Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: an image forming apparatus is sought which has a function to remove a toner near a discharge port of a toner cartridge.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises a toner cartridge, an apparatus body to which the toner cartridge is removably attached, and an air supply unit. The toner cartridge includes a first chamber, a discharge port, a second chamber that communicates with the discharge port, and a conveying member that conveys a toner in the first chamber to the second chamber. The apparatus body includes a toner storage part with a receiving port, and a control unit. The air supply unit supplies air so as to convey the toner in the second chamber from the discharge port toward the receiving port. The control unit can execute a first operation in which the conveying member conveys the toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port through the second chamber, and a second operation in which the conveying member does not convey the toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port through the second chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that employs an electrophotographic method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer is known. And, for the image forming apparatus, a cartridge (toner cartridge) that is detachable (replaceable) and stores toner supplied to developing means such as a developing roller is known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a function of cleaning toner near the discharge port of a toner cartridge.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above object, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a toner cartridge, a device main body to which the toner cartridge is detachably attached, and an air supply unit. The toner cartridge includes a first chamber for storing toner, a discharge port for discharging the toner in the first chamber to the outside of the toner cartridge, a second chamber communicating with the discharge port and closer to the discharge port than the first chamber, and a conveying member that conveys the toner in the first chamber to the second chamber by rotating. The device main body is provided with a receiving port for receiving the toner discharged from the discharge port, and includes a toner storage unit for storing toner and a control unit. The air supply unit supplies air so as to convey the toner in the second chamber from the discharge port toward the receiving port. The control unit is capable of executing a first operation in which the conveying member conveys toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port via the second chamber, and a second operation in which the conveying member does not convey toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port via the second chamber.

Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus having a function of cleaning toner near the discharge port of a toner cartridge.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Figure 24

Figure 25

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

Figure 29

Figure 30

Figure 31

Figure 32

Figure 33

Figure 34

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a laser printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the component parts related to the image forming apparatus described in the following embodiments should be appropriately changed according to the configuration and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Therefore, unless otherwise specifically described, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0009] (Schematic Configuration of Laser Printer) As shown in FIG. 2, a laser printer 1 which is an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a printer main body A, and a process cartridge B and a toner cartridge C are detachable. Details of the method of attaching and detaching the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C to and from the printer main body A will be described later.

[0010] A sheet feeding unit 103, a transfer roller 104, a fixing unit 105, and a laser scanner 101 are installed in the printer main body A. The process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C can be attached to the printer main body A so as to be located on the upper side and the front side of the laser printer 1.

[0011] Here, the upper side of the laser printer 1 is defined as the Y1 direction shown in FIG. 2. Also, the lower side of the laser printer 1 is defined as the Y2 direction shown in FIG. 2, which is the opposite direction to the aforementioned Y1 direction. Further, the front side (front surface side) of the laser printer 1 is defined as the X1 direction shown in FIG. 2. Also, the rear side (rear surface side) of the laser printer 1 is defined as the X2 direction shown in FIG. 2, which is the opposite direction to the aforementioned X1 direction. Note that the installation position (normal posture) of the laser printer 1 is such that the storage portion for the sheet S (recording material) is located on the lower side of the apparatus, and the opening / closing door 107 is located on the upper side of the apparatus. In this state, the bottom surface of the laser printer 1 (the side of the storage portion for the sheet S) faces the direction of gravity.

[0012] Next, regarding the process cartridge B, details will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a front view of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state of viewing the process cartridge B from the X1 direction shown in FIG. 2. Also, FIG. 4 is a main cross-sectional view (the c-c cross-section shown in FIG. 3) showing the configuration of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 4, the process cartridge B according to the present embodiment includes a cleaning unit 10 (first unit) having a photosensitive drum (drum unit) 11 as an image carrier, and a developing unit 15 (second unit). The developing unit 15 includes a developing roller 16 as developing means for carrying a developer (toner).

[0014] The cleaning unit 10 includes a cleaning blade 17, a charging roller 12, a charging roller cleaner 14, a waste toner primary storage portion 10a, a first waste toner conveyance path 10b, and a second waste toner conveyance path 10c (see FIG. 6), and rotatably supports the photosensitive drum 11. The cleaning blade 17 functions as cleaning means for the photosensitive drum 11. The charging roller 12 functions as charging means for the photosensitive drum 11. Also, the charging roller cleaner 14 functions as cleaning means for the charging roller 12. Note that in the present embodiment Taking the axis parallel to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor drum 11 as the Z-axis, when indicating the direction related to the Z-axis, it is the Z1 direction and the Z2 direction. And the Z-axis is orthogonal to the aforementioned X-axis (X1 direction, X2 direction) and Y-axis (Y1 direction, Y2 direction) respectively. Also, when the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C are mounted on the printer main body A, the X-axis (X1, X2 directions), Y-axis (Y1, Y2 directions), and Z-axis (Z1, Z2 directions) in the printer main body A, the process cartridge B, and the toner cartridge C coincide.

[0015] The charging roller 12 is arranged to contact the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 11, and the charging roller 12 charges the photoreceptor drum 11 by applying a voltage (charging bias) from the printer main body A. Also, the charging roller 12 rotates idly with the photoreceptor drum 11.

[0016] The cleaning blade 17 is an elastic member arranged to contact the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 11. By elastically contacting the photoreceptor drum 11 at its tip, the cleaning blade 17 can remove the toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 11 after the sheet S passes between the photoreceptor drum 11 and the transfer roller 104, which will be described later. The removed toner (hereinafter referred to as waste toner) is conveyed from the waste toner primary storage part 10a, which will be described later, to the toner cartridge C through the first waste toner conveyance path 10b and the second waste toner conveyance path 10c.

[0017] The charging roller cleaner 14 is a roller arranged to abut on the surface (outer peripheral surface) of the charging roller 12, and cleans the charging roller 12 by rotating idly with the charging roller 12.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the replenishment port of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention (the b-b cross-section shown in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 5, the developing unit 15 includes a developing chamber 151 in which a developing roller 16 is disposed, a developer storage unit 152 that supplies toner to the developing chamber 151, a toner receiving chamber 153 that receives toner supplied from the toner cartridge C, and a stirring member 154. The developer storage unit 152 and the toner receiving chamber 152 are combined to form a first toner storage unit.

[0019] The developing roller 16 is a developing member (developing means) that supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 11 and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 using the supplied toner. The developing blade 18 abuts on the surface of the developing roller 16 to define the amount of toner adhering to the surface of the developing roller 16. Also, it imparts triboelectric charges to the toner. That is, the developing blade 18 is an adjusting means for adjusting the amount of toner according to the present invention.

[0020] The stirring member 154 is a stirring means for stirring the toner supplied into the developing unit 15 so that the toner is evenly dispersed. The toner stored inside the developer storage unit 152 is sent out to the developing chamber 151 by the rotation of the stirring member 154 and supplied to the developing roller 16.

[0021] Note that the remaining amount of toner in the developer storage unit 152 is detected by the remaining amount detection means 231, and when the remaining amount of toner in the developer storage unit 152 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, toner is supplied from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B. Hereinafter, the operation of supplying toner from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B is referred to as a replenishment operation. The toner supplied to the developing unit 15 by the replenishment operation is supplied to the developer storage unit 152 via the replenishment port 21c and the transfer port 21d of the stage 21 and the toner receiving chamber 153. FIG. 33 is a control block diagram of the present embodiment. The engine control unit 302 in FIG. 33 executes a replenishment operation when the remaining amount of toner in the developer storage unit 152 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount by the remaining amount detection means 231.

