Image formation apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image formation apparatus capable of reducing a space required for opening a cover.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus 1 comprises an apparatus body 2 having a cover 14 on its side surface, and a toner container 13 supported inside the apparatus body 2. The cover reciprocally rotates between a closed position in which it stands upright along the side surface of the apparatus body 2 and an open position P2 in which it is inclined outside the apparatus body 2 about its lower portion so that the angle formed with the side surface of the apparatus body 2 is acute. The toner container 13 comprises a supply container 32 that stores toner to be supplied and a collection container 33 that stores waste toner arranged vertically. The toner container 13 reciprocally rotates between a mounted position where it stands upright inside the apparatus body 2 and an attachment / detachment position where it is inclined outside the apparatus body 2 about its lower portion so as to align with the cover 14 arranged at the open position P2. The toner container 13 arranged at the attachment / detachment position is attached and detached along the cover 14 arranged at the open position P2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] An image forming device with a toner cartridge built in along the side of the device body is known (Patent Document 1). A cover that rotates around the rear end is provided on the side of the device body. Opening the cover opens the toner cartridge attachment / detachment opening, making it possible to attach and detach (replace) the toner cartridge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-068211 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the image forming device described above, when installing or removing a toner cartridge, the cover must be opened more than 90 degrees relative to the side of the device body. In order to open this cover, a large space must be secured to the side of the image forming device. For example, the image forming device could not be installed in a place where there is not enough space to open the cover, such as a small office.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can reduce the space required to open a cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a device main body having an openable / closable cover on its side, and a toner container supported inside the device main body in a detachable manner, wherein the cover rotates back and forth between a closed position in which it stands along the side of the device main body and an open position in which it is tilted around its lower part toward the outside of the device main body so that the angle it forms with the side of the device main body is an acute angle, and the toner container is composed of a supply container for storing toner to be replenished and a collection container for storing toner to be discarded, arranged in an upright direction, and the toner container rotates back and forth between an attached position in which it stands inside the device main body and an attached / detached position in which it is tilted around its lower part toward the outside of the device main body so as to follow the cover positioned in the open position, and the toner container positioned in the attached / detached position is attached and detached along the cover positioned in the open position.

[0007] In this case, the device further includes a developing device that develops a latent image formed on an image carrier with the toner, a cleaning device that removes the toner remaining on the image carrier, a supply path section that supplies the toner from the supply container to the developing device, and a recovery path section that recovers the toner from the cleaning device to the recovery container, wherein a supply port is formed on the bottom surface of the supply container and connected to the top surface of the supply path section to allow the toner to flow into the supply path section, and a recovery port is formed on the top surface of the recovery container and connected to the bottom surface of the recovery path section to allow the toner to flow in from the recovery path section, and the supply port is positioned closer to the inside of the device main body than a vertical imaginary line that extends in a vertical direction through the rotation axis of the toner container, and the recovery port is positioned closer to the outside of the device main body than the vertical imaginary line.

[0008] In this case, the recovery container is arranged below the supply container across a connection space in which the supply path section and a portion of the recovery path section are arranged, and the supply port is connected to the supply path section in the connection space, and the recovery port is connected to the recovery path section in the connection space.

[0009] In this case, the supply port may be located higher than the recovery port in the connection space.

