Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To eliminate toner adhered to an inner wall of a toner cartridge.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a drive transmitting portion for transmitting driving force from a driving source to a rotating member of a toner cartridge; and a vibration imparting portion for imparting vibration to the toner cartridge. The vibration imparting portion is connected to the drive transmitting portion and is provided to be displaceable. When the drive transmitting portion transmits the driving force to a rotating member of a first toner cartridge among a plurality of toner cartridges, the vibration imparting portion imparts vibration to a second toner cartridge adjacent to the first toner cartridge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In image forming devices that use toner, the toner is replenished in a container-like toner cartridge to prevent scattering when replenishment is performed. During use, the fluidity of the toner gradually changes, which can cause the toner to easily aggregate or to easily adhere to the inner wall of the toner cartridge and remain there.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes providing a recess on the outer peripheral surface of a toner container that rotates in a predetermined direction to supply toner, and vibrating the toner container with a protrusion that fits into the recess as the container rotates, thereby peeling off toner adhering to the inner wall of the toner container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-20222 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One method for managing the amount of toner remaining in an image forming device is to determine the amount of toner remaining based on the number of rotations of a conveying member provided in a toner cartridge. In this case, the toner cartridge is vibrated, which may cause variation in the determination of the amount of toner remaining relative to the number of rotations of the conveying member, and may lead to an erroneous determination of the timing to replace the toner cartridge.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent toner from adhering and remaining on the inner wall of a toner cartridge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The solution of the present disclosure is an image forming device having a plurality of adjacent toner cartridges, a rotating member rotatably arranged within each of the toner cartridges, a drive source for rotating the rotating member, a drive transmission unit for transmitting a drive force from the drive source to the rotating member, and a vibration imparting unit for imparting vibration to the toner cartridges, wherein the vibration imparting unit is connected to the drive transmission unit and is provided so as to be displaceable, and when the drive transmission unit transmits a drive force to the rotating member of a first toner cartridge among the plurality of toner cartridges, the vibration imparting unit is configured to impart vibration to a second toner cartridge adjacent to the first toner cartridge.

[0008] It is also preferable that the drive transmission section transmits a drive force so as to rotate the rotating member of the first toner cartridge and not to rotate the rotating member of the second toner cartridge.

[0009] It is preferable that, when the drive transmission portion rotates the rotating member of the first toner cartridge, the drive transmission portion displaces the vibration applying portion so as not to apply vibration to the first toner cartridge.

[0010] It is also preferable that the drive transmission unit includes a switching unit that switches between transmitting a drive force that rotates the rotating member of the first toner cartridge and displaces the vibration imparting unit so as to impart vibration to the second toner cartridge, and transmitting a drive force that rotates the rotating member of the second toner cartridge and displaces the vibration imparting unit so as to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge.

[0011] It is also preferable that the switching unit is provided with a movable gear that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member, and that the movable gear moves in a first direction to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge when the driving source is driven in the forward direction, and moves in a second direction to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the second toner cartridge when the driving source is driven in the reverse direction.

[0012] In addition, the vibration imparting unit may have a first tilting member connected to the drive transmission unit, detachably mounted on the first toner cartridge, and imparting vibration by abutting against the first toner cartridge, and a second tilting member connected to the drive transmission unit, detachably mounted on the second toner cartridge, and imparting vibration by abutting against the second toner cartridge, and when the moving gear moves in the first direction, vibration is imparted to the second toner cartridge by the second tilting member, and when the moving gear moves in the second direction, vibration is imparted to the first toner cartridge by the first tilting member.

[0013] In addition, it is preferable that each of the multiple toner cartridges is supported so as to be movable in a predetermined vibration direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member, and the vibration imparting unit includes a holding portion that holds the toner cartridge, and a swinging portion provided between the holding portion and the drive transmission unit that moves the holding portion in the vibration direction.

