown in FIG. 8, the device-side shutter 109 has a receiving port 109a (second shutter opening, device-side shutter opening) on ​​a side surface of the device-side shutter extending in the direction of the rotation axis B, and a bottom surface 109b on which a regulated rib 109c (rotation regulated portion) is provided. The device-side shutter 109 further has a center boss 109d (positioning shaft, shaft portion), a drive transmission portion 109e (pressed portion, device-side shutter protrusion portion), a pack abutment surface 109g (mounting direction positioning), and an inner peripheral surface 109h (radial direction positioning). The device-side shutter 109 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis B relative to the base frame 2.

[0037] The regulated rib 109c protrudes upward from the bottom surface 109b in the direction of the rotation axis B. As shown in Fig. 8(a), the drive transmission portion 109e is a convex portion that protrudes inward in the radial direction r of an imaginary circle VC centered on the rotation axis B. An apparatus-side seal 111 is affixed around the receiving port 109a (see Fig. 5(b)).

[0038] Here, the apparatus-side shutter 109 is configured to be rotatable relative to the base frame 2 between a closed position where the receiving port 109a is covered by the apparatus-side seal 111 and the cover 110, and an open position where the receiving port 109a is not covered by the cover 110 and is open. The closed position is the position shown in Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 6(a), and is a position (non-communicating position) where the receiving port 109a of the apparatus-side shutter 109 does not communicate with the apparatus-side opening 117a of the second frame 117. The open position is the position shown in Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 6(b), and is a position (communicating position) where the receiving port 109a of the apparatus-side shutter 109 communicates with the apparatus-side opening 117a of the second frame 117. By moving the apparatus-side shutter 109 to the open position, toner can be replenished (supplied) from the toner pack 100 to the toner storage chamber 36 of the developing device 30 through the receiving port 109a.

[0039] Since the operation lever 108 and the apparatus-side shutter 109 are not connected to each other, the apparatus-side shutter 109 will not rotate even if the operation lever 108 is operated without the toner pack 100 attached.

[0040] (Toner pack) The basic structure of the toner pack 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and other drawings. Fig. 10(a) is a front view of the toner pack 100 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position. Fig. 10(b) is a front view of the toner pack 100 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position. Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the toner pack 100. Fig. 12(a) is a front view of the loosening member 200. Fig. 12(b) is a side view of the loosening member 200. Fig. 13(a) is a perspective view of the loosening member 200. Fig. 13(b) is a perspective view of the loosening member 200 in an elastically deformed state. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the toner pack 100.

[0041] The toner pack 100 has a storage section 101 (first storage section) that stores toner, a nozzle 102 (nozzle section, pipe, tube, valve, discharge section), a pack-side shutter 103 (container shutter, rotating member), and an unwinding member 200 (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 10, the storage section 101 is provided at one end side in a first direction D1, and the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 are provided at the other end side in the first direction. The storage section 101 and the nozzle 102 are aligned in the first direction D1.

[0042] The storage section 101 is a pouch formed by pouch processing a polypropylene sheet (flexible sheet). As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the storage section 101 has a flat shape in which the width in the second direction D2 is wider than the width in a third direction intersecting both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. As shown in Figure 10(a), the storage section 101 has a region α1 in which the width in the second direction D2 becomes wider as it moves away from the nozzle 102.

[0043] The nozzle 102 of this embodiment is made of polypropylene. A side surface 102c (first outer surface) of the nozzle 102 extending along the first direction D1 is provided with an outlet 102a (nozzle opening, first opening) configured to communicate with the inside of the storage section 101. The toner stored in the storage section 101 is configured to be discharged to the outside of the toner pack 100 through the outlet 102a. As shown in FIG. 14, the nozzle 102 has an inlet 102f for receiving the toner from the storage section 101 and a passage 102h through which the toner passes from the inlet 102f to the outlet 102a. In this embodiment, the outlet 102a is provided on the side surface 102c extending along the first direction D1.

[0044] The nozzle 102 may be configured integrally with the storage unit 101. Alternatively, a seal may be provided between the storage unit 101 and the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102, and the storage unit 101 and the outlet 102a may be configured to communicate with each other when the seal is removed.

[0045] A pack-side shutter 103 (rotating member) is provided on the outside of the side surface 102c of the nozzle 102. The pack-side shutter 103 is attached rotatably around a rotation axis A (first rotation axis) extending in a direction along the first direction D1, and has an opening 103a (rotating member opening, first shutter opening) as shown in FIG. 11. The pack-side shutter 103 is provided on the outside of the side surface 102c in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. The side surface 102c of the nozzle 102 is a curved surface that is convex toward the outside in the radial direction r of the virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. The inner surface (surface facing the side surface 102c) of the pack-side shutter 103 is a curved surface that follows the side surface 102c of the nozzle 102, and a substantially rectangular pack-side seal 105 is attached to it. The side surface 102c of the nozzle 102 is also a surface that extends along the rotation axis A.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the unwinding member 200 includes a base portion 201 and a first unwinding portion 202 (elastic portion) formed of a wire spring (wire material).

[0047] The base 201 is provided from the storage section 101 to the passage 102h of the nozzle 102 so that the longitudinal direction is the first direction D1, and has a first end 201a which is one end in the longitudinal direction and a second end 201b which is the other end. The first end 201a is a free end that includes a portion extending in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1. The second end 201b is provided with a second unraveling portion 201b2 so as to enter the passage 102h of the nozzle 102.