[0022] Next, the operation of the laser printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The photosensitive drum 11 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown) and uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by the charging roller 12. After charging, the photosensitive drum 11 is exposed based on image information by the laser scanner 101 on its surface, and the charge in the exposed portion is removed to form an electrostatic latent image. With respect to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 in this way, toner is supplied from the developing roller 16 to form a toner image.

[0023] At this time, in parallel with the formation operation of the toner image, the sheet S is conveyed along the sheet feeding unit 103. Specifically, the feeding roller 103b rotates to feed the sheet S. Then, the sheet S is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 11 and the transfer roller 104 at a timing that matches the timing of forming the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11. When passing between the photosensitive drum 11 and the transfer roller 104, the toner image is transferred to the sheet S as an unfixed image by applying a transfer voltage to the transfer roller 104.

[0024] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 105. When the sheet S conveyed to the fixing unit 105 passes through the fixing unit 105, the unfixed image is heated and pressurized to be fixed on the surface of the sheet S. That is, the fixing unit 105 is the fixing means according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed by the sheet feeding unit 103 and discharged to the discharge tray 106 and stacked. Note that an opening / closing door 107 is provided on the front surface of the printer main body A so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft (not shown). The user can perform attachment / detachment operations of the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C with respect to the inside of the printer main body A with the opening / closing door open.

[0025] (Basic Configuration of Toner Cartridge C) Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 16, the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a front view of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the toner cartridge C is mounted on the printer main body A. FIG. 7 is a main cross-sectional view (the e-e cross-section shown in FIG. 6) showing the toner storage portion 30 of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the drive side. FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the non-drive side. FIG. 9 is a side view of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the drive side. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view (the i-i cross-section shown in FIG. 9) of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention with respect to the center of the rotation axis of the transport screw 35. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view (the h-h cross-section shown in FIG. 6) for exemplarily explaining the tear-off portion 33a1 of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention along the longitudinal direction. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view (the f-f cross-section shown in FIG. 6) of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention with respect to the center of the rotation axis of the shutter member 34. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view (the j-j cross-section shown in FIG. 9) of the toner cartridge C according to the embodiment of the present invention with respect to the center of the rotation axis of the shutter member 34. FIG. 15 is a front view, a left side view, a right side view, a bottom view, and various cross-sectional views of the nozzle member 33b according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 20 and the like, the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment has a toner storage portion 30 for storing toner to be supplied to the process cartridge B and a waste toner storage portion 40 for collecting waste toner from the process cartridge B. Further, in a direction parallel to the rotation drive axis G of the pump-screw drive input portion 39 described later, the toner cartridge C has a drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50 disposed on one side with the toner storage portion 30 and the waste toner storage portion 40 interposed therebetween. Further, in a direction parallel to the rotation drive axis G, the toner cartridge C has a non-drive-side toner cartridge side cover 60 disposed on the other side with the toner storage portion 30 and the waste toner storage portion 40 interposed therebetween.That is, the frame forming the outer shape of the toner cartridge C is composed of a toner storage portion 30, a waste toner storage portion 40, a drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50, and a non-drive-side toner cartridge side cover 60. It is formed. In other words, the toner cartridge C is an aggregate of divided individual frames such as a plurality of storage portions and side covers.

[0026] In this embodiment, an axis parallel to the rotation drive axis G of the pump screw drive input portion 39 is defined as the Z axis. The X axis, Y axis, and Z axis in the toner cartridge C coincide with the X axis (X1, X2 directions), Y axis (Y1, Y2 directions), and Z axis (Z1, Z2 directions) of the printer main body A and the process cartridge B when the toner cartridge C is mounted on the printer main body A.

[0027] Hereinafter, the details of the toner storage portion 30 (second toner storage portion) will be described. As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 27, the toner storage portion 30 is formed by a storage portion frame body 31 and a storage portion lid 32. In the toner storage chamber 30a (first chamber), a conveying screw 35 for conveying the toner toward the discharge port 34a and a toner storage portion agitation conveying unit 36 for conveying the toner toward the conveying screw 35 are provided.

[0028] Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal direction in the posture where the toner cartridge C is completely mounted on the printer main body A is inclined by 4.6° with respect to the straight line connecting the conveying screw 35 (conveying member) and the rotation center of the toner storage portion agitation conveying unit 36.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the storage portion frame body 31 has a discharge port 31a on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying screw 35. The storage portion frame body 31 corresponding to the screw portion 35a of the conveying screw 35 has a curved shape portion 31d that is substantially the same as the screw diameter.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 7, a partition wall 31c is provided on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveyance screw 35. The partition wall 31c is continuously provided facing the curved portion 31d. The space between the partition wall 31c and the curved portion 31d is open upward in the gravitational direction. And, a toner storage portion 31a1 (second chamber) is formed by the curved portion 31d and the partition wall 31c in the housing portion frame 31. The toner storage portion 31a1 is closer to the discharge port 34a than the toner storage chamber 30a in the toner conveyance path. The height of the partition wall 31c is higher than the apex of the conveyance screw 35, and the toner storage portion 31a1 has a shape with the upper side in the gravitational direction open in the posture where the toner cartridge C is completely mounted.

[0031] As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, near the upstream end in the conveyance direction of the conveyance screw 35, the partition wall 31c has a discontinuous shape, but the toner can be stored in the toner storage portion 31a1 by the conveyance force of the conveyance screw 35.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the toner storage portion agitation conveyance unit 36 is driven by an agitation drive input portion 38 rotatably supported at the longitudinal end side of the toner storage portion 30 (that is, outside the toner storage portion 30), and the agitation portion is rotatable. Details of the drive input method from the printer main body A side to the agitation drive input portion 38 will be described later. The toner conveyance ability of the toner storage portion agitation conveyance unit 36 changes according to the amount of toner present in the toner storage portion 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, a toner storage portion 31a1 is provided as a region where the partition wall 31c is provided in the vicinity of the conveyance screw 35. With this configuration, the conveyance screw 35 can suppress a change in the toner pressure present in the toner storage portion 31a1 regardless of the amount of toner present inside the toner storage portion 30. That is, the toner cartridge C according to this embodiment can suppress variations in the conveyance amount of the conveyance screw 35 by including the toner storage portion 31a1.

[0033] In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the toner storage section 30 is provided with a cut-off section 33a1 for adjusting the conveyance amount of the toner to a fixed quantity. The cut-off section 33a1 is formed on a partition member 33a provided between the partition wall 31c and the discharge port 31a in the conveyance direction of the conveyance screw -35.

[0034] The shape of the cut-off section 33a1 is a curved shape with substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter shape of the conveyance screw 35. As described above, the housing frame 31 is also provided with a curved section 31d. The cartridge C according to the present embodiment has a toner storage section screw 35 arranged in its conveyance direction in a space formed by aligning the curved section of the cut-off section 33a1 and the curved section 31d of the housing frame 31 (that is, a region surrounded by the two curved sections). Therefore, inside the region formed by the two aforementioned curved sections, the conveyance amount of the toner conveyed to the discharge port 31a by the conveyance screw 35 can be kept constant. Note that the space (region surrounded by the two curved sections) formed by aligning the cut-off section 33a1 and the curved section 31d of the housing section frame 31 is referred to as a conveyance path 30c.