[0010] In this case, in the connection space, the supply port and the recovery port are arranged offset from each other in the axial direction of the rotation axis, and the supply path section and the recovery path section are arranged offset from each other in the axial direction to match the supply port and the recovery port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the space required to open the cover can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram (side view) showing the internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cover is placed in an open position and a toner container is placed in an attached position. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cover is placed in an open position and a toner container is placed in an attachment / detachment position. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cover is placed in an open position and a toner container is detached from the apparatus main body. [Figure 6] 1 is a front view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cover is placed in an open position and a toner container is detached from the apparatus main body. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing a toner container (supply port) of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a toner container (collection port) of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a toner container and the like arranged at an installation position. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a toner container and the like arranged at a mounting and dismounting position. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first modified example of one embodiment of the present invention, showing a toner container and other components arranged at an installation position. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a second modified example of one embodiment of the present invention, showing a toner container and other components arranged at the mounting position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that Fr, Rr, L, R, U, and D shown in the drawings indicate front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom. Terms indicating directions and positions are used in this specification, but these terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0014] [Image forming equipment] The image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram (side view) showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 is a printer that forms an image on paper S by electrophotography. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has an apparatus main body 2 that has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance. A paper feed cassette 3 that stores paper S (medium) is removably attached to the bottom of the apparatus main body 2. A paper output tray 4 that receives paper S on which an image has been formed is provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body 2. Note that the paper S is not limited to being made of paper, and may be made of resin or the like.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance path 8 for conveying paper S from a paper feed cassette 3 to a paper output tray 4 is provided inside the device main body 2. A paper feeder 5 is provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path 8, an image forming device 6 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path 8, and a fixing device 7 is provided downstream of the conveyance path 8. The image forming device 6 has an intermediate transfer belt 10, four image forming units 11, an exposure unit 12, and four toner containers 13 (see FIG. 3 described later). Note that the four image forming units 11 have substantially the same structure, and therefore, this specification will mainly describe one image forming unit 11. Similarly, the four toner containers 13 have substantially the same structure, and therefore, this specification will mainly describe one toner container 13.

[0017] The intermediate transfer belt 10 is provided below the paper output tray 4, and the four image forming units 11 are lined up in the front-to-rear direction below the intermediate transfer belt 10. The exposure units 12 are provided below each image forming unit 11. The four toner containers 13 contain toner (developers) of four colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) and are detachably supported inside the device main body 2. The four toner containers 13 are lined up in the front-to-rear direction along the right side surface of the device main body 2 (see FIG. 3). As will be described in detail later, the device main body 2 has an openable cover 14 on its right side surface, and the toner containers 13 are exposed by opening the cover 14 (see FIG. 3).

[0018] The image forming unit 11 has a photosensitive drum 20, a charging device 21, a developing device 22, a primary transfer roller 23, a cleaning device 24, and a static eliminator 25. The photosensitive drum 20, which is an example of an image carrier, is rotated while in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 10. The charging device 21, the developing device 22, the primary transfer roller 23, the cleaning device 24, and the static eliminator 25 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 20 in the order of the image formation process. The primary transfer roller 23 faces the photosensitive drum 20 with the intermediate transfer belt 10 sandwiched therebetween. A secondary transfer roller 26 is in contact with the rear side of the intermediate transfer belt 10.

[0019] The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a sheet S based on image data transmitted from, for example, an external terminal (such as a personal computer). A control unit (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 1 controls the image forming apparatus 1 based on the input image data, and the image forming process is performed as follows.

[0020] The charging device 21 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 20. The exposure unit 12 exposes the photosensitive drum 20 to light corresponding to image data, forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 20. The developing device 22 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 20 into a toner image using toner supplied from the toner container 13. The four color toner images carried on the four photosensitive drums 20 are sequentially transferred (primary transfer) onto the intermediate transfer belt 10 by a primary transfer roller 23 to which a primary transfer bias is applied. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 10.

[0021] The paper S is sent from the paper feed cassette 3 to the transport path 8 by the paper feed device 5, and the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 10 is secondarily transferred onto the paper S by the secondary transfer roller 26 to which a secondary transfer bias is applied. The toner image is thermally fixed onto the paper S by the fixing device 7, and then the paper S is discharged onto the paper output tray 4. The cleaning device 24 removes toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 20, and the static eliminator 25 removes the charge on the photosensitive drum 20.

[0022] [Toner container detachable structure] Next, the attachment / detachment structure of the toner container 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 9. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover 14 is disposed in the open position P2 and the toner container 13 is disposed in the attachment / detachment position P3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover 14 is disposed in the open position P2 and the toner container 13 is disposed in the attachment / detachment position P4. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover 14 is disposed in the open position P2 and the toner container 13 is detached from the device main body 2. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state in which the cover 14 is disposed in the open position P2 and the toner container 13 is detached from the device main body 2. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the toner container 13 (supply port 36). FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the toner container 13 (recovery port 37). FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the toner container 13, etc., disposed in the attachment position P3.

