Detachable unit and developer cartridge

Abstract

To improve the ease of operation when installing the developer cartridge. [Solution] In the image forming apparatus 1, the toner cartridge 13 and ID unit 14 constituting the attachment / detachment unit 18 are designed such that the second angle θ2 with respect to the latch release part 83 is sufficiently larger than the first angle θ1 with respect to the sealing member 76. As a result, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the latch 35 can be released by applying a force to the toner cartridge 13 in a direction along the latch release line X83 that is sufficiently smaller than the elastic force from the sealing member 76, thereby allowing the lever 34 to rotate smoothly.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment / detachment unit and a developer cartridge, and is suitably applied to, for example, electrophotographic printers. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus, there is an apparatus that prints an image by, for example, forming a toner image (also referred to as a developer image) using toner (also referred to as a developer) at an image forming section, transferring the toner image onto a sheet, and fixing the toner image onto the sheet by applying heat and pressure thereto with a fixing section.

[0003] Further, as an image forming apparatus, there is an apparatus configured such that a toner cartridge containing toner (also referred to as a developer cartridge) is detachably attachable to an apparatus main body or a developing unit, and toner is replenished by replacing the toner cartridge. As such a toner cartridge, for example, there has been proposed a toner cartridge provided with a discharge port for discharging toner to the apparatus main body or the developing unit, and further provided with a shutter that opens and closes the discharge port, a lever for opening and closing the shutter, and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-175309 (Figure 3, etc.) [Brief Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] Incidentally, with toner cartridges, if the shutter is opened when the cartridge is not installed in the device body, toner will spill and stain the surrounding area. Therefore, a possible configuration for an image forming apparatus is to provide a locking claw to hold (lock) the shutter of the toner cartridge in a closed position, and a release projection to push the locking claw into the device body to release it. In such an image forming apparatus, once the toner cartridge is securely installed in the device body, the release projection pushes the locking claw and releases the lock, allowing the shutter to be opened by operating a lever, and toner to be supplied to the device body.

[0006] In an image forming apparatus, for example, a sealing member made of a sponge-like material that can be elastically deformed may be provided around the outer circumference of the supply port on the main body of the apparatus. In this image forming apparatus, when the toner cartridge is installed, the sealing member can be brought into contact with the entire circumference of the discharge port, thereby preventing toner from leaking out.

[0007] However, since the sealing member is an elastic material, it elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the outer circumference of the toner cartridge's discharge port, generating a repulsive force. For this reason, in image forming apparatuses, it is necessary to apply a relatively large force to the toner cartridge when installing it and pressing it against the main body of the apparatus.

[0008] In other words, when installing a toner cartridge, a relatively large force is required to sufficiently elastically deform the sealing member in order to push the locking claw into the position where it is pressed by the release projection, resulting in poor operability.

