Developer supply container and developer supply system

Abstract

To achieve smooth loading of a supply container by moving a developer receiving part having a developer receiving port and reducing a load applied to the movement of the developer receiving part with a configuration of connecting a receiving port to a discharge port of the supply container.SOLUTION: A supported part 11b of a developer receiving part 11 is supported by a reception support part 30c of a lift part 30 due to a loading operation of a supply container. The lift part 30 is moved along a shutter slope part 4f in a vertical direction by causing a shutter slide part 30b of the lift part 30 to slide on the shutter slope part 4f of a shutter 4 due to a further loading operation. By operating the lift part 30 supporting the supported part 11b of the developer receiving part 11 by using the shutter 4 in this manner, the developer receiving part 11 is displaced so as to cause a receiving port to communicate with a discharge port. Thus, a load applying to the movement of the developer receiving part 11 is reduced, and smooth loading of the supply device can be achieved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a developer replenishment container detachable from a developer receiving device and a developer replenishment system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, developers such as fine powder toner have been used in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copying machines. In such an image forming apparatus, since the developer is consumed as the image is formed, the developer is replenished from a developer replenishing device. The developer replenishing device can replenish the developer by mounting a developer replenishment container (hereinafter simply referred to as a replenishment container) containing the developer on a developer receiving device provided in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, a configuration has been proposed in which the developer receiving portion of the developer receiving device is moved (displaced) toward the discharge port of the replenishment container along with the mounting operation of the replenishment container detachably provided on the developer receiving device (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the device described in Patent Document 1, the developer receiving portion is guided by a guide (engagement portion) provided on the replenishment container along with the mounting operation of the replenishment container, and moves so as to approach the replenishment container. When the mounting of the replenishment container is completed, the discharge port of the replenishment container and the receiving port of the developer receiving portion are in a connected state (a state in which both openings communicate). Further, the developer receiving portion is guided by the guide along with the detachment operation of the replenishment container, and moves so as to be separated from the replenishment container. Thus, the discharge port and the receiving port are in a separated state (a state in which both openings do not communicate).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 above, in order to move the developer receiving portion toward the supply container in accordance with the mounting operation of the supply container, a guide is provided so as to be inclined upward toward the supply container side from the front side to the back side in the mounting direction of the supply container. This is to utilize the force applied to the supply container during attachment and detachment to move the engaged portion of the developer receiving portion while contacting the guide. However, in this case, particularly when the supply container is being mounted, a force that displaces the developer receiving portion (specifically, the engaged portion) in the mounting direction and a force that displaces it in the vertical direction are simultaneously applied, which becomes a load and tends to prevent the smooth mounting of the supply container. Therefore, there has been a long-felt desire to reduce the load required to move the developer receiving portion and to enable smoother mounting of the supply container, but no such device has been proposed yet.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is an invention that moves a developer receiving portion having a receiving port for receiving a developer, connects the receiving port to the discharge port of a supply container, and reduces the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion to achieve smooth mounting of the supply container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A developer supply container according to an embodiment of the present invention is a developer supply container, comprising: a developer storage portion for storing a developer; a developer discharge portion communicating with the developer storage portion, wherein the developer storage portion is rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the developer discharge portion, and a developer discharge port for discharging the developer stored in the developer storage portion to the outside is provided at the bottom side of the developer discharge portion; and a lifter provided outside the developer discharge portion, the lifter being linearly movable up and down with respect to the developer discharge portion in a direction intersecting a horizontal plane including the rotation axis when the developer supply container is placed such that the developer discharge port is located at the bottom side of the developer discharge portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the support portion capable of supporting the supported portion of the developer receiving portion is moved by the operating means, and the developer receiving portion is displaced so that the receiving port communicates with the discharge port. Therefore, the load associated with the movement of the developer receiving portion can be reduced, and smooth attachment of the supply container can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] <First Embodiment> The following describes the first embodiment. First, an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0011] [Image Forming Apparatus] In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 has a document reading device 103 above the apparatus main body 100a. The document 101 is placed on the document table glass 102. Then, an optical image corresponding to the image information of the document 101 is formed as an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 104, which is a cylindrical photosensitive member serving as an image carrier, by a plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln of the document reading device 103. This electrostatic latent image is visualized using toner as a developer (dry powder) by a dry developer (one-component developer) 201. In this embodiment, an example using one-component magnetic toner as the developer to be replenished from the developer supply container 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the supply device) will be described, but not limited to such an example, and other configurations as described later may be adopted.

[0012] Specifically, when using a one-component developer that develops using one-component non-magnetic toner, one-component non-magnetic toner is replenished as the developer. Also, when using a two-component developer that develops using a two-component developer in which a magnetic carrier and non-magnetic toner are mixed, non-magnetic toner is replenished as the developer. In this case, a configuration in which the magnetic carrier is also replenished together with the non-magnetic toner as the developer may be adopted.

[0013] As described above, the developer 201 shown in FIG. 1 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 based on the image information of the document 101 using toner as the developer. Also, a developer supply system 200 is connected to the developer 201, and the developer supply system 200 includes a supply container 1 and a developer receiving device 8 to which the supply container 1 is detachably attached. The developer supply system 200 will be described later.

[0014] In addition to the developer hopper section 201a, the developing device 201 is provided with a developing roller 201f. The developer hopper section 201a is provided with a stirring member 201c for stirring the developer replenished from the replenishing container 1. Then, the developer stirred by this stirring member 201c is sent to the side of the conveying member 201e by the conveying member 201d. And the developer conveyed in order by the conveying members 201e and 201b is carried on the developing roller 201f and finally supplied to the developing section with the photosensitive drum 104. Since a one-component developer is used in this embodiment, the toner as the developer is replenished from the replenishing container 1 to the developing device 201. However, when a two-component developer is used, it may be configured to replenish the toner and the carrier as the developer from the replenishing container.

[0015] The cassettes 105 to 108 each accommodate a recording material S such as a sheet. At the time of image formation, among these cassettes 105 to 108, a cassette accommodating the optimal recording material S is selected based on the information input by the operator (user) from the operation section 100d (see FIG. 2) of the image forming apparatus 100 or the size of the document 101. Here, the recording material S is not limited to paper, and for example, an OHP sheet or the like can be appropriately used and selected. Then, one sheet of the recording material S conveyed by the paper feed separation devices 105A to 108A is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the conveying section 109 and conveyed in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 104 and the scanning timing of the document reading device 103.

[0016] On the downstream side of the registration roller 110 in the recording material conveyance direction, a transfer charger 111 and a separation charger 112 are provided at positions facing the photosensitive drum 104. The recording material S conveyed by the registration roller 110 has the image (toner image) formed by the developer on the photosensitive drum 104 transferred thereto by the transfer charger 111. Then, the recording material S onto which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 104 by the separation charger 112. After that, the recording material S conveyed by the conveyance unit 113 has heat and pressure applied thereto in the fixing unit 114, and the toner is fixed onto the recording material. Thereafter, the recording material S onto which the toner image has been fixed, in the case of single-sided copying, passes through the discharge inversion unit 115 and is discharged to the discharge tray 117 by the discharge roller 116.

[0017] On the other hand, in the case of double-sided copying, the recording material S passes through the discharge inversion unit 115 and a part of it is discharged outside the apparatus by the discharge roller 116 once. Then, after that, when the end of the recording material S passes through the switching member 118 and the position of the switching member 118 is switched and the discharge roller 116 is rotated reversely at the timing when the recording material S is still held by the discharge roller 116, the recording material S is conveyed into the apparatus again. Further, after that, the recording material S is conveyed to the registration roller 110 via the re-feed conveyance units 119 and 120, and then is discharged to the discharge tray 117 following the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

[0018] In the image forming apparatus 100 having the above configuration, image forming process devices such as a developing device 201, a cleaner unit 202, and a primary charger 203 are installed around the photosensitive drum 104. The developing device 201 develops the electrostatic latent image by adhering a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 based on the image information of the original 101 read by the original reading device 103 and the like. The primary charger 203 is for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum in order to form a desired electrostatic image on the photosensitive drum 104. The cleaner unit 202 is for removing the developer remaining on the photosensitive drum 104.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, when an operator opens a replacement cover 100b, which is a part of the exterior cover of the apparatus main body 100a of the image forming apparatus 100, a part of a developer receiving device 8, which will be described later, appears. Then, by inserting a supply container 1 into the developer receiving device 8, the supply container 1 is attached to the developer receiving device 8 in a state where the developer can be supplied to the developer receiving device 8. On the other hand, when the operator replaces the supply container 1, an operation reverse to the attachment operation is performed to detach the supply container 1 from the developer receiving device 8, and then a new supply container 1 is attached. Note that the replacement cover 100b is a dedicated cover for attaching and detaching (replacing) the supply container 1 and is opened and closed only for attaching and detaching the supply container 1. On the other hand, maintenance of the image forming apparatus 100 is performed by opening and closing a front cover 100c. Here, the replacement cover 100b and the front cover 100c may be integrated. In this case, replacement of the supply container 1 and maintenance of the image forming apparatus 100 are performed by opening and closing an integrated cover (not shown).

[0020] [Developer receiving device] Next, the developer receiving device 8 that constitutes the developer supply system 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) to 4(c). As shown in FIG. 3(a), the developer receiving device 8 is provided with a mounting portion 8f to which the supply container 1 is detachably attached. The mounting portion 8f is provided with an insertion guide 8e for guiding the supply container 1 in the attaching and detaching direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the insertion guide 8e is configured such that the mounting direction of the supply container 1 is in the direction of arrow A and the detaching direction of the supply container 1 is in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A (direction of arrow B).

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 4(a), the developer receiving device 8 has a drive gear 9 that functions as a drive mechanism for driving the supply container 1. This drive gear 9 has a function of transmitting a rotational driving force from a drive motor 500 via a drive gear train (not shown) and applying a rotational driving force to the supply container 1 in a state of being mounted on the mounting portion 8f. The drive motor 500 is configured to have its operation controlled by a control device 600. The control device 600 controls not only the drive motor 500 but also the entire image forming apparatus 100. Such a control device 600 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU controls each part while reading a program corresponding to the control procedure stored in the ROM. Also, work data and input data are stored in the RAM, and the CPU performs control by referring to the data stored in the RAM based on the aforementioned program and the like.

[0022] A developer receiving portion 11 for receiving the developer discharged from the supply container 1 is provided in the mounting portion 8f of the developer receiving device 8. The developer receiving portion 11 is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 (see FIG. 5(b)) of the supply container 1 when the supply container 1 is mounted, and has a receiving port 11a for receiving the developer discharged from the container discharge port 3a4. In the present embodiment, the developer receiving portion 11 is attached to be movable (displaceable) in the vertical direction with respect to the developer receiving device 8 in a direction in which the receiving port 11a moves closer to and farther from the container discharge port 3a4. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the developer receiving portion 11 is biased in a direction in which the receiving port 11a moves away from the container discharge port 3a4 (vertically downward) by a biasing member 12 (for example, a coil spring). Therefore, when the developer receiving portion 11 moves in a direction in which the receiving port 11a approaches the container discharge port 3a4 (vertically upward), it moves against the biasing force of the biasing member 12.

[0023] Also, as shown in Fig. 4(a), shutter stoppers 8a and 8b are provided on the mounting portion 8f of the developer receiving device 8 on the upstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) from the developer receiving portion 11. The shutter stoppers 8a and 8b regulate the relative movement of the supply container 1 being attached or detached and moving relative to the developer receiving device 8 only with respect to the shutter 4 (see Fig. 13(a)) described later. In this case, the shutter 4 moves relative to a part of the supply container 1 other than the shutter 4, such as the container body 2 described later.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 3(b) and 4(b), a sub-hopper 8c for temporarily storing the developer replenished from the supply container 1 is provided below the developer receiving device 8 in the vertical direction. In this sub-hopper 8c, a transport screw 14 for transporting the developer to the developer hopper portion 201a (see Fig. 1), which is a part of the developing device 201, and an opening 8d communicating with the developer hopper portion 201a are provided.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4(c), a main body seal 13 formed so as to surround the receiving port 11a is disposed in the developer receiving portion 11. The main body seal 13 is composed of an elastic body, a foam body, etc. The main body seal 13 is in close contact with the opening seal 3a5 (see Fig. 5(b)) surrounding the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1 with the shutter 4 (see Fig. 13(a)) sandwiched therebetween when the supply container 1 is mounted. Thereby, the developer discharged from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1 to the receiving port 11a through the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4 does not leak outside the receiving port 11a, which is the developer transport path.

[0026] Note that, in order to prevent the inside of the mounting portion 8f from being soiled by the developer, it is desirable that the diameter of the receiving port 11a be slightly larger than the diameter of the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4, or approximately the same diameter. This is because when the diameter of the receiving port 11a is smaller than the diameter of the shutter opening 4j, the developer discharged from the shutter opening 4j is likely to adhere to the upper surface of the main body seal 13. The adhered developer adheres to the lower surface of the supply container 1 during the attachment / detachment operation of the supply container 1, which contributes to soiling by the developer. In view of this point, it is desirable that the diameter of the receiving port 11a be approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the shutter opening 4j to about 2 mm larger. For example, when the diameter of the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4 is a fine opening (pinhole) of about 2 mm, it is preferable to set the diameter of the receiving port 11a to about 3 mm.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4(c), the developer receiving portion 11 is provided with a supported portion 11b that protrudes toward the center on the side surface. In the case of this embodiment, this supported portion 11b is supported from vertically below by a lift portion 30 (see FIG. 8(a)) provided in the supply container 1, which will be described later. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, when the lift portion 30 operates, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved by the lift portion 30 via the supported portion 11b. The lift portion 30 will be described later.

[0028] [Supply Container] Next, the supply container 1 that constitutes the developer supply system 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 13(b). First, the overall configuration of the supply container 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c). The supply container 1 mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3, a shutter 4, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a cover 7, and a lift portion 30. The container body 2 rotates in the direction of arrow R around the rotation axis P shown in FIG. 5(a) within the developer receiving device 8 to supply the developer to the developer receiving device 8 (see FIG. 3(a)). Hereinafter, each element constituting the supply container 1 will be described in detail.

