Developer supply container and developer supply system

Abstract

To provide a developer supply container and a developer supply system capable of improving operability by reducing operation force when attaching the developer supply container.SOLUTION: A discharging portion provided with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, the discharging portion being engageable with an 11b of the portion-to-be-engaged with a mounting operation of the developer supply case; And an engaging portion 30 for displacing the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U so that the receiving opening communicates with the discharge opening, wherein the engaging portion 30 is provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 41 and includes a holding portion 31 for holding the engaged portion 11b by engaging with the engaged portion 11b, and the engaging portion 30 rotationally moves about the rotation shaft 41 so that the engaged portion 11b held by the holding portion 31 moves in the vertically upward direction U with the mounting operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a developer supply container and a developer supply system that are detachable from a developer receiving device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming devices such as copying machines use developers such as fine powder toner, and in such image forming devices, developer consumed during image formation is replenished from a developer supply container.

[0003] For example, a configuration has been proposed in which a developer supply container is detachably attached to a developer receiving device provided within an image forming device, and the developer receiving portion of the developer receiving device is displaced toward the discharge outlet of the developer supply container in conjunction with the attachment operation of the developer supply container (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-015826 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a developer supply container and a developer supply system that can improve operability by reducing the operating force required when attaching the developer supply container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The developer supply container of the present invention is a developer supply container that can be attached to and detached from a developer receiving device, and has a developer receiving portion formed with a receiving port for receiving developer, and an engaged portion that can be displaced integrally with the developer receiving portion, and is equipped with: a developer storage portion that stores developer; a discharge portion formed with a discharge port for discharging developer stored in the developer storage portion; and an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion as the developer supply container is attached, displacing the developer receiving portion in a displacement direction so that the receiving port communicates with the discharge port, and is characterized in that the engaging portion is rotatable about a rotation axis and has a holding portion that fits into the engaged portion and holds the engaged portion, and that as the attachment operation occurs, the engaging portion rotates and moves about the rotation axis so that the engaged portion held in the holding portion faces vertically upward.

[0007] The developer supply system of the present invention also comprises a developer receiving device having a developer receiving portion formed with a receiving port for receiving developer and an engaged portion that can be displaced integrally with the developer receiving portion, and a developer supply container that can be attached and detached to the developer receiving device, wherein the developer supply container comprises a developer storage portion for storing developer, a discharge portion formed with a discharge port for discharging the developer stored in the developer storage portion, and an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion as the developer supply container is attached, displacing the developer receiving portion in a displacement direction so that the receiving port communicates with the discharge port, and the engaging portion is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis and has a holding portion that engages with the engaged portion and holds the engaged portion, and wherein as the attachment operation occurs, the engaging portion rotates and moves around the rotation axis so that the engaged portion held in the holding portion faces vertically upward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the operating force required when attaching the developer supply container can be reduced, thereby improving operability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a developer receiving device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A is a partially enlarged perspective view of a developer receiving device according to a first embodiment, FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a developer receiving portion thereof. [Figure 5] 1A is a perspective view showing a part cut away, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of a flange portion, and FIG. 1C is a front view of a developer supply container according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container body of the developer supply container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, of a flange portion according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 11A is a side view of the engaging portion according to the first embodiment when insertion of the developer supply container begins, and FIG. 11B is a side view of the engaging portion when the engaged portion is held by the holding portion as the developer supply container is inserted. [Figure 9] FIG. 10A is a side view of the engaging portion according to the first embodiment when the engaging portion is located at the second position, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the engaging portion according to the first embodiment when the engaged portion is located at the extension portion after the developer supply container has been completely installed. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the force acting on the developer receiving portion when the developer supply container is attached, where FIG. 5A is a comparative example, and FIG. 5B is the first embodiment. [Figure 11] (a) A graph showing the relationship between the tilt angle and the coefficient A in the comparative example, (b) a graph showing the relationship between the horizontal movement distance and the operating force F, and (c) a graph showing the relationship between the tilt angle and the coefficient A in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of a shutter according to a first embodiment. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a pump according to a first embodiment. [Figure 14] 1A is a perspective view of a reciprocating member according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the reciprocating member as viewed from the opposite side to FIG. [Figure 15] 1A is a perspective view of a cover according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the cover as viewed from the opposite side to FIG. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, of a flange portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] FIG. 10A is a side view of the engaging portion according to the second embodiment when insertion of the developer supply container begins, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the engaging portion when the engaged portion is held by the holding portion as the developer supply container is inserted. [Figure 18] FIG. 10A is a side view of the engaging portion according to the second embodiment, in which (a) the engaged portion is positioned at the top of the engaging portion, and (b) is a side view of the engaging portion when the engaged portion is positioned at the extension portion after the developer supply container has been completely installed. [Figure 19] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the force acting on the developer receiving portion when the developer supply container is attached, where FIG. 5A is a comparative example, and FIG. 5B is a second embodiment. [Figure 20] A graph showing the relationship between angles θ and α and coefficients A and B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 15(b). First, a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0011] [Image forming equipment] In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 100 has an original reading device 103 on top of an apparatus main body 100a. An original 101 is placed on an original table glass 102. An electrostatic latent image is formed by forming a light image corresponding to image information of the original 101 on a photosensitive drum 104, which is a cylindrical photosensitive body acting as an image carrier, using a plurality of mirrors M and lenses Ln of the original reading device 103. This electrostatic latent image is visualized by a dry developer (single-component developer) 201 using toner (single-component magnetic toner) as a developer (dry powder). Note that in this embodiment, an example will be described in which single-component magnetic toner is used as the developer to be replenished from a developer supply container 1 (also referred to as a toner cartridge). However, this is not the only example, and configurations such as those described below may also be used.

[0012] Specifically, when a single-component developer that uses a single-component non-magnetic toner for development is used, the single-component non-magnetic toner is replenished as the developer. Also, when a two-component developer that uses a two-component developer that is a mixture of a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner for development is used, the non-magnetic toner is replenished as the developer. In this case, the magnetic carrier may also be replenished as the developer along with the non-magnetic toner.

[0013] 1, as described above, develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum 104 based on image information of an original 101, using toner as a developer. A developer supply system 200 is connected to the developing device 201, and the developer supply system 200 has a developer supply container 1 and a developer receiving device 8 to which the developer supply container 1 is detachable. The developer supply system 200 will be described later.

[0014] In addition to a developer hopper 201a, the developing device 201 is provided with a developing roller 201f. The developer hopper 201a is provided with an agitating member 201c for agitating the developer supplied from the developer supply container 1. The developer agitated by the agitating member 201c is sent to the conveying member 201e side by the conveying member 201d. The developer conveyed in order by the conveying members 201e and 201b is carried on the developing roller 201f and finally supplied to the developing unit with the photosensitive drum 104. In this embodiment, a one-component developer is used, and therefore toner as the developer is supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developing device 201. However, if a two-component developer is used, the toner and carrier as the developer may be supplied from the developer supply container 1.

[0015] Each of the cassettes 105-108 stores a recording material S such as a sheet. During image formation, one of the cassettes 105-108 is selected that stores the optimum recording material S based on information input by an operator (user) via the operation unit 100d (see FIG. 2) of the image forming apparatus 100 or the size of the original 101. The recording material S is not limited to paper, and any suitable material such as an OHP sheet can be used and selected. A single sheet of recording material S is then conveyed by the feeding / separating devices 105A-108A to the registration rollers 110 via the conveying unit 109, and is conveyed by synchronizing the rotation of the photosensitive drum 104 with the scanning timing of the original reading device 103.

