Toner cartridge

Abstract

To provide a new form of a toner cartridge.SOLUTION: A toner cartridge comprises: a receiving port for receiving air; a filter that partitions an air chamber and a toner storage chamber from each other and regulates passage of toner and permits passage of air; a first frame body that has an outer periphery of the filter fixed over its entire perimeter to form the air chamber with the filter; a discharge port for discharging the toner and air; a second frame body that forms the toner storage chamber with the filter; and a seal member that is provided in a gap between the filter and the first frame body in a portion where the outer periphery of the filter is fixed, and regulates both passage of toner and passage of air to prevent the air from leaking out of the air chamber. The first frame body includes a groove part that holds the seal member and that is opened toward the second frame body. When seen from a first direction in which the first frame body and the second frame body are aligned, the groove part has an annular shape and is inside a portion where the outer periphery of the first frame body and the outer periphery of the second frame body are in contact with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, a toner cartridge containing toner used in image formation and a process cartridge for performing an electrophotographic process are widely known as detachable cartridges. In such toner cartridges, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the toner is conveyed using air pumped by both a pump that ejects air and a pump that sucks in toner and air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4678735 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a new type of toner cartridge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention has a configuration for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a toner cartridge having an air chamber and a toner storage chamber that stores toner, the toner cartridge including an inlet for receiving air into the air chamber, a filter that separates the air chamber from the toner storage chamber and restricts the passage of toner between the air chamber and the toner storage chamber but allows the passage of air, a first frame that, by fixing the outer periphery of the filter over its entire periphery, forms together with the filter the air chamber, which is a space into which air flows in from the inlet, an outlet for discharging toner and air from the toner storage chamber, and toner that is discharged together with the air that has passed through the filter and flowed into the toner storage chamber. a second frame that, together with the filter, forms the toner storage chamber, which is a space that stores the toner discharged from the discharge port; and a sealing member that is provided in the gap between the filter and the first frame at a portion where the outer periphery of the filter is fixed, and that regulates the passage of both toner and air and prevents air from leaking out of the air chamber, wherein the first frame has a groove portion that holds the sealing member and is open toward the second frame, and the groove portion has an annular shape and is located inside a portion where the outer periphery of the first frame and the outer periphery of the second frame abut when viewed from a first direction in which the first frame and the second frame are aligned. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] As described above, according to the present invention, a new form of toner cartridge can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge and the process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ventilation member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first frame and a seal member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second frame according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first frame and a seal member according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] In the following description, examples of image forming apparatuses include copiers, printers, multifunction peripherals, and commercial printing machines. An image is formed on a recording medium based on image information input from an external computer or image information read from an original. Sheet materials of various materials and shapes are used as recording media, including paper such as plain paper and cardboard, plastic film, coated paper, specially shaped sheets such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

[0010] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of an image forming apparatus IF according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge C and a process cartridge B. As shown in Fig. 1, the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C are mounted in a main body A of the image forming apparatus IF, and form an image on a sheet P, which is a recording medium. The main body A is the portion of the image forming apparatus IF excluding the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C.

[0011] (Overall configuration of image forming device) 1, the image forming apparatus IF of this embodiment is an electrophotographic laser beam printer that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive drum 1 using a laser beam L emitted from a laser scanner 3 as an exposure means, and transfers the developed image using toner T as a developer onto a sheet P. In addition to a process cartridge B and a toner cartridge C, the apparatus main body A has, in the direction in which the sheet P is transported from a sheet tray 4, a pickup roller 5a, a pair of transport rollers 5b, a transfer roller 7, a fixing device 9, a pair of discharge rollers 5c, and a discharge tray 10.

[0012] The process cartridge B has a photosensitive drum 1 as a photosensitive member, a developing roller 2 as a developer carrier, a charging roller 11 as a charging means, a toner chamber (toner storage chamber) 12 that stores toner T to be supplied to the developing roller 2, etc. The toner cartridge C stores toner T to be replenished in the toner chamber 12 of the process cartridge B.

[0013] The charging roller 11 that performs charging, the developing roller 2 that performs developing, and the transfer roller 7 that performs transfer are all examples of process means that act on the photosensitive drum 1 in the electrophotographic process.

