Powder container, image forming apparatus, and method for manufacturing powder container

Abstract

To reduce the amount of resin used for a powder container.SOLUTION: A toner container 32Y (powder container) that can store powder therein, and is provided with a substantially cylindrical container main part 33Y1 that can rotate around a rotation axis R to convey toner (powder) stored therein with a rotation axis direction as a conveyance direction. The container main part 33Y1 is formed by pressing paper.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder container that stores powder such as toner, an image forming apparatus equipped with the powder container, such as a copier, printer, facsimile, or a combination machine thereof, and a method for manufacturing the powder container. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers, there have been many uses of substantially cylindrical powder containers (toner containers) that are detachably installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] More specifically, in Patent Document 1, the toner container (powder container) is mainly composed of a substantially cylindrical container body and a cap portion. The container body has an opening formed at the top and a spiral protrusion formed on the inner peripheral surface. The cap portion has a toner discharge port (supply port) formed at the bottom, and the top of the container body is inserted into it. The toner container is set in the image forming apparatus body, and the toner in the container body is conveyed toward the opening by rotating the container body. The toner discharged from the opening of the container body is discharged outside the container through the toner discharge port of the non-rotating cap part. The toner discharged from the toner container is then replenished to the developing device by the toner replenishing device.

[0004] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which a toner pack for refilling toner is detachably installed in a toner container. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional powder containers, most of the parts, such as the container body and cap, are made from resin materials, so a large amount of resin is used to manufacture one powder container, resulting in a large environmental burden. In particular, since the powder container (toner container) used in the image forming apparatus needs to be replaced frequently, the above-mentioned problem cannot be ignored.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a powder container, an image forming apparatus, and a method for manufacturing the powder container, which use a small amount of resin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The powder container of this invention is a powder container capable of containing powder inside, and has an approximately cylindrical container main part that can rotate around a rotation axis and transport the powder contained inside in the direction of the rotation axis as a transport direction, and the container main part is made by pressing paper. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder container, an image forming apparatus, and a method for manufacturing the powder container, which use a small amount of resin. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a toner container is installed in a toner supply device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a toner container is installed in an installation portion. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a toner container. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main container part (container body) of the toner container. [Figure 7] 2 is a plan view showing the state of a flat forming paper before a substantially cylindrical main portion of the container is formed. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing the uneven portion, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing steps for manufacturing a substantially cylindrical main portion of a container. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state of a flat forming paper sheet before a substantially cylindrical container main portion is formed as a first modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a flat molded paper has been subjected to press working as a second modified example. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing a process for producing a substantially cylindrical main portion of the container after the press working of FIG. 11. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0011] First, the overall configuration and operation of image forming apparatus 100 will be described. 1, toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K as four powder containers corresponding to each color (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are detachably (replaceably) installed in a toner container storage section 70 (see FIG. 4) located above the image forming apparatus main body 100. These toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are manually attached to and removed from the image forming apparatus main body 100 by an operator such as a user. An intermediate transfer unit 15 is disposed below the toner container storage section 70. Opposite to the intermediate transfer belt 8 of the intermediate transfer unit 15, image forming sections 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K corresponding to the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are arranged side by side. Toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are disposed below the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K, respectively. The toner contained in the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K is supplied (replenished) into the developing devices of the image forming units 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, respectively, by the toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K.

[0012] 2, the imaging unit 6Y corresponding to yellow is composed of a photoconductor drum 1Y, a charging device 4Y, a developing device 5Y, a cleaning device 2Y, a discharging device, etc., which are arranged around the photoconductor drum 1Y. Then, an image forming process (charging process, exposure process, developing process, transfer process, cleaning process, discharging process) is performed on the photoconductor drum 1Y, and a yellow image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y.

[0013] The other three image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K have almost the same configuration as the image forming unit 6Y corresponding to yellow, except for the toner colors used, and form images corresponding to the respective toner colors. In the following, the explanation of the other three image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K will be omitted as appropriate, and only the image forming unit 6Y corresponding to yellow will be explained.

[0014] With reference to Fig. 2, the photoconductor drum 1Y is rotated by a drive motor in the clockwise direction in Fig. 2. Then, at the position of the charging device 4Y, the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y is uniformly charged (charging process). Thereafter, the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y reaches a position irradiated with the laser light L emitted from the exposure device 7 (see FIG. 1), and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to yellow is formed by exposure scanning at this position (this is the exposure process).

[0015] Thereafter, the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the developing device 5Y, where the electrostatic latent image is developed to form a yellow toner image (developing process). Thereafter, the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the intermediate transfer belt 8 and the first transfer roller 9Y, and at this position the toner image on the photoconductor drum 1Y is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 (this is the first transfer step). At this time, a small amount of untransferred toner remains on the photoconductor drum 1Y.

[0016] Thereafter, the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1Y reaches a position facing the cleaning device 2Y, where the untransferred toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 1Y is mechanically collected by the cleaning blade 2a (cleaning process). Finally, the surface of the photoconductor drum 1Y reaches a position facing a charge removing device, where the residual potential on the photoconductor drum 1Y is removed (charge removing step). Thus, a series of image forming processes carried out on the photosensitive drum 1Y is completed.

[0017] The above-mentioned image forming process is performed in the other image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K in the same manner as in the yellow image forming unit 6Y. That is, laser light L based on image information is irradiated from an exposure device 7 disposed below the image forming units toward the photosensitive drums of the image forming units 6M, 6C, and 6K. Thereafter, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the respective photosensitive drums through a developing process are transferred in a superimposed manner onto the intermediate transfer belt 8. In this way, a color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

[0018] 1, intermediate transfer unit 15 is composed of intermediate transfer belt 8, four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, 9K, secondary transfer backup roller 12, multiple tension rollers, intermediate transfer cleaning device, etc. Intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched and supported by multiple roller members, and is endlessly moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 by the rotational drive of one roller member 12.