[0016] A transfer charger 111 and a separation charger 112 are provided downstream of the registration roller 110 in the recording material conveyance direction and at positions facing the photosensitive drum 104. The transfer charger 111 transfers an image (toner image) made of developer formed on the photosensitive drum 104 onto the recording material S conveyed by the registration roller 110. The recording material S onto which the toner image has been transferred is then separated from the photosensitive drum 104 by the separation charger 112. The recording material S is then conveyed by a conveying section 113, where heat and pressure are applied in a fixing section 114, thereby fixing the toner image onto the recording material. Thereafter, in the case of a single-sided copy, the recording material S onto which the toner image has been fixed passes through a discharge / reversal section 115 and is discharged to a discharge tray 117 by discharge rollers 116.

[0017] On the other hand, in the case of double-sided copying, the recording material S passes through a discharge reversal section 115, and a portion of it is once discharged outside the apparatus by discharge rollers 116. Then, the trailing edge of the recording material S passes through a switching member 118, and while the recording material S is still held by the discharge rollers 116, the position of the switching member 118 is switched and the discharge rollers 116 are rotated in reverse, so that the recording material S is conveyed back into the apparatus. Thereafter, the recording material S is conveyed to the registration rollers 110 via re-feed conveyance sections 119 and 120, and then is discharged to a discharge tray 117 following the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

[0018] In the image forming apparatus 100 configured as described above, image forming process devices such as a developing unit 201, a cleaner unit 202, and a primary charger 203 are installed around the photosensitive drum 104. The developing unit 201 develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 based on image information of the original 101 read by the original reading device 103 by applying a developer to the electrostatic latent image. The primary charger 203 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 104 to form a desired electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 104. The cleaner unit 202 removes developer remaining on the photosensitive drum 104.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, when an operator opens a replacement cover 40, which is part of the exterior cover of the main body 100a of the image forming apparatus 100, a part of the developer receiving device 8, which will be described later, is revealed. Then, by inserting the developer supply container 1 into the developer receiving device 8, the developer supply container 1 is attached so that the developer can be replenished to the developer receiving device 8. On the other hand, when the operator replaces the developer supply container 1, the operator performs the reverse operation of the attachment operation to remove the developer supply container 1 from the developer receiving device 8 and then attach a new developer supply container 1. The replacement cover 40 is a dedicated cover for attaching and detaching (replacing) the developer supply container 1, and is opened and closed only to attach and detach the developer supply container 1. On the other hand, maintenance of the image forming apparatus 100 is performed by opening and closing the front cover 100c. Here, the replacement cover 40 and the front cover 100c may be integrated. In this case, replacement of the developer supply container 1 and maintenance of the image forming apparatus 100 are performed by opening and closing an integrated cover (not shown).

[0020] [Developer receiving device] Next, the developer receiving device 8 constituting the developer supply system 200 will be described with reference to Figures 3(a) to 4(c). As shown in Figure 3(a), the developer receiving device 8 is provided with a mounting portion (mounting space) 8f into which the developer supply container 1 is detachably mounted. The mounting portion 8f is provided with an insertion guide 8e for guiding the developer supply container 1 in the mounting and removal direction. In the case of this embodiment, the insertion guide 8e is configured so that the mounting direction A of the developer supply container 1 by the insertion guide 8e is opposite to the removal direction B of the developer supply container 1.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3(a) to 4(a), the developer receiving device 8 has a drive gear 9 that functions as a drive mechanism for driving the developer supply container 1. A rotational drive force is transmitted from a drive motor 500 via a drive gear train (not shown) to this drive gear 9, and the drive gear 9 has the function of applying the rotational drive force to the developer supply container 1 that is attached to the attachment portion 8f. The operation of the drive motor 500 is controlled by a control device 600.

[0022] The control device 600 controls the drive motor 500 and also controls the entire image forming apparatus 100. The control device 600 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU controls each part by reading a program corresponding to a control procedure stored in the ROM. The RAM also stores working data and input data, and the CPU performs control by referring to the data stored in the RAM based on the aforementioned programs, etc.

[0023] The mounting portion 8f of the developer receiving device 8 is provided with a developer receiving section 11 for receiving the developer discharged from the developer supply container 1. The developer receiving section 11 is connected to the container discharge opening 3a4 of the developer supply container 1 when the developer supply container 1 is mounted, and has a receiving opening 11a for receiving the developer discharged from the container discharge opening 3a4. The developer receiving section 11 is mounted so as to be movable (displaceable) in a direction in which the receiving opening 11a moves toward or away from the container discharge opening 3a4, that is, in this embodiment, in a direction intersecting the mounting direction A of the developer supply container 1 (specifically, a vertical direction relative to the developer receiving device 8). The developer receiving section 11 is mounted so as to be movable (displaceable) in the vertical direction along a wall surface 8h of the developer receiving device 8 with respect to the developer receiving device 8 (see FIGS. 8(a) to 9(b)). 3(b), developer receiving portion 11 is biased by biasing member 12, which is, for example, a compression coil spring, in a direction (vertically downward, opposite to the displacement direction) in which receiving opening 11a moves away from container discharge opening 3a4. Therefore, when developer receiving portion 11a moves in a direction (vertically upward) in which receiving opening 11a moves toward container discharge opening 3a4, developer receiving portion 11 moves against the biasing force of biasing member 12. Note that in this specification, the direction in which developer receiving portion 11 is displaced in conjunction with the installation operation of developer supply container 1 is upward in the vertical direction, and this direction is referred to as the upward direction (displacement direction, vertically upward) U, and the opposite vertically downward direction is referred to as the downward direction D.

[0024] 4(a), the mounting portion 8f of the developer receiving device 8 is provided with a first shutter stopper portion 8a and a second shutter stopper portion 8b upstream of the developer receiving portion 11 in the mounting direction A. The first and second shutter stopper portions 8a, 8b restrict the relative movement of only the shutter 4 (see FIG. 5(b)), which will be described later, with respect to the developer supply container 1, which moves relative to the developer receiving device 8 during mounting or removal. In this case, the shutter 4 moves relative to a part of the developer supply container 1 other than the shutter 4, such as the container body 2, which will be described later.

[0025] 3(b) and 4(b), a sub-hopper 8c is provided below the developer receiving device 8 in the downward direction D, for temporarily storing the developer supplied from the developer supply container 1. A conveying screw 14 for conveying the developer to a developer hopper portion 201a (see FIG. 1), which is a part of the developing device 201, and an opening 8d communicating with the developer hopper portion 201a are provided within the sub-hopper 8c.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4(c), the developer receiver 11 is provided with a main body seal 13 formed to surround the receiving opening 11a. The main body seal 13 is made of an elastic material, a foam material, or the like. When the developer supply container 1 is attached, the main body seal 13 tightly contacts the opening seal 3a5 surrounding the container discharge opening 3a4 of the developer supply container 1, sandwiching the shutter 4 described below. This prevents developer discharged from the container discharge opening 3a4 of the developer supply container 1 through the shutter opening (discharge opening) 4j of the shutter 4 to the receiving opening 11a from the container discharge opening 3a4 of the developer supply container 1 to the receiving opening 11a from outside the receiving opening 11a, which is the developer transport path. In other words, the main body seal 13 is provided around the receiving opening 11a, and elastically deforms to seal between the receiving opening 11a and the shutter opening 4j when the receiving opening 11a and the shutter opening 4j are in communication with each other.