[0009] This invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a detachable unit and a developer cartridge that improve operability when installing the developer cartridge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a detachable unit comprising a device body and a developer cartridge detachably attached to the device body, wherein the developer cartridge has a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape with a virtual central axis and a frame body capable of storing developer inside, an outlet provided on the cylindrical portion of the frame body for discharging developer to the device body, an opening / closing member provided on the frame body so as to be rotatable about the central axis and transitioning between a closed state that closes the outlet and an open state that opens it by rotational movement, a restricting portion that moves on the frame body to a restricting position that restricts the opening / closing member to a closed state and to a release position that allows the opening / closing member to transition from the closed state, and an engagement provided on one end in the axial direction along the central axis that engages with the device body when attached to the device body. The device body has a supply port that receives developer from the discharge port when a developer cartridge is installed, a sealing member that has elastic deformation properties and is provided on the outer circumference of the supply port and comes into contact with the outer circumference of the discharge port when a developer cartridge is installed, an engaged portion provided on one end in the direction along the central axis when a developer cartridge is installed and engages with the engaging portion of the developer cartridge, and a release portion provided at a position that comes into contact with the restricting portion when a developer cartridge is installed and moves the restricting portion to the release position by contact, and the first direction from the position of the central axis toward the center of the area where the sealing member is provided when a developer cartridge is installed in the device body is a different direction from the second direction from the position of the central axis toward the release portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the developer cartridge of the present invention is a developer cartridge that is detachable from the main body of the device, and comprises a frame having a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape with a virtual central axis and capable of storing developer inside, an outlet provided on the cylindrical portion of the frame for discharging developer to the main body of the device, an opening / closing member provided on the frame so as to be rotatable about the central axis and transitioning between a closed state that closes the outlet and an open state that opens it by rotational movement, a restricting part that moves on the frame to a restricting position that restricts the opening / closing member to a closed state and to a release position that allows the opening / closing member to transition from the closed state, and provided on one end in the axial direction along the central axis, when mounted on the main body of the device, The device has an engaging portion that engages with the main body of the device, and when the engaging portion is mounted on the main body of the device, it engages with a receiving portion provided on one end of the main body of the device in the direction along the central axis, the restricting portion is moved to the release position by contact with a release portion provided on the main body of the device when mounted on the main body of the device, and when the discharge port is mounted on the main body of the device, a sealing member having elastic deformation properties is arranged on the outer circumference of the supply port provided on the main body of the device and contacts the outer circumference of the discharge port, and a developer is supplied to the supply port of the main body of the device, and the first direction from the position of the central axis toward the center of the discharge port is a different direction from the second direction from the position of the central axis toward the restricting portion.

[0012] In this invention, when the developer cartridge is installed in the device body, the elastic force acting from the sealing member of the device body to the frame of the developer cartridge is directed in a first direction, but different from the second direction in which the release mechanism applies force to the restricting mechanism. Therefore, in this invention, only a portion of the elastic force can be directed in the second direction, thereby keeping the force required to move the restricting mechanism by the release mechanism relatively small. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a detachable unit and a developer cartridge that improve operability when installing the developer cartridge. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming unit. [Figure 3] It is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a toner cartridge. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a toner cartridge. [Figure 5] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a toner cartridge. [Figure 6] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a toner cartridge. [Figure 7] It is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of an ID unit. [Figure 8] It is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an ID unit. [Figure 9] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an ID unit. [Figure 10] It is a schematic perspective view showing a state where a toner cartridge is mounted to an ID unit. [Figure 11] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a toner cartridge is mounted to an ID unit. [Figure 12] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a toner cartridge is mounted to an ID unit. [Figure 13] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a toner cartridge is mounted to an ID unit. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the direction and magnitude of an acting elastic force. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] [1. Configuration of Printer] As shown in the schematic side view in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an electrophotographic printer capable of forming, or printing, a single-color (monochrome) image on paper P. Incidentally, the image forming apparatus 1 does not have an image scanner function for reading original documents or a communication function using a telephone line, and is a single-function SFP (Single Function Printer) that only has a printer function.

[0017] The image forming apparatus 1 has various components arranged inside a roughly box-shaped apparatus housing 2. For reference, in the following explanation, the rightmost portion of Figure 1 will be considered the front of the image forming apparatus 1, and the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions will be defined and explained based on a view from this front. Furthermore, the portion of the apparatus housing 2 that mainly constitutes the top surface is configured to be openable and closable relative to the remaining portion.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 1 is centrally controlled by a control unit 3. This control unit 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory units (none of which are shown), and performs various processes by executing various programs.

[0019] The control unit 3 is connected wirelessly or via wired connection to a higher-level device (not shown), such as a computer. When the control unit 3 receives image data representing the image to be printed from this higher-level device and is instructed to print the image data, it executes a printing process to form the printed image on the surface of the paper P. A display unit 4 is provided on the front side of the top surface of the device housing 2. The display unit 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays various information based on the control of the control unit 3.

[0020] At the bottom of the device housing 2 is a paper cassette 5 for storing the accumulated paper P. Above the front of the paper cassette 5 is a paper feeding section 6. The paper feeding section 6 consists of a paper feeding roller 7 positioned above the front of the paper cassette 5, transport rollers 9 and 10 positioned along the transport path W, and a transport guide (not shown). Of these, the paper feeding roller 7 and the transport rollers 8 and 9 rotate when driven by a transport motor (not shown) based on the control of the control unit 3.