[0048] One end 202a (third end) and the other end 202b (fourth end) of the first unraveling portion 202 are supported by the first end 201a and the second end 201b of the base portion 201, respectively. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the first unraveling portion 202 has a generally spiral shape wound around the base portion 201 from the one end 202a to the other end 202b so as to form an ellipse with an angle of θ1 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base portion 201. In other words, the first unraveling portion 202 is a wire spring (spring wire rod) that extends in the first direction D1 while revolving around the base portion 201. The minor axis W2 of the first unraveling portion 202 is constant in the longitudinal direction, but the major axis W1 becomes smaller from the one end 202a to the other end 202b as shown in FIG. 12(a). In other words, in the region α1 (FIG. 10(a)) of the storage section 101 described above, the width W3 (longer diameter W1) of the first unraveling portion 202 in the second direction D2 becomes wider as it moves away from the nozzle 102 in accordance with the width of the storage section 101. In addition, the second unraveling portion 201b2 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 201b21 extending in the second direction D2 and aligned in the first direction D1.

[0049] Since the first loosening portion 202 is formed of a wire spring, the first loosening portion 202 transitions from the state shown in Fig. 13(a) to the state shown in Fig. 13(b). When a force is applied to the first loosening portion 202, it is configured to be elastically deformed so as to be displaced relative to the base portion 201.

[0050] A shaft-shaped supported portion 201b1 (swing shaft portion) is provided at the second end portion 201b of the base portion 201, and is supported by a support hole 102g (support portion) provided in the nozzle 102 as shown in Fig. 11. Therefore, the base portion 201 is supported by the nozzle 102 so as to be swingable about a swing axis S1 of the supported portion 201b1 relative to the nozzle 102. When the base portion 201 swings about the swing axis S1, the second unraveling portion 202b2 inside the passage 102h of the nozzle 102 also swings about the swing axis S1. The first unraveling portion 202 and the second unraveling portion 202b2 are located on opposite sides of the supported portion 201b1 in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 201. The swing axis S1 in this embodiment extends in the second direction D2 in accordance with the shape (flat shape) of the storage section 101, and is configured not to swing around a virtual line extending in a third direction intersecting both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. However, the swing axis S1 may be configured to swing not only around the swing axis S1 extending in the second direction D2, but also around a swing axis extending in a third direction intersecting both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The swing axis S1 may be configured to swing in any direction intersecting the first direction D1. The movement of the release member 200 accompanying a replenishing operation using the toner pack 100 by a user will be described later.

[0051] 10, the pack-side shutter 103 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis A between a closed position where the pack-side seal 105 closes the discharge outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 and an open position where the discharge outlet 102a is open. When the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position, the discharge outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 is exposed from the opening 103a.

[0052] 10(a) and 10(b) respectively show the pack-side shutter 103 in the closed position and the open position. As shown in FIG. 10(a), when the pack-side shutter 103 in the closed position is rotated in the direction of arrow K (first rotation direction) around the rotation axis A, it reaches the open position shown in FIG. 10(b). Conversely, when the pack-side shutter 103 is rotated from the open position in the direction of arrow L (second rotation direction), it reaches the closed position. During the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103, the pack-side shutter 103 rubs against the side surface 102c of the nozzle 102 via the pack-side seal 105.

[0053] 15 to 17, the detailed configurations of the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 will be described. The direction of arrow N is the direction from the storage unit 101 to the nozzle 102, and the direction of arrow U is the opposite direction. The directions of arrow N and arrow U are parallel to the rotation axis A.

[0054] Fig. 15(a) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the nozzle 102 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position. Fig. 15(b) is a view of the toner pack 100 viewed in the direction of the arrow U in Fig. 15(a). Fig. 16(a) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the nozzle 102 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position. Fig. 16(b) is a side view of the toner pack 100 viewed in the direction of the arrow U in Fig. 16(a). Fig. 17 is a view of the vicinity of the nozzle 102 viewed from the opposite side to Fig. 14.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 15(a) and FIG. 15(b), the nozzle 102 includes a positioned portion 102d having a surface 102d1 (first nozzle surface, first opposing surface) and a surface 102d2 (second nozzle surface, second opposing surface). The surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 are aligned in the direction of the arrow R (second direction D2) so as to face each other with a gap therebetween, and extend in a direction intersecting the direction R. As shown in FIG. 15(b), the surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 in this embodiment extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow R and are parallel to each other. In other words, the direction of the arrow R is the normal direction of the surfaces 102d1 and 102d2. The positioned portion 102d engages with the positioning portion 107a (FIG. 4(a)) of the first frame 107 when the toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106. This determines the position of the nozzle 102 in the direction of arrow R relative to the first frame 107 (base frame 2). This also determines the position of the nozzle 102 in the rotation direction about the rotation axis A relative to the first frame 107. In Fig. 14(b), a straight line CL1 (first virtual line) that passes through the center of the faces 102d1 and 102d2 in the R direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of arrow R is in a phase rotated by approximately 90° with respect to CL2 (second virtual line) that passes through the rotation axis A and the center of the discharge port 102a. In other words, the straight lines CL1 and CL2 are perpendicular to each other.