[0023] <Cover> As shown in FIG. 3, the four toner containers 13 are attached to the right side of the apparatus body 2, and the toner containers 13 can be replaced (removed) by opening a cover 14 provided on the right side of the apparatus body 2. The cover 14 is formed in a generally flat plate shape and is rotatable around its lower portion. For example, a support shaft 15 (see FIG. 6) extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the lower portion of the cover 14, and the cover 14 is rotatably supported on the apparatus body 2 via the support shaft 15. The cover 14 rotates back and forth between a closed position P1 (see FIG. 1) in which it stands along the right side of the apparatus body 2, and an open position P2 (see FIG. 3, etc.) in which it is tilted toward the outside (right) of the apparatus body 2 around its lower portion (support shaft 15). When the cover 14 is positioned in the open position P2, it is tilted toward the right (outside the apparatus body 2) from its bottom end to its top end. The angle α (see FIG. 6) formed between the cover 14 placed in the open position P2 and the right side surface of the device main body 2 is an acute angle (for example, about 40 degrees).

[0024] Note that, for example, a strap (not shown) is installed between the device body 2 and the cover 14 to hold the cover 14 in the open position P2 (maintain the angle). This strap is folded when the cover 14 is placed in the closed position P1, and is unfolded when the cover 14 is placed in the open position P2 (not shown). The angle α of the cover 14 placed in the open position P2 may be set, for example, in the range of 30 to 60 degrees.

[0025] <Attachment case> As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, an attachment space 2A for arranging four toner containers 13 is formed on the right side of the device main body 2, and is opened by rotating the cover 14 to the open position P2. Four attachment cases 30 for supporting the four toner containers 13 are lined up in a row in the front-rear direction in the attachment space 2A. Each attachment case 30 is formed in a generally rectangular cylindrical shape with an open top surface and right side surface (the surface facing the cover 14). For example, a rotation shaft 31 (see FIG. 6) extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the bottom of each attachment case 30, and each attachment case 30 is rotatably supported on the device main body 2 via the rotation shaft 31. Note that the four attachment cases 30 have generally the same structure, and therefore, in this specification, only one attachment case 30 will be mainly described.

[0026] <Toner container> As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the toner container 13 is generally shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the vertical direction. The toner container 13 is rotatably supported on the device main body 2 together with the mounting case 30 by inserting substantially the lower half of the toner container 13 into the mounting case 30. The toner container 13 rotates back and forth between a mounting position P3 (see FIG. 3) in which the toner container 13 stands upright inside the device main body 2 and a mounting / detaching position P4 (see FIG. 4) in which the toner container 13 is tilted toward the outside (right) of the device main body 2 around its lower portion (rotation axis 31). The toner container 13 positioned at the mounting / detaching position P4 is tilted toward the right (outside the device main body 2) from its lower end to its upper end, so as to align with the cover 14 positioned at the open position P2. The angle β (see FIG. 10) formed by the toner container 13 (a line parallel to the centerline) positioned at the mounting / detaching position P4 and the right side surface of the device main body 2 (a vertical imaginary line 50, described later) is acute but smaller than the angle α of the cover 14 (for example, approximately 25 degrees).

[0027] A strap (not shown) is installed between the device main body 2 (the inner surface forming the mounting space 2A) and the mounting case 30 to hold (maintain the angle of) the toner container 13 supported by the mounting case 30 at the mounting position P4. This strap is folded when the toner container 13 is placed at the mounting position P3, and unfolded when the toner container 13 is placed at the mounting position P4 (not shown). The angle β of the toner container 13 placed at the mounting position P4 may be, for example, substantially the same as the angle α of the cover 14. The angle β of the toner container 13 may be set, for example, in the range of 20 to 60 degrees.

[0028] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the toner container 13 is configured by arranging a supply container 32 and a collection container 33 in a vertical line. The collection container 33 is provided below the supply container 32, with a connection space 34 sandwiched between them. A container plate 35 is connected to the supply container 32 and the collection container 33 near their right ends. The supply container 32 is formed in a hollow, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and contains replenished toner. The collection container 33 is formed in a hollow, polyhedral shape with the upper left corner of the rectangular parallelepiped tilted and contains discarded toner. A rotatable stirring member (not shown) for stirring the toner is provided inside the supply container 32.