[0021] The paper feeding unit 6 (Figure 1) picks up the paper P stored in the paper cassette 5 one sheet at a time by appropriately rotating the paper feeding rollers 7, etc., based on the control of the control unit 3. Subsequently, the paper feeding unit 6 transmits driving force to the paper P via the transport rollers 8 and 9, and moves it along the transport path W by the transport guide, folding it back from front-up to rear-up.

[0022] A transport path W is formed on the rear side of the transport roller 9, generally in the front-to-back direction, and an image forming unit 12 is provided above it. This image forming unit 12 is broadly composed of a toner cartridge 13, an ID (image drum) unit 14, and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) head 15, among other components.

[0023] The toner cartridge 13, which functions as a developer cartridge, is detachably attached to the ID unit 14 and contains toner as a developer. The toner cartridge 13 has a toner discharge port (details to be described later) at the connection point with the ID unit 14, and toner is supplied to the ID unit 14 through this toner discharge port. In the following, the toner cartridge 13 and the ID unit 14 will be collectively referred to as the detachable unit 18.

[0024] The ID unit 14, which is the main body of the device, is also called a developing device and is configured to be detachable from the device housing 2. It has a cylindrical photoreceptor drum 17 and various rollers. This ID unit 14 generates an electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 based on image data supplied from a higher-level device, and generates a toner image on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 by developing it using toner supplied from the toner cartridge 13 (details will be described later).

[0025] A transfer roller 16 is provided on the lower side of the image forming unit 12. The transfer roller 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is positioned to sandwich the transport path W between itself and the photoreceptor drum 17 of the ID unit 14. When paper P is being transported along the transport path W, the transfer roller 16 transfers the toner image from the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 to the paper P.

[0026] A fixing device 20 is provided on the rear side of the image forming unit 12. The fixing device 20 has a heating roller 21 and a pressure roller 22 that are arranged opposite each other across the transport path W. The heating roller 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis oriented in the left-right direction, and has a heater inside. The pressure roller 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape similar to the heating roller 21, and presses its upper surface against the lower surface of the heating roller 21 with a predetermined pressing force. The fixing device 20 is also provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting temperature.

[0027] Based on the control of the control unit 3, when driving force is supplied from a fixing motor (not shown), the fixing device 20 heats the heating roller 21 and rotates the heating roller 21 and the pressure roller 22 in predetermined directions. As a result, the fixing device 20 applies heat and pressure to the paper P received from the image forming unit 12, i.e., the paper P on which the toner image has been transferred, to fix the toner, and then passes it to the rear.

[0028] A paper discharge section 23 is located above and behind the fuser unit 20. The paper discharge section 23, like the paper feed section 6, is composed of a combination of transport rollers 24 and paper discharge rollers 25, as well as transport guides (not shown). The paper discharge section 23 rotates the transport rollers 24 and paper discharge rollers 25 as appropriate to transport the paper P handed over from the fuser unit 20 upward and rearward along the transport guides, then folds it back towards the front, and discharges it into the discharge tray 26 formed on the upper surface of the device housing 2.

[0029] Furthermore, a reversal transport section 27 is formed over a wide area extending from the rear to the bottom of the fixing device 20, below the transfer roller 16, and above and behind the paper feeding section 6. The reversal transport section 27 is composed of a combination of multiple transport rollers and transport guides (not shown) arranged along the reversal transport path W2. After forming and fixing an image on the first surface of the paper P, the reversal transport section 27 reverses the direction of travel when the paper P passes the transport roller 24 of the paper discharge section 23, and transports it forward along the reversal transport path W2, so that it merges with the transport path W in front of the transport roller 9 in the paper feeding section 6. In this way, the reversal transport section 27 can form an image on the second surface of the paper P.

[0030] [2. Configuration of the image forming unit] Next, the configuration of the image forming unit 12 will be explained with reference to Figure 2, which is a schematic side view. As described above, the image forming unit 12 includes a toner cartridge 13, an ID unit 14, an LED head 15, and a transfer roller 16, etc.