[0056] 15 and 18, surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 are provided downstream in the N direction of the surfaces 102d1 and 102d2, respectively, in the direction of the rotation axis A. As shown in Fig. 15(b), the surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 extend in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A.

[0057] 18, a side surface 102e3 (second outer surface) is provided between the surface 102d1 and the surface 102d2 and between the surface 102e1 and the surface 102e2 in the direction of the arrow R. The side surface 102e3 is recessed inward in the radial direction r more than the side surface 102c. The surfaces 102d1, 102d2, and the side surface 102e3, and the surfaces 102e1, 102e2, and the side surface 102e3 form a recess 102e (nozzle recess).

[0058] The surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 do not necessarily have to be parallel to each other as in this embodiment. The surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 may be surfaces extending in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the axis of rotation A.

[0059] 15, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis A (first direction D1), an opening 103a (rotating body opening) is provided on a side surface 103d (outer surface of the first rotating member) of the pack-side shutter 103. In FIG. 15(a), when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position, at least a part of the recess 102e of the nozzle 102 is exposed from the opening 103a. This is to allow the recess 102e (surfaces 102d1 and 102d2) to engage with the positioning portion 107a when the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106 with the pack-side shutter 103 in the closed state.

[0060] Further, as shown in FIG. 15(b), this is a perspective view of the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position. When viewed in the direction of the rotation axis A (first direction D), a driven transmission part 103e (rotating body recess) is provided on the opposite side of the rotation axis A to the recess 102e (opening 103a of the pack-side shutter 103) of the nozzle 102. Both the surface 103b1 and the surface 103b2 of the driven transmission part 103e extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow R. FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the pack-side shutter 103 as viewed from the side where the driven transmission part 103e is located. Between the surfaces 103b1 and 103b2, a side surface 103b3 (second rotating member outer surface) recessed inward in the radial direction r from the side surface 103d is provided. The surfaces 103b1, 103b2 and the side surface 103b3 form a driven portion 103e.

[0061] When the pack side shutter 103 is rotated in the direction of arrow K from the closed position shown in FIG. 14, the pack side shutter 103 takes the open position as shown in FIG. 16, and the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 is exposed from the opening 103a of the pack side shutter 103.

[0062] 15 and 17, the pack-side shutter 103 has a radial positioning portion 103f that protrudes outward in the radial direction r from the side surface 103d. The radial positioning portion 103f is provided upstream of the pack-side shutter 103 in the N direction in the direction of the rotation axis A. The radial positioning portions 103f are provided at three locations spaced apart in the rotation direction of the pack-side shutter 103 (the circumferential direction of the imaginary circle VC). When the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106, the radial positioning portion 103f of the pack-side shutter 10 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface 109h of the device-side shutter 109, thereby determining the position of the toner pack 100 in the radial direction r.

[0063] In this embodiment, the nozzle 102 is a component provided with a passage 102h through which the toner passes and an outlet 102a through which the toner is discharged from the nozzle 102. The cross-sectional area of ​​the passage of the nozzle 102 through which the toner passes may be smaller or larger toward the outlet 102a, or may be uniform. The cross-sectional area and length of the passage of the nozzle 102 are not limited and may be appropriately changed according to the toner dischargeability, etc. In addition, the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 does not need to be the most downstream opening through which the toner is discharged from the toner pack 100. The toner discharged from the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 may be discharged to the outside of the toner pack 100 after passing through a passage of a member separate from the nozzle 102. In this embodiment, the nozzle 102 is formed of non-flexible polypropylene, but may be formed of other materials such as ABS or polystyrene.

[0064] The pack-side shutter 103 may be a rotating body having a drive-receiving portion 103e and always opening the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 regardless of the rotational position. In this case, the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 may be configured to be closed with a seal when the toner pack 100 is not attached to the attachment portion 106, and the seal may be removed by the attachment operation to the attachment portion 106 or after the toner pack is attached. Also, the toner pack 100 may not be provided with the pack-side shutter 103.

[0065] (Replenishment operation) Next, the operation of mounting the toner pack 100 and replenishing toner will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0066] FIG. 19(a) is a perspective view of the toner pack 100 and the mounting section 106 when the toner pack 100 is being mounted to the mounting section 106. FIG. 19(b) is a perspective view of the toner pack 100 and the mounting section 106 from a different viewpoint than that of FIG. 19(a). FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the rotation axis A (rotation axis B) in a state in which the toner pack 100 is further moved in the mounting direction from the state of FIG. 19 and the mounting is completed. FIG. 21(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along X1-X1 in FIG. 20. FIG. 21(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along X2-X2 in FIG. 20. FIG. 22(a) is a perspective view of the toner pack 100 seen from above when the operation lever 108 is in the open position. FIG. 22(b) is a perspective view of the pack-side shutter 103 and the device-side shutter 109 in the open position from the closed position by operating the operation lever 108 from the state of FIG. 22. FIG. 1(c) is a schematic view showing a state in which the user supplies toner. Fig. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X3-X3 in Fig. 20 after the operation lever 108 has been operated from the state of Fig. 20. Figs. 1(b) and 1(c) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the toner pack 100 has been crushed from the state of Fig. 22(a) when a user replenishes toner.