[0019] The four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K form primary transfer nips by sandwiching the intermediate transfer belt 8 between the photoconductor drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, respectively. A transfer bias opposite to the polarity of the toner is applied to the primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K. The intermediate transfer belt 8 travels in the direction of the arrow and passes sequentially through the primary transfer nips of the four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K. In this way, the toner images of each color on the photoconductor drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8 in a superimposed manner.

[0020] Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 8, onto which the toner images of each color have been transferred and superimposed, reaches a position facing the secondary transfer roller 19. At this position, the secondary transfer facing roller 12 pinches the intermediate transfer belt 8 between itself and the secondary transfer roller 19 to form a secondary transfer nip. The four-color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 are then transferred onto a sheet P, such as paper, that has been conveyed to the position of this secondary transfer nip. At this time, untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the sheet P remains on the intermediate transfer belt 8. Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 8 reaches the position of an intermediate transfer cleaning device, where untransferred toner on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is collected. Thus, a series of transfer processes carried out on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is completed.

[0021] Here, the sheet P transported to the position of the secondary transfer nip is transported from a paper feed device 26 disposed below the apparatus main body 100 via a paper feed roller 27, a pair of registration rollers 28, and the like. More specifically, a plurality of sheets P such as paper are stacked and stored in the paper feeder 26. When the paper feed roller 27 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the topmost sheet P is fed toward between the pair of registration rollers 28.

[0022] The sheet P conveyed to the registration roller pair 28 stops temporarily at the roller nip position of the registration roller pair 28 that has stopped rotating. Then, the registration roller pair 28 is rotated in synchronization with the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the sheet P is conveyed toward the secondary transfer nip. In this way, the desired color image is transferred onto the sheet P.

[0023] Thereafter, the sheet P onto which the color image has been transferred at the secondary transfer nip position is conveyed to the position of the fixing device 20. Then, at this position, the color image transferred onto the surface is fixed onto the sheet P by heat and pressure from the fixing belt and pressure roller. Thereafter, the sheet P is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through a pair of discharge rollers 29. The sheets P discharged to the outside of the apparatus by the pair of discharge rollers 29 are sequentially stacked on a stack unit 30 as an output image. In this manner, a series of image forming processes in the image forming apparatus is completed.

[0024] Next, the configuration and operation of the developing device in the image forming section will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. The developing device 5Y is composed of a developing roller 51Y facing the photosensitive drum 1Y, a doctor blade 52Y facing the developing roller 51Y, two transport screws 55Y arranged in developer containers 53Y and 54Y, and a concentration detection sensor 56Y for detecting the toner concentration in the developer. The developing roller 51Y is composed of a magnet fixed inside and a sleeve rotating around the magnet. The developer containers 53Y and 54Y contain a two-component developer G consisting of a carrier and a toner. The developer container 54Y communicates with a toner drop transport path 64Y through an opening formed above it.

[0025] The developing device 5Y thus configured operates as follows. The sleeve of the developing roller 51Y rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. The developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y by the magnetic field generated by the magnet moves on the developing roller 51Y as the sleeve rotates.

[0026] Here, the developer G in the developing device 5Y is adjusted so that the ratio of toner in the developer (toner concentration) falls within a predetermined range. More specifically, in accordance with the toner consumption in the developing device 5Y, the toner contained in the toner container 32Y is replenished into the developer accommodating section 54Y via a toner replenishing device 60Y (see FIG. 3). The configuration and operation of the toner replenishing device will be described in detail later.

[0027] Thereafter, the toner supplied to the developer container 54Y is circulated between the two developer containers 53Y and 54Y (moving in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 2) while being mixed and stirred by the two transport screws 55Y together with the developer G. The toner in the developer G is attracted to the carrier due to frictional charging with the carrier, and is carried on the developing roller 51Y together with the carrier by the magnetic force formed on the developing roller 51Y.

[0028] The developer G carried on the developing roller 51Y is transported in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 and reaches the position of the doctor blade 52Y. Then, the developer G on the developing roller 51Y is adjusted to an appropriate amount at this position, and then transported to a position facing the photoconductor drum 1Y (the developing area). Then, the toner is attracted to the latent image formed on the photoconductor drum 1Y by the electric field formed in the developing area. Thereafter, the developer G remaining on the developing roller 51Y reaches above the developer container 53Y as the sleeve rotates, and is separated from the developing roller 51Y at this position.

[0029] Next, the toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Referring to FIG. 3, the toner in each toner container 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K installed in the toner container storage section 70 of the device main body 100 is appropriately replenished to each developing device by toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K provided for each toner color in accordance with the toner consumption in the developing device of each color. The four toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K and toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K have almost the same structure except for the color of toner used in the image creation process. Therefore, only the toner supply device 60Y and toner container 32Y corresponding to yellow will be described, and descriptions of the toner supply devices 60M, 60C, and 60K and toner containers 32M, 32C, and 32K corresponding to the other three colors will be omitted as appropriate.

[0030] 4, when toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are mounted (moved in the direction of arrow Q) in toner container storage section 70 (having rail section 72 as a mounting section) of apparatus main body 100, shutter members 34d of toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K move in conjunction with the mounting operation to open toner discharge outlets W as discharge outlets, and toner supply ports 73w (see FIG. 3) of toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K communicate with toner discharge outlets W. As a result, toner contained in toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K is discharged from toner discharge outlets W and stored in toner tank section 61Y from toner supply ports 73w of toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. 3, the toner container 32Y is a substantially cylindrical toner bottle, and is mainly composed of a cap portion 34Y held in a non-rotatable manner in the toner container storage portion 70, and a container body 33Y (bottle body) with a gear portion 33c integrally formed therewith. The container body 33Y is held rotatably relative to the cap portion 34Y, and is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 by a drive portion 91 (comprised of a drive motor, a drive gear 81, etc.). When the container body 33Y itself rotates, the toner contained inside the toner container 32Y (container body 33Y) is transported in the longitudinal direction (from left to right in FIG. 3) by a spiral concave-convex portion 33b (projection portion) recessed from the outer circumferential surface side of the container body 33Y and protruding to the inner circumferential surface side, and the toner is discharged from a toner discharge port W of the cap portion 34Y. That is, the toner is appropriately supplied to the toner tank portion 61Y by appropriately rotating the container body 33Y of the toner container 32Y by the drive portion 91. Each of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K is replaced with a new one when it reaches the end of its life (when the toner contained therein is almost entirely consumed and the container is empty).