[0014] In addition, the vibration imparting portion may be configured to move either a first oscillating portion that moves the holding portion that holds the first toner cartridge or a second oscillating portion that moves the holding portion that holds the second toner cartridge, and when the moving gear moves in the first direction, the second oscillating portion is moved to impart vibration to the second toner cartridge, and when the moving gear moves in the second direction, the first oscillating portion is moved to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge.

[0015] In this case, it is preferable that the first swinging portion and the second swinging portion each include an arm member that moves by the driving force transmitted from the drive transmission portion.

[0016] In the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that each of the plurality of toner cartridges is detachable. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent toner from remaining attached to the inner wall of a toner cartridge. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a side view illustrating an example of a toner cartridge provided in the image forming apparatus. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a vibration applying configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a vibration applying configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a vibration applying configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration for applying vibration to an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 equipped with a toner cartridge 10, which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] The image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction machine having a scanner function, a copy function, a printer function, a facsimile function, etc., and transmits an image of an original document read by an image reading device 18 to the outside, and forms an image of the read original document or an image received from the outside on a sheet in color or monochrome. This image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an optical scanning device 11, a developing device 12, a photosensitive drum 13, a charging device 14, a drum cleaning device 15, a paper feeding device 17, an image reading device 18, an intermediate transfer belt 21, a fixing device 27, etc. in the device main body.

[0022] The image forming apparatus 1 handles image data corresponding to color images using the colors black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), or monochrome images using a single color (e.g., black). The image reading device 18 reads an original document or an original document conveyed from an original document conveying section (ADF) to generate image data. The image forming apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with four developing devices 12, four photoconductor drums 13, four charging devices 14, and four drum cleaning devices 15 for forming four types of toner images, and four image stations Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are configured so that the developing devices 12, the photoconductor drums 13, the charging devices 14, and the drum cleaning devices 15 correspond to black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively.

[0023] The drum cleaning device 15 removes and collects residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 13. The charging device 14 charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 13. The optical scanning device 11 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 13 to light to form an electrostatic latent image.

[0024] The developing device 12 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 13 to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 13. Through this series of operations, a toner image of each color is formed on the surface of each photoreceptor drum 13. A toner cartridge 10 containing replenishment toner is connected to the developing device 12. The toner cartridge 10 is disposed above the developing device 12 and is detachably attached to the developing device 12. The toner cartridge 10 will be described later.

[0025] Above the photosensitive drums 13, intermediate transfer rollers 16 are disposed with intermediate transfer belt 21 interposed therebetween. Intermediate transfer belt 21 is an image carrier on which a toner image is formed, and is stretched around drive roller 22 and tension roller 23 to rotate (circularly move) in the direction of arrow C. Tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to intermediate transfer belt 21. The toner images of each color formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 13 are transferred (primary transfer) sequentially onto intermediate transfer belt 21 and overlapped, forming a color toner image on the surface of intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0026] A transfer roller 26 of the secondary transfer unit 25 forms a nip area (secondary transfer position) between itself and the intermediate transfer belt 21, and conveys the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path 31 by pinching it in the nip area. The toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is transferred onto the sheet, and the sheet is conveyed to the fixing device 27. The toner and the like remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 21 are collected by the belt cleaning device 24.

[0027] The fixing device 27 includes a fixing roller 28 and a pressure roller 29 that rotate while sandwiching the sheet. The fixing device 27 sandwiches the sheet, on which the toner image has been transferred, between the fixing roller 28 and the pressure roller 29 and applies heat and pressure to fix the toner image to the sheet.

[0028] The sheet feeder 17 stores sheets used for image formation, and is provided below the optical scanning device 11. The sheet is pulled out from the sheet feeder 17 by a pickup roller 33, transported through a sheet transport path 31, and transported to a paper output tray 37 via a paper output roller 36 after passing through a fixing device 27 and the like. The sheet transport path 31 is provided with a plurality of roller pairs, including a plurality of transport rollers 34 for promoting sheet transport, a registration roller 35 for temporarily stopping the sheet, aligning the leading edge of the sheet, and then starting to transport the sheet in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image, and a paper output roller 36.