[0014] (Image formation process) When the image forming apparatus IF receives a signal to start forming an image on a sheet P, the photosensitive drum 1 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 1. A charging roller 11 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1 and uniformly charges the drum surface. A laser scanner 3 irradiates the photosensitive drum 1 with a laser beam L based on image information, writing an electrostatic latent image on the drum surface.

[0015] Toner T contained in toner chamber 12 is sent toward sponge-like developer supply roller 6 by a stirring member 13. The toner T is then supplied to developing roller 2 by developer supply roller 6 and carried as a thin layer on the surface of developing roller 2 by developing blade 15. When toner T reaches the development area where developing roller 2 and photosensitive drum 1 face each other, it is transferred from developing roller 2 to the surface of photosensitive drum 1 in accordance with the potential distribution on the surface of photosensitive drum 1. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the drum surface is made visible as a toner image.

[0016] In parallel with this process, the sheet P is fed at a timing synchronized with the exposure operation by the laser scanner 3. A pickup roller 5a shown in FIG. 1 feeds the sheet P stacked on the sheet tray 4 from the sheet tray 4. A pair of transport rollers 5b receives the sheet P from the pickup roller 5a and transports the sheet P to a transfer section between the photosensitive drum 1 and a transfer roller 7. A bias voltage is then applied to the transfer roller 7, so that the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred onto the sheet P.

[0017] The sheet P onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported along a transport guide 8 to a fixing device 9. The fixing device 9 applies heat and pressure to the toner image on the sheet P using a heating roller 9a and a pressure roller 9b, fixing the image to the sheet P. The sheet P which has undergone the image fixing process is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 5c onto a discharge tray 10 provided at the top of the apparatus main body A.

[0018] (Process cartridge) Next, the structure of the process cartridge B will be described with reference to FIG.

[0019] The process cartridge B of this embodiment is configured to be detachably mounted to the apparatus main body A. The process cartridge B of this embodiment is provided with a charging roller 11 and a cleaning blade 14 around the photosensitive drum 1. The process cartridge B also includes, as developing means, a developing roller 2, a developing blade 15, a developer supply roller 6, a toner chamber 12 that contains toner T to be supplied to the developing roller 2, and an agitating member 13 that agitates the toner T. The process cartridge B is also provided with an inlet 24 for receiving toner T replenished from the toner cartridge C and an exhaust section 26 through which air from the toner chamber 12 passes, on the top surface of the toner chamber 12, and a filter 26a is provided on the top surface of the exhaust section 26 as a ventilation member.

[0020] (Explanation of each part of the toner cartridge) Next, the overall structure of the toner cartridge C and each part of the toner cartridge C will be described. The outline of the structure of the toner cartridge C will be described using Figs. 2 to 6. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge C, with Fig. 3(a) showing a state in which the sealing member 30 seals the discharge port 27b, and Fig. 3(b) showing a state in which the sealing member 30 opens the discharge port 27b. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge C. Fig. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge C. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the ventilation member 18.

[0021] 3 and subsequent figures, the arrows X and Y or the arrows X, Y, and Z at the bottom of the figures indicate that the X direction is the horizontal lateral direction when the toner cartridge C is installed in the device main body A, the Y direction is the direction of gravity, and the Z direction is the horizontal depth direction. The Y direction may also be called the first direction, and the X direction or the Z direction may also be called the second direction.

[0022] First, the overall configuration of the toner cartridge C will be outlined.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3(a), the toner cartridge C contains toner T to be replenished to the process cartridge B, and is separated into a toner storage section 16 and an air chamber 17 by a ventilation member 18. The toner storage section 16 is provided with a discharge path 27, and the air chamber 17 is provided with an air supply port 20.

[0024] 4, the toner cartridge C is composed of a first frame 31 and a second frame 32. The first frame 31 and the second frame 32 are joined and aligned in the Y direction. A seal member 341 and a ventilation member 18 are disposed between the first frame 31 and the second frame 32.

[0025] Next, the assembly order of the seal member 341, the ventilation member 18, the first frame 31, and the second frame 32 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0026] First, the annular sealing member 341 is assembled to the first frame 31. Then, the ventilation member 18 is assembled and fixed to the first frame 31 to which the sealing member 341 has been assembled, and finally, the second frame 32 is assembled. The connection structure between the sealing member 341 and the ventilation member 18, the first frame 31, and the second frame 32 will be described in detail later.