[0031] 3, the toner supply devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K are each made up of a toner container storage section 70, a toner tank section 61Y, a toner transport screw 62Y, an agitating member 65Y, a toner end sensor 66Y, a drive section 91, and the like. The toner tank unit 61Y is disposed below the toner discharge port W of the toner container 32Y, and stores the toner discharged from the toner discharge port W of the toner container 32Y. The bottom of the toner tank unit 61Y is connected to the upstream part of the toner transport screw 62Y. A toner end sensor 66Y is provided on the wall surface (at a position at a predetermined height from the bottom) of the toner tank portion 61Y to detect that the toner stored in the toner tank portion 61Y is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. A piezoelectric sensor or the like can be used as the toner end sensor 66Y. When the control portion 90 detects that the toner stored in the toner tank portion 61Y is equal to or less than a predetermined amount by the toner end sensor 66Y (toner end detection), the control portion 90 controls the drive portion 91 (drive gear 81) to rotate the container body 33Y of the toner container 32Y for a predetermined time to supply toner to the toner tank portion 61Y. Furthermore, if the toner end detection by the toner end sensor 66Y is not canceled even after repeating such control, it is determined that there is no toner in the toner container 32Y, and a display is displayed on the display panel of the device main body 100 to prompt the user to replace the toner container 32Y.

[0032] Also, at the center of the toner tank section 61Y (near the toner end sensor 66Y), an agitating member 65Y is provided to prevent the toner stored in the toner tank section 61Y from clumping together. The agitating member 65Y has a flexible member provided on its shaft, and agitates the toner in the toner tank section 61Y by rotating clockwise in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the tip of the flexible member of the agitating member 65Y comes into sliding contact with the detection surface of the toner end sensor 66Y at regular intervals during the rotation, thereby preventing the toner from adhering to the detection surface of the toner end sensor 66Y and reducing the detection accuracy.

[0033] The toner transport screw 62Y transports the toner stored in the toner tank portion 61Y obliquely upward. More specifically, the toner transport screw 62Y transports the toner linearly from the bottom (lowest point) of the toner tank portion 61Y toward above the developing device 5Y. The toner transported by the toner transport screw 62Y falls by its own weight through a toner drop transport path 64Y (see FIG. 2) and is replenished into the developing device 5Y (developer storage portion 54Y).

[0034] Also, referring to Figure 4, the toner container storage section 70 is mainly composed of a cap receiving section 73 for holding the cap section 34Y of the toner container 32Y, a rail section 72 as an installation section (mounting section) for holding the container body 33Y of the toner container 32Y, and an insertion opening section 71 which serves as an insertion opening when the toner container 32Y is attached.

[0035] 1, when the opening and closing door 110 (see FIG. 4) installed on the front side of the apparatus main body 100 (the front side in the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1) is opened, the toner container storage section 70 (insertion opening section 71, rail section 72) is exposed. Then, with the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of each of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K set horizontally, each of the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K is attached and detached from the front side of the apparatus main body 100 (attaching and detaching operation is performed with the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of the toner container as the attachment and detachment direction). Here, the rail portion 72 (installation portion) is formed so that its longitudinal length is equal to (or slightly longer than) the longitudinal length of the container body 33Y. The cap receiving portion 73 is provided at one longitudinal end side (downstream side in the mounting direction) of the rail portion 72, and the insertion opening portion 71 is provided at the other longitudinal end side (upstream side in the mounting direction) of the rail portion 72. Therefore, when the toner container 32Y is mounted, the cap portion 34Y slides on the rail portion 72 for a while after passing through the insertion opening portion 71, and is then set on the cap receiving portion 73.

[0036] Next, the toner containers 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K as powder containers will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the toner container 32Y is mainly composed of a substantially cylindrical container body 33Y (bottle body) and a cap portion 34Y (bottle cap) into which the head portion (container head portion 33Y2, see FIG. 6) is inserted. The approximately cylindrical container body 33Y rotates around a rotation axis R (see Figure 3) with the direction of attachment and detachment of the toner container 32Y as the rotation axis direction (left and right direction in Figure 3), and transports the toner contained therein in the form of powder toward the opening A. The cap portion 34Y is inserted into the head portion (container head portion 33Y2) of the container body 33Y, which has an opening A formed therein, and has a toner discharge outlet W provided at the bottom for discharging the toner discharged from the opening A to the outside of the container.

[0037] 2 and 6, a gear portion 33c that rotates integrally with the container body 33Y and an opening portion A are provided on one end side in the rotation axis direction (the left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 6) of the container head portion 33Y2 of the substantially cylindrical container body 33Y. The opening portion A is provided in the container head portion 33Y2 of the container body 33Y (the position that is the front in the mounting operation) and is for discharging the toner contained in the container body 33Y toward the space (hollow) in the cap portion 34Y. The toner is transported from inside the container body 33Y to the cavity in the cap portion 34Y (the container body 33Y is rotated) appropriately so that the toner in the cap portion 34Y does not fall below a predetermined waterline.