[0029] (supply route section, recovery route section) 9, provided inside the device main body 2 are a supply path 40 that supplies toner from the supply container 32 to the developing device 22, and a recovery path 41 that recovers toner from the cleaning device 24 to the recovery container 33. For ease of explanation, in this specification, the toner contained in the supply container 32 and supplied to the developing device 22 will be referred to as "supply toner," and the toner sent from the cleaning device 24 and collected in the recovery container 33 will be referred to as "waste toner."

[0030] The supply path 40 has a supply pipe 42 and a supply screw 43, and the recovery path 41 has a recovery pipe 45 and a recovery screw 46. When the toner container 13 is placed in the mounting position P3, the supply pipe 42 is installed between the developing device 22 and the supply container 32, and the recovery pipe 45 is installed between the cleaning device 24 and the recovery container 33. The supply screw 43 rotates about its axis inside the supply pipe 42 and transports the supply toner from the supply container 32 toward the developing device 22. The recovery screw 46 rotates about its axis inside the recovery pipe 45 and transports the waste toner from the cleaning device 24 toward the supply container 32.

[0031] Parts of the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 are disposed in the connection space 34. Specifically, a part of the supply pipe 42, which is upstream in the supply toner transport direction, and a part of the recovery pipe 45, which is downstream in the waste toner transport direction, are disposed in the connection space 34. In the connection space 34, a supply path opening 44 is formed on the upper surface of the supply pipe 42, and a recovery path opening 47 is formed on the lower surface of the recovery pipe 45. That is, the supply path opening 44 opens upward, and the recovery path opening 47 opens downward. In addition, in the connection space 34, the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 are disposed offset from each other in the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction (axial direction of the pivot shaft 31). Specifically, the supply pipe 42 is disposed offset above, rearward, and leftward from the recovery pipe 45, and the supply path opening 44 is formed above, rearward, and leftward from the recovery path opening 47.

[0032] (supply port, collection port) As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , a supply port 36 is formed on the rear side of the bottom surface of the supply container 32, and a recovery port 37 is formed on the front side of the top surface of the collection container 33. That is, the supply port 36 opens downward, and the recovery port 37 opens upward. In the connection space 34, the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37 are offset from each other in the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction (the axial direction of the pivot shaft 31). Specifically, the supply port 36 is positioned above, behind, and to the left of the recovery port 37. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the toner container 13 is placed in the mounting position P3, the supply port 36 is connected to a supply path opening 44 on the top surface of the supply path section 40 through the connection space 34, allowing the supply toner to flow from the supply container 32 to the supply path section 40. The recovery port 37 is connected to a recovery path opening 47 on the bottom surface of the collection path section 41 through the connection space 34, allowing the waste toner to flow from the collection path section 41 to the collection container 33. In addition, the supply container 32, the recovery container 33, the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 are each equipped with a shutter (not shown) that closes the supply port 36, the recovery port 37, the supply path port 44 and the recovery path port 47 when the toner container 13 is removed from the device main body 2.

[0033] 9, the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37 are disposed so as to be offset in the left-right direction across a vertical imaginary line 50 that extends in the up-down direction and passes through (the axis of) the rotation shaft 31 of the toner container 13. The supply port 36 is disposed closer to the interior (left) of the vertical imaginary line 50 of the device main body 2, and the recovery port 37 is disposed closer to the exterior (right) of the device main body 2 than the vertical imaginary line 50. Specifically, the vertical imaginary line 50 is positioned slightly closer to the supply port 36 (left) than the center of the distance between the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37, and a distance D1 between the vertical imaginary line 50 and the center of the opening of the supply port 36 is slightly shorter than a distance D2 between the vertical imaginary line 50 and the center of the opening of the recovery port 37. Note that the distance D1 may be the same as or longer than the distance D2 (not shown).

[0034] [Toner container replacement work] Next, the replacement (removal) work of the toner container 13 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6, 9, and 10. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the toner container 13 and other components disposed at the mounting / removal position P4. For ease of explanation, the direction in which the toner container 13 moves from the mounting position P3 toward the mounting / removal position P4 (clockwise in Figures 9 and 10) will be referred to as the "rotation direction during mounting / removal," and the direction in which the toner container 13 moves from the mounting / removal position P4 toward the mounting position P3 (counterclockwise in Figures 9 and 10) will be referred to as the "rotation direction during mounting."