[0027] In this case, silicone rubber is used for the seal member 341. The seal member 341 is fitted into the groove portion 31b of the first frame 31 and assembled.

[0028] Instead of silicone rubber, a thermoplastic adhesive such as hot melt or silicon bond may be used as the sealing member 341. In this case, the adhesive that is the sealing member 341 is injected into the groove 31b of the first frame 31. Specifically, during manufacturing, before the ventilation member 18 is assembled to the first frame 31, a nozzle that injects hot melt or the like is moved all the way around the groove 31b of the first frame 31, and the hot melt or the like is injected into the groove 31b to form the ventilation member 18. The presence of the groove 31b prevents the molten hot melt or the like adhesive from leaking out of areas other than the designated area.

[0029] In either case, because the sealing member 341 is not a foam material such as a sponge, it closes the gap between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31, preventing air from leaking through the sealing member 341 itself. By having the sealing member 341 close the gap between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31, there is no other path for air to leak out of the air chamber other than through the ventilation member 18, so the inflowing air can be used efficiently to transport toner.

[0030] Next, the air chamber 17 will be described.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3(a), air chamber 17 is a space surrounded by first frame 31 and ventilation member 18, with the lower surface 18c of ventilation member 18 serving as the ceiling surface, and is a single, connected space. First frame 31 constituting air chamber 17 is provided with air supply port 20, which is the portion that receives air. As shown in FIG. 1, when toner cartridge C is installed in apparatus main body A, air supply port 20 is connected to pump 35 provided in the apparatus main body via air supply pipe 21.

[0032] The ventilation member 18 will now be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the ventilation member 18 has an inclined portion 18c that is inclined toward the lowest portion 18b, and the inclined portion 18c forms the bottom surface of the toner storage portion 16, and the lower surface of the ventilation member 18 forms the upper surface of the air chamber 17.

[0033] The discharge path 27 will now be described.

[0034] 4, the discharge path 27 is a cylindrical path with an internally communicating space that connects the toner storage unit 16 with the outside of the toner cartridge C, with one end being an inlet 27a provided in the toner storage unit 16 and the other end being an outlet 27b that leads to the outside of the toner cartridge C. The discharge path 27 may be formed from an appropriate hollow member such as a flexible tube made of rubber, silicone, or the like, or a pipe made of resin or metal.

[0035] Alternatively, a hole may be formed in the lowest part of the inclined portion 18c of the ventilation member 18, and a tube may be passed through the inside of the air chamber 17 to provide the carry-out path 27.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3(a), a sealing member 30 is provided at the discharge port 27b. When the toner cartridge C is in a standalone state, the sealing member 30 seals the discharge port 27b to prevent the toner in the toner storage section from leaking to the outside. When the toner cartridge C is mounted in the apparatus main body A, the sealing member 30 moves to a position that opens the discharge port 27b, as shown in FIG. 3(b). Furthermore, when the toner cartridge C is mounted in the apparatus main body A, the discharge port 27b and the receiving port 24 of the process cartridge B communicate with each other, as shown in FIG. 2, and the toner T in the toner cartridge C can be replenished to the process cartridge B.

[0037] The toner storage section 16 will now be described.

[0038] 3(a), the toner storage unit 16 is an enclosed space defined by the second frame 32 and the sloped surface 18b of the ventilation member 18 as the bottom surface, and stores toner T. As shown in FIG. 4, the second frame 32 inside the toner storage unit 16 has an inlet support portion 32b that supports the vicinity of the inlet 27a of the discharge path 27. The second frame 32 also has an outlet support portion 32c that supports the outlet 27b of the discharge path 27.

[0039] This embodiment has described the configuration of a toner cartridge, but it is not limited to this and can also be applied to an all-in-one cartridge in which a toner cartridge C and a process cartridge B are integrated, or to the toner chamber of a cartridge in which a toner cartridge C and a developing means are integrated.

[0040] (Toner discharge mechanism) Next, the mechanism by which the toner T is discharged from the toner cartridge C and replenished to the process cartridge B will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0041] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the toner T is transported from the toner storage section 16 to the outside of the toner cartridge C and replenished into the process cartridge B only by the pushing force generated by the air discharged by the pump 35 provided in the apparatus main body A and flowing in from the air supply port 20.

