Developer supply container

Abstract

To develop a conventional configuration to provide a toner container that allows a user to select the amount of toner supply.SOLUTION: A toner container comprises: a bag that has an opening, and that has a first space part that is part of a space inside the bag and is a closed space for storing toner, a second space part that is part of the space inside the bag, communicates with the opening, and is outside the first space part, and a sealing part that seals the first space part and the second space part to prevent communication therebetween, and can be opened by application of external force from the outside of the toner container to open the first space part and the second space part to establish communication therebetween; and a nozzle that has a discharge port that can discharge the toner stored in the bag to the outside of the toner container, and a passage through which the toner received from the opening of the bag reaches the discharge port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a developer supply container for supplying developer to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method of replenishing toner as developer from outside the image forming device to a developer storage unit provided in the main body of the image forming device by attaching a replenishing container (toner pack) to the replenishing port of the image forming device. The toner pack in the above document was composed of an easily deformable plastic bag containing toner therein, and a nozzle that is attached to the replenishing port to discharge the toner in the bag to the replenishing port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-154300 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide one embodiment of a replenishing container (toner pack) that refills toner by being attached to a replenishing port of an image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a toner container comprising: a bag having an opening, a first space portion that is a part of the inner space of the bag and is a closed space for storing toner; a second space portion that is a part of the inner space of the bag and is connected to the opening and is outside the first space portion; and a sealing portion that seals the first space portion and the second space portion so that they do not communicate with each other, and is configured to be openable when an external force is applied from outside the toner container to open the bag so that the first space portion and the second space portion communicate with each other; and a nozzle having an outlet configured to discharge toner stored in the bag to the outside of the toner container, and a passage through which toner received from the opening of the bag passes on its way to the outlet. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a new embodiment of a developer supply container can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A is an exploded perspective view of the mounting part, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the mounting part as viewed from a different direction from that of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting part when the operating lever is in a closed position, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting part when the operating lever is in an open position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4A is a plan view showing the appearance of the mounting part when the operating lever is in a closed position, and FIG. 4B is a plan view showing the appearance of the mounting part when the operating lever is in an open position. [Figure 6] 1A is a perspective view of the device-side shutter as viewed from the upstream side in the mounting direction, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the device-side shutter as viewed from a different perspective than FIG. [Figure 7] 1A is a perspective view of the cover as viewed from the downstream side in the installation direction, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the cover as viewed from the upstream side in the installation direction. [Figure 8] 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting portion, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 8B-8B cross section of FIG. 8(a). [Figure 9] 1A is a side view of the toner pack when the pack-side shutter is in the closed position, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the toner pack when the pack-side shutter is in the open position. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the toner pack when the pack-side shutter is in the blocking position. [Figure 11] 1A is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle when the pack-side shutter is in the blocking position, and FIG. 1B is a view of the toner pack as viewed in the removal direction. [Figure 12] 1A is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle when the pack-side shutter is in the open position, and FIG. 1B is a view of the toner pack as viewed in the removal direction U. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the nozzle and the pack-side shutter. [Figure 15] 15(a) is a front view showing the claw portion, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 15B-15B cross section of FIG. 15(a). [Figure 16] 16(a) is a front view showing the claw portion, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 16B-16B cross section of FIG. 16(a). [Figure 17] 1A is a perspective view showing the toner pack being mounted in the mounting portion, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the toner pack being mounted in the mounting portion, as viewed from a different angle. [Figure 18] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pack is being attached to the attachment portion, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pack has been completely attached to the attachment portion. [Figure 19] 18(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the 19A-19A cross section of FIG. 18(a), and FIG. 18(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 19B-19B cross section of FIG. 18(a). [Figure 20] 18(b), and FIG. 20(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 20B-20B cross section of FIG. 20(a). [Figure 21]15A is a perspective view showing the state when the toner pack is attached to the device-side shutter, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view showing the 15B-15B cross section of FIG. 15A when the toner pack has been completely attached to the attachment portion. [Figure 22] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the operation lever and the toner pack when positioned at a closed position, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing the operation lever and the toner pack when positioned at an open position. [Diagram 23] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter are both in the blocking position, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter are both in the open position and the weak sealing portion is in a sealed state, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter are both in the open position and the weak sealing portion is in an open state. [Figure 24] 5A to 5D are schematic diagrams showing a manufacturing method of a toner pack. [Diagram 25] 1A is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of an adhesive layer serving as a weak sealing part in a modified example of Example 1 when the adhesive layer is in a sealed state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of an adhesive layer serving as a weak sealing part in a modified example of Example 1 when the adhesive layer is in an open state. [Figure 26] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of a zipper portion as a weak sealing portion according to a modified example of Example 1 when the zipper portion is in a sealed state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the zipper portion as a weak sealing portion according to a modified example of Example 1 when the zipper portion is in an open state. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the toner pack when the pack-side shutter is in the blocking position according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] 10A is a perspective view showing an operating lever and a toner pack in a closed position according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing an operating lever and a toner pack in an open position according to the second embodiment. [Figure 29]1A is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter of Example 2 are both in the closed position; FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter of Example 2 are both in the open position and the upper and lower sealing portions are sealed; FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter of Example 2 are both in the open position and the upper sealing portion is sealed and the lower sealing portion is open; and FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack and the mounting portion when the device-side shutter and the pack-side shutter of Example 2 are both in the open position and the upper and lower sealing portions are open. [Diagram 30] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the weakly welded portion when a gripping portion (hook) 160 is provided at the weakly welded portion 101c. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the toner pack bag when the weakly sealed portion of the pouch is stretched in the X-axis direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] <First embodiment> An image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The image forming apparatus of this embodiment is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material (recording medium) by an electrophotographic process. Examples of image forming apparatuses include copying machines, facsimile machines, printers (laser beam printers, LED printers, etc.), and multifunction machines (multifunction printers) equipped with the functions of these devices.

[0010] Fig. 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an opening / closing member 83 and a supply port 32a.

[0011] 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.

[0012] [Overall configuration] 1(a) and 1(b), the image forming apparatus 1 has an apparatus main body 400, a reading device 200 supported by the apparatus main body 400 so as to be openable and closable, and an operation unit 300 attached to the exterior surface of the apparatus main body 400. The apparatus main body 400 has an image forming unit 10 that forms a toner image on a recording material, a feeding unit 60 that feeds the recording material to the image forming unit 10, a fixing unit 70 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit 10 to the recording material, and a pair of discharge rollers 80.

[0013] 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 formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process unit 20 to a recording material. The process unit 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21, a pre-exposure device 23, and a developing device 30 including a developing roller 31.

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

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

[0016] The scanner unit 11 uses a polygon mirror to irradiate the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device or the reading device 200, 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.

[0017] The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 that carries a developer, a developing container 32 that serves as a case for 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 is applied to the surface of the developing roller 31 by the supply roller 33. Note that the supply roller 33 is not necessarily required as long as the developing roller 31 is configured to be sufficiently supplied with toner.

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

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

[0020] The developing container 32 is provided with a container 36 for containing toner, and an agitating member 34 disposed inside the container 36. The developing container 32 is an example of a developer container for containing developer inside the image forming apparatus 1. The agitating member 34 is driven by a motor (not shown) to rotate, thereby agitating the toner in the developing container 32 and sending the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 also circulates the toner that is not used for development and is peeled off from the developing roller 31 inside 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 oscillating type agitating member may be adopted.

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

[0022] 1(a) and 1(b), the feeding section 60 has a front door 61 supported by the apparatus main body 400 so as to be openable and closable, a tray section 62, a middle plate 63, a tray spring 64, and a pickup roller 65. The tray section 62 forms the bottom surface of a recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened, and the middle plate 63 is supported by the tray section 62 so as to be able to rise and fall.

[0023] The tray spring 64 urges the middle plate 63 upward, and presses the recording material P loaded on the middle plate 63 against the pickup roller 65. When the front door 61 is closed relative to the device body 400, it closes the recording material storage space, and when it is open relative to the device body 400, it supports the recording material P together with the tray portion 62 and the middle plate 63.

[0024] The fixing unit 70 is a thermal fixing type that fixes an image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 70 includes a fixing film 71, a fixing heater such as a ceramic heater that heats the fixing film 71, a thermistor that measures the temperature of the fixing heater, and a pressure roller 72 that is in pressure contact with the fixing film 71.

[0025] 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 or a reading device 200 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 charged in advance 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.

[0026] In parallel with the above-mentioned image forming process, the pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61, the tray section 62, and the middle plate 63. The recording material P is fed by the pickup roller 65 to the pair of registration rollers 15, and the skew of the recording material P is corrected by hitting the nip of the pair of registration rollers 15. The pair of registration rollers 15 is then driven in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image, and conveys the recording material P toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0027] 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 being transported by the registration roller pair 15. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is transported to the fixing section 70, where the toner image is heated and pressurized as it passes through a nip between a fixing film 71 and a pressure roller 72 of the 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 of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine) by the discharge roller pair 80, and is loaded onto a discharge tray 81 formed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 400.