[0067] 19, the toner pack 100 with the pack-side shutter 103 in the closed position is moved in the mounting direction M to be mounted on the mounting portion 106 with the apparatus-side shutter 109 in the closed position. At this time, when viewed in the mounting direction M, the positions of the recess 102e of the nozzle 102 (the opening 103a of the pack-side shutter 103) and the positioning portion 107a of the first frame 107 in the rotational direction of the pack-side shutter 103 are aligned. At the same time, the positions of the driven transmission portion 103e of the pack-side shutter 103 and the drive transmission portion 108a of the operation lever 108 in the rotational direction of the pack-side shutter 103 are also aligned.

[0068] After the above-mentioned alignment, the toner pack 100 is moved in the mounting direction M and mounted in the mounting portion 106, and reaches the mounting completion position shown in FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 20, the small diameter portion 109d2 of the center boss 109d of the device-side shutter 109 is engaged with the inner peripheral surface 102b1 of the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102. This determines the radial position of the nozzle 102 below the nozzle 102 (downstream side of the mounting direction M) relative to the device-side shutter 109. In addition, three points of the radial positioning portion 103f (FIGS. 14 and 16) of the pack-side shutter 103 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface 109h (FIG. 8) of the device-side shutter 109. This determines the radial positions of the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 (toner pack 100) on the upstream side of the mounting direction M. Meanwhile, the protruding end surface 102b2 of the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102 abuts against the pack abutting surface 109g of the apparatus-side shutter 109. This determines the position of the nozzle 102 (toner pack 100) in the direction of the rotation axis A (mounting direction M) relative to the mounting portion 106. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 21(a), the positioning portion 107a of the first frame 107 engages with the positioned portion 102d of the nozzle 102 having the surface 102d1 and the surface 102d2. Therefore, the position of the nozzle 102 is determined relative to the first frame 107 (base frame 2) in the direction of the arrow R of the surface 102d1 and the surface 102d2. Note that the inner peripheral surface 102b1 of the protruding portion 102b does not necessarily need to be configured to fit with the center boss 109d, but only needs to be configured not to interfere with it. As shown in FIG. 21(a), the drive transmitting portion 108a (lever convex portion) of the operating lever 108 and the driven transmitting portion 103e (rotating body concave portion, see FIG. 17) of the pack-side shutter 103 engage with each other. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 21(b), the driven transmitting portion 103e (rotating body concave portion) of the pack-side shutter 103 engages with the driven transmitting portion 109e (shutter convex portion) of the device-side shutter 109. As a result, the rotation axis A of the pack-side shutter 103 and the rotation axis B of the device-side shutter 109 become approximately coaxial. Then, the operating lever 108, the pack-side shutter 103, and the device-side shutter 109 are movable approximately as one unit in rotation about the rotation axis A (rotation axis B) relative to the first frame 107 (base frame 2) and the nozzle 102.Specifically, when the operating lever 108 is rotated, the drive transmission part 108a of the operating lever 108 presses the surface 103b1 or 103b2 of the pack-side shutter 103, rotating the pack-side shutter 103. Thereafter, the surface 103b1 or 103b2 of the pack-side shutter 103 presses the drive transmitted part 109e of the device-side shutter 109, rotating the device-side shutter 109.

[0069] 22(a) and 22(b), after completing the mounting of the toner pack 100 in the mounting portion 106, the operating portion 108b of the operating lever 108 is rotated in a rotation direction D. When the operating lever 108 is operated so as to rotate in the rotation direction D, the device-side shutter 109 rotates from the closed position to the open position, and the pack-side shutter 103 rotates from the closed position to the open position.

[0070] [Action of the release member during replenishing operation] The function of the release member 200 in relation to the supply operation of the toner pack 100 will now be described.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 22(c), the user presses an area H, which is a part of the storage unit 101 of the toner pack 100, as a supplying operation. The area H is an area in which the first loosening portion 202 is disposed inside the storage unit 101, as shown in FIG. 10. As described above, the loosening member 200 is supported by the nozzle 102 so as to be swingable about the supported portion 201b1 (swing axis S1) relative to the nozzle 102. Furthermore, the second loosening portion 201b2 can also swing relative to the nozzle 102 about the supported portion 201b1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the first loosening portion 202 is elastically deformed in the direction of the arrow S by the pressing force F1 and the pressing force F2 that sandwich the storage unit 101 from the outside in the second direction D2, and the entire loosening member 200 also swings in the direction of the arrow T or the arrow V about the supported portion 201b1. When the pressing force F1 is greater than the pressing force F2, the toner pack 100 transitions from the state shown in FIG. 1(a) to the state shown in FIG. 1(b). When the pressing force F2 is greater than the pressing force F1, the toner pack 100 transitions from the state shown in FIG. 1(a) to the state shown in FIG. 1(c). When the user releases the pressing forces F1 and F2, the toner pack 100 returns to the state shown in FIG. 1(a) or a state close to this state as the first loosening portion 202 restores from the elastically deformed state. Due to the action of the loosening member 200 as described above, the toner contained in the storage portion 101 is loosened by the first loosening portion 202. At the same time, the toner in the passage 102h of the nozzle 102 is loosened by the second loosening portion 201b2. Then, due to the weight of the toner and the increase in the internal pressure of the storage portion 101 caused by the storage portion 101 being pressed, the toner in the storage portion 101 and the passage 102h is discharged from the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 along the arrow Z. When the replenishing operation is completed, the operation lever 108 is rotated in the rotation direction E by operating the operation portion 108b, and then the toner pack 100 is removed from the mounting portion 106.

