Toner storage unit, method for manufacturing toner storage unit, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To prevent the occurrence of deformation or breaking of a stirring member in attaching a drive transmission member to one end of the stirring member during manufacture of a toner storage unit.SOLUTION: A toner storage unit 40 attached to an image forming apparatus comprises: a container 41 that stores toner; a stirring member 60 that is provided inside the container 41, and rotates around an axis to stir the toner; and a drive transmission member 80 that is mounted at one end 65 of the stirring member 60 projecting from an opening 46 formed in the container 41. The stirring member 60 is provided with an engagement part 73 that is engaged with a traction member 77 inserted from the outside of the container 41 during mounting of the drive transmission member 80.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner container, a method for manufacturing a toner container, and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet such as printing paper using an electrophotographic method is equipped with a toner container that contains toner. The toner container has an agitator inside that agitates and transports the toner. The agitator has a shaft portion with a screw, and one end of the shaft portion is inserted into a through-hole formed in the toner container and is attached to a drive transmission member outside the container via the through-hole (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When the toner container having the above configuration is installed in an image forming apparatus, the drive transmission member is coupled to a drive unit that is rotationally driven by a motor. Therefore, by rotating the drive unit, the motor rotates the agitator inside the container via the drive transmission member, and the toner can be conveyed in a predetermined direction while being agitated.

[0004] However, when the rotation speed of the agitator is high, the friction caused by the rotation of the agitator can cause the bearing to heat up. If the bearing becomes too hot, the toner stored around it can melt, potentially increasing the torque required to rotate the agitator. To prevent this, it is preferable to keep the rotation speed of the agitator low, and a structure is adopted in which the radius of the drive transmission member is larger than the radius of the drive unit, thereby increasing the reduction ratio. This requires a larger size for the drive transmission member attached to one end of the agitator.

[0005] On the other hand, toner containers are generally formed as sealed containers by welding a cover member to a container body. For example, vibration welding is used to weld the container body and cover member. In vibration welding, the container body and cover member are each placed in a jig, and vibrations are applied to the joined container body and cover member to weld the joint. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-62735 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] If the drive transmission member is attached to one end of the agitator before welding the container body and cover member, the drive transmission member is too large to be properly installed in the jig during vibration welding, which can cause problems during vibration welding and makes it difficult to ensure the container is airtight.

[0008] Therefore, in conventional toner containers, after the agitator is installed inside the container body, the container body and cover member are placed in a jig without the drive transmission member attached, and vibration welding is performed. This ensures the container is airtight. After the container body and cover member are welded together, the drive transmission member is fitted onto one end of the agitator member that protrudes outward from the through-hole in the toner container.

[0009] However, with the conventional method described above, it is not possible to stabilize the position of the agitator shaft inside the container body when fitting the drive transmission member onto one end of the agitator. As a result, compressive stress acts on the agitator shaft when fitting the drive transmission member, causing the shaft to bend and deform inside the container. If this stress becomes too great, in the worst case scenario, the shaft may break inside the container.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional toner container, and aims to provide a toner container that prevents deformation or bending of the agitating member when attaching a drive transmission member to one end of the agitating member. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing such a toner container, and an image forming apparatus equipped with such a toner container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a toner container comprising: a container for storing toner; an agitating member provided inside the container and rotating around an axis to agitate the toner; and a drive transmission member attached to one end of the agitating member protruding from an opening formed in the container, wherein the agitating member is provided with an engaging portion that engages with a pulling member inserted from outside the container when the drive transmission member is attached.

[0012] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that in the toner container of claim 1, the pulling member engages with the engaging portion when the drive transmission member is attached, and pulls the stirring member in the axial direction.

[0013] The invention of claim 3 is a toner container of claim 1, characterized in that the engagement portion includes an insertion hole formed in the end face of the one end of the stirring member, and a locking window formed in the side of the stirring member and communicating with the insertion hole.

[0014] The invention according to claim 4 is the toner container according to claim 3, wherein the pulling member is inserted into the insertion hole and has a locking portion at a tip end that locks with the locking window.

[0015] The invention according to claim 5 is the toner container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is sealed with the stirring member housed inside.

