Developer storage container, developing device, and cartridge

Abstract

To provide a developer storage container that is formed by coupling a plurality of components by ultrasonic deposition, and achieve correction of warpage of a single component, prevention of positional deviation between the components during the ultrasonic deposition, and reduction in thickness of the developer storage container.SOLUTION: A developer storage container has: a deposition part that is a portion to be an energy director to which melting energy is applied during deposition, projects from a surface in a first flange part of a first frame body part opposite to a second flange part of a second frame body part toward the second flange part, and is welded; a first wall surface part that is provided on an outer peripheral side of the deposition part of the first flange part and is opposite to the second flange part from an outer peripheral side of the second flange part in a direction along the opposing surface; a second wall surface part that is provided on an inner peripheral side of the deposition part of the first flange part and is opposite to the second flange part from an inner peripheral side of the second flange part in a direction along the opposing surface; and a concave part that is provided between the deposition part and at least any one of the first wall surface part and the second wall surface part, and accommodates a melting part extending during the deposition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, a process cartridge system has been adopted in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrated into a cartridge, and the cartridge is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. A conventional process cartridge has a developing device unit that contains a developer, has an agitating section, and holds developing means such as a developing roller and a developing blade as developing members. It also has a photosensitive unit that is configured by mounting a photosensitive drum, cleaning means such as a cleaning blade and a removed developer reservoir, and a charging roller, etc., on a drum frame. The developing device unit and the photosensitive unit are then swingably or integrally joined to form a cartridge.

[0003] In such a process cartridge, the developing device or the developing device unit is usually composed of two parts: a developing container that supports the developing members such as a developing roller and a developing blade and contains a developer, and a bottom member that forms a developer containing portion by combining with the developing container. The developing container and the bottom member are composed of a welding flange and a welding portion that are joined by ultrasonic welding.

[0004] The configuration of ultrasonic welding will be described below with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of energy director 880a, showing the state after ultrasonic welding is completed.

[0005] Ultrasonic welding is a technique in which the vibration of a piezoelectric element is amplified by a welding horn 890, the welding horn is pressed against a horn receiving member 880 with sufficient pressure, and the vibration of the welding horn 890 is transmitted to an energy director 880a provided on the horn receiving member 880, melting the energy director 880a, thereby joining the horn receiving member 880 and the member to be joined 881.

[0006] At this time, a welded flange 881a is provided on the joined member 881 facing the welded horn 890 so that sufficient pressure can be applied from the welded horn 890 to the energy director 880a, and the flange is supported by a welded backup 891. In addition, it is necessary to provide a director accommodation section 880b, which is a space into which the energy director 880a melted by vibration flows.

[0007] Here, in order to reliably join the developing frame and the bottom member by ultrasonic welding, it is required to perform ultrasonic welding in a state where the joint surfaces of the welding flange and the welding part are in stable contact with each other. On the other hand, the materials used for the developer device unit are molded materials such as PS and PP, taking into consideration low cost and mass production, and therefore warping occurs during molding of each part. For this reason, in the past, there was a configuration in which wall parts were provided to sandwich the welding director so that the joint surfaces of the welding flange and the welding part could be in stable contact with each other, preventing the joint surfaces from shifting or falling off, as shown in the figures of JP-A-2002-14520 and JP-A-2003-248370. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-014520 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-248370 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Here, in order to improve product competitiveness in the market in recent years, there is a demand for smaller cartridges and lower costs, and there is a demand for smaller welding flanges and welding parts, and for cost reductions by thinning the entire part. Therefore, an example of thinning the entire part of the above-mentioned conventional configuration will be described using FIG. 15 mentioned above. In order to thin the entire part, it is desirable to thin the thickness of the RR part and the LL part of the horn receiving member shown in FIG. 15, but if the width of the LL part is reduced, the space of the director housing part 880b described above will become smaller. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, there is a limit to how much the LL part can be made smaller, and therefore, if the thickness of the part is reduced, the thickness of the RR part can be reduced, but the thickness of the LL part cannot be reduced, resulting in a relationship of LL thickness > RR thickness, and the entire part will become unevenly thick. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, if the entire part is thinned, the uneven thickness between the vicinity of the welding director, which is difficult to thin, and other parts that can be thinned will become large, making it difficult to achieve the precision of the part.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a developer accommodating container which combines stable ultrasonic welding with reduced costs achieved by thinning the parts of the developing frame and bottom member, a developing device using the developer accommodating container, and a cartridge using the developer accommodating container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the developer storage container of the present invention comprises: A developer storage container in which a developer storage section is formed by a first frame portion and a second frame portion that are welded together, a first flange portion having an annular shape provided along an outer edge of a connection port between the first frame portion and the second frame portion; a second flange portion having an annular shape provided along an outer edge of a connection port between the second frame portion and the first frame portion; a weld portion which serves as an energy director to which melting energy is applied during the welding, the weld portion being provided so as to protrude from a surface of one of the first flange portion and the second flange portion facing the other flange portion toward the other flange portion and welded to the other flange portion; In a developer storage container having a first wall surface portion provided on an outer circumferential side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and facing the other flange portion in a direction along the facing surface from the outer circumferential side of the other flange portion; a second wall surface portion provided on the inner circumferential side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and facing the other flange portion in a direction along the facing surface from the inner circumferential side of the other flange portion; a recess provided between at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion and the weld portion, the recess accommodating a molten portion that extends around the weld portion in the energy director during the welding; The present invention is characterized by having the following. In order to achieve the above object, the developing device of the present invention comprises: A developer storage container of the present invention; a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container; The present invention is characterized by comprising: In order to achieve the above object, the process cartridge of the present invention comprises: A cartridge that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, A developer storage container of the present invention; a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container; The present invention is characterized by comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a developer storage container, a developing device, and a cartridge that enable both a thinner product and stable joining by ultrasonic welding. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a bottom member in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus main body and a cartridge of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus; [Diagram 3] Cartridge cross section [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cartridge. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cartridge. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a guide portion of an image forming apparatus for explaining installation of a cartridge. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus for explaining positioning of a cartridge. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which the cartridge receives a driving force from the main body of the apparatus. [Figure 9] Developing frame body [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of another configuration of the bottom member in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram of the process in which the developing container and the bottom member are joined together while correcting the warp [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram of a state in which the developing container and the bottom member are held by an ultrasonic welding backup. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram of the process up to the stage where the developing container and the bottom member are joined by ultrasonic welding. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a bottom member in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] Explanatory diagram of conventional ultrasonic welding configuration DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiment may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the invention is applied. In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0015] <Example 1> Hereinafter, a process cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same will be described. Here, the process cartridge is a cartridge in which a photosensitive member and a process means acting on the photosensitive member are integrated into one cartridge, and the cartridge is removably mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. For example, a cartridge in which a photosensitive member and at least one of a developing means, a charging means, and a cleaning means as the process means are integrated into one cartridge can be mentioned. Also, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses include electrophotographic copying machines, electrophotographic printers (LED printers, laser beam printers, etc.), facsimile machines, word processors, etc.