[0038] The gear portion 33c of the container body 33Y (container head portion 33Y2) meshes with a drive gear 81 provided in the toner container storage portion 70 of the device main body 100 to rotate the container body 33Y in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, with the longitudinal direction being the rotational axis direction. Specifically, the gear portion 33c is formed so as to make one revolution around the opening A, and a plurality of teeth are formed radially with respect to the rotation center of the container body 33Y. A part of the gear portion 33c is exposed from a notch formed in the cap portion 34Y, and meshes with the drive gear 81 of the device body 100 at a meshing position obliquely downward. A driving force is transmitted from the drive gear 81 to the gear portion 33c, and the container body 33Y rotates in a predetermined direction.

[0039] 4 to 6, a container bottom 33Y3 at the other longitudinal end side (the upstream end in the mounting direction) of the container body 33Y is provided with a gripping portion 33d for a user to grip when mounting or removing the toner container 32Y. The user mounts the toner container 32Y on the image forming apparatus body 100 (rail portion 72) while gripping the gripping portion 33d (the toner container 32Y is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5).

[0040] Furthermore, the container main part 33Y1 of the container body 33Y (which is a part different from the container head part 33Y2 and the container bottom part 33Y3) is provided with a spiral uneven part 33b (see Figs. 5 and 6) that is recessed from the outer peripheral surface side and protrudes to the inner peripheral surface side (when viewed from the outer peripheral surface side, it is a spiral groove, and when viewed from the inner peripheral surface side, it is a spiral protrusion.) This spiral uneven part 33b is for rotating the container body 33Y about the longitudinal direction as the rotation axis direction, to convey the toner contained inside the container body 33Y toward the opening A and discharge it from the opening A. In this embodiment, the main portion 33Y1 of the container body 33Y is made of press-workable molding paper, which will be described in detail later with reference to Figs. 6 to 9 and the like.

[0041] 3, 5, 6, etc., the cap portion 34Y of the toner container 32Y is provided at its bottom with a shutter member 34d and the like. The cap portion 34Y has the opening A of the container body 33Y inserted therein. A toner discharge port (discharge port) is formed at the bottom of the cap portion 34Y to discharge the toner discharged from the opening A of the container body 33Y vertically downward outside the container (falling under its own weight). A shutter member 34d (see FIGS. 3, 5, etc.) for opening and closing the toner discharge port W is slidably held at the bottom of the cap portion 34Y. Specifically, the shutter member 34d opens the toner discharge port W by relatively moving in the longitudinal direction from the cap portion 34Y side to the container body 33Y side (moving in the opposite direction to the arrow direction in FIG. 5) and closes the toner discharge port W by relatively moving in the longitudinal direction from the container body 33Y side to the cap portion 34Y side (moving in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5). The opening and closing operation of the shutter member 34d (opening and closing operation of the toner discharge port W) is performed in conjunction with the attachment and detachment operation of the toner container 32Y in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) to the toner container mount 70 (rail portion 72).

[0042] The cap portion 34Y thus configured is in communication with the container body 33Y via the opening A, and discharges the toner discharged from the opening A through the toner discharge port W (movement in the direction of the dashed arrow in FIG. 3). In this embodiment, a substantially cylindrical cavity (space) is formed inside the cap portion 34Y so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, inside the cap portion 34Y, a columnar toner drop path is provided from the lower peripheral surface of the substantially cylindrical cavity toward the toner discharge port W with a constant flow path area (flow path cross-sectional area). As a result, the toner discharged from the opening A of the container main body 33Y into the cavity of the cap portion 34Y falls by its own weight along the columnar toner drop path and is smoothly discharged from the toner discharge port W to the outside of the container (toner tank portion 61Y).

[0043] The characteristic configuration and operation of the toner container 32Y (32M, 32C, 32K) in this embodiment will be described below. As previously described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the toner container 32Y in this embodiment is configured to be capable of containing powder toner therein, and is made up of a container body 33Y and a cap portion 34Y. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the container body 33Y mainly consists of a substantially cylindrical container main portion 33Y1, a container head portion 33Y2 installed on one end side in the rotational axis direction of the container main portion 33Y (left side in FIG. 6), and a container bottom portion 33Y3 installed on the other end side in the rotational axis direction of the container main portion 33Y (right side in FIG. 6).

[0044] The container main part 33Y1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is configured to be able to convey the toner (powder) contained therein in the direction of the rotation axis as a conveying direction by rotating about the rotation axis R (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the container main part 33Y1 is formed with a plurality of uneven parts 33b that are recessed from the outer peripheral surface side of the substantially cylindrical shape and protrude toward the inner peripheral surface side. The plurality of uneven parts 33b are formed in a spiral shape with a gap N (see FIG. 7) in the spiral direction, and as the container main part 33Y1 rotates, the toner contained therein is conveyed in the direction of the rotation axis. The container head 33Y2 is disposed so as to communicate with an opening on the downstream side (left side in FIG. 6) in the transport direction of the container main part 33Y1 (both ends in the rotation axis direction are open). The container head 33Y2 is formed with an opening A (see FIG. 3) as a discharge port for discharging the toner (powder) transported from the container main part 33Y1 to the outside of the container via the cap part 34Y, and is formed with a gear part 33c on its outer circumferential surface. The container head 33Y2 is joined to the container main part 33Y1 by adhesive or the like, and is configured to be rotatable together with the container main part 33Y1. The container bottom 33Y3 is disposed so as to close an opening of the container main part 33Y1 on the upstream side in the conveying direction (the right side in FIG. 6). The container bottom 33Y3 is joined to the container main part 33Y1 with an adhesive or the like, and configured to be rotatable together with the container main part 33Y1.

[0045] 7 to 9, in this embodiment, the container main part 33Y1 is made by pressing molded paper such as pulp mold. That is, the container main part 33Y1 is made by pressing molded paper. Specifically, the container main part 33Y1 is not made of general paper that is prone to tearing or cracking during molding, but is made of molded paper that can be pressed. Specifically, the container main part 33Y1 is manufactured using a flat molded paper (a rectangular molded paper with a thickness of t mm and E mm x D mm) that has been pressed. Here, the above-mentioned dimension E is the dimension of the container main part 33Y1 in the rotation axis direction, the dimension D is the approximate circumference dimension of the container main part 33Y1, and the dimension t is the wall thickness of the container main part 33Y1. In this embodiment, the thickness (paper thickness) of the forming paper (paper) is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 2 mm.