[0016] The invention according to claim 6 is the toner container according to claim 1, characterized in that the pulling member is detachable from the engaging portion after the drive transmission member is attached.

[0017] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the toner container of claim 1, the drive transmission member has a through hole into which the one end of the stirring member can be inserted and attached, and the pulling member engages with the engagement portion through the through hole.

[0018] The invention according to claim 8 is the toner container according to claim 7, characterized in that the one end of the stirring member is provided with a locking claw that locks onto the periphery of the through hole.

[0019] The invention of claim 9 is a toner container of claim 7, characterized in that a step portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the one end of the stirring member, and a locking claw that engages with the step portion is provided on the inner surface of the through hole.

[0020] The invention of claim 10 is a method for manufacturing a toner container comprising a container for storing toner, an agitating member provided inside the container and rotating around an axis to agitate the toner, and a drive transmission member attached to one end of the agitating member protruding from an opening formed in the container, wherein when the drive transmission member is attached to the one end of the agitating member, a pulling member is inserted into an engaging portion provided on the agitating member to engage with the agitating member, and the drive transmission member is attached to the one end of the agitating member while pulling the pulling member toward the outside of the container.

[0021] The invention according to claim 11 is an image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to any one of claims 1 to 9. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, when attaching the drive transmission member to the agitator, the pulling member can be engaged with the engaging portion of the agitator and the drive transmission member can be attached to one end of the agitator while pulling the pulling member. This prevents compressive stress from acting on the shaft of the agitator. Therefore, the agitator does not deform or break when the drive transmission member is attached to one end of the agitator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a printer mechanism inside the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the opening and closing door of the image forming apparatus is open. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the external configuration of a toner container. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the toner container. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one end of the stirring member. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a drive transmission member. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a toner container by attaching a drive transmission member to one end of an agitating member 60. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the toner container. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of one end of a stirring member in a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a drive transmission member in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing a process of attaching a drive transmission member to one end of the stirring member attached inside the container body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Elements common to the embodiments described below are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0025] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the exterior configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This image forming apparatus 1 is a printer that forms images on sheets such as printing paper using an electrophotographic method. The image forming apparatus 1 is also capable of forming color images using a tandem method. The image forming apparatus 1 has a paper feed cassette 2 located at the bottom front of the apparatus main body 1a, and a stack of multiple sheets can be stored in the paper feed cassette 2. An access door 3 is provided above the paper feed cassette 2 on the front side of the apparatus main body 1a. Opening the access door 3 allows for replacement of internal components of the printer mechanism. An output tray 4 for ejecting sheets onto which images have been formed is provided at the top of the apparatus main body 1a. An operation panel 5 is provided at the top front side of the apparatus main body 1a, allowing the user to perform various operations.

[0026] 2 is a diagram showing a printer mechanism inside the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the printer mechanism includes a transport mechanism 10 that transports sheets 9 loaded in a paper feed cassette 2 one by one, and an image forming mechanism 20 that forms an image on the sheet 9.

[0027] The transport mechanism 10 transports the sheet 9 along a transport path 11 formed inside the image forming apparatus 1. The transport direction of the sheet 9 is the direction of arrow F1. The transport mechanism 10 includes a pickup roller 12, a paper feed roller 13, a registration roller 14, a secondary transfer roller 15, a fixing unit 16, and a discharge roller 17. The transport mechanism 10 drives and rotates these components to transport the sheets 9 one by one.

[0028] The image forming mechanism 20 forms an image by transferring a toner image onto one side of the sheet 9 conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 10. The image forming mechanism 20 includes an intermediate transfer belt 21. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is an endless belt that is stretched between a drive roller 22 and a driven roller 23 and moves in a circular motion in the direction of arrow F2. The image forming mechanism 20 includes image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K below the intermediate transfer belt 21, which form toner images of the respective colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). Primary transfer rollers 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K are provided at positions facing the image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K across the intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0029] 2(b) is an enlarged view of the image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K and the primary transfer roller 25Y. The image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K all have the same configuration. That is, each of the image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K has a drum-shaped photosensitive member 31 provided as an image carrier, and a charger 32, an exposure unit 33, a developer 34, and a cleaner 35 are provided along the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive member 31. The photosensitive member 31 is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction (clockwise in the illustrated example).