[0072] According to the toner pack 100 of this embodiment, the toner in the storage section 101 and the passage 102h can be disintegrated more effectively at the same time as the toner is replenished, without disintegrating the toner before replenishment, than in the case where the disintegrating member 200 is not present. Furthermore, the toner dischargeability of the toner pack 100 is improved, so that the toner remaining in the toner pack 100 after replenishment can be reduced. In addition, the elastic restoring force of the first disintegrating portion 202 keeps the storage section 101 at a certain volume or more at which it is easily crushed. For example, even if the toner pack 100 is crushed by an impact during distribution or the like and the air inside is temporarily discharged through the pack-side seal 105, the toner pack 100 is configured to easily restore its shape.

[0073] The storage section 101 of the toner pack 100 is not limited to a pouch as in this embodiment, and may be a container made of paper, vinyl, or the like. As shown in FIG. 23(a), the storage section 1010 (bottle) made of resin with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm may have an elastic portion 1010a that is easily elastically deformed at an end portion farther from the nozzle 102 in the first direction D1. The elastic portion 1010a is, for example, a thin portion (thickness 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm) that is thinner than the portion excluding the elastic portion 1010a, or a portion made of a material with a smaller Young's modulus than the material of the portion excluding the elastic portion 1010a. When the user presses the elastic portion 1010a, the elastic portion 1010a is elastically deformed as shown in FIG. 23(b), and the pressing force F1 of the user is transmitted to the loosening member 200 inside the storage section 1010, thereby loosening the toner. 24(a), an elastic portion 1020b that is easily elastically deformed may be formed at an end portion of the container 1020, which is a container 1010 (bottle) made of resin and has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, on the nozzle 102 side in the first direction D1. The elastic portion 1020b is, for example, a thin portion (thickness 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm) that is thinner than the portion excluding the elastic portion 1020b, or a portion made of a material with a smaller Young's modulus than the material of the portion excluding the elastic portion 1020b. When the container 1020 moves relative to the nozzle 102 due to a pressing force F3 by the user, the loosening member 200 receives a pressing force F4 from the container 1020, and can loosen the toner.

[0074] In this embodiment, the unraveling member 200 is supported to be swingable with respect to the nozzle 102, and the first unraveling member 202 is an elastically deformable wire spring having a spiral shape, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the first unraveling portion 202 and the second unraveling portion 201b2 may be a comb-shaped unraveling member 2000 shown in FIG. 25(a) or a mesh-shaped unraveling member 2000 shown in FIG. 25(b). The unraveling member 2000 in FIG. 25(a) has a first unraveling portion 2020 and a second unraveling portion 2030. The first unraveling portion 2020 is configured with a plurality of protrusions extending in the second direction D2 and aligned in the first direction D1. The second unraveling portion 2030 is configured with a plurality of protrusions that are shorter in length than the protrusions of the first unraveling portion 2020 and aligned in the first direction D1. The unwinding member 2000 in FIG. 25(b) has a first unwinding portion 2020 and a second unwinding portion 2030 in a mesh shape.

[0075] Also, the loosening member 200 may not be supported by the nozzle 102 and may be configured to float inside the storage unit 101. The base 201 itself may be formed of a wire spring. If there is no need to loosen the toner in the passage 102h of the nozzle 102, the second loosening member 201b2 may not be required. If the pressing force of the user is transmitted to the loosening member 200, the position of the loosening member 200 moves relative to the storage unit 101 and the nozzle 102, thereby allowing the toner contained in the storage unit 101 to be loosened.

[0076] <Example 2> The configuration of the second embodiment will be described. Note that the description of the same elements as those in the previous embodiment may be omitted. Also, elements corresponding to those described in the first embodiment may be given the same names as those in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the description will be centered on elements different from the first embodiment.

[0077] The configuration of the toner pack 250 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 26 to 29. The configuration of the mounting portion 106 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Fig. 26(a) is a front view of the toner pack 250. Fig. 26(b) is a perspective view of the toner pack 250. Fig. 27(a) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the nozzle 251 when the pack-side shutter 253 is in the closed position. Fig. 27(b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the nozzle 252 when the pack-side shutter 253 is in the open position. Fig. 28(a) is a perspective view of the loosening member 254. Fig. 28(b) is a side view of the loosening member 254. Fig. 28(c) is a top view of the loosening member 254. Fig. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the toner pack 250 taken along the X4-X4 line in Fig. 26(a). Fig. 30(a) is a cross-sectional view parallel to the rotation axis A (rotation axis B) in the mounting complete state. Figure 30(b) is a cross section taken along line X5-X5 in Figure 30(a). Figure 31 is a cross section parallel to the rotation axis A (rotation axis B) when the pack-side shutter 253 and the device-side shutter 109 are rotated to the open state. For ease of viewing, Figures 29, 30(a) and 31 show the unravelling member 254 in a non-cross section.