[0046] Here, the container main portion 33Y1 is formed by press processing, with multiple uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) recessed from the approximately cylindrical outer peripheral surface side (corresponding to the front surface 33Ya side shown in Figure 8) and protruding by Ymm toward the inner peripheral surface side (corresponding to the back surface 33Yb side shown in Figure 8). The multiple uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) are arranged in a spiral shape (formed in a spiral shape with an interval N in the spiral direction) in the substantially cylindrical container main part 33Y1. When the container body 33Y (container main part 33Y1) rotates due to these uneven portions 33b, the toner contained therein is transported in the direction of the rotation axis. In addition, for simplicity, Figure 7 shows only the uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 formed at both ends of the flat molded paper (container main portion 33Y1), and omits the uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 formed in the central portion; however, multiple uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 are arranged approximately evenly spaced apart in the rotation axis direction (left-right direction in Figure 7). In addition, Figure 7 (and Figure 10 described later) shows the flat state of the container main portion 33Y1 before it is formed into a cylindrical shape, but the uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 are also shown to make it easier to understand the positions of the uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 after press processing. In addition, each of the plurality of uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) in this embodiment is a spiral of less than half a turn in the container main portion 33Y1. That is, the plurality of uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) do not form a single connected spiral, but each of them forms a separate spiral in an interrupted state. In this specification, the plurality of uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) formed in this way are also defined as being formed in a spiral shape.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the main container part 33Y1 (toner container 32Y) is manufactured through the following steps. First, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a "pressing process" is performed in which a flat molded paper (paper) is pressed to form a plurality of uneven portions 33b that are recessed from the front surface 33Ya and protrude toward the back surface 33Yb. That is, the flat molded paper (paper) is set in a mold and pressed to form a plurality of uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) on the molded paper. After the pressing step, a "joining step" is performed in which the ends B1 and B2 of the formed paper (paper) on which the uneven portions 33b (33b1, 33b2) are formed are joined together to form the substantially cylindrical container main portion 33Y1. Here, in order to easily perform the joining step described above, as shown in Fig. 7, the uneven portions 33b1 and 33b2 are not connected in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction (circumferential direction), but are formed separately with a gap between the lower uneven portion 33b1 and the upper uneven portion 33b2 in Fig. 7. After the joining step, the container head 33Y2 is joined to the head side of the container main part 33Y1 with an adhesive or the like, and the container bottom part 33Y3 is joined to the bottom side of the container main part 33Y1 with an adhesive or the like, completing the manufacture of the container body 33Y (see FIG. 6). Thereafter, the container body 33Y shown in FIG. 6 is filled with toner, and the cap portion 34Y is attached to the container head portion 33Y2 of the container body 33Y, completing the manufacture of the toner container 32Y (see FIG. 5).

[0048] In this embodiment, the container head 33Y2 is made of a resin material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and is formed by resin molding. That is, the container head 32Y2 is made by resin molding. This is because the container head 33Y2 needs to be integrally formed with the gear part 33c, which requires a relatively large mechanical strength, and such a condition is difficult to achieve with molding paper. On the other hand, the container bottom 33Y3 does not require the same mechanical strength as the container head 33Y2, although the gripping portion 33d is integrally formed therewith. Therefore, the container bottom 33Y3 can be molded by resin molding, or molded paper by pressing. That is, the container bottom 32Y3 can be made by resin molding, or by pressing paper. In particular, when the gripping portion 33d has a simple uneven shape, it is preferable to form it from molded paper that can be pressed in order to reduce the amount of resin.

[0049] In this manner, in the toner container 32Y of the present embodiment, at least the container main portion 33Y1 of the container body 33Y is formed not of a resin material but of press-processable molded paper (paper), so that the amount of resin used is reduced, which reduces the environmental impact and the cost. In addition, since the toner container 32Y in this embodiment is formed from paper that can be pressed, compared to those formed by injection molding, blow molding, folding, etc., the following advantages are achieved: (1) the strength of the paper itself is increased, (2) the surface properties of the paper itself are improved, and (3) paper dust is less likely to be produced, whether in its raw form or after surface coating (abnormal images are less likely to be produced due to paper dust mixing with toner). In this embodiment, the toner container 32Y (container main portion 31Y1) is formed using molded paper as paper that can be pressed, but the toner container 32Y (container main portion 31Y1) can also be formed using cardboard as paper that can be pressed.

[0050] Now, referring to Figures 9 (and 7) etc., in this embodiment, the container main portion 33Y1 is formed by pressing a first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and a second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 connected at a bending portion 33Y10, and then bending the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 at the bending portion 33Y10 to join the ends B1, B2 of the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 together (formed into an approximately cylindrical shape). In this embodiment, the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11 and 33Y12 are formed by dividing a single cylinder into two equal portions. Then, a press working (pressing step) is performed using the dies 200A and 200B so that a plurality of projections and recesses 33b1 and 33b2 are formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12, respectively.

[0051] Therefore, in the manufacturing method of the container main portion 33Y1 described above, the "pressing process", referring to Figures 9(A) and (B), is a process of forming a flat molded paper (paper) in which the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 are connected by a folding portion 33Y10, and forming multiple uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 in the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12, respectively. 9(C) and 9(D), the "joining step" is a step of bending the bent portion 33Y10 to join the ends B1, B2 of the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 to each other. The above-mentioned "pressing step" can be divided into a "semi-cylindrical portion molding step" in which the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 are connected to the folded portion 33Y10 on the flat forming paper (paper), and an "uneven portion forming step" in which the uneven portions 33b1 and 33b2 are formed before or after the "semi-cylindrical portion molding step". In other words, the "semi-cylindrical portion molding step" and the "uneven portion forming step" can be performed simultaneously or at different times.