[0030] The charger 32 charges the surface of the rotating photoconductor 31 to a predetermined charge. The exposure unit 33 exposes the surface of the photoconductor 31, which has been charged to a predetermined charge, based on image data to be printed, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data on the surface of the photoconductor 31. The developer 34 applies a developer containing toner to the surface of the photoconductor 31, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image with toner. As a result, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 31. When the toner image contacts the intermediate transfer belt 21, it is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 21 by transfer voltages applied from primary transfer rollers 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K. Each image forming unit 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K sequentially transfers toner of each color (Y, M, C, and K) onto the intermediate transfer belt 21, thereby forming a color image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The color image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is secondarily transferred onto one surface of the sheet 9 being conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 10 as the sheet passes the position of the secondary transfer roller 15. The sheet 9 onto which the toner image has been transferred by the secondary transfer roller 15 is subjected to a heat treatment and a pressure treatment as the sheet passes through the fixing unit 16. As a result, the toner image is fixed to the sheet 9.

[0031] Toner may remain on the surface of the photoreceptor 31 that has passed the positions of the primary transfer rollers 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K. The cleaner 35 removes this residual toner from the surface of the photoreceptor 31. The cleaner 35 is equipped with a blade-shaped cleaning member 36 that comes into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor 31. The cleaning member 36 scrapes off the residual toner from the surface of the photoreceptor 31 and collects it inside the cleaner 35 as waste toner. The cleaner 35 is also equipped with a transport member 37 that transports the collected waste toner. For example, the transport member 37 is configured with a screw member that extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor 31.

[0032] Toner may remain on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 that has passed the position of the secondary transfer roller 15. To collect this residual toner, a cleaner 26 is provided near the driven roller 23. The cleaner 26 has a blade-shaped cleaning member 27 that contacts the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The cleaning member 27 scrapes the residual toner from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and collects it inside the cleaner 26 as waste toner. The cleaner 26 also has a transport member 28 inside that transports the collected waste toner. For example, the transport member 28 is formed of a screw member that extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the driven roller 23.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the image forming apparatus 1 with the door 3 open. As shown in FIG. 3, when the door 3 is open, the Y, M, C, and K toner bottles 29 are attached to the upper front side of the image forming apparatus 1. A space 8 is formed below the toner bottles 29, into which a toner container 40 can be attached. The toner container 40 is a container that, when attached to the space 8, stores waste toner collected by the cleaners 35 and 26 described above. The toner container 40 is a replacement part that is replaced with a new one when it is filled with waste toner. Therefore, the toner container 40 can be easily attached and detached by opening the door 3.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the toner container 40. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing each component of the toner container 40. The toner container 40 includes a container 41 that stores toner, an agitator 60, and a drive transmission member 80, which are integrally assembled together. As shown in FIG. 5, the agitator 60 is provided inside the container 41 and rotates around its axis to agitate the toner inside the container 41. One end 65 of the agitator 60 is exposed to the outside of the container 41 through an opening 46 formed in the side surface of the container 41. The drive transmission member 80 is attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60 and rotates the agitator 60 around its axis.

[0035] The container 41 is a sealed container formed integrally by welding a container body 42 and a cover member 43. The container body 42 is open on the front side. The open peripheral edge of the container body 42 is a joining portion 50 for joining the cover member 43.

[0036] The container body 42 is provided at its upper portion with toner recovery units 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 that protrude upward. The toner recovery units 51, 52, 53, and 54 recover waste toner discharged from the cleaners 35 of the image forming units 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24K. Openings 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a are formed on the rear sides of the toner recovery units 51, 52, 53, and 54 to receive waste toner transported by the transport members 37 provided in the respective cleaners 35. The toner recovery unit 55 also recovers waste toner discharged from the cleaner 26, which collects residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 21. An opening 55a is formed on the top surface of the toner recovery unit 55 to receive toner discharged from the cleaner 26. The opening 55a can be opened and closed by a shutter member 56. The shutter member 56 is biased by an elastic body such as a spring to close the opening 55a. When the toner container 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the shutter member 56 slides on the upper surface of the toner recovery section 55 against the biasing force of the elastic body, thereby opening the opening 55a.