[0035] Also, the length of the cut-off section 33a1 along the conveyance direction is desirably at least two pitches (two consecutive ridges) of the screw portion of the conveyance screw 35. This is to suppress the backflow of the toner due to the air supplied by a pump 37a, which will be described later, against the conveyance of the conveyance screw 35.

[0036] As described above, the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment can reduce the variation in the amount of toner conveyed to the discharge port 31a of the toner housing frame 31 by providing the partition wall 31c and the cut-off section 33a1.

[0037] Next, the input configuration of the external driving force provided in the toner cartridge C will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the toner cartridge C has a pump unit 37, an agitation drive input unit 38, a pump-screw drive input unit 39, and a drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50 that covers the pump 37a included in the pump unit 37. Each of the above-described configurations is arranged on the side (drive side) where the agitation drive input unit 38 of the toner cartridge C is provided. On the other hand, if the side opposite to the drive side of the toner cartridge C (in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge C) is defined as the non-drive side, the waste toner storage unit 40 described above is arranged on the non-drive side.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 12, the pump unit 37 includes an expandable and contractible pump 37a as a volume variation means of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, a rotatable cam gear 37b (cam) for expanding and contracting the pump 37a, and a link arm 37c. Further, the agitation drive input unit 38 is a drive means for driving the toner storage unit agitation conveyance unit 36. Further, the pump-screw drive input unit 39 is a drive means for driving the pump 37a and the conveyance screw 35.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 12, the pump unit 37, the agitation drive input unit 38, and the pump-screw drive input unit 39 are all arranged outside the toner storage unit 30. Among these, the agitation drive input unit 38 and the pump-screw drive input unit 39 are rotatably supported outside the toner storage unit 30.

[0040] The pump-screw drive input unit 39 is a first driving force receiving member according to the present embodiment, and includes a protruding pump-screw coupling portion 39a that protrudes from the drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50. Note that the pump-screw coupling portion 39a is a driving force receiving portion (first driving force receiving portion) according to the present embodiment.

[0041] In addition, the stirring drive input unit 38 is the second driving force receiving unit according to this embodiment, and is a driving stirring coupling unit having a protruding shape exposed from the driving side toner cartridge side cover 50. It includes a drive stirring coupling portion 38a. The drive stirring coupling portion 38a is the driving force receiving portion (second driving force receiving portion) according to this embodiment.

[0042] The pump screw coupling portion 39a and the drive stirring coupling portion 38a can obtain a driving force from the printer main body A side in a state of being engaged with the first coupling member and the second coupling member of the main body corresponding to their respective shapes. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotational drive axis of the pump screw drive input unit 39 is defined as axis G. Axis G is arranged substantially parallel to the rotation axis 11b of the photosensitive drum 11 of the process cartridge B and the rotational drive axis of the stirring drive input unit 38.

[0043] The manner in which the pump screw coupling portion 39a receives drive will be described with reference to FIGS. 18, 28, 29, 30, and 31. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge C cut along axis G of the pump screw drive input unit 39. FIG. 29 is a detailed view of the main body pump coupling 110 and the second guide portion 109 of the printer main body A, and a cross-sectional view cut along the axis of the main body pump coupling 110. FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the main body pump coupling 110 and the second guide portion 109 of the printer main body A. FIG. 31 is an exploded perspective view of the peripheral components of the main body pump coupling.

[0044] As described above, the pump screw coupling portion 39a is provided in a protruding shape so as to be exposed from the driving side toner cartridge side cover 50 on the axis G of the pump screw drive input unit 39, and engages with the concave shape of the main body pump coupling 110 shown in FIG. 29 to receive rotational drive from the printer main body A.

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 28(a), the pump screw coupling portion 39a has a triangular shape with three sides arranged substantially evenly with respect to the axis G to perform drive transmission. However, the shape is not limited to this as long as drive transmission is possible. Also, as shown in Fig. 28(b), the pump screw coupling portion 39a only needs to be exposed from the drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50, and it does not need to be arranged outside the outermost shape of the drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50 on the axis G.

[0046] Also, the main body pump coupling 110 shown in Figs. 29 and 30 has a main body pump coupling recess 110a which is a concave shape capable of receiving the pump screw coupling portion 39a. On the side surface of the main body pump coupling recess 110a, there are a main body pump coupling drive transmission surface 110b which performs drive transmission by coming into contact with the pump screw coupling portion 39a during normal rotation, and a main body pump coupling reverse rotation drive transmission surface 110c which performs drive transmission during reverse rotation.

[0047] The main body pump coupling 110 is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward (F1, F2) in the axial direction from a hole 109a provided in the second guide portion 109 shown in Figs. 18 and 30. As shown in Figs. 29 and 31, a cam mechanism 111 (111a and 111b) for moving the main body pump coupling 110 forward and backward in accordance with the opening operation of the opening and closing door 107, a main body gear 114 for transmitting drive to the main body pump coupling 110, and a biasing spring 112 for biasing the main body pump coupling 110 in the protruding direction are attached to the main body pump coupling 110.

[0048] By retracting the main body pump coupling 110 in accordance with the opening operation of the opening and closing door 107, when the opening and closing door 107 is open, the main body coupling 110 retracts inside the second guide portion 109 in the axial direction, making it possible to attach and detach the toner cartridge C.

[0049] Also, during the closing operation of the opening and closing door 107, by the cam mechanism 111 and the biasing spring 112, the main body The coupling 110 can move in the axial direction F1 and project outside the second guide portion 109.

[0050] When the phases of the pump screw coupling portion 39a and the main body pump coupling recess 110a match, during the closing operation of the opening / closing door, the main body pump coupling 110 projects until it can be engaged and then engages.

[0051] When the phases of the pump screw coupling portion 39a and the main body pump coupling recess 110a do not match, the biasing spring 112 is compressed and the projecting operation of the main body pump coupling 110 stops. Thereafter, when the main body pump coupling 110 rotates and the phases of the pump screw coupling portion 39a and the main body pump coupling recess 110a match, the compression of the main body biasing spring 112 is restored, and the main body pump coupling 110 projects in the axial direction F1, becoming engageable.

[0052] With the above configuration, the pump screw coupling portion 39a and the main body pump coupling 110 can be engaged / disengaged, and the axis of the pump screw coupling portion 39a and the axis of the main body pump coupling are substantially the same axis.

[0053] A similar configuration is provided with the main body agitation coupling 113 for the drive agitation coupling portion 38a. As shown in FIG. 30, an agitation motor 220 for rotationally driving the main body agitation coupling 113 and a pump motor 230 for rotationally driving the main body pump coupling 110 are respectively provided, and the rotational drive is transmitted by a gear train (not shown).