[0029] [Container Body] The container body 2 mainly has a developer storage portion 2c for storing a developer therein as shown in FIG. 6. Further, the container body 2 is formed with a spiral conveyance groove 2a (conveyance portion) for conveying the developer in the developer storage portion 2c when the container body 2 rotates in the direction of arrow R with respect to the rotation axis P. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a cam groove 2b and a drive receiving portion (gear) 2d that receives drive from the main body side are integrally formed over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface on one end surface side of the container body 2. In the present embodiment, the cam groove 2b and the drive receiving portion 2d are integrally formed with the container body 2, but the cam groove 2b or the drive receiving portion 2d may be formed separately and integrally attached to the container body 2. Further, in the present embodiment, as the developer, for example, toner having a volume average particle diameter of 5 μm to 6 μm is stored in the developer storage portion 2c. Further, in the present embodiment, the developer storage portion 2c is not only the container body 2 but also the internal space of the container body 2, the flange portion 3 and the pump portion 5 described later combined.

[0030] [Flange portion] Subsequently, the flange portion 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 8(b). The flange portion 3 is attached to be relatively rotatable with respect to the container body 2 and the rotation axis P. When the supply container 1 is attached to the developer receiving device 8 (see FIG. 3(a)), the flange portion 3 is held so as to be non-rotatable in the direction of arrow R with respect to the attachment portion 8f. The flange portion 3 is composed of an upper flange portion 31 and a lower flange portion 32 in consideration of assemblability, and as will be described below, the pump portion 5, the reciprocating member 6, the shutter 4, the cover 7, and the lift portion 30 are assembled.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5(a), the pump unit 5 is screwed to one end side of the upper flange portion 31, and the container body 2 is joined to the other end side via a seal member (not shown). Further, a reciprocating member 6 is disposed so as to sandwich the pump unit 5, and an engaging projection 6b (see Fig. 10(a)) provided on the reciprocating member 6 is fitted into a cam groove 2b (see Fig. 6) of the container body 2. Further, a shutter 4 is incorporated between the upper flange portion 31 and the lower flange portion 32. In the present embodiment, the flange portion 3 and the shutter 4 constitute a discharge portion 700 for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer storage portion 2c. The surface on which the shutter 4 is provided is the bottom surface of the flange portion 3. And, for the purpose of improving the appearance and protecting the reciprocating member 6 and the pump unit 5, a cover 7 is integrally assembled so as to cover the entire flange portion 3, pump unit 5, and reciprocating member 6 described above, and is configured as shown in Fig. 5(b). Note that a lift portion 30, which will be described later, is disposed below a plane H including the rotation axis P as shown in Fig. 5(c). The plane H including the rotation axis P is a horizontal plane, and is disposed below this horizontal plane.

[0032] [Upper flange portion] The upper flange portion 31 will be described. The upper flange portion 31 shown in Fig. 7(a) includes a pump joint portion 3a1 to which the pump unit 5 is screwed, a container body joint portion 3a2 to which the container body 2 is joined, and a storage portion 3a3 for storing the developer conveyed from the container body 2. Further, a circular container discharge port 3a4 for discharging the developer in the storage portion 3a3 to the developer receiving device 8 is formed on the bottom surface of the upper flange portion 31 as shown in Fig. 7(b), and an opening seal 3a5 is disposed so as to surround the container discharge port 3a4. Here, the opening seal 3a5 is attached to the lower surface of the upper flange portion 31 with, for example, a double-sided tape or the like, and is sandwiched between the shutter 4 and the upper flange portion 31 to be described later, so that leakage of the developer from the container discharge port 3a4 can be prevented.

[0033] Here, as described above, when the shutter 4 opens and closes during the attachment and detachment operation of the replenishment container 1 to the developer receiving device 8, the developer is discharged unnecessarily, and in order to prevent the surrounding area from being soiled by the developer, the diameter of the container discharge port 3a4 is set to approximately 2 mm. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the container discharge port 3a4 is formed on the lower surface side of the replenishment container 1, specifically, on the bottom surface of the upper flange portion 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the container discharge port 3a4 may be formed on a side surface other than the upstream end surface or the downstream end surface in the mounting direction of the replenishment container 1 to the developer receiving device 8. Even in that case, the connection configuration shown in the present embodiment is applicable. When the container discharge port 3a4 is formed on the side surface, the formation position can be set in consideration of the individual circumstances of the product.

[0034] [Lower flange portion] The lower flange portion 32 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the lower flange portion 32 includes a shutter insertion portion 3b1 into which a shutter 4 (see FIG. 13(a)), which will be described later, is inserted. The lower flange portion 32 is integrated with the upper flange portion 31 in a state where the shutter 4 is inserted into the shutter insertion portion 3b1.

[0035] In the case of the present embodiment, on both sides of the lower flange portion 32 in the width direction that intersects the attachment and detachment direction of the replenishment container 1 and also intersects the vertical direction, a pair of lift holding portions 3b for holding a lift portion 30 (see FIG. 12(a)), which will be described later, are erected from the vertically downward direction to the upward direction. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the pair of lift holding portions 3b arranged to face each other in the mounting direction of the replenishment container 1 hold the lift portion 30 slidably in the vertical direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the lift holding portion 3b is formed in a concave shape that can be fitted with a fitting portion 30a (see FIG. 12(a)) of the lift portion 30 formed in a convex shape. And below the pair of lift holding portions 3b, a lift stopper portion 3c extending from one side to the other side is formed. The lift stopper portion 3c abuts against the lift portion 30 that descends vertically downward due to its own weight or the like when no force is applied to lift the lift portion 30 upward in the vertical direction.

[0036] [Pump portion] The pump unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b). The pump unit 5 operates such that, due to the driving force received by the drive receiving portion 2d of the container main body 2 (see FIG. 6), the internal pressure of the developer storage portion 2c alternately and repeatedly switches between a state lower than atmospheric pressure and a state higher than atmospheric pressure. In the present embodiment, as described above, in order to stably discharge the developer from the small container discharge port 3a4, the pump unit 5 is provided in a part of the supply container 1. The pump unit 5 is a variable volume pump whose volume can be changed. Specifically, the pump unit 5 is adopted which is composed of a bellows-shaped expandable and contractible member.

[0037] By the expansion and contraction operation of this pump unit 5, the pressure inside the supply container 1 is changed, and the developer is discharged using this pressure. Specifically, when the pump unit 5 is contracted, the inside of the supply container 1 becomes a pressurized state, and the developer is discharged from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1 in a form pushed by the pressure. Also, when the pump unit 5 is expanded, the inside of the supply container 1 becomes a depressurized state, and air is taken in from the outside through the container discharge port 3a4. Due to this taken-in air, the developer near the storage portion 3a3 (see FIG. 7(a)) that stores the developer conveyed from the container discharge port 3a4 and the container main body 2 of the flange portion 3 is loosened, and the next discharge is performed smoothly. That is, in this way, near the container discharge port 3a4 and the storage portion 3a3 of the supply container 1, the developer inside the supply container 1 may gather due to vibrations during the transportation of the supply container 1 or the like, and the developer may solidify at this part. Therefore, by taking in air through the container discharge port 3a4 as described above, the solidified developer can be loosened. Also, in the normal developer discharge operation, by taking in air in this way, there is an effect that the air and the powdery developer are mixed, the fluidity of the developer is improved, and clogging of the developer is less likely to occur.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 9(a), the pump unit 5 has a joint portion 5b on the open end side so as to be joinable to the upper flange portion 31. Here, a configuration in which a screw is formed as the joint portion 5b is illustrated. Further, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the pump unit 5 has a reciprocating member engaging portion 5c on the other end side for engaging with a reciprocating member 6 (see Fig. 10(a)) described later to be displaced in synchronization therewith.

[0039] Further, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the pump unit 5 has a bellows-shaped expansion and contraction portion (bellows portion, expansion and contraction member) 5a in which "mountain folds" and "valley folds" are periodically formed. The expansion and contraction portion 5a can be folded by moving the reciprocating member engaging portion 5c in the direction of arrow B with respect to the joint portion 5b along the fold line (with the fold line as a reference point), or can be extended by moving it in the direction of arrow A. Therefore, when the bellows-shaped pump unit 5 as in the present embodiment is adopted, variations in the volume change amount with respect to the expansion and contraction amount can be reduced, so that a stable volume variable operation can be performed.

[0040] In the present embodiment, polypropylene resin is used as the material of the pump unit 5, but it is not limited thereto. Regarding the material (material quality) of the pump unit 5, any material may be used as long as it can exhibit an expansion and contraction function and change the internal pressure of the developer storage portion 2c due to volume change. For example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, etc. may be used. Alternatively, rubber, other elastic materials, etc. can also be used.

[0041] [Reciprocating member] The reciprocating member 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b). As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the reciprocating member 6 has a pump engaging portion 6a that engages with a reciprocating member engaging portion 5c (see FIG. 9(b)) provided in the pump portion 5 in order to vary the volume of the pump portion 5 described above. Further, the reciprocating member 6 has an engaging projection 6b that is fitted into the cam groove 2b (see FIG. 6) described above during assembly. The engaging projection 6b is provided at the tip of an arm 6c that extends in the attaching / detaching direction (directions of arrows A and B in the figure) from the vicinity of the pump engaging portion 6a. Further, the reciprocating member 6 is restricted from rotational displacement about the rotation axis P (see FIG. 5(a)) of the arm 6c by a reciprocating member holding portion 7b (see FIG. 11(b)) of a cover 7 described later. Therefore, when the container body 2 is driven by the drive gear 9 from the drive receiving portion 2d and the cam groove 2b rotates integrally, due to the action of the engaging projection 6b fitted into the cam groove 2b and the reciprocating member holding portion 7b of the cover 7, the reciprocating member 6 reciprocates in the directions of arrows A and B. Accordingly, further, the pump portion 5 engaged via the pump engaging portion 6a of the reciprocating member 6 and the reciprocating member engaging portion 5c expands and contracts in the directions of arrows A and B.

[0042] [Cover] The cover 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b). As described above, the cover 7 is provided as shown in FIG. 5(b) for the purpose of improving the appearance of the replenishing container 1 and protecting the reciprocating member 6 and the pump portion 5. Specifically, the cover 7 is provided integrally with the upper flange portion 31, the lower flange portion 32, etc. so as to cover the entire flange portion 3, the pump portion 5, and the reciprocating member 6. As shown in FIG. 11(a), the cover 7 is provided with a guide groove 7a that is guided by an insertion guide 8e (see FIG. 3(a)) of the developer receiving device 8. Further, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the cover 7 is provided with a reciprocating member holding portion 7b that restricts rotational displacement about the rotation axis P (see FIG. 5(a)) of the reciprocating member 6 described above.

[0043] [Lift portion] The lift section 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b). The lift section 30 as a support section has a fitting section 30a, a shutter sliding section 30b, a receiving support section 30c, and a lift main body section 30d. The fitting section 30a is formed at both ends of the lift main body section 30d with respect to the attaching / detaching direction of the supply container 1, and engages with the lift holding section 3b (see FIG. 8(a)) of the flange section 3. Thereby, the lift section 30 is held slidably in the vertical direction with respect to the flange section 3.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the receiving support section 30c is formed in the lift main body section 30d so as to project in the width direction and extend in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) of the supply container 1. The receiving support section 30c can support the supported section 11b (see FIG. 4(c)) of the developer receiving section 11 from vertically below. Also, as shown in FIG. 12(b), on the surface of the lift main body section 30d opposite to the receiving support section 30c, the shutter sliding section 30b as a sliding section is formed so as to project in the width direction and extend in the mounting direction of the supply container 1. However, the length of the shutter sliding section 30b is formed shorter than that of the receiving support section 30c with respect to the mounting direction, and it is arranged on the upstream side of the center of the lift main body section 30d. In the case of this embodiment, the receiving support section 30c is configured to be substantially parallel to the mounting direction or the rotation axis P (see FIG. 5(a)), but it is not limited to this, and it may have an inclined configuration.

[0045] Furthermore, the front end surface 30ba of the shutter sliding section 30b in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) is formed in an inclined shape. As will be described in detail later, the shutter sliding section 30b slides with the shutter inclined section 4f (see FIG. 13(b)) of the shutter 4 when the supply container 1 is attached / detached. In order to slide smoothly with the shutter inclined section 4f at that time, the front end surface 30ba of the shutter sliding section 30b is formed in an inclined shape, and the inclination angle with respect to the attaching / detaching direction of the supply container 1 is set to be substantially the same as the inclination angle of the shutter inclined section 4f.

[0046] [Shutter] The shutter 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b). The shutter 4 is provided so as to be movable relative to a part (flange portion 3) of the supply container 1 by sliding on the shutter insertion portion 3b1 of the lower flange portion 32 (see FIG. 7(a)). The shutter 4 has a shutter opening 4j and opens and closes the container discharge port 3a4 as the discharge port of the supply container 1 in accordance with the attachment and detachment operations of the supply container 1. The shutter 4 moves relative to the supply container 1 in accordance with the attachment operation of the supply container 1, so that the shutter opening 4j communicates with the container discharge port 3a4, and further communicates with the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11. Thereby, the developer inside the supply container 1 can be discharged to the receiving port 11a. That is, the flange portion 3 and the shutter 4 constitute a discharge portion 700 (see FIG. 5(b)) for discharging the developer, and the shutter 4 of the discharge portion 700 is formed with a shutter opening 4j as a discharge port for discharging the developer.

[0047] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b), a developer sealing portion 4a is provided at a position deviated from the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. The developer sealing portion 4a closes the container discharge port 3a4 as the shutter 4 moves relative to the supply container 1 in accordance with the operation of detaching the supply container 1. Further, the developer sealing portion 4a prevents the leakage of the developer from the container discharge port 3a4 when the supply container 1 is not attached to the attachment portion 8f (see FIG. 3(a)) of the developer receiving device 8. A sliding surface for sliding on the shutter insertion portion 3b1 of the flange portion 3 is provided on the back side (the side of the developer receiving portion 11) of the developer sealing portion 4a. Note that the shutter 4 is engaged with the flange portion 3 with the developer sealing portion 4a facing upward.

[0048] The shutter 4 has stopper portions 4b and 4c that are held by the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b (see Fig. 4(a)) of the developer receiving device 8 so that the supply container 1 can move relative to the shutter 4. Among these stopper portions 4b and 4c, the first stopper portion 4b engages with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8 during the mounting operation of the supply container 1 to fix the position of the shutter 4 relative to the developer receiving device 8. The second stopper portion 4c engages with the second shutter stopper portion 8b of the developer receiving device 8 during the detachment operation of the supply container 1.