[0029] When an image is to be formed on the back side as well as the front side of the sheet, the sheet is transported in the reverse direction from the discharge rollers 36 to the sheet reversing transport path 32 to invert the sheet, and the sheet is guided again to the registration rollers 35, where an image is formed on the back side in the same manner as on the front side, and the sheet is transported to the discharge tray 37.

[0030] Although a multifunction peripheral configured as described above is shown as an example of image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to this and may be any apparatus that performs various types of image formation, such as a printer, facsimile machine, or copier.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a toner cartridge 10 provided in the image forming apparatus 1, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration for applying vibration in the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

[0032] 2, the toner cartridge 10 includes a storage section 40 which is a long cylindrical container made of, for example, resin, and replenishment toner is stored inside the storage section 40. The toner cartridge 10 can be attached by opening an opening / closing door (not shown) provided on the image forming apparatus 1 and inserting or fitting the toner cartridge 10 so that the toner cartridge 10 is located above the supply path of the corresponding developing device 12.

[0033] The toner cartridge 10 is provided with a rotating member inside the storage section 40. The rotating members of the toner cartridge 10 include an agitating member 41 that rotates to agitate the toner stored therein, and a transport member 46 that transports the agitated toner to the developing device 12.

[0034] Agitation member 41 has a rotation shaft 42 supported in the longitudinal direction (X direction in FIG. 2), and a toner agitation unit 43 attached to rotation shaft 42 and agitating and discharging toner. Toner agitation unit 43 rotates around rotation shaft 42, thereby agitating and pumping up the contained toner and transferring it to supply unit 45.

[0035] The transport member 46 is disposed in the supply unit 45. The transport member 46 has a screw auger configuration with a screw blade around a rotation shaft 47 extending in the longitudinal direction (the X direction in FIG. 2). The transport member 46 rotates around the rotation shaft 47, thereby performing a supply operation to send the toner in the supply unit 45 to the developing device 12. The supply unit 45 is in communication with the developing device 12 via a supply path (not shown).

[0036] 3, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a driving source 50 such as a motor that transmits a driving force to the toner cartridge 10. The driving source 50 drives the driving units of the stirring member 41 and the transport member 46. In the illustrated embodiment, the output side of the driving source 50 is provided with a drive transmission unit 51 that transmits the driving force from the driving source 50 to the stirring member 41 and the transport member 46, which are rotating members, and a vibration applying unit 60 that applies vibration to the toner cartridge 10.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, coupling parts 44 and 48 are provided on the outer surface of the storage part 40 at the rear side in the insertion direction of the toner cartridge 10. The coupling part 44 couples the rotation shaft 42 of the agitating member 41 to the drive source 50 side and enables co-rotation when the toner cartridge 10 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1. The coupling part 48 receives the rotation drive of the drive source 50 and rotates the conveying member 46 around the rotation shaft 47 to convey the toner. The coupling parts 44 and 48 are provided so as to be coupleable to the drive transmission part 51 on the output side of the drive source 50, and have a structure that couples with the agitating member 41 and the supply part 45. The coupling structure can have various shapes, and can have, for example, a structure in which the opposing end faces have a convex shape and a concave shape that fit together.

[0038] The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of toner cartridges 10. In the example of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1, four toner cartridges 10 are provided, and the driving source 50 is provided to transmit driving force to two adjacent toner cartridges 10 among the plurality of toner cartridges 10.

[0039] The vibration applying unit 60 is provided for each of the adjacent first toner cartridge 101 and second toner cartridge 102. As the vibration applying unit 60, a first tilting member 61 is provided for the first toner cartridge 101, and a second tilting member 62 is provided for the second toner cartridge 102.

[0040] The first tilting member 61 and the second tilting member 62 are rod-shaped or plate-shaped members extending in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction X of the rotating members (the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46). The first tilting member 61 is provided rotatably about a fulcrum 611, and an upper end portion thereof is capable of being brought into contact with and separated from the first toner cartridge 101. The second tilting member 62 is provided rotatably about a fulcrum 621, and an upper end portion thereof is capable of being brought into contact with and separated from the second toner cartridge 102.