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 32, the pump unit 37 (air supply unit) includes a pump 37a as a volume variation means of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, a cam gear 37b for expanding and contracting the pump 37a, and a link arm 37c. The cam gear 37b includes a gear portion 37b1 for inputting the rotational driving force output from the pump screw coupling portion 39a. Therefore, the driving force transmitted from the pump screw coupling portion 39a rotates the gear portion 37b1 (that is, the cam gear 37b) via the idler gear 62. Then, the link arm 37c linked to the cam gear 37b reciprocates in the direction of the axis G by the rotation of the cam gear 37b. Since the contact surface of the link arm 37c with the pump 37a is located outside the toner storage portion 30 rather than the pump 37a in the direction of the axis G, the pump 37a expands and contracts along the axis G due to the reciprocating motion of the link arm 37c described above. That is, the expansion and contraction direction of the pump 37a is substantially parallel to the axis G. On the other hand, rotational driving is transmitted from the cam gear 37b to the screw drive gear 61 to rotate the toner storage portion screw 35.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the toner storage portion 30 has a nozzle member 33b connected to the pump 37a. Further, below the discharge port 31a, a discharge port 34a of the shutter member 34 is arranged. The shutter member 34 is a transport pipe member of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment and is rotatably attached to the toner cartridge C. Further, the discharge port 34a is open toward the outside of the toner cartridge C.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the nozzle member 33b has a pump side port 33b1 and a toner side port 33b2. The nozzle member 33b has a shape in which a space extending in the direction of the axis G from the toner side port 33b1 and a space extending in a direction intersecting the axis G, that is, a direction intersecting the transport direction of the transport screw 35 are connected inside. As shown in FIG. 15, the cross-sectional area of the toner side port 33b2 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the pump side port 33b1.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 13, the toner-side port 33b2 is disposed above the discharge port 31a. And the toner-side port 33b2 is disposed between the rotation center of the conveyance screw 35 and the discharge port 31a in the height direction of the toner cartridge C. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, when the toner cartridge C is viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the shutter member 34, the nozzle member 33b is arranged such that a part of the discharge port 31a overlaps with the extension line of the toner-side port 33b2.

[0058] The flow of air generated by the contracting operation of the pump 37a flows from the pump-side port 33b1 to the toner-side port 33b2. At this time, since the cross-sectional area of the toner-side port 33b2 is smaller than that of the pump-side port 33b1, the speed (flow velocity) of the air flowing through the toner-side port 33b2 becomes faster. The air flowing through the toner-side port 33b2 is sent to the toner storage portion 31a1 (FIG. 7) where the toner conveyed by the toner storage portion screw 35 accumulates, and is mixed with the toner. Then, the toner mixed with this air is discharged from the discharge port 31a, passes through the shutter inlet 34g, and is discharged from the discharge port 34a and conveyed, and is supplied to the supply port 21c of the process cartridge B. That is, the pump 37a supplies air so as to convey the toner in the toner storage portion 31a1 from the discharge port 34a toward the supply port 21c.

[0059] From the above description, the replenishment operation (first operation) is an operation in which the toner storage portion screw 35 conveys the toner from the toner storage chamber 30a to the toner storage portion 31a1 and the pump 37a supplies air from the discharge port 34a toward the supply port 21c via the toner storage portion 31a1.

[0060] As described above, in the toner cartridge C of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the toner-side port 33b2 of the nozzle member 33b is located at a position away from the discharge port 31a and faces a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the toner storage unit screw 35. With this configuration, even if the user turns the pump 37a of the toner cartridge C downward, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment can suppress the toner from entering the pump 37a. When toner enters the inside of the pump 37a, the force required for the expansion and contraction of the pump 37a increases. To address this problem, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment can reduce the amount of toner entering the pump 37a by adopting the above-described configuration, thereby suppressing an increase in the torque applied to the pump-screw coupling portion 39a.

[0061] Further, in the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment, a supply chamber 30b is provided along the conveyance direction of the conveyance screw 35 in order to efficiently send the air generated by the contraction operation of the pump 37a to the discharge port 34a. Specifically, in the conveyance direction of the conveyance screw 35, on the downstream side of the tear-off portion 33a1, there is a supply chamber 30b that is separated by the partition member 33a, the nozzle member 33b, the container lid 32, and the container frame 31 and is partitioned from the toner storage unit 30a. And the cross-sectional areas of the toner storage unit 30a, the supply unit 30b, and the conveyance path 30c are such that the toner storage unit 30a is the largest, followed by the supply unit 30b, and the conveyance path 30c is the smallest.

[0062] The shutter member 34 is a toner conveyance means including a toner conveyance nozzle (toner conveyance member) of the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment, and includes a conveyance path CP and a discharge portion used when supplying toner from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B side. Note that the shutter member 34 is rotatable according to the mounting operation of the toner cartridge C to the printer main body A, and the discharge port 34a described later can be opened and closed by this rotation. Specifically, the shutter member 34 according to the present embodiment can transition between a state where toner can be discharged (open state) and a state where toner is sealed (closed state) by rotating the shutter member 34. By switching between the open state and the closed state, the shutter member 34 can control the presence or absence of toner supply to the process cartridge B. Note that the closed state of the shutter member 34 is a state in which the path from the discharge port 31a of the housing frame 31 to the conveyance path 34b of the shutter member 34 is blocked.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the shutter member 34 has a shutter inlet 34g that receives toner from the discharge port 31a, a discharge port 34a, a conveyance portion 34b that conveys toner between the shutter inlet 34g and the discharge port 34a, and an edge portion 34d. The discharge port 34a functions as a toner discharge portion of the toner cartridge according to the present embodiment and is an opening formed by the edge portion 34d. That is, the edge portion 34d forms the tip portion of the cylindrical portion formed by the opening portions of the conveyance portion 34b and the discharge port 34a.

[0064] Note that the state shown in FIG. 14 is the open state of the shutter member 34. In the present embodiment, the discharge direction of the toner discharged from the discharge port 34a is defined as the discharge direction E and is indicated by a dashed arrow in the figure. Also, the conveyance direction of the toner conveyed through the conveyance portion 34b is defined as the conveyance direction CV and is indicated by a two-dot chain line arrow in the figure. Note that in the present embodiment, as will be described later, since the conveyance portion 34b is bent in the middle, the conveyance direction CV is shown by dividing it into a plurality of components (first conveyance direction CV1, second conveyance direction CV2).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 14, with the toner cartridge C attached to the printer main body A, a part of the conveying unit 34b intersects the axis G which is the rotational drive axis of the pump screw drive input unit 39, and extends in a direction away from the axis G. That is, the first conveyance direction (first direction) CV1 of the toner by the conveying unit 34b intersects the axis G of the pump screw drive input unit 39 and includes a component in a direction away from the axis G.

[0066] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, another part of the conveying unit 34b extends in a direction parallel to the axis G which is the rotational drive axis of the pump screw drive input unit 39 and away from the pump screw coupling unit 39a. That is, the second conveyance direction CV2 of the toner by the conveying unit 34b is parallel to the axis G of the pump screw drive input unit 39 and includes a component in a direction away from the pump screw coupling unit 39a that receives the driving force for conveying the toner.

[0067] And, as shown in FIG. 14, the toner discharged from the discharge port 34a is discharged in a discharge direction E that is parallel to the axis G and away from the pump screw coupling unit 39a. That is, the discharge direction (second direction) E of the toner discharged from the discharge port 34a coincides with a direction parallel to the axis G of the pump screw drive input unit 39 and includes a component in a direction away from the pump screw coupling unit 39a that receives the driving force for conveying the toner. Note that at least a part of the component included in the discharge direction of the toner in the toner discharge unit 34a coincides with the component included in the second conveyance direction related to the path from the conveying unit 34b to the toner discharge unit 34a.