[0016] The overall configuration and image forming process will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus main body (electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, image forming apparatus main body) A of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a process cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as cartridge B). Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of cartridge B. Here, apparatus main body A refers to a portion of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus excluding cartridge B. The direction of the rotation axis of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is taken as the longitudinal direction. Also, in the longitudinal direction, the distance from the image forming apparatus main body is 10 mm. The side of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum receiving the driving force is referred to as the driving side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-driving side.

[0017] <Overall Configuration of Electrophotographic Image Forming Apparatus> The electrophotographic image forming apparatus (image forming apparatus) shown in Fig. 2 is a laser beam printer utilizing electrophotographic technology in which a cartridge B is detachably attached to an apparatus main body A. When the cartridge B is attached to the apparatus main body A, an exposure device 3 (laser scanner unit) is disposed for forming a latent image on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum 62 serving as an image carrier of the cartridge B. In addition, a sheet tray 4 is disposed below the cartridge B, which stores a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a sheet material PA) on which an image is to be formed. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum 62 is a photosensitive member (electrophotographic photosensitive member) used for forming an electrophotographic image.

[0018] Furthermore, in the apparatus main body A, a pickup roller 5a, a pair of feeding rollers 5b, a transfer guide 6, a transfer roller 7, a conveyance guide 8, a fixing device 9, a pair of discharge rollers 10, a discharge tray 11, etc. are arranged in this order along the conveyance direction D of the sheet material PA. The fixing device 9 is composed of a heating roller 9a and a pressure roller 9b.

[0019] <Image formation process> Next, an outline of the image forming process will be described. Based on a print start signal, an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as photosensitive drum 62 or simply drum 62) is rotated in the direction of arrow R at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed).

[0020] A charging roller (charging member) 66 to which a bias voltage is applied comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62, and uniformly charges the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62 (see FIG. 3).

[0021] The exposure device 3 outputs a laser beam L corresponding to the image information. The laser beam L passes through a laser aperture 71h provided in the cleaning frame 71 of the cartridge B, and scans and exposes the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62.

[0022] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, in the developing unit 20 as a developing device, the toner T in the toner chamber 29 is stirred and transported by the rotation of the transport member (stirring member) 43, and is sent out to the toner supply chamber .

[0023] The toner T is carried on the surface of the developing roller 32 by the magnetic force of the magnet roller 34 (fixed magnet). The developing roller 32 is a developer carrier that carries a developer (toner T) on its surface in order to develop the latent image formed on the drum 62. The toner T is frictionally charged by the developing blade 42, and the layer thickness on the circumferential surface of the developing roller 32 as a developer carrier is regulated.

[0024] The toner T is supplied to the drum 62 in accordance with the electrostatic latent image, and develops the latent image. As a result, the latent image is visualized as a toner image. The drum 62 is an image carrier that carries the latent image and the image (toner image, developer image) formed with the toner on its surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet material PA stored in the lower part of the device main body A is sent out from the sheet tray 4 by the pickup roller 5a and the pair of feeding rollers 5b in synchronization with the output timing of the laser light L. Then, the sheet material PA is transported to the transfer position between the drum 62 and the transfer roller 7 via the transfer guide 6. At this transfer position, the toner image is sequentially transferred from the drum 62 to the sheet material PA.

[0025] The sheet material PA onto which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the drum 62 and conveyed along a conveying guide 8 to a fixing device 9. The sheet material PA is then conveyed to a fixing device 9 by a heating roller 9 The toner image passes through a nip between pressure roller 9a and pressure roller 9b. At this nip, a pressure and heat fixing process is performed, and the toner image is fixed to the sheet material PA. After the toner image has been fixed, the sheet material PA is transported to a pair of discharge rollers 10 and discharged to a discharge tray 11.

[0026] 3, the drum 62 after transfer has residual toner on its outer peripheral surface removed by a cleaning member 77, and is used again in the image forming process. The toner removed from the drum 62 is stored in a waste toner chamber 71b of the cleaning unit 60. The cleaning unit 60 is a photoconductor drum unit having the photoconductor drum 62.

[0027] In the above, the charging roller 66, the developing roller 32, the transfer roller 7, and the cleaning member 77 are process means that act on the drum 62.

[0028] <Overall cartridge configuration> Next, the overall structure of the cartridge B will be described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge B, and Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views for explaining the structure of the cartridge B. Note that in this embodiment, the screws used to join the various parts will be omitted from the description.

[0029] The cartridge B has a cleaning unit (photoconductor holding unit, drum holding unit, image carrier holding unit, first unit) 60 and a developing unit (developer carrier holding unit, second unit) 20.

[0030] 3, the cleaning unit 60 has a drum 62, a charging roller 66, a cleaning member 77, and a cleaning frame 71 that supports these. On the driving side of the drum 62, a driving side drum flange 63 provided on the driving side is rotatably supported by a hole 73a of a drum bearing 73 (see FIG. 4). In a broad sense, the drum bearing 73 and the cleaning frame 71 can be collectively referred to as the cleaning frame.

[0031] 5, on the non-driven side, a hole (not shown) of the non-driven side drum flange is rotatably supported by a drum shaft 78 press-fitted into a hole 71c provided in the cleaning frame 71. Each drum flange is a bearing portion that is rotatably supported by a bearing portion.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, in the cleaning unit 60, the charging roller 66 and the cleaning member 77 are disposed in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62, respectively.

[0033] The cleaning member 77 has a rubber blade 77a, which is a blade-shaped elastic member made of rubber as an elastic material, and a support member 77b that supports the rubber blade. The rubber blade 77a abuts against the drum 62 in a counter direction to the rotation direction of the drum 62. In other words, the rubber blade 77a abuts against the drum 62 such that its tip portion faces upstream in the rotation direction R of the drum 62.

[0034] The waste toner removed from the surface of the drum 62 by the cleaning member 77 is stored in a waste toner chamber 71 b formed by the cleaning frame 71 and the cleaning member 77 .

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, a catch sheet 65 for preventing waste toner from leaking from the cleaning frame 71 is provided on the edge of the cleaning frame 71 so as to come into contact with the drum 62.