[0031] The toner cartridge 13 has an outer shell formed by a toner cartridge housing 30, and a sufficiently large storage space 31 is formed inside the toner cartridge housing 30, in which the toner is stored. At the bottom of the toner cartridge housing 30, an outlet 32 ​​is formed to discharge the toner by connecting the storage space 31 to the outside space. This outlet 32 ​​can be opened and closed by a shutter, which will be described later. Therefore, when the shutter is opened while the toner cartridge 13 is installed in the ID unit 14, the toner stored in the storage space 31 can be dropped downwards through the outlet 32.

[0032] The ID unit 14 has an outer shell formed by the ID unit housing 50. A toner cartridge mounting section 51 for mounting the toner cartridge 13 is formed on the upper side of the ID unit housing 50 near the center in the front-to-back direction. Below the toner cartridge mounting section 51, a roller group holding section 52 for holding multiple rollers is arranged. In addition, a waste toner storage section 53 for storing waste toner, which is toner to be discarded, is arranged in front of the toner cartridge mounting section 51 and the roller group holding section 52.

[0033] The toner cartridge mounting section 51 has a toner supply port 54 at the bottom, corresponding to the toner cartridge outlet 32 ​​of the toner cartridge 13. Below the supply port 54, a toner storage space 55 is formed, and stirring sections 56 and 57, a supply roller 58, a developing roller 59, a developing blade 60, a photoreceptor drum 17, and a charging roller 61 are appropriately arranged. A cleaning blade 62 is provided on the rear side of the photoreceptor drum 17, and a waste toner transport section 63 is provided below it.

[0034] The toner storage space 55 is connected to the upper space, i.e., the space inside the toner cartridge mounting section 51, via the supply port 54. Therefore, the toner supplied from the toner cartridge 13 via the supply port 54 is stored in the toner storage space 55. The stirring unit 56 is located behind and below the supply port 54 within the toner storage space 55. The stirring unit 57 is located in front and below the supply port 54 within the toner storage space 55. The stirring units 56 and 57 stir the toner stored in the toner storage space 55, respectively.

[0035] The supply roller 58 is located below the agitation section 56 within the toner storage space 55. The developing roller 59 is positioned diagonally above and behind the supply roller 58, in contact with both the supply roller 58 and the photoreceptor drum 17. Both the supply roller 58 and the developing roller 59 are formed in a cylindrical shape with their central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and are supported so as to be rotatable about their respective central axes. The developing blade 60 is formed in a thin plate shape, and one end is in contact with the circumferential surface of the developing roller 59 while elastic force is applied.

[0036] The photoreceptor drum 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction and is supported so as to be rotatable around the central axis. Furthermore, thin film charge generation layers and charge transport layers are sequentially formed on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 so as to be able to be charged. The charging roller 61 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, is supported so as to be rotatable, and is positioned to abut against the rear upper side of the photoreceptor drum 17.

[0037] The LED head 15, also called the exposure head or exposure unit, is formed in a long, slender rod shape aligned horizontally and is located above the photoreceptor drum 17. Multiple LED elements and lenses are arranged on this LED head 15, generally aligned horizontally. Based on the control of the control unit 3 (Figure 2), the LED head 15 causes each LED element to emit light as needed, focusing the light downwards and illuminating the surface near the upper end of the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17.

[0038] The cleaning blade 62 is formed in the shape of a thin plate from a material such as urethane rubber, and one end is in contact with the rear side of the photoreceptor drum 17 while elastic force is applied. The waste toner transport section 63 is composed of a spiral section around a long, slender cylindrical section running in the left-right direction, and consists of a rotating spiral body and a hollow tubular section, which is connected to the waste toner storage section 53. The waste toner storage section 53 has a space inside that is large enough to accommodate a certain amount of waste toner.

[0039] In this configuration, when the image forming unit 12 performs printing, it is supplied with driving force from a motor (not shown) based on the control of the control unit 3. This causes the image forming unit 12 to rotate the developing roller 59, charging roller 61, and transfer roller 16 (Figure 1) of the ID unit 14 in the direction of arrow R2, and to rotate the photoreceptor drum 17 and supply roller 58 in the direction of arrow R1. The image forming unit 12 also rotates the stirring units 56 and 57 in predetermined rotational directions.