[0068] Next, with reference to FIG. 16, the toner conveyance path CP in the shutter member 34 will be described in detail. The toner conveyance path CP is the path along which the toner moves in the conveyance portion 34b of the shutter member 34 when the toner moves. As shown in FIG. 16, in the cross-section of the conveyance portion 34b orthogonal to the conveyance path CP indicated by the solid-line arrow, the center-of-gravity point g of the cross-section is assumed as an arbitrary position within the conveyance path CP. However, regarding the portion where the cross-section of the conveyance portion 34b is partially missing, it is difficult to define the exact position of the center-of-gravity point g. Therefore, in this embodiment, the most upstream point of the conveyance portion 34b without defects or the like in the cross-section is defined as the starting point of the toner conveyance path CP, and the most downstream point is defined as the ending point of the toner conveyance path CP. Note that the cross-sectional view of the conveyance portion 34b related to the toner conveyance path CP is not limited to a circular shape. For example, as long as it is not a shape that makes it difficult to calculate or estimate the center-of-gravity point g, such as the outer edge of the cross-section of the conveyance portion 34b being discontinuous or having a sharp change in shape, any shape may be acceptable.

[0069] In this embodiment, a line connecting the center-of-gravity points of consecutive cross-sections of the toner conveyance path CP is defined as the toner conveyance line. The toner conveyance line is a line indicating the main path in the toner conveyance path CP and generally passes through the approximate center of each cross-section. However, this is not the case at locations where there are steep angle changes in the shape of the conveyance portion 34b. The direction of the toner conveyance line becomes the toner conveyance direction at each point. And the toner conveyance direction CV2 at the ending point of the toner conveyance path CP is synonymous with the toner discharge direction E.

[0070] As described above, the toner discharged from the discharge port 34a is discharged in the discharge direction E that is parallel to the axis G and has a component in the direction away from the pump screw drive input portion 39 (see FIG. 14). With this configuration, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment can suppress the coupling portion of the printer main body A that engages with the pump screw coupling portion 39a of the toner cartridge C from being soiled by the toner.

[0071] Note that, as shown in FIG. 8, the shutter member 34 is arranged on the side where the pump screw drive input portion 39 of the toner storage portion 30 is located in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge (the direction parallel to the aforementioned Z-axis). More specifically described, the shutter member 34 according to the present embodiment is located on the side where the pump screw drive input portion 39 is provided with respect to the central position of the toner storage portion 30 at least along the Z-axis. Therefore, in the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the loss of the discharge force when discharging the toner due to the volume fluctuation of the pump 37a, and prevent the discharge mechanism from becoming large-sized.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, a recording medium (electric substrate) 203 having an electrical contact portion 203a as an electrode used for electrical connection with the printer main body A side is provided on the same side as the shutter member 34 in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge C. Note that the recording medium 203 is a recording means for storing various information related to the toner cartridge C itself. Then, the electrical contact portion 203a is connected to a main body side contact portion (not shown) provided on the printer main body A, thereby establishing communication between the printer main body A and the toner cartridge C and enabling information exchange between the two. This electrical contact portion 203a is located above the discharge port 34a of the shutter member 34 in the gravitational direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge C in a state where the toner cartridge C is mounted on the printer main body A. Therefore, the toner cartridge C according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the electrical contact portion 203a is less affected by toner scattering. Note that the electrical contact portion 203a is provided on a drive side toner cartridge side cover 50 described later. Also, as shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 11, a shutter opening / closing rib 200 is provided on the storage portion lid 32 as a shutter opening / closing member. The shutter opening / closing rib 200 is a member that performs an opening / closing operation of a laser shutter RS that covers a laser scanner 101 provided inside the laser printer 1. Specifically described, in conjunction with the insertion operation of the toner cartridge C, the shutter opening / closing rib 200 moves a mechanism that opens the above-described laser shutter RS in the opening direction, so that the laser scanner 101 can expose the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. That is, in conjunction with the insertion operation of the toner cartridge C into the printer main body A, the closed laser shutter RS transitions to an open state. At this time, although the process cartridge B is inserted into the printer main body A prior to the toner cartridge C, the operation of the shutter opening / closing rib 200 related to the opening / closing of the laser shutter RS is performed without passing through the process cartridge B.

[0073] Note that when the toner cartridge C is not attached to the printer main body A, the laser shutter RS is in a closed state. Therefore, even if the laser scanner 101 accidentally irradiates the laser when the toner cartridge C is attached, the leakage of the laser light to the outside of the printer main body A can be prevented.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 10, when the toner cartridge C is viewed from the back side, it is desirable that the shutter opening / closing rib 200 is arranged above the toner conveying screw 35 so as to overlap with the supply unit 30b and / or the conveyance path 30c. In other words, in the direction parallel to the Z-axis, the shutter opening / closing rib 200 is arranged at the same position as the supply unit 30b and / or the conveyance path 30c. Note that the upper side of the toner cartridge C is the side opposite to the direction of gravity when the toner cartridge C is attached to the printer main body A placed on a flat surface.

[0075] In order to make the cross-sectional area of the toner storage unit 30 in the toner conveyance direction be the toner storage unit 30a > supply chamber 30b > conveyance path 30c as described above, the portions overlapping with the supply chamber 30b and the conveyance path 30c need to be more space-saving than the toner storage portion 31a1. Specifically, as the dimension of the toner storage unit 30 on the side opposite to the direction of gravity (i.e., the upper side), it is necessary to limit the supply chamber 30b and the conveyance path 30c to be smaller than the toner storage portion 31a1. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as described above, the shutter opening / closing rib 200 is arranged on the upstream side in the attachment direction of the toner cartridge C and at a position where the influence on the volume of the toner cartridge C is small. Note that by arranging the shutter opening / closing rib 200 on the upstream side in the attachment direction, a mechanism for opening and closing the laser shutter can be easily realized in conjunction with the attachment operation of the toner cartridge C to the printer main body A.

[0076] In addition, in an image forming apparatus with a cartridge detachable method, there is a case where a cartridge with unclear compatibility with the printer main body A may be erroneously loaded. Assuming such a case, in this embodiment, a plurality of slits 32c for selectively inserting the shutter opening / closing rib 200 are provided in the housing lid 32. With this configuration, since an incompatible cartridge interferes with the shutter opening / closing rib 200, it is possible to prevent an incompatible cartridge from being erroneously loaded into the printer main body A.

[0077] (Method of attaching and detaching process cartridge B and toner cartridge C) Next, with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, the details of the method of attaching and detaching the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C to the printer main body A will be described. FIG. 17 is a perspective view exemplarily illustrating the method of attaching the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C according to an embodiment of the present invention to the printer main body A. FIG. 17(a) shows the method of attaching the process cartridge B, and FIG. 17(b) shows the method of attaching the toner cartridge C, respectively. FIG. 18 is a side view exemplarily illustrating the method of attaching the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C according to an embodiment of the present invention to the printer main body A. FIG. 18(a) shows the method of attaching the process cartridge B, FIG. 18(b) shows the method of attaching the toner cartridge C, and FIG. 18(c) is a view showing a state in which the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C are attached to the printer main body A.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 17(a), the internal space of the printer main body A serves as the mounting portion for the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C. The opening / closing door 107 is provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis R5 with respect to the printer main body A, and the state shown in FIG. 17(a) indicates a state in which the opening / closing door 107 is open.