[0042] The pump 35 may be a reciprocating pump, a diaphragm pump, or a rotary pump. The pump 35 is connected to the air supply port 20 of the air chamber 17 via an air supply pipe 21. Air discharged by the pump 35 is sent to the air chamber 17 through the air supply port 20 of the toner cartridge C, as shown in FIG. 3 . The air then flows into every corner of the air chamber 17, which is a single space, and into the ventilation member 31 that forms the ceiling surface. The air then passes through the ventilation member 18 and flows into the toner storage section 16. The air that has flowed into the toner storage section 16 fluidizes the toner T in the toner storage section 16. The air mixed with the toner T then passes from the inlet 27a through the discharge path 27 and is discharged from the discharge port 27b.

[0043] 2, the discharged air and toner T are replenished into the process cartridge B through the receiving port 24. At this time, not only toner T but also air flows into the toner chamber 12 of the process cartridge B, causing the internal pressure of the toner chamber 12 to rise momentarily. However, as mentioned above, the air can be released by the exhaust portion 26 provided on the top surface of the toner chamber 12, so the internal pressure of the toner chamber 12 can be prevented from rising.

[0044] Although the pump 35 in this embodiment is provided in the apparatus main body A, it may be provided in the process cartridge B or the toner cartridge C.

[0045] (Details of the sealing and ventilation components) Next, the configurations of the sealing member 341 and the ventilation member 18 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0046] The material of the seal member 341 shown in FIG. 5 is elastic silicone rubber, and the cross section is configured to be approximately circular.

[0047] Furthermore, although silicone rubber is used as the material for the seal member 341, the elastomer material is not limited to silicone rubber, and may be acrylic rubber, natural rubber, butyl rubber, or the like.

[0048] Furthermore, as mentioned above, instead of silicone rubber, an adhesive containing a thermoplastic resin such as hot melt may be used as the sealing member 341. In this case, the adhesive as the sealing member 341 is injected into the groove portion 31b of the first frame body 31 and directly joined.

[0049] 6 is a porous member made of, for example, resin fibers, and has pores of a size and density that allow air to pass through unrestricted, but restrict the passage of toner T. In addition, the ventilation member 18 and ventilation member flange 18a (outer edge portion) in this embodiment are made of a filter material that is formed by heat pressing or the like, and the ventilation member 18 is preferably formed to have a thickness H1 of 0.8 to 1.5 mm, and can also be formed into any desired shape.

[0050] It should be noted that the ventilation member flange 18a of the ventilation member 18 is formed by heat pressing or the like, and is therefore configured to be harder than the sealing member 341, which has elasticity.

[0051] (Connection structure of sealing member, ventilation member, first frame body, and second frame body) Next, the connection structure between the sealing member 341, the ventilation member 18, the first frame 31, and the second frame 32 will be described in detail using Figures 5, 7, 8, and 9. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the sealing member 341 attached to the first frame 31. Figure 8 is a plan view of the first frame 31 as seen from below in the direction of gravity. Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the sealing member 341, the ventilation member flange 18a, the first frame flange 31a, and the second frame flange 32a.

[0052] Here, the first frame 31 and the second frame 32 are made of a material harder than the elastic seal member 341, such as polystyrene (PS).

[0053] As shown in Fig. 5, the ventilation member 18 has a ventilation member flange 18a, the first frame 31 has a first frame flange 31a, and the second frame 32 has a second frame flange 32a, each of which has a flange portion. Here, as shown in Fig. 6, the ventilation member flange 18a is provided so as to surround the toner chamber 12 in the horizontal direction (X and Z directions) when used in the image forming apparatus. Similarly, the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a (not shown) are also provided so as to surround the toner chamber 12 in the horizontal direction (X and Z directions).

[0054] A seal member 341 is attached to a groove 31b provided in the first frame flange 31a shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 7, at least a portion of a wall 31c of the groove 31b is made higher than half the height (approximate radius) of the thickness of the seal member 341, which prevents the seal member 341 from falling off the first frame flange 31a when the seal member 341 is made of silicone rubber. Also, when the seal member 341 is made of hot melt, it prevents the molten hot melt from leaking from the first frame flange 31a.