[0040] Furthermore, the image forming unit 12, based on the control of the control unit 3 (Figure 2), charges the supply roller 58, developing roller 59, charging roller 61, and transfer roller 16 by applying a predetermined bias voltage from a high-voltage circuit (not shown). The supply roller 58, due to its charging, causes toner in the toner storage space 55 to adhere to its circumferential surface, and rotation causes this toner to adhere to the circumferential surface of the developing roller 59. After excess toner is removed from the circumferential surface of the developing roller 59 by the developing blade 60, this circumferential surface is brought into contact with the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17.

[0041] Meanwhile, the charging roller 61, while charged, comes into contact with the photoreceptor drum 17, thereby uniformly charging the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 17. The LED head 15 emits light in a light emission pattern based on the image data supplied from the control unit 3 (Figure 2), exposing the photoreceptor drum 17. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 near its upper end.

[0042] Next, the photoreceptor drum 17 rotates in the direction of arrow R1, bringing the area where the electrostatic latent image was formed into contact with the developing roller 59. As a result, toner adheres to the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 based on the electrostatic latent image, and a toner image based on the image data is developed. The developed toner image reaches the point where it is clamped with the transfer roller 16, i.e., the transport path W (Figure 1), due to the rotation of the photoreceptor drum 17. At this time, if the paper P is being transported along the transport path W, the image forming unit 12 transfers this toner image from the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 to the paper P. In this way, the image forming unit 12 (Figure 1) can form a toner image based on the print data and transfer the toner image to the paper P being transported from the front along the transport path W.

[0043] Furthermore, if toner remains on the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 (Figure 2) after passing through the clamping area with the transfer roller 16, such toner becomes waste toner that should be discarded. This waste toner is scraped off from the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 17 by the cleaning blade 62 and transported to the waste toner storage unit 53 by the waste toner transport unit 63 for storage.

[0044] [3. Toner Cartridge Configuration] Next, the configuration of the toner cartridge 13 will be described. Figures 3(A), (B), and (C) are schematic perspective views showing the toner cartridge 13 from different directions. Figures 4(A), (B), and (C) are schematic rear, bottom, and front views of the toner cartridge 13, respectively. Figure 5(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along A1-A2 in Figure 4(A). Figure 6(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along B1-B2 in Figure 4(A).

[0045] The toner cartridge housing 30, which forms the outer shell of the toner cartridge 13, is a molded component made of, for example, a predetermined resin material, and is formed as a hollow columnar shape that is long in the left-right direction. Of this, the upper half of the housing, the upper part 30U, is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the other hand, the lower half of the housing, the lower part 30L, is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on a virtual central axis XC along the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the lower part of the housing 30L will also be referred to as the cylindrical part.

[0046] The toner cartridge housing 30, as a frame, is connected almost continuously at its rear, with virtually no step between the upper housing 30U and the lower housing 30L. On the other hand, at its front, the toner cartridge housing 30 has a step-like structure where the upper housing 30U protrudes further forward than the lower housing 30L, and an inclined section 30S is formed between the two.

[0047] Furthermore, a storage space 31 for storing toner is formed inside the toner cartridge housing 30. Near the center in the left-right direction and slightly towards the rear of the lower part 30L of the toner cartridge housing 30, an outlet 32 ​​for discharging the toner stored in the storage space 31 is formed. As shown in Figure 4(B), the outlet 32 ​​is formed in a roughly rectangular shape.

[0048] A shutter 33 is provided inside the toner cartridge housing 30. This shutter 33 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape so as to abut against the inner surface of the lower part of the housing 30L, and a through hole 33H is formed in a part of it, which is about the same size and shape as the discharge port 32. Furthermore, this shutter 33 is configured to be rotatable about a central axis XC relative to the toner cartridge housing 30, that is, to be able to rotate freely.