[0052] The manufacturing process of the main portion 33Y1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9(A), a flat forming paper (not shown) is set between the upper and lower dies 200A and 200B, which are spaced apart from each other. Here, the upper and lower dies 200A and 200B are formed with recesses 210 and 211 and protrusions 230 and 231 for forming the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11 and 33Y12, respectively, and with peaks 220 and 221 and valleys for forming the multiple uneven portions 33b1 and 33b2. Then, as shown in Figure 9(B), by fitting the metal mold 200A and the lower metal mold 200B together with the plate-shaped molding paper set, the molding paper is pressed, and the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11, 33Y12 having multiple uneven portions 33b1, 33b2 formed therein are connected by the folded portion 33Y10 (see Figure 9(C)), which is then removed from the metal molds 200A, 200B. Then, the container main part 33Y1 (molded paper) after press processing shown in Figure 9 (C) is folded at the folding part 33Y10 as shown in Figure 9 (D), and the end part B1 of the first semi-cylindrical part 33Y11 and the end part B2 of the second semi-cylindrical part 33Y12 are joined with an adhesive or the like, thereby completing the production of the approximately cylindrical container main part 33Y1.

[0053] By forming the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11, 33Y12 by press processing in this manner, the workability of the process of forming the approximately cylindrical container main portion 33Y1 (joining process) is improved compared to the case where a flat molding paper is rolled to form a cylinder. Moreover, in the process of forming the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11, 33Y12 by press working, the plurality of concave and convex portions 33b1, 33b2 are also formed at the same time, so that the total number of processes does not increase, and manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0054] Now, referring to Figure 7, in the container main portion 33Y1 in this embodiment, in the state of a flat molded paper before press processing (unfolded into a plane), a plurality of uneven portions 33b1 formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and a plurality of uneven portions 33b2 formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 are formed so as to extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle α (within ±85°) with respect to the folded portion 33Y10 extending in the rotation axis direction (the left-right direction in Figure 7). In the approximately cylindrical container main portion 33Y1 (the container main portion 33Y1 after manufacturing is completed), the imaginary lines connecting the multiple uneven portions 33b1 formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the multiple uneven portions 33b2 formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 are formed to form a single spiral (a single spiral connecting the lower right-hand side uneven portion 33b1, the upper right-hand side uneven portion 33b2, the second lower right-hand side uneven portion 33b1, the second upper right-hand side uneven portion 33b2, ... in the order of the lower right-hand side uneven portion 33b1, the second upper right-hand side uneven portion 33b2, ...) from one end side. Specifically, the multiple uneven parts 33b1, 33b2 are all formed with a length M in the same spiral direction (inclination angle α direction), an interval (pitch) H in the direction perpendicular to the spiral direction, and an interval N in the spiral direction at the position straddling the bent part 33Y10 (and the position straddling the ends B1, B2). By not forming the bent part 33Y10, the bending operation at the bent part 33Y10 in the previously described joining step can be easily performed. Also, by not forming uneven parts at the positions of the ends B1, B2, the joining operation of the ends B1, B2 in the previously described joining step can be easily performed.

[0055] <Variation 1> As shown in FIG. 10, the container main portion 33Y1 of the toner container 32Y (container body 33Y) in variant example 1 is formed such that the uneven portion 33b2 of the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 is out of phase with the uneven portion 33b1 of the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 in the rotational axis direction (left-right direction in FIG. 10). More specifically, in the first modification, the substantially cylindrical container main part 33Y1 (the container main part 33Y1 after completion of manufacturing) is arranged such that imaginary lines connecting the plurality of uneven parts 33b1 formed in the first semi-cylindrical part 33Y11 form one spiral (first spiral), and imaginary lines connecting the plurality of uneven parts 33b2 formed in the second semi-cylindrical part 33Y12 form one spiral (second spiral) that is shifted in the rotation axis direction from the above-mentioned one spiral (first spiral). That is, two spirals are formed in the container main part 33Y1 (container body 33Y). Even in this configuration, when the container main part 33Y1 (container body 33Y) rotates, the toner inside the container is transported in the direction of the rotation axis by the plurality of concave-convex parts 33b1 and 33b2. 10, in the state of a flat sheet of molded paper before press processing (when developed into a flat surface), the container main part 33Y1 is arranged such that the uneven portion 33b1 formed in the first semi-cylindrical part 33Y11 and the uneven portion 33b2 formed in the second semi-cylindrical part 33Y12 overlap each other at the sides of the folded part 33Y10 by a distance R1 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction. By configuring in this way, when the container main part 33Y1 (container body 33Y) rotates, the toner transfer between the uneven portion 33b1 on the first semi-cylindrical part 33Y11 side and the uneven portion 33b2 on the second semi-cylindrical part 33Y12 side is improved at the position corresponding to the folded part 33Y10, and the overall toner transportability is improved. 10, in the container main part 33Y1, in the state of a flat sheet of molded paper before press processing (when developed into a flat surface), the uneven portion 33b1 formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 and the uneven portion 33b2 formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 are arranged so that the sides away from the folded portion 33Y10 (the sides of the ends B1 and B2) overlap by a distance R2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction. By configuring in this way, when the container main part 33Y1 (container body 33Y) rotates, the toner transfer between the uneven portion 33b1 on the first semi-cylindrical portion 33Y11 side and the uneven portion 33b2 on the second semi-cylindrical portion 33Y12 side is improved at the positions corresponding to the ends B1 and B2, and the overall toner transportability is improved.