[0035] For example, when replacing the toner container 13 because the supply container 32 is empty, the user rotates the cover 14 of the device main body 2 from the closed position P1 to the open position P2 (see Figure 3), and then rotates the toner container 13 from the attached position P3 to the detached position P4 (see Figure 4).

[0036] 9 and 10 , when the toner container 13 rotates from the mounting position P3 to the mounting / detaching position P4, the supply port 36 of the supply container 32 moves on a circular orbit 51 centered on the rotation shaft 31, and the collection port 37 of the collection container 33 moves on a circular orbit 52 centered on the rotation shaft 31. The intersections of the respective circular orbits 51, 52 and the vertical imaginary line 50 are vertices 51A, 52A of the respective circular orbits 51, 52. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the toner container 13 is disposed at the mounting position P3, the supply port 36 is disposed above the supply path opening 44 and closer to the interior (left) of the device body 2 than the vertical imaginary line 50, and the collection port 37 is disposed below the collection path opening 47 and closer to the exterior (right) of the device body 2 than the vertical imaginary line 50. In other words, the supply port 36 is located upstream of the apex 51A of the circular orbit 51 in the direction of rotation during attachment and detachment, and the recovery port 37 is located downstream of the apex 52A of the circular orbit 52 in the direction of rotation during attachment and detachment.

[0037] Therefore, when the toner container 13 rotates in the rotation direction for attachment / detachment (clockwise in FIG. 9 ), the supply port 36 moves on the circular orbit 51 toward the apex 51A and therefore moves diagonally upward away from the supply path opening 44, and the recovery port 37 moves on the circular orbit 52 away from the apex 52A and therefore moves diagonally downward away from the recovery path opening 47. As a result, when the toner container 13 rotates in the rotation direction for attachment / detachment, the supply port 36 is prevented from interfering with the supply path portion 40 and the recovery port 37 is prevented from interfering with the recovery path portion 41. Note that, because the upper left corner of the recovery container 33 is formed as an inclined surface, the recovery container 33 is prevented from interfering with the recovery path portion 41 when the toner container 13 rotates in the rotation direction for attachment / detachment.

[0038] 4, when the cover 14 is placed in the open position P2 and the toner container 13 is placed in the attachment / detachment position P4, the cover 14 and the toner container 13 are held in an inclined position. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the user pulls the toner container 13 diagonally upward to the right along the cover 14 placed in the open position P2. The toner container 13 is pulled out of the attachment case 30 and removed from the device main body 2.

[0039] Next, the user inserts the new toner container 13 diagonally downward to the left along the cover 14 that is positioned in the open position P2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The new toner container 13 is inserted into the mounting case 30 in an inclined position (see FIG. 4). Next, the user rotates the toner container 13 from the mounting position P4 to the mounting position P3 (see FIG. 3), and then rotates the cover 14 from the open position P2 to the closed position P1 (see FIG. 1).

[0040] When the toner container 13 rotates from the attachment / detachment position P4 to the attachment position P3 (rotating in the rotation direction for installation), the toner container 13 moves in the opposite direction to the rotation direction for installation / detachment described above. The supply port 36 moves to the apex 51A of the circular orbit 51 and approaches (contacts) the supply path opening 44 from diagonally above, and the recovery port 37 approaches (contacts) the recovery path opening 47 from diagonally below (see FIGS. 9 and 10 ). As a result, when the toner container 13 rotates in the rotation direction for installation (counterclockwise in FIGS. 9 and 10 ), the supply port 36 is prevented from interfering with the supply path portion 40, and the recovery port 37 is prevented from interfering with the recovery path portion 41. Note that, because the upper left corner of the recovery container 33 is formed as an inclined surface, the recovery container 33 is prevented from interfering with the recovery path portion 41 when the toner container 13 rotates in the rotation direction for installation.

[0041] When the toner container 13 is placed in the mounting position P3 and the cover 14 is placed in the closed position P1, the cover 14 and the toner container 13 are held in an upright position (see FIGS. 1 and 3). In this way, the toner container 13 is mounted in the device main body 2 (mounting space 2A), and the replacement work of the toner container 13 is completed.