[0078] The toner pack 250 has a storage section 251 for storing toner, a nozzle 252, a pack-side shutter 253, and a release member 254. As shown in FIG. 26, the storage section 251 is provided at one end in the first direction D1, and the nozzle 252 and the pack-side shutter 253 are provided at the other end. The storage section 251 is a resin bottle. The resin bottle in this embodiment has a thickness of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The material that can be used is polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PC, ABS, PC+ABS, PP, or nylon. As shown in FIG. 27, the pack-side shutter 253 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis A between a closed position where the pack-side seal 105 closes the discharge port 252c of the nozzle 252 and an open position where the discharge port 102a is opened. A protrusion 253a is provided at the tip of the pack-side shutter 253.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 28(a) and Fig. 28(b), the unwinding member 254 includes a base 255, a first unwinding portion 256, and a second unwinding portion 257. The first unwinding portions 256 are comb-tooth-shaped portions provided on the base 255, and are arranged at intervals of 90° in the rotation direction of the rotation axis A and are provided so as to be staggered in the direction of the rotation axis A. In other words, the first unwinding portion 256 has a first protrusion extending in the second direction D2 and a second protrusion extending in a third direction intersecting the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The second unwinding portion 257 is a comb-tooth-shaped portion provided on the base 255.

[0080] 29, the unwinding member 254 is provided inside the storage portion 251. The second unwinding portion 257 is disposed inside the passage 252a of the nozzle 252. A tip 255a of the base portion 255 is fitted into a hole 253b of the pack-side shutter 253 and fixed.

[0081] Next, the mechanism by which the loosening member 254 loosens the toner will be described with reference to Figs. 30 to 32. Fig. 30(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pack 250 is mounted in the mounting portion 106. In the state shown in Fig. 30(a) as in the previous embodiment, when the operating portion 108b is operated to rotate the operating lever 108 in the rotation direction D (see Figs. 22(a) and (b)), the device-side shutter 109 and the pack-side shutter 253 rotate from the closed position to the open position. The loosening member 254 is fixed to the pack-side shutter 253, and therefore rotates in the direction of the arrow K about the rotation axis A. As a result, the toner in the storage portion 251 is loosened by the first loosening portion 256, and the toner in the passage 252a is loosened by the second loosening portion 257. As a result, the loosened toner is discharged from the storage portion 251 along the arrow Z by its own weight as shown in Fig. 31. In other words, the toner in the storage portion 251 is loosened by the opening and closing of the shutter, making it easier to discharge the toner. After the toner supply is completed, the operation portion 108b is rotated in the rotation direction E, and then the toner pack 250 is removed from the attachment portion 106.

[0082] In this embodiment, the storage section 251 of the toner pack 250 is a resin bottle, but is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a pouch made by processing a sheet such as a flexible polypropylene sheet into a pouch may also be used. The form of the unraveling member 254 is not necessarily limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 32, the first unraveling portion 256 may be a screw having a helical blade portion, and the second unraveling portion 257 may be an elastically deformable sheet.

[0083] <Example 3> Next, a third embodiment will be described. Note that the description of elements similar to those in the previous embodiment may be omitted. Among the elements of this embodiment, elements corresponding to those in the first embodiment may be given the same names as those in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, elements different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

[0084] First, the configuration of the mounting part 300 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 33 and Fig. 34. Fig. 33 is a perspective view of the mounting part 300. Fig. 34(a) is a top view of the mounting part. Fig. 34(b) is a cross-section taken along the line X6-X6 in Fig. 34(a).

[0085] As shown in Figures 33 and 34(a), a drive transmission member 302 is provided at the tip of a center boss 301a of an apparatus-side shutter 301 constituting the mounting part 300. The drive transmission member 302 has four drive transmission claws 302a. As shown in Figure 34(b), a drive shaft 303 is fixed to the drive transmission member 302, and the drive transmission member 302 can rotate in a rotation direction D around a rotation axis B by receiving a driving force from a drive source M (motor).

[0086] Next, the configuration of the toner pack 350 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 35 to 37. Figure 35(a) is a front view of the toner pack 350. Figure 35(b) is a perspective view of the toner pack 350. Figure 36(a) is a front view of the loosening member 354. Figure 36(b) is a perspective view of the loosening member 354. Figure 37(a) is a cross section taken along line X6-X6 in Figure 35(a). The direction of the arrow U is the direction from the nozzle 352 to the storage section 351. Figure 37(b) is a view of Figure 37(a) seen from the direction of the arrow U.

[0087] Similar to the first embodiment, the toner pack 350 has a storage section 351 that stores toner, a nozzle 352, a pack-side shutter 353, and a release member 354. As shown in Fig. 35, the storage section 351 is provided on one end side in the first direction D1, and the nozzle 352 and the pack-side shutter 353 are provided on the other end side in the first direction. The storage section 351 is formed of a resin bottle similar to the second embodiment.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 36, the unwinding member 354 includes a shaft portion 355 rotatable around the rotation axis A, a first unwinding portion 356 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 355, and a second unwinding portion 357 having a smaller outer diameter than the first unwinding portion 356 and provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 355. The first unwinding portion 356 and the second unwinding portion 357 are both blades (blade portions) having a helical shape with the rotation axis as the helical axis. In other words, the unwinding member 354 is a screw. As shown in FIG. 37(a), the unwinding member 354 is disposed inside the accommodation portion 351. A driven transmission member 358 (driving force receiving portion) is fixed to a first end portion 355a at one end of the shaft portion 355. The driven transmission member 358 is a coupling having four driven transmission claws 358a provided on an end face in the direction of the rotation axis A.