[0028] The discharge tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream in the discharge direction of the recording material, and the recording material discharged to the discharge tray 81 slides down the discharge tray 81 so that the trailing edge of the recording material is aligned by a regulating surface 84 .

[0029] The reading device 200 has a reading unit 201 with a built-in reading section (not shown), and a pressure plate 202 supported so as to be openable and closable by the reading unit 201. On the upper surface of the reading unit 201, there is provided a document table glass 203 which transmits light emitted from the reading section and on which a document is placed.

[0030] When a user wants to read an image of an original document by the reading device 200, the user places the original document on the glass platen 203 with the pressure platen 202 open. Then, the user closes the pressure platen 202 to prevent the original document on the glass platen 203 from shifting in position, and outputs a reading command to the image forming device 1 by operating, for example, the operation unit 300. When the reading operation is started, the reading unit in the reading unit 201 moves back and forth in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the left and right directions with the operation unit 300 of the image forming device 1 facing the front. The reading unit emits light to the original document from the light-emitting unit, receives the light reflected by the original document with the light-receiving unit, and reads the image of the original document by photoelectric conversion. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 faces the front.

[0031] A top cover 82 is provided on the top of the device body 400, and a discharge tray 81 is formed on the upper surface of the top cover 82. As shown in Figures 1(b) and 2, an opening / closing member 83 is supported on the top cover 82 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.

[0032] The opening / closing member 83 is configured to be movable between a closed position where the supply port 32a is covered so that the toner pack 100 serving as a developer supply container cannot be attached to the developing container 32, and an open position where the supply port 32a is exposed so that the toner pack 100 can be attached to the developing container 32. With the opening / closing member 83 in the open position, the toner pack 100 is moved in the attachment direction M towards the supply port 32a and attached to the supply port 32a. In this manner, the toner pack 100 is configured to be detachable from the developing container 32.

[0033] 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. The opening / closing member 83 is opened to the left by hooking a finger into a groove 82b provided in the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is formed in a substantially L-shape to fit the shape of the top cover 82.

[0034] The opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is open so as to expose the supply port 32a for toner supply formed at the top of the developing container 32, and the user can access the supply port 32a by opening the opening / closing member 83. Note that in this embodiment, a method (direct supply method) is adopted in which the user supplies toner from a toner pack 100 (see FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)) filled with replenishment toner to the developing device 30 while the developing device 30 is still attached to the image forming apparatus 1. At least a part of the toner pack 100 is exposed to the outside when attached to the attachment portion 106 (see FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b)) of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0035] Therefore, 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 apparatus main body 400 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. Note that the direct replenishment method can reduce costs, since it does not require replacing various rollers, gears, etc., even compared to replacing only the developing device 30 of the process unit 20. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pack 100 constitute an image forming system 1000.

[0036] [Installation part] Next, the configuration of the mounting portion 106 to which the toner pack (toner container) 100 is attached will be described with reference to Figs. 3(a) to 8(b). In this embodiment, the mounting portion 106 is a unit for mounting the toner pack 100, including the replenishing port 32a, and is provided in the image forming apparatus 1 (see Fig. 2). Fig. 3(a) is an exploded perspective view of the mounting portion 106. Fig. 3(b) is an exploded perspective view of the mounting portion 106 seen from a different direction from Fig. 3(a). Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting portion 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the closed position, and Fig. 5(a) is a view of the mounting portion 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the closed position, as viewed from the mounting direction M. Fig. 4(b) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mounting portion 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the open position, and Fig. 5(b) is a view of the mounting portion 106 when the operation lever 108 is in the open position, as viewed from the mounting direction M.

[0037] Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view of the device-side shutter 109 seen from the upstream side in the mounting direction M. Fig. 6(b) is a perspective view of the device-side shutter 109 from a different perspective than Fig. 6(a). Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view of the cover 110 seen from the downstream side in the mounting direction M. Fig. 7(b) is a perspective view of the cover 110 seen from the upstream side in the mounting direction M. Fig. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting portion 106, and Fig. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 8B-8B cross section of Fig. 8(a).

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 4(b), the mounting portion 106 has a main body base portion 2, and the main body base portion 2 includes 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. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b), the cover 110 has an engaged portion 110h that engages with the engaging portion 107b of the positioning portion 107a of the first frame 107 so as not to rotate around the rotation axis B relative to the first frame 107. In addition, a notch 110k is provided on the downstream side of the cover 110 in the mounting direction M, i.e., on the bottom side, and the notch 110k has a first regulating surface 110c and a second regulating surface 110d. The first regulating surface 110c and the second regulating surface 110d are provided so as to face each other in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis B.

[0039] The first frame 107, the cover 110, and the second frame 117 may be integrally formed instead of being separate members. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the second frame 117 is provided with an apparatus-side opening 117a, which communicates with the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 (see Figure 1(a)).

[0040] The operating lever 108 and the device-side shutter 109 are each attached to the main body base portion 2 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis B. The first frame 107 is provided with a positioning portion 107a. The positioning portion 107a protrudes inward from an inner circumferential surface 107c 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.

[0041] Further, an operating lever 108 serving as an operating part is provided with a drive transmission part 108a and an operating part 108b. By operating the operating part 108b, the user can rotate the operating lever 108 about the rotation axis B relative to the main body base part 2. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the drive transmission part 108a is a convex part that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential 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.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 6(a) and Fig. 6(b), the apparatus-side shutter 109 as a main body shutter has an inner peripheral surface 109h, an inlet 109a formed on the inner peripheral surface 109h for receiving toner from the toner pack 100, and a bottom surface 109b. The apparatus-side shutter 109 further has a center boss 109d, a pack contact surface 109g, and a regulated rib 109c provided on the bottom surface 109b, and a driven transmission portion 109e provided on the inner peripheral surface 109h. As shown in Fig. 6(a), the driven transmission portion 109e is a convex portion that protrudes inward in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis B. An apparatus-side seal 111 is attached to the inner peripheral surface 109h so as to surround the periphery of the inlet 109a (see Fig. 4(b)).

[0043] The apparatus-side shutter 109 is configured to take a blocking position and an open position with respect to the main body base part 2. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 6(a) and Fig. 6(b), the apparatus-side shutter 109 rotates in the direction of arrow K from the blocking position to the open position, and rotates in the direction of arrow L from the open position to the blocking position. Note that these directions of arrow K and arrow L are the same as the directions of arrow K and arrow L of the pack-side shutter (blocking member) 103 shown in Fig. 11(a). In the blocking position, the apparatus-side shutter 109 blocks the receiving port 109a with the apparatus-side seal 111 and the cover 110, and in the open position, the receiving port 109a is not covered by the cover 110 and is open. In other words, when the device-side shutter 109 is positioned in the blocking position, the receiving port 109a does not communicate with the device-side opening 117a of the second frame 117, and when the device-side shutter 109 is positioned in the blocking position, the receiving port 109a communicates with the device-side opening 117a of the second frame 117.

[0044] The apparatus-side shutter 109 is located in the blocking position in Figures 4(a) and 5(a), and at this time, 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 apparatus-side shutter 109 is located in the open position in Figures 4(b) and 5(b), and at this time, 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 storage section 36 of the developing container 32 through the receiving port 109a.

[0045] Since the operation lever 108 and the apparatus-side shutter 109 are not connected to each other, even if the operation lever 108 is operated without the toner pack 100 attached, the apparatus-side shutter 109 will not rotate.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the apparatus-side shutter 109 is configured to be rotatable around the center boss 109d by engaging the large diameter portion 109d1 of the center boss 109d with the cylindrical portion 110j of the cover 110. Here, the regulated rib 109c provided on the bottom surface 109b of the apparatus-side shutter 109 is between the first regulated surface 110c and the second regulated surface 110d of the cover 110. Therefore, the apparatus-side shutter 109 is rotatable only within a range in which the regulated rib 109c can move between the first regulated surface 110c and the second regulated surface 110d. In other words, the rotation range of the apparatus-side shutter 109 is regulated between the closed position and the open position by the first regulated surface 110c and the second regulated surface 110d of the cover 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the regulated rib 109c abuts against the first regulated surface 110c, the device-side shutter 109 located in the blocking position cannot rotate in the direction of arrow L, i.e., in the opposite direction toward the open position.

[0047] [Toner pack composition] Next, the basic structure of a toner pack 100 as a developer supply container according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 9(a) to 10. The toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106 described above. Fig. 9(a) is a side view of the toner pack 100 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position. Fig. 9(b) is a side view of the toner pack 100 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the toner pack 100 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 9(a) to 10, the toner pack 100 has a pouch 101 that contains toner as a developer, a nozzle 102 that is coupled to the pouch 101, and a pack-side shutter 103.

[0049] The pouch 101 as a container member (storage member) has flexibility, and is provided on one end side of the toner pack 100 in the axial direction D1 which is the direction of the rotation axis A of the pack-side shutter 103. "Flexibility" means that the pouch 101 has a degree of flexibility that allows a user to easily deform the pouch 101 by hand to reduce its volume.