[0027] To prevent the inside of the mounting portion 8f from being soiled with developer, the diameter of the receiving opening 11a is preferably set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. This is because if the diameter of the receiving opening 11a is smaller than the diameter of the shutter opening 4j, the developer discharged from the shutter opening 4j is more likely to adhere to the upper surface of the main body seal 13. The adhered developer will adhere to the underside of the developer supply container 1 during installation and removal of the developer supply container 1, contributing to developer contamination. In light of this, the diameter of the receiving opening 11a is preferably set to be approximately the same as or approximately 2 mm larger than the diameter of the shutter opening 4j. For example, if the diameter of the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4 is a fine opening (pinhole) with a diameter of approximately 2 mm, the diameter of the receiving opening 11a is preferably set to be approximately 3 mm.

[0028] 4(c), the developer receiving portion 11 is provided with an engaged portion 11b that protrudes toward the center on the side surface. In the case of this embodiment, this engaged portion 11b directly engages with and is guided by an engaging portion 30 (see FIG. 7(a)) provided on the developer supply container 1, which will be described later, so that the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted in the upward direction U toward the developer supply container 1.

[0029] [Developer supply container] Next, the developer supply container 1 constituting the developer supply system 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) to 15(b). First, the overall configuration of the developer supply container 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). The developer supply container 1 mainly has a container body 2, a flange portion 3, a shutter 4, a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, and a cover 7. The container body 2 rotates in the direction of arrow R around a rotation axis P shown in FIG. 5(a) within the developer receiving device 8, thereby supplying developer to the developer receiving device 8. Each element constituting the developer supply container 1 will be described in detail below.

[0030] [Container body] As shown in FIG. 6, the container body 2 primarily includes a developer storage section 2c that stores developer therein. The container body 2 also includes a spiral transport groove 2a (transport section) that transports developer in the developer storage section 2c as the container body 2 rotates in the direction of arrow R about the rotation axis P. A cam groove 2b and a drive receiving section (gear) 2d that receives drive from the container body are integrally formed around the entire outer periphery of one end face of the container body 2. While the cam groove 2b and the drive receiving section 2d are integrally formed with the container body 2 in this embodiment, the cam groove 2b or the drive receiving section 2d may be formed separately and integrally attached to the container body 2. In this embodiment, the developer storage section 2c contains, for example, toner with a volume average particle size of 5 μm to 6 μm. In this embodiment, the developer storage section 2c includes not only the container body 2 but also the container body 2, a flange section 3, and a pump section 5 (described later) combined together to form the developer storage section 2c.

[0031] [Flange] Next, the flange portion 3 will be described with reference to Figures 5(a), 5(b), 7(a), and 7(b). The flange portion 3 is attached to the container body 2 so as to be rotatable relative to the rotation axis P. When the developer supply container 1 is attached to the developer receiving device 8, the flange portion 3 is held so as not to rotate in the direction of arrow R relative to the attachment portion 8f (see Figure 3(a)). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), a container discharge port 3a4 is provided in a part of the flange portion 3, and an opening seal 3a5 is attached around the periphery thereof. As shown in Figure 5(b), a pump portion 5, a reciprocating member 6, a shutter 4, and a cover 7 are attached to the flange portion 3.

[0032] First, the pump unit 5 is screwed to one end side (mounting direction A) of the flange unit 3, and the container body 2 is joined to the other end side (removal direction B) via a seal member (not shown). A reciprocating member 6 is disposed so as to sandwich the pump unit 5, and an engagement protrusion 6b (see FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b)) provided on the reciprocating member 6 is fitted into a cam groove 2b (see FIG. 6) of the container body 2. A shutter 4 is also incorporated into the flange unit 3. In this embodiment, the flange unit 3 and the shutter 4 form a discharge unit 300 that discharges the developer contained in the developer containing unit 2c. The surface on which the shutter 4 is provided is the bottom surface of the flange unit 3, i.e., the upper surface of the bottom portion 3d. To improve the external appearance and to protect the reciprocating member 6 and the pump unit 5, a cover 7 is integrally assembled to entirely cover the flange unit 3, shutter 4, pump unit 5, and reciprocating member 6, resulting in a configuration as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b).

[0033] 7(a) and 7(b), the flange portion 3 has a flat bottom portion 3d provided horizontally at the bottom, and an opening portion 3e formed in the approximate center of the bottom portion 3d and penetrating in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the bottom portion 3d slidably supports the shutter 4 from below. The main body seal 13 and the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 penetrate the opening portion 3e when displaced in the upward direction U.

[0034] 7(a), in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the up-down direction of the flange portion 3, a rotating shaft 41 is provided on each of the two wall portions of the flange portion 3, protruding outward in the width direction. Furthermore, on each of the two wall portions of the flange portion 3, a first positioning portion 42 is provided on the side of the rotating shaft 41 in the mounting direction A, and a second positioning portion 43 is provided on the side of the rotating shaft 41 in the removal direction B. An engaging portion 30 is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft 41, and the engaging portion 30 is fixed by a snap fit (not shown) to prevent it from coming off.

[0035] [Engagement part] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the flange portion 3 has an engaging portion 30 that can engage with the engaged portion 11b (see FIG. 3(a)) of the developer receiving portion 11. The engaging portion 30 engages with the engaged portion 11b as the developer supply container 1 is attached, displacing the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U so that the receiving opening 11a communicates with the shutter opening 4j. At this time, the developer supply container 1 and the developer receiving portion 11 are connected to each other, allowing developer to be replenished from the developer supply container 1 to the developer receiving portion 11. Furthermore, as the developer supply container 1 is removed, the engaging portion 30 guides the developer receiving portion 11 to displace in the downward direction D away from the developer supply container 1 so that the connection between the developer supply container 1 and the developer receiving portion 11 is broken. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the engagement portions 30 are provided on both sides of the flange portion 3 in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the up-down direction.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 8(a) to 9(b), the engaging portion 30 is rotatable about the rotation shaft 41 and has a holding portion 31. FIG. 5(c) is a front view of the developer supply container 1. As shown in FIG. 5(c), the engaging portion 30 is disposed below a plane H including the rotation axis P. Furthermore, the plane H including the rotation axis P is a horizontal plane, and the engaging portion 30 is disposed below this horizontal plane. The engaging portion 30 has a rotation center about the rotation shaft 41 at its base end 30a and is arm-shaped with only one holding portion 31 at its tip end 30b. A through-hole is provided in the base end 30a, and the engaging portion 30 is fitted onto the rotation shaft 41 and rotatably supported thereon. The holding portion 31 has a semicircular arc-shaped curved surface that is open on the side opposite the rotation shaft 41 and is capable of holding the engaged portion 11b. The holding portion 31 fits into the engaged portion 11b to hold it. In this embodiment, the holding portion 31 can be held in the rotation direction around the rotation axis 41 and in the radial direction toward the rotation axis 41 .

[0037] The engaging portion 30 is rotatable between a first position shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) and a second position shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b). As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the first position is a position where the holding portion 31 starts to hold the engaged portion 11b as the developer supply container 1 is mounted to the apparatus main body 100a. At the first position, the holding portion 31 is positioned above the center of the rotation shaft 41 in the upward direction U. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the second position is a position where the developer receiving portion 11 is displaced to a position where the receiving opening 11a communicates with the container discharge opening 3a4. As the developer supply container 1 is mounted to the apparatus main body 100a, the engaging portion 30 rotates, causing the engaged portion 11b, held by the holding portion 31, to rotate about the rotation shaft 41 in the upward direction U (see FIGS. 8(a) to 9(b)).

