Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus capable of determining an attachment state and compatibility of a toner storage container with a simple and inexpensive configuration without causing a detection failure due to breakage of a compatibility detection shape.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a toner storage container, an attachment portion, a detection mechanism configured to detect attachment of the toner storage container to the attachment portion, and a control portion. The detection mechanism includes a detection circuit including a first contact spring and a second contact spring, the first contact spring being an annular wire spring provided in the coupled part of the attachment part, the second contact spring being a plate spring arranged on a radially inner side of the first contact spring and contacting the first contact spring, and an insulating key member protruding from the coupling part of the toner storage container toward the coupled part. The second contact spring is arranged in an arc shape along the first contact spring and has a plurality of contact terminals that come into contact with the first contact spring at positions corresponding to the key members of the coupled portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus equipped with a toner storage container for storing toner. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a developing process is performed by supplying toner from a developing device to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of an image carrier (e.g., a photosensitive drum). The toner used in such a developing process is supplied to the developing device from a toner storage container.

[0003] Among image forming devices equipped with toner storage containers, there are known image forming devices that have an incompatible structure that allows only compatible toner containers to be attached to the container attachment section, so that toner that is incompatible with the container attachment section cannot be replenished.

[0004] Patent document 1 discloses an image forming device in which a main body compatible key corresponding to a toner container that can be attached to the container attachment section is provided on the container attachment section, while the toner container is provided with a container compatible key that can only be engaged with the main body compatible key of the container attachment section that corresponds to the toner container, and cannot be engaged with other container attachment sections.

[0005] Patent document 2 discloses an image forming device that includes a contact terminal in which a spring contact is opened by a compatible key to turn OFF when the toner container is inserted to the mounting position, and the contact is closed to turn ON when the toner container is removed from the mounting position, and a control unit that detects a toner container mounted in the container mounting section when the contact of the contact terminal changes from ON to OFF. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-91926 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-138466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The configuration of Patent Document 1 uses a mechanism for determining compatibility of toner containers by fitting convex and concave shapes, which has the problem that if the convex part is broken due to a drop impact or is intentionally modified, it becomes possible to attach the toner container.

[0008] In the configuration of Patent Document 2, the two springs that form the contact points are both made of leaf springs. Therefore, it is necessary to use two different molds to mold each leaf spring, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. In addition, the configuration of the mounting part is complicated, and the assembly work is also cumbersome.

[0009] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an image forming device that can determine the installation state and compatibility of a toner storage container with a simple and inexpensive configuration, without causing detection failure due to damage to the compatibility detection shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of the present invention is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a toner storage container, an attachment unit, a detection mechanism, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium using toner. The toner storage container stores toner used in the image forming unit. The attachment unit is detachably attached to the toner storage container. The detection mechanism detects attachment of the toner storage container to the attachment unit. The control unit enables the image forming unit to perform an image formation operation when the detection mechanism detects the toner storage container. The toner storage container has a connecting portion at an end downstream in the insertion direction into the attachment unit. The attachment unit has a connected portion that connects with the connecting portion when the toner storage container is inserted to a predetermined attachment position. The detection mechanism has a first contact spring made of an annular wire spring provided at the connected portion, a second contact spring made of a leaf spring arranged radially inward of the first contact spring and in contact with the first contact spring, and an insulating key member that protrudes from the connecting portion toward the connected portion. The second contact spring is arranged in an arc shape along the first contact spring and has a plurality of contact terminals that contact the first contact spring at positions corresponding to the key members of the connected portion. When the toner storage container is removed from the mounting position, the first contact spring and the contact terminals are in contact, and when the toner storage container is inserted to the mounting position, the key members enter between the first contact spring and the contact terminals, causing the first contact spring and the contact terminals to go from contact to non-contact. The control unit detects that the toner storage container is mounted in the mounting portion when the first contact spring and the contact terminals go from contact to non-contact. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first contact spring is a wire spring formed by bending a spring wire into a ring shape. This eliminates the need to use a mold to form the first contact spring, as is the case when forming a leaf spring, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the structure of the connected part can be simplified, improving assembly workability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Enlarged view of the image forming section Pa in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing toner containers 4a to 4d and container mounting portions 30a to 30d mounted in an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of the toner container 4d as seen from the upstream side in the insertion direction; [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the downstream end of the toner container 4d in the insertion direction taken along the axial direction. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the toner container 4d, taken along the axial direction at the downstream end of the toner container 4d in the insertion direction, with the toner container 4d attached to the container attachment portion 30d. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a connecting portion 80 of a toner container 4d; [Figure 8] 1 is a front view of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d as seen from the downstream side in the insertion direction. [Figure 9] 10 is a perspective view of the coupled portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the second contact spring 93 and the second connecting spring 96 in FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of a first contact spring 92 attached to a connected portion 90; [Figure 12] 1 is a perspective view of a second contact spring 93 attached to a connected portion 90; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the container mounting sections 30a to 30d as seen from the rear side. [Figure 14] An enlarged view of the first connecting spring 94 and its surroundings in FIG. 13 [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a control path of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container detection circuit 140 used in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, showing a state in which the toner containers 4a to 4d are not attached to the container attachment portions 30a to 30d. [Figure 17]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d and the connected portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d cut along the axial direction, illustrating a state immediately before the toner container 4d reaches the mounting position of the container mounting portion 30d. [Figure 18] 18 is an enlarged view of the first contact spring 91 and the second contact spring 92 in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d and the connected portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d cut along the axial direction, illustrating a state in which the toner container 4d is inserted up to the mounting position of the container mounting portion 30d. [Figure 20] An enlarged view of the first contact spring 91 and the second contact spring 92 in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] 17 is a schematic diagram of the container detection circuit 140 showing a state in which normal toner containers 4a to 4d are attached to the container attachment portions 30a to 30d, following the state shown in FIG. 16; [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container detection circuit 140 used when the image forming apparatus 100 is a monochrome printer, showing a state in which the toner container 4d is not attached to the container attachment portion 30d. [Figure 23] 23 is a schematic diagram of the container detection circuit 140 showing a state in which a normal toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d from the state shown in FIG. 22; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] [1. Overall configuration of image forming device] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of an image forming unit Pa in Fig. 1.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 is a so-called tandem color printer, and has the following configuration: Within the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, four image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the transport direction (left side in Figure 1). These image forming units Pa to Pd are provided corresponding to images of four different colors (yellow, cyan, magenta, and black), and sequentially form images of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black through the processes of charging, exposure, development, and transfer, respectively.