[0079] Further, the printer main body A has a first guide portion 108 and a second guide portion 109. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the process cartridge B is provided with upper bosses 93, upper boss 94, lower bosses 95, and lower bosses 96 on both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction, respectively.

[0080] Hereinafter, the procedure for mounting the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C on the printer main body A will be described. First, the process cartridge B is mounted on the printer main body A. As shown in FIG. 17(a), the first guide portion 108 is sandwiched between the upper boss 93 and the lower boss 95, and the second guide portion 109 is sandwiched between the upper boss 94 and the lower boss 96, and the process cartridge B is inserted in the direction of arrow D while being guided by each guide portion. When the insertion of the process cartridge B is completed, the position of the process cartridge B with respect to the printer main body A is determined.

[0081] Subsequently, the toner cartridge C is mounted on the printer main body A. The user can insert and remove the entire toner cartridge C while placing fingers on the surface 32a provided on the lid 32 of the storage portion and the opposing surface 31b. As shown in FIG. 18(b), the toner cartridge C has positioning bosses 50a and positioning bosses 60a at both ends in the longitudinal direction, positioned forward in the mounting direction. And the guided portions 50b and 60b are arranged on the downstream side in the mounting direction from the positioning bosses 50a and the positioning bosses 60a. The positioning boss 60a is arranged on the non-driving side of the toner cartridge C and is in the same position (superimposed position) as the positioning boss 50a on the driving side when projected onto a plane orthogonal to the axis G. Further, the guided portion 60b is arranged on the non-driving side of the toner cartridge C and is in the same position (superimposed position) as the guided portion 50b on the driving side when projected onto a plane orthogonal to the axis G.

[0082] Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, the process cartridge B has concave first positioning portions 21a and second positioning portions 21b used for positioning the toner cartridge C on the stay 21.

[0083] Also, as shown in FIGS. 17(b) and 18(b), the toner cartridge C is placed on the guided portion 50b and the guided portion 60b on the first guide portion 108 and the second guide portion 109, respectively, and inserted in the D direction. The state shown in FIG. 18(c) is the state where the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C are completely mounted. As shown in FIG. 18(c), when the toner cartridge C is inserted until it is completely mounted, the positioning bosses 50a and 60a enter the first positioning portion 21a and the second positioning portion 21b, respectively. At this time, the tip portions of the guided portion 50b and the guided portion 60b in the insertion direction are separated from the first guide portion 108 and the second guide portion 109, and the rear end portions are in contact with the first guide portion 108 and the second guide portion 109. In this state, the toner cartridge C is positioned with respect to the process cartridge B. Further, by the rear end sides of the guided portion 50b and the guided portion 60b coming into contact with the first guide portion 108 and the second guide portion 109, respectively, the position of the toner cartridge C inside the printer main body A is determined. In this state, the mounting of the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C is completed with respect to the printer main body A. Then, by closing the opening / closing door 107, the laser printer 1 according to the present embodiment becomes in a state where image formation is possible. When removing (detaching) the toner cartridge C and the process cartridge B from the printer main body A, each part operates in a procedure reverse to the above-described mounting procedure.

[0084] (Toner supply path from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B) Next, the toner supply path from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional perspective view exemplarily explaining the supply port of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily explaining the driving means related to the developing operation of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the process cartridge B according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a cross-section parallel to the Y-axis and the Z-axis passing through the center of the supply port 21c.

[0085] As described above, toner is supplied (refilled) to the process cartridge B from the toner cartridge C. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the stage 21 has a supply port 21c (reception port) for receiving the toner supplied from the toner cartridge C. Further, the toner received at the supply port 21c is conveyed to the toner reception chamber 153 of the developing unit 15 via the delivery port 21d and the reception port 153a. The toner replenished in the toner reception chamber 153 is replenished from the toner reception chamber conveyance member 153b to the developer storage unit 152 through the developer storage chamber reception port 152a. Note that a reception port seal member 153c is attached around the reception port 153a to seal so that no gap is formed between the delivery port 21d of the stage 21 and the reception port 153a, preventing toner leakage.

[0086] Also, as shown in FIG. 20, the process cartridge B is provided with a developing coupling 155 in the developing unit 15 as a drive input member for receiving drive from the printer main body A. The developing coupling 155 according to the present embodiment can transmit rotational force to a developing roller gear 16a for transmitting rotational force to the aforementioned developing roller 16, a stirring gear 154a for transmitting rotational force to the stirring member 154, and the like.

[0087] In the (axial line 11b direction), a developing contact 16b and a developing blade contact 18a are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the developing coupling 155. The developing contact 16b is a member (power supply member) to which a voltage for applying from the printer main body A to the developing roller 16 is supplied. Also, the developing blade contact 18a is a member (power supply member) to which a voltage for applying from the printer main body A to the developing blade 18 is supplied.

[0088] Also, as shown in FIG. 26, the supply port 21c of the process cartridge B is disposed closer to the developing coupling 155 than the developing contact 16b in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge B (the left - right direction in the figure). Then, the toner supplied from the supply port 21c is conveyed in a direction away from the developing coupling 155 and then conveyed to the developing unit 15. With this configuration, in the process cartridge B according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the toner is conveyed in a direction away from the developing coupling 155, it is possible to suppress the developing coupling 155 from being contaminated by the toner. Further, in the process cartridge B, since the supply port 21c of the toner is disposed at a position away from the developing contact 16b, it is possible to suppress the developing contact 16b from being contaminated by the toner.

[0089] The functions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those, unless specifically described. For example, in the above - described embodiment, the configuration in which the shutter member 34 provided in the toner cartridge C can rotate about the rotation axis R3 has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, as long as the components of the shutter member 34 in the toner conveyance direction and the discharge direction include the same directions as those in the above - described embodiment, the shutter member 34 may not rotate. In this case, as long as the opening of the discharge port 34a of the shutter member 34 is provided so as to face the opening of the supply port 21c provided in the process cartridge B. Also, in this case, on one end (the first end) side of the axis G, the pump - screw coupling portion 39a engages with the coupling on the printer main body A side, and the opening of the discharge port 34a faces the other end (the second end) side opposite thereto.

[0090] (Cleaning operation of toner discharge port and supply port) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1, 30, and 32, the cleaning operation (second operation) will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toner supply unit of the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C, and FIG. 32 is a side view of the toner cartridge C as viewed from the drive side with the drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50 removed.

[0091] With the above-described configuration, when toner is supplied from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B, toner may remain in the discharge port 34a of the toner cartridge, the conveying unit 34b, and the supply port 21c of the process cartridge as shown in FIG. 1(a). In this state, when the toner cartridge C is removed, as shown in FIG. 1(b), there is a possibility that toner may fall when the shutter member 34 rotates in the direction of arrow D. The purpose of the cleaning operation is to reduce the amount of toner remaining in this part after the supply operation.

[0092] Here, the cleaning operation of the discharge port 34a and the supply port 21c is performed by rotating the main body pump motor 230 (FIG. 30) that rotates the main body pump coupling 110 in the rotation direction (second rotation direction) opposite to the first rotation direction during replenishment (during the replenishment operation) for a certain period of time. At this time, the main body agitation coupling 113 is stopped.