[0041] The vibration applying unit 60 is connected to the drive transmitting unit 51 and is provided so as to be displaceable. The first tilting member 61 and the second tilting member 62 are each provided so that their lower ends can be connected to the drive transmitting unit 51. The first tilting member 61 is connected to the drive transmitting unit 51 and provided so as to be detachable from the first toner cartridge 101, and its tip is urged in a direction toward the first toner cartridge 101 by a biasing member (not shown) such as a torsion spring. The second tilting member 62 is similarly connected to the drive transmitting unit 51 and provided so as to be detachable from the second toner cartridge 102, and its tip is urged in a direction toward the second toner cartridge 102 by a biasing member (not shown).

[0042] When the drive transmission unit 51 transmits a drive force to the rotating members (the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46) of, for example, the first toner cartridge 101 of the multiple toner cartridges 10, the vibration applying unit 60 is provided so that the second tilting member 62 is displaced to apply vibration to the second toner cartridge 102. The second tilting member 62 rotates about a fulcrum 621 to repeatedly come into contact with and separate from the second toner cartridge 102, thereby applying vibration to the second toner cartridge 102.

[0043] The drive transmission unit 51 transmits a drive force so as to rotate the rotating members (the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46) of the first toner cartridge 101, while not rotating the rotating members of the second toner cartridge 102. When rotating the rotating members of the first toner cartridge 101, the drive transmission unit 51 displaces the vibration imparting unit 60 so as not to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge 101.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, the drive transmission unit 51 includes a drive gear 52 rotatably provided on the output side of the drive source 50, a moving gear 54 rotatably provided to mesh with the drive gear 52 and changing the moving direction based on the rotation direction of the drive source 50, a connection gear 55 rotatably provided to mesh with the moving gear 54 at a destination where the moving gear 54 moves based on the rotation direction of the drive source 50 and swings the vibration applying unit 60, and a plurality of relay gears 53 rotatably provided to mesh with each other so as to transmit the driving force from the drive gear 52 to the rotating member. The connection gear 55 includes a protrusion 551, and is provided so that the protrusion 551 comes into contact with the first tilting member 61 or the second tilting member 62 by rotating.

[0045] More specifically, the drive transmission unit 51 is equipped with a switching unit that switches between the transmission of a drive force (drive transmission 1) that rotates the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 and displaces the vibration imparting unit 60 so as to impart vibration to the second toner cartridge 102, and the transmission of a drive force (drive transmission 2) that rotates the rotating member of the second toner cartridge 102 and displaces the vibration imparting unit 60 so as to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge 101, based on the rotational direction of the drive source 50.

[0046] The switching unit includes, for example, a movable gear 54 that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X of the rotating member. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the movable gear 54 is movable in movement directions D1 and D2 perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X.

[0047] The movable gear 54 switches its movement direction and connection depending on whether the drive source 50 is driven in the forward direction or the reverse direction, so that it may transmit a driving force to the first toner cartridge 101 or to the second toner cartridge 102. In this case, as shown in Fig. 3, the movable gear 54 is arranged to move in a first direction D1 to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 when the drive source 50 is driven in the forward direction, and to move in a second direction D2 to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the second toner cartridge 102 when the drive source 50 is driven in the reverse direction.

[0048] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the moving gear 54 is in a state of moving in the first direction D1. When the moving gear 54 moves in the first direction D1, the drive transmission unit 51 transmits a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 to agitate and transport the toner therein. At the same time, the connecting gear 55 (55a) is rotated counterclockwise in the figure, and the driving force is transmitted to the second tilting member 62 via the protrusion 551 of the rotating connecting gear 55. The second tilting member 62 rotates about the fulcrum 621 by engaging the lower end with the protrusion 551 of the rotating connecting gear 55, and the tip is pulled away from the second toner cartridge 102 against the biasing force. When the lower end of the second tilting member 62 is disengaged from the protrusion 551, the tip rotates by the biasing force so as to strike the second toner cartridge 102, and comes into contact with the second toner cartridge 102. As the connecting gear 55 continues to rotate, the second tilting member 62 repeatedly rotates about the fulcrum 621. As a result, the second tilting member 62 repeatedly comes into contact with and separates from the second toner cartridge 102, striking the accommodating portion 40 of the second toner cartridge 102 and applying vibrations to the second toner cartridge 102.