[0042] In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the angle formed between the cover 14 in the open position P2 and the right side surface of the apparatus body 2 is an acute angle, and the toner container 13 in the attachment / detachment position P4 is attached and detached obliquely along the cover 14 in the open position P2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ). This configuration reduces the space required to open and close the cover 14 compared to when the cover 14 is opened 90 degrees or more relative to the right side surface of the apparatus body 2. This allows the image forming apparatus 1 to be installed even in places where it is not possible to secure a large open space for the cover 14, such as a small office. In other words, this alleviates restrictions on the installation of the image forming apparatus 1, improving the flexibility of the installation location of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0043] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the supply port 36, which opens downward, is connected from above to the supply path opening 44, which opens upward, and is located upstream of the apex 51A of the circular orbit 51 in the direction of rotation during attachment and detachment (see FIG. 9). Furthermore, the recovery port 37, which opens upward, is connected from below to the recovery path opening 47, which opens downward, and is located downstream of the apex 52A of the circular orbit 52 in the direction of rotation during attachment and detachment (see FIG. 9). Therefore, when the toner container 13 is rotated from the mounting position P3 to the attachment and detachment position P4, the supply port 36 moves diagonally upward away from the supply path opening 44 (supply path portion 40), and the recovery port 37 moves diagonally downward away from the recovery path opening 47 (recovery path portion 41) (see FIGS. 9 and 10). On the other hand, when the toner container 13 is rotated from the mounting position P4 to the mounting position P3, the supply port 36 is connected to the supply path opening 44 (supply path section 40) from diagonally above, and the recovery port 37 is connected to the recovery path opening 47 (recovery path section 41) from diagonally below (see FIGS. 9 and 10). With this configuration, the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37 do not interfere with the supply path section 40 or the recovery path section 41 to hinder the rotation of the toner container 13, and the toner container 13 can be rotated smoothly. As a result, the toner container 13 in which the supply container 32 and the recovery container 33 are arranged vertically can be smoothly mounted to and removed from the device main body 2 (mounting space 2A) without, for example, providing a special mechanism for preventing interference between the supply port 36, the supply path section 40, or the like.

[0044] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 are disposed in the connection space 34 of the toner container 13, and the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37 are connected to the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 inside the connection space 34 (see FIG. 9). With this configuration, the connection structures between the toner container 13 and the path sections 40, 41 can be concentrated near the center of the toner container 13, thereby enabling the image forming apparatus 1 (apparatus main body 2) to be made smaller.

[0045] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the supply container 32 is disposed above the collection container 33 with the connection space 34 in between, and the supply port 36 is disposed above the collection port 37 within the connection space 34 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). With this configuration, the supply port 36 can be formed on the bottom surface of the supply container 32, and the collection port 37 can be formed on the top surface of the collection container 33, making it possible to lower (smaller) the connection space 34. This allows the height of the toner container 13 to be lowered, and the size of the apparatus main body 2 to which the toner container 13 is attached can be reduced.

[0046] In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37 are offset from each other in the vertical and front-to-rear directions (axial direction) in the connection space 34 of the toner container 13, and the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 are offset from each other in the vertical and front-to-rear directions accordingly. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the supply path section 40 and the recovery path section 41 may be arranged side-by-side in the front-to-rear direction at the same height (not shown). In this case, the supply port 36 (supply path opening 44) is positioned higher than the recovery port 37 (recovery path opening 47). This configuration minimizes the height of the connection space 34, allowing the height of the toner container 13 to be reduced. This allows the image forming apparatus 1 (apparatus main body 2) to be compact.

[0047] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the supply container 32 of the toner container 13 is provided above the collection container 33, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as a toner container 60 according to a first modified example, the collection container 33 may be provided above the supply container 32, as shown in FIG. 11 . In this case, the supply path portion 40 is disposed below the toner container 60, and the collection path portion 41 is disposed above the toner container 60. Furthermore, the connection space 34 may be omitted.

[0048] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the supply port 36 of the toner container 13 is located above and behind the recovery port 37, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a toner container 61 according to a second modification, as shown in FIG. 12 , the supply port 36 may be formed as a conduit extending downward from the bottom surface of the supply container 32, and the recovery port 37 may be formed as a conduit extending upward from the top surface of the recovery container 33. The bottom end surface of the supply port 36 may be located below the top end surface of the recovery port 37. Furthermore, the supply path section 40 (supply path opening 44) and the recovery path section 41 (recovery path opening 47) may be located in accordance with the supply port 36 and the recovery port 37. Alternatively, the supply port 36 (supply path opening 44) may be located directly above the recovery port 37 (recovery path opening 47) (at the same position in the front-to-rear direction) (not shown).