[0036] The charging roller 66 is provided at both ends of the cleaning frame 71 in the longitudinal direction. It is rotatably attached to the cleaning unit 60 via a roller bearing 67 .

[0037] The longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame 71 (the longitudinal direction of the cartridge B) is approximately parallel to the direction in which the rotation axis of the drum 62 extends (the axial direction). Therefore, hereinafter, when the longitudinal direction or the axial direction is simply mentioned without any particular specification, the axial direction of the drum 62 is intended.

[0038] The charging roller 66 is in pressure contact with the drum 62 by a charging roller bearing 67 being pressed toward the drum 62 by a biasing member 68. The charging roller 66 is rotated by the rotation of the drum 62.

[0039] 3, the developing unit 20 includes a developing roller 32, a developing container 23 that supports the developing roller 32, and a developing blade 42. The developing roller 32 is rotatably attached to the developing container 23 by bearing members 26 (FIG. 4) and 27 (FIG. 5) provided at both ends.

[0040] In addition, a magnet roller 34 is provided in the developing roller 32. In the developing unit 20, a developing blade 42 for regulating the toner layer on the developing roller 32 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the developing roller 32 has a spacing member 38 attached to both ends thereof, and the spacing member 38 comes into contact with the drum 62, so that the developing roller 32 is held with a small gap between the drum 62 and the developing roller 32. As shown in FIG. 3, a blowout prevention sheet 33 for preventing toner from leaking from the developing unit 20 is provided on the edge of the developing container 23 so as to come into contact with the developing roller 32. Furthermore, a transport member 43 is provided in the toner chamber 29 formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22. The transport member 43 agitates the toner contained in the toner chamber 29 and transports the toner to the toner supply chamber 28.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the cartridge B is constructed by combining the cleaning unit 60 and the developing unit 20. When the developing unit 20 and the cleaning unit 60 are combined, first, the center of the first developer support boss 26a of the bearing member 26 is aligned with the first hanging hole 71i on the driving side of the cleaning frame 71, and the center of the second developer support boss 27a of the bearing member 27 is aligned with the second hanging hole 71j on the non-driving side. Specifically, the developing unit 20 is moved in the direction of the arrow G, so that the first developer support boss 26a and the second developer support boss 27a are fitted into the first hanging hole 71i and the second hanging hole 71j. This allows the developing unit 20 to be movably connected to the cleaning unit 60. More specifically, the developing unit 20 is rotatably connected to the cleaning unit 60. That is, the developing roller 32 is connected to the drum 62 in a state in which it can be moved toward and away from the drum 62. Thereafter, the drum bearing 73 is assembled to the cleaning unit 60 to configure the cartridge B.

[0042] In this embodiment, the non-drive side urging member 46L (FIG. 5) and the drive side urging member 46R (FIG. 4) are formed of compression springs. The urging forces of these springs allow the drive side urging member 46L and the non-drive side urging member 46R to urge the developing unit 20 against the cleaning unit 60, thereby reliably pressing the developing roller 32 toward the drum 62. Furthermore, the developing roller 32 is provided with spacing members 38 attached to both ends thereof. That is, the drum 62 and the developing roller 32 come into contact with each other at a predetermined contact pressure via the spacing members 38, so that the developing roller 32 is held at a predetermined distance from the drum 62, and their relative positions are determined.

[0043] <Cartridge installation> Next, the installation of the cartridge B will be specifically described with reference to Figures 6(a), 6(b), 7(a) and 7(b). Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the drive side guide portion of the image forming apparatus A for explaining the installation of the cartridge B, and Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the drive side guide portion of the image forming apparatus A for explaining the installation of the cartridge B. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of the non-driving side guide portion of the image forming apparatus A for explaining the positioning of the cartridge B. FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the non-driving side of the image forming apparatus A for explaining the positioning of the cartridge B. The mounting of the cartridge B will be explained. As shown in FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b), the first driving side plate 15 has a guide rail upper portion 15g and a guide rail 15h as guides, and the non-driving side plate 16 has a guide rail upper portion 16d and a guide rail 16e. In addition, the drum bearing 73 provided on the driving side of the cartridge B has a rotation-stopped portion 73c. ​​The mounting direction of the cartridge B is a direction (arrow C) that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the drum 62 (FIG. 3).

[0044] Furthermore, the cleaning frame 71 has a positioned portion 71d as a first positioning portion and a rotation-stopped portion 71f as a second positioning portion on the non-driven side in the longitudinal direction. When the cartridge B is mounted through the cartridge insertion opening 17 of the main body A of the apparatus, the driven side of the cartridge B and the rotation-stopped portion 73c of the cartridge B are guided by the guide rail 15h of the main body A of the apparatus. On the non-driven side of the cartridge B, the positioned portion 71d and the rotation-stopped portion 71f of the cartridge B are guided by the guide rail 16d and guide rail 16e of the main body A of the apparatus. In this way, the cartridge B is mounted in the main body A of the apparatus.

[0045] Next, the state in which the opening and closing door 13 is closed will be described. As shown in Figures 6(a), 6(b), 7(a) and 7(b), the first driving side plate 15 has a positioning upper portion 15a, a positioning lower portion 15b and a rotation stopper portion 15c for positioning, and the non-driving side plate 16 has a positioning portion 16a and a rotation stopper upper portion 16c. The drum bearing 73 has a positioned portion upper portion (first positioned portion, first protrusion, first overhanging portion) 73d and a positioned portion lower portion (second positioned portion, second protrusion, second overhanging portion) 73f.

[0046] Further, the cartridge pressing members 1 and 2 are rotatably attached to both axial ends of the opening / closing door 13. The cartridge pressing springs 19 and 21 are attached to both longitudinal ends of a front plate provided in the image forming apparatus A. The drum bearing 73 has a pressed portion 73e as a biasing force receiving portion, and the cleaning frame 71 has a pressed portion 71o on the non-driven side (see FIG. 3). By closing the opening / closing door 13, the pressed portions 73e and 71o of the cartridge B are pressed by the cartridge pressing members 1 and 2 biased by the cartridge pressing springs 19 and 21 of the apparatus main body A (see FIG. 7).

[0047] As a result, on the driving side, the positioned portion upper part 73d, the positioned portion lower part 73f, and the rotation stopper part 73c of the cartridge B are respectively fixed to the positioning portion upper part 15a, the positioning portion lower part 15b, and the rotation stopper part 15c of the main body A of the apparatus. As a result, the cartridge B and the drum 62 are positioned on the driving side. Also, on the non-driving side, the positioned portion 71d and the rotation stopper part 71f of the cartridge B are respectively fixed to the positioning portion 16a and the rotation stopper part 16c of the main body A of the apparatus. As a result, the cartridge B and the drum 62 are positioned on the non-driving side.