[0037] 5, a bearing 44 that rotatably supports an end 68 of the stirring member 60 is provided on the inside of one side surface of the container body 42. A sleeve 45 that protrudes to the outside of the container 41 is provided on the other side surface of the container body 42 coaxially with the bearing 44. An opening 46 (through hole) that penetrates into the container body 42 is formed on the inside of the sleeve 45.

[0038] The cover member 43 covers the open front side of the container body 42 and is welded to the joint 50, thereby sealing the inside of the container 41 together with the container body 42. For example, in this embodiment, the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are formed of resin, and the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are vibration-welded to each other. Vibration welding makes it possible to uniformly weld the container body 42 and the cover member 43 over the entire joint 50. This makes it possible to form a container 41 that does not leak toner.

[0039] The agitating member 60 is used to agitate and level the toner carried into the container 41 from the toner recovery sections 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55. The agitating member 60 has a shaft 61, a first agitating section 62, and a second agitating section 63. The agitating member 60 also has a flange 64 and an attachment section 70 at one end 65 of the shaft 61. The agitating member 60 is attached inside the container body 42 with one end 65 of the shaft 61 inserted into the opening 46 of the container body 42 and the other end 68 pivotally supported by the bearing section 44 of the container body 42.

[0040] The first agitator 62 is provided in an area closer to one end 65, where the flange 64 is provided, than the center of the shaft 61. The first agitator 62 conveys the toner in the container 41 toward the center of the container 41 as the shaft 61 rotates in a predetermined direction while agitating the toner. The second agitator 63 is provided in an area closer to the other end 68 than the center of the shaft 61. The second agitator 63 conveys the toner in the container 41 toward the center of the container 41 as the shaft 61 rotates in a predetermined direction while agitating the toner. For example, the first agitator 62 and the second agitator 63 are configured with screws that rotate in opposite directions, and as the shaft 61 rotates, the toner inside the container 41 can be agitated and gathered to the center and leveled.

[0041] 6 is an enlarged view of one end 65 of the stirring member 60. As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the stirring member 60 is attached to the container body 42, a mounting portion 70 provided on one end 65 of the shaft portion 61 is exposed to the outside of the container body 42 through the opening 46 of the container body 42. The mounting portion 70 is used to mount a drive transmission member 80. The mounting portion 70 is coaxial with the shaft portion 61 and is formed to protrude from the center of the flange portion 64.

[0042] The mounting portion 70 has an engagement shaft 71 whose cross section perpendicular to the shaft portion 61 is non-circular. For example, the engagement shaft 71 is formed in a shape having a notched surface, where part of the outer periphery of the cylindrical shaft portion is cut out in a flat shape along the axial direction. The mounting portion 70 also has a pair of locking claws 72, 72 extending from the tip of the engagement shaft 71. The pair of locking claws 72, 72 are formed as elastic snap fits and extend further toward the tip of the engagement shaft 71 at a predetermined interval. A claw piece extending outward, perpendicular to the axial direction of the engagement shaft 71, is formed at the tip of each of the locking claws 72, 72.

[0043] The mounting portion 70 also has an engagement portion 73 at the tip of the engagement shaft 71. The engagement portion 73 is composed of an insertion hole 74 formed in the end face of the engagement shaft 71 and an engagement window 75 formed in the side face (notched face) of the engagement shaft 71 and communicating with the insertion hole 74. The insertion hole 74 is formed between the pair of engagement claws 72, 72. The insertion hole 74 is also formed to a predetermined depth in the axial direction of the engagement shaft 71 from the end face of the engagement shaft 71. The engagement window 75 is formed from the side face of the engagement shaft 71 toward the axial center of the engagement shaft 71 and communicates with the insertion hole 74 inside the engagement shaft 71. Therefore, the stirring member 60 has the engagement portion 73 at one end 65 of the shaft portion 61.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 6(b), the engaging portion 73 provided on the mounting portion 70 is for inserting a pulling member 77 and engaging the pulling member 77. The pulling member 77 is formed, for example, by a rod-shaped member that can be inserted into the insertion hole 74, and has a hook-shaped locking portion 78 at its tip. The tip of the pulling member 77 can be inserted into the insertion hole 74 from the end face of the engagement shaft 71, and the locking portion 78 can be locked in the locking window 75.