[0050] When the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106, the rotation axis A coincides with the rotation axis B of the apparatus-side shutter 109, and therefore, hereinafter, the axial directions of the rotation axis A and the rotation axis B are both referred to as the axial direction D1. The nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 are provided on the other end side of the toner pack 100 in the axial direction D1. The pouch 101 is formed, for example, by pouch processing (joining the peripheral portions of laminated synthetic resin sheets by a method such as welding) a flexible polypropylene sheet, and has a bag shape with one end open.

[0051] The material of the container member is not limited to a polypropylene sheet, but may be paper, vinyl, etc. The shape of the container member is not limited to a flat bag shape (pouch shape) formed by pouch processing, but may be, for example, a cylindrical shape (bottle shape) or a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0052] The pouch 101 has a storage section (bag) 101a that forms a storage space capable of storing toner, an opening 101b through which the storage space opens, and a weakly sealed section 101c. The storage section 101a is divided by the weakly sealed section 101c into two sections: a lower storage section (second space) 101aM located on the most downstream side in the mounting direction M, and an upper storage section (first space) 101aU located on the upstream side, and the toner is stored in a separated state in each storage section (sealed state). The opening 101b is an opening edge of the lower storage section 101aM. The lower storage section 101aM communicates with a discharge path (passage) 102g of a nozzle 102 described later through the opening 101b. The storage portion 101a is bag-shaped and has a plurality of side portions 101d of a flattened cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction D1, and a bottom portion 101e closing one side of the cylindrical shape (the side opposite to the opening portion 101b).

[0053] In this embodiment, the weakly sealed portion 101c is formed by heat-sealing the vicinity of the center of the storage portion 101a in the short-side direction of the pouch (perpendicular to the axial direction D1). The weakly sealed portion 101c is configured to be opened by compressing the upper storage portion 101aU or the lower storage portion 101aM and applying a certain level of internal pressure, thereby allowing the upper storage portion 101aU and the lower storage portion 101aM to communicate with each other (open state).

[0054] The position of the weak sealing portion 101c is not limited to the center of the accommodation portion 101a, and may be, for example, at an end portion. The number of the weak sealing portions 101c may be two or more, that is, the accommodation portion 101a may be divided into a plurality of upper accommodation portions 101aU and a lower accommodation portion 101aM.

[0055] The toner contained in the pouch 101 only needs to be contained in at least the upper container portion 101aU, and does not necessarily have to be contained in the lower container portion 101aM.

[0056] The nozzle 102 is composed of a nozzle body 121, which is a discharge path forming member that forms a discharge path for discharging the toner from the storage portion 101a of the pouch 101, and a connecting member 122 for attaching the nozzle body 121 to the pouch 101. The connecting member 122 (joining member) is joined (joined) to the opening 101b of the pouch 101. The method of joining (joining) the connecting member 122 to the pouch 101 is not limited to a specific method. For example, there is a method (adhesion) using various adhesives such as hot melt, or a method of thermally welding the pouch 101 to the outer periphery of the connecting member 122. The connecting member 122 may be composed of multiple parts.

[0057] In this embodiment, connecting member 122 is harder than pouch 101, which has flexibility. In other words, pouch 101 is made of a material soft enough to be easily deformed by a user's hand, whereas connecting member 122 can maintain opening 101b of pouch 101 in a constant shape, which contributes to the efficiency of the toner filling operation described later.

[0058] The nozzle 102 is connected to a connecting portion 122c of the connecting member 122 so that an opening on one end side of the discharge path 102g communicates with the lower storage portion 101aM of the pouch 101. The nozzle 102 may be a resin molded product in which the nozzle body 121 and the connecting member 122 are integrally molded.

[0059] The nozzle 102 has an outer surface extending along the rotation axis A and a side surface 102c as a first outer surface. The side surface 102c is provided with an outlet 102a and a recess 102e. Inside the nozzle 102, an outlet path 102g is formed to connect the internal space of the pouch 101 with the outlet 102a. The recess 102e is provided at a position different from the outlet 102a in the rotation direction of the pack-side shutter 103. The toner contained in the pouch 101 is configured to be discharged to the outside of the toner pack 100 via the outlet path 102g and the outlet 102a when the pouch 101 is crushed by a user to reduce the volume of the pouch 101.

[0060] A pack-side shutter 103 serving as a shutter is disposed outside the side surface 102c of the nozzle 102. The pack-side shutter 103 is provided rotatably around a rotation axis A extending in a direction along the axial direction D1, and has an opening 103a. Specifically, an inner peripheral surface 103m of the pack-side shutter 103 is supported slidably relative to an annular rib 102r of the nozzle 102. The pack-side shutter 103 is provided outside the side surface 102c in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. The arc surface of the side surface 102c is a curved surface that is convex toward the outside in the radial direction r. The inner surface of the pack-side shutter 103, i.e., the surface facing the side surface 102c, 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.

[0061] The pack-side shutter 103 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis A between a blocking position (position shown in FIG. 9(a)) where the pack-side seal 105 blocks the discharge outlet 102a of the nozzle 102, and an open position (position shown in FIG. 9(b)) 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 an opening 103a formed in the pack-side shutter 103.

[0062] When the pack-side shutter 103 in the shielding position shown in Fig. 9(a) is rotated in the direction of arrow K about the rotation axis A, the pack-side shutter 103 reaches the open position shown in Fig. 9(b). Conversely, when the pack-side shutter 103 in the open position is rotated in the direction of arrow L, the pack-side shutter 103 reaches the shielding position. That is, the direction of arrow K as the first rotation direction is the direction from the shielding position to the open position about the rotation axis A, and the direction of arrow L as the second rotation direction is the direction from the open position to the shielding position about the rotation axis A. During the rotational movement 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.

[0063] Next, the detailed configuration of the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103 will be described with reference to Figs. 11(a) to 14. Fig. 11(a) is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle 102 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the closed position. Fig. 11(b) is a view of the toner pack 100 viewed in the removal direction U in Fig. 11(a). Fig. 12(a) is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle 102 when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the open position. Fig. 12(b) is a view of the toner pack 100 viewed in the removal direction U in Fig. 12(a). Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the nozzle 102. Fig. 14 is a side view showing the nozzle 102 and the pack-side shutter 103. The removal direction U is the opposite direction to the mounting direction M, and is the direction in which the toner pack 100 moves when it is removed from the mounting portion 106.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b), the nozzle 102 is arranged in the direction of the arrow R at intervals and includes a positioned portion 102d having a surface 102d1 and a surface 102d2 extending in a direction intersecting the direction of the arrow R. As shown in FIG. 11(b), the surface 102d1 and the surface 102d2 in this embodiment extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow R and are parallel to each other. That is, in this embodiment, the direction of the arrow R is the normal direction of the surface 102d1 and the surface 102d2. The positioned portion 102d engages with a 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 the arrow R with respect to the first frame 107 (main body base portion 2) (the position in the rotation direction around the rotation axis A). In FIG. 11(b), a straight line CL1 that passes through the centers of surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 in the direction of arrow R and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of arrow R is in a phase rotated by approximately 90° with respect to CL2 that passes through the rotation axis A and the center of discharge port 102a.

[0065] 11(a) and 14, surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 are provided downstream of surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 in the mounting direction M in the direction of the rotation axis A, respectively. As shown in FIG. 11(b), surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 extend in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. However, the extending direction of surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be set to a direction that does not interfere with positioning portion 107a of first frame 107.

[0066] 14, a side surface 102e3 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, 102e1, 102e2, and 102e3 form a recess 102e.

[0067] The surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 do not necessarily have to be parallel to each other as in this embodiment. For example, the surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 may be surfaces extending in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. In this case, the direction of the arrow R is the tangent direction of the virtual circle VC, and a straight line CL1 perpendicular to the direction of the arrow R can be set at any angle with respect to the straight line CL2.

[0068] 11(a) and 11(b), when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1 of the rotation axis A, an opening 103a is provided on a side surface 103d of the pack-side shutter 103. As shown in FIG. 11(a), when the pack-side shutter 103 is in the blocking position, at least a part of the recess 102e of the nozzle 102 is exposed from the opening 103a. This is to allow the surfaces 102d1 and 102d2 of the recess 102e, i.e., the positioned portion 102d, to engage with the positioning portion 107a when the toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106 with the pack-side shutter 103 in the blocking position.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the pack-side shutter 103 is provided with a driven transmission part 103e on the opposite side of the opening 103a across the rotation axis A. When the pack-side shutter 103 is in the shielding position, the driven transmission part 103e is provided on the opposite side of the rotation axis A to the recess 102e of the nozzle 102. The driven transmission part 103e has surfaces 103b1, 103b2 and a side surface 103b3, and can be engaged with a drive transmission part 108a of the operation lever 108 described later. Both the surface 103b1 and the surface 103b2 extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow R. FIG. 13 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 is provided that is recessed inward in the radial direction r from the side surface 103d.