[0049] Therefore, as shown in Figure 5(A), when the through hole 33H is located away from the discharge port 32 (not overlapping), that is, when they are in different directions relative to the central axis XC, the shutter 33 closes the discharge port 32. At this time, the shutter 33 isolates the space within the storage space 31 from the outside space, and holds the stored toner without discharging it.

[0050] On the other hand, when the shutter 33 is rotated approximately 60 degrees in the direction of arrow S2 (hereinafter also referred to as the rotation direction) from the state shown in Figure 5(A), if the through hole 33H is in a position that overlaps with the discharge port 32, that is, if it is in the same direction when viewed from the central axis XC, as shown in Figure 5(B), the shutter 33 opens the discharge port 32. At this time, the shutter 33 can connect the space inside the storage space 31 to the outside space and discharge the stored toner.

[0051] An operating lever 34 is provided at the right end of the toner cartridge 13, protruding to the right from the right end of the toner cartridge housing 30. The operating lever 34, as an operating part, is formed in a relatively short cylindrical shape with a central axis XC, and its radius is slightly smaller than the radius of the lower part of the housing 30L. Above the operating lever 34, a plate-shaped lever body 34A is erected, which is roughly parallel to the central axis XC. Furthermore, at the lower right end of the operating lever 34, a fan-shaped lever recess 34D is formed, with the outer circumference remaining as a thin plate, and a notch 34C is formed by cutting out the area near the lower end of this thin plate-like portion.

[0052] This operating lever 34 has a cylindrical lever connector 34B inside the toner cartridge housing 30, centered on a central axis XC. It is connected to the shutter 33 via this lever connector 34B and can rotate around the central axis XC. Therefore, in the toner cartridge 13, the shutter 33 can be rotated by rotating the operating lever 34, thereby opening or closing the discharge port 32.

[0053] Incidentally, in the toner cartridge 13, when the discharge port 32 is closed by the shutter 33 (Figure 5(A)), the lever body 34A of the operating lever 34 is positioned slightly forward of directly upward. Also, in the toner cartridge 13, when the discharge port 32 is opened by the shutter 33 (Figure 5(B)), the lever body 34A of the operating lever 34 is positioned slightly backward of directly upward.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(C), the toner cartridge 13 is provided with a latch 35 located slightly to the left and below the operating lever 34. As shown in Figure 6(A), this latch 35 is connected to the lever connector 34B via a latch biasing body 36, and is constructed as a single molded part with the latch biasing body 36 and the lever connector 34B using a predetermined resin material.

[0055] The latch biasing body 36 is formed in an elongated rod shape and is curved in an arc shape about the central axis XC. One end of the latch biasing body 36 (the rear upper end) is connected to the lever connector 34B. The latch 35, which acts as a restricting part, is connected to the other end (the front lower end) of the latch biasing body 36 and protrudes radially from the outer surface of the latch biasing body 36 about the central axis XC. Also, as shown in Figure 4(B), the latch 35 is located behind or above the discharge port 32.

[0056] On the other hand, a latch engagement groove 30D, which is partially cut out in a rectangular shape, is formed on the lower rear side near the right end of the toner cartridge housing 30, and the lower part of the surrounding area is the latch engagement portion 30E. Of these, the latch engagement groove 30D is slightly larger (longer) in the left-right direction and sufficiently larger (longer) in the circumferential direction compared to the latch 35.

[0057] In the closed state (Figure 5(A)) where the shutter 33 closes the discharge port 32 of the toner cartridge 13, when no external force is applied to the latch 35 and it is in a natural state, the latch 35 is engaged with the latch engagement groove 30D of the toner cartridge housing 30, as shown in Figure 6(A). Hereinafter, the position of the latch 35 at this time will be referred to as the restricted position. As a result, the rotation of the shutter 33, the operating lever 34, and the latch 35 in the direction of arrow S2 is restricted, and the closed state of the shutter 33 is maintained.

[0058] In other words, even if an external force is applied to the operating lever 34 that attempts to rotate the toner cartridge 13 in the direction of arrow S2, the cartridge 13 will not rotate and will maintain the shutter 33 in a closed state (Figure 5(A)), preventing the toner stored in the storage space 31 from leaking out. Hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the latch engaged state.