[0045] 6(c), when the pulling member 77 is pulled in the direction of arrow F3 with the locking portion 78 locked in the locking window 75, the pulling force is transmitted to the shaft portion 61 of the agitator 60. In other words, the pulling member 77 can engage with the engaging portion 73 to apply a pulling force that pulls the agitator 60 in the axial direction. Such a pulling member 77 is used when attaching the drive transmission member 80 to the attachment portion 70.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the drive transmission member 80. FIG. 7(a) shows one surface of the drive transmission member 80 (the surface not facing the container body 42), and FIG. 7(b) shows the other surface of the drive transmission member 80 (the surface facing the container body 42). The drive transmission member 80 is a disk-shaped member with a gear formed on its outer circumferential surface 81. The drive transmission member 80 has a through-hole 82 at its center, into which the mounting portion 70 of the agitator 60 can be attached. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the drive transmission member 80 has a sleeve portion 83 formed at the center of the surface facing the container body 42. The through-hole 82 is formed to penetrate the sleeve portion 83. For example, the sleeve portion 83 can be housed inside the sleeve 45 formed on the side surface of the container body 42. The through-hole 82 has a non-circular inner shape and engages with the engagement shaft 71 of the mounting portion 70. The drive transmission member 80 is attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60 outside the container 41. This completes the toner container 40 shown in FIG.

[0047] 8A and 8B illustrate a method for manufacturing the toner container 40 by attaching the drive transmission member 80 to the one end 65 of the agitator 60. When attaching the drive transmission member 80 to the one end 65 of the agitator 60, a pulling member 77 is used, as shown in FIG. 8A. The worker passes the pulling member 77 through the through-hole 82 of the drive transmission member 80 and inserts the locking portion 78 of the pulling member 77 into the insertion hole 74 of the engagement shaft 71. The worker then locks the locking portion 78 of the pulling member 77 into the locking window 75. Once the locking portion 78 is locked in the locking window 75, the worker pushes the drive transmission member 80 in the direction of arrow F4 while pulling the pulling member 77 in the direction of arrow F3, as shown in FIG. 8B. The drive transmission member 80 is attached to the one end 65 of the agitator 60. When the drive transmission member 80 is pushed into one end 65 of the agitator 60, a traction force in the pulling direction by the traction member 77 acts on the agitator 60, so no stress in the compressive direction acts on the shaft 61. Therefore, when the drive transmission member 80 is attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60, it is possible to prevent the shaft 61 from being deformed or broken inside the container 41.

[0048] When the drive transmission member 80 is properly attached to the attachment portion 70 of the agitator 60, the claw pieces of the pair of locking claws 72, 72 are locked onto the periphery of the through-hole 82, as shown in Figure 8(b). This prevents the drive transmission member 80 from coming off the attachment portion 70 of the agitator 60.

[0049] The pulling member 77 can be removed from the engaging portion 73 after the drive transmission member 80 is attached. Because the pulling member 77 is a member for attaching the drive transmission member 80, it becomes unnecessary once the drive transmission member 80 is attached to the agitator 60. Therefore, by removing the pulling member 77 from the engaging portion 73, it can be reused to manufacture another toner container 40.

[0050] The toner container 40 formed as described above is mounted in the space 8 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1. When the toner container 40 is mounted in the space 8 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, the gear formed on the outer circumferential surface 81 of the drive transmission member 80 meshes with the gear of a drive unit (not shown) provided inside the image forming apparatus 1. The drive unit is driven to rotate by a motor provided inside the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, when the drive unit is driven to rotate, the drive transmission member 80 rotates. The drive transmission member 80 engages with the engagement shaft 71. Therefore, the drive transmission member 80 rotates the agitator 60 provided inside the toner container 40 in a predetermined direction. This agitates the toner inside the container 41, making it possible to uniformly distribute the toner.