[0070] 11(a) to 14, the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the toner pack 100 is oriented in such a manner that the second end side (the nozzle 102 side) of the toner pack 100 is below the first end side (the pouch 101 side). Alternatively, the toner pack 100 is oriented such that at least a part of the nozzle 102 is below the pouch 101 and the rotation axis A is parallel to the vertical direction. This is the orientation when the toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106 of the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, in FIGS. 11(a) and 12(a), the mounting direction M is downward and the removal direction U is upward.

[0071] The pack-side shutter 103 has an end surface 103c as a shutter end surface that is a lower end surface in the vertical direction VD and constitutes the bottom surface of the pack-side shutter 103. The nozzle 102 has a protrusion 102b as a first protrusion that protrudes downstream, i.e., downward, from the end surface 103c of the pack-side shutter 103 in the mounting direction M. As shown in FIG. 11(a), the protrusion 102b is a cylindrical portion (a portion having a cylindrical shape) centered on the rotation axis A. The protrusion 102b has a protrusion end surface 102b2 that is a lower end surface. The protrusion end surface 102b2 is provided with a hole having an inner peripheral surface 102b1 centered on the rotation axis A. Also, the protrusion 102b protrudes downward from the lower end surface 102j of the nozzle 102 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the end face 103c of the pack-side shutter 103 and the end face 102j of the nozzle 102 are end faces perpendicular to the rotation axis A, but are not limited to this. These faces may be faces that extend in a direction intersecting the rotation axis A when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis A. In addition, the protrusion 102b does not necessarily have to be provided on the nozzle 102.

[0072] 15(a), the nozzle 102 of the toner pack 100 is provided with a claw portion 102f as a locking mechanism to prevent the pack-side shutter 103 from rotating relative to the nozzle 102 during transportation or when the user handles the toner pack 100 alone. The pack-side shutter 103 is held in the closed position by the claw portion 102f, thereby preventing the toner, which is the content inside the toner pack 100, from spilling.

[0073] Fig. 15(a) is a front view showing the claw portion 102f. Fig. 15(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 15B-15B cross section of Fig. 15(a). Fig. 16(a) is a front view showing the claw portion 102f. Fig. 16(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the 16B-16B cross section of Fig. 16(a).

[0074] As shown in Fig. 15(a) and Fig. 15(b), the claw portion 102f as the second restricting portion has an arm portion 102f3, a release slope 102f1, and an abutting portion 102f2. The arm portion 102f3 is elastically deformed, so that the claw portion 102f can move in the radial direction r of a virtual circle VC centered on the rotation axis A. Specifically, the claw portion 102f can move between a restricting position shown in Fig. 15(b) and a non-restricting position shown in Fig. 21(b), which is a position inside the restricting position in the radial direction r.

[0075] When the claw portion 102f is located in the restricted position as shown in FIG. 15(b), the abutting portion 102f2 faces the restricting portion 103h of the pack-side shutter 103 located in the shielding position in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis A. At this time, a gap s is provided between the abutting portion 102f2 and the restricting portion 103h. The restricting portion 103h abuts against the abutting portion 102f2, so that the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of the arrow K is restricted. The size of the gap s may be set arbitrarily, and the rotation range in which the pack-side shutter 103 can rotate within the range of the gap s is regarded as the shielding position. That is, the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of the arrow K from the shielding position is restricted by the claw portion 102f located in the restricted position.

[0076] Furthermore, when the claw portion 102f is located in the non-restricted position, the abutting portion 102f2 is located inside in the radial direction r of an imaginary circle VC centered on the rotation axis A relative to the restricting portion 103h of the pack-side shutter 103. Therefore, the pack-side shutter 103 can rotate about the rotation axis A without interfering with the abutting portion 102f2.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 6(a) and Fig. 21(b), the device-side shutter 109 is provided with a restriction release rib 109j extending in the axial direction D1. The restriction release rib 109j can come into contact with the release slope 102f1 of the claw portion 102f when the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106. As shown in Figs. 11(b), 15(b), 17(b) and 21(b), the pack-side shutter 103 is provided with an opening 103j, which extends from the end face (bottom face) 103c of the pack-side shutter 103 to the side face 103d. The restriction release rib 109j provided on the device-side shutter 109 can pass through the opening 103j and come into contact with the release slope 102f1 of the claw portion 102f arranged on the inside of the pack-side shutter 103.

[0078] The release slope 102f1 is inclined with respect to the mounting direction M (axial direction D1) so as to extend inward in the radial direction r toward the downstream of the mounting direction M. Then, when the toner pack 100 is mounted to the mounting portion 106, the release slope 102f1 converts the direction of the force that the claw portion 102f receives from the restriction release rib 109j to the inside in the radial direction r. As a result, the release slope 102f1 is pressed by the restriction release rib 109j, so that the claw portion 102f moves inward in the radial direction r from the restriction position to the non-restriction position. In other words, when the toner pack 100 is mounted to the mounting portion 106, the claw portion 102f is pressed by the mounting portion 106 to move from the restriction position to the non-restriction position.

[0079] The abutment portion 102f2 of the claw portion 102f described above abuts against the regulating portion 103h of the pack-side shutter 103, thereby regulating the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of arrow K. Next, a configuration for regulating the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of arrow L opposite to the direction of arrow K will be described.

[0080] 16(b), the pack-side shutter 103 has a rotation-restricting rib 103k, and the nozzle 102 has a rotation-restricting surface 102p as a first restricting portion that faces the rotation-restricting rib 103k in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis A. When the pack-side shutter 103 is located at the shielding position, the rotation-restricting rib 103k faces the rotation-restricting surface 102p with a small gap therebetween. Then, when the pack-side shutter 103 located at the shielding position tries to rotate in the direction of arrow L, the rotation-restricting rib 103k abuts against the rotation-restricting surface 102p, and the rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of arrow L is restricted.

[0081] 16(a) and 16(b), the claw portion 102f is disposed downstream of the rotation restriction surface 102p and the rotation restriction rib 103k in the mounting direction M. This is because the claw portion 102f is disposed at a position where it can be easily pressed by the restriction release rib 109j of the apparatus-side shutter 109 when the toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the opening 103j provided in the pack-side shutter 103, ensuring the rigidity of the pack-side shutter 103 and restricting access to the claw portion 102f by the user. Note that the arrangement of the claw portion 102f, the rotation restriction surface 102p, and the rotation restriction rib 103k is not limited to this and may be changed as desired.

[0082] As described above, when the toner pack 100 is not attached to the mounting portion 106, the pack-side shutter 103 is restricted from rotating in the directions of arrows K and L, and is easily held in the blocking position. When the pack-side shutter 103 is rotated in the direction of arrow K with the toner pack 100 attached to the mounting portion 106 and the claw portion 102f positioned in the non-restricted position, the pack-side shutter 103 exposes the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 as shown in FIG.

[0083] 11(a) and 13, three radial positioning portions 103f are provided on the pack-side shutter 103. These radial positioning portions 103f protrude outward in the radial direction r beyond the side surface 103d. Each of the radial positioning portions 103f is disposed upstream of the pack-side shutter 103 in the mounting direction M.

[0084] [Installing the toner pack into the installation area] Next, the state when the toner pack 100 is mounted in the mounting portion 106 will be described with reference to Figs. 17(a) to 21(b). Figs. 17(a) and 17(b) are perspective views, viewed from different angles, showing the state when the toner pack 100 is being mounted in the mounting portion 106. Fig. 18(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the toner pack 100 is being mounted toward the mounting portion 106. Fig. 18(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the mounting of the toner pack 100 in the mounting portion 106 is completed.

[0085] FIG. 19(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line 19A-19A in FIG. 18(a). FIG. 19(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line 19B-19B in FIG. 18(a). FIG. 20(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line 20A-20A in FIG. 18(b). FIG. 20(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line 20B-20B in FIG. 20(a). FIG. 21(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner pack 100 is mounted on the device-side shutter 109. In FIG. 21(a), the pouch 101, the connecting member 122, and the pack-side shutter 103 of the toner pack 100 are omitted, and only the nozzle 102 is shown. FIG. 21(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line 16B-16B in FIG. 16(a) in a state in which the toner pack 100 has been mounted on the mounting portion 106. For ease of viewing, the cut surfaces of the pack-side shutter 103 and the cover 110 are hatched in FIGS. 18(a) to 20(b), and the cut surface of the nozzle 102 is hatched in FIG. 21(b).

[0086] 17(a) and 17(b), the user moves the toner pack 100 with the pack-side shutter 103 in the covering position in the mounting direction M to mount the toner pack 100 into the mounting portion 106 with the apparatus-side shutter 109 in the covering position. At this time, the user aligns the recess 102e of the nozzle 102 and the opening 103a of the pack-side shutter 103 with the positioning portion 107a of the first frame 107. At the same time, the user also aligns the positions of the driven transmission portion 103e of the pack-side shutter 103 and the drive transmission portion 108a of the operating lever 108.

[0087] After aligning the toner pack 100 with the mounting portion 106 in this way, the user moves the toner pack 100 in the mounting direction M to mount it in the mounting portion 106. Then, as shown in Fig. 18(a), the small diameter portion 109d2 of the center boss 109d of the apparatus-side shutter 109 is engaged with the inner circumferential surface 102b1 of the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102. This determines the position of the nozzle 102 in the radial direction r relative to the apparatus-side shutter 109.