[0049] Further, the shutter 4 has a support portion 4d that supports the stopper portions 4b and 4c so as to be displaceable. The support portion 4d is extended from the developer sealing portion 4a and is provided so as to be elastically deformable in order to support the first stopper portion 4b and the second stopper portion 4c so as to be displaceable. Note that the first stopper portion 4b is inclined so that the angle α formed by the first stopper portion 4b and the support portion 4d is an acute angle. On the other hand, the second stopper portion 4c is inclined so that the angle β formed by the second stopper portion 4c and the support portion 4d is an obtuse angle.

[0050] The shutter opening 4j is a discharge port for discharging the developer in the supply container 1 to the outside. The developer in the supply container 1 can be discharged to the outside only when the shutter 4 slides relative to the flange portion 3 and the container discharge port 3a4 and the shutter opening 4j are in communication. When the container discharge port 3a4 and the shutter opening 4j are not in communication, the developer sealing portion 4a closes the container discharge port 3a4 to prevent the developer from leaking outside the supply container 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the shutter 4 is used to operate the lift unit 30. To do so, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the shutter 4 is formed such that a shutter inclined portion 4f as an inclined portion protrudes from the support portion 4d. The shutter inclined portion 4f is formed in an inclined shape such that the vertical length gradually increases from the upstream side (front side) to the downstream side (rear side) in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) of the supply container 1. In other words, the shutter inclined portion 4f has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the developer receiving portion side as it goes from the downstream side to the upstream side in the mounting direction. As will be described in detail later, when the supply container 1 moves relative to the shutter 4, the lift unit 30 also moves relative to the shutter 4. In that case, the shutter sliding portion 30b of the lift unit 30 slides on the shutter inclined portion 4f, so that the lift unit 30 moves up and down in the vertical direction along the shutter inclined portion 4f.

[0052] Note that the inclined surface of the shutter inclined portion 4f is not limited to being formed in a straight line as shown in FIG. 13(b). The shape of the shutter inclined portion 4f may be, for example, a curved shape as long as it can move the lift unit 30 in the vertical direction. However, from the viewpoint of making the operating force associated with the attachment / detachment operation of the supply container 1 constant, it is desirable to form it in a straight inclined shape. Note that the inclination angle of the shutter inclined portion 4f with respect to the attachment / detachment direction of the supply container 1 is desirably set to, for example, about 10 to 50 degrees. In this embodiment, it is set to about 40 degrees.

[0053] [Operation of Developer Receiving Portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving unit 11 by the lift unit 30 to the supply container 1, with reference to FIGS. 12(a) to 13(b) etc., FIGS. 14(a) to 15(d) will be used to explain in chronological order the mounting operation of the supply container 1 to the developer receiving device 8 of the supply container 1. FIGS. 14(a) and 15(a) show the start of mounting of the supply container 1, FIGS. 14(b) and 15(b) show the start of ascent of the lift unit 30, FIGS. 14(c) and 15(c) show the mid-ascent of the lift unit 30, and FIGS. 14(d) and 15(d) show the completion of mounting of the supply container 1. FIGS. 14(a) to 14(d) are diagrams showing the vicinity of the connection part between the supply container 1 and the developer receiving unit 11. FIGS. 15(a) to 15(d) are diagrams specialized in the relationship between the shutter 4 and the lift unit 30. Note that the mounting operation refers to the operation from the supply container 1 to the developer receiving device 8 until the developer can be supplied.

[0054] At the start of mounting of the supply container 1 as shown in FIG. 14(a), since the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4 has not come into contact with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8, in the supply container 1, the shutter 4 and the lift unit 30 move integrally without relative movement. When the shutter 4 and the lift unit 30 move integrally, the inclined portion 4f of the shutter 4 and the shutter sliding portion 30b are maintained in a non-contact state where they do not contact each other as shown in FIG. 15(a). If the inclined portion 4f and the shutter sliding portion 30b are in a non-contact state, the lift unit 30 is at the lowermost position where it abuts against the lift stopper portion 3c, and the receiving support portion 30c of the lift unit 30 does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving unit 11. As described above, since the developer receiving unit 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1 by the biasing member 12 (see FIG. 3(b)), the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4.

[0055] When the supply container 1 is inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 14(a), it becomes as shown in Fig. 14(b). In this case, the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4 engages with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8. Thereby, the position of the shutter 4 with respect to the developer receiving device 8 is fixed. By thus holding the position of the shutter 4 with respect to the developer receiving device 8, the movement of the shutter 4 in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is stopped, but the movement of the supply container 1 except the shutter 4 in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is maintained. Also, as shown in Fig. 15(b), the shutter inclined portion 4f and the shutter sliding portion 30b start to come into contact. Further, the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 starts to be supported from vertically below by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30. That is, the lift portion 30 is moved to a position (or a position where it can support) where the receiving support portion 30c supports the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. In this case, while the container discharge port 3a4 is maintained in a state of being sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4, the shutter opening 4j reaches vertically above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11. However, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and as shown in Fig. 14(b), the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 (shutter opening 4j).

[0056] Subsequently, when the supply container 1 is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 14(b), as shown in Fig. 14(c), the supply container 1 relatively moves in the mounting direction with respect to the shutter 4. Also, in this case, as shown in Fig. 15(c), in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1, the shutter sliding portion 30b moves upward along the inclined portion 4f while sliding on the shutter inclined portion 4f. Thereby, the lift portion 30 is moved substantially vertically upward. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported from vertically below by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12.

[0057] Continuing, when the supply container 1 is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 14(c), as shown in FIG. 14(d), the supply container 1 relatively moves in the mounting direction with respect to the shutter 4 in the same manner as before, and thus the supply container 1 reaches the mounting completion position. As shown in FIG. 14(d), the positional relationship between the container discharge port 3a4 and the lift portion 30 at the mounting completion position is such that the plane L (a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis P) passing through the container discharge port 3a4 passes through the lift portion 30. Further, the plane including the receiving support portion 30c (see FIG. 12(a)) of the lift portion 30 is disposed between the rotation axis P and the container discharge port 3a4. Then, as shown in FIG. 15(d), in a state where the shutter sliding portion 30b reaches the apex portion of the shutter inclined portion 4f, the upward movement of the lift portion 30 in the vertical direction stops. In this case, in the developer receiving portion 11 where the supported portion 11b is supported by the lift portion 30, the receiving port 11a is in a state of being connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1. Thus, the state where the developer can be supplied is achieved. Specifically, the developer in the developer storage portion 2c of the container main body 2 can be supplied to the sub hopper 8c through the container discharge port 3a4 from the storage portion 3a3 via the receiving port 11a by the reciprocating motion of the pump portion 5 described above.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 15(d), when the supply container 1 reaches the mounting completion position with respect to the developer receiving device 8, the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is pressed against the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30 by the biasing force of the biasing member 12. Therefore, the vertical position of the developer receiving portion 11 is maintained in a stable state.

[0059] Next, the operation of the lift portion 30 corresponding to the detachment operation of the supply container 1 from the developer receiving device 8 will be described. The detachment operation of the supply container 1 is performed in the reverse procedure of the above-described mounting operation. That is, the supply container 1 is detached from the developer receiving device 8 in the order from FIGS. 14(d) and 15(d) to FIGS. 14(a) and 15(a). The detachment operation refers to the operation until the supply container 1 becomes in a state where it can be taken out from the developer receiving device 8.

[0060] When the developer in the supply container 1 runs low at the completed mounting position shown in FIG. 14(d), a message prompting the operator to replace the supply container 1 is displayed on a monitor (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 100 (see FIG. 1). The operator who has prepared a new supply container 1 opens the replacement cover 100b of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 2, and extracts the supply container 1 from the developer receiving device 8 in the detachment direction (arrow B direction). In this process, since the second stopper portion 4c of the shutter 4 is in contact with the second shutter stopper portion 8b of the developer receiving device 8, the shutter 4 does not displace in the detachment direction as the supply container 1 detaches. That is, the supply container 1 moves relative to the shutter 4. In the present embodiment, until the supply container 1 is removed from the position of FIG. 14(d) to the position of FIG. 14(b), the shutter 4 cannot be displaced relative to the developer receiving device 8, and the supply container 1 moves relative to the shutter 4.

[0061] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 15(d) and 15(b), the developer receiving portion 11 moves vertically downward in response to the detachment operation of the supply container 1. That is, when the supply container 1 and the shutter 4 move relative to each other, the shutter sliding portion 30b moves downward along the shutter inclined portion 4f so as to slide down the shutter inclined portion 4f by the weight of the lift portion 30 and the biasing force of the biasing member 12. Thereby, the lift portion 30 is moved substantially vertically downward, and the developer receiving portion 11, in which the supported portion 11b is supported by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30, moves vertically downward. Then, with further detachment operation of the supply container 1, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved vertically downward by the lift portion 30, reaches the position shown in FIG. 15(a), and the separation operation of the developer receiving portion 11 from the supply container 1 by the lift portion 30 is completed.

[0062] After that, when the supply container 1 is further taken out in the detachment direction, the second stopper portion 4c of the shutter 4 abuts against the second shutter stopper portion 8b of the developer receiving device 8. As a result, the second stopper portion 4c of the shutter 4 elastically deforms along the inclined surface of the second shutter stopper portion 8b, and the shutter 4 becomes displaceable in the detachment direction with respect to the developer receiving device 8 together with the supply container 1. That is, the shutter 4 seals the container discharge port 3a4. When the supply container 1 is taken out from the developer receiving device 8, the shutter 4 is in a state of having returned to the position when the supply container 1 is not attached to the developer receiving device 8. Therefore, the container discharge port 3a4 is surely sealed by the shutter 4, and the developer does not scatter from the supply container 1 detached from the developer receiving device 8.

[0063] [Conventional Example] Here, the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 according to the conventional example will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 77(a) to 77(d). As shown in FIGS. 77(a) to 77(d), in the conventional example, a guide portion 310 that engages with the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is provided on the side surface of the flange portion 3. The guide portion 310 guides the developer receiving portion 11 to be displaced toward the supply container 1 as the supply container 1 is mounted in the direction of arrow A so that the supply from the supply container 1 to the developer receiving portion 11 can be made in a connected state. Further, the guide portion 310 guides the developer receiving portion 11 to be displaced in a direction away from the supply container 1 so that the connection state between the supply container 1 and the developer receiving portion 11 is broken as the supply container 1 is detached in the direction of arrow B. To do so, the guide portion 310 is inclined so as to gradually become higher in the vertical direction from the downstream side to the upstream side in the mounting direction of the supply container 1. This is to move the developer receiving portion 11 (specifically, the supported portion 11b) along the guide portion 310 by utilizing the force applied to the supply container 1 during attachment and detachment. However, in this case, particularly during the mounting operation of the supply container 1, a force for displacing the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 in the mounting direction and a force for displacing it in the vertical direction are likely to be applied simultaneously by the guide portion 310. Therefore, this becomes a load and smooth mounting of the supply container 1 is likely to be hindered.

[0064] In contrast, in the case of this embodiment, with the mounting operation of the supply container 1, as described above, a lifting force acts in the vertically upward direction (supply container side) on the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 by the lifting portion 30. In this case, the force for displacing the developer receiving portion 11 in the mounting direction is extremely small compared to the above-described conventional example. Therefore, when moving the developer receiving portion 11 with the mounting operation of the supply container 1, the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and thus the effect that the supply container can be smoothly mounted is obtained.

[0065] <Second Embodiment> In the above-described first embodiment, the shutter inclined portion 4f is provided on the shutter 4, the shutter sliding portion 30b is provided on the lifting portion 30, and the lifting portion 30 is operated by using the shutter 4 that relatively moves with respect to the lifting portion 30. However, the mechanism for operating the lifting portion 30 is not limited to this. For example, the shutter and the lifting portion may be connected by a plurality of gears, and the gears may be driven by the relative movement between the lifting portion and the shutter to operate the lifting portion.

[0066] Such a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 21(b). In this embodiment, as will be described later, a second rack gear 30e is provided on the lifting portion 30A, a first rack gear 4g is provided on the shutter 4A, and a pinion gear 40 for connecting these gears is arranged on the lower flange portion 32. Since the other basic configurations and operations are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will be centered on the portions different from the first embodiment.

[0067] [Flange Portion] The flange portion 3A of the second embodiment is shown in Fig. 16. As shown in Fig. 16, in addition to the lift holding portion 3b and the lift stopper portion 3c described above, a pinion gear holding portion 3g is provided on the side surface of the lower flange portion 32 so as to project in the width direction in the flange portion 3A of the present embodiment. The pinion gear holding portion 3g rotatably holds the pinion gear 40 shown in Fig. 17. As shown in Fig. 17, the pinion gear 40 as a rotating body has a first gear portion 40a and a second gear portion 40b having a larger diameter than the first gear portion 40a, and a through hole 40c through which the above-described pinion gear holding portion 3g passes is formed in the central portion thereof.

[0068] [Lift portion] The lift portion 30A of the second embodiment is shown in Figs. 18(a) to 18(b). As shown in Figs. 18(a) to 18(b), compared with the lift portion 30 of the first embodiment, in the lift portion 30A, instead of the shutter sliding portion 30b, a second rack gear 30e (lift gear) is provided on the surface of the lift main body portion 30d opposite to the receiving support portion 30c. The second rack gear 30e as a conversion transmission mechanism is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction and meshes with the first gear portion 40a of the above-described pinion gear 40.

[0069] [Shutter] The shutter 4A of the second embodiment is shown in Fig. 19. As shown in Fig. 19, compared with the shutter 4A of the first embodiment, a shutter inclined portion 4f (see Fig. 13(b)) is not formed in the support portion 4d, and instead, a first rack gear 4g is provided. The first rack gear 4g as a rotation operation portion is provided so as to extend in the mounting direction of the supply container 1 and meshes with the second gear portion 40b of the above-described pinion gear 40.

[0070] FIG. 20 shows the supply container 1A of the present embodiment in which the above-described lift portion 30A, shutter 4A, and pinion gear 40 are combined. The pinion gear 40 provided in the discharge portion 700 rotates about the pinion gear holding portion 3g as the rotation center. The rotation of the pinion gear 40 occurs when the lift portion 30A and the shutter 4A move relative to each other. That is, the flange portion 3A (specifically, the lower flange portion 32) moves relative to the shutter 4A while rotating the pinion gear 40 via the second gear portion 40b on the first rack gear 4g of the shutter 4A whose movement is restricted. Then, the rotation of the pinion gear 40 is transmitted to the second rack gear 30e meshed with the first gear portion 40a, and the lift portion 30A is moved in the vertical direction via the second rack gear 30e. That is, the rotation motion of the pinion gear 40 is converted into a linear motion by the second rack gear 30e and transmitted to the lift portion 30A, whereby the lift portion 30A operates.