[0051] For example, the radius of the drive transmission member 80 is formed larger than the radius of the drive unit, causing the agitator 60 to rotate at a predetermined rotation speed or less. One approach would be to provide a speed reduction mechanism in the drive mechanism mounted in the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 to reduce the rotation speed of the agitator 60 on the device body 1a side, but providing a speed reduction mechanism in the device body 1a makes it difficult to reduce the size of the device body 1a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the size of the drive transmission member 80 is increased to reduce the rotation speed of the agitator 60 and achieve a reduction in the size of the device body 1a.

[0052] 9 is a diagram showing the manufacturing process of the toner container 40. The toner container 40 is manufactured through steps ST1 to ST4 shown in FIG.

[0053] Step ST1 is a step of installing the agitating member 60 inside the container body 42. That is, the agitating member 60 is attached to the inside of the container body 42 before the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are welded together.

[0054] Step ST2 is a step of welding the container body 42, to which the agitator 60 is attached, and the cover member 43 to form the container 41. In step ST2, the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are welded together by vibration welding. Specifically, the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are placed in a jig, and the container body 42 and the cover member 43 are joined together at the joint 50. Vibrations are applied to the joint 50 via the jig for a predetermined period of time. This melts the joint 50, welding the container body 42 and the cover member 43 together. At this time, the relatively large drive transmission member 80 is not yet attached to the toner container 40. Therefore, the drive transmission member 80 does not get in the way when the container body 42 is placed in the jig, allowing the jig to be properly placed relative to the container body 42. This prevents any problems from occurring during vibration welding, ensuring the hermeticity of the container 41.

[0055] Step ST3 is performed after the sealed container 41 is formed. In step ST3, the drive transmission member 80 is attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60 using a pulling member 77. When the container 41 is formed in step ST2, one end 65 of the agitator 60 protrudes from the opening 46 on the side of the container 41. The pulling member 77 is inserted from outside the container 41 into the engagement portion 73 on the one end 65. Then, while the pulling member 77 is engaged with the engagement portion 73, the drive transmission member 80 is attached to the one end 65 of the agitator 60 while pulling the pulling member 77 toward the outside of the container 41. Pulling the pulling member 77 prevents compressive stress from acting on the shaft portion 61 of the agitator 60. Therefore, the shaft portion 61 does not deform or break in step ST3.

[0056] Step ST4 is a step of removing the pulling member 77 after the drive transmission member 80 has been attached. By removing the pulling member 77 from the engagement portion 73, the toner container 40 can be attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0057] As described above, the toner container 40 of this embodiment includes the container 41 that stores toner, the agitator 60 provided inside the container 41, and the drive transmission member 80 attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60 that protrudes from the opening 46 formed in the container 41. The agitator 60 is provided with an engagement portion 73 that engages with a pulling member 77 inserted from the outside of the container 41 when the drive transmission member 80 is attached. The toner container 40 having this configuration can attach the drive transmission member 80 to the one end 65 of the agitator 60 while pulling the pulling member 77 with the pulling member 77 engaged with the engagement portion 73. This prevents compressive stress from acting on the agitator 60 when the drive transmission member 80 is attached, thereby preventing damage to the agitator 60 inside the container 41.

[0058] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, an example was described in which locking pawls 72, 72 that hold the drive transmission member 80 and the agitator 60 in a coupled state are provided on one end 65 of the agitator 60. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a locking pawl 84 having the same function as in the first embodiment is provided on the drive transmission member 80.

[0059] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of one end 65 of the stirring member 60 in the second embodiment. Figure 10(a) is a perspective view of the one end 65 of the stirring member 60, and Figure 10(b) is a cross-sectional view of the one end 65 of the stirring member 60. The stirring member 60 of this embodiment has a step portion 76 on the outer peripheral surface of the engagement shaft 71. Note that, similar to the first embodiment, the engagement shaft 71 is provided with an engagement portion 73.

[0060] 11 is a diagram showing a drive transmission member 80 in the second embodiment. In this drive transmission member 80, a part of a sleeve portion 83 formed on the surface facing the container body 42 is formed as a locking claw 84. This locking claw 84 is separate from the sleeve portion 83 and is formed by an elastic snap fit. A nail piece extending toward the inside of the through-hole 82 is formed at the tip of the locking claw 84.