[0049] Conversely, when the movable gear 54 moves in the second direction D2, the drive transmission part 51 transmits a driving force to the rotating member of the second toner cartridge 102 and also transmits a driving force to the first tilting member 61, displacing the first tilting member 61. The first tilting member 61 repeatedly moves away from the first toner cartridge 101 against the biasing force and then abuts against the first toner cartridge 101 due to the biasing force, striking the accommodation part 40 of the first toner cartridge 101 and imparting vibrations to the first toner cartridge 101.

[0050] Therefore, when the drive source 50 is switched between forward drive and reverse drive and the drive transmission unit 51 transmits a drive force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 of the multiple toner cartridges 10, the vibration imparting unit 60 imparts vibration to the adjacent second toner cartridge 102 by the drive force, and the first toner cartridge 101 is prevented from vibrating. Also, in the second toner cartridge 102, if there is toner adhering to the inner wall of the containing unit 40, the vibration imparting unit 60 can cause the toner to peel off or fall off, thereby eliminating the adhering toner.

[0051] On the other hand, in the first toner cartridge 101, the toner in the storage unit 40 is stirred by the rotation of the stirring member 41, which is a rotating member, and the toner is transported by the rotation of the transport member 46. For example, when determining the remaining amount of toner based on the number of rotations of the transport member 46, it is possible to properly determine the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 40 without being affected by vibration, and it is possible to avoid variation in the remaining amount of toner relative to the number of rotations of the transport member 46. This makes it possible to replace the first toner cartridge 101 at an appropriate time.

[0052] Although the configuration for applying vibration to the adjacent first toner cartridge 101 and second toner cartridge 102 has been shown, it is possible to apply vibration and eliminate toner adhesion to, for example, the adjacent third and fourth toner cartridges 10 by configuring similarly. In addition, the configuration of the drive transmission unit 51 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it transmits the driving force from the drive source 50 to a rotating member, and the movable gear 54 as a switching unit is not limited to the illustrated form.

[0053] (Embodiment 2) In the image forming apparatus 1, the configuration for applying vibration to the toner cartridge 10 is not limited to the configuration shown in the first embodiment, and may be configured, for example, as shown in the following form.

[0054] 4 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic configuration of vibration application of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment 2. Note that, since the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 in each of the following embodiments can be common to that of the embodiment 1, the configuration of the vibration application unit 60 that acts on the adjacent first toner cartridge 101 and second toner cartridge 102 will be mainly described.

[0055] As shown in the figure, the vibration applying unit 60 for the toner cartridge 10 includes a holding unit 63 that holds the toner cartridge 10, and a swinging unit 64 that is provided between the holding unit 63 and the drive transmission unit 51 and swings the holding unit 63. In the illustrated embodiment, the first toner cartridge 101 is held by a first holding unit 631, and the first holding unit 631 is supported by a first swinging unit 641. The second toner cartridge 102 is held by a second holding unit 632, and the second holding unit 632 is supported by a second swinging unit 642.

[0056] The first and second swinging portions 641 and 642 are supported by a support member 65 via a biasing member 66 such as a spring, and are biased upward. The first and second toner cartridges 101 and 102 are supported so as to be movable in a predetermined vibration direction Y perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X of the rotating members (the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46 shown in FIG. 2).

[0057] The first holding portion 631 is provided so as to hold, for example, the lower half of the accommodating portion 40 of the first toner cartridge 101. A cylindrical first swinging portion 641 is fitted to the exterior of a support member 65 extending in the vibration direction Y. The first swinging portion 641 is connected to the connection gear 55 of the drive transmission portion 51 and includes an arm member 643 that is engaged with a protrusion 551 and is movable.