[0071] [Operation of the developer receiving portion] The connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1 by the lift portion 30A will be described with reference to FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b). FIG. 21(a) shows the start of the ascent of the lift portion 30A, and FIG. 21(b) shows the completion of the mounting of the supply container 1A. In FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b), in order to facilitate understanding of the explanation, gears that are not actually visible because they overlap the lift portion 30A are illustrated.

[0072] After the movement of the shutter 4A in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) is restricted and then the supply container 1 is inserted deeper into the mounting direction of the developer receiving device 8 (see Fig. 3(a)), the lift portion 30A moves relative to the shutter 4A in the mounting direction. In this case, as shown in Fig. 21(a), in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1, the pinion gear 40 is rotated by the first rack gear 4g of the shutter 4A via the second gear portion 40b. Then, the rotation is transmitted to the second rack gear 30e of the lift portion 30A via the first gear portion 40a. As a result, the lift portion 30A starts to move upward in the vertical direction. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30A, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction. Subsequently, when the supply container 1 is further inserted deeper into the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 21(a), as shown in Fig. 21(b), the lift portion 30A moves relative to the shutter 4A in the same manner as before, and thus the supply container 1 reaches the mounting completion position.

[0073] As described above, in the second embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving portion 11, the lift portion 30 is operated via a gear along with the mounting operation of the supply container 1, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted upward in the vertical direction (supply container side) by the lift portion 30. According to this, the load associated with the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and thus the same effect as in the first embodiment, that is, smooth mounting of the supply container can be realized, is obtained.

[0074] Furthermore, in the case of the second embodiment, since the lift portion 30 is operated by utilizing the smooth rotation by the gears, the operability when mounting the supply container 1 becomes lighter. Therefore, the operator can smoothly mount the supply container 1 with a lighter force compared to the conventional case.

[0075] In the above-described second embodiment, a rack & pinion gear is used to operate the lift unit 30 in accordance with the mounting operation of the supply container 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as a linear motion (reciprocating motion) in the mounting direction can be converted into a rotational motion using a rotating body, and further the rotational motion can be converted into a linear motion (reciprocating motion) in the vertical direction, other mechanisms such as a slider-crank mechanism may be used.

[0076] <Third Embodiment> In the above-described first and second embodiments, the shutter is used to perform the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shutter may not be used. A third embodiment that enables the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1 without using a shutter will be described with reference to FIGS. 22(a) to 31(b). In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first embodiment.

[0077] The supply container 1B of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b). The supply container 1B mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3B, a shutter 4B, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a cover 7, and a lift unit portion 300. The lift unit portion 300 includes a lift portion 30B and a lift operation arm portion 45, and the lift unit portion 300 is disposed in the supply container 1B such that the lift operation arm portion 45 protrudes from the cover 7 in the mounting direction (arrow A direction). The flange portion 3B includes an upper flange portion 31 and a lower flange portion 32B. As shown in FIG. 22(b), the upper flange portion 31 and the lower flange portion 32B are integrated with the shutter 4B inserted therebetween.

[0078] [Flange Portion] The flange portion 3B will be described with reference to FIG. 23. As shown in FIG. 23, on both side walls in the width direction of the lower flange portion 32B constituting the flange portion 3B, there are provided regulating ribs 3i that hold the lift portion 30B (see FIG. 24(a)), regulate the moving direction of the lift portion 30B, and guide the lift portion 30B. In the case of the present embodiment, the regulating rib 3i as the guiding means extends such that the upstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) of the supply container 1B is higher than the downstream side in order to hold the lift portion 30B slidably obliquely with respect to the vertical direction. Note that the regulating rib 3i prevents the lift portion 30B from falling off by a snap fit (not shown). Further, on both side walls in the width direction of the lower flange portion 32B, holding members 3n that hold the lift operation arm portion 45 movably in the attaching / detaching direction are provided on the downstream side in the mounting direction with respect to the regulating rib 3i. A through hole through which the lift operation arm portion 45 can pass is formed in the holding member 3n. Further, in the lower flange portion 32B, there are formed a mounting groove 3k on which a part of the lift operation arm portion 45 is slidably placed in the attaching / detaching direction, and a fixing portion 3p for fixing one end of a biasing member 41 (see FIG. 24(a)) that biases the lift operation arm portion 45 in the mounting direction. The lift operation arm portion 45 placed in the mounting groove 3k is prevented from falling off from the supply container 1B by a cover 7A (see FIG. 27).

[0079] [Lift unit portion] The lift unit 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 24(a) to 25(b). As shown in FIG. 24(a), the lift unit 300 includes a lift portion 30B, a lift operation arm portion 45 as a slide operation portion, and a biasing member 41. As shown in FIG. 24(b), the lift portion 30B has a receiving support portion 30Ba that can support the developer receiving portion 11 (specifically, the supported portion 11b), and a main body portion 30Bb in which an engaging hole 30Bd that engages with the regulating rib 3i of the lower flange portion 32B is formed. The engaging hole 30Bd as a holding portion is formed so that the upstream side in the mounting direction is higher than the downstream side, similar to the regulating rib 3i of the lower flange portion 32B, and engages with the regulating rib 3i to slidably hold the lift portion 30B. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24(c), one end of the lift operation arm portion 45 is formed in a bifurcated shape in the width direction. The pair of bifurcated arms 45b are passed through the through holes of the holding member 3n, and as shown in FIG. 24(a), their end faces abut against the abutting surface 30Bc of the lift portion 30B. In the case of this embodiment, the lift operation arm portion 45 and the lift portion 30B are formed to be slidable, but it is not limited thereto, and the lift operation arm portion 45 and the lift portion 30B may be integrally formed. However, in that case, the lift operation arm portion 45 is formed to be elastically deformable so that the lift portion 30B can move along the regulating rib 3i.

[0080] On the other hand, the non-bifurcated arm 45a has a part thereof placed in the placement groove 3k, and is formed in a shape with steps having different diameters so as to form an abutting surface 45d that abuts against the cover 7A. The thin side of the arm 45a is the portion that protrudes from the placement groove 3k and protrudes from the cover 7A. The arm 45a is formed to have a length such that its tip abuts against the developer receiving device 8 when the replenishment container 1 is mounted. At the branching position between the arm 45a and the pair of arms 45b, a mounting portion 45c for attaching the biasing member 41 is provided. As shown in FIG. 24(d), the biasing member 41 is, for example, a coil spring. Due to the biasing force of the biasing member 41, the lift operation arm portion 45 is maintained in a state where the abutting surface 45d abuts against the cover 7A when the replenishment container 1 is not mounted on the developer receiving device 8.

[0081] When the supply container 1B is attached, until the tip of the lift operation arm portion 45 abuts against the developer receiving device 8, a force in the attachment direction (arrow A direction) is applied to the lift operation arm portion 45 by the biasing force of the biasing member 41. In that case, since the lift portion 30B is not pushed in the direction opposite to the attachment direction (arrow B direction) by the lift operation arm portion 45, as shown in FIG. 25(a), it is held by the regulating rib 3i of the lower flange portion 32B at the upper end side of the engagement hole 30Bd due to its own weight. Then, when the tip of the lift operation arm portion 45 abuts against the developer receiving device 8, the lift operation arm portion 45 and the supply container 1 excluding the lift operation arm portion 45 move relative to each other, and a force in the direction opposite to the attachment direction is applied to the lift operation arm portion 45 against the biasing force of the biasing member 41. As a result, the lift portion 30B is pushed in the direction opposite to the attachment direction by the lift operation arm portion 45, and as shown in FIG. 25(b), it is held by the regulating rib 3i of the lower flange portion 32B at the lower end side of the engagement hole 30Bd. That is, the lift portion 30B rises along the regulating rib 3i.

[0082] FIGS. 26(a) and 26(b) show the shutter 4B used in the present embodiment. The shutter 4B is different in that the shutter inclined portion 4f is not formed as compared with the shutter 4 (see FIG. 13(b)) used in the above-described first embodiment. Further, FIG. 27 shows the cover 7A used in the present embodiment. The cover 7A is different in that a hole 7c is formed through which the lift operation arm portion 45 (specifically, the downstream side in the attachment direction from the contact surface 45d of the arm 45a) passes as compared with the cover 7 (see FIG. 11(a)) used in the above-described first embodiment.

[0083] [Operation of the developer receiving portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving section 11 by the lift section 30B to the supply container 1B, with reference to FIGS. 28(a) to 31(b), the operation sequence of the attachment operation of the supply container 1B will be described. FIGS. 28(a) and 28(b) show the start of the attachment of the supply container 1B, FIGS. 29(a) and 29(b) show the start of the ascent of the lift section 30B, FIGS. 30(a) and 30(b) show the mid-ascent of the lift section 30B, and FIGS. 31(a) and 31(b) show the completion of the attachment of the supply container 1B. Note that regarding the separation operation of the developer receiving section 11 by the lift section 30B from the supply container 1B in response to the detachment operation of the supply container 1B, since it follows the operation opposite to the connection operation described below, the explanation is omitted here.

[0084] At the start of the attachment of the supply container 1B as shown in FIG. 28(a), before the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4B comes into contact with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8. In that case, within the supply container 1B, the lift operation arm portion 45, the lift section 30B, and the shutter 4B move integrally without relative movement. Also, since the lift operation arm portion 45 does not abut against the developer receiving device 8, the lift section 30B is not pushed in the direction opposite to the attachment direction (arrow B direction) by the lift operation arm portion 45. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the lift section 30B is held by the regulating rib 3i of the lower flange portion 32B at the upper end side of the engagement hole 30Bd by its own weight. At this time, the lift section 30B is in the lowest position, and the receiving support portion 30Ba of the lift section 30B does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving section 11. As described above, since the developer receiving section 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1B by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1B. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4B.

[0085] When the supply container 1B is inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 28(a), as described above, the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4B engages with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8. As a result, the position of the shutter 4B relative to the developer receiving device 8 is fixed, and the relative movement of the shutter 4B in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is stopped. On the other hand, the relative movement of the supply container 1B except the shutter 4B in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is maintained. Then, as shown in Fig. 29(b), the tip of the lift operation arm portion 45 abuts against the developer receiving device 8, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 engages with and is supported by the receiving support portion 30Ba of the lift portion 30B. When the tip of the lift operation arm portion 45 abuts against the developer receiving device 8, the lift operation arm portion 45 starts to push the lift portion 30B in the direction opposite to the mounting direction (arrow B direction). In this case, with the container discharge port 3a4 maintained in a sealed state by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4B, the shutter opening 4j reaches vertically above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11. However, at the start of the abutment of the lift operation arm portion 45, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a remains separated from the container discharge port 3a4 (shutter opening 4j).

[0086] Subsequently, when the supply container 1B is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 29(a), as shown in Fig. 30(a), the supply container 1B moves relative to the shutter 4B in the mounting direction. However, the lift portion 30B is pushed back in the direction opposite to the mounting direction (arrow B direction) by the lift operation arm portion 45 in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1B. When the lift portion 30B is pushed back by the lift operation arm portion 45, the contact surface 30Bc (see Fig. 24(b)) is slid on the lift operation arm portion 45 and moves upward along the regulating rib 3i as shown in Fig. 30(b). As a result, the lift portion 30B is moved substantially vertically upward. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported by the receiving support portion 30Ba of the lift portion 30, the developer receiving portion 11 starts to move vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12. However, the receiving port 11a is still separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1B.

[0087] Subsequently, when the supply container 1B is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 30(a), as shown in Fig. 31(a), the supply container 1B moves relative to the shutter 4B in the mounting direction in the same manner as before, and the supply container 1B reaches the mounting completion position. In this case, the lift portion 30B is further pushed back in the direction opposite to the mounting direction by the lift operation arm portion 45, and as shown in Fig. 31(b), the lift portion 30B is held at the lower end side of the engagement hole 30Bd by the regulating rib 3i, and the upward movement of the lift portion 30B in the vertical direction is stopped. And the developer receiving portion 11, on which the supported portion 11b is supported by the lift portion 30B, is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1B. Thus, a state where the developer can be supplied is achieved. At this time, as shown in Fig. 31(b), the positional relationship between the container discharge port 3a4 and the lift portion 30B is such that the plane L (a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis P) passing through the container discharge port 3a4 passes through the lift portion 30B. Also, the plane including the receiving support portion 30Ba of the lift portion 30B is arranged between the rotation axis P and the container discharge port 3a4.

[0088] As described above, in the third embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving portion 11, the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted vertically upward (toward the supply container side) by the lift portion 30B operated by the lift operation arm portion 45 along with the mounting operation of the supply container 1. Thus, similar to the first embodiment, the load associated with the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and smooth mounting of the supply container can be achieved.

[0089] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment is an embodiment different from the above-described third embodiment in which the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container can be performed without using a shutter. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first embodiment. Also, here, the case where, for example, the above-described shutter 4B (see FIG. 26(a)) is used for the shutter is shown.

[0090] The developer receiving device 8A of the present embodiment is shown in FIGS. 32(a) and 32(b). In the developer receiving device 8A of the present embodiment, a drawing member 50 is rotatably provided on the downstream side in the mounting direction opposite to the mounting portion 8f with the developer receiving portion 11 interposed therebetween. The drawing member 50 rotates with the supply container 1C locked along with the mounting operation of the supply container 1C, thereby drawing and holding the supply container 1C to a predetermined mounting completion position in the mounting direction.

[0091] FIG. 33 shows the drawing-in member 50. The drawing-in member 50 has a lift holding portion 50a, a rotating shaft portion 50b, a main body portion 50c, and a fixing portion 50d. The lift holding portion 50a is provided so as to protrude upstream in the mounting direction (the direction of arrow A) from the main body portion 50c, and the tip portion is formed in a hook claw shape for locking the supply container 1C. The drawing-in member 50 rotates about the rotating shaft portion 50b. In the present embodiment, by providing the rotating shaft portion 50b at the bent portion of the lift holding portion 50a, the tip portion of the lift holding portion 50a rotates in the direction opposite to the main body portion 50c as the main body portion 50c rotates. The fixing portion 50d is provided on the main body portion 50c so as to fix one end of a later-described drawing-in biasing member 51 (for example, a coil spring, see FIG. 37(a)) in order to obtain a force for rotating the drawing-in member 50 and drawing the supply container 1C toward the mounting direction side. As will be described later, when the drawing-in member 50 is pushed in the mounting direction via the cover 7 during the mounting of the supply container 1C, the drawing-in member 50 rotates so as to raise the tip portion of the lift holding portion 50a by the biasing force of the biasing member 51.