[0048] Although the above has been described as an example of a configuration for determining the position of the cartridge B with respect to the apparatus main body A, it is not intended to limit the positioning means. A configuration may be used in which the positioning portions are fixed by directly acting on the positioned portion 73d and the rotation stopped portion 73f on the driving side of the cartridge B and the positioned portion 71d and the rotation stopped portion 71f on the non-driving side.

[0049] Next, the structure in which cartridge B receives a driving force from the main assembly A of the apparatus will be described with reference to Figures 8(a), 8(b), 8(c) and 8(d). Figure 8(a) is a diagram showing the structure of the driving section of the main assembly A of the apparatus, and Figure 8(b) is a diagram showing the structure of the driving section of cartridge B. Figure 8(c) is a diagram showing the state before the driving sections of the main assembly A of the apparatus and cartridge B are engaged. FIG. 8D is a diagram showing a state in which the power supply of the apparatus main assembly A is turned on and the drive portions of the apparatus main assembly A and cartridge B are engaged with each other.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the main assembly A of the apparatus is provided with a drive transmission member 81 that receives a drive force from a drive source (not shown) of the main assembly A of the apparatus and transmits the drive force to the cartridge B. Also, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the cartridge B is provided with a drive receiving portion 63b on the drive side drum flange 63 to receive the drive force by engaging with the drive transmission member 81. Here, when the opening and closing door 13 is closed and the power supply of the main assembly A of the apparatus is turned on, the drive transmission member 81 moves in the direction of the arrow E in FIG. 8(c). Then, as shown in FIG. 8(d), the drive transmission portion 81b of the drive transmission member 81 and the drive receiving portion 63b of the drive side drum flange 63 engage with each other, and the drum 62 rotates via the drive side drum flange 63. Also, a gear shape 81g is provided on the outer periphery of the drive transmission member 81. Furthermore, a developing roller gear 90 is coupled to the end of the developing roller 32 of the cartridge B. 8(d), the gear shape 81g provided on the drive transmission member 81 is also disposed to mesh with the developing roller gear 90. That is, the drive transmission member 81 rotates the drum 62 via the drive side drum flange, and at the same time, the developing roller 62 also rotates via the developing roller gear 90.

[0051] <Developing container 23> Next, the developing container 23 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9(a), Fig. 9(b), and Fig. 9(c). Fig. 9(a) is a perspective view of the developing container 23, Fig. 9(b) is a front view of the connection port 723c of the developing container 23, and Fig. 9(c) is a view showing the warped state of the developing container 23.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 9(a), the developing container 23 has a shape in which a connecting port 723c with the bottom member 22 is provided on the toner chamber 29 side, which is widely opened. A welded flange 723a is provided as a ring-shaped first flange portion along the entire outer edge of the connecting port 723c so as to surround the connecting port 723c. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 9(b), when the connecting port 723c is viewed from the front, the upper and lower welded flanges 723a are provided at the longitudinal center of the developing container 23 with notches (714, 715) which are to be sandwiched when the developing container 23 is combined with the bottom member 22, which will be described later.

[0053] 9(b), the cutout portion includes a first cutout portion 714 provided at the outer end of the welded flange 723a and a second cutout portion 715 provided on the toner chamber side, both of which are cut out in the height direction of the welded flange 723a and in the short direction of the developing container 23. Note that, in this embodiment, a configuration in which a cutout portion is provided in a part of the welded flange 723a will be described, but the welded flange 723a may have a shape with no cutout portion and a uniform height over the entire area.

[0054] Here, the material of the developing container 23 is a molded material such as PS or PP, taking into consideration low cost and mass production. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9(c), when the part is molded, the part may become warped in a direction in which the longitudinal center portion is largely convex (the warp profile in the direction of the arrow F, as shown by the dashed line FR) or in a direction in which the longitudinal center portion is largely concave (the warp profile in the direction of the arrow H, as shown by the dashed line HR).

[0055] <Bottom member 22> Next, the bottom member 22 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1(a), 1(b), 1(c), 1(d) and 10. Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the bottom member 22, Fig. 1(b) is an enlarged perspective view of the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 710, second wall surface portion 711) installed in the longitudinal center portion of the bottom member 22 surrounded by a frame CY in Fig. 1(a), Fig. 1(c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along CA-CA near the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 710, second wall surface portion 711) of the bottom member 22 in Fig. 1(b), and Fig. 1(d) is a view of the connection port 722c of the bottom member 22 as viewed from the front. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a bottom member 22 in which wall portions are provided at three positions along the longitudinal direction of the bottom member 22.

[0056] 1(a) and 1(b), the bottom member 22 is in a box shape having a connection port 722c that is wide open across the entire area of ​​the bottom member and is provided with a connection port 722c for connecting to the developing container 23. A horn receiving portion 722d as an annular second flange portion is provided along the entire outer periphery of the connection port 722c so as to surround the connection port 722c.

[0057] 1(b) and 1(c), an energy director 722a is provided uninterruptedly around the entire circumference of the horn receiving portion 722d at the approximate center in the short side direction of the horn receiving portion 722d. The energy director 722a is rib-shaped and protrudes outward in a direction intersecting with the horn receiving portion 722d and approximately perpendicular to the connection port 722c of the bottom member 22. In other words, it protrudes in the opposing direction between the horn receiving portion 722d and the welding flange 723a.

[0058] Furthermore, on the horn receiving portion 722d, at both ends of the energy director 722a, a director housing portion 722b is provided to house the energy director 722a melted during ultrasonic welding. The director housing portion 722b is provided over the entire area of ​​the energy director 722a, and is in the shape of a groove that ensures a space equal to or larger than the volume of the energy director 722a melted during ultrasonic welding.

[0059] Furthermore, when the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22 is viewed from the front, wall surfaces (first wall surface 710, second wall surface 711) are provided on the horn receiving portion 722d at the longitudinal center of the bottom member 22. That is, the connecting port 722c (connecting port 723c) has a substantially rectangular opening shape including a pair of long portions that are long in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 23 and a short portion perpendicular to these, and each flange portion is formed in a similar ring shape along the ring-shaped edge. The wall surface portion has a rib shape that extends in the direction protruding from the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22 in the direction in which the energy director 722a protrudes, and is installed at a position corresponding to the notch provided in the developing container 23 described above.