[0038] 9(b), the engaging portion 30 is provided on the upstream side of the holding portion 31 in the mounting direction A, and includes an extension portion 32 that can engage with the engaged portion 11b that has separated upstream from the holding portion 31. In this embodiment, the extension portion 32 is formed from the same material as the engaging portion 30, and is formed so as to be parallel to the mounting direction A when the engaging portion 30 is located in the second position.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the first positioning portion 42 formed on the flange portion 3 abuts against the side surface of the engaging portion 30 on the mounting direction A side, thereby positioning the engaging portion 30 at the first position. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the second positioning portion 43 abuts against the side surface of the engaging portion 30 on the removal direction B side, thereby positioning the engaging portion 30 at the second position. The engaging portion 30 is biased to abut against the first positioning portion 42 by, for example, a torsion coil spring 44. Therefore, when the developer supply container 1 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100, the engaging portion 30 abuts against the first positioning portion 42. This allows the engaging portion 30 to be held in the first position even if the developer supply container 1 is subjected to vibrations, impacts, and the like during transportation. The engaging portion 30 is positioned in the width direction relative to the rotating shaft 41 by a snap fit so as not to come off the rotating shaft 41.

[0040] [Shutter] Next, the shutter 4 will be described with reference to Figures 12(a) and (b). The shutter 4 is provided so as to be movable relative to a part (flange portion 3) of the developer supply container 1 so as to slide on the upper surface of the bottom portion 3d (see Figure 7(a)) of the flange portion 3. The shutter 4 has a shutter opening 4j as a discharge port, and opens and closes the container discharge port 3a4 (see Figure 7(b)) of the developer supply container 1 as the developer supply container 1 is attached or detached. That is, as the shutter 4 moves relative to the developer supply container 1 as the developer supply container 1 is attached, the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 communicates with the shutter opening 4j, and further the container discharge port 3a4 communicates with it. This allows the developer inside the developer supply container 1 to be discharged to the receiving port 11a. That is, the flange portion 3 and the shutter 4 constitute a discharge portion 300 (see Figure 5(b)) for discharging the developer, and the shutter 4 of the discharge portion 300 is formed with a shutter opening 4j as a discharge port for discharging the developer.

[0041] The shutter 4 also has a connecting surface 4k on a sliding surface 4i facing the bottom 3d that surrounds the shutter opening 4j and connects to the developer receiving portion 11. The connecting surface 4k has a larger diameter than the shutter opening 4j and is formed parallel to the sliding surface 4i. After the developer supply container 1 is attached, the upper end surface of the main body seal 13 comes into close contact with the connecting surface 4k.

[0042] 12(a) and 12(b), a developer sealing portion 4a is provided at a position away from the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. The developer sealing portion 4a closes the container discharge opening 3a4 as the shutter 4 moves relative to the developer supply container 1 in conjunction with the operation of extracting the developer supply container 1. The developer sealing portion 4a also prevents developer from leaking from the container discharge opening 3a4 when the developer supply container 1 is not attached to the attachment portion 8f (see FIG. 3(a)) of the developer receiving device 8. A sliding surface 4i that slides on the upper surface of the bottom portion 3d of the flange portion 3 is provided on the back side (developer receiving portion 11 side) of the developer sealing portion 4a. The shutter 4 engages with the flange portion 3 with the developer sealing portion 4a facing upward.

[0043] The shutter 4 has a first stopper portion 4b and a second stopper portion 4c that are held by first and second shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b (see FIG. 4(a)) of the developer receiving device 8 so that the developer supply container 1 can move relative to the shutter 4. The shutter 4 also has a support portion 4d that supports the first and second stopper portions 4b and 4c so that they can be displaced. The support portions 4d are elastically deformable and extend from one end to the other end of both side surfaces of the developer sealing portion 4a. The first stopper portion 4b and the second stopper portion 4c are provided at the tip ends of the support portion 4d, respectively. This allows the first and second stopper portions 4b and 4c to be displaced by the elasticity of the support portion 4d.

[0044] The first stopper portion 4b is inclined so that the angle α formed between the first stopper portion 4b and the support portion 4d is an acute angle, whereas the second stopper portion 4c is inclined so that the angle β formed between the second stopper portion 4c and the support portion 4d is an obtuse angle.

[0045] When the developer supply container 1 is attached, the first stopper portion 4b engages with the guide portion 8g of the developer receiving device 8 and is displaced, passing through the second shutter stopper portion 8b and engaging with the first shutter stopper portion 8a. The engagement of the first stopper portion 4b with the first shutter stopper portion 8a fixes the position of the shutter 4 relative to the developer receiving device 8. When the developer supply container 1 is removed, the second stopper portion 4c engages with the second shutter stopper portion 8b of the developer receiving device 8 and displaces the first stopper portion 4b so that it disengages from the first shutter stopper portion 8a. This causes the shutter 4 to disengage from the developer receiving device 8.

[0046] [Pump section] The pump section 5 will be described with reference to Figures 13(a) and (b). The pump section 5 operates by repeatedly switching the internal pressure of the developer accommodating section 2c between a state where it is lower than atmospheric pressure and a state where it is higher than atmospheric pressure, due to the driving force received by the drive force receiving section 2d of the container body 2 (see Figure 6). In this embodiment, the pump section 5 is provided in a part of the developer supply container 1 in order to stably discharge the developer from the small container discharge port 3a4 as described above. The pump section 5 is a variable volume pump whose volume can be changed. Specifically, the pump section 5 is made up of a stretchable bellows-like member.

[0047] The expansion and contraction of the pump portion 5 changes the pressure inside the developer supply container 1, and this pressure is used to discharge the developer. Specifically, when the pump portion 5 is contracted, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is pressurized, and the developer is pushed out by this pressure and discharged from the container discharge port 3a4 of the developer supply container 1. When the pump portion 5 is extended, the inside of the developer supply container 1 is depressurized, and air is taken in from the outside through the container discharge port 3a4. This taken in air loosens the developer near the container discharge port 3a4 and the storage portion 3a3 (see FIG. 7(a)) that stores the developer transported from the container main body 2 of the flange portion 3, allowing the next discharge to be smooth.

[0048] That is, in this way, developer in the developer supply container 1 may collect near the container outlet 3a4 and storage section 3a3 of the developer supply container 1 due to vibrations during transport of the developer supply container 1, and the developer may harden in these areas. Therefore, by taking in air through the container outlet 3a4 as described above, it is possible to loosen up the hardened developer. Furthermore, in a normal developer discharge operation, taking in air in this way mixes the air with the powdery developer, improving the fluidity of the developer and reducing the likelihood of developer clogging. The developer is discharged by repeating the above-described expansion and contraction operation.

[0049] As shown in Figure 13(a), the pump section 5 has a joint 5b on the open end side (the side in the removal direction B) so that it can be joined to the flange section 3. Here, a configuration in which a screw is formed as the joint 5b is shown as an example. Also, as shown in Figure 13(b), the pump section 5 has a reciprocating member engaging portion 5c on the other end side (the side in the installation direction A) opposite the open end that engages with the reciprocating member 6 (see Figures 14(a) and (b)) to displace the pump section 5 in synchronization with the reciprocating member 6, which will be described later.

[0050] The pump section 5 also has a bellows-shaped expandable section (bellows portion, expandable member) 5a in which mountain folds and valley folds are alternately and periodically formed. The expandable section 5a can be folded by moving the reciprocating member engaging section 5c along the folds (using the folds as base points) relative to the joint section 5b in the removal direction B, or can be expanded by moving it in the attachment direction A. Therefore, when the bellows-shaped pump section 5 of this embodiment is used, it is possible to reduce variations in the amount of volume change relative to the amount of expansion and contraction, thereby enabling stable volume changes.