[0089] When the toner pack 350 is oriented in a predetermined direction in which the nozzle 352 is lower than the storage portion 351 and the rotation axis A is parallel to the direction of gravity, the driven transmission member 358 is fixed to a first end 355a (lower end), which is the lower end of the shaft portion 355. As shown in Figures 37(a) and 37(b), when the toner pack 350 is oriented in a predetermined direction, the driven transmission member 358 is exposed to the outside of the toner pack 350 from the bottom surface of the nozzle 352.

[0090] The shaft portion 355 has a portion (first portion) located inside the accommodation portion 351 and provided with a first unraveling portion 356, and a portion (second portion) located inside the passage 352a and provided with a second unraveling portion 357. The first end portion 355a, which is one end portion of the shaft portion 355, is a tip portion that penetrates downward through the inner wall of the passage 352a, as shown in FIG.

[0091] The second end 355b, which is the other end of the shaft portion 355, and the receiving portion 355c are respectively supported by a bearing portion 351a of the storage portion 351 and a bearing portion 352b of the nozzle 352 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis A. When the toner pack 350 is oriented in a predetermined direction, the bearing portion 352b is provided on the ceiling surface inside the storage portion 351. The second loosening portion 357 is disposed inside the passage 352a of the nozzle 352.

[0092] Next, the toner supply operation will be described with reference to Figures 38 to 40. Figure 38 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pack 350 is mounted in the mounting portion 300, the operation lever 108 is rotated in the rotation direction D (see Figures 22(a) and (b)), and the device-side shutter 301 and the pack-side shutter 353 are rotated from the closed position to the open position. Figure 39 is a perspective view showing the state in which the drive transmission member 302 attached to the drive shaft 303 and the driven transmission member 358 attached to the release member 354 mesh with each other.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 38 and FIG. 39, when the toner pack 350 is attached to the attachment portion 300, the drive transmission member 302 attached to the drive shaft 303 and the driven transmission member 358 attached to the unwinding member 354 are engaged with each other. When the drive shaft 303 is rotated in a rotation direction D by the drive source M due to the drive transmission claw 302a of the drive transmission member 302 and the driven transmission claw 358a of the driven transmission member 358 coming into contact with each other, the unwinding member 354 also rotates in the rotation direction D. As a result, the toner in the storage portion 351 of the toner pack 350 is unwound by the first unwinding portion 356, and the toner in the passage 352a of the nozzle 352 is unwound by the second unwinding portion 357. Then, the toner in the storage portion 351 is discharged from the discharge port 352c along the arrow Z by the weight of the toner and the conveying force of the unwinding member 354. In other words, the toner in the storage portion 351 and the passage 352a of the nozzle 352 is loosened by the rotation of the loosening member 354 upon receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus 1. After the toner supply is completed, the operation portion 108b is operated to rotate the operation lever 108 in the rotation direction E, and then the toner pack 350 is removed from the mounting portion 300.

[0094] In this embodiment, the first and second unraveling portions 356 and 357 of the unraveling member 354 are screws, but are not necessarily limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 40, they may be flexible sheets such as PET or PC. By making the free length of the first and second unraveling portions 356 and 357 larger than the inner diameter of the storage portion 351, they will rub against the inner wall of the storage portion 351, so that the toner in the entire area of ​​the storage portion 351 can be efficiently unraveled. In this embodiment, the storage portion 351 is a resin bottle, but is not necessarily limited thereto. They may be pouches made by processing a flexible sheet such as a polypropylene sheet into a pouch. In addition, the unraveling member 354 does not necessarily have to be a screw, and may be any member capable of unraveling the toner in the storage portion 351 by moving it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 100, 250, 350 toner packs 101, 251, 351 Storage unit 102, 252, 352 nozzles 102a Outlet 103, 253, 353 Pack side shutter 102h, 252a, 352a aisle 200, 254, 354 Release member 201 Base 202, 256, 356 First Unraveling Section 201b1 Supported part 201b2, 257, 357 Second Resolved Section 358 Driven transmission member

Claims

1. A toner container comprising: a container for containing toner; a nozzle portion provided with an outlet for discharging the toner contained in the storage portion to an outside of the toner container, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion so as to be aligned with the storage portion in a first direction; a toner dissolving member for dissolving the toner, at least a portion of which is provided in the container; having The unlocking member is configured to be swingable about a swing axis extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction relative to the housing portion. A toner container comprising:

2. The loosening member is a base portion provided such that a longitudinal direction corresponds to the first direction, the base portion having a first end portion that is one end portion in the longitudinal direction and a second end portion that is the other end portion in the longitudinal direction; an elastic portion that is elastically displaceable with respect to the base portion, the elastic portion being supported by the base portion so as to be located outside the base portion in a direction intersecting the first direction; having 2. The toner container according to claim 1,

3. 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the second end portion is provided with a supported portion supported by the nozzle portion so that the unwinding member can swing about the second direction relative to the nozzle portion.

4. 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the first end of the base is configured to be a free end in the storage portion.

5. the elastic portion is a spring wire extending in the first direction while rotating around the base portion, 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein a third end which is one end of the wire and a fourth end which is the other end of the wire are fixed to the first end and the second end of the base, respectively.