[0015] Each of the image forming stations Pa to Pd is provided with photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d, each carrying a visible image (toner image) of each color. An intermediate transfer belt 8, which rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1, is provided adjacent to each of the image forming stations Pa to Pd. The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8, which moves while contacting the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and then transferred all at once onto a sheet of paper S, an example of a recording medium, in a secondary transfer unit 9. The images are then fixed onto the sheet of paper S in a fixing unit 13, and then ejected from the image forming apparatus 100. While the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are rotating clockwise in FIG. 1, an image formation process is performed on each of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d.

[0016] The paper S onto which the toner image is transferred is stored in a paper cassette 16 at the bottom of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, and is transported to the secondary transfer roller 9 via a paper feed roller 12a and a pair of registration rollers 12b. A seamless belt is usually used as the intermediate transfer belt 8.

[0017] Next, the image forming units Pa to Pd will be described. Image forming unit Pa will be described in detail below, but the image forming units Pb to Pd will not be described because they have basically the same configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, a charging device 2a, a developing device 3a, and a cleaning device 7a are arranged around the photosensitive drum 1a in the drum rotation direction (clockwise in FIG. 2), and a primary transfer roller 6a is arranged across the intermediate transfer belt 8. In addition, a belt cleaning unit 19 is arranged upstream of the photosensitive drum 1a in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 8, facing a tension roller 11 with the intermediate transfer belt 8 between them.

[0018] Next, an image formation procedure in the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. When a user inputs a command to start image formation, first, the main motor 110 (see FIG. 12) starts rotating the photosensitive drums 1a-1d, and the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a-1d are uniformly charged by the charging rollers 20 of the charging devices 2a-2d. Next, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a-1d are irradiated with beam light (laser light) emitted from the exposure device 5, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image signal is formed on each of the photosensitive drums 1a-1d.

[0019] The developing devices 3a-3d are filled with a predetermined amount of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner, respectively. When the toner content in the two-component developer filled in each developing device 3a-3d falls below a predetermined value due to the formation of a toner image (described later), toner is replenished from toner containers 4a-4d to each developing device 3a-3d. The toner in the developer is supplied to the photosensitive drums 1a-1d by the developing rollers 21 of the developing devices 3a-3d and electrostatically adheres to them. This forms a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image formed by exposure from the exposure device 5.

[0020] Then, primary transfer rollers 6a-6d apply an electric field at a predetermined transfer voltage between the primary transfer rollers 6a-6d and the photosensitive drums 1a-1d, and the yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner images on the photosensitive drums 1a-1d are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8. These four color images are formed in a predetermined positional relationship for forming a predetermined full-color image. Thereafter, in preparation for the subsequent formation of a new electrostatic latent image, any toner remaining on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a-1d is removed by cleaning blades 22 and rubbing rollers 23 of cleaning devices 7a-7d.

[0021] When the intermediate transfer belt 8 starts to rotate counterclockwise in accordance with the rotation of the drive roller 10 by the belt drive motor 120 (see FIG. 15), the paper S is transported from the pair of registration rollers 12b to a secondary transfer roller 9 provided adjacent to the intermediate transfer belt 8 at a predetermined timing, and a full-color image is transferred onto the paper S. The paper S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fixing unit 13. Any toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 is removed by a belt cleaning unit 19.

[0022] The paper S transported to the fixing unit 13 is heated and pressurized by the fixing roller pair 13a, and the toner image is fixed to the surface of the paper S, forming a predetermined full-color image. The paper S on which the full-color image has been formed has its transport direction diverted by the branching unit 14, which branches in multiple directions, and is discharged directly (or after being sent to the double-sided transport path 18 and printed on both sides) by the discharge roller pair 15 onto the discharge tray 17.

[0023] [2. Configuration of toner container and container mounting unit] Next, a description will be given of the toner containers 4a to 4d and the container mounting portions 30a to 30d mounted on the image forming apparatus 100. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the toner containers 4a to 4d and the container mounting portions 30a to 30d mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment. Note that Fig. 3 shows only the toner container 4d in the process of being mounted to the container mounting portion 30d, and the toner containers 4a to 4c in the state where they have been completely mounted to the container mounting portions 30a to 30c.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the toner containers 4a to 4d are respectively mounted in the container mounting portions 30a to 30d along an insertion direction from the front side (the front right side in FIG. 3) of the image forming apparatus 100 to the rear side (the rear left side in FIG. 3). The container mounting portions 30a to 30d are aligned in the left-right direction. The container mounting portions 30a to 30d are cylindrical and extend in the front-rear direction. The outer diameter of the toner container 4d that stores black toner is larger than the outer diameters of the toner containers 4a to 4c that store yellow, cyan, and magenta toner. The inner diameter of the container mounting portion 30d is larger than the inner diameters of the container mounting portions 30a to 30c.

[0025] A toner supply port 303 (see FIG. 6) is provided at the bottom of each of the container mounting portions 30a to 30d, downstream in the insertion direction. The toner supply port 303 communicates with the interior of the developing device 3a to 3d of each of the image forming portions Pa to Pd via a supply pipe 304 (see FIG. 6) extending in the vertical direction.