[0088] At this time, as shown in Fig. 19(a), the drive transmission part 108a of the operating lever 108 and the driven transmission part 103e of the pack-side shutter 103 engage with each other. At the same time, as shown in Fig. 19(b), the side surfaces 110f and 110g of the cover 110 approach or engage with the surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 that form the recess 102e of the nozzle 102. Also, as shown in Figs. 19(a) and 19(b), the driven transmission part 103e of the pack-side shutter 103 engages with the driven transmission part 109e of the device-side shutter 109 and the drive transmission part 108a of the operating lever 108. 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 substantially coaxial.

[0089] Furthermore, since surfaces 102e1 and 102e2 of recess 102e of nozzle 102 engage with side surfaces 110f and 110g of cover 110, respectively, nozzle 102 of toner pack 100 does not rotate relative to main body base part 2 including cover 110. In other words, when toner pack 100 is attached to image forming apparatus 1, recess 102e engages with cover 110 of image forming apparatus 1, thereby restricting rotation of nozzle 102 relative to image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, operation lever 108, pack-side shutter 103, and apparatus-side shutter 109 are able to rotate approximately integrally with main body base part 2 and nozzle 102 about rotation axis B.

[0090] 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 the surface 103b2 constituting the drive transmitted part 103e of the pack-side shutter 103 presses the drive transmitted part 109e of the device-side shutter 109, rotating the device-side shutter 109.

[0091] When the toner pack 100 has been completely attached to the attachment portion 106, the three radial positioning portions 103f (see FIGS. 11(a) and 13) of the pack-side shutter 103 come into contact with the inner peripheral surface 109h (see FIG. 6(a)) of the device-side shutter 109. This determines the position of the toner pack 100 in the radial direction r on the upstream side of the attachment direction M.

[0092] 20(a), the position of the toner pack 100 in the mounting direction M is determined when the protruding portion end surface 102b2 of the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102 abuts against the pack abutment surface 109g of the apparatus-side shutter 109. Note that the positioning of the protruding portion 102b of the nozzle 102 may be determined by fitting the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 102b into the cylindrical portion 110j of the cover 110 (see FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)).

[0093] 20(b), the positioned portion 102d of the nozzle 102 engages with the positioning portion 107a of the first frame 107. This restricts the nozzle 102 of the toner pack 100 from rotating relative to the first frame 107 (main body base portion 2).

[0094] 21(a) and 21(b), when the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106, the claw portion 102f provided on the nozzle 102 moves from the regulated position to the non-regulated position (the position shown in FIG. 21(b)) as described above. More specifically, the release slope 102f1 is pressed by the restriction release rib 109j, so that the claw portion 102f moves inward in the radial direction r from the regulated position to the non-regulated position. This releases the restriction on rotation of the pack-side shutter 103 in the direction of arrow K.

[0095] [Toner supply operation] Fig. 22(a) is a perspective view showing the operation lever 108 and toner pack 100 in the closed position. Fig. 22(b) is a perspective view showing the operation lever 108 and toner pack 100 in the open position. Fig. 23(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack 100 and mounting part 106 when the device-side shutter 109 and pack-side shutter 103 are both in the closed position. Fig. 23(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack 100 and mounting part 106 when the device-side shutter 109 and pack-side shutter 103 are both in the open position.

[0096] As described above, when the toner pack 100 is attached to the mounting portion 106, the operation lever 108, the pack-side shutter 103, and the apparatus-side shutter 109 are integrally rotatable about the rotation axis B relative to the main body base portion 2 and the nozzle 102. When the toner pack 100 is attached to the mounting portion 106 and the operation lever 108 is in the closed position, the discharge port 102a is blocked by the pack-side shutter 103 and the pack-side seal 105, and the apparatus-side shutter 109, as shown in FIG. 23(a). For this reason, the toner in the pouch 101 is configured not to reach the apparatus-side opening 117a of the second frame 117.

[0097] As shown in Figures 22(a) and (b), when the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106 and the operating lever 108 is rotated in the direction of arrow Q from the closed position to the open position, the pack-side shutter 103 and the device-side shutter 109 rotate from the closed position to the open position.

[0098] More specifically, the drive transmission part 108a of the operation lever 108 presses the surface 103b1 of the pack-side shutter 103. As a result, the pack-side shutter 103 rotates together with the operation lever 108 from the closed position to the open position. In other words, the drive transmission part 108a and the surface 103b1 engage with each other, so that the pack-side shutter 103 rotates from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the rotation of the operation lever 108. In addition, the surface 103b2 of the pack-side shutter 103 rotated from the closed position to the open position presses the drive transmission part 109e of the device-side shutter 109. As a result, the device-side shutter 109 rotates together with the pack-side shutter 103 from the closed position to the open position. In other words, the surface 103b2 and the drive transmission part 109e engage with each other, so that the device-side shutter 109 rotates integrally with the pack-side shutter 103 in conjunction with the rotation of the operation lever 108.

[0099] Then, as shown in FIG. 23(b), the pack-side shutter 103, the pack-side seal 105, and the device-side shutter 109 move, and the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 is opened. That is, the lower storage section 101aM of the pouch 101 of the toner pack 100 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 communicate with each other through the discharge path 102g, the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the device-side opening 117a. When the user compresses the upper storage section 101aU by pressing the upper storage section 101aU, the internal pressure of the upper storage section 101aU increases and the weakly sealed section 101c opens. In order to make it easy to understand where and how to press the upper storage section 101aU of the pouch 101 by pressing the upper storage section 101aU, it is preferable to display by printing that the user should press the position of the upper storage section 101aU where the user presses.

[0100] As a result, the upper storage section 101aU and the lower storage section 101aM are connected, and all the toner in the pouch 101 is replenished to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 together with air through the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the apparatus side opening 117a.

[0101] The weakly sealed portion 101c may be opened before the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106. In other words, before the toner pack 100 is attached, an external force may be applied to the upper storage portion 101aU or the lower storage portion 101aM to compress the weakly sealed portion 101c, and then the toner pack 100 may be attached to the attachment portion 106 and toner may be replenished to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32.

[0102] 23(b), in a state in which the lower storage section 101aM of the pouch 101 of the toner pack 100 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 are in communication with each other, the user can compress the lower storage section 101aM to supply only the toner stored in the lower storage section 101aM together with air to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32. At this time, since the internal pressure of the lower storage section 101aM does not increase, the weakly sealed section 101c is not released and the toner in the upper storage section 101aU is not supplied. After that, when supplying toner in the upper storage section 101aU, the user can compress the upper storage section 101aU to open the weakly sealed section 101c and supply toner via the lower storage section 101aM.

[0103] When the replenishment of toner from the toner pack 100 to the developing container 32 is completed, the user rotates the operating lever 108 from the open position to the closed position. When the operating lever 108 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the drive transmission portion 108a of the operating lever 108 presses the surface 103b2 of the pack-side shutter 103. As a result, the pack-side shutter 103 is rotated from the open position to the closed position together with the operating lever 108. In addition, the surface 103b1 of the pack-side shutter 103 rotated from the open position to the closed position presses the drive transmission portion 109e of the apparatus-side shutter 109. As a result, the apparatus-side shutter 109 is rotated from the open position to the closed position together with the pack-side shutter 103.

[0104] In this state, the user pulls out the toner pack 100 from the mounting portion 106 to complete the toner supply operation.

[0105] [Toner pack manufacturing process] The manufacturing process of the toner pack according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 24(a) to (d). Fig. 24(a) is a schematic diagram showing a method for making a pouch 101, which is a bag body, from three original sheets Sa1 (first original sheet), Sa2 (second original sheet), and Sb.

[0106] In order to define the shapes of the toner pack 100 and the pouch 101, the following description and drawings use the mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The X-axis direction is the direction from the nozzle 102 side toward the pouch 101 side. The X-axis direction in this embodiment is substantially parallel to the axial direction D1 of the rotation axis A of the pack-side shutter 103. The Y-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the pouch 101 when viewed in the X-axis direction. The Z-axis direction is the lateral direction of the pouch 101 when viewed in the X-axis direction. In other words, the toner pack 100 in this embodiment has a shape in which the maximum length of the pouch 101 in the Y-axis direction is greater than the maximum length of the pouch 101 in the Z-axis direction when viewed in the X-axis direction.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 24(a), first, an original sheet Sb that will become the bottom 101e of the pouch 101 is folded in half and sandwiched between two original sheets Sa1 and Sa2 that will become the side portions 101d of the pouch 101. In this state, the side edges of the original sheets Sa1 and Sa2 are heat-sealed to form a strong sealing portion (first sealing portion) A1. The original sheets Sa1 and Sb are heat-sealed to form a strong sealing portion (first sealing portion) A2, and the original sheets Sa2 and Sb are heat-sealed to form a strong sealing portion (first sealing portion) A3, thereby forming a bag-shaped (bottomed cylindrical) pouch 101.