[0060] 1(c), the wall surface (first wall surface 710, second wall surface 711) is provided with an guiding portion 710a and a holding portion 710b. The holding portion 710b is a surface that is approximately parallel to the direction in which the energy director 722a protrudes from the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22. The length of the holding surface 710a in the direction in which the energy director 722a protrudes from the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22 is longer than the length of the energy director 722a in the same direction.

[0061] The guide portion 710a is provided continuously at the tip of the holding portion 710b on the side away from the energy director 722a in the direction in which the energy director 722a protrudes and in the direction in which the guide portion 710a protrudes from the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22. The guide portion 710a has an inclined shape having a slope that is inclined in a direction away from the energy director 722a in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the wall portion (first wall portion 710, second wall portion 711) as it moves away from the energy director 722a in the protruding direction of the wall portion (first wall portion 710, second wall portion 711).

[0062] In this embodiment, the width of the wall portions (first wall portion 710, second wall portion 711) in the longitudinal direction of the bottom member is approximately 10 mm or less, but this is not limited as long as joining by ultrasonic welding, which will be described later, is possible.

[0063] In addition, the wall portion is not limited to one portion at the longitudinal center of the bottom member 22 as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the number of wall portions provided is not limited as long as they can be joined by ultrasonic welding, which will be described later, for example, by providing wall portions at three locations along the length of the bottom member 22. Also, in this embodiment, the length direction of the developing container 23 coincides with the direction of the rotation axis of the long developing roller 23, and each connecting port also has a long shape in the same direction, but the configuration of the connecting ports is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the same effect as this embodiment can be achieved by applying the same configuration as above to locations that are significantly affected by warping in various connecting port configurations.

[0064] The first wall surface portion 710 is provided at the end of the horn receiving portion 722d, and the second wall surface portion 711 is provided on the connecting port 722c side. That is, after the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are welded, the second wall surface portion 711 is located in the toner containing portion formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22. The first wall surface portion 710 and the second wall surface portion 711 are provided so as to sandwich the energy director 722a and the director containing portion 722b. The wall surface portions (first wall surface portion 710, second wall surface portion 711) have guide portions (110a, 111a) and holding portions (110b, 111b), and protrude outward in a direction intersecting the horn receiving portion 722d and substantially perpendicular to the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22.

[0065] The protruding height of the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 710, second wall surface portion 711) in this embodiment is set to be higher than the height of the energy director 722a. The wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 710, second wall surface portion 711) is formed to have a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the entire bottom member. Here, as with the above-mentioned developing container 23, the material of the bottom member 22 is a molded material such as PS or PP, taking into consideration low cost and mass production. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1(d), during molding of the part, the part may be warped in a direction in which the longitudinal center portion is greatly convex (warping profile as shown by the dashed line JR in the direction of the arrow J) or in a direction in which the longitudinal center portion is greatly concave (warping profile as shown by the dashed line KR in the direction of the arrow K).

[0066] <Connection of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22> Next, the ultrasonic bonding of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 according to the present invention will be described. The developing container 23 as a developer storage container is formed by welding the developing container 23 itself as a first frame and the bottom member 22 as a second frame. Here, the ultrasonic welding is performed in the following procedure: the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are aligned, the welding flange 723a of the developing container 23 is held by the welding backup 891, and the welding horn 890 is lowered to the horn receiving portion 722d of the bottom member 22 to oscillate and bond. In the following description, the above-mentioned developing container 23 and one location near the longitudinal center of the bottom member 22 will be described, focusing on the stable ultrasonic welding while correcting the warping of the warped parts according to the object of the present invention. At this time, the relationship between the warping of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 will be described below, assuming as a representative premise that the central portion of the developing container 23 is warped in the outward direction opposite the connecting port 723c (in the direction of arrow F, with a warping profile like the dashed line FR) more than the warping of the bottom member 22.

[0067] <Alignment of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22> First, the alignment of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 will be described with reference to Figures 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(d), and 11(e). Figure 11(a) is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the center of the developing frame immediately before the bottom member 22 is aligned with the developing container 23 that is relatively warped outward, Figure 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the center of the developing frame showing how the relatively warped developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are aligned by the guide portion of the wall surface portion, Figure 11(c) is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the center of the developing frame showing how the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are aligned while the warp of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are corrected by the holding portion of the wall surface portion, and Figure 11(d) is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the center of the developing frame showing a state in which the alignment of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is completed while the warp of the developing container 23 is corrected. FIG. 11(e) is a diagram showing a state in which the development container 23 and the bottom member 22 have been aligned.

[0068] The developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are aligned so that the connecting port 723c of the developing container 23 and the connecting port 722c of the bottom member 22 face each other.

[0069] As described above, the central portion of the developing container 23 is warped toward the outside, that is, the side opposite the connecting port 723c, more than the warp of the bottom member 22. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11(a), before the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are joined together, the positional relationship between the welding flange 723a (first cutout portion 714) and the horn receiving portion 722d is shifted from a predetermined position.

[0070] In this state, when the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 approach in the direction in which they are joined so that the joint surface 723b of the developing container 23 and the energy director 722a of the bottom member 22 come into contact with each other, as shown in Fig. 11(b), the leading portion 710a of the first wall surface portion 710 of the bottom member 22 comes into contact with the tip portion 714a of the welding flange 723a (first cutout portion 714) of the developing container 23. Then, as the tip portion 23d approaches in the direction in which the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are joined, it moves on the leading portion 710a, and the warpage of the developing container 23 is corrected in the direction of the arrow FH in the figure.

[0071] As the mating of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 progresses, the contact portion of the tip portion 714a with the first wall surface portion 710 of the bottom member 22 moves from the guide portion 710a to the holding portion 710b as shown in Fig. 11(c). When the tip portion 714a comes into contact with the holding portion 710b, the correction of the warpage of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is completed. Then, as shown in Fig. 11(d), the mating of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is completed with the joining surface 723b and the energy director 722a in contact with each other.

[0072] In this embodiment, the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are configured to have a thin wall structure including the vicinity of the joints formed by ultrasonic welding, such as the horn receiving portion 722d and the welded flange 723d, while ensuring the guide portion 710a and the holding portion 710b of the first wall surface portion 710. Therefore, when the alignment of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is completed, the first wall surface portion 710 protrudes toward the developing frame body side beyond the thickness of the welded flange (the alignment direction of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22).

[0073] In the above description, as an example of the warping of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22, a state in which the center of the developing container 23 is warped outwardly, which is the opposite side to the connecting port 723c, more than the warping of the bottom member 22 has been described as a representative example. However, the same action is performed even in a state in which the center of the developing container 23 is warped inwardly, which is the direction of the connecting port 723c, more than the warping of the bottom member 22, which is the opposite warping. In that case, the second wall surface portion 711 instead of the first wall surface portion 710 described above, the guide portion 711a instead of the guide portion 710a, the holding portion 711b instead of the holding portion 710b, the second notch portion 715 instead of the first notch portion 714, and the tip portion 715a instead of the tip portion 714a perform the same function.