6. 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the first end of the base is a free end extending in a direction intersecting the first direction.

7. 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the base in a direction intersecting the first direction and are aligned in the first direction.

8. 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion includes a first protrusion protruding from the base in a direction intersecting the first direction, and a second protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the first direction and a direction in which the first protrusion protrudes.

9. the nozzle portion has a passage through which the toner passes toward the discharge port, The end of the unwinding member on the nozzle portion side is inserted into the passage of the nozzle portion.

2. The toner container according to claim 1,

10. the nozzle portion has a passage through which the toner passes toward the discharge port, 4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein a tip portion of the second end portion, which is located farther from the second end portion than the supported portion is, is inserted into the passage.

11. The outlet is provided on a side surface of the nozzle portion extending in the first direction, 11. The toner container according to claim 10, wherein the tip portion extends in a direction approaching the discharge port in a direction intersecting the first direction as the tip portion approaches the discharge port in the first direction.

12. 11. The toner container according to claim 10, wherein the tip portion is provided with a plurality of protrusions that protrude in a direction intersecting a direction in which the tip portion extends toward the discharge port.

13. the storage portion has a region whose width in a third direction intersecting the first direction becomes wider as the region becomes farther from the nozzle portion in the first direction, 3. The toner container according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion has a portion in the region, the width of which in the third direction increases with increasing distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction.

14. the storage portion has a region whose width in a direction intersecting the first direction becomes wider as the region becomes farther from the nozzle portion in the first direction, 6. The toner container according to claim 5, wherein the wire has a portion in the region where the radius of rotation around the base portion increases with increasing distance from the nozzle portion in the first direction.

15. A toner container comprising: a container for containing toner; a nozzle portion provided with an outlet for discharging the toner contained in the storage portion to an outside of the toner container, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion so as to be aligned with the storage portion in a first direction; a stirring member for stirring the toner in the container; having The stirring member is a shaft portion supported by the nozzle portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the nozzle portion, the rotation axis being oriented in the first direction; A blade portion provided on the shaft portion so as to rotate together with the shaft portion; a driving force receiving portion that receives a driving force for rotating the toner container from the outside; having when the nozzle portion is located below the storage portion and the toner container is oriented in a predetermined direction in which the rotation axis is parallel to the direction of gravity, the driving force receiving portion is provided at a lower end portion that is a lower end portion of the shaft portion. A toner container comprising:

16. 16. The toner container according to claim 15, wherein the driving force receiving portion is a coupling.

17. When the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction, 17. The toner container according to claim 16, wherein the driving force receiving portion is exposed to the outside of the toner container from a bottom surface of the nozzle portion.

18. When the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction, The outlet is provided on a side surface of the nozzle portion extending along the rotation axis, the nozzle portion has a receiving opening that faces upward and is provided above the discharge opening so as to receive the toner from the container portion, and a passage through which the toner passes from the receiving opening to the discharge opening; the shaft has a first portion in the housing and a second portion in the passage; 16. The toner container according to claim 15, wherein the lower end is a portion of the shaft that passes through the passage downward.

19. 16. The toner container according to claim 15, wherein the driving force receiving portion is located below the discharge port.

20. 19. The toner container according to claim 18, wherein the blade portion is provided on both the first portion and the second portion of the shaft portion, and the width of the blade portion in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis is narrower in the second portion than in the first portion.

21. 16. The toner container according to claim 15, wherein the blade portion has a helical shape with the rotation axis of the shaft portion as a helical axis.

22. The blade portion has a helical shape with the rotation axis of the shaft portion as a helical axis, 20. The toner container according to claim 18, wherein the blade portion is provided on both the first portion and the second portion of the shaft portion, and an outer diameter of the blade portion on the second portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the blade portion on the first portion.

23. A toner container comprising: a container for containing toner; a nozzle portion provided with an outlet for discharging the toner contained in the storage portion to an outside of the toner container, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion so as to be aligned with the storage portion in a first direction; a shutter that rotates about a rotation axis extending in the first direction between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port; a toner loosening member, at least a portion of which is provided in the storage section and which loosens the toner, the toner loosening member having a shaft portion centered on the rotation axis and a loosening portion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion; having The unlocking member is configured to rotate by rotation of the shutter. A toner container comprising:

24. A toner container comprising: a container for containing toner; a nozzle portion provided with an outlet for discharging the toner contained in the storage portion to an outside of the toner container, the nozzle portion being fixed to the storage portion so as to be aligned with the storage portion in a first direction; a toner dissolving member for dissolving the toner, at least a portion of which is provided in the container; having The loosening member is a base portion provided such that a longitudinal direction corresponds to the first direction, the base portion having a first end portion that is one end portion in the longitudinal direction and a second end portion that is the other end portion in the longitudinal direction; an elastic portion that is elastically displaceable with respect to the base portion, the elastic portion being supported by the base portion so as to be located outside the base portion in a direction intersecting the first direction; having A toner container comprising:

25. the elastic portion is a spring wire extending in the first direction while rotating around the base portion, 25. The toner container according to claim 24, wherein a third end which is one end of the wire and a fourth end which is the other end of the wire are fixed to the first end and the second end of the base, respectively.

26. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the loosening member is configured not to swing about an imaginary line extending in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

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