[0059] Here, the hypothetical center point at the toner cartridge 13's output port 32 (Figure 5(A)) is defined as the output center point Q32. A hypothetical straight line along the vertical direction is defined as the vertical line XN, and a hypothetical straight line connecting the central axis XC and the output center point Q32 is defined as the output line X32. Furthermore, the angle between the vertical line XN and the output line X32 is called the first angle θ1. This first angle θ1 is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees. In the following, the direction from the central axis XC towards the output center point Q32 along the output line X32 is also referred to as the first direction DR1. Thus, the first angle θ1 represents the angle between the first direction DR1 and the downward direction (i.e., the proximity direction) along the vertical line XN.

[0060] Furthermore, in the latch-engaged state (Figure 6(A)), the central portion of the outer surface of the latch 35 is defined as the latch point Q35, and the imaginary straight line connecting the central axis XC and the latch point Q35 is defined as the latch line X35. In addition, the angle between the vertical line XN and the latch line X35 is called the second angle θ2. This second angle θ2 is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees. Below, the direction from the central axis XC towards the latch point Q35 along the latch line X35 is also referred to as the second direction DR2. Thus, the second angle θ2 represents the angle between the second direction DR2 and the downward direction (i.e., the proximity direction) along the vertical line XN.

[0061] On the other hand, in the closed state (Figure 6(A)) where the toner cartridge 13 has its through hole 33H blocked by the shutter 33, when an external force is applied to the latch 35 in a direction generally toward the central axis XC, the latch biasing body 36 is elastically deformed according to the magnitude of the external force, causing the latch 35 to be displaced in a direction that brings it closer to the central axis XC.

[0062] At this time, when the latch 35 of the toner cartridge 13 is displaced inward (towards the central axis XC) from the inner surface of the lower part 30L of the toner cartridge housing 30, the latch engagement is released, and the shutter 33, operating lever 34, and latch 35 are allowed to rotate in the direction of arrow S2. Hereinafter, the position of the latch 35 at this time will be called the release position, and this state will be called the latch release state.

[0063] When the toner cartridge 13 is in this latch-released state, if an external force is applied to the operating lever 34 in the direction of arrow S2, the latch 35 slides along the inside of the lower part of the housing 30L, as shown in Figure 6(B), while the operating lever 34 rotates. As a result, the toner cartridge 13 can rotate the shutter 33 in the direction of arrow S2 together with the operating lever 34, transitioning to the open state (Figure 5(B)), and enabling the discharge of toner stored in the storage space 31.

[0064] Incidentally, in the latch-engaged state, as shown in Figures 3(C) and 6(A), the part of the latch 35 furthest from the central axis XC (i.e., the most protruding part) is located at the same level as or slightly inward (i.e., towards the central axis XC) from the outer peripheral surface of the lower part 30L of the toner cartridge housing 30. Furthermore, a fairly strong (large) external force is required to bend the latch biasing body 36.

[0065] Therefore, the toner cartridge 13 has an extremely low probability of the latch 35 being inadvertently pushed in and the latch engagement being released, which effectively prevents the shutter 33 from opening inadvertently and toner from spilling out of the discharge port 32.

[0066] Here, the hypothetical center point of the discharge port 32 in Figure 5(A) is defined as the discharge center point Q32. In the toner cartridge 13, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 6(A), with respect to the circumferential direction of rotation (rotation) around the central axis XC in the direction of arrow S2, the discharge center point Q32 is located downstream from the position of the lever body 34A of the operating lever 34, and the latch point Q35 is located further downstream from there. Also, the angle between the direction from the central axis XC toward the lever body 34A and the direction toward the latch point Q35 (i.e., the second direction DR2) is between 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees.

[0067] Furthermore, the toner cartridge 13 (Figure 3) is provided with multiple parts, such as a left engaging projection 37, a rear positioning projection 38, a front positioning portion 39, and left and right positioning projections 40, which protrude from the outer surface of the toner cartridge housing 30.