[0074] <Retention of the welded flange 723a of the developing container 23> Next, with reference to Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the holding of the welded flange 723a of the developing container 23 by the welded backup 891 will be described. Figure 12(a) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 11(e) cut along the MM cross section in an area where there are no wall surfaces, and Figure 12(b) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 11(e) cut along the NN cross section in an area where there are wall surfaces in the center of the developing container 23.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the developing container 23 is positioned with the bottom member 22 facing up under the direction of gravity, and the welding backup 891 is installed so as to hold the welding flange 723a directly below the energy director 722a facing the energy director 722a in the direction in which the energy director 722a protrudes, and is basically installed over the entire area of ​​the welding flange 723a.

[0076] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 are configured to have a thin wall overall while ensuring the guide portion 710a and the holding portion 711b of the first wall portion 710, so the wall portions (710, 711) protrude toward the developing frame body side beyond the thickness of the welding flange (see FIG. 11(d)).

[0077] 12(b), in the range where the wall surface portions (710, 711) are present in the longitudinal center of the bottom member 22, a recess 891a is provided in the welded backup 891 to avoid interference with the wall surface portions (710, 711). Here, in ultrasonic welding, even if the welded backup 891 is not present in a narrow range, the pressure during welding can be supported by the rigidity of the individual parts, making welding possible. The wall surface portions (710, 711) of the present invention are provided only in a partial range of the bottom member 22, making it possible to limit the recess 891a of the welded backup 891 to only a very partial range.

[0078] <Joining of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22> Next, the bonding of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 by the oscillation of the welding horn 890 will be described with reference to Figures 13(a), 13(b), and 13(c). Figure 13(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 11(e) cut along the NN cross section, showing the state in which the welding horn 890 is installed on the horn receiving portion 722d of the bottom member 22. Figure 13(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 11(e) cut along the NN cross section, showing the state in which the tip portion 722e of the energy director is melted by the oscillation from the welding horn 890. Figure 13(c) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 11(e) cut along the NN cross section when the ultrasonic bonding of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is completed.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 13(a), the welded horn 890 is placed in a position just below the energy director 722a of the bottom member 22 and in contact with the horn receiving portion 722d. The welded flange 723a of the development member 23, the energy director 722a of the bottom member 22, and the horn receiving portion 722d are then held in a constant pressure state by the welded horn 890 and the welded backup 891 while the welded horn 890 is oscillated. When the welded horn 890 is oscillated, the vibration of the welded horn 890 is transmitted to the energy director 722a, melting the tip portion 22d of the energy director, as shown in Fig. 13(b).

[0080] At this time, the vibration of the welding horn 890 is transmitted, causing the bottom member 22 to also vibrate, so that the positions of the bottom member 22 and the developing container 23 tend to shift in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the wall portions (710, 711). However, in order to perform stable ultrasonic welding, it is desirable that the relative positions of the parts can be maintained.

[0081] In response to this, the wall surface portions (710, 711) of the present invention function. When the vibration causes the components of the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 to shift in position relative to each other in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the wall surface portions (710, 711), the holding portions (710b, 711b) of the wall surface portions hold the welding flanges 723a (notches (714, 715)) to regulate the positional shift. The oscillation of the welding horn 890 continues until the abutment surface 722f of the bottom member 22 and the joining surface 723b of the developing container 23 come into abutment with each other and welding is completed. During this time, the energy director 722a gradually melts because it is held in a state where a constant pressure is applied. The melted energy director 13(c), the energy director 722a is accommodated in the director accommodating portion 722b of the bottom member 22 (extending portion 711g). That is, before the energy director 722a is welded to the welding flange 723a of the developing container 23, the energy director 722a is provided so as to protrude from the surface of the horn receiving portion 722d facing the welding flange 723a toward the welding flange 723a. When melting energy is applied to the energy director 722a, which is also formed in an annular shape on the annular horn receiving portion 722d, it is pressed against the welding surface of the welding flange 723a and deforms so as to extend to the inner and outer circumferential sides, respectively. The outer periphery fusion portion is accommodated in the director accommodation portion 722b as a first groove portion provided in an annular shape between the first wall surface portion 710 and the energy director 722a, and is joined and integrated with the welding surface. The outer periphery fusion portion extending to the outer periphery is accommodated in the director accommodation portion 722b as a first groove portion provided in an annular shape between the first wall surface portion 710 and the energy director 722a. By melting and deforming in this way and joining with the welding flange 723a, the energy director 722a becomes a welding portion that welds and joins the bottom member 22 to the developing container 23 in the product structure after welding. The abutting surface 722f as the abutting surface is provided on the opposite side of the energy director 722a with respect to the director accommodation portion 722b, and is configured to abut against the bonding surface 723b of the developing container 23, which is the opposing surface. Therefore, even if the energy director 722a melts, it can abut against the bonding surface 723b while maintaining a flat state.

[0082] Thereafter, the oscillation of the welding horn 890 stops, and once the molten energy director 722a has sufficiently cooled and solidified, the applied pressure is released and the bonding is completed.

[0083] With the above-described configuration, the connection port 723c of the developing container 23 and the connection port 722c of the bottom member 22 are joined by ultrasonic welding, completing the construction of the developer storage container 718 in which the toner chamber 29 is formed. The developing unit 20 is formed by attaching the developing roller 32 and the developing blade 42 to this developer storage container 718.

[0084] In addition, wall surfaces (710, 711) are provided in a portion of the longitudinal center of the bottom member 22 so as to sandwich the energy director 722a. With this configuration, even when the individual components are warped during molding, the components can be stably joined by ultrasonic welding while correcting the warping caused by molding.

[0085] In order to enable stable ultrasonic welding, it is necessary that the welding horn 890 contacts the horn receiving portion 722d and the vibration is sufficiently transmitted to the energy director 722a. In the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 15, the wall portion that sandwiches the energy director 880a is on the side of the workpiece 881. In this case, in order to prevent the welding horn 890 from contacting and interfering with the wall portion and thus preventing sufficient vibration transmission, the horn receiving portion 880 must cover the workpiece 881 and the thickness of the horn receiving portion 880 itself must be made thick. As a result, it becomes difficult to achieve both stable ultrasonic welding while correcting the warpage during the above-mentioned part molding and thinning the parts. However, in this embodiment, the wall portion (710, 711) is provided on the bottom member 22 side with which the welding horn 890 contacts. Therefore, interference between the welding horn 890 and the wall surface portions (710, 711) can be prevented, and vibration can be transmitted sufficiently to the energy director 722a, enabling stable ultrasonic bonding.