[0051] In this embodiment, polypropylene resin is used as the material for the pump portion 5, but this is not limiting. The pump portion 5 may be made of any material that exhibits elasticity and can change the internal pressure of the developer accommodating portion by changing its volume. For example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, etc. may be used. Alternatively, rubber or other elastic materials may also be used.

[0052] [Reciprocating member] The reciprocating member 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b). The reciprocating member 6 has a pump engaging portion 6a that engages with a reciprocating member engaging portion 5c (see FIG. 13(b)) provided on the pump portion 5 to change the volume of the pump portion 5. The reciprocating member 6 also has an engaging protrusion 6b that is fitted into the cam groove 2b (see FIG. 6) during assembly. The engaging protrusion 6b is provided at the tip of an arm 6c that extends in the attachment / detachment direction from near the pump engaging portion 6a. The reciprocating member 6 is restricted in its rotational displacement about the rotation axis P (see FIG. 5(a)) of the arm 6c by a reciprocating member holding portion 7b (see FIG. 15(b)) of the cover 7, which will be described later. Therefore, when the container body 2 receives drive force from the drive receiving portion 2d via the drive gear 9 and the cam groove 2b rotates integrally, the reciprocating member 6 reciprocates in directions A and B due to the interaction between the engaging protrusion 6b fitted into the cam groove 2b and the reciprocating member holding portion 7b of the cover 7. Accordingly, the pump portion 5 engaged with the pump engaging portion 6a of the reciprocating member 6 via the reciprocating member engaging portion 5c moves in the mounting direction A and the detaching direction B.

[0053] [cover] The cover 7 will be described with reference to Figures 15(a) and (b). As described above, the cover 7 is provided as shown in Figure 5(b) for the purposes of improving the appearance of the developer supply container 1 and protecting the reciprocating member 6 and the pump unit 5. More specifically, the cover 7 is provided so as to entirely cover the flange unit 3, the pump unit 5, and the reciprocating member 6. As shown in Figure 15(a), the cover 7 is provided with a guide groove 7a that is guided by an insertion guide 8e (see Figure 3(a)) of the developer receiving device 8. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(b), the cover 7 is provided with a reciprocating member holding portion 7b that restricts rotational displacement of the reciprocating member 6 about the rotation axis P (see Figure 5(a)).

[0054] [Installation of developer supply container] The operation of mounting the developer supply container 1 into the developer receiving device 8 will be described with reference to Figures 8(a) to 9(b). Figure 8(a) shows the state before the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 31 when the developer supply container 1 is inserted, and Figure 8(b) shows the state when the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 31 as the developer supply container 1 is inserted, with the engaging portion 30 both positioned at the first position. Figure 9(a) shows the state when the engaging portion 30 has moved to the second position as the developer supply container 1 is inserted, and Figure 9(b) shows the state when the engaged portion 11b is positioned at the extension portion 32 as the mounting of the developer supply container 1 is complete.

[0055] The developer supply container 1 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100, and as shown in FIG. 8(a), the developer supply container 1 is moved in the mounting direction A. At this time, the holding portion 31 and the engaged portion 11b are not yet engaged. Up to this point, the positions of the flange portion 3 and the shutter 4 have not shifted relative to each other, and the container discharge opening 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the stopper portions 4b and 4c of the shutter 4 engage with the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b of the developer receiving device 8, and the position of the shutter 4 in the mounting direction A is fixed relative to the developer receiving device 8. Therefore, even if the developer supply container 1 is subsequently moved in the mounting direction A, the shutter 4 moves relative to the developer supply container 1 excluding the shutter 4 in the mounting direction A, but does not move relative to the developer receiving portion 11 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0056] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A, the engaged portion 11b contacts and is held by the holding portion 31, as shown in FIG. 8(b). Here, when the engaging portion 30 is positioned at the first position, the position of the holding portion 31 is set to be located in the upward direction U from the center of the rotation shaft 41. The engaged portion 11b is also set to match the position (height) of the holding portion 31 of the engaging portion 30 positioned at the first position. As a result, the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 31 and moves in the upward direction U as the developer supply container 1 is mounted. If the holding portion 31 and the engaged portion 11b were positioned in the downward direction D from the center of the rotation shaft 41, the engaging portion 30 would receive a force in the opposite direction to the rotation direction, which will be described later, and would not operate properly. At this point, the shutter 4 and the flange portion 3 are displaced relative to each other, but the receiving opening 11a remains in its initial position and is not in contact with the shutter 4.

[0057] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A, the engaging portion 30 is pushed by the engaged portion 11b at the holding portion 31. This generates a rotational moment in the direction R1 shown in FIG. 8B, causing the engaging portion 30 to rotate. As a result, the developer receiving portion 11 is displaced in the upward direction U along the wall surface 8h of the developer receiving device 8. Then, as shown in FIG. 9A, the engaging portion 30 abuts against the second positioning portion 43 and stops rotating. This completes the movement of the engaging portion 30 to the second position. The developer receiving portion 11 is lifted in the upward direction U from the initial position, and the receiving opening 11a comes into contact with the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. In this state, the shutter opening 4j and the container discharge opening 3a4 are not in communication, so the developer contained in the developer supply container 1 is not discharged to the developer receiving device 8.

[0058] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A and pushed in to the fully mounted position, as shown in FIG. 9B, the engaging portion 30 stops rotating and the engaged portion 11b moves from the holding portion 31 onto the extension portion 32. This maintains the vertical position of the developer receiving portion 11. Because the developer receiving portion 11 is biased downward in the direction D by the biasing member 12, the holding portion 31 does not separate from the engaged portion 11b during rotation. Furthermore, while the receiving port 11a and the shutter opening 4j remain in contact, the developer receiving portion 11 moves relative to the flange portion 3 and communicates with the container discharge port 3a4. In this state, the container discharge port 3a4 is in communication with the shutter opening 4j and the receiving port 11a, enabling the developer to be supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developer receiving device 8. In this step, the container discharge opening 3a4 and the shutter opening 4j are in communication with each other, and the container discharge opening 3a4, the shutter opening 4j, and the developer receiving opening 11a are all in communication with each other. At this time, the extension 32 is parallel to the mounting direction A of the developer supply container 1. Therefore, the developer receiving portion 11 having the engaged portion 11b is not raised beyond the state where it is in contact with the shutter 4, and excessive force is not applied to the engaged portion 11b, etc. Here, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the positional relationship between the container discharge opening 3a4 and the extension 32 is such that a plane L that passes through the container discharge opening 3a4 and is perpendicular to the rotation axis P passes through the extension 32. Furthermore, the plane including the extension 32 is positioned between the rotation axis P and the container discharge opening 3a4.

[0059] On the other hand, when removing the developer supply container 1 attached to the apparatus main body 100a, the developer supply container 1 is displaced in the removal direction B from the state shown in FIG. 9(b). The engaged portion 11b on the extension portion 32 moves relatively to engage with the holding portion 31, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 9(a). Thereafter, the developer receiving portion 11 moves downward in the direction D while the engaging portion 30 rotates, and the engaging portion 30 abuts against the first positioning portion 42, stopping the rotation and resulting in the state shown in FIG. 8(b). At this time, the developer receiving portion 11 is biased downward in the direction D by the biasing member 12, so the engaging portion 30 rotates without separating the holding portion 31 and the engaged portion 11b, as in the case of attachment, and the state transitions to the state shown in FIG. 8(a). Furthermore, when removing the developer supply container 1, the developer receiving portion 11 is urged downward in direction D by the urging member 12, so that the developer supply container 1 is urged in the removal direction B via the engaging portion 30, reducing the operating force. As a result, the user can replace the developer supply container 1 simply by removing the old developer supply container 1 in the removal direction B and inserting the new developer supply container 1 in the mounting direction A, which automatically displaces the engaging portion 30, thereby facilitating the replacement work.