[0058] The arm member 643 extends in the D2 direction (towards the second toner cartridge 102) from the outer circumferential surface of the first swinging portion 641, and an upwardly extending tip portion 645 is provided so as to be engageable with a protrusion 551 of the connecting gear 55. The tip portion 645 is tapered and moves the first swinging portion 641 in the vibration direction Y by contacting the protrusion 551. When the connecting gear 55 rotates, the protrusion 551 abuts against the tip portion 645, and the first swinging portion 641 moves in the vibration direction Y via the arm member 643. The first swinging portion 641 is connected to the first holding portion 631, receives the urging force of the urging member 66, and is displaceable in the vibration direction Y.

[0059] The second holding portion 632 that holds the second toner cartridge 102 is configured in a similar manner, and the second swinging portion 642 is equipped with an arm member 644 that is connected to the connecting gear 55 of the drive transmission portion 51 and is movable by engaging with a protrusion 551. The arm member 644 extends in the D1 direction (toward the first toner cartridge 101 side) from the outer circumferential surface of the second swinging portion 642, and has a tapered tip portion 646 that extends upward and can be engaged with the protrusion 551 of the connecting gear 55.

[0060] The configuration of the drive transmission unit 51 that transmits the drive force from the drive source 50 to the rotating member can be the same as that of the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, when the moving gear 54 of the drive transmission unit 51 moves in the first direction D1, the tip end 646 of the arm member 644 of the second swinging part 642 abuts on the protrusion 551 of the connection gear 55, moving the second swinging part 642 downward against the biasing force, and displacing the second swinging part 642 upward by receiving an elastic repulsive force at the timing when the abutment is released, thereby applying vibration to the second toner cartridge 102. On the other hand, when the moving gear 54 moves in the second direction D2, it moves the first swinging part 641 to apply vibration to the first toner cartridge 101.

[0061] In this manner, the driving force of the drive source 50 transmitted from the drive transmission unit 51 moves only one of the first swinging unit 641 that moves the first holding unit 631 that holds the first toner cartridge 101, or the second swinging unit 642 that moves the second holding unit 632 that holds the second toner cartridge 102. While one toner cartridge 10 is subjected to vibration, the other toner cartridge 10 has the driving force transmitted to the rotating member to rotate, making it possible to agitate and transport the toner.

[0062] Therefore, also in the second embodiment, when the drive transmission unit 51 transmits a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 of the multiple toner cartridges 10, the vibration imparting unit 60 imparts vibration to the adjacent second toner cartridge 102 by the driving force, but does not vibrate the first toner cartridge 101. In the second toner cartridge 102, if there is toner adhering to the inner wall of the containing unit 40, the vibration imparting unit 60 can cause the toner to peel off or fall off, thereby solving the problem of adhering toner.

[0063] When determining the remaining amount of toner based on the number of rotations of the conveying member 46, it is possible to properly determine the remaining amount of toner in the storage section 40 without being affected by vibration, which makes it possible to avoid variation in the remaining amount of toner relative to the number of rotations of the conveying member 46, and to properly determine the timing for replacing the toner cartridge 10.

[0064] (Embodiment 3) 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of vibration application of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment 3. The configuration of the swinging unit 64 of the vibration application unit 60 that applies vibration to the toner cartridge 10 may be further configured as shown in FIG.

[0065] In the third embodiment as well, the vibration applying unit 60 for the toner cartridge 10 includes a holding unit 63 that holds the toner cartridge 10, and a swinging unit 64 that is provided between the holding unit 63 and the drive transmission unit 51 and swings the holding unit 63. The swinging unit 64 and the support member 65 are disposed in the Z direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X of the rotating members (the stirring member 41 and the transport member 46 shown in FIG. 2). The vibration applying unit 60 applies vibration to the toner cartridge 10 with the Z direction being the vibration direction.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5, the first toner cartridge 101 is held by a first holding portion 631, and the first holding portion 631 is supported by a first swinging portion 641. The second toner cartridge 102 is held by a second holding portion 632, and the second holding portion 632 is supported by a second swinging portion 642. The first swinging portion 641 and the second swinging portion 642 are both disposed in a Z direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X of the rotating member. The first swinging portion 641 and the second swinging portion 642 are each supported by a support member 65 via a biasing member 66 such as a torsion spring. In a state in which the first swinging portion 641 is biased in the second direction D2 and the second swinging portion 642 is biased in the first direction D1, the first toner cartridge 101 and the second toner cartridge 102 are each supported so as to be movable in a predetermined vibration direction Z perpendicular to the rotation axis direction X of the rotating member.