[0055] Next, the ventilation member 18 shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the first frame 31 with the sealing member 341 attached. At this time, the ventilation member flange 18a of the ventilation member 18 abuts against the sealing member 341 around the entire circumference. Furthermore, the second frame 32 is attached with the elastic sealing member 341 abutting against the ventilation member flange 18a. The second frame 32 is provided with a plurality of second frame ribs 32d that protrude inward as pressing portions, as shown in FIG.

[0056] 9, the seal member 341 and the ventilation member flange 18a are sandwiched between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame rib 32d in the direction of gravity (the direction of arrow Y). The second frame rib 32d abuts against the ventilation member 18 with an elongated surface in the direction in which the second frame rib 32d protrudes. The second frame rib 32d overlaps the ventilation member 18 over the entire width direction. With this configuration, the second frame rib 32d can sufficiently compress and deform the ventilation member 18.

[0057] At this time, as described above, the ventilation member flange 18a of the ventilation member 18 is made of a material with a higher Young's modulus than the seal member 341, and therefore the sealing member 341 is compressed and deformed by the ventilation member flange 18a being pressed by the second frame rib 32d. Here, as shown in FIG. 8 , when viewed from the Y direction (first direction), the second frame rib 32d is not provided around the entire periphery. Therefore, the area where the first frame 31 abuts against the seal member 341 is larger than the area where the second frame 32 abuts against the ventilation member 18. Finally, the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a are joined to maintain the connection and seal the gap between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a to prevent air from leaking.

[0058] The first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a may be joined by any suitable method such as ultrasonic welding, heat welding, bonding with a solvent such as an adhesive, or joining with screws.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, polystyrene (PS) is used as the material for the first frame body 31 and the second frame body 32, but this material is not limited to this and general plastic materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), ABS resin, polycarbonate (PC), and polyacetal (POM) may also be used.

[0060] (Action and effect of sealing materials) The function and effect of the seal member 341 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 9, the ventilation member flange 18a pressed against the second frame body rib 32d deforms the sealing member 341, thereby improving the sealing between the sealing member 341 and the ventilation member flange 18a, and between the sealing member 341 and the first frame body flange 31a, and preventing air leakage.

[0062] At this time, as shown in Figure 9, it is desirable that the contact width J of the seal member 341 with the ventilation member flange 18a is longer than the thickness H1 (see Figure 6) of the ventilation member flange 18a. The reason for this will be explained below.

[0063] When the relationship between the contact width J and the thickness H1 described above is J>H1, air flowing through the ventilation member 18 is defined as air flow path E1 in the direction of the thickness H of the ventilation member flange 18a, and air flow path E2 in the direction from the air chamber 17 to the thickness H of the ventilation member flange 18a. Therefore, air flows toward the side with the least resistance, and more air flows into air flow path E1 than into air flow path E2. This allows more air that has flowed from the air chamber 17 into the ventilation member 18 to flow from air flow path E1 to the toner accommodating portion 16, thereby efficiently fluidizing the toner in the toner accommodating portion 16.

[0064] At the same time, the seal member 341 seals the toner T contained in the toner containing portion 16 so that it does not enter the air chamber 17 .

[0065] If the sealing member 341 is made of an elastomer material such as silicone rubber, it will have the above-mentioned sealing properties, and when disassembling the toner cartridge C for recycling, etc., it will also be possible to easily disassemble the toner cartridge C into the state shown in Figure 5 by simply releasing the joint between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a shown in Figure 9.

[0066] When silicone rubber is used as the sealing member 341, the sealing member 341 has a simple configuration in which it is simply sandwiched between the first frame 31 and the ventilation member 18. When users collect and recycle used toner cartridges, the collected cartridges are disassembled into individual materials. In this case, some parts are crushed and reused as recyclable materials. Because the sealing member 341 can be removed without tearing, it is unlikely to be mixed with other materials during recycling, which is ideal for recycling. When silicone rubber is used as the sealing member in this way, the sealing member 341 can be easily separated from the first frame 31 and the ventilation member 18 when disassembling the toner cartridge, improving recyclability.

[0067] As described above, by adopting this embodiment, in a configuration in which toner is transported using air, it is possible to provide a toner cartridge that can maintain tight contact between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31 while maintaining airtightness, seal the gap between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31, and prevent air or toner leakage between the toner chamber 12 and the air chamber 17.