[0060] Next, the effect of the configuration using the engaging portion 30 will be described in detail using FIGS. 8(a) to 11(c). FIG. 10(a) is an explanatory diagram of the force relationship of the developer receiving portion 11 in the configuration of the comparative example. The engaged portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 abuts against the inclined portion 3f at a certain angle θ, and moves along the wall surface 8h. Let F be the force (operating force) when inserting the developer supply container 1 (flange portion 3), N1 be the normal force that the engaged portion 11b receives from the inclined portion 3f, N2 be the normal force that the engaged portion receives from the wall surface 8h, and T be the force (resistance) required to lift the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U. In this case, the force relationship is as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 10(a). When each force is applied to the engaged portion 11b, the force relationship is as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 10(a). Furthermore, the engaged portion 11b is circular and has a radius r. In this case, the following balance equation holds. F=N1·sinθ T=N1·cosθ F=N2

[0061] By rearranging the above three equations for the operating force F, the following equation is obtained. F=tanθ·T=A·T

[0062] FIG. 10(b) is an explanatory diagram of the force relationship of the developer receiving portion 11 in the first embodiment. The engaged portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 is held by the holding portion 31, and the engaging portion 30 rotates, causing the developer receiving portion 11 to move along the wall surface 8h. Let F be the force (operating force) for inserting the developer supply container 1 (flange portion 3), N1 be the normal force that the engaging portion 30 receives from the rotation shaft 41, and N2 be the normal force that the developer receiving portion 11 receives from the wall surface 8h. Let T be the force (resistance) required to lift the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U, and θ be the angle that the line connecting the rotation shaft 41 of the engaging portion 30 and the engaged portion 11b forms with the horizontal. When each force is applied to the engaged portion 11b, the force relationship is as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 10(b). Furthermore, the distance between the center points of the rotary shaft 41 and the engaged portion 11b is defined as L. In this case, the following balance equation holds. F=N2 N1=T L×(F·sinθ-N1·cosθ)=0

[0063] By rearranging the above three equations for the operating force F, the following equation is obtained. F=T / tanθ=A·T

[0064] From the above relationships, the relationship between θ and A was determined for each of the comparative example and the first embodiment. In addition, the relationship between the horizontal movement distance of the developer supply container 1 when lifting the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U and the operating force F was determined for each of the comparative example and the first embodiment.

[0065] FIG. 11(a) shows the relationship between the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 3f and the coefficient A in the comparative example. FIG. 11(b) shows the relationship between the horizontal movement distance and the operating force F when the engaged portion 11b moves along the inclined portion 3f after contacting the inclined portion 3f. As shown in FIG. 11(a), in the comparative example, the smaller the inclination angle θ, the smaller the value of the coefficient A. However, since a smaller inclination angle θ reduces the upward movement distance of the developer receiving portion 11 relative to the insertion distance of the developer supply container 1, a certain inclination angle must be set in design, taking into account space and other factors. If the inclination angle of the comparative example is set to 45 degrees, the coefficient A is 1. Furthermore, assuming a constant force T=1N (T=1N), plotting the operating force F against the insertion distance reveals that the operating force F is a constant force of 1N when the engaged portion 11b moves along the inclined portion 3f, as shown in FIG. 11(b).

[0066] Next, Fig. 11(c) shows the relationship between the rotation angle θ of the engaging portion 30 and the coefficient A in the configuration of the first embodiment, and Fig. 11(b) shows the relationship between the horizontal movement distance when the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted after the engaged portion 11b comes into contact with the holding portion 31 and the operating force F. As shown in Fig. 11(c), there is a relationship in which the coefficient A decreases as the rotation angle θ of the engaging portion 30 increases. Furthermore, in the configuration of the first embodiment, the rotation angle θ of the engaging portion 30 increases in accordance with the horizontal movement distance of the developer supply container 1, so as shown in Fig. 11(b), the operating force F decreases with respect to the horizontal movement distance when the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted.

[0067] As described above, in the comparative example, when a certain inclination angle is set, a constant operating force F is applied regardless of the horizontal movement distance when lifting the developer receiving portion 11. In contrast, with the configuration of the first embodiment, the operating force decreases with the horizontal movement distance of the developer receiving portion 11. By setting the angle θ at the first position (FIG. 8(a)) to an angle that makes the coefficient A smaller than the coefficient A set in the comparative example configuration using the relationship shown in FIG. 11(c), the operating force F with respect to the horizontal movement distance can be reduced compared to the comparative example configuration. For example, FIG. 11(b) shows the change in operating force F when the angle θ at the first position is set to 50° compared to the results of the 1N test in the comparative example described above. As can be seen from this result, with the configuration of the first embodiment, the operating force F for lifting the developer receiving portion 11 can be reduced compared to the fixed guide in the comparative example.

[0068] As described above, according to the developer supply container 1 of this embodiment, the operating force required when attaching or detaching the developer supply container 1 to the image forming device 100 is reduced, making operability smoother and improving operability.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the shutter opening 4j is a small discharge port with a diameter of 2 mm in order to minimize contamination during insertion and removal of the developer supply container 1. Also, to ensure that the developer is reliably discharged from the small shutter opening 4j, a pump unit 5 is provided, and the developer is discharged by pressure generated by changing the volume of the developer accommodating section 2c. However, this is not limiting, and the shutter opening 4j may be larger and the pump unit 5 may not be provided. The present invention is characterized by the engaging portion 30, and the presence of this engaging portion 30 achieves the effect of improving operability during insertion and removal as described above.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), when the engaging portion 30 is located in the second position, the extension portion 32 is parallel to the mounting direction A. However, this is not limiting. For example, the extension portion 32 may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the mounting direction A. In this case, a retraction device is provided for the developer receiving device 8. As a result, the developer supply container 1 is fixed at a predetermined mounting position while being retracted in the mounting direction by the retraction device. Therefore, the developer supply container 1 will not move in the removal direction unless an operator or the like applies force to remove it. Therefore, even if the extension portion 32 is not parallel, the engaged portion 11b will not inadvertently move in the removal direction B.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the discharge port communicating with the receiving port 11a of the developer receiving portion 11 is the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4, but this is not limited to this. For example, without providing a shutter, the receiving port of the developer receiving portion may be directly abutted against the container discharge port of the developer supply container 1 to communicate with it. In this case, the container discharge port corresponds to the discharge port communicating with the receiving port.