[0092] The supply container 1C of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 34. The supply container 1C mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3C, a shutter 4B, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a cover 7, and a lift portion 30C. The flange portion 3C includes an upper flange portion 31 and a lower flange portion 32C, and the upper flange portion 31 and the lower flange portion 32C are integrated with the shutter 4B inserted thereinto.

[0093] [Flange portion and lift portion] The flange portion 3C and the lift portion 30C will be described with reference to FIGS. 35(a) to 36(b). FIGS. 35(a) and 35(b) show the state when the supply container 1C is completely mounted. In the flange portion 3C of the present embodiment, a lift portion 30C is rotatably provided on the upper surface side of the lower flange portion 32C. The lift portion 30C is attached to the lower flange portion 32C so as to be vertically movable on the downstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) with respect to the upstream side (opposite side to the pulling member 50 of the developer receiving device 8A) starting from the lower flange portion 32C. Specifically, in order to rotatably support the lift portion 30C on the lower flange portion 32C, a fitting portion 32Ca for fitting the rotation shaft 30Cb of the lift portion 30C is formed on the lower flange portion 32C.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 36(a), the lift portion 30C has a pair of main body arms 30C1 extending in the mounting direction and a connecting portion 30C2 connecting these main body arms 30C1. In the present embodiment, since the lift portion 30C is provided on the upper surface side of the lower flange portion 32C, the pair of main body arms 30C1 are arranged opposite to each other with a space in the width direction so that the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1C is not blocked by the lift portion 30C. Accordingly, the width direction length of the connecting portion 30C2 is set.

[0095] A rotation shaft 30Cb is formed on the main body arm 30C1 so as to protrude from one side to the other side at the tip side on the upstream side in the mounting direction (opposite side to the connecting portion 30C2). Further, a locked portion 30Ca as a rotation operation portion is formed on the main body arm 30C1 at the tip side on the downstream side in the mounting direction (the same side as the connecting portion 30C2) so as to protrude toward the side opposite to the rotation shaft 30Cb. As will be described in detail later, the locked portion 30Ca is locked to the pulling member 50 (specifically, the lift holding portion 50a), and rotates about the rotation shaft 30Cb along with the pulling operation of the pulling member 50 to operate the receiving support portion 30Cc.

[0096] Further, the main body arm 30C1 is formed such that the receiving support portion 30Cc protrudes toward the side opposite to the rotation axis 30Cb and extends in the mounting direction. The receiving support portion 30Cc is disposed between the locked portion 30Ca and the rotation axis 30Cb in the main body arm 30C1 with respect to the mounting direction. In other words, in the main body arm 30C1 with respect to the mounting direction, the length from the rotation axis 30Cb to the receiving support portion 30Cc is set to be shorter than the length from the rotation axis 30Cb to the locked portion 30Ca. In this case, the fulcrum is the rotation axis 30Cb, the force point is the receiving support portion 30Cc, and the acting point is the locked portion 30Ca. From the moment relationship, the distance from the fulcrum to the force point can be made longer than the distance from the fulcrum to the acting point. In this way, the force required to move the developer receiving portion 11 vertically upward can be reduced.

[0097] The receiving support portion 30Cc can support the supported portion 11b (see FIG. 32(a)) of the developer receiving portion 11 from vertically below. As shown in FIG. 36(b), the receiving support portion 30Cc is formed to be inclined with respect to the main body arm 30C1 such that its upper surface is lower on the downstream side than on the upstream side in the mounting direction. However, the inclination angle of the receiving support portion 30Cc with respect to the mounting direction of the supply container 1C is set so as to be substantially horizontal when the supply container 1C is completely mounted.

[0098] [Operation of Developer Receiving Portion] The connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1C by the lift portion 30C will be described in the chronological order of the mounting operation of the supply container 1C with reference to FIGS. 37(a) to 40(b). FIGS. 37(a) and 37(b) show the start of mounting of the supply container 1C, FIGS. 38(a) and 38(b) show the start of rotation of the lift portion 30C, FIGS. 39(a) and 39(b) show the middle of rotation of the lift portion 30C, and FIGS. 40(a) and 40(b) show the completion of mounting of the supply container 1C. Note that the separation operation of the developer receiving portion 11 from the supply container 1C by the lift portion 30C in response to the detachment operation of the supply container 1C is omitted here because it follows the operation opposite to the connection operation described below.

[0099] At the start of mounting the supply container 1C as shown in Fig. 37(a), before the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4B comes into contact with the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8. In that case, within the supply container 1C, the lift portion 30C and the shutter 4B move integrally without relative movement. Also, the retracting member 50 biased by the retracting biasing member 51 has not started rotating, and the lift portion 30C is not lifted by the retracting member 50. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 37(b), the lift portion 30C is moved in the mounting direction while being maintained in a substantially horizontal state by its own weight. At this time, the lift portion 30C (specifically, the receiving support portion 30Cc) is at the lowest position, and the receiving support portion 30Cc of the lift portion 30C does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. As described above, since the developer receiving portion 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1C by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1C. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4B.

[0100] When the supply container 1C is inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 37(a), similar to the third embodiment described above, the relative movement of the shutter 4B in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is stopped. And in the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 38(a), the cover 7 starts to contact the main body portion 50c of the retracting member 50. Thereafter, as the supply container 1C is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction, the supply container 1C starts to be retracted in the mounting direction by the retracting member 50. In the case of this embodiment, in addition, the retracting member 50 is pushed in the mounting direction via the cover 7 and can rotate so as to raise the tip of the lift holding portion 50a in accordance with the biasing force of the retracting biasing member 51. Also, at this time, as shown in FIG. 38(b), the tip of the lift holding portion 50a of the retracting member 50 has reached below the locked portion 30Ca of the lift portion 30C in the vertical direction. Further, the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 starts to be supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30Cc of the lift portion 30C. In this case, while the container discharge port 3a4 is maintained in a state of being sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4B, the shutter opening 4j reaches above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 in the vertical direction. However, as shown in FIG. 38(a), since the lift portion 30C remains in a substantially horizontal state, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1C.

[0101] Subsequently, when the supply container 1C is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 38(a), as shown in Fig. 39(a), the supply container 1C moves relative to the shutter 4B in the mounting direction. Also, the retracting member 50 is pushed by the supply container 1C in the mounting direction via the cover 7 and rotates, and as shown in Fig. 39(b), locks the locked portion 30Ca of the lift portion 30C and lifts the lift portion 30C. As a result, the receiving support portion 30Cc of the lift portion 30C is moved substantially vertically upward. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported by the receiving support portion 30Cc of the lift portion 30C, the developer receiving portion 11 starts to move vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12. However, as shown in Fig. 39(a), the receiving port 11a is still in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1C.

[0102] Subsequently, when the supply container 1C is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 39(a), as shown in Fig. 40(a), the supply container 1C moves relative to the shutter 4B in the mounting direction in the same manner as before, and the supply container 1C reaches the mounting completion position. In this case, as shown in Fig. 40(b), the lift portion 30C stops rotating by the retracting member 50 with the receiving support portion 30Cc lifted to the maximum height position. And the developer receiving portion 11 with the supported portion 11b supported by the receiving support portion 30Cc is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1C. Thus, a state where the developer can be supplied is achieved. At this time, as shown in Fig. 40(a), the positional relationship between the container discharge port 3a4 and the lift portion 30C is such that the plane L (a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis P) passing through the container discharge port 3a4 passes through the lift portion 30C. Also, the plane including the receiving support portion 30Cc (see Fig. 36(b)) of the lift portion 30C is arranged between the rotation axis P and the container discharge port 3a4.

[0103] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving portion 11, the operation of the lift portion 30C accompanying the mounting operation of the supply container 1C is performed by the drawing member 50, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted vertically upward (toward the supply container side). In the case of this embodiment, the drawing member 50 not only draws the supply container 1C in the mounting direction by the urging force of the drawing urging member 51, but also rotates the lift portion 30C. According to this, when the lift portion 30C moves the developer receiving portion 11 vertically upward, since the urging force of the drawing urging member 51 is involved, less force is required compared to the above-described conventional example. That is, since the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, smooth mounting of the supply container can be realized.

[0104] In addition, in the above-described fourth embodiment, an example of rotating the lift portion 30C using the drawing member 50 has been described, but it is not necessary to use the drawing member 50 to rotate the lift portion 30C. That is, the end face of the connecting portion 30C2 of the lift portion 30C may be brought into contact with the wall surface on the back side in the mounting direction of the developer receiving device 8A, and the lift portion 30C may be slid on the wall surface of the developer receiving device 8A so as to rotate the lift portion 30C about the rotation axis 30Cb.

[0105] <Fifth Embodiment> Next, the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 41 to 45(b). The fifth embodiment is still another embodiment different from the above-described third and fourth embodiments, in which the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container can be performed without using a shutter. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will be centered on the parts different from the first embodiment.

[0106] [Lift Portion] As shown in Fig. 41, the supply container 1D of the fifth embodiment mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3D, a shutter 4D, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a lift portion 30D, a cover (not shown), a regulating member 60, and a biasing member 61 as a biasing means. The flange portion 3D consists of an upper flange portion 31 and a lower flange portion 32D, and the upper flange portion 31 and the lower flange portion 32D are integrated with the shutter 4D inserted therebetween. In the lower flange portion 32D of the present embodiment, the lift portion 30D is attached. The lift portion 30D moves integrally with the lower flange portion 32D in the attachment / detachment direction (directions of arrows A and B). On the other hand, the lift portion 30D is attached to the lower flange portion 32D so as to be vertically movable by a biasing member 61 (for example, a coil spring). One end of the biasing member 61 is fixed to the lower flange portion 32D, and the other end is fixed to the lift portion 30D, biasing the lift portion 30D in the vertically upward direction, that is, in the direction in which the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 communicates with the container discharge port 3a4. In the present embodiment, the lift portion 30D has a receiving support portion 30Da on its upper surface that can support the supported portion 11b (see Fig. 4(c)) of the developer receiving portion 11 from below in the vertical direction.

[0107] [Regulating member] At both ends in the width direction of the lower flange portion 32D, a regulating member 60 is slidably attached in the attaching / detaching direction (arrow A and B directions) so as to be relatively movable with respect to the lower flange portion 32D. Further, this regulating member 60 is disposed on the lower flange portion 32D so as to be able to press the lift portion 30D from above in the vertical direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 61. While the lift portion 30D is being pressed by the regulating member 60, the biasing member 61 is in a compressed state. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1D, the lower flange portion 32D moves relative to the regulating member 60, and at this time, the lift portion 30D moves in the mounting direction while sliding its upper surface (receiving support portion 30Da) on the regulating member 60. Then, when the pressing state of the lift portion 30D by the regulating member 60 is released, the lift portion 30D is moved upward in the vertical direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 61. Although details will be described later, in order to relatively move the regulating member 60 and the lift portion 30D, the regulating member 60 is formed with a contact portion 60a that contacts the developer receiving portion 11 (specifically, the movement restricting portion 11c (see FIG. 42(a))) when the supply container 1D is mounted.

[0108] [Shutter] The shutter 4D of the present embodiment is also provided so as to be relatively movable with respect to the flange portion 3D. However, the shutter 4D of the present embodiment is different from each of the shutters shown in the first to fourth embodiments described above in that the position with respect to the developer receiving device is fixed by the developer receiving portion 11. As will be described later, the shutter 4D of the present embodiment is restricted from moving in the mounting direction by the developer receiving portion 11. To do so, a stopper portion 4Db is formed on the shutter 4D, and a movement restricting portion 11c (see FIG. 42(a)) is formed on the developer receiving portion 11. During the mounting operation of the supply container 1, the movement of the shutter 4D is restricted by the stopper portion 4Db of the shutter 4D coming into contact with the movement restricting portion 11c of the developer receiving portion 11, and the position with respect to the developer receiving device is fixed.

[0109] [Operation of Developer Receiving Portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving unit 11 by the lift unit 30D to the supply container 1D, with reference to FIGS. 42(a) to 45(b), it will be described in the chronological order of the mounting operation of the supply container 1D. FIGS. 42(a) and 42(b) show the start of mounting the supply container 1D, FIGS. 43(a) and 43(b) show the start of rising of the lift unit 30D, FIGS. 44(a) and 44(b) show the middle of rising of the lift unit 30D, and FIGS. 45(a) and 45(b) show the completion of mounting the supply container 1D.

[0110] At the start of mounting the supply container 1D as shown in FIG. 42(a), before the stopper portion 4Db of the shutter 4D comes into contact with the movement restricting portion 11c of the developer receiving unit 11. In the case of this embodiment, in the developer receiving unit 11, an L-shaped arm portion that extends in a substantially L shape from substantially the center of a substantially cylindrical base portion 11d having a receiving port 11a and has a supported portion 11b on the tip side in the vertical upward direction forms the movement restricting portion 11c. When the stopper portion 4Db and the movement restricting portion 11c are not in contact, in the supply container 1D, the lift unit 30D and the shutter 4D move integrally without relative movement. Further, the lift unit 30D also moves integrally without relative movement with the restricting member 60 while a part thereof overlaps with the restricting member 60 when viewed from the vertical direction, that is, while being maintained in a state of being pressed by the restricting member 60. At this time, the lift unit 30D is at the lowest position, and the lift unit 30D does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. As described above, since the developer receiving unit 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1D by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1D. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4D.