[0068] <Second embodiment> (Modification of the sealing member) In the first embodiment, a case where silicone rubber is used as the sealing member 341 and the cross section is configured to be approximately circular is described. In this embodiment, a case where silicone rubber is used as the sealing member 341 and the cross section of the sealing member 342 is configured to be approximately rectangular is described.

[0069] The configurations of the image forming apparatus IF, apparatus main body A, and process cartridge B are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the configuration of the toner cartridge C is the same as that in the first embodiment except for the configuration of the seal member 342.

[0070] (Detailed configuration of the sealing member) The configuration of the seal member 342, which is a characteristic feature of this embodiment, will be described in detail using Figure 10. Figure 10 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view of the toner cartridge C according to this embodiment. The seal member 342 shown in Figure 10 is made of elastic silicone rubber and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

[0071] Furthermore, although silicone rubber is used as the material for the seal member 342, similar to the first embodiment, the material is not limited to this, and elastomer materials such as acrylic rubber, natural rubber, and butyl rubber may also be used.

[0072] (Connection structure of sealing member, ventilation member, first frame body, and second frame body) Next, the connection configuration of the seal member 342 with the ventilation member 18, the first frame 31, and the second frame 32 will be described in detail using FIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the seal member 342 according to this embodiment attached to the first frame 31. FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection configuration of the seal member 342 according to this embodiment with the ventilation member flange 18a, the first frame flange 31a, and the second frame flange 32a. As shown in FIG. 11, when the seal member 342 is attached to the groove 31b provided in the first frame flange 31a, at least a portion of the wall 31c of the groove 31b is higher than half the thickness of the seal member 342. This prevents the seal member 342 from falling off the first frame flange 31a, as in the first embodiment.

[0073] 12, the seal member 342 and the ventilation member flange 18a are sandwiched between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame rib 32d in the direction of gravity (the direction of arrow Y). At this time, because the Young's modulus of the seal member 342 is sufficiently lower than those of the frame and the ventilation member, the seal member 342 deforms to cover the side surface 18a1 of the ventilation member flange 18a. This side surface 18a1 is a portion that connects the surface of the ventilation member flange 18a facing the toner storage section 16 (upper surface) with the surface facing the air chamber 17 (lower surface).

[0074] (Action and effect of sealing materials) The action and effect of the sealing member 342, which is a characteristic configuration of this embodiment, will be described using Figure 12. As described above, the sealing member 342 shown in Figure 12 is deformed so as to cover the side surface portion 18a1 of the ventilation member flange 18a.

[0075] 12, part of the air flow path E2 through which air flows from the air chamber 17 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness H of the ventilation member flange 18a can be blocked, thereby increasing the amount of air flowing in the thickness H direction of the ventilation member flange 18a. This allows more of the air that has flowed from the air chamber 17 to the ventilation member 18 to flow from the air flow path E1 to the toner storage unit 16, thereby making it possible to fluidize the toner in the toner storage unit 16 efficiently.

[0076] As in the first embodiment, the sealing member 342 of this embodiment is also made of silicone rubber, and therefore has the above-mentioned sealing properties. However, when disassembling the toner cartridge C for recycling or the like, the toner cartridge C can be easily disassembled into the state shown in FIG. 10 simply by releasing the joint between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a shown in FIG. 12.

[0077] As described above, in the present embodiment, in a configuration in which toner is transported using air, it is possible to maintain close contact between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31, maintain airtightness, seal the gap between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31, prevent air or toner leakage between the toner chamber 12 and the air chamber 17, and provide a toner cartridge that can be easily disassembled.

[0078] Although the cross-sectional shape of the sealing member is shown as a solid, approximately circular or rectangular shape, it is not limited to this and may be, for example, a hollow, approximately circular or rectangular shape, or may be suitably configured with any of the well-known cross-sectional shapes of rubber seals, such as an approximately U-shape or an approximately L-shape.

[0079] Although the sealing member is configured as a separate member from the first frame 31, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first frame 31 and the sealing member may be integrally molded by two-color molding.

[0080] In this case, the two-color molding may be performed using a technique called hot melt molding using a thermoplastic hot melt adhesive.

[0081] After the first frame 31 is formed by injection molding, the first frame 31 is set in a mold for hot melt molding, and then a liquid hot melt adhesive is injected into the mold. When the hot melt adhesive cools and solidifies inside the mold, the first frame 31 is molded with the hot melt adhesive adhered to it. Because hot melt molding uses lower temperatures and pressures than regular injection molding, a stronger mold is not required, and manufacturing costs can be kept low.