[0068] The left engaging projection 37 (Figures 3(A) and (B)), which serves as the engaging portion, is formed on the left side of the toner cartridge housing 30, near the center in the front-to-back direction, and slightly away from the top end. This left engaging projection 37 is constructed by connecting three plate-like members parallel to the central axis XC, and arranging them so that when viewed from the left, it resembles the shape of the uppercase English letter "U".

[0069] The rear positioning projection 38 (Figure 3(B)) is located on the rear side of the toner cartridge housing 30, slightly rearward from the front end, and slightly below the center in the vertical direction, i.e., on the lower housing side 30L. In other words, the rear positioning projection 38 is located to the left of the latch 35. The rear side of this rear positioning projection 38 is formed in a planar shape that is generally parallel to the upper housing portion 30U on the rear side of the toner cartridge housing 30.

[0070] The front positioning portion 39 (Figure 3(A)) is located near the center in the vertical direction on the front side surface of the toner cartridge housing 30, that is, near the boundary between the upper part 30U and the lower part 30L of the housing, and slightly to the left of the right edge. This front positioning portion 39 has a relatively long three-dimensional shape in the left-right direction, and its front side surface is slightly behind the front side surface of the upper part 30U of the housing, and is formed in a planar shape that is almost parallel to the upper part 30U of the housing. Incidentally, the front positioning portion 39 is formed in a range that includes the left-right position of the rear positioning projection 38 in the left-right direction.

[0071] The left and right positioning protrusions 40 (Figure 3(A)), which serve as axial positioning parts, are located near the right end of the inclined portion 30S formed near the vertical center of the front side surface of the toner cartridge housing 30, that is, near the boundary between the upper part 30U and the lower part 30L of the housing, and are positioned to the right of the front positioning part 39. In other words, these left and right positioning protrusions 40 are located to the left of the latch 35 and above the rear positioning protrusion 38. These left and right positioning protrusions 40 protrude downward from the inclined portion 30S on the front side surface of the toner cartridge housing 30 via a base portion of a predetermined shape.

[0072] [4. ID Unit Configuration] Next, the configuration of the ID unit 14 will be described. Figures 7(A) and (B) are schematic perspective views showing the ID unit 14 from different directions. Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of the ID unit 14. Figures 9(A) and (B) are cross-sectional views of C1-C2 and F1-F2 in Figure 8.

[0073] As described above, the ID unit 14 is broadly composed of a toner cartridge mounting section 51, a roller group holding section 52, and a waste toner storage section 53. The toner cartridge mounting section 51 is the part in which the toner cartridge 13 is mounted, and is formed as a hollow rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the left-right direction and short in the front-back direction. Hereinafter, the front-back direction will also be referred to as the width direction. This toner cartridge mounting section 51 forms a mounting space 70 with a left side section 71, a rear side section 72, a front side section 73, a right side section 74, and a bottom section 75, and its upper part is largely open.

[0074] The left side portion 71 is a relatively thin plate in the front-to-back direction, and a left engagement recess 81 is formed near the center in the front-to-back direction, near the upper end on the right or inner side (i.e., the mounting space 70 side). The left engagement recess 81, as the engaged portion, has a groove formed therein that is bent into a shape similar to the capital letter "U" when viewed from the right side.

[0075] The rear portion 72 is a relatively thin plate-like shape in the left-right direction, and a rear positioning portion 82 and a latch release portion 83 are provided on the front or inner side (i.e., the side facing the mounting space 70). The rear positioning portion 82, which acts as a unidirectional width restricting portion, is positioned on the inside of the rear portion 72 so as to divide the space between the left end and the right end in approximately a 3:1 ratio, and is a portion that is slightly raised inward (i.e., forward) compared to its surroundings. The front surface of the rear positioning portion 82 is a flat plane.

[0076] The latch release section 83, which acts as a restriction release section, is located on the inside of the rear section 72, slightly to the left of the right end, and positioned to the right of the rear positioning section 82. The upper end of this latch release section 83 is located below the upper end of the rear positioning section 82. Furthermore, the upper surface of the latch release section 83 is an inclined surface that slopes downward as it moves inward (towards the front), and its front end is located well in front of the front surface of the rear positioning section 82.

[0077] The front portion 73 is formed integrally with the adjacent waste toner storage portion 53