[0056] <Variation 2> As shown in FIG. 11, a container main portion 33Y1 of a toner container 32Y (container body 33Y) in Modification 2 has a plurality of cuts Z formed parallel to the rotation axis direction. The cut Z is formed so as to cut from the outer circumferential surface side (the front surface 33Ya side) so as not to reach the inner circumferential surface (the back surface 33Yb). Here, in the second modification, unlike the one shown in Fig. 9, the first and second semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11, 33Y12 are not formed during the pressing process (press processing), but instead, as shown in Fig. 12(A), a plurality of uneven portions 33b are only formed in the flat forming paper (container main portion 33Y1). Then, as shown in Fig. 12(B), the ends B1, B2 of the flat forming paper after pressing are joined together to form the cylindrical container main portion 33Y1. At this time, since the container main portion 33Y1 has a plurality of cuts Z formed parallel to the rotation axis direction, the flat forming paper can be easily rolled into a cylindrical shape during the joining step. In addition, even if the flat molding paper is rolled into a cylindrical shape during the joining process without forming the semi-cylindrical portions 33Y11 and 33Y12 during the pressing process, the upper uneven portion 33b1 and the lower uneven portion 33b2 can be formed by shifting them in the direction of the rotation axis as shown in Figure 10 during the press processing of the flat molding paper.

[0057] As described above, the toner container 32Y in this embodiment is a powder container capable of accommodating powder therein, and is provided with a substantially cylindrical container main part 33Y1 capable of conveying the toner (powder) accommodated therein with the rotation axis direction as the conveying direction by rotating about the rotation axis R. The container main part 33Y1 is produced by pressing a molded paper (paper). This allows the amount of resin used in the toner container 32Y to be reduced.

[0058] In this embodiment, only the toner is stored in the toner container 32Y, but for an image forming apparatus that appropriately supplies a two-component developer consisting of a toner and a carrier to a developing device, the toner container 32Y (powder container) can also store a two-component developer as powder. That is, as the powder container, the toner container 32Y that stores the toner can be used, or a developer container that stores the developer can be used. In addition, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to toner container 32Y consisting of container body 33Y and cap portion 34Y, but the toner container (powder container) to which the present invention is applied is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to, for example, a toner container consisting of only a container body (such as a toner container that directly discharges toner outside the container from an outlet at the top of the container) or a toner container having a cap portion in which the toner outlet is formed on the side end surface rather than the bottom. In addition, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to toner container 32Y as a powder container installed in image forming apparatus 100, but the powder container to which the present invention is applied is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to, for example, a powder container that stores edible powder such as wheat flour or potato starch inside. Even in such cases, substantially the same effects as those of the present embodiment described above can be obtained.

[0059] It is clear that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and that the present embodiment may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention in addition to the modifications suggested in the present embodiment. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components are not limited to the present embodiment, and may be any number, position, shape, etc. suitable for implementing the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 5Y developing device, 32Y, 32M, 32C, 32K toner container (powder container), 33Y Container body, 33Y1 Container main part (container body part), 33Y2 bottom of container, 33Y3 bottom of container, 33Y10 Bending part, 33Y11 First semi-cylindrical part, 33Y12 Second semi-cylindrical part, 33Ya outer surface (front surface), 33Yb inner surface (back surface), 33b, 33b1, 33b2 uneven parts, 33c Gear section, 100 Image forming apparatus (image forming apparatus main body), W Toner discharge port (discharge port), B1, B2 ends, Z cutting depth.

[0061] The present invention can also be embodied in the following combinations of Supplementary Notes 1 to 22. (Appendix 1) A powder container capable of storing powder therein, a substantially cylindrical container main portion that can rotate about a rotation axis to convey powder contained therein with the rotation axis direction being the conveying direction; The powder container is characterized in that the main part of the container is made by pressing paper. (Appendix 2) a container head portion having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the powder transported from the container main portion to the outside of the container, the discharge port being disposed so as to communicate with an opening on the downstream side in the transport direction of the container main portion, and a gear portion formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the container head portion being rotatable together with the container main portion; 2. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the container head is made by resin molding. (Appendix 3) a container bottom portion disposed to close an opening of the container main portion on an upstream side in the conveying direction and rotatable together with the container main portion; 3. The powder container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom of the container is made by resin molding or by pressing paper. (Appendix 4) The powder container according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, characterized in that the container main portion has a plurality of concave and convex portions formed by the press working, the concave and convex portions being recessed from the outer peripheral surface side of the substantially cylindrical shape and protruding toward the inner peripheral surface side. (Appendix 5) The powder container according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of concave and convex portions are arranged in a spiral shape in the substantially cylindrical main container portion. (Appendix 6) The powder container according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of uneven portions is a spiral of less than half a turn in the main container portion. (Appendix 7) The powder container according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the main container portion is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by forming a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion connected at a bending portion by the press processing, and then bending the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion at the bending portion to join ends of the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion together. (Appendix 8) 8. The powder container according to claim 7, wherein the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion are each formed with the plurality of concave-convex portions. (Appendix 9) The powder container according to claim 8, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper prior to the press processing, the plurality of uneven portions formed on the first semi-cylindrical portion and the plurality of uneven portions formed on the second semi-cylindrical portion are both formed to extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the bent portion extending in the direction of the rotation axis. (Appendix 10) The powder container according to claim 9, wherein the substantially cylindrical main container portion is formed such that a virtual line connecting the plurality of concave-convex portions formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the plurality of concave-convex portions formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion forms a single spiral. (Appendix 11) The powder container described in Appendix 9, characterized in that the approximately cylindrical container main portion is arranged so that a virtual line connecting the multiple uneven portions formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion describes a single spiral, and a virtual line connecting the multiple uneven portions formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion is formed so as to describe a single spiral that is shifted in the direction of the rotation axis with respect to the single spiral. (Appendix 12) The powder container according to any one of Supplementary Note 8 to Supplementary Note 11, characterized in that, in a state of flat paper prior to the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged such that the folded portions of the uneven portion overlap each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction. (Appendix 13) The powder container according to claim 12, characterized in that, in a state of flat paper prior to the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged such that the sides of the uneven portion away from the folded portion overlap each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction. (Appendix 14) The powder container according to claim 9, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper prior to the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged such that the sides of the uneven portion away from the folded portion overlap each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction. (Appendix 15) 15. The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the main container portion has a plurality of cuts formed therein parallel to the rotation axis direction. (Appendix 16) 16. The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the paper is molded paper. (Appendix 17) 16. The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the paper is cardboard. (Appendix 18) The powder container according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 17, wherein the powder container is a toner container or a developer container. (Appendix 19) 19. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 18; and a powder container removably installed in a main body of the image forming apparatus. (Appendix 20) A method for manufacturing a powder container capable of storing powder therein, comprising the steps of: a pressing process in which a flat sheet of paper is pressed to form a plurality of concave and convex portions that are recessed from the front surface side and protrude to the back surface side; a joining step of joining the ends of the paper to form a substantially cylindrical main portion of the container after the pressing step; A method for manufacturing a powder container comprising: (Appendix 21) The pressing step is a step of forming a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion connected to the flat paper by a folding portion, and forming the plurality of concave and convex portions in each of the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion, The joining step is performed by folding the first semicylindrical portion and the second semicircular portion at the folding portion. 21. A method for manufacturing a powder container according to claim 20, characterized in that the method comprises joining the ends of the cylindrical portion together. (Appendix 22) The method for manufacturing a powder container described in Appendix 21, wherein the pressing step includes a semi-cylinder portion molding step of molding the flat paper into a shape in which the first semi-cylinder portion and the second semi-cylinder portion are connected at the folded portion, and an uneven portion forming step of forming the uneven portion before or after the semi-cylinder portion molding step. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0062] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5999479 [Patent Document 2] JP 2022-90641 A