[0108] In an actual bag making device, the web of raw sheets continuously fed from a web roll in the flow direction is sequentially welded to form the pouch structure of pouch 101, while cutting the raw sheets at positions between adjacent pouches 101 to cut out individual pouches 101. At this time, cutting is performed at positions corresponding to the edges of the raw sheets Sa1, Sa2, and Sb in the Y-axis direction shown in the figure. As a result, the pouch 101 shown in FIG. 24(b) and the like is obtained.

[0109] The method of producing the bag-shaped (cylindrical with bottom) pouch 101 from one or more film materials (original sheets) is not limited to this, and for example, a sheet for forming side gussets may be interposed between the original sheets Sa1 and Sa2.

[0110] In addition, when the original sheets Sa1, Sa2, and Sb are heat-sealed in the illustrated regions A2 and A3, the bottom 101e of the pouch 101 becomes a mountain-shaped surface with a protruding center in the Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 10. However, the shape of the bottom 101e is not limited to this, and the shape of the bottom 101e can be changed by changing the shape and arrangement of the regions A2 and A3 where the side portions 101d and the bottom 101e are heat-sealed. For example, in the original sheet Sb that becomes the bottom 101e of the pouch 101, the direction perpendicular to the fold line from the region A2 that is welded to one original sheet Sa1 to the region A3 that is welded to the other original sheet Sa2 is defined as Df. In this case, the greater the distance measured along Df, the greater the dimension of the bottom 101e of the pouch 101 in the Z-axis direction. That is, when the pouch 101 is manufactured, the shape of the manufactured pouch 101 can be controlled by changing the areas A1 to A3 where the raw sheets Sa1, Sa2, and Sb are welded.

[0111] 24(b), pouch 101 formed in a bag shape (bottomed cylindrical shape) that opens toward the opposite side from bottom 101e in the X-axis direction has opening 101b joined to joining member 122 (first assembly step). As described above, the joining method (joining method) of joining member 122 and pouch 101 is not limited to a specific method, and for example, adhesion or heat welding can be used.

[0112] 24(b), toner is filled into the pouch 101 with the joining member 122 through the opening of the joining member 122 (first filling step). The amount of toner filled at this time is the same as the amount of toner contained in the upper storage portion 101aU.

[0113] Next, as shown in FIG. 24(c), a weakly sealed portion (second sealed portion) 101c is provided by heat-sealing a central portion, which is a part of the storage portion 101a of the pouch 101, in the Y-axis direction. As a result, the storage portion 101a of the pouch 101 is divided into an upper storage portion 101aU and a lower storage portion 101aM by the weakly sealed portion 101c. At this time, the toner filled in the first filling step is contained in the upper storage portion 101aU by the weakly sealed portion 101c. The adhesive strength (second adhesive strength) of the weakly sealed portion 101c is set to be weaker than the adhesive strength (first adhesive strength) of the strong sealed portions A1 to A3, and the weakly sealed portion 101c opens preferentially when the adjacent storage portion is compressed. The adhesive strength of the weakly sealed portion can be adjusted, for example, by lowering the temperature of heat welding (second temperature). The adhesive strength of the strong sealed portions A1 to A3 is set so that they do not open during normal use, that is, even when the storage portion 101a is compressed. The adhesive strength of the strong sealing parts A1 to A3 can be adjusted, for example, by increasing the temperature of heat sealing (first temperature). Heat sealing of the outer periphery of the pouch 101 is performed at 150°C, and the adhesive strength can be varied by changing the temperature within the range of 100 to 200°C. For example, the first temperature may be set to 200°C and the second temperature to 100°C.

[0114] The adhesive strength of the heat-sealed portion can be measured according to JIS K 6849, JIS K 6850, etc. Also, the peel strength can be measured by pulling and peeling one of the laminated sheets using a 15 mm wide strip-shaped welded sample. By pulling through a force gauge, the tensile strength can be measured as the measured value of the force gauge. The range of adhesive strength suitable for the weak sealing portion or strong sealing portion is 10 to 100 N.

[0115] Thereafter, the lower storage portion 101aM of the pouch 101 is filled with toner through the opening of the connecting member 122 (second filling step). Then, as shown in FIG. 24(d), the nozzle body 121 is engaged with the connecting member 122 (second assembly step). This allows the lower storage portion 101aM of the pouch 101 to communicate with the discharge path 102g of the nozzle 102. In other words, the toner filled in the second filling step is stored in the lower storage portion 101a or the discharge path 102g. Finally, the pack-side shutter 103 is attached to the nozzle 102 to complete the toner pack 100 shown in FIGS. 9(a), (b), 10, etc. (third assembly step).

[0116] Note that the procedure described here is to attach the pack-side shutter 103 to the nozzle 102 after attaching the nozzle main body 121 to the connecting member 122. However, the present invention is not limited to this procedure, and the pack-side shutter 103 may be attached to the nozzle 102 in advance, and then the nozzle 102 may be engaged with the connecting member 122.

[0117] [Toner filling] As described above, in this embodiment, the pouch 101 is filled with toner in a state in which the connecting member 122 is attached to the pouch 101 before the nozzle 102 is attached. That is, the toner filling process is performed after the first assembling process and before the second assembling process.

[0118] The toner filling step may be performed, for example, through opening 101b of pouch 101 before attachment of connecting member 122. However, pouch 101 is a flexible member, and some measure is required to maintain the shape of opening 101b during toner filling. According to this embodiment, connecting member 122, which is a resin part, is attached and the opening of connecting member 122 is used as a toner filling port, so the shape of the filling port can be maintained. Therefore, there is no need for a step of opening opening 101b of pouch 101 and maintaining it open during toner filling, or for a tool for that purpose.

[0119] Instead of the above method, for example, it is possible to fill the pouch 101 with toner by using the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 while the nozzle 102 is attached to the pouch 101. However, depending on the shape of the outlet 102a, it may not be easy to fill the pouch 101 with toner, and the filling operation may not be performed efficiently. In particular, in a configuration in which the outlet 102a opens on the side of the nozzle 102 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the toner pack 100, as in the nozzle 102 of this embodiment, it may be difficult to efficiently fill the pouch 101 with toner through the outlet 102a. In this embodiment, the opening area is larger than the outlet 102a, and the opening of the connecting member 122 that opens straight to the storage section 101a of the pouch 101 along the longitudinal direction of the toner pack 100 is used to fill the pouch 101 with toner. This makes it easy to fill the pouch 101 with toner, and the filling operation can be performed efficiently.

[0120] [Advantages of this embodiment] In addition, in this embodiment, in a state in which the lower storage section 101aM of the pouch 101 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 are in communication with each other, the user can compress the lower storage section 101aM to replenish only the toner stored in the lower storage section 101aM to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32. Alternatively, the user can replenish all of the toner in the pouch 101 to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 by compressing the upper storage section 101aU. This allows the user to select the amount of toner to be replenished depending on the amount of toner remaining in the process unit 20.

[0121] In addition, since the user can select the amount of toner to be replenished depending on the amount of toner remaining in the process unit 20, the possibility of replenishing more than the appropriate amount from the toner pack 100 when there is not enough free space in the process unit 20 can be reduced.

[0122] If an excessive amount of toner is replenished beyond the appropriate amount, there is a possibility that the toner may be supplied up to the edge of the device-side opening 117a. In this case, toner that was not replenished may remain in the device-side opening 117a or the nozzle 102 of the toner pack 100, or the remaining toner may become airborne, which may soil the image forming apparatus 1 and its surroundings. However, in this embodiment, the user can select the amount of toner to replenish depending on the amount of toner remaining in the process unit 20, which reduces the possibility of the occurrence of the above-mentioned phenomenon.

[0123] In this embodiment, the storage section 101a of the pouch 101 is divided into multiple sections by the weak sealing section 101c. Also, at least a portion of the toner is stored in the storage section other than the lower storage section 101aM. Therefore, the toner is not unevenly distributed in the discharge path 102g on the nozzle 102 side during transportation. In other words, compared to a configuration without the weak sealing section 101c, it is possible to suppress the compaction of the toner that may be present in the nozzle 102. As a result, the dischargeability of the toner is improved.

[0124] When the toner container is transported for a long time, for example, with the upper storage portion 101aU being higher than the lower storage portion 101aM in the direction of gravity, the toner in the lower storage portion 101aM, which is lower than the upper storage portion 101aU, may become compressed due to gravity.

[0125] In a toner container in which the storage section is not separated by a weak sealing section, the entire weight of the toner inside may be applied to the nozzle. However, if the storage section is separated by a weak sealing section as in this embodiment, the toner inside the storage section other than the toner stored in the lower storage section 101aM does not fall to the nozzle, so the weight of the toner falling due to compaction at the nozzle position can be reduced. If the amount of toner that can fall to the nozzle is large, a compact state of the toner may occur, but if the amount of toner that can fall to the nozzle is small, the possibility of the compact state of the toner occurring can be reduced. In addition, it is also possible to suppress the deterioration of the discharge performance of the nozzle.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weak seal can be opened while the toner container is still sealed, and the user can perform the opening operation without getting his / her hands dirty.