[0067] A locking portion 647 capable of coming into contact with the connecting gear 55 is protrudingly provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first swinging portion 641. Similarly, a locking portion 648 capable of coming into contact with the connecting gear 55 is protrudingly provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second swinging portion 642. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the moving gear 54 of the drive transmission portion 51 moves in the first direction D1, the locking portion 648 of the second swinging portion 642 comes into contact with the protrusion 551 of the connecting gear 55, and the second swinging portion 642 is moved in the vibration direction Z to impart vibration to the second toner cartridge 102. On the other hand, when the moving gear 54 moves in the second direction D2, the first swinging portion 641 is moved in the vibration direction Z to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge 101.

[0068] In this way, also in the third embodiment, when the drive transmission unit 51 transmits a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101 of the multiple toner cartridges 10, the vibration imparting unit 60 imparts vibration to the adjacent second toner cartridge 102 by the driving force, but does not vibrate the first toner cartridge 101. In the second toner cartridge 102, if there is toner adhering to the inner wall of the storage unit 40, the vibration imparting unit 60 can cause the toner to peel off or fall off, thereby solving the problem of adhering toner.

[0069] Furthermore, when the remaining amount of toner is determined based on the number of rotations of the conveying member 46, it is possible to properly determine the remaining amount of toner in the containing section 40 without being affected by vibration, and it is possible to avoid variation in the remaining amount of toner depending on the number of rotations of the conveying member 46, and to properly determine the timing to replace the toner cartridge 10. Although the movable gear 54 is used to select the connecting gear 55 to be rotated in the rotational direction of the driving source 50, a one-way clutch may be used instead of the movable gear 54, and the connecting gear 55 to be rotated may be selected in the rotational direction of the driving source 50.

[0070] In the above-described embodiments, a configuration has been described in which a single driving source 50 is used to apply vibration to adjacent first toner cartridge 101 and second toner cartridge 102, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a driving source that rotates and drives a rotating member may be provided separately for adjacent first toner cartridge 101 and second toner cartridge 102.

[0071] 6, a driving source 501 that rotationally drives the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46 of the first toner cartridge 101, and a driving source 502 that rotationally drives the stirring member 41 and the conveying member 46 of the second toner cartridge 102 may be provided. In this case, the driving source 501 is configured to transmit a driving force to a vibration applying unit 601 that applies vibration to the second toner cartridge 102 via a drive transmission unit 511. The driving source 502 is configured to transmit a driving force to a vibration applying unit 602 that applies vibration to the first toner cartridge 101 via a drive transmission unit 512. The driving sources 501 and 502 are controlled by the control unit 70.

[0072] As a result, when the drive transmission unit 511 provided on the output side of the drive source 501 transmits a drive force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge 101, the vibration applying unit 601 applies vibration to the second toner cartridge 102 adjacent to the first toner cartridge 101. Also, when the drive transmission unit 512 provided on the output side of the drive source 502 transmits a drive force to the rotating member of the second toner cartridge 102, the vibration applying unit 602 applies vibration to the first toner cartridge 101. Therefore, a configuration can be achieved in which vibration is applied to one toner cartridge 10 but not to the other adjacent toner cartridge 10, which makes it possible to eliminate adhering toner and appropriately determine the remaining toner amount.

[0073] In the description of this embodiment, an example has been described in which the toner cartridge 10 of the present disclosure is applied to the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the developing device 12 shown in FIG. 2. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to other image forming apparatuses, etc., as long as the image forming apparatus and developing device are equipped with a toner cartridge or a developing device or are arranged to be mountable thereon and require replenishment of developer (toner).