[0111] When the supply container 1D is inserted deeper in the mounting direction (direction of arrow A) from the state shown in Fig. 42(a), as shown in Figs. 43(a) and 43(b), the stopper portion 4Db of the shutter 4D abuts on the movement restricting portion 11c of the developer receiving portion 11. However, the abutting portion 60a of the restricting member 60 and the movement restricting portion 11c have not yet abutted. That is, the abutting portion 60a of the restricting member 60 abuts later than the stopper portion 4Db of the shutter 4D against the movement restricting portion 11c of the developer receiving portion 11. Thereafter, as the supply container 1D is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction, the relative movement of the shutter 4D in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 stops, but the relative movement of the restricting member 60 in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 does not stop. Also, at this time, as shown in Fig. 43(b), the lift portion 30D reaches vertically below the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 starts to be supported from vertically below by the lift portion 30D. In this case, while the container discharge port 3a4 is maintained in a state of being sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4D, the shutter opening 4j reaches vertically above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11. However, since the lift portion 30D remains in a state of being pressed by the restricting member 60, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1.

[0112] Subsequently, when the supply container 1D is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 43(a), as shown in Figs. 44(a) and 44(b), the contact portion 60a of the regulating member 60 comes into contact with the movement regulating portion 11c of the developer receiving portion 11. Thereafter, as the supply container 1D is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction, while the relative movement of the regulating member 60 in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 stops, the movement of the lift portion 30D in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 continues. That is, the lift portion 30D moves relative to the regulating member 60 while supporting the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. Then, the pressing state of the lift portion 30D by the regulating member 60 is released (that is, when viewed in the vertical direction, the regulating member 60 and the lift portion 30D do not overlap), and the lift portion 30D can move vertically upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 61. Since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported by the lift portion 30D, the developer receiving portion 11 starts to move vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12 as the lift portion 30D moves vertically upward.

[0113] Figs. 45(a) and 45(b) show the completion of the mounting of the supply container 1D. As described above, the lift portion 30D whose pressing state by the regulating member 60 has been released moves vertically upward. Accordingly, the developer receiving portion 11 with the supported portion 11b supported by the lift portion 30D is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1, that is, a state where the developer can be supplied. In the present embodiment, the vertical upward movement of the lift portion 30D by the biasing member 61 at the completion of the mounting of the supply container 1D is regulated by the regulating member 60.

[0114] As described above, also in the fifth embodiment, since the lift portion 30D operates to move the developer receiving portion 11, the effect that the load associated with the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and thus smooth mounting of the supply container can be realized, is obtained.

[0115] Also, in the case of this embodiment, the biasing force of the biasing member 61 can improve the sealing performance between the receiving port 11a and the container discharge port 3a4. Further, when the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4, since the receiving port 11a applies a certain impact to the container discharge port 3a4 by the biasing force of the biasing member 61, an effect that the developer near the container discharge port 3a4 can be loosened is also obtained.

[0116] <Sixth Embodiment> In the above-described fifth embodiment, the regulating member 60 that moves independently of the shutter 4D presses the lift portion 30D. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the regulating member 60 may be moved together with the shutter to operate the lift portion 30D. Such a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 46(b) to 52(b). In the sixth embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the fifth embodiment.

[0117] FIGS. 46(a) and 46(b) show the supply container 1E of the sixth embodiment. In the supply container 1E of the present embodiment, a part of a regulating member 60E (see FIG. 48) to be described later is provided so as to protrude in the width direction from the cover 7E. Since the regulating member 60E is slidably attached in the attachment / detachment direction (directions of arrows A and B) so as to be relatively movable with respect to the lower flange portion, through holes 7Ea for passing a part of the regulating member 60E are formed along the attachment direction in both side walls in the width direction of the cover 7E.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 47, in the developer receiving device 8E, a restricting portion 8Ea that restricts the movement of the restricting member 60E in the mounting direction (direction of arrow A) during the mounting operation of the replenishing container 1E is formed upstream of the developer receiving portion 11 in the mounting direction. When the restricting member 60E abuts against the restricting portion 8Ea and its movement in the mounting direction is restricted, the position of the restricting member 60E with respect to the developer receiving device 8E is fixed. In this way, the position of the restricting member 60E is held with respect to the developer receiving device 8E, and the movement of the restricting member 60E in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 stops, but the movement of the replenishing container 1E except for the restricting member 60E in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is maintained. In the present embodiment, as will be described later (see FIG. 48), since the restricting member 60E is attached to the shutter 4E, when the movement of the restricting member 60E is restricted by the restricting portion 8Ea, the position of the shutter 4E with respect to the developer receiving device 8E is fixed. That is, the restricting member 60E restricts the relative movement of the shutter 4E with respect to the developer receiving device 8E.

[0119] [Restricting member] FIG. 48 shows the restricting member 60E and the shutter 4E. As shown in FIG. 48, the shutter 4E has a shutter opening 4j for discharging the developer, and a developer sealing portion 4a is provided at a position deviated from the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. Further, in the case of the present embodiment, in order to move the shutter 4E integrally with the restricting member 60E, a fixing hole 4Ea for fixing the restricting member 60E is formed.

[0120] The restricting member 60E has a pair of lift operation arm portions 60Eb extending in the mounting direction and a connecting portion 60Ec connecting these lift operation arm portions 60Eb. In the present embodiment, in order to integrally form the restricting member 60E and the shutter 4E, a fixing portion 60Ed for fixing to the fixing hole 4Ea of the shutter 4E is formed in the connecting portion 60Ec. Further, in order to prevent the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4E from being blocked by the restricting member 60E, the pair of lift operation arm portions 60Eb are arranged to face each other with a space therebetween in the width direction. The length of the connecting portion 60Ec in the width direction is set accordingly.

[0121] On the lift operation arm portion 60Eb, a stopper portion 60Ea is formed at the tip side on the upstream side in the mounting direction (opposite to the connecting portion 60Ec). This stopper portion 60Ea protrudes from the through hole 7Ea (see Fig. 46(b)) of the cover 7E and is formed to protrude in opposite directions in the width direction so as to contact the restricting portion 8Ea (see Fig. 47) of the developer receiving device 8E during the mounting operation of the supply container 1E. Further, the lift operation arm portion 60Eb is formed in the illustrated shape having a pressing portion 601 that causes the pressing state of the lift portion 30D and a releasing portion 602 that releases the pressing state of the lift portion 30D. As shown in Fig. 48, the pressing portion 601 is provided on the upstream side in the mounting direction from the releasing portion 602, and its length in the width direction is formed longer than that of the releasing portion 602. In other words, the releasing portion 602 is a recess formed between the pressing portion 601 and the connecting portion 60Ec with respect to the mounting direction.

[0122] [Operation of the developer receiving portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1E by the lift portion 30D, with reference to Figs. 49(a) to 52(b), it will be described in the chronological order of the mounting operation of the supply container 1E. Figs. 49(a) and 49(b) show the start of the mounting of the supply container 1E, Figs. 50(a) and 50(b) show the movement of the lift portion 30D in progress, Figs. 51(a) and 51(b) show the start of the ascent of the lift portion 30D, and Figs. 52(a) and 52(b) show the completion of the mounting of the supply container 1E. Note that regarding the separation operation of the developer receiving portion 11 from the supply container 1E by the lift portion 30D according to the detachment operation of the supply container 1E, since it follows the operation opposite to the connection operation described below, the description is omitted here.

[0123] At the start of mounting the supply container 1E as shown in Fig. 49(a), before the stopper portion 60Ea of the regulating member 60E comes into contact with the regulating portion 8Ea of the developer receiving device 8E. In that case, within the supply container 1E, the lift portion 30D remains overlapped with the pressing portion 601 of the regulating member 60E as viewed in the vertical direction, that is, remains in a state of being pressed by the regulating member 60E, and moves integrally with the regulating member 60E. At this time, the lift portion 30D is at the lowermost position, and the lift portion 30D does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. As described above, since the developer receiving portion 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1E by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1E. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4E.

[0124] When the supply container 1E is inserted deeper in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) from the state shown in Fig. 49(a), as shown in Figs. 50(a) and 50(b), the stopper portion 60Ea of the regulating member 60E comes into contact with the regulating portion 8Ea of the developer receiving device 8E. Thereafter, as the supply container 1E is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction, the relative movement of the regulating member 60E and the shutter 4E in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 stops. On the other hand, within the supply container 1E, the lift portion 30D moves relative to the regulating member 60E in the mounting direction. In this case, with the container discharge port 3a4 maintained in a state of being sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4E, the shutter opening 4j reaches above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 in the vertical direction. However, the lift portion 30D is in a state of overlapping with the pressing portion 601 of the regulating member 60E as viewed in the vertical direction. That is, since the lift portion 30D remains in a state of being pressed by the regulating member 60E, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1.

[0125] Subsequently, when the supply container 1E is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 50(a), as shown in FIGS. 51(a) and 51(b), the lift portion 30D that moves relatively reaches the release portion 602 of the regulating member 60E. Then, the pressing state of the lift portion 30D by the regulating member 60E is released, and the lift portion 30D can move vertically upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 61. At this time, the lift portion 30D reaches below the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 in the vertical direction, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 starts to be supported from below in the vertical direction by the lift portion 30D. As a result, the developer receiving portion 11 starts to move vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12 as the lift portion 30D moves vertically upward.

[0126] FIGS. 52(a) and 52(b) show the completion of the mounting of the supply container 1E. As described above, the lift portion 30D whose pressing state by the regulating member 60E is released moves vertically upward according to the biasing force of the biasing member 61. Along with this, the developer receiving portion 11 with the supported portion 11b supported by the lift portion 30D is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1, that is, a state where the developer can be supplied.

[0127] As described above, also in the sixth embodiment, since the lift portion 30D is operated to move the developer receiving portion 11, the effect that the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and thus smooth mounting of the supply container can be realized is obtained.

[0128] <Seventh Embodiment> In the above-described first to sixth embodiments, the lifting unit is operated by using the force applied by the operator during the operation of mounting the replenishment container on the developer receiving device 8, and the connection operation of the developer receiving unit to the replenishment container by the lifting unit is realized. However, the method of operating the lifting unit is not limited to this. For example, the lifting unit may be operated by the driving force of a motor or the magnetic force of a magnet. Therefore, first, a seventh embodiment in which the lifting unit is operated by using a motor will be described with reference to FIGS. 53(a) to 55. In the seventh embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first embodiment. Also, here, the case where, for example, the shutter 4B (see FIG. 26(a)) described above is used for the shutter is shown. Further, in FIGS. 53(a) and 53(b), for the sake of illustration, a part of the developer receiving device is not shown.

[0129] [Replenishment container] As shown in FIGS. 53(a) and 53(b), the replenishment container 1F of the seventh embodiment mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3F, a shutter 4B, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a cover 7F, and further a lifting unit 30F and a lifting mechanism K. The replenishment container 1F is detachably mounted on a developer receiving device 8 with some illustrations omitted. When the replenishment container 1 is mounted, the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving unit 11 is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 (see FIG. 5(b)) of the replenishment container 1. The developer receiving unit 11 is movably attached in a direction (vertical direction) in which the receiving port 11a moves closer to and farther from the container discharge port 3a4. A sub-hopper 8C for temporarily storing the developer replenished from the replenishment container 1 is provided below the developer receiving device 8 in the vertical direction. A conveying screw 14 for conveying the developer is provided in the sub-hopper 8c. A hole 7Fa through which a protrusion (not shown) formed on the developer receiving device 8 passes is formed in the cover 7F. The lifting mechanism K as a driving means is disposed on the downstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) from the upper flange portion 31 and is covered by the cover 7F together with the flange portion 3F, the pump portion 5, the reciprocating member 6, and the like.

[0130] [Lifting mechanism] The elevator mechanism K will be described with reference to FIGS. 54(a) to 55. FIG. 54(a) shows the state before the movement of the lift portion 30F by the elevator mechanism K, and FIG. 54(b) shows the state after the movement of the lift portion 30F by the elevator mechanism K. Further, FIG. 55 shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of the second switch 83 of the elevator mechanism K.

[0131] As shown in FIGS. 54(a) and 54(b), the elevator mechanism K is composed of a drive motor 80, a power source 81, a first switch 82, a second switch 83, a motor gear 84, a drive gear 85, and a lifting gear 86. In this embodiment, the drive motor 80, the power source 81, the first switch 82, and the second switch 83 are connected in series by an electric wire such as an enameled wire. The drive motor 80 is held by a substantially L-shaped motor holding portion Ka erected from the lower flange portion 32F. In addition to the drive motor 80, the power source 81 for supplying power to drive the drive motor 80, the first switch 82 for starting the drive of the drive motor 80, and the second switch 83 for stopping the drive of the drive motor 80 are held in this motor holding portion Ka. The second switch 83 is formed of two elastically deformable conductive metal plates arranged opposite to each other, and the two metal plates are provided so as to be displaceable between a position where they are in contact with each other and a position where they are separated from each other. The motor gear 84 is attached to the motor shaft of the drive motor 80 and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the drive motor 80. The drive gear 85 is meshed with the motor gear 84 and rotates by the rotation of the motor gear 84. Further, a cylindrical lifting gear 86 having a spiral groove around the rotation axis is extended vertically upward on the drive gear 85, and the lifting gear 86 rotates in the direction of arrow V together with the drive gear 85. That is, the rotational force of the drive motor 80 is transmitted to the lifting gear 86 via the motor gear 84 and the drive gear 85.

[0132] In the case of this embodiment, when the first switch 82 is pressed while the metal plates of the second switch 83 are in contact with each other, the drive motor 80 starts rotating by being supplied with power from the power source 81 and starting energization. Then, after the drive motor 80 starts rotating by being supplied with power from the power source 81, when the metal plates of the second switch 83 are displaced to a separated position, the power supply from the power source 81 is stopped and the rotation stops.

[0133] [Lift section] The lift section 30F will be described. The lift section 30F has a receiving support section 30Fa, a rotation restricting projection section 30Fb, a release projection section 30Fc, and a gear fitting hole 30Fd. The receiving support section 30Fa is formed on both end sides in the width direction of the lift section 30F so as to project in the width direction and extend in the mounting direction (arrow A direction). The receiving support section 30Fa can support the supported section 11b of the developer receiving section 11 from vertically below. The lifting gear 86 is attached to the gear fitting hole 30Fd so as to mesh with the spiral groove of the lifting gear 86. And the rotation restricting projection section 30Fb is formed so as to be sandwiched between a pair of rotation restricting sections 87 erected vertically upward on the lower flange section 32F and facing each other. By doing so, the lift section 30F can move relative to the lifting gear 86 vertically upward without rotating due to the rotation of the lifting gear 86. As a result, the lift section 30F is moved vertically upward. And when the supported section 11b of the developer receiving section 11 is supported from vertically below by the receiving support section 30Fa of the lift section 30F, the developer receiving section 11 is moved vertically upward against the biasing force of the biasing member 12.