Claims

1. A powder container capable of storing powder therein, a substantially cylindrical container main portion that can rotate about a rotation axis to convey powder contained therein with the rotation axis direction being the conveying direction; The powder container is characterized in that the main part of the container is made by pressing paper.

2. a container head portion having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the powder transported from the container main portion to the outside of the container, the discharge port being disposed so as to communicate with an opening on the downstream side in the transport direction of the container main portion, and a gear portion formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the container head portion being rotatable together with the container main portion; 2. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the container head is made by resin molding.

3. a container bottom portion disposed to close an opening of the container main portion on an upstream side in the conveying direction and rotatable together with the container main portion; 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the container bottom is made of a molded product made by resin molding or a pressed product made of paper.

4. 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the container main portion has a plurality of concave and convex portions formed by the press working, the concave and convex portions being recessed from an outer peripheral surface side of the substantially cylindrical shape and protruding toward an inner peripheral surface side.

5. 5. The powder container according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of projections and recesses are arranged in a spiral shape in the substantially cylindrical main container portion.

6. 6. The powder container according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of concave and convex portions is a spiral having a length of less than half a turn in the main container portion.

7. 5. The powder container according to claim 4, characterized in that the main container portion is formed by pressing a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion connected at a bent portion, and then bending the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion at the bent portion to join the ends of the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion together to form an approximately cylindrical shape.

8. 8. The powder container according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of projections and recesses are formed on the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion, respectively.

9. The powder container according to claim 8, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper before the press processing, the main container portion is formed so that the multiple uneven portions formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the multiple uneven portions formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion all extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the folded portion extending in the direction of the rotation axis.

10. 10. The powder container according to claim 9, characterized in that the substantially cylindrical main container portion is formed such that a virtual line connecting the plurality of uneven portions formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the plurality of uneven portions formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion forms a single spiral.

11. The powder container of claim 9, characterized in that the approximately cylindrical container main portion is arranged so that a virtual line connecting the multiple uneven portions formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion forms a single spiral, and a virtual line connecting the multiple uneven portions formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion forms a single spiral that is shifted in the direction of the rotation axis relative to the single spiral.

12. The powder container according to claim 9, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper before the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged so that the folded portions of the uneven portion overlap each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction.

13. The powder container according to claim 12, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper before the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged so that, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction, the sides of the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion overlap each other on their sides away from the folded portion.

14. The powder container according to claim 9, characterized in that, in the state of flat paper before the press processing, the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion and the uneven portion formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion are arranged so that, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction, the sides of the uneven portion formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion overlap each other on their sides away from the folded portion.

15. 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the main container portion has a plurality of cuts formed therein that are parallel to the rotation axis direction.

16. 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the paper is a molded paper.

17. 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the paper is cardboard.

18. 3. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the powder container is a toner container or a developer container.

19. 3. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a powder container according to claim 1 or 2 detachably installed in a main body of the image forming apparatus.

20. A method for manufacturing a powder container capable of storing powder therein, comprising the steps of: a pressing process in which a flat sheet of paper is pressed to form a plurality of concave and convex portions that are recessed from the front surface side and protrude to the back surface side; a joining step of joining the ends of the paper to form a substantially cylindrical main portion of the container after the pressing step; A method for manufacturing a powder container comprising:

21. The pressing step is a step of forming a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion connected to the flat paper by a folding portion, and forming the plurality of concave and convex portions in each of the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion, The joining step includes bending the first semicylindrical portion and the second semicircular portion at the bending portion.

21. The method for manufacturing a powder container according to claim 20, further comprising a step of joining ends of the cylindrical portion together.

22. The method for manufacturing a powder container as described in claim 21, characterized in that the pressing process includes a semi-cylinder portion molding process for molding the flat paper into a shape in which the first semi-cylinder portion and the second semi-cylinder portion are connected at the folded portion, and an uneven portion forming process for forming the uneven portion before or after the semi-cylinder portion molding process.

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