[0127] Furthermore, in a configuration without the weak sealing portion 101c, it was necessary to enlarge the discharge port 102a and the discharge path 102g of the nozzle 102 in order to prevent the toner discharge from deteriorating, but in this embodiment, the toner discharge is improved, so the discharge path 102g can be made smaller. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of material used for the nozzle 102.

[0128] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the weakly sealed portion 101c of the pouch 101 is formed by heat welding, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the sealed portion 101c may be formed by bonding the original sheets Sa1 and Sa2 with the adhesive layer 130 in FIG. 24. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the adhesive layer 130 and its surroundings when the sealed portion 101c is formed by the adhesive layer 130. As shown in FIG. 25(a), the adhesive layer 130 is composed of a first layer 130a and a second layer 130b, and the first layer 130a is bonded to the original sheet Sa1, and the second layer 130b is bonded to the original sheet Sa2. The adhesive strength between the second layer 130b and the original sheet Sa2 is set to be weaker than the adhesive strength between the first layer 130a and the original sheet Sa1. Therefore, when the upper accommodation portion 101aU or the lower accommodation portion 101aM is compressed from the state shown in FIG. 25(a), the second layer 130b is preferentially peeled off at the interface from the original sheet Sa2 as shown in FIG. 25(b), and the sealed portion 101c is opened.

[0129] Moreover, the sealing portion 101c may be a zipper portion 131 that can be opened and closed. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the zipper portion 131 when the sealing portion 101c is formed by the zipper portion 131. As shown in FIG. 26, the zipper portion 131 is composed of a convex portion 131a provided on the original sheet Sa1 and a concave portion 131b provided on the original sheet Sa2. The convex portion 131a and the concave portion 131b extend in the Y-axis direction and are provided at positions facing each other. Moreover, the convex portion 131a and the concave portion 131b are made of a resin material that can be elastically deformed. As shown in FIG. 26(a), when the zipper portion 131 is in a sealed state, the convex portion 131a fits into the concave portion 131b. When the upper storage portion 101aU or the lower storage portion 101aM is compressed from the state shown in FIG. 26(a) and the internal pressure increases, the engagement between the convex portion 131a and the concave portion 131b is released, and the sealing portion 101c opens, as shown in FIG. 26(b).

[0130] In the first embodiment, the weakly sealed portion 101c of the pouch 101 is opened by increasing the internal pressure of the adjacent containing portion 101a by applying an external force, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the pouch 101 may be opened by applying a force from the outside of the pouch 101 in a direction in which the weakly sealed portion 101c is opened. As shown in FIG. 30, a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the weakly welded portion when a gripping portion (hook) 160 is provided on the weakly welded portion 101c. As shown in FIG. 30(a), two gripping portions 160 are provided on the outside of the pouch 101, and are fixed at a position where the weakly sealed portion 101c overlaps with the original sheet Sa1 and a position where the weakly sealed portion 101c overlaps with the original sheet Sa2. When the gripping portion 160 is gripped from the state shown in FIG. 30(a) and a force is applied in the opposite direction, the weakly sealed portion 101c opens as shown in FIG. 30(b).

[0131] In addition, in the first embodiment, the weakly sealed portion of the pouch extends in the Y-axis direction (FIG. 24), but is not limited thereto, and may extend in the X-axis direction (FIG. 24), for example. As shown in FIG. 31, pouch 151 has storage portion 151a forming a storage space capable of storing toner, opening 151b through which the storage space opens, and weakly sealed portion 151c.

[0132] The storage section 151a has a lower storage section (second space section) 151aM located downstream in the mounting direction M, and a left upper storage section 151aL and a right upper storage section 151aR located upstream. In other words, the storage section 151a is divided into three storage sections, the lower storage section 151aM, the left upper storage section 151aL, and the right upper storage section 151aR, and the toner is stored in a separated state in each storage section.

[0133] The weak sealing portion 151c has a left lateral sealing portion (second sealing portion) 151cL extending in the Y-axis direction, a right lateral sealing portion (third sealing portion) 151cR, and a vertical sealing portion 151cH extending in the X-axis direction. The left lateral sealing portion 151cL is formed between the left upper storage portion 151aL and the lower storage portion 151aM. The right lateral sealing portion 151cR is formed between the right upper storage portion 151aR and the lower storage portion 151aM. The vertical sealing portion 151cH is formed between the left upper storage portion 151aL and the right upper storage portion 151aR.

[0134] The opening 151b is an opening edge of the lower storage portion 151aM. The lower storage portion 151aM is in communication with the discharge passage 102g of the nozzle 102 through the opening 151b.

[0135] The weak sealing portion 151c is formed by thermal welding, and the adhesive strength of the left horizontal sealing portion 151cL and the right horizontal sealing portion 151cR is set to be lower than the adhesive strength of the vertical sealing portion 151cH. In addition, the left horizontal sealing portion 151cL and the right horizontal sealing portion 151cR are configured to compress the storage portion 151a and open when a certain internal pressure or more is applied.

[0136] When replenishing toner, in a state in which the lower storage section 151aM of the pouch 151 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 are in communication with each other, the lower storage section 151aM can be compressed to replenish only the toner stored in the lower storage section 151aM together with air to the storage section 36. At this time, since the internal pressure of the lower storage section 151aM does not increase, the left lateral sealing section 151cL and the right lateral sealing section 151cR are not opened, and the toner in the left upper storage section 151aL and the right upper storage section 151aR is not replenished. After that, for example, when replenishing toner in the left upper storage section 151aL, the user compresses the left upper storage section 151aL. In this way, the left lateral sealing section 151cL, which has a lower adhesive strength than the vertical sealing section 151cH, is preferentially opened, and the left upper storage section 151aU and the lower storage section 151aM can be communicated with each other.

[0137] The left and right lateral sealing portions 151cL and 151cR may be opened before the toner pack is attached to the attachment portion 106. In other words, the storage portion 151a may be compressed before the toner pack is attached to the attachment portion 106 to open the left and right lateral sealing portions 151cL and 151cR, and then the toner pack may be attached to the attachment portion 106 and toner may be replenished to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32. In this case, all of the toner in the pouch 151 is replenished in one replenishment.

[0138] In addition, in the first embodiment, the pack-side shutter 103 and the apparatus-side shutter 109 are configured to be rotatable between the closed position and the open position around the rotation axes A and B, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pack-side shutter 103 and the apparatus-side shutter 109 may be configured to be movable between the closed position and the open position by moving linearly parallel to the removal direction J.

[0139] In the first embodiment, the pack-side shutter 103 is configured to open the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 only when in the open position, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pack-side shutter 103 may be a rotating body that opens the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 regardless of the rotation position. In this case, the outlet 102a of the nozzle 102 may be closed with a seal when the toner pack 100 is not attached to the attachment portion 106, and the seal may be removed during or after the toner pack 100 is attached to the attachment portion 106.

[0140] Furthermore, toner pack 100 may be configured not to include pack-side shutter 103. For example, a sticker may be attached to cover outlet 102a of nozzle 102, and the user may peel off the sticker immediately before using toner pack 100.

[0141] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 29. A toner pack 140 as a developer supply container in this embodiment has a configuration basically in common with that in the first embodiment, except for a pouch 141, and can be used to supply toner to the image forming apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, elements having the same reference symbols as those in the first embodiment have substantially the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment, unless otherwise specified.

[0142] Similar to the first embodiment, the toner pack 140 (FIG. 27) of this embodiment includes a pouch 141, a nozzle 102, and a pack-side shutter 103.

[0143] The pouch 141 has a storage section 141a that forms a storage space capable of storing toner, an opening 141b through which the storage space opens, and a weakly sealed section 141c. The storage section 141a is divided by the weakly sealed section 141c into three sections: a lower storage section 141aM, an uppermost storage section 141aU, and an uppermost storage section 141aC. Here, the lower storage section 141aM is located on the most downstream side in the mounting direction M. The uppermost storage section 141aU is located on the most upstream side. The uppermost storage section 141aC is located between the lower storage section 141aM and the uppermost storage section 141aU. The toner is stored in a separated state in the uppermost storage section 141aU and the uppermost storage section 141aC. The opening 141b is an opening edge of the lower storage section 141aM. The lower storage portion 141aM communicates with the discharge passage 102g of the nozzle 102 through the opening 141b.

[0144] In this embodiment, the weak sealing portion 141c has an upper sealing portion 141cU and a lower sealing portion 141cM. The upper sealing portion 141cU is formed between the uppermost accommodation portion 141aU and the upper accommodation portion 141aC. The lower sealing portion 141cM is formed between the upper accommodation portion 141aC and the lower accommodation portion 141aM. In this embodiment, the weak sealing portion 141c is formed by thermal welding, and the adhesive strength of the lower sealing portion 141cM is set to be lower than the adhesive strength of the upper sealing portion 141cU. In addition, the upper sealing portion 141cU or the lower sealing portion 141cM is configured to compress the adjacent accommodation portions 141aC and 141aU and open when a certain internal pressure or more is applied.