[0093] By rotating the main body pump coupling 110 in the reverse direction, the pump screw drive input unit 39 rotates in the rotation direction opposite to that during supply (in the direction of arrow W in FIG. 32), and the screw drive gear 61 and the conveying screw 35 rotate in the direction opposite to that during supply (in the direction of arrow N in FIG. 32). Therefore, due to the conveying force of the conveying screw 35, the toner in the toner storage portion 31a1 and the cut-off portion 33a1 is conveyed in the direction of moving to the toner storage chamber 30a (in the direction of arrow Z2 in FIG. 10).

[0094] On the other hand, due to the rotation of the pump screw drive input section 39, the cam gear 37b rotates in the direction opposite to that during replenishment (the direction of arrow U in Fig. 32), and by reciprocating the link arm 37c, the pump 37a expands and contracts in the same manner as during replenishment. As described above, when the pump 37a expands and contracts, air is sent to the discharge port 34a. That is, the pump 37a is configured to supply air from the discharge port 34a toward the supply port 21c via the toner storage section 31a1 regardless of whether the pump motor 230 rotates in the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction. When the pump 37a repeatedly expands and contracts in a state where toner is not supplied (conveyed) to the toner storage section 31a1 (Fig. 7) by the conveying screw 35 (second state), the amount of toner contained in the air sent from the discharge port 34a gradually decreases, and only air passes through the discharge port 34a. The cleaning operation is an operation in which the conveying screw 35 does not convey toner from the toner storage chamber 30a to the toner storage section 31a1 and the pump 37a sends air from the discharge port 34a toward the supply port 21c via the toner storage section 31a1.

[0095] Also, the toner remaining in the discharge port 34a, the conveying section 34b, and the supply port 21c is sent to the developer storage section 152 of the process cartridge by the air passing through the discharge port 34a. As shown in Figs. 1(c) and 1(d), by reducing the amount of toner remaining in these, the amount of toner falling from the discharge port 34a and the supply port 21c can be decreased when the toner cartridge C is attached and detached.

[0096] Here, by rotating the conveying screw 35 in the direction opposite to that during the replenishment operation, the toner is not conveyed from the toner storage chamber 30a to the toner storage section 31a1 during the cleaning operation. However, this is not the only way. For example, a one-way clutch (not shown) may be provided on the screw drive gear 61 so that the conveying screw 35 may be stopped during reverse rotation.

[0097] In addition, when the rotation speed of the main body pump coupling during supply is A and the rotation speed of the reverse rotation during cleaning is B, it is set so that A>B. The number of rotations per unit time of the pump motor 230 is set so that it is higher when performing the cleaning operation than when performing the refilling operation. As a result, the expansion and contraction cycle of the pump 37a is shorter when performing the cleaning operation than when performing the refilling operation, and the flow speed of the air passing through the discharge port 34a during the cleaning operation is increased, making it possible to reduce the amount of remaining toner. In addition, the time required for the cleaning operation can be shortened.

[0098] (Timing of cleaning operation) FIG. 33 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of this embodiment. The timing of the cleaning operation will be described. When the engine control unit 302 executes the cleaning operation, a small amount of toner is sent from the discharge port 34a to the developer storage unit 152 through the supply port 21c at the start of the operation. It is desirable to execute the cleaning operation during a printing operation in a state in which the agitation member 154 (FIG. 4) of the process cartridge is rotating so that the agitation member 154 does not obstruct the toner being sent. Here, during a printing operation includes a pre-rotation operation and a post-rotation operation required before and after image formation. In general, a pre-rotation operation for increasing the temperature of the fixing unit 105 to a predetermined temperature and a post-rotation operation for discharging the sheet S after image formation are performed. In addition, the cleaning operation may be executed when the operation is stopped due to an error or the like during the supply operation. In addition, the cleaning operation may be executed every time immediately after the supply operation is executed.

[0099] As a result, the cleaning operation can be completed in situations where the user is likely to install or remove the toner cartridge C, thereby preventing toner from leaking from the discharge port 34a when the toner cartridge C is installed or removed.

[0100] <Function block diagram> FIG. 33 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of this embodiment. When printing is instructed from the controller 301 to the engine control unit 302 (control unit), the paper conveyance control unit 330 feeds the paper and conveys it to the image forming unit, the fixing unit, and the discharge tray. The image forming control unit 320 performs image formation, and the fixing control unit 310 performs fixing control. The paper on which the image is formed and fixed is discharged to the discharge tray.

[0101] When the toner supply control unit 340 drives the agitation motor 220 and rotates the main body pump motor 230 in the first direction, a supply (refilling) operation for supplying toner from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B is executed.

[0102] When it is determined by the cleaning operation execution determination means 351 that the cleaning operation is to be executed, the cartridge cleaning control unit 350 rotates the main body pump motor 230 in the second rotation direction to execute a cleaning operation for cleaning the discharge port 34a and the supply port 21c. The cleaning operation execution determination means 351 determines whether to execute the cleaning operation based on conditions such as the number of times of cleaning operation when an abnormality is detected, when it is confirmed that the power supply for supplying power to the image forming unit etc. of the image forming apparatus is turned off, and when the supply operation is completed. The cleaning operation execution number storage means 352 (storage unit) stores the number of times the cleaning operation has been executed. The cleaning state storage means 353 is means for storing the cleaning state of the discharge port 34a and the supply port 21c, and stores a cleaning completed state, an initial supply state in which toner supply is started in the cleaning state, a stable supply state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of toner supply, and a cleaning in progress state from the start of cleaning until the cleaning is completed.

[0103] The toner remaining amount detection control unit 360 detects the remaining amount of toner in the developer storage unit 152 by the remaining amount detection means 231. The abnormality detection control unit 370 (abnormality detection unit) detects an abnormality in the image forming apparatus. In this embodiment, it detects that a paper jam has occurred during paper conveyance by a conveyance roller or the like. The power control unit 380 turns on the power when the image forming apparatus is turned on, or turns off the power of the image forming apparatus or enters the power saving mode when the image forming apparatus is turned off or the power saving mode is specified.

[0104] In this embodiment, the type of abnormality in the image forming apparatus is a jam. When a jam occurs, the cartridge is detached and attached to remove the paper in the image forming apparatus. This is because there is a possibility of soiling the interior of the machine at that time. The type of abnormality may be other than a jam. In particular, it is desirable to add it to the determination of whether to perform the cleaning operation if it is a type of abnormality in which the toner cartridge is likely to be detached and attached.

[0105] <Flowchart> FIG. 34 is a flowchart relating to the control of the cartridge cleaning control unit. Regarding the cartridge cleaning control unit 350, the control of the cleaning state storage means, the control of the determination of whether to perform the cleaning, and the control of the cleaning operation execution count storage means will be described.

[0106] The control of the cleaning state memory means will be described. As described in the block diagram of FIG. 33, the cleaning state memory means stores information on the cleaning state, initial supply state, stable supply state, and cleaning in progress state. When the cleaning state memory means is in the initial supply state (501), it is confirmed whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply started in the cleaning state (502). When the predetermined time has elapsed, toner is supplied to the discharge port 34a of the toner cartridge, the transport unit 34b, and the supply port 21c of the process cartridge, and the toner starts to be stably supplied. Therefore, the cleaning state memory means is set to the stable supply state (503). When the cleaning operation is started in flow 516 when the cleaning state memory means is in the initial supply state and the stable supply state, the cleaning state memory means is set to the cleaning in progress state (517). When the cleaning state memory means is in the cleaning in progress state (505), if the cleaning is completed (506), the cleaning state memory means is set to the cleaning state (507). If it is not in the cleaning in progress state at 505, it means that the cleaning state memory means is in the cleaning state. When a supply operation is performed (508), the cleaning state memory means is set to the initial supply state.