[0026] 4 is a perspective view of the toner container 4d as seen from the upstream side in the insertion direction. The toner container 4d that stores black toner will be described below, but the toner containers 4a to 4c that store yellow, cyan, and magenta toners have the same configuration.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the toner container 4d includes a container body 40, a transmission gear 41 attached to the rear of the container body 40, and a cap member 42 provided on the rear side of the transmission gear 41.

[0028] The container body 40 has a cylindrical shape that extends along the insertion direction (direction of arrow A) relative to the container mounting portion 30d. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the container body 40 corresponds to the front-to-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100. The container body 40 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis Y that extends in the longitudinal direction. Black toner (not shown) is accommodated inside the container body 40. The toner accommodated inside the container body 40 is transported from the front side to the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 (from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction).

[0029] The container body 40 has a handle portion 401 and a cylindrical portion 402 provided downstream of the handle portion 401 in the toner transport direction (the direction of the arrow A).

[0030] The handle portion 401 is provided at the end of the container body 40 on the upstream side in the insertion direction (the lower left side in FIG. 4). The internal space of the handle portion 401 is in communication with the internal space of the tubular portion 402. The tubular portion 402 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the rotation axis Y. A substantially annular first step portion 405 and a spiral second step portion 406 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body 40. The step of the first step portion 405 is smaller than the step of the second step portion 406.

[0031] A single spiral conveying rib 407 is continuously provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 402 of the container body 40. The conveying rib 407 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the container body 40 in a generally V-shaped cross section.

[0032] A pair of engagement protrusions 51 (movement restricting portions) are provided at the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction (upper right side in FIG. 3) of the cylindrical portion 402. The engagement protrusions 51 are arranged so as not to overlap with the conveying ribs 407, respectively.

[0033] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the downstream end of the toner container 4d in the insertion direction taken along the axial direction. As shown in Fig. 5, a circular opening 52 is provided at the downstream end of the cylindrical portion 402 in the insertion direction. An annular flange 53 that protrudes radially outward is provided at the periphery of the opening 52.

[0034] The transmission gear 41 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 402 of the container body 40. The transmission gear 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the rotation axis Y. Gear teeth 55 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transmission gear 41. The upstream end of the transmission gear 41 in the insertion direction faces the engagement protrusion 51 of the container body 40.

[0035] The cap member 42 covers the opening 52 of the container body 40. The cap member 42 has a main body portion 421, a holding portion 422 extending from the main body portion 421 toward the upstream side in the insertion direction, a cover-side shutter 423 provided below the main body portion 421 and the holding portion 422, and a connecting portion 80 formed on the downstream side of the cap member 42 in the insertion direction.

[0036] A communication portion 60 is provided inside the main body portion 421, which communicates with the toner storage space of the container body 40 through the opening 52 of the container body 40. A toner discharge port 61 is provided at the lower end of the communication portion 60.

[0037] The holding portion 422 has a generally cylindrical shape that protrudes from the main body portion 421 toward the container main body 40, centered on the rotation axis Y. The inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 422 faces the outer circumferential surface of the transmission gear 41. A total of four locking portions 62 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the holding portion 422 of the cap member 42. Each locking portion 82 holds the flange portion 53 (the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction) of the container main body 40 and the seal member 43 in the gap with the main body portion 421.

[0038] The holding portion 422 sandwiches the transmission gear 41 between itself and the engaging protrusion 51 of the container body 40. This restricts movement of the transmission gear 41 in the insertion direction relative to the container body 40 and prevents the transmission gear 41 from falling off from the container body 40.

[0039] The connecting portion 80 is integrally formed with the end portion on the downstream side in the insertion direction (the right side in FIG. 5) of the cap member 42. The connecting portion 80 is connected to a connected portion 90 (see FIG. 6) of the container mounting portion 30d. The detailed configurations of the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 will be described later.

[0040] The sealing member 43 is formed in a ring shape and is disposed radially inside the holding portion 422 of the cap member 42. The sealing member 43 is disposed in a compressed state between the flange portion 53 of the container body 40 and the main body portion 421 of the cap member 42.

[0041] Next, the operation of attaching the toner containers 4a to 4d to the container mounting portions 30a to 30d will be described. Note that since the attachment operations of the toner containers 4a to 4d are the same, only the operation of attaching the toner container 4d to the container mounting portion 30d will be described below, and the operation of attaching the toner containers 4a to 4c to the container mounting portions 30a to 30c will not be described.

[0042] When the toner container 4d is mounted in the container mounting portion 30d, as shown in FIG. 2, the toner container 4d is inserted into the container mounting portion 30d starting from the downstream end (the cap member 42 side) in the insertion direction.

[0043] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the downstream end of the toner container 4d in the insertion direction, with the cap member 42 of the toner container 4d attached to the connecting portion 31 of the container attachment portion 30d. When the toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, as shown in FIG. 6, a positioning protrusion 81 formed on the connecting portion 80 of the cap member 42 is inserted into a cylindrical boss portion 91 formed on the connected portion 90 of the container attachment portion 30d.

[0044] Additionally, the engaging tube portion 82 formed on the connecting portion 80 engages with the boss 302 of the mounting portion-side shutter 301 formed on the connected portion 90. In this state, the connecting portion 80 of the cap member 42 presses the boss 302, causing the mounting portion-side shutter 301 to move from the closed position to the open position, thereby opening the toner supply port 303 of the container mounting portion 30d.

[0045] Furthermore, when the toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, the cover-side shutter 425 provided on the cap member 42 moves from the closed position to the open position, thereby opening the toner discharge port 61 of the main body portion 421 of the cap member 42. As a result, the communication portion 60 of the main body portion 421 communicates with the supply pipe 304.

[0046] Furthermore, when the toner container 4d is mounted in the container mounting portion 30d as described above, the cover-side regulating portion 63 of the cap member 42 of the toner container 4d fits into the mounting portion-side regulating portion 305 (see FIG. 9) of the container mounting portion 30d.

[0047] The toner containers 4a to 4d have cover-side regulating portions 63 of the cap members 42 each having a different shape depending on the toner color. Furthermore, the container mounting portions 30a to 30d each have an attachment-side regulating portion 305 shaped according to the cover-side regulating portion 63 of the corresponding toner container 4a to 4d. Therefore, the toner containers 4a to 4d can only be attached to the corresponding container mounting portions 30a to 30d, preventing erroneous attachment of toner containers 4a to 4d containing toner of different colors to the container mounting portions 30a to 30d.

[0048] Next, we will explain the operation of replenishing toner from the toner container 4d to the developing device 3d of the image forming unit Pd in ​​the image forming apparatus 100. Note that the operation of replenishing toner from the toner containers 4a to 4c to the developing devices 3a to 3c of the image forming units Pa to Pc is similar, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0049] When toner is replenished from the toner container 4d to the developing device 3d of the image forming unit Pd, the toner supply motor 130 (see FIG. 15, not shown) is driven with the toner container 4d attached to the container attachment unit 30d as shown in FIG. 6. This causes the rotational driving force from the toner supply motor 130 to be transmitted to the transmission gear 41 of the toner container 4d via a gear train and a drive input gear (neither of which are shown), causing the transmission gear 41 to rotate.

[0050] When the transmission gear 41 rotates, the container body 40 of the toner container 4d rotates together with the transmission gear 41. That is, the rotational driving force from the toner supply motor is transmitted to the container body 40 by the transmission gear 41.

[0051] On the other hand, the cap member 42 and the seal member 43 of the toner container 4d do not rotate and remain in a stopped state when the container body 40 rotates.

[0052] When the container body 40 rotates, the toner in the container body 40 is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side in the toner transport direction by the transport ribs 407 of the container body 40, and is discharged from the container body 40 through the opening 52. The toner discharged from the container body 40 through the opening 52 is introduced into the communication portion 60 of the main body portion 421 of the cap member 42. The toner introduced into the communication portion 60 is discharged from the communication portion 60 through the toner discharge port 61 of the main body portion 421. The toner discharged from the communication portion 60 through the toner discharge port 61 is introduced into the supply pipe 304 through the toner supply port 303 of the container mounting portion 30d, and is supplied from the supply pipe 304 to the developing device 3d of the image forming unit Pd.

[0053] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 is configured so that the toner containers 4a to 4d containing toner that is incompatible with the image forming apparatus 100 cannot be attached. That is, the image forming apparatus 100 is configured so that only the toner containers 4a to 4d that are compatible with the image forming apparatus 100 can be attached to the corresponding container attachment units 30a to 30d. In other words, each of the container attachment units 30a to 30d can selectively attach one of the toner containers 4a to 4d that are compatible with the image forming apparatus 100.

[0054] Specifically, a connecting portion 80 is provided at the downstream end of each of the toner containers 4a to 4d in the insertion direction. Also, a coupled portion 90 is provided at the downstream end of each of the container mounting portions 30a to 30d in the insertion direction. The connecting portion 80 and the coupled portion 90 constitute an identification mechanism for identifying toner containers 4a to 4d that have compatibility with other toner containers. The identification mechanism is used to identify toner containers 4a to 4d destined for different countries or toner containers 4a to 4d that are not genuine products.

[0055] [3. Configuration of the connecting portion of the toner container and the connected portion of the container mounting portion] 7 and 8 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the connected portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the second contact spring 93 and the second connecting spring 96 in FIG. 9. The connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d and the connected portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d will be described below, but the connecting portion 80 of the toner containers 4a to 4c and the connected portions 90 of the container mounting portions 30a to 30c also have the same basic configuration.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 7, the connecting portion 80 is provided on the end surface 42a on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the main body portion 421 of the cap member 42. The connecting portion 80 has a positioning protrusion 81 and a plurality of interchangeable keys 83 (key members). Note that Fig. 7 illustrates the connecting portion 80 in which the interchangeable keys 83 are formed in eight locations, but in the actual connecting portion 80, the interchangeable keys 83 are formed in only four of the eight locations, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0057] The positioning protrusion 81 is a triangular prism-shaped member that protrudes downstream in the insertion direction (toward the connected portion 90) from the end face 80a of the connecting portion 80. The compatible key 83 is a rib-shaped member that protrudes downstream in the insertion direction (toward the connected portion 90) from the end face 80a of the connecting portion 80, and has a flattened tip. The compatible key 83 is made of an insulating material (here, a resin material).

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, positions P1 to P8 are defined on the circumference of a reference circle whose center is the positioning protrusion 81 as positions where the compatible key 83 can be arranged. The positions P1 to P8 are the same in the connecting portion 80 of each of the toner containers 4a to 4d, and are defined at equal intervals (equal angles) on the circumference of the reference circle. In other words, the positions P1 to P8 are disposed at equal intervals on the circumference whose center is the positioning protrusion 81. In the example shown in FIG. 8, position P1 is disposed adjacent to the upper left of the engagement tube portion 82, and positions P2 to P8 are disposed at equal intervals (equal angles) in the clockwise direction from position P1. The positions P1 to P8 are defined to be symmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through the center of the positioning protrusion 81.

[0059] 8, the compatible keys 83 of the toner containers 4a to 4d are provided at four locations, namely, positions P1, P2, P4, and P8, among the locations P1 to P8. The locations of the compatible keys 83 differ depending on the destination (shipping destination) of the toner containers 4a to 4d.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 9, a boss portion 91 is provided at the center of the connected portion 90. The boss portion 91 is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the attachment surface 90a of the connected portion 90 toward the upstream side in the insertion direction (toward the toner container 4d). An insertion hole 91a is formed in the boss portion 91. A positioning protrusion 81 (see Fig. 7) provided on the end surface 80a of the connecting portion 80 is inserted into the insertion hole 91a.

[0061] The connected portion 90 has a first contact spring 92 and a second contact spring 93. Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views of the first contact spring 92 and the second contact spring 93 attached to the connected portion 90, respectively.

[0062] The first contact spring 92 is a wire spring member formed by bending a conductive spring wire into a predetermined shape, and has a contact portion 92a and a connecting portion 92b. The contact portion 92a is arc-shaped and is arranged along the outer periphery of the connected portion 90, as shown in FIG. 9. The connecting portion 92b extends from both ends of the contact portion 92a in a direction perpendicular to a plane including the contact portion 92a. The tip of the connecting portion 92b is curved in a U-shape toward the contact portion 92a. One end of the fourth connecting spring 97 is connected to the contact portion 92a.

[0063] The second contact spring 93 is a leaf spring member formed by bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape, and has a spring main body 93a and multiple contact terminals 93b. Note that although Figures 9 and 12 show the second contact spring 93 with contact terminals 93b formed in eight locations, the actual second contact spring 93 has contact terminals 93b formed in only four of the eight locations that correspond to the compatible keys 83 of the connecting portion 80.

[0064] The spring main body 93a is cylindrical and, as shown in FIG. 9, is arranged on a circumference centered on the boss 91. A positioning hole 931 and an engagement hole 932 (see FIG. 10) are formed in the spring main body 93a. The positioning holes 931 are formed in two opposing locations on the spring main body 93a. The positioning holes 931 are fitted into positioning bosses (not shown) of the connected part 90 to position the second contact spring 93 relative to the connected part 90. One end of the second connecting spring 96 (see FIG. 10) is connected to the engagement hole 932.

[0065] The contact terminals 93b are connected to the edge of the spring main body 93a on the upstream side in the insertion direction (the front left side in FIG. 12) and are arranged so as to protrude radially outward at a predetermined angle toward the downstream side in the insertion direction (the rear right side in FIG. 12). At the tip of each contact terminal 93b, a bent portion 93c is formed that is bent at a predetermined angle toward the spring main body 93a.

[0066] Fig. 13 is a plan view of the coupled portions 90 of the container mounting portions 30a to 30d as viewed from the rear side (the side opposite to the toner containers 4a to 4d). Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the first coupling springs 94 in Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 13, the connecting portions 92b of the first contact springs 92 protrude from the rear side of the coupled portions 90 at four locations corresponding to the container mounting portions 30a to 30d. In addition, first coupling springs 94 are provided to connect the connecting portions 92b of adjacent first contact springs 92.

[0067] The first connecting spring 94 has two coil spring portions 94a, a pair of hook portions 94b, and a fixing portion 94c. The hook portions 94b extend outward from both ends of each coil spring portion 94a and engage with the connecting portion 92b of the first contact spring 92. The fixing portion 94c is an annular portion formed between the two coil spring portions 94a, and a spring fixing boss 90b formed on the back side of the connected portion 90 is inserted into the fixing portion 94c. The first contact spring 92, the second contact spring 93, and the first connecting spring 94 constitute part of a container detection circuit 140 (see FIG. 16).

[0068] In this embodiment, the first contact spring 92 is made of a wire spring formed by bending a spring wire into a predetermined shape. This eliminates the need to use a mold to form the first contact spring 92, as is the case when the first contact spring 92 is made of a leaf spring, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0069] Furthermore, the configuration of the connected portion 90 can be simplified, improving the ease of assembly. Specifically, adjacent first contact springs 92 can be easily connected to each other simply by hooking the hook portion 94b of the first connecting spring 94 onto the connection portion 92b of the first contact spring 92.

[0070] [4. Control path of image forming device] 15 is a block diagram showing an example of a control path used in image forming apparatus 100. Note that, since various controls are performed on each part of image forming apparatus 100 when image forming apparatus 100 is used, the control path of the entire image forming apparatus 100 becomes complex. Therefore, the following description will focus on the parts of the control path that are necessary for implementing the present invention. Also, descriptions of parts and devices that have already been described will be omitted.

[0071] The container detection circuit 140 has a detection board 141 connected to the first contact spring 92 and the second contact spring 93 in the container mounting portions 30a to 30d. The container detection circuit 140 detects whether or not a toner container 4a to 4d is mounted in the container mounting portion 30a to 30d, and the compatibility (suitability) of the mounted toner container 4a to 4d. A detailed configuration of the container detection circuit 140 will be described later.

[0072] Image input unit 160 is a receiving unit that receives image data transmitted from a personal computer or the like to image forming apparatus 100. The image signal input from image input unit 160 is converted into a digital signal and then sent to temporary storage unit 194.

[0073] The operation unit 170 is provided with a liquid crystal display unit 171 and an LED 172. The liquid crystal display unit 171 displays the operating state of the image forming apparatus 100, the image formation status, the number of copies to be printed, etc. The LED 172 displays various states and errors of the image forming apparatus 100. Various settings of the image forming apparatus 100 are made from a printer driver on a personal computer.

[0074] In addition, the operation unit 170 is provided with a start button that the user uses to instruct the start of image formation, a stop / clear button that is used when stopping image formation, and a reset button that is used to reset various settings of the image forming apparatus 100 to their default states.

[0075] Control unit 190 includes at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191 as a central processing unit, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 as a read-only memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 193 as a readable and writable memory, a temporary memory 194 that temporarily stores image data and the like, a counter 195, and a plurality of (here, two) I / Fs (interfaces) 196 that transmit control signals to each device in image forming apparatus 100 and receive input signals from operation unit 170. Control unit 190 can be placed anywhere inside the main body of image forming apparatus 100.

[0076] ROM 192 stores data that will not be changed while image forming apparatus 100 is in use, such as control programs for image forming apparatus 100 and numerical values ​​necessary for control. RAM 193 stores necessary data that is generated during the control of image forming apparatus 100 and data that is temporarily necessary for controlling image forming apparatus 100. Temporary storage unit 194 temporarily stores image signals that are input from image input unit 160 and converted into digital signals. Counter 195 cumulatively counts the number of printed sheets.

[0077] Furthermore, control unit 190 transmits control signals from CPU 191 to each part and device in image forming apparatus 100 via I / F 196. Furthermore, signals indicating the state of each part and device and input signals are transmitted from each part and device to CPU 191 via I / F 196. Examples of each part and device controlled by control unit 190 include image forming units Pa to Pd, main motor 110, belt drive motor 120, toner supply motor 130, container detection circuit 140, image input unit 160, operation unit 170, etc.

[0078] [5. Toner container identification mechanism] Next, the mechanism for identifying the toner containers 4a to 4d will be described. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of a container detection circuit 140 used in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The container detection circuit 140 has a detection board 141, a connector 142, signal lines L1 to L4, and a ground line G.

[0079] The detection board 141 has a detection IC 143. One end of each of the signal lines L1 to L4 is connected to the detection IC 143 via a connector 142. A power supply V1 is connected to each of the signal lines L1 to L4 between the connector 142 and the detection IC 143 via resistors R1 to R4.

[0080] The other ends of the signal wires L1 to L4 are connected to second contact springs 93 provided on the connectable portions 90 (see FIG. 9) of the container mounting portions 30a to 30d via ring terminals 95 and second connecting springs 96, respectively. The second connecting springs 96 have a coiled spring portion 96a and hook portions 96b formed on both ends of the coiled spring portion 96a. The signal wires L1 to L4 can be easily connected to the second contact springs 93 by hooking the hook portions 96b of the second connecting springs 96 into the ring terminals 95 and engagement holes 932 of the second contact springs 93 (see FIG. 10).

[0081] The first contact springs 92 provided on the connectable portions 90 of the container mounting portions 30a to 30d are connected in series by respective first connecting springs 94. One end of a ground wire G is connected to the first contact spring 92 of the container mounting portion 30d via a third connecting spring 97 and a round terminal 95. The third connecting spring 97 has a coiled spring portion 97a and hook portions 97b formed on both ends of the coiled spring portion 97a. The hook portions 97b of the third connecting spring 97 are hooked onto the round terminal 95 and the contact portion 92a of the first contact spring 92, thereby easily connecting the ground wire G and the first contact spring 92.

[0082] The other end of the ground line G is grounded to a reference potential (GND) on the detection board 141. Note that the ground line G may also be grounded to a reference potential (GND) outside the detection board 141.

[0083] When the toner containers 4a to 4d are not attached to any of the container attachment portions 30a to 30d, the second contact springs 93 and the first contact springs 92 are in contact with each other at all of the connected portions 90 of the container attachment portions 30a to 30d, as shown in Fig. 16. Therefore, the signal lines L1 to L4 are grounded via the ground line G, and the voltage (detection signal) applied to the signal lines L1 to L4 from the power source V1 is at a low level (GND).

[0084] In this case, the control unit 190 determines that the toner containers 4a to 4d are not attached to any of the container attachment units 30a to 30d, and displays, on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170, a message indicating that the toner containers 4a to 4d are not attached, or a message prompting the user to attach the toner containers 4a to 4d.

[0085] Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting portion 80 of the toner container 4d and the connected portion 90 of the container mounting portion 30d taken along the axial direction, showing the state immediately before the toner container 4d reaches the mounting position of the container mounting portion 30d. Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first contact spring 91 and the second contact spring 92 in Fig. 17. The mounting operation of the toner container 4d to the container mounting portion 30d will be described below, but the same applies to the mounting operation of the toner containers 4a to 4c to the container mounting portions 30a to 30c.

[0086] 17 and 18, until the toner container 4d reaches the mounting position of the container mounting portion 30d (until it is completely mounted), the contact terminal 93b of the second contact spring 93 is in contact with the first contact spring 92. More specifically, the contact terminal 93b is in contact with the first contact spring 92 at the bent portion 93c. That is, the electrical continuity between the first contact spring 92 and the second contact spring 93 is maintained.

[0087] Before the toner container 4d reaches the mounting position, the positioning protrusion 81 formed on the connecting portion 80 is inserted into the insertion hole 91a of the boss portion 91 of the connected portion 90. This positions the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 90 in the radial direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 17). In addition, the tips of the four compatible keys 83 formed on the connecting portion 80 come into contact with the corresponding contact terminals 93b. Note that only one compatible key 83 and one corresponding contact terminal 93b are shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

[0088] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing a state in which the toner container 4d has been inserted up to the mounting position of the container mounting portion 30d. Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first contact spring 91 and the second contact spring 92 in Fig. 19. When the toner container 4d is further inserted from the state shown in Fig. 17 up to the mounting position on the inner side of the container mounting portion 30d, the engaging portion 84 formed on the connecting portion 80 engages with the engaged portion 95 of the coupled portion 90, and the toner container 4d is positioned in the insertion direction (the left-right direction in Fig. 19).

[0089] At this time, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the tips of the four interchangeable keys 83 formed on the connecting portion 80 enter between the corresponding contact terminals 93b and the first contact springs 92, and the first contact springs 92 and the second contact springs 93 become non-conductive. Note that Figures 19 and 20 show only one interchangeable key 83 and one corresponding contact terminal 93b.

[0090] Furthermore, forming the bent portion 93c in the contact terminal 93b can prevent the compatible key 83 from getting caught on the tip of the contact terminal 93b when the compatible key 83 is pulled out from the contact point between the contact terminal 93b and the first contact spring 92. In this embodiment, the contact terminal 93b contacts the first contact spring 92 at the bent portion 93c, but the contact terminal 93b may also contact the first contact spring 92 upstream of the bent portion 93c in the insertion direction.

[0091] 21 is a schematic diagram of the container detection circuit 140 showing a state in which normal toner containers 4a to 4d are attached to the container attachment portions 30a to 30d. As shown in FIG. 21, when normal toner containers 4a to 4d are attached to all of the container attachment portions 30a to 30d, the first contact springs 92 and the second contact springs 93 are not in contact with each other at all of the coupled portions 90 of the container attachment portions 30a to 30d. Therefore, the signal lines L1 to L4 are not grounded via the ground line G, and the voltage (detection signal) applied to each signal line L1 to L4 from the power source V1 is at a HIGH level (the power source voltage of the power source V1).

[0092] In this case, the control unit 190 determines that normal toner containers 4a to 4d are installed in all of the container installation units 30a to 30d. The control unit 190 stops the display on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170 of the message indicating that the toner containers 4a to 4d are not installed or the message prompting the user to install the toner containers 4a to 4d, and enables the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 100. The detection logic for the toner containers 4a to 4d in the image forming apparatus 100 is shown in Table 1.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094] Furthermore, when an incompatible toner container 4d is attached to one of the four container attachment portions 30a to 30d (for example, container attachment portion 30d), some of the contact points between the first contact spring 92 of the coupled portion 90 and the four contact terminals 93b (see FIG. 12) remain in contact. For example, when a toner container 4d that does not have the compatible key 83 at position P2 (see FIG. 8) is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, only the contact terminal 93b corresponding to position P2 remains in contact, and the other contact points become non-contact. Therefore, the signal line L4 is grounded via the ground line G, and the voltage (detection signal) applied to the signal line L4 from the power source V1 becomes LOW (GND).

[0095] In this case, even if the toner container 4d is installed in the container installation unit 30d, the control unit 190 cannot detect the toner container 4d. That is, even if the toner container 4d is actually installed, the control unit 190 determines that the toner container 4d is not installed and is in an uninstalled state. Therefore, the control unit 190 continues to display the message on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170, assuming that the toner container 4d is not installed. In this case, the operator who installed the toner container 4d can recognize that the installed toner container 4d is incompatible with the image forming apparatus 100 or that there is a risk of incompatibility by confirming that the message continues to be displayed.

[0096] This allows for a compatibility detection mechanism using the compatibility key 83 and the first and second contact springs 92 and 93, making it possible to individually detect incompatible toner containers 4a-4d in the container mounting sections 30a-30d. Furthermore, when an incompatible toner container 4a-4d is mounted, a message is continuously displayed on the LCD display section 171 of the operation section 170. This allows the operator who mounted the toner container 4a-4d to easily recognize that the mounted toner container 4a-4d is incompatible, and the operator can check the toner container 4a-4d and remove the incompatible toner container 4a-4d before performing image formation. As a result, there is no risk of incompatible toner being supplied to the image forming sections Pa-Pd, and the occurrence of printing defects can be reduced.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 is described as a color printer having toner containers 4a to 4d that contain toner of four colors: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. However, the present invention can also be applied to a monochrome printer in the same way.

[0098] 22 is a schematic diagram of a container detection circuit 140 used when the image forming apparatus 100 is a monochrome printer. In a monochrome printer, only black toner is used, so only a container mounting portion 30d to which a toner container 4d is attached is provided. Therefore, one first contact spring 92 and one second contact spring 93 are also provided in the container mounting portion 30d.

[0099] One end of the signal line L4 is connected to the detection IC 143 via the connector 142. The other end of the signal line L4 is connected to the second contact spring 93 via a round terminal 95 and a second connecting spring 96. A power source V1 is connected to the signal line L4 between the connector 142 and the detection IC 143 via a resistor R4. One end of the ground line G is connected to the first contact spring 92 via a third connecting spring 97 and a round terminal 95. The other end of the ground line G is grounded to a reference potential (e.g., earth potential) on the detection board 141.

[0100] When the toner container 4d is not attached to the container attachment portion 30d, the second contact spring 93 and the first contact spring 92 are in contact with each other at the coupled portion 90 of the container attachment portion 30d, as shown in Fig. 22. Therefore, the signal line L4 is grounded via the ground line G, and the voltage (detection signal) applied to the signal line L4 from the power source V1 is at a low level (GND).

[0101] In this case, the control unit 190 determines that the toner container 4d is not installed in the container installation unit 30d, and displays, on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170, a message indicating that the toner container 4d is not installed or a message prompting the user to install the toner container 4d.

[0102] 23 is a schematic diagram of the container detection circuit 140 showing a state in which a normal toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d. As shown in Fig. 23, when a normal toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, the first contact spring 92 and the second contact spring 93 are not in contact with each other at the coupled portion 90 of the container attachment portion 30d. Therefore, the signal line L4 is not grounded via the ground line G, and the voltage (detection signal) applied to the signal line L4 from the power supply V1 is at a HIGH level (the power supply voltage of the power supply V1).

[0103] In this case, the control unit 190 determines that a normal toner container 4d has been installed in the container installation unit 30d. The control unit 190 stops the display on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170 of the message indicating that the toner container 4d is not installed or the message prompting the user to install the toner container 4d, and enables the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 100. Table 2 shows the detection logic for the toner container 4d when the image forming apparatus 100 is a monochrome printer.

[0104] [Table 2]

[0105] Furthermore, when an incompatible toner container 4d is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, some of the contact points between the first contact spring 92 of the coupled portion 90 and the four contact terminals 93b remain in contact. For example, when a toner container 4d that does not have the compatible key 83 at position P2 (see FIG. 8) is attached to the container attachment portion 30d, only the contact terminal 93b corresponding to position P2 remains in contact, and the other contact points become non-contact. Therefore, the signal line L4 is grounded via the ground line G, and the current (detection signal) flowing from the power supply V1 to the detection IC 143 becomes LOW level (GND).

[0106] In this case, even if the toner container 4d is installed in the container installation unit 30d, the control unit 190 cannot detect the toner container 4d. That is, even if the toner container 4d is actually installed, the control unit 190 determines that the toner container 4d is not installed and is in an uninstalled state. Therefore, the control unit 190 continues to display the message on the liquid crystal display unit 171 of the operation unit 170, assuming that the toner container 4d is not installed. In this case, the operator who installed the toner container 4d can recognize that the installed toner container 4d is incompatible with the image forming apparatus 100 or that there is a risk of incompatibility by confirming that the message continues to be displayed.

[0107] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the toner containers 4a to 4d each having four compatible keys 83 and the connected part 90 having four contact terminals 93b are illustrated, but the number and positions of the compatible keys 83 and the contact terminals 93b are not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0108] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the connecting portion 80 is provided on the cap member 42 has been described. However, for example, if the toner containers 4a to 4d do not have the cap member 42, it is also possible to configure the connecting portion 80 to be integrally formed on the container body 40 of the toner containers 4a to 4d.

[0109] In addition, in the above embodiment, the toner containers 4a to 4d are mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 equipped with the developing devices 3a to 3d of a two-component development system that uses a two-component developer containing a magnetic carrier and toner, and are described as containing toner to be replenished to the developing devices 3a to 3d. However, the present invention is equally applicable to toner containers that contain toner to be replenished to developing devices of a magnetic one-component development system that uses magnetic toner or a non-magnetic one-component development system that uses non-magnetic toner.

[0110] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to tandem color printers such as those shown in FIG. 1, but can also be applied to various image forming devices that use toner containers, such as color copiers, color multifunction machines, monochrome printers, monochrome copiers, and monochrome multifunction machines. [Industrial Applicability]

[0111] The present invention can be used in an image forming apparatus equipped with a toner storage container that stores toner. By using the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can determine the compatibility of a toner storage container with a simple and inexpensive configuration, without causing detection failure due to damage to the compatibility detection shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] Pa~Pd Image forming section 1a to 1d Photosensitive drum 3a~3d developing device 4a to 4d Toner container (toner storage container) 30a~30d Container mounting section (mounting section) 40 Container body 41 Transmission gear 42 Cap member 43 Sealing material 52 Opening 80 Connection part 83 Compatible key (key material) 90 Connected part 92 First contact spring 93 Second contact spring 94 First connecting spring 95 ring terminal 96 Second connecting spring 97 Third connecting spring 100 Image forming device 140 Container detection circuit 141 Detection board 142 Connector 143 Detection IC (detection unit) 190 Control Unit L1~L4 signal line G Ground wire V power supply

Claims

1. an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium using toner; a toner storage container that stores the toner used in the image forming unit; a mounting portion to which the toner storage container is detachably mounted; a detection mechanism that detects whether the toner storage container is attached to the attachment portion; a control unit that enables the image forming unit to perform an image forming operation when the toner storage container is detected by the detection mechanism; In an image forming apparatus comprising: the toner storage container has a connecting portion at an end portion on a downstream side in a direction of insertion into the mounting portion, the mounting portion has a coupled portion that is coupled to the coupling portion when the toner storage container is inserted to a predetermined mounting position, The detection mechanism includes: a first contact spring made of an annular wire spring provided on the connected portion; a second contact spring that is a leaf spring disposed radially inside the first contact spring and that contacts the first contact spring; an insulating key member protruding from the connecting portion toward the connected portion; and the second contact spring has a plurality of contact terminals arranged in an arc shape along the first contact spring and contacting the first contact spring at positions corresponding to the key members of the connected portion; When the toner storage container is removed from the mounting position, the first contact spring and the contact terminal are in contact with each other, When the toner storage container is inserted to the mounting position, the key member enters between the first contact spring and the contact terminal, and the first contact spring and the contact terminal change from the contact state to a non-contact state, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the control unit detects the attachment of the toner storage container to the attachment portion when the first contact spring and the contact terminal change from the contact state to the non-contact state.

2. The second contact spring includes: a cylindrical spring body; a plurality of connection terminals provided adjacent to an upstream end edge of the spring body in the insertion direction and protruding radially outward at a predetermined angle toward a downstream end in the insertion direction; and The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a bent portion is formed at the tip of the connection terminal, which bends toward the spring main body portion, and the first contact spring contacts the connection terminal at the bent portion or upstream of the bent portion in the insertion direction.

3. a plurality of image forming units that form images using the toner of a plurality of colors; a plurality of toner storage containers each containing the toner of a color corresponding to the image forming unit; a plurality of the mounting portions to which the toner storage containers are detachably mounted; the detection mechanism detects the attachment of the toner storage container to the plurality of attachment portions; Equipped with 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects the attachment of the toner storage container to each of the attachment units individually.

4. The detection mechanism includes: a ground wire having one end connected to the first contact spring and the other end grounded; a signal line to which the second contact spring is connected; a power supply connected to the signal line; a detection board having a detection unit that detects a voltage applied to the signal line from the power supply as a detection signal; a detection circuit including 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit detects the attachment of the toner storage container to the attachment unit individually based on a change in the detection signal detected by the detection unit.

5. the plurality of first contact springs are connected in series via a first connecting spring; The first contact spring includes: An arc-shaped contact portion; connection portions extending from both ends of the contact portions in a direction intersecting a plane including the contact portions and having U-shaped curved tips toward the contact portions; and The first connecting spring is a coil spring portion; a pair of hook portions extending outward from both ends of the coil spring portion and engaging with the connecting portion; 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. the second contact springs are connected to the corresponding signal lines via second connecting springs, The second connecting spring is a coil spring portion; a pair of hook portions extending outward from both ends of the coil spring portion and engaging with an engaging hole formed in the second contact spring and a round terminal connected to the signal line; 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

7. the first contact springs directly connected via the first connecting springs are connected to the ground line via a third connecting spring; The third connecting spring is a coil spring portion; a pair of hook portions extending outward from both ends of the coil spring portion and engaging with the connection portion and a round terminal connected to the ground wire; 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

8. The arrangement pattern of the key members arranged at the connecting portions of the plurality of toner storage containers differs depending on the destination of the toner storage containers, 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connecting terminals of the coupling portions of the plurality of mounting portions are arranged at positions corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the key members of the corresponding toner storage containers.

Images