[0134] [Operation of developer receiving section] Next, the connection operation of the developer receiving section 11 to the supply container 1F by the lift section 30F will be described. At the start of mounting of the supply container 1F, the lifting mechanism K is not operating, the lift section 30F is at the lowest position, and the receiving support section 30Fa of the lift section 30F does not support the supported section 11b of the developer receiving section 11. As described above, since the developer receiving section 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1 by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1.

[0135] Thereafter, when the supply container 1F is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction, as shown in Fig. 54(a), the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 starts to be supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30Fa of the lift portion 30F. However, at this time as well, the elevating mechanism K has not yet operated. That is, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1F. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 remains sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4B.

[0136] When the supply container 1F reaches the mounting completion position, a protrusion (not shown) of the developer receiving device 8 penetrates into the cover 7F through the hole 7Fa of the cover 7F described above and presses the first switch 82. Also, the shutter opening 4j and the container discharge port 3a4 are in communication. Then, when the first switch 82 is pressed, the drive motor 80 is supplied with power from the power source 81 and starts rotating. The lifting gear 86 rotates via the motor gear 84 and the drive gear 85. As shown in Fig. 54(b), the lift portion 30F moves upward in the vertical direction. Since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30Fa of the lift portion 30F, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 12. Note that the operation of the first switch 82 is not limited to being performed by the protrusion of the developer receiving device 8, and it may be performed by the operator after the supply container 1 is completely mounted.

[0137] Then, as shown in Fig. 55, the lift portion 30F pushes up one of the metal plates (here, the metal plate 83b arranged vertically upward) constituting the second switch 83 with the release protrusion 30Fc. When the metal plate 83b is elastically deformed by the pushing up by the lift portion 30F, the metal plate 83b and the metal plate 83a are separated from the contact state. As a result, the power supply from the power source 81 to the drive motor 80 is cut off, so the drive motor 80 stops rotating. If the drive motor 80 stops rotating, the rotation of the lifting gear 86 rotating via the motor gear 84 and the drive gear 85 also stops. As a result, the lift portion 30F stops moving.

[0138] In this way, by moving the lift part 30F, the developer receiving part 11 is moved until the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1F. In that case, the container discharge port 3a4 is exposed from the shutter 4B, and the container discharge port 3a4 and the receiving port 11a are in communication. Thus, the state in which the developer can be replenished is achieved.

[0139] When the supply container 1F is detached in the detachment direction (arrow B direction), the support of the supported part 11b of the developer receiving part 11 by the receiving support part 30Fa of the lift part 30F is released. Then, the developer receiving part 11 is moved downward in the vertical direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 12.

[0140] As described above, in the seventh embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving part 11, the operation of the lift part 30F is performed by the drive motor 80, and the supported part 11b of the developer receiving part 11 is lifted upward in the vertical direction (toward the supply container side). According to this, when the lift part 30F moves the developer receiving part 11 upward in the vertical direction, the driving force of the drive motor 80 is added, so that less force is required compared to the above-described conventional example. That is, since the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving part 11 is reduced, the effect that the supply container can be smoothly mounted is obtained.

[0141] <Eighth Embodiment> Next, the eighth embodiment in which the lift part is operated using magnetic force will be described with reference to FIGS. 56(a) to 62. In the eighth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by common reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first embodiment.

[0142] When this embodiment is compared with the first embodiment, it is significantly different in that a first magnet 70 is provided on the shutter 4G instead of the shutter inclined portion 4f, and a second magnet 71 is provided on the lift portion 30G supported at one end by the lift holding portion 3b. In the case of this embodiment, the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 are respectively provided such that when they face each other when the supply container 1G is attached, the facing surfaces facing each other have the same polarity, as will be described later. That is, the first magnet 70 is arranged such that the lift portion 30G side (support portion side) of the shutter 4G has a predetermined polarity, and the second magnet 71 is arranged such that the shutter 4G side (shutter side) of the lift portion 30G has the same polarity. Thereby, when the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 face each other, the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 repel each other. As shown in FIG. 56(b), the second magnet 71 is provided on the lower side in the vertical direction of the receiving support portion 30c. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 57(a) and 57(b), the first magnet 70 is provided on the support portion 4d that displaceably supports the stopper portions 4b and 4c of the shutter 4G. The shutter 4G is provided with a shutter opening 4j for discharging the developer and a developer sealing portion 4a at a position deviated from the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4.

[0143] [Operation of Developer Receiving Portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1G by the lift portion 30G, FIGS. 58(a) to 61(b) will be used to explain in chronological order of the attachment operation of the supply container 1G. FIGS. 58(a) and 58(b) show the start of attachment of the supply container 1G, FIGS. 59(a) and 59(b) show the start of ascent of the lift portion 30G, FIGS. 60(a) and 60(b) show the middle of ascent of the lift portion 30G, and FIGS. 61(a) and 61(b) show the completion of attachment of the supply container 1G. Regarding the separation operation of the developer receiving portion 11 to the supply container 1G by the lift portion 30G according to the detachment operation of the supply container 1G, since it follows the opposite operation to the connection operation described below, the description is omitted here.

[0144] When starting to mount the supply container 1G as shown in Fig. 58(a), the shutter 4G and the lift portion 30G move integrally without relative movement inside the supply container 1G. When the shutter 4G and the lift portion 30G move integrally, the distance between the first magnet 70 of the shutter 4G and the second magnet 71 of the lift portion 30G in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) is maintained. In that case, the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 do not face each other and are hardly affected by each other's magnetic force, so they do not repel each other. Therefore, the lift portion 30G is at the lowermost position where it abuts against the lift stopper portion 3c, and the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30G does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. As described above, since the developer receiving portion 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1 by the biasing member 12, the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1G. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4G.

[0145] When the supply container 1G is inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 58(a), as described above, the first stopper portion 4b of the shutter 4G and the first shutter stopper portion 8a of the developer receiving device 8 engage with each other. Thereby, the position of the shutter 4G with respect to the developer receiving device 8 is fixed. By holding the position of the shutter 4G with respect to the developer receiving device 8, the movement of the shutter 4G in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 stops, but the movement of the supply container 1G except the shutter 4G in the mounting direction with respect to the developer receiving portion 11 is maintained. Also, in this case, as shown in Fig. 59(b), the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is started to be supported from vertically below by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30G. In this case, while the container discharge port 3a4 is maintained in a state sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4G, the shutter opening 4j reaches above the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 in the vertical direction. However, since the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 do not face each other and the influence of each other's magnetic force is weak, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a is in a state separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1G.

[0146] Subsequently, when the supply container 1G is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 59(a), as shown in FIG. 60(a), the supply container 1G moves relative to the shutter 4G in the mounting direction. At this time, the container discharge port 3a4 is not exposed from the shutter 4G and remains sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a. Also, in this case, as shown in FIG. 60(b), since the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 are in a facing state, the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 with the same polarity repel each other. As a result, the lift portion 30G is moved upward in the vertical direction. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30G, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 12. Note that since the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 repel each other, a downward force in the vertical direction is also applied to the shutter 4G. However, since the shutter 4G is held by the mounting portion 8f of the developer receiving device 8, the vertical position of the shutter 4G is maintained even under the influence of the magnetic force.

[0147] Subsequently, when the supply container 1G is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 60(a), as shown in FIG. 61(a), the supply container 1G moves relative to the shutter 4G in the mounting direction in the same manner as before, and the supply container 1G reaches the mounting completion position. Also, as shown in FIG. 60(b), the first magnet 70 reaches approximately the center in the vertical direction of the second magnet 71, and the repulsive force between the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 becomes maximum, so the movement of the lift portion 30G stops at the maximum reach position in the vertical direction. In this case, the developer receiving portion 11 with the supported portion 11b supported by the lift portion 30G is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1G. Thus, a state where the developer can be supplied is achieved.

[0148] As described above, in the eighth embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving portion 11, the operation of the lift portion 30G is performed by the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted vertically upward (toward the supply container). According to this, when the lift portion 30G moves the developer receiving portion 11 vertically upward, since the repulsive force of the magnetic force generated by the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 is added, a smaller force is required compared to the above-described conventional example. That is, since the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, the effect that the supply container can be smoothly attached is obtained.

[0149] Also, in the case of the present embodiment, the supported portion 11b supported by the receiving support portion 30c moves on the upper surface (substantially horizontal surface) of the receiving support portion 30c. Compared with the case where the supported portion 11b as in the above-described conventional example slides on the inclined guide portion 310, when the supported portion 11b in the present embodiment slides on the horizontal surface, the load applied in the horizontal direction (mounting direction) when mounting the supply container 1G can be reduced. Thereby, smoother attachment of the supply container can be realized.

[0150] <Ninth Embodiment> In the above-described eighth embodiment, an example in which the first magnet 70 is formed integrally with the shutter 4G has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a magnet member separate from the shutter may be provided so that the first magnet 70 can be easily added to an existing shutter. The ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 62(a) to 63(c). In the ninth embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described eighth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will be centered on the parts different from the eighth embodiment.

[0151] Figures 62(a) and 62(b) show the mounting member 72 of the present embodiment. The mounting member 72 is used by being superposed on the shutter 4B (see Fig. 26(a)) described above, and has stopper portions 72b and 72c having the same shape as the stopper portions 4b and 4c of the shutter 4B, and a support portion 72d having the same shape as the support portion 4d. That is, the mounting member 72 is formed so that its appearance substantially coincides with that of the shutter 4B when viewed from directly above in the vertical direction in a state where it is superposed on the shutter 4B. Thereby, like the shutter 4B, the mounting member 72 is held by the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b (see Fig. 4(a)) of the developer receiving device 8, and can move relative to a part of the supply container 1G other than that together with the shutter 4B. That is, as shown in Figs. 63(a) to 63(c), in the supply container 1G, the mounting member 72 is attached to the shutter 4B in a state where it is superposed vertically above the shutter 4B. When attaching / detaching to / from the developer receiving device 8, the stopper portions 72b and 72c of the mounting member 72 engage with the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b of the developer receiving device 8, and the position of the mounting member 72 with respect to the developer receiving device 8 is fixed. At this time, the stopper portions 4b and 4c of the shutter 4B also engage with the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b, and the shutter 4B is also fixed with respect to the developer receiving device 8.

[0152] The first magnet 70 is provided on the stopper portions 72b and 72c. In the case of the present embodiment, the first magnet 70 is arranged so as to substantially coincide with the arrangement position of the first magnet 70 in the shutter 4G described above when the mounting member 72 is superposed on the shutter 4B. By doing so, in a state where the mounting member 72 is fixed to the developer receiving device 8, the positional relationship between the first magnet 70 and the second magnet 71 of the lift portion 30G becomes the same positional relationship as that in the eighth embodiment described above. According to this, when the supply container 1G is mounted, the lift portion 30G can be moved vertically upward using magnetic force so that the developer receiving portion 11 is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1G.

[0153] Note that the mounting member 72 of the present embodiment does not have a shutter, and can be applied to a configuration in which the container discharge port 3a4 (see FIG. 5(b)) of the supply container 1G is sealed with a film-like seal member (not shown) instead of a shutter. In this case, after the supply container 1G is attached to the developer receiving device 8, the operator pulls out the seal member, so that the developer in the supply container 1G can be supplied. Even with such a configuration, by providing the above-described mounting member 72, the lift portion 30G can be operated using magnetic force, and the developer receiving portion 11 can be connected to the supply container 1G. Thus, the above-described ninth embodiment is applicable regardless of the presence or absence of a shutter.

[0154] <Tenth Embodiment> Furthermore, the lift portion may be operated using gravity. The tenth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 64 to 74. In the tenth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0155] FIG. 64 shows a supply container 1H of the tenth embodiment. The supply container 1H mainly includes a container body 2, a flange portion 3H, a shutter 4H, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a cover 7, a lift portion 30H, and a weight 90. The weight 90 is disposed on the downstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) from the upper flange portion 31 and vertically above the shutter 4H, and is covered by the cover 7 together with the flange portion 3H, the pump portion 5, the reciprocating member 6, and the like. As will be described later, the weight 90 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction within the cover 7 and is supported by the shutter 4H.

[0156] [Weight] Figures 65(a) and 65(b) show the weight 90. The weight 90 has protrusions 90a on both ends in the width direction. The protrusions 90a are formed in an elongated shape in the vertical direction. One end of a wire, which will be described later, is fixed to the protrusion 90a. Also, the weight 90 has a shutter supported portion 90b that protrudes vertically downward from the upstream bottom surface on the downstream side of the central portion with respect to the mounting direction (arrow A direction). When the shutter 4H abuts against this shutter supported portion 90b, the weight 90 is supported by the shutter 4H. Further, the weight 90 is formed such that the length in the width direction on the lower side in the vertical direction including the shutter supported portion 90b is shorter than the length in the width direction on the upper side in the vertical direction. This is to secure a space for passing a wire and the like, which will be described later, on both ends in the width direction of the weight 90.

[0157] [Flange portion] The flange portion 3H will be described with reference to FIG. 66. The lower flange portion 32H includes a shutter insertion portion 3b1 into which the shutter 4H, which will be described later, is inserted. The lower flange portion 32H is integrated with the upper flange portion 31 in a state where the shutter 4H is inserted into the shutter insertion portion 3b1. On both sides in the width direction of the lower flange portion 32H, lift holding portions 92 for slidably holding a later-described lift portion 30H (see FIG. 67) in the vertical direction are formed in a slit shape. On the downstream side in the mounting direction from this lift holding portion 92, a weight holding portion 93 for slidably holding the protrusion 90a of the weight 90 in the vertical direction is formed in a slit shape. That is, the movement of the lift portion 30H in the attachment / detachment direction (arrow A, B directions) is restricted by the lift holding portion 92, and the movement of the weight 90 in the attachment / detachment direction (arrow A, B directions) is restricted by the weight holding portion 93. Also, wire holding portions 91 for holding a later-described wire are provided on both sides in the width direction of the upper flange portion 31.