[0086] Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, a groove-shaped director housing 722b is provided between the energy director 722a and the first and second wall surfaces. In the case of the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 15, no groove is provided in either the horn receiving member 880 or the member to be joined 881, and the space formed between the horn receiving member 880 and the member to be joined 881 serves as the director housing 880b. In such a configuration without a groove-shaped director housing, when the entire part is thinned and made smaller, the space formed between the horn receiving member 880 and the member to be joined 881 inevitably becomes smaller, and the space of the director housing 880b becomes smaller. Then, the melted energy director cannot be accommodated in the director housing 880b, and it becomes difficult for the energy director 880a to maintain contact with the opposing surface. As a result, the vibration from the welding horn 890 is not transmitted sufficiently, making it difficult to perform stable ultrasonic welding. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the director accommodation portion 722b is formed in a groove shape, so that the space for accommodating the molten energy director 722a necessary for stable ultrasonic welding is sufficiently secured, while the entire part including the vicinity of the energy director 722a is secured. This allows the thickness of the body to be reduced. As a result, the cost of the parts can be reduced by reducing the thickness while maintaining stable ultrasonic welding. In this embodiment, a groove is provided as a recess for accommodating the melted energy director 722a, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the bottom member 22 may have a configuration in which recesses are intermittently formed along the edge on the side where the energy director 722a is provided.

[0087] In the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 15, the second clamping portion 881c prevents the melted director fragments (burrs), which cause image defects, from entering the toner storage portion 881d through the burr path BT. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, the second clamping portion 881c needs to be provided around the entire circumference of the fused director, making it difficult to increase the toner volume. However, in this embodiment, the wall portion (710, 711) is provided only in a part of the longitudinal center portion where the warp is greatest, so that the toner volume can be secured compared to the conventional configuration in which the wall portion is provided around the entire area of ​​the energy director 722a. As a result, the development unit 20 can be made smaller.

[0088] Example 2 Next, another embodiment aimed at further miniaturization of the developing unit 20 will be described. In this embodiment, the configuration of the bottom member 22 of the first embodiment is further developed, and the configuration other than the bottom member 22 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted. Also, the ultrasonic welding process procedure is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted. Therefore, the configuration of the bottom member 822 of the second embodiment will be described below.

[0089] <Bottom member 822> Next, the bottom member 822 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 14(a), 14(b), 14(c), and 14(d). Fig. 14(a) is a front view of the connection port 822c of the bottom member 822 in the second embodiment. Fig. 14(b) is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 810, second wall surface portion 811) of the bottom member 822 enlarged by the frame CX in Fig. 14(a). Fig. 14(c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 810, second wall surface portion 811) of the bottom member 822 cut along the CB cross section in Fig. 14(a). Fig. 14(d) is a view showing the director accommodating portion 822b in the vicinity of the first wall surface portion 810 cut along the VV cross section in Fig. 14(a).

[0090] 14(a), the bottom member 822 is box-shaped and has a connection port 822c for connecting to the developing container 23, which is open widely across the entire bottom member. The bottom member 822 is box-shaped so as to provide a space for forming a toner chamber when joined to the developing container 23, as described above. A horn receiving portion 822d is provided around the entire periphery of the connection port 822c so as to surround the connection port 822c.

[0091] 14(b) and 14(c), an energy director 822a is provided uninterruptedly around the entire circumference of the horn receiving portion 822d at approximately the center of the short side of the horn receiving portion 822d. The energy director 822a is ribbed and protrudes outward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connection port 822c of the bottom member 822 in a direction intersecting with the horn receiving portion 822d.

[0092] Furthermore, when the connecting port 822c of the bottom member 822 is viewed from the front, wall surfaces (first wall surface 810, second wall surface 811) are provided on the horn receiving portion 822d at a central portion of the longitudinal direction of the bottom member 822. The wall surfaces are ribbed and extend in a direction protruding from the connecting port 822c of the bottom member 822 in the direction in which the energy director 822a protrudes, and are provided at positions corresponding to the notches (714, 715) provided in the developing container 23 described above.

[0093] In this embodiment, the wall portions (first wall portion 810, second wall portion 811) are The width of the gap is set to approximately 10 mm or less, but this is not a limitation if joining by ultrasonic welding, which will be described later, is possible.

[0094] In addition, the wall portion is not limited to one portion at the longitudinal center of the bottom member 822 as shown in Fig. 14. As in Fig. 10 of the first embodiment, the wall portion may be provided at three longitudinal positions like the bottom member 22, and there is no limit to the number of wall portions provided as long as they can be joined by ultrasonic welding, which will be described later.

[0095] The first wall surface portion 810 is provided at the end of the horn receiving portion 822d, and the second wall surface portion 811 is provided on the connecting port 822c side. The first wall surface portion 810 and the second wall surface portion 811 are provided so as to sandwich the energy director 822a and the director housing portion 822b.

[0096] 14(c), the wall surface (first wall surface 810, second wall surface 811) is provided with an guiding portion 810a and a holding portion 810b. The holding portion 810b is a surface that is approximately parallel to the direction in which the energy director 822a protrudes from the connecting port 822c of the bottom member 822. The length of the holding surface 810a in the direction in which the energy director 822a protrudes from the connecting port 822c of the bottom member 822 is longer than the length of the energy director 822a in the same direction.

[0097] The guide portion 810a is provided continuously at the tip of the holding portion 810b on the side away from the energy director 822a in the direction in which the energy director 822a protrudes and in the direction in which the guide portion protrudes from the connecting port 822c of the bottom member 822. The guide portion 810a is inclined in the direction in which the wall portion (first wall portion 810, second wall portion 811) protrudes and in the direction in which the wall portion (first wall portion 810, second wall portion 811) protrudes, as it moves away from the energy director 822a.

[0098] The protruding height of the wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 810, second wall surface portion 811) in this embodiment is higher than the height of the energy director 822a. The wall surface portion (first wall surface portion 810, second wall surface portion 811) is formed to have a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the entire bottom member. Furthermore, on the horn receiving portion 822d, at both ends of the short side direction of the energy director 822a, a director accommodation portion 822b is provided for accommodating the energy director 822a melted during ultrasonic welding. The director accommodation portion 822b is provided over the entire energy director 822a, and has a groove shape that ensures a space larger than the volume of the energy director 822a melted during ultrasonic welding.