[0074] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In other words, embodiments obtained by combining technical means that are appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Image forming device 10 Toner Cartridge 101 First Toner Cartridge 102 Second Toner Cartridge 12 Developing device 13 Photoconductor drum 40 Storage unit 41 Stirring member (rotating member) 45 Supply Department 46 Transporting member (rotating member) 50 Power Source 51 Drive transmission section 54 Mobile Gear 55 Connecting Gear 60 Vibration applying part 61 First tilting member 62 Second tilting member 63 Holding part 631 1st holding part 632 Second holding part 64 Swinging part 641 First Swinging Part 642 Second Swing Part 643, 644 Arm member D1 1st direction D2 2nd direction

Claims

1. A plurality of adjacent toner cartridges; a rotating member rotatably disposed within each of the toner cartridges; A drive source that rotates the rotating member; a drive transmission unit that transmits a drive force from the drive source to the rotating member; a vibration applying unit that applies vibration to the toner cartridge, The vibration applying unit is connected to the drive transmission unit and is provided so as to be displaceable. An image forming apparatus characterized in that, when the drive transmission unit transmits a drive force to the rotating member of a first toner cartridge among the plurality of toner cartridges, the vibration imparting unit is configured to impart vibration to a second toner cartridge adjacent to the first toner cartridge.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The drive transmission unit includes:

13. An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner cartridge for conveying a toner to the second toner cartridge; a toner cartridge for conveying the toner to the first toner cartridge;

3. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The drive transmission unit includes: an image forming apparatus including: a vibration applying portion that, when rotating the rotating member of the first toner cartridge, displaces the vibration applying portion so as not to apply vibration to the first toner cartridge;

4. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The drive transmission unit includes: transmitting a driving force for rotating the rotating member of the first toner cartridge and displacing the vibration applying portion so as to apply vibration to the second toner cartridge; an image forming apparatus comprising: a switching unit that switches between transmitting a driving force that rotates the rotating member of the second toner cartridge and transmitting a driving force that displaces the vibration imparting unit so as to impart vibration to the first toner cartridge;

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, the switching unit includes a movable gear that is movable in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotating member, an image forming apparatus characterized in that the movable gear moves in a first direction to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the first toner cartridge when the driving source is driven in a forward direction, and moves in a second direction to transmit a driving force to the rotating member of the second toner cartridge when the driving source is driven in a reverse direction.

6. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, The vibration applying unit is a first tilting member connected to the drive transmission unit, provided so as to be movable toward and away from the first toner cartridge, and configured to apply vibration to the first toner cartridge by coming into contact with the first toner cartridge; a second tilting member that is connected to the drive transmission portion, is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the second toner cartridge, and applies vibration to the second toner cartridge by coming into contact with the second toner cartridge; When the movable gear moves in the first direction, vibration is applied to the second toner cartridge by the second tilting member, an image forming apparatus comprising: a first tilting member that applies vibration to said first toner cartridge when said movable gear moves in said second direction;

7. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, each of the toner cartridges is supported so as to be movable in a predetermined vibration direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotating member; The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the vibration applying unit includes a holding unit that holds the toner cartridge, and a swinging unit that is provided between the holding unit and the drive transmission unit and moves the holding unit in the vibration direction.

8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, The vibration applying unit is a first swinging portion that moves the holding portion that holds the first toner cartridge, or a second swinging portion that moves the holding portion that holds the second toner cartridge, When the movable gear moves in the first direction, the second swinging portion is moved to apply vibration to the second toner cartridge, an image forming apparatus comprising: a first swinging portion that swings when the movable gear moves in the second direction, and a first toner cartridge that is rotated relative to the first swinging portion;

9. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first swinging portion and the second swinging portion each include an arm member that is moved by a driving force transmitted from the drive transmission portion.

10. In the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, An image forming apparatus, wherein each of the plurality of toner cartridges is detachably attached.

Images