[0158] [Lift portion] FIG. 67 shows the lift portion 30H. The lift portion 30H has a fitting portion 30Ha, a wire connection portion 30Hb, a receiving support portion 30c, and a lift main body portion 30d. In the lift main body portion 30d, a receiving support portion 30c is formed that can support the supported portion 11b (see FIG. 4(c)) of the developer receiving portion 11 from vertically below. On the side of the lift main body portion 30d opposite to the receiving support portion 30c, a wire connection portion 30Hb for fixing one end of a wire described later is provided. The fitting portion 30Ha protrudes from the surface of the lift main body portion 30d on the side opposite to the receiving support portion 30c and connects the lift main body portion 30d and the wire connection portion 30Hb. As shown in the figure, the fitting portion 30Ha is formed shorter than the lengths of the lift main body portion 30d and the wire connection portion 30Hb with respect to the mounting direction (arrow A direction). In the case of this embodiment, when the fitting portion 30Ha is fitted into the lift holding portion 92 of the lower flange portion 32H, the lift portion 30H is held slidably in the vertical direction with respect to the flange portion 3H.

[0159] [Shutter] FIG. 68 shows the shutter 4H. In this embodiment, the shutter 4H is used to operate the lift portion 30H by a weight 90 that moves according to gravity. To do so, a weight support portion 4H1 is formed on the shutter 4H. As shown in FIG. 68, in the case of this embodiment, the weight support portion 4H1 as a moving member is formed to protrude toward the supply container side over the entire width direction at the downstream end portion in the mounting direction (arrow A direction). Further, the weight support portion 4H1 is formed in an inclined shape such that the vertical length gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the mounting direction. In other words, the weight support portion 4H1 has an inclined surface that is inclined toward the developer receiving portion side as it goes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the mounting direction. As will be described in detail later, when the supply container 1H moves relative to the shutter 4H, the weight 90 also moves relative to the shutter 4H. In that case, as the weight 90 moves while sliding on the weight support portion 4H1 according to gravity, the lift portion 30H connected to the weight 90 by a wire is moved in the vertical direction.

[0160] [Wire] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 69(a) and 69(b), the weight 90 and the lift portion 30H are connected by a wire 95. One end of the wire 95, which is a moving member and also a string-like member, is fixed to the protruding portion 90a of the weight 90, and the other end is fixed to the wire connection portion 30Hb (see FIG. 67) of the lift portion 30H. Further, the wire 95 is passed through the first wire holding portion 91 of the upper flange portion 31 and the second wire holding portion 94 formed in the weight holding portion 93 of the lower flange portion 32H, so as to be held without being bent. Thereby, the displacement amount of the weight 90 and the displacement amount of the lift portion 30H become substantially the same. Note that the length of the wire 95 is set such that when the weight 90 is located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction, the lift portion 30H is located at the lowermost position in the vertical direction, and when the weight 90 is located at the lowermost position in the vertical direction, the lift portion 30H is located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction.

[0161] [Operation of Developer Receiving Portion] Regarding the connection operation of the developer receiving portion 11 by the lift portion 30H to the supply container 1H, with reference to FIGS. 70(a) to 74, it will be described in the chronological order of the mounting operation of the supply container 1H to the developer receiving device 8. FIGS. 70(a) and 70(b) show the start of mounting of the supply container 1H, and FIGS. 71(a) and 71(b) show the start of ascent of the lift portion 30H. Further, FIGS. 72(a) and 72(b) show the middle of the ascent of the lift portion 30H, FIGS. 73(a) and 73(b) show the completion of the ascent of the lift portion 30H, and FIG. 74 shows the completion of mounting of the supply container 1H.

[0162] When starting to mount the supply container 1H as shown in Fig. 70(a), the shutter 4H and the lift portion 30H move integrally without relative movement inside the supply container 1H. When the shutter 4H and the lift portion 30H move integrally, the weight 90 is supported by the shutter 4H on the uppermost surface of the weight support portion 4H1. In this case, as shown in Fig. 70(b), since the weight 90 is located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction, the lift portion 30H is at the lowermost position where it abuts against the lift stopper portion 3c. Also, the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30H does not support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11. As described above, since the developer receiving portion 11 is biased in a direction away from the supply container 1 by the biasing member 12 (see Fig. 3(b)), the receiving port 11a is in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1. Note that the container discharge port 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4H.

[0163] When the supply container 1H is inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 70(a), as already described, the position of the shutter 4H with respect to the developer receiving device 8 is fixed. As a result, the relative movement in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) of the developer receiving portion 11 of the supply container 1H excluding the shutter 4H is maintained. Therefore, the container discharge port 3a4 is maintained in a state of being sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4H. And, as shown in Fig. 71(b), the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30H. However, the weight 90 remains in the state of being supported on the uppermost surface of the weight support portion 4H1 and located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction. Therefore, since the lift portion 30H remains at the lowermost position in the vertical direction, the developer receiving portion 11 is not displaced from the initial position, and the receiving port 11a remains in a state of being separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1H.

[0164] Subsequently, when the supply container 1H is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in FIG. 71(a), as shown in FIG. 72(a), the supply container 1H moves relative to the shutter 4H in the mounting direction. At this time, the container discharge port 3a4 is not exposed from the shutter 4H and remains sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a. Also, in this case, in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1H, the weight 90 moves downward in the vertical direction while sliding along the weight support portion 4H1 according to gravity. Then, as shown in FIG. 72(b), the lift portion 30H is pulled by the weight 90 via the wire 95 and moved upward in the vertical direction. And since the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is supported from below in the vertical direction by the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30H, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 12. At this time, as the weight 90 moves downward along the weight support portion 4H1, the lift portion 30H moves upward in the vertical direction by the same displacement as the displacement of the weight 90. However, the receiving port 11a is still separated from the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1H. In this case, the container discharge port 3a4 is not exposed from the shutter 4H and remains sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a.

[0165] As an example, the weight 90 is made of brass and has a volume of, for example, 43 cm 3 formed therein. In that case, the weight of the weight 90 is 360 g. And the biasing member 12 that biases the developer receiving portion 11 in a direction away from the supply container 1H has a biasing force set to, for example, 300 g. The biasing force of the biasing member 12 is set to a value lower than the added value of the weight of the weight 90 and the weight of the lift portion 30H (for example, 10 g). Therefore, as the weight 90 moves, the lift portion 30H can be moved via the wire 95. Note that the volume and material of the weight 90 are not limited to this, and any material may be used as long as the added value with the weight of the lift portion 30H exceeds the biasing force of the biasing member 12.

[0166] Subsequently, when the supply container 1H is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 72(a), as shown in Fig. 73(a), since the supply container 1H moves relative to the shutter 4H in the mounting direction, the weight 90 moves further downward in the vertical direction according to gravity. Thus, in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1H, when the weight 90 moves to the lowermost position in the vertical direction, the lift portion 30H moves to the uppermost position in the vertical direction and stops. In the case of this embodiment, the developer receiving portion 11 where the supported portion 11b is supported by the lift portion 30H is in a state where the receiving port 11a is connected to the shutter opening 4j, but the container discharge port 3a4 is not exposed from the shutter 4H and remains sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a.

[0167] Then, as the supply container 1H is further inserted deeper in the mounting direction from the state shown in Fig. 73(a), the supply container 1H moves relative to the shutter 4H in the mounting direction, and thus the supply container 1H reaches the mounting completion position. In this embodiment, in this case, as shown in Fig. 74, the container discharge port 3a4 is exposed from the shutter 4H, and the container discharge port 3a4 and the receiving port 11a communicate with each other. Thus, a state where the developer can be supplied is achieved. At this time, as shown in Fig. 73(b), the positional relationship between the container discharge port 3a4 and the lift portion 30H is such that the plane L (a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis P) passing through the container discharge port 3a4 passes through the lift portion 30H. Also, the plane including the receiving support portion 30c of the lift portion 30H is arranged between the rotation axis P and the container discharge port 3a4.

[0168] Conversely, when the supply container 1H is detached, the weight 90 is lifted by the shutter 4H and moves upward in the vertical direction along with the detachment operation of the supply container 1H. In response to the weight 90 moving upward in the vertical direction, the lift portion 30H moves downward in the vertical direction due to its own weight and the biasing force of the biasing member 12 that biases the developer receiving portion 11. In this way, the developer receiving portion 11 moves to the side opposite to the supply container 1H, that is, moves away.

[0169] As described above, in the tenth embodiment, in order to move the developer receiving portion 11, the operation of the lift portion 30H is performed by the movement of the weight 90, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted vertically upward (toward the supply container). According to this, when the lift portion 30H moves the developer receiving portion 11 vertically upward, a pulling force by the weight 90 is applied, so that a smaller force is required compared to the above-described conventional example. That is, since the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, the effect that the supply container can be smoothly attached is obtained.

[0170] Further, by changing the inclination angle of the weight support portion 4H1 of the shutter 4H and the arrangement position of the weight support portion 4H1 in the mounting direction, the lifting timing and the lifting speed can be changed, so that the degree of design freedom is high.

[0171] In the present embodiment, an example in which the weight support portion 4H1 for holding the weight 90 is integrally formed with the shutter 4H has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The above-described weight support portion 4H1 may be provided on a member separate from the shutter 4H, and this member may be attached to, for example, the shutter 4B (see FIG. 26(a)) that does not have the weight support portion 4H1.

[0172] <Eleventh Embodiment> In the above-described tenth embodiment, an example in which the displacement of the weight 90 is transmitted to the lift portion 30H using the wire 95 in order to operate the lift portion using gravity has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the displacement of the weight 90 is transmitted to the lift portion using a rotating member without using the wire 95. Such an eleventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 75 and 76. FIG. 75 shows the start of attachment of the supply container 1J in the present embodiment, and FIG. 76 shows the completion of attachment of the supply container 1J in the present embodiment. In the eleventh embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described tenth embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the tenth embodiment.

[0173] As shown in FIG. 75, in the supply container 1J of the present embodiment, in the flange portion 3J, the lift portion 30J is rotatably provided on each of the rotation shafts 32Ja provided at both ends in the width direction of the lower flange portion 32J. The lift portion 30J of the present embodiment is formed in a lift main body portion 30Jb that is rotatable about the rotation shaft 32Ja and has a receiving support portion 30Ja that can support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 from below in the vertical direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the receiving support portion 30Ja is provided on the upstream side in the mounting direction (arrow A direction) integrally with the lift main body portion 30Jb as a rotation operation portion. The lift main body portion 30Jb is formed in a long shape so as to be able to contact the protruding portion 90a of the weight 90 on the downstream side in the mounting direction and support the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 by the receiving support portion 30Ja on the upstream side, and is disposed on the lower flange portion 32J.

[0174] In the present embodiment, as the weight 90 moves vertically downward along the weight support portion 4H1 (see FIG. 68) of the shutter 4H due to gravity during the mounting operation of the supply container 1J, one end side of the lift main body portion 30Jb where the receiving support portion 30Ja is not formed is pushed down by the protruding portion 90a. Then, as shown in FIG. 76, the lift main body portion 30Jb rotates about the rotation shaft 32Ja, and prior to this, the receiving support portion 30Ja that has already supported the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted. Then, in response to the mounting operation of the supply container 1J, when the weight 90 moves to the lowermost position in the vertical direction, the receiving support portion 30Ja moves to the uppermost position in the vertical direction. As a result, the developer receiving portion 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction toward the supply container 1J side, so that the container discharge port 3a4 of the supply container 1J and the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 can be brought into a connected state. In this way, a state in which the developer can be supplied is achieved. At this time, as shown in FIG. 76, the positional relationship between the container discharge port 3a4 and the lift portion 30J is such that a plane L (a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis P) passing through the container discharge port 3a4 passes through the lift portion 30J. Further, the plane including the receiving support portion 30Ja of the lift portion 30J is disposed between the rotation axis P and the container discharge port 3a4.

[0175] Conversely, when the supply container 1J is detached, the weight 90 is lifted by the shutter 4H and moves upward in the vertical direction along with the detachment operation of the supply container 1J. When the weight 90 moves upward in the vertical direction, the other end side where the receiving support portion 30Ja is formed moves downward due to the weight of the receiving support portion 30Ja and the biasing force of the biasing member 12 that biases the developer receiving portion 11. In this way, the developer receiving portion 11 moves to the side opposite to the supply container 1J, that is, moves apart from it.

[0176] As described above, also in the eleventh embodiment, the operation of the lift portion 30J is performed by the movement of the weight 90, and the supported portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted upward in the vertical direction (toward the supply container side). As a result, the load applied to the movement of the developer receiving portion 11 is reduced, and thus the effect that the supply container can be smoothly attached is obtained.

[0177] Also, in this embodiment, since the principle of a lever is used, it is easy to make changes such as reducing the weight of the weight 90 and increasing the displacement amount by changing the position of the fulcrum, that is, the center of rotation, or conversely increasing the weight of the weight 90 and reducing the displacement amount.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0178] 1…Developer supply container (supply container), 2c…Developer storage section, 3a4…Discharge port (container discharge port), 3i…Guiding means (restricting rib), 4(4A, 4B, 4D, 4E, 4G, 4H)…Shutter, 4f…Inclined section (operating means, shutter inclined section), 4g…Rotating operation section (first rack gear), 4H1…Moving member (weight support section), 8…Developer receiving device, 11…Developer receiving section, 11a…Receiving port, 11b…Supported section, 30(30A~30H, 30J)…Support section (lift section), 30b…Sliding section (operating means, shutter sliding section), 30e…Conversion transmission mechanism (second rack gear), 30Bd…Guiding means (holding section, engaging hole), 30Ca…Rotating operation section (operating means, locked section), 30Cb…Rotating shaft (operating means), 30Jb…Rotating operation section (lift main body section), 32Ja…Rotating shaft (moving member), 40…Rotating body (pinion gear), 45…Sliding operation section (lift operation arm section), 50…Pull-in member, 60…Restricting member (operating means), 61…Biasing means (operating means, biasing member), 70…First magnet (operating means), 71…Second magnet (operating means), 72…Mounting member, 90…Weight (operating means), 95…Moving member (string-like member, wire), 200…Developer supply system, 700…Discharge section, K…Driving means (elevating mechanism)

Claims

Claim 1 A developer supply container comprising: a developer storage section for storing a developer; a developer discharge section communicating with the developer storage section, wherein the developer storage section is rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the developer discharge section, and a developer discharge port for discharging the developer stored in the developer storage section to the outside is provided on the bottom side of the developer discharge section; a lifter provided outside the developer discharge section, the lifter being linearly movable up and down with respect to the developer discharge section in a direction intersecting a horizontal plane including the rotation axis when the developer supply container is placed such that the developer discharge port is located on the bottom side of the developer discharge section. A developer supply container characterized by the above.

Images