[0145] The toner contained in the pouch 141 may be contained in either the uppermost container 141aU or the upper container 141aC. The toner contained in the pouch 141 may also be contained in the lower container 141aM.

[0146] Next, the toner supply operation according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0147] Fig. 28(a) is a perspective view showing the operation lever 108 and toner pack 140 in the closed position. Fig. 28(b) is a perspective view showing the operation lever 108 and toner pack 140 in the open position. Fig. 29(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack 140 and mounting section 106 when the device-side shutter 109 and pack-side shutter 103 are both in the closed position. Fig. 29(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the toner pack 140 and mounting section 106 when the device-side shutter 109 and pack-side shutter 103 are both in the open position.

[0148] As shown in Figures 28(a) and (b), when the toner pack 140 is attached to the attachment portion 106 and the operating lever 108 is rotated in the direction of arrow Q from the closed position to the open position, the pack-side shutter 103 and the device-side shutter 109 rotate from the closed position to the open position.

[0149] Then, as shown in FIG. 29(b), the pack-side shutter 103, the pack-side seal 105, and the device-side shutter 109 move, and the discharge port 102a of the nozzle 102 is opened. That is, the lower storage section 101aM of the pouch 141 of the toner pack 140 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 communicate with each other through the discharge path 102g, the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the device-side opening 117a. The user increases the internal pressure of the upper storage section 141aC by compressing the upper storage section 141aC by pressing it, for example. Then, as shown in FIG. 29(c), the lower sealing section 141cM, which has a lower adhesive strength than the upper sealing section 141cU, opens preferentially, and the upper storage section 141aC and the lower storage section 141aM communicate with each other. As a result, the toner in the upper storage portion 141aC is replenished to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 together with the air through the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the apparatus side opening 117a. After the lower sealing portion 141cM is opened, the air in the upper storage portion 141aC moves to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32, so that the internal pressure does not increase even if the upper storage portion 141aC is compressed. Therefore, the upper sealing portion 141cU is not opened, and the toner stored in the uppermost storage portion 141aU is not replenished.

[0150] Thereafter, when replenishing the toner in the uppermost storage portion 141aU, the user compresses the upper storage portion 141aU to open the upper sealing portion 141cU. As a result, the toner in the uppermost storage portion 141aU, together with air, is replenished to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 through the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the device side opening 117a (FIG. 29(d)).

[0151] The lower sealing portion 141cM and the upper sealing portion 141cU may be opened before the toner pack 140 is attached to the attachment portion 106. Also, as shown in Fig. 29(b), in a state in which the lower storage portion 141aM and the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 are in communication with each other, the upper sealing portion 141cU may be opened, and then the lower sealing portion 141cM may be opened. In this case, all of the toner in the pouch 141 is replenished to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 together with air through the discharge port 102a, the receiving port 109a, and the apparatus side opening 117a.

[0152] When the user has completed replenishment of toner from the toner pack 140 to the developing container 32, he or she rotates the operating lever 108 from the open position to the closed position, which causes the apparatus-side shutter 109 to rotate together with the pack-side shutter 103 from the open position to the closed position.

[0153] In this state, the user pulls out the toner pack 140 from the mounting portion 106 to complete the toner supply operation.

[0154] In this embodiment, the storage section 141a of the pouch 141 is divided into multiple sections by the weak sealed portion 141c. Also, a configuration is adopted in which the lower storage section 141aM communicating with the discharge path 102g of the nozzle 102 does not store toner. Therefore, the toner is not unevenly distributed in the discharge path 102g of the nozzle 102 during transportation, and the dischargeability of the toner is improved compared to a configuration without the weak sealed portion 141c.

[0155] In this embodiment, in a state in which the lower storage section 141aM of the pouch 141 and the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 are in communication with each other, the user can compress the upper storage section 141aC to replenish only the toner stored in the upper storage section 141aC to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32. Thereafter, the user can replenish all of the toner in the pouch 141 to the storage section 36 of the developing container 32 by compressing the top storage section 141aU. This allows the user to select the amount of toner to be replenished depending on the amount of toner remaining in the process unit 20.

[0156] <Other embodiments> In any of the above-described embodiments, the pouch 101 of the toner pack 100 contains toner used as a recording material (developer) in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, but is not limited thereto. The pouch 101 can contain powder or liquid other than toner. For example, the pouch 101 may contain ink used as a recording material in an inkjet image forming apparatus or the like. In this case, by mounting the toner pack 100 including the pouch 101 containing ink on an inkjet image forming apparatus, it is possible to supply ink to an ink storage unit in the image forming apparatus. The toner pack 100 including the pouch 101 containing ink is an example of an ink supply container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 100 Developer supply container (toner pack) 101 Container unit 101a Upper storage section (first space section) 101aM Lower storage section (second space section) 101c Weak sealing part (second sealing part) 102 Discharge passage forming unit (nozzle) 102a Outlet 102g discharge path (passage) Sa1 1st sheet Sa2 2nd sheet A1, A2, A3 Strong sealing part (1st sealing part) 141b opening 151aR Right upper storage area (third space) 151aL Left upper storage area (1st space) 151cH sealing part 151cR Right horizontal sealing part (3rd sealing part) 151cL Left horizontal sealing part (second sealing part) 160 Control Department (フック)

Claims

1. A toner container comprising: A bag having an opening, a first space portion which is a part of the space inside the bag and is a closed space for storing toner; a second space portion that is a part of the space inside the bag, communicates with the opening portion, and is outside the first space portion; a sealing portion that seals the first space and the second space so that they do not communicate with each other, and that is configured to be openable by application of an external force from outside the toner container so that the first space and the second space communicate with each other; A bag having A nozzle, a discharge port configured to discharge the toner contained in the bag to the outside of the toner container; a passage through which the toner received from the opening of the bag passes before reaching a discharge port; a nozzle having Equipped with A toner container comprising:

2. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the second space contains a toner.

3. The bag is formed by bonding the outer periphery of the sheet, When the sealing portion is a second sealing portion, A first sealing portion is provided which is a peripheral portion of the bonded sheets, The peel strength of the first sealing portion is higher than the peel strength of the second sealing portion.

2. The toner container according to claim 1,

4. the first sealing portion is bonded by bonding the surfaces of the sheets with an adhesive with a first adhesive strength; The second sealing portion is bonded by bonding the surfaces of the sheets via an adhesive with a second adhesive strength higher than the first adhesive strength.

4. The toner container according to claim 3.

5. the first sealing portion is formed by bonding the surfaces of the sheets by thermal welding, which is achieved by applying heat at a first temperature to bond the sheets; The second sealing portion is formed by bonding the surfaces of the sheets by heat welding, which bonds the sheets by applying heat at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

4. The toner container according to claim 3.

6. When the sealing portion is a second sealing portion, The bag is formed by bonding the outer periphery of the sheet, A first sealing portion is provided in which the surfaces of the sheets are bonded together via an adhesive, The second sealing portion is formed by a zipper.

2. The toner container according to claim 1,

7. When the sealing portion is a second sealing portion, The bag is formed by bonding the outer periphery of the sheet, a first sealing portion in which the surfaces of the sheets are bonded together by thermal welding by applying heat to bond the sheets; The second sealing portion is formed by a zipper.

2. The toner container according to claim 1,

8. The bag is a third space portion which is a part of the inner space of the bag and is a closed space for storing toner; a third sealing portion that seals the second space and the third space so that they do not communicate with each other and is configured to be openable by application of an external force from outside the toner container; Further equipped with 4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the second space and the third space are connected to each other by unsealing the third sealing portion.

9. The direction in which the first space and the second space are aligned is the direction in which the nozzle and the first space are aligned.

2. The toner container according to claim 1,

10. a direction in which the second space and the third space are aligned is a direction in which the nozzle and the first space are aligned; 9. The toner container according to claim 8.

11. a direction in which the first space portion and the third space portion are aligned is a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the nozzle and the first space portion are aligned; 9. The toner container according to claim 8.

12. 4. The toner container according to claim 3, further comprising a shielding member capable of shielding the outlet of the nozzle.

13. The opening further includes a connecting member, and the nozzle is connected to the bag. The coupling member is configured to be coupled to the coupling member.

4. The toner container according to claim 3.

14. 4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein a hook is provided facing toward the outside of the bag at a position that overlaps with the second sealing portion when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the nozzle and the first space portion are aligned and from a direction in which the sheets are bonded together.

15. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the nozzle and the first space are arranged and in a direction in which the sheets are bonded together, Information for a user is displayed on the outside of the bag at a position that overlaps with the first space portion or the second space portion but does not overlap with the second sealed portion.

4. The toner container according to claim 3.

16. A toner container configured to be detachably attached to an image forming apparatus, Toner is contained in the first space and the second space, When the toner cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus, the toner cartridge accommodated in the second space is replenished to the image forming apparatus, When the second sealing portion is opened and the first space portion and the second space portion are in communication with each other, the toner contained in the first space portion is replenished to the image forming device through the second space portion.

4. The toner container according to claim 3.

Images