[0099] Here, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 14(c) and 14(d), the thickness of the bottom member 822 near the first wall surface portion 810 in the protruding direction of the energy director 822a is made thinner than other parts. Therefore, the depth of the groove of the director accommodating portion 822b near the first wall surface portion 810 is deeper than the other area, i.e., the director accommodating portion 822b not near the first wall surface portion 810. By making the depth of the groove of the director accommodating portion 822b deeper than the depth of the groove of the director accommodating portion 822b not near the first wall surface portion 810, it is possible to secure an accommodation space for the molten energy director 822a while moving the first wall surface portion 810 closer to the energy director 822a in the short side direction of the horn receiving portion 822d. As a result, it is possible to reduce the height of the horn receiving portion 822d of the bottom member 822 in the short direction, thereby making it possible to secure a space to accommodate the molten energy director 822a more than in the first embodiment while also making the entire part thinner.

[0100] In this case, if the depth of the groove of the director accommodating portion 822b in the protruding direction of the energy director 822a is made deeper over the entire area, the thickness of the horn receiving portion 822d of the bottom member 822 becomes thin as a whole, and the strength during ultrasonic welding decreases, which is not desirable. In the embodiment, only the depth of the groove of the director accommodating portion 822b in the vicinity of the first wall surface portion 810 is increased. Here, as with the above-mentioned developing container 23, the material of the bottom member 822 is a molded material such as PS or PP, taking into consideration low cost and mass production. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14(d), when the part is molded, the part often has a large warp in the longitudinal center portion.

[0101] However, as described above, the wall surface portions (810, 811) are provided so as to sandwich the energy director 822a, and the bottom member 822 and the developing container 23 described in the first embodiment are ultrasonically welded to each other as described in the first embodiment. In this way, even if the individual parts are warped during molding as described above, it is possible to bond the parts by ultrasonic welding while correcting the warping caused during molding, as in the first embodiment. Also, in the configuration of this embodiment, the cost of the parts can be reduced by thinning the entire parts including the vicinity of the energy director 822a, and the developing unit 20 can be made smaller by ensuring the toner volume compared to the conventional configuration in which the wall surface portions are provided over the entire area of ​​the energy director 822a.

[0102] Furthermore, in the conventional configuration, when the height of the horn receiving portion 822d in the short side direction is reduced, the height of the energy director 822a in the protruding direction is reduced to prevent uneven thickness of the entire part, sacrificing the storage space for the molten energy director 822a. Even if the height of the horn receiving portion 822d in the short side direction is reduced while securing the storage space, there is a limit to how thin the thickness of the energy director 822a in the protruding direction can be reduced, and it is difficult to balance this with the thinning of the entire part. Therefore, in this embodiment, the depth of the groove of the director storage portion 822b near the first wall surface portion 810 in the protruding direction of the energy director 822a is deepened, thereby securing the storage space for the molten energy director 822a and making it possible to reduce the height of the horn receiving portion 822d in the short side direction of the bottom member 822. By reducing the height of the horn receiving portion 822d in the short direction, usable space can be secured, so that a larger toner volume can be secured and the entire developing unit can be made even more compact.

[0103] In this embodiment, the energy director, the first and second wall portions, and the director housing portion are provided on the flange portion on the bottom member side as one flange portion, and are welded to the flange portion on the developing container side as the other flange portion, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the present invention can be applied even if the flange portion on the developing container side as one flange portion serves as the horn receiving portion, the above-mentioned energy director and other configurations are provided, and the flange portion on the bottom member side serves as the welded flange portion as the other flange portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 22... bottom member, 23... developer container, 722a... energy director, 722b... director housing portion, 722c... connection port, 722d... horn receiving portion, 723a... welding flange, 723c... connection port, 710... first wall portion, 711... second wall portion, 714... first cutout portion, 715... second cutout portion, 718... developer container, 810... first wall portion, 811... second wall portion, 822... bottom member, 822a... energy director, 822b... director housing portion, 822c... connection port, 822d... horn receiving portion

Claims

1. A developer storage container in which a developer storage portion is formed by a first frame portion and a second frame portion that are welded together, a first flange portion having an annular shape provided along an outer edge of a connection port between the first frame portion and the second frame portion; a second flange portion having an annular shape provided along an outer edge of a connection port between the second frame portion and the first frame portion; a weld portion which serves as an energy director to which melting energy is applied during the welding, the weld portion being provided so as to protrude from a surface of one of the first flange portion and the second flange portion facing the other flange portion toward the other flange portion and welded to the other flange portion; In a developer storage container having a first wall surface portion provided on an outer circumferential side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and facing the other flange portion in a direction along the facing surface from the outer circumferential side of the other flange portion; a second wall surface portion provided on the inner peripheral side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and facing the other flange portion in a direction along the facing surface from the inner peripheral side of the other flange portion; a recess provided between at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion and the welding portion, the recess accommodating a molten portion extending around the welding portion in the energy director during the welding; A developer storage container comprising:

2. 2. The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the recess is a groove having a groove shape.

3. The groove portion is a first annular groove provided on an outer circumferential side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and configured to accommodate an outer circumferential fusion portion that extends to the outer circumferential side of the energy director during the welding; a second annular groove provided on an inner peripheral side of the welded portion of the one flange portion and configured to accommodate an inner peripheral molten portion extending to the inner peripheral side of the energy director during the welding; 3. The developer container according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. 4. The developer storage container according to claim 3, wherein the first groove portion has a depth greater in the vicinity of the first wall portion than in other areas.

5. 3. The developer storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a contact surface provided on the opposite side of the recess of the one flange portion from the welding portion, the contact surface coming into contact with an opposing surface provided on the other flange portion during the welding.

6. 6. The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the one flange portion is a horn receiving portion with which a welding horn abuts during the welding.

7. The developer storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first wall portion and the second wall portion each protrude from the one flange portion along the opposing direction of the opposing surfaces, and each have, on the side opposing the other flange portion, a guide portion having an inclined shape for guiding the other flange portion, and a holding portion for holding the other flange portion.

8. The developer storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first wall portion protrudes from the one flange portion along the opposing direction of the opposing surfaces by a length greater than a thickness of the other flange portion.

9. 9. The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the second wall portion is located inside the storage portion.

10. The one flange portion is formed in an annular shape including a pair of opposing long portions, 10. The developer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are provided at least at a central portion of each of the pair of elongated portions.

11. 11. The developer container according to claim 10, wherein the elongated portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the developer container.

12. A developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container; A developing device comprising:

13. A cartridge that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, A developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container; A cartridge comprising:

Images