[0049] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the rotation axis 31 of the toner containers 13, 60, 61 (mounting case 30) is provided at a position different from the support axis 15 of the cover 14, but this is not limited thereto, and the rotation axis 31 of the toner containers 13, 60, 61 may be shared with the support axis 15 of the cover 14 (not shown).

[0050] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the mounting case 30 is rotatably supported on the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2A), and the toner containers 13, 60, and 61 are supported on the mounting case 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mounting case 30 may be omitted, and the rotation shaft 31 may be provided directly below the toner containers 13, 60, and 61 (not shown). In this case, the rotation shaft 31 may be detachably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 2 (mounting space 2A). Alternatively, the rotation shaft 31 may be fixed to the apparatus main body 2, and a bearing (not shown) that detachably engages with the rotation shaft 31 may be provided below the toner containers 13, 60, and 61.

[0051] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the cover 14 is provided on the right side of the apparatus main body 2, but it is not limited to this and may be provided on the left side of the apparatus main body 2, or on the front or rear side (front or rear) of the apparatus main body 2 (none of which are shown). That is, the toner containers 13, 60, 61 (mounting space 2A) may be disposed on the left side, front side or rear side of the apparatus main body 2 (none of which are shown).

[0052] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, the present invention has been applied to an image forming apparatus 1 (printer) as an example, but is not limited to this, and the present invention may also be applied to, for example, a multifunction device, a copier, a facsimile, or the like.

[0053] The above-described embodiment shows one aspect of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present invention may be variously changed, substituted, or modified without departing from the spirit of the technical concept, and the claims include all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical concept. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Image forming device 2. Device body 13,60,61 Toner container 14 Cover 20 Photosensitive drum (image carrier) 22 Developing device 24 Cleaning device 31 Rotating shaft 34 Connected Space 40 Supply route section 41 Collection route section 36 Supply port 37 Collection port 50 Vertical virtual line P1 closed position P2 open position P3 mounting position P4 Attachment / detachment position

Claims

1. a device body having an openable cover on one side; a toner container detachably supported inside the device body, the cover rotates back and forth between a closed position in which the cover stands up along the side surface of the device body and an open position in which the cover is inclined outward from the device body around a lower portion so as to form an acute angle with the side surface of the device body; The toner container is configured by vertically arranging a supply container for accommodating toner to be replenished and a collection container for accommodating the toner to be discarded, the toner container rotates back and forth between an attachment position in which the toner container stands upright inside the device body and an attachment / detachment position in which the toner container is inclined toward the outside of the device body around a lower portion thereof so as to follow the cover that is positioned at the open position; The toner container disposed at the mounting / removal position is mounted and removed along the cover disposed at the open position.

2. a developing device that develops a latent image formed on an image carrier with the toner; a cleaning device for removing the toner remaining on the image carrier; a supply path for supplying the toner from the supply container to the developing device; a collection path section that collects the toner from the cleaning device into the collection container, a supply port formed on a lower surface of the supply container and connected to an upper surface of the supply path portion to allow the toner to flow out to the supply path portion; a collection port formed in an upper surface of the collection container and connected to a lower surface of the collection path portion, through which the toner flows from the collection path portion; the supply port is disposed on an inner side of the apparatus main body relative to a vertical imaginary line that passes through a rotation axis of the toner container and extends in a vertical direction, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recovery port is disposed on the outer side of the apparatus body relative to the vertical imaginary line.

3. the collection container is provided below the supply container across a connection space in which the supply path section and a part of the collection path section are disposed, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the supply port is connected to the supply path portion through the connection space, and the recovery port is connected to the recovery path portion through the connection space.

4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supply port is disposed above the recovery port in the connection space.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in the connection space, the supply port and the recovery port are arranged offset from each other in the axial direction of the rotation axis, and the supply path section and the recovery path section are arranged offset from each other in the axial direction to match the supply port and the recovery port.

Images