[0061] The toner container 40 is manufactured through the same process as in the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of attaching the drive transmission member 80 to one end 65 of the agitator 60 installed inside the container body 42. When attaching the drive transmission member 80 to one end 65 of the agitator 60, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the worker inserts the pulling member 77 into the engagement portion 73 to engage it. Then, the worker pushes the drive transmission member 80 in the direction of arrow F4 while pulling the pulling member 77 outward from the container body 42 (in the direction of arrow F3). When the sleeve portion 83 of the drive transmission member 80 interferes with the engagement shaft 71, the locking claw 84 elastically deforms, as shown in FIG. 12(b), and the drive transmission member 80 moves along the outer circumferential surface of the engagement shaft 71. Then, when the locking claw 84 fits into the stepped portion 76 of the engagement shaft 71, the state shown in FIG. 12(c) is reached. That is, the locking claw 84 engages with the stepped portion 76 , and the drive transmission member 80 is attached in a state where it will not come off the engagement shaft 71 .

[0062] The toner container 40 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, except that a locking claw 84 is provided on the drive transmission member 80. Therefore, when the drive transmission member 80 is attached to one end 65 of the agitator 60, it is possible to prevent compressive stress from acting on the shaft 61 of the agitator 60, and to prevent the agitator 60 from being damaged inside the container 41.

[0063] (Variation) Although several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

[0064] For example, in the above embodiment, a seal member may be disposed at the joint between the flange portion 64 of the stirring member 60 and the container body 42, thereby further enhancing the airtightness of the interior of the container 41. In this case, it is preferable to use an elastic member as the seal member.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the toner container 40 is a container for collecting waste toner. However, the container to which the configuration of the toner container 40 described above can be applied is not limited to a container for collecting waste toner. For example, the configuration described above can be applied to the developing device 34, and can also be applied to the cleaners 26 and 35.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 is a color machine capable of forming color images using toners of four colors: Y, M, C, and K. However, the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to a color machine, and may be a monochrome machine capable of forming only monochrome images.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the container 41 is formed by welding two parts, the container body 42 and the cover member 43, has been exemplified. However, the parts forming the container 41 are not limited to two parts, and may be three or more parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Image forming device 40 Toner container 41 Container 46 Aperture 60 stirring member 70 Mounting part 72 Locking claw 73 Engagement part 74 Insertion hole 75 Locking window 76 Step 77 Traction member 80 Drive transmission member 82 Through hole 84 Locking claw

Claims

1. a container for storing toner; an agitating member provided inside the container and rotating around an axis to agitate the toner; a drive transmission member attached to one end of the stirring member protruding from an opening formed in the container; Equipped with The toner container is characterized in that the agitating member is provided with an engaging portion that engages with a pulling member that is inserted from the outside of the container when the drive transmission member is attached.

2. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the pulling member engages with the engaging portion when the drive transmission member is attached, and pulls the agitating member in the axial direction.

3. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion includes an insertion hole formed in the end surface of the one end of the agitating member, and a locking window formed in the side surface of the agitating member and communicating with the insertion hole.

4. 4. The toner container according to claim 3, wherein the pulling member is inserted into the insertion hole and has a locking portion at a tip end thereof that is locked in the locking window.

5. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the container is sealed with the stirring member housed therein.

6. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the pulling member is detachable from the engaging portion after the drive transmission member is attached.

7. the drive transmission member has a through hole into which the one end of the stirring member can be inserted and attached, 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the pulling member engages with the engaging portion through the through hole.

8. 8. The toner container according to claim 7, wherein the one end of the stirring member is provided with a locking claw that locks onto the periphery of the through hole.

9. a step portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the one end of the stirring member, 8. The toner container according to claim 7, wherein an inner surface of the through hole is provided with a locking claw that locks onto the stepped portion.

10. a container for storing toner; an agitating member provided inside the container and rotating around an axis to agitate the toner; a drive transmission member attached to one end of the stirring member protruding from an opening formed in the container; A method for manufacturing a toner container comprising: a toner container manufacturing method, characterized in that, when attaching the drive transmission member to the one end of the agitating member, a pulling member is inserted into an engaging portion provided on the agitating member to engage with the agitating member, and the drive transmission member is attached to the one end of the agitating member while pulling the pulling member toward the outside of the container.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising the toner container according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images