[0072] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 16(a) to 20. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the engaging portion 130 has a plurality of holding portions 131, and that the engaging portion 130 and the extending portion 142 are separate members. However, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals will be used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0073] [Flange] The flange portion 3 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16(a) and (b). As shown in Figure 16(a), in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the up-down direction of the flange portion 3, a rotation shaft 141 is provided on each of both wall portions of the flange portion 3, protruding outward in the width direction. In addition, extension portions 142 are provided on both wall portions of the flange portion 3 on the side of the rotation shaft 141 in the removal direction B. An engagement portion 130 is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft 141, and the engagement portion 130 is fixed by a snap fit (not shown) to prevent it from coming off. Note that other configurations of the flange portion 3 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0074] [Engagement part] As shown in FIG. 16(a), the flange portion 3 has an engaging portion 130 that can engage with the engaged portion 11b (see FIG. 3(a)) of the developer receiving portion 11. The engaging portion 130 engages with the engaged portion 11b as the developer supply container 1 is attached, displacing the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U so that the receiving opening 11a communicates with the shutter opening 4j. At this time, the developer supply container 1 and the developer receiving portion 11 are connected to each other, allowing developer to be replenished from the developer supply container 1 to the developer receiving portion 11. Furthermore, as the developer supply container 1 is removed, the engaging portion 130 guides the developer receiving portion 11 to displace in the downward direction D away from the developer supply container 1 so that the connection between the developer supply container 1 and the developer receiving portion 11 is broken. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the engagement portions 130 are provided on both sides of the flange portion 3 in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the up-down direction.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 16(a) and 17(a) to 18(b), the engaging portion 130 is rotatably provided around a rotation shaft 141 and has a holding portion 131. The engaging portion 130 has a plurality of holding portions 131 arranged on a virtual circle (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 17(a)) centered on the rotation shaft 141. These holding portions 131 are arranged around the entire circumference of the engaging portion 130, and the engaging portion 130 has a gear shape in which the holding portions 131 are arranged at the tooth bottoms between a plurality of teeth 132. In this embodiment, the holding portions 131 are arranged at equal intervals. A through hole is provided in the center of the engaging portion 130, and the engaging portion 130 is fitted onto the rotation shaft 141 and rotatably supported. The holding portion 131 fits into the engaged portion 11b to hold the engaged portion 11b. In this embodiment, the holding portion 131 is formed in a concave shape and is capable of holding the engaged portion 11b in the rotational direction around the rotation shaft 141 and in the radial direction toward the rotation shaft 141. The engaging portion 130 rotates as the developer supply container 1 is attached to the apparatus main body 100a, and rotates the engaged portion 11b held by the holding portion 131 around the rotation shaft 141 in the upward direction U (see FIGS. 17(a) to 18(b)). The circumferential length of the tooth tip surfaces of the teeth 132 is set to be sufficiently shorter than the diameter of the engaged portion 11b. Therefore, as will be described later, even if the engaged portion 11b abuts against the tooth tip surfaces of the teeth 132 and does not momentarily mesh with the holding portion 131 immediately before being held by the holding portion 131 when the developer supply container 1 is attached, the engaging portion 130 easily rotates and the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 131.

[0076] 17(a) and other figures, the extension 142 is provided on the upstream side of the holding portion 131 in the mounting direction A, and is provided so as to be able to engage with the engaged portion 11b that has separated from the holding portion 31 on the upstream side. In this embodiment, the extension 142 is a separate member from the engaging portion 130, is relatively movable, and is formed so as to be parallel to the mounting direction A. In this embodiment, the extension 142 is configured to be approximately parallel to the mounting direction A, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be configured so as to be inclined.

[0077] [Installation of developer supply container] The operation of mounting the developer supply container 1 into the developer receiving device 8 will be described with reference to Figures 17(a) to 18(b). Figure 17(a) shows the state before the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 131 when the developer supply container 1 is inserted, and Figure 17(b) shows the state when the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 131 as the developer supply container 1 is inserted. Figure 18(a) shows the state when the engaged portion 11b is positioned above the engaging portion 130 as the developer supply container 1 is inserted, and Figure 18(b) shows the state when the engaged portion 11b is positioned at the extension portion 142 as the mounting of the developer supply container 1 is complete.

[0078] The developer supply container 1 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100, and as shown in FIG. 17(a), the developer supply container 1 is moved in the mounting direction A. At this time, the holding portion 131 and the engaged portion 11b are not yet engaged. Up to this point, the positions of the flange portion 3 and the shutter 4 have not shifted relative to each other, and the container discharge opening 3a4 is sealed by the developer sealing portion 4a of the shutter 4. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the stopper portions 4b and 4c of the shutter 4 engage with the shutter stopper portions 8a and 8b of the developer receiving device 8, and the position of the shutter 4 in the mounting direction A is fixed relative to the developer receiving device 8. Therefore, even if the developer supply container 1 is moved in the mounting direction A after this, the shutter 4 moves relative to the developer supply container 1 excluding the shutter 4 in the mounting direction A, but does not move relative to the developer receiving portion 11 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0079] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A, the engaged portion 11b comes into contact with and is held by the holding portion 131, as shown in FIG. 17(b). Here, the position of the engaged portion 11b is set so as to be located in the upward direction U from the center of the rotation shaft 141. As a result, the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 131 and displaces in the upward direction U as the developer supply container 1 is mounted. At this point, the positions of the shutter 4 and the flange portion 3 have displaced relative to each other, but the position of the receiving opening 11a remains in the initial position and is not in contact with the shutter 4.

[0080] Here, the circumferential length of the tooth tip surfaces of the teeth 132 is set to be sufficiently shorter than the diameter of the engaged portion 11b. Therefore, even if, when the developer supply container 1 is attached, the engaged portion 11b abuts against the tooth tip surfaces of the teeth 132 just before being held by the holding portion 131 and does not momentarily mesh with the holding portion 131, the engaging portion 130 easily rotates and the engaged portion 11b is held by the holding portion 131. Furthermore, the teeth 132 are provided at regular intervals around the engaging portion 130. Therefore, the holding portion 131 and the engaged portion 11b engage with each other regardless of the phase of the engaging portion 130, and therefore a configuration for regulating the position of the engaging portion 130 is not required.

[0081] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A, the engaging portion 130 is pushed by the engaged portion 11b at the holding portion 131. This generates a rotational moment in the direction R shown in FIG. 17(b), causing the engaging portion 130 to rotate. As a result, the developer receiving portion 11 is displaced in the upward direction U along the wall surface 8h of the developer receiving device 8. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 18(a), the engaged portion 11b is lifted up to the top of the engaging portion 130. At this time, the developer receiving portion 11 is lifted in the upward direction U from its initial position, and the receiving opening 11a comes into contact with the shutter opening 4j of the shutter 4. In this state, the shutter opening 4j and the container discharge opening 3a4 are not in communication, so the developer contained in the developer supply container 1 is not discharged to the developer receiving device 8.

[0082] When the developer supply container 1 is further moved in the mounting direction A and pushed in to the fully mounted position, as shown in FIG. 18(b), the engaging portion 130 rotates, and the engaged portion 11b moves from the holding portion 131 onto the extension portion 142. This maintains the vertical position of the developer receiving portion 11. Because the developer receiving portion 11 is biased downward in the direction D by the biasing member 12, the holding portion 131 does not separate from the engaged portion 11b during the rotation. Furthermore, the receiving port 11a moves relative to the flange portion 3 while remaining in contact with the shutter opening 4j, and communicates with the container discharge port 3a4. In this state, the container discharge port 3a4 is in communication with the shutter opening 4j and the receiving port 11a, enabling the developer to be supplied from the developer supply container 1 to the developer receiving device 8. In this step, the container discharge opening 3a4 and the shutter opening 4j are in communication with each other, and the container discharge opening 3a4, the shutter opening 4j, and the developer receiving opening 11a are all in communication with each other. At this time, the extension 142 is parallel to the mounting direction A of the developer supply container 1. Therefore, the developer receiving portion 11 having the engaged portion 11b is not raised beyond the state where it is in contact with the shutter 4, and excessive force is not applied to the engaged portion 11b, etc. Here, as shown in FIG. 18(b), the positional relationship between the container discharge opening 3a4 and the extension 142 is such that a plane L that passes through the container discharge opening 3a4 and is perpendicular to the rotation axis P passes through the extension 142. Furthermore, the plane including the extension 142 is positioned between the rotation axis P and the container discharge opening 3a4.