[0107] Next, the control for determining whether to perform cleaning will be described. When a jam is detected (510) or it is determined to turn off the power (511) when the cleaning state memory means is in the initial supply state and the stable supply state, or when the supply operation is completed (512), if the number of cleaning executions is less than the possible number of executions (predetermined number) (513), it is determined that cleaning is necessary (514). Otherwise, it is determined that cleaning is not required (515). When the cleaning state memory means is in the cleaning in progress state and the cleaning state, it is determined that cleaning is not required because cleaning is already in progress or has been completed (515). When determining whether cleaning is necessary, it is determined whether the number of cleaning executions is less than or equal to the possible number of executions (513), and whether cleaning is necessary is determined. When the cleaning operation is performed (516), the cleaning state memory means is set to the cleaning in progress state (517), and the number of cleaning executions is incremented (518). When toner remaining amount detection is performed (519), the number of cleaning executions is cleared (520).

[0108] The cleaning operation execution times storage means used in the determination of flow 513 will be described. When the cleaning state storage means supplies toner in the stable supply state, since toner is being supplied to the discharge port 34a of the toner cartridge, the conveyance unit 34b, and the supply port 21c of the process cartridge, when the main body pump motor 230 is driven, toner is immediately supplied to the process cartridge. On the other hand, when supplying toner in the cleaning state, since there is not enough toner in the discharge port 34a of the toner cartridge, the conveyance unit 34b, and the supply port 21c of the process cartridge, even if the main body pump motor 230 is driven, it takes time for the toner to be stably supplied to the process cartridge. Therefore, when cleaning is performed, the toner supply amount becomes less stable compared to when cleaning is not performed. If the toner remaining amount detection control unit constantly detects the toner remaining amount in the process cartridge, there is no problem. However, if the toner remaining amount is not constantly detected, when the cleaning operation is performed after the toner remaining amount is detected, during replenishment after cleaning, since the amount of toner replenished during the period when the cleaning state storage means is in the initial replenishment state varies, it is not stable.

[0109] In this embodiment, the amount of toner supplied when replenished from the cleaning state is set to be 0.5 g less than the amount of toner supplied from the non-cleaning state. When the process cartridge is replenished with toner, the allowable amount when the actually supplied amount of toner is insufficient with respect to the predicted amount is set to 1 g, and the allowable number of executions is set to 2 times.

[0110] In this embodiment, the allowable number of executions is set to 2 times. However, the allowable number of executions may be changed according to the difference between the amount of toner supplied when replenished from the cleaning state and the amount of toner supplied from the non-cleaning state. Also, when the cleaning state storage means is interrupted during the initial replenishment state or the cleaning state, the allowable number of executions may be changed according to the interruption state.

[0111] In addition, when it is determined that there is no determination on whether to perform cleaning because the number of cleaning executions exceeds the allowable number of executions, toner remaining amount detection control may be performed for the purpose of clearing the number of cleaning executions.

Explanation of Signs

[0112] 1 Laser printer 30 Toner container 21c Refill port 30a Toner storage room 31a1 Toner reservoir 34a Outlet 37 Pump unit 37a Pump 230 Pump motor 302 Engine control unit A Printer body C Toner cartridge

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner cartridge, a device main body to which the toner cartridge is detachably attached, and an air supply unit, wherein the toner cartridge includes a first chamber for storing toner, a discharge port for discharging the toner in the first chamber to the outside of the toner cartridge, a second chamber communicating with the discharge port and closer to the discharge port than the first chamber, a conveying member that conveys the toner in the first chamber to the second chamber by rotating, and is provided with, the device main body is provided with a receiving port for receiving the toner discharged from the discharge port, and a toner storage unit for storing toner, a control unit, and is provided with, the air supply unit supplies air so as to convey the toner in the second chamber from the discharge port toward the receiving port, the control unit is a first operation in which the conveying member conveys toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port via the second chamber, a second operation in which the conveying member does not convey toner from the first chamber to the second chamber and the air supply unit supplies air from the discharge port toward the receiving port via the second chamber, is capable of executing, An image forming apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second operation, the conveying member is rotated in a direction to convey toner from the second chamber to the first chamber.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second operation, the rotation of the conveying member is stopped.

4. The air supply unit includes a pump that generates air by expanding and contracting, and a cam that is rotatable and expands and contracts the pump by rotating, the device main body has a motor for rotationally driving the conveying member and the cam, and the motor is rotatable in a first rotation direction or a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, the conveying member is configured to rotate in a direction to convey toner from the first chamber to the second chamber when the motor rotates in the first rotation direction, and to rotate in a direction to convey toner from the second chamber to the first chamber when the motor rotates in the second rotation direction, the air supply unit is configured to supply air from the discharge port toward the receiving port via the second chamber when the motor rotates in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction. When executing the first operation, the control unit controls the motor to rotate in the first rotation direction. When executing the second operation, the control unit controls the motor to rotate in the second rotation direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the number of rotations per hour of the motor is greater when the second operation is executed than when the first operation is executed.

6. The air supply unit is a pump that can expand and contract. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the expansion and contraction cycle of the pump is shorter when the second operation is executed than when the first operation is executed.

7. The apparatus main body includes an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit executes the second operation based on the fact that an abnormality has been detected by the abnormality detection unit.

8. The apparatus main body includes a storage unit that stores the number of times the second operation has been executed, and an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the image forming apparatus. When the number of times is less than a predetermined number of times, the control unit executes the second operation based on the fact that an abnormality has been detected by the abnormality detection unit. When the number of times is greater than the predetermined number of times, the control unit does not execute the second operation based on the fact that an abnormality has been detected by the abnormality detection unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit executes the second operation before the power supply is cut off based on the fact that it has been determined that the power supply to the image forming apparatus will be cut off.

10. The apparatus main body has a storage unit that stores the number of times the second operation has been executed. When the number of times is less than a predetermined number of times, the control unit executes the second operation based on the fact that it has been determined that the power supply to the image forming apparatus will be cut off. When the number of times is greater than the predetermined number of times, the control unit does not execute the second operation before the power supply is cut off based on the fact that it has been determined that the power supply to the image forming apparatus will be cut off. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

11. The apparatus main body includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material, a conveyance roller for conveying the recording material to the image forming unit, a conveyance path through which the recording material conveyed by the conveyance roller passes, and a clogging detection unit for detecting clogging of the recording material in the conveyance path. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the second operation based on the clogging detection unit detecting clogging of the recording material.

12. The apparatus main body includes a storage unit for storing the number of times the second operation has been executed, an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material, a conveyance roller for conveying the recording material to the image forming unit, a conveyance path through which the recording material conveyed by the conveyance roller passes, and a clogging detection unit for detecting clogging of the recording material in the conveyance path. When the number of times is less than a predetermined number of times, the control unit executes the second operation based on the clogging detection unit detecting clogging of the recording material. When the number of times is greater than the predetermined number of times, the control unit does not execute the second operation based on the clogging detection unit detecting clogging of the recording material. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the second operation immediately after executing the first operation.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air supply unit is provided in the toner cartridge.

Images