[0082] When the seal member is molded by hot melt molding, the first frame 31 and the seal member 342 are bonded together to form a structure as shown in FIG.

[0083] Furthermore, the sealing member may be made of a general elastomer material such as silicone rubber, and the first frame 31 may be made of polystyrene (PS), and the sealing member may be molded integrally with the first frame 31 using a known two-color molding method.

[0084] In this case, costs cannot be kept as low as with hot melt molding, but the elastomer sealing member is a different material and is not compatible with the polystyrene first frame 31. As a result, the first frame and sealing member are easier to separate than with hot melt molding, and the elastomer itself can withstand a peeling force greater than the adhesive strength, so the sealing member can be easily separated from the first frame 31. Furthermore, because the sealing member can be easily separated from the ventilation member 18, the sealing member can be easily separated and sorted from the first frame 31 and ventilation member 18 when disassembling the toner cartridge, improving recyclability.

[0085] <Third embodiment> In this embodiment, a modified example of the seal member 342 of the second embodiment will be described.

[0086] The configurations of the image forming apparatus IF, apparatus main body A, and process cartridge B are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, and the configuration of the toner cartridge C is the same as that of the second embodiment except for the deformation state of the seal member 342.

[0087] (Connection structure of sealing member, ventilation member, first frame body, and second frame body) Next, the connection structure of the seal member 342, the ventilation member 18, the first frame 31, and the second frame 32 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0088] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection structure of the seal member 342, the ventilation member flange 18a, the first frame flange 31a, and the second frame flange 32a according to this embodiment.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 13, the seal member 342 and the ventilation member flange 18a are sandwiched between the first frame body flange 31a and the second frame body rib 32d in the direction of gravity (the direction of arrow Y). At this time, the seal member 342 is deformed to cover the joint portion 300 between the first frame body flange portion 31a and the second frame body flange portion 32a around the entire circumference of the joint portion 300. At this time, as shown in Fig. 8, the second frame body ribs 32d are arranged at intervals around the entire circumference of the second frame body 32, and as shown in Fig. 13, the second frame body ribs 32d are formed integrally with the second frame body flange 32a as the abutment surface of the joint portion 300.

[0090] With this configuration, the volume of the sealing member 342 pushed aside by the ventilation member 18 flows into the gaps between the ventilation member 18 and the first frame 31 and the second frame 32, causing the sealing member 342 to deform beyond the height of the joint 300.

[0091] As the internal pressure inside the container increases, the sealing member 342 adheres more tightly to the joint 300, and the sealing member 342 adheres tightly due to the internal pressure, further reducing the risk of air leakage from the joint 300.

[0092] In this way, the seal member 342 deforms along the second frame rib 32d, so that the seal member 342 covers the entire periphery of the joint portion 300 without any gaps.

[0093] (Action and effect of sealing materials) The function and effect of the seal member 342, which is a characteristic feature of this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0094] As described above, the seal member 342 shown in FIG. 13 is deformed so as to cover the entire periphery of the joint portion 300 between the first frame flange portion 31a and the second frame flange portion 32a.

[0095] This configuration will be described in detail below.

[0096] As described in the first embodiment, the toner is discharged from the toner storage unit 16 through the discharge path 27 and the discharge port 27b only by the pushing force generated by the air flowing in from the air supply port 20 shown in FIG.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 13, the joint 300 between the first frame flange portion 31a and the second frame flange portion 32a of the sealing member 342 is joined by ultrasonic welding, heat welding, bonding with a solvent such as an adhesive, screws, etc., as described in Example 1.

[0098] At this time, if there is a small gap at the joint 300, air will leak from the joint 300, weakening the pushing force generated by the air flowing in from the air supply port 20, making it impossible to discharge the toner from the discharge port 27b.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, the sealing member 342 is deformed to cover the joint 300 between the first frame flange portion 31a and the second frame flange portion 32a, and the sealing member 342 prevents air from entering the joint 300 from the air chamber 17 and the toner storage portion 16.

[0100] As a result, even if there is a minute gap at the joint 300, the seal member 342 can prevent air from leaking from the air chamber 17 and the toner storage section 16, and toner can be discharged more stably from the toner cartridge C.

[0101] Like the first and second embodiments, the sealing member 342 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned sealing properties, but when disassembling the toner cartridge C for recycling, etc., the toner cartridge C can be easily disassembled into the state shown in Figure 10 by simply releasing the joint 300 between the first frame flange 31a and the second frame flange 32a shown in Figure 13.

[0102] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to provide a toner cartridge that can be easily disassembled while maintaining close contact between the ventilation member and the frame body in a configuration in which toner is transported using air.

[0103] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the seal member may also be a hollow, substantially circular or substantially rectangular shape, or may be a well-known cross-sectional shape of a rubber seal, such as a substantially U-shape or a substantially L-shape.

[0104] In the third embodiment, the seal member may also be made of silicone rubber or hot melt, or may be made of hot melt molding as explained in the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] A. Device body B Process cartridge C Toner cartridge E1, E2 air flow path H, H1 thickness J Contact width L laser beam P-sheet R Rotation direction T Toner 1 Photosensitive drum 2 Developing roller 3 Toner cartridge 4 sheet trays 5. Laura vs. 6 Developer supply roller 7 Transfer roller 8 Transport guide 9 Fixing device 10 Output tray 11 Charging roller 12 Toner chamber 13 Stirring member 14 Cleaning blade 15 Developing blade 16 Toner storage compartment 17 Air Chamber 18 Ventilation material 18a Ventilation flange 18a1 Side part 18b bottom 18c Slope 20 Air supply port 21 Air supply pipe 24 Reception 26 Exhaust section 26a filter 27 Excretion Route 27a Inlet 27b Outlet 30 Sealing member 31 First frame 31a First frame flange 31b Groove 31c wall 32 Second frame 32a Second frame flange 32d Second frame rib 341, 342 sealing member 35 Pump

Claims

1. a first frame body having an intake port for receiving air from the outside; a second frame body assembled to the first frame body and forming an internal space together with the first frame body; a filter having an outer edge portion fixed to the first frame body, which separates the space into an air chamber having the receiving port and a toner storage chamber that stores toner, the filter restricting the passage of toner between the air chamber and the toner storage chamber but allowing the passage of air; an outlet for discharging the toner together with air from the toner storage chamber to the outside; Equipped with a seal member that restricts passage of both toner and air is provided in a gap between the outer edge of the filter and the first frame; the first frame includes a groove portion that holds the seal member and that is open toward the second frame, the groove portion has an annular shape and is located inside a portion where an outer periphery of the first frame body and an outer periphery of the second frame body abut on each other when viewed from a first direction in which the first frame body and the second frame body are aligned. A toner cartridge characterized by:

2. the sealing member is provided at a position overlapping a joint portion where the first frame body and the second frame body are joined when viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

3. the filter is provided only inside the space formed by the outer periphery of the first frame and the outer periphery of the second frame abutting against each other; 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

4. The sealing member is an adhesive containing a thermoplastic resin.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

5. In the toner storage chamber, the second frame has a plurality of ribs that protrude toward the inside of the toner storage chamber, The sealing member is made of rubber, and the rib abuts against the filter, and the rib presses the sealing member together with the filter, thereby compressing and deforming the sealing member.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

6. the filter is provided inside a space formed by the outer periphery of the first frame and the outer periphery of the second frame abutting against each other; The seal member is configured to be compressively deformed when the outer periphery of the first frame body and the outer periphery of the second frame body are in contact with each other.

2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

7. When viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the depth of the groove is smaller than the thickness of the sealing member in the first direction before the sealing member is compressed and deformed.

6. The toner cartridge according to claim 5.

8. When viewed in the first direction, an area of ​​a surface of the first frame that contacts the seal member is larger than an area of ​​a surface of the second frame that contacts the filter, When viewed in the first direction, the surface of the second frame that comes into contact with the filter is a part of the rib, is an elongated surface extending in the direction in which the rib protrudes, and overlaps the inner end of the seal member.

8. The toner cartridge according to claim 7.

9. The sealing member is made of acrylic rubber, natural rubber, or butyl rubber.

6. The toner cartridge according to claim 5.

10. the sealing member is made of a thermoplastic resin that is molded at a lower temperature than the first frame and is directly bonded to and integrally molded with the first frame; 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is a toner cartridge having a toner cartridge.

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