[0083] On the other hand, when removing the developer supply container 1 attached to the apparatus main body 100a, the developer supply container 1 is displaced in the removal direction B from the state shown in FIG. 18(b). The engaged portion 11b on the extension portion 142 moves relatively to engage with the holding portion 131, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 18(a). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the developer receiving portion 11 moves in the downward direction D while the engaging portion 130 rotates, and descends as the engaging portion 130 rotates to a position where it can move. At this time, because the developer receiving portion 11 is urged in the downward direction D by the urging member 12, the engaging portion 130 rotates without separating the holding portion 131 and the engaged portion 11b, as in the case of attachment, and the state transitions to the state shown in FIG. 17(a). Furthermore, when removing the developer supply container 1, the developer receiving portion 11 is urged in the downward direction D by the urging member 12, so that the developer supply container 1 is urged in the removal direction B via the engaging portion 130, reducing the operating force. As a result, the user can replace the developer supply container 1 simply by removing the old developer supply container 1 in the removal direction B and inserting the new developer supply container 1 in the mounting direction A, which automatically displaces the engaging portion 130, thereby facilitating the replacement work.

[0084] Next, the effect of the configuration using the engaging portion 130 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17(a) to 19(b). FIG. 19(a) is an explanatory diagram of the force relationship of the developer receiving portion 11 in the configuration of the comparative example. The engaged portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 abuts against the inclined portion 3f at a certain angle θ, and moves along the wall surface 8h. The force (operating force) for inserting the developer supply container 1 (flange portion 3) is defined as F, the normal force that the engaged portion 11b receives from the inclined portion 3f is defined as N1, the normal force that the engaged portion receives from the wall surface 8h is defined as N2, and the force (resistance) required to lift the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U is defined as T. In this case, as already explained (see FIG. 10(a)), the following equation holds when the operating force F is rearranged: F=tanθ·T=A·T

[0085] FIG. 19B is an explanatory diagram of the force relationship of the developer receiving portion 11 in the second embodiment. When the engaged portion 11b of the developer receiving portion 11 abuts against the holding portion 131 and the engaging portion 130 rotates, the developer receiving portion 11 moves along the wall surface 8h. Let F be the force (operating force) inserting the developer supply container 1 (flange portion 3), N1 be the normal force that the engaging portion 130 receives from the rotation shaft 141, and N2 be the normal force that the developer receiving portion 11 receives from the wall surface 8h. Let T be the force (resistance) required to lift the developer receiving portion 11 in the upward direction U, and α be the phase between the engaging portion 130 and the engaged portion 11b. The force relationship is as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 19B. Because the developer receiving portion 11 and the engaged portion 11b are a single rigid body, the resistance T is considered to be applied to the engaged portion 11b. Furthermore, because the flange portion 3 and the rotating shaft 141 are an integral rigid body, the operating force F is considered to be applied to the rotating shaft 141. Furthermore, because the engaged portion 11b moves integrally with the holding portion 131, if an engaging portion 130A is defined in which the engaged portion 11b and the holding portion 131 are considered to be an integral unit, the force relationship in the engaging portion 130A will be as shown in the right diagram in Figure 19(b). In this case, if the linear distance between the rotating shaft 141 and the engaged portion 11b is defined as L, L is larger than the diameter of each of the rotating shaft 141 and the engaged portion 11b, and so the following equation holds true. F=N2 N1=T T·cosα=N2·sinα

[0086] By rearranging the above three equations for the operating force F, the following equation is obtained. F=T / tan α=B·T

[0087] From the above relationships, the relationship between θ and coefficient A was determined for the comparative example, and the relationship between θ and coefficient B for the second embodiment, and the results are shown in FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 20, in the configuration of the comparative example, as the tilt angle θ increases, the operating force F also increases. In contrast, in the configuration of the second embodiment, as the rotation continues, F increases once (reaching an inflection point), and then decreases as the rotation progresses. Therefore, by setting the initial phase of the second embodiment to α1 or greater with respect to the angle θ1 of the inclined portion 3f in the comparative example, it is possible to reduce the operating force F.

[0088] As described above, the developer supply container 1 of this embodiment also reduces the operating force required when attaching or detaching the developer supply container 1 to the image forming device 100, making operability smoother and improving operability.

[0089] In the first embodiment described above, the engaging portion 30 is arm-shaped with one holding portion 31, and in the second embodiment, the engaging portion 130 is gear-shaped with multiple holding portions 131, but the relationship between the number and shape of the holding portions is not limited to these. For example, the engaging portion 30 may be arm-shaped with multiple holding portions, or may be disk-shaped with one holding portion on its circumference. Any appropriate shape, such as an ellipse or a polygon, can be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1...developer supply container, 2c...developer storage section, 4j...shutter opening (discharge port), 8...developer receiving device, 11...developer receiving section, 11a...receiving port, 11b...engaged section, 30...engaging section, 30a...base end section, 30b...tip end section, 31...holding section, 32...extension section, 41...rotating shaft, 130...engaging section, 131...holding section, 141...rotating shaft, 142...extension section, 200...developer supply system, 300...discharge section, A...mounting direction, U...upward direction (displacement direction).

Claims

1. A developer supply container detachably attached to a developer receiving device, the developer supply container having a developer receiving portion formed with a receiving opening for receiving developer and an engaged portion displaceable integrally with the developer receiving portion, a developer storage section that stores a developer; a discharge portion having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the developer contained in the developer containing portion; an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion in association with an attachment operation of the developer supply container, and displaces the developer receiving portion in a displacement direction so that the receiving opening communicates with the discharge opening, the engaging portion is provided rotatably around a rotation axis, and has a holding portion that fits with the engaged portion and holds the engaged portion, and the engaging portion rotates around the rotation axis so that the engaged portion held by the holding portion faces vertically upward in accordance with the mounting operation. A developer supply container characterized by:

2. the engaging portion is rotatable between a first position where the holding portion starts to hold the engaged portion in accordance with the mounting operation of the developer supply container, and a second position where the developer receiving portion is displaced to a position where the receiving opening communicates with the discharge opening.

2. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

3. an extension portion provided on the upstream side of the holding portion with respect to the mounting direction of the developer supply container, the extension portion being able to engage with the engaged portion that has been separated from the holding portion to the upstream side; 3. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

4. The extension is formed parallel to the mounting direction.

4. The developer supply container according to claim 3.

5. The engaging portion has only one holding portion.

5. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

6. the engaging portion has a rotation center around the rotation shaft at a base end portion thereof and is arm-shaped with the holding portion at a tip end portion thereof.

6. The developer supply container according to claim 5, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

7. The engagement portion has a plurality of the holding portions arranged on one imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis.

2. The developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

8. The holding portion is disposed around the entire circumference of the engagement portion.

8. The developer supply container according to claim 7, wherein the developer supply container is a container for supplying a developer to a developer supplying member.

9. a developer receiving device having a developer receiving portion having a receiving opening for receiving the developer and an engaged portion that is displaceable integrally with the developer receiving portion; a developer supply container detachably attached to the developer receiving device, The developer supply container is a developer storage section that stores a developer; a discharge portion having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the developer contained in the developer containing portion; an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion in association with an attachment operation of the developer supply container, and displaces the developer receiving portion in a displacement direction so that the receiving opening communicates with the discharge opening, the engaging portion is provided rotatably around a rotation axis, and has a holding portion that fits with the engaged portion and holds the engaged portion, and the engaging portion rotates around the rotation axis so that the engaged portion held by the holding portion faces vertically upward in accordance with the mounting operation. A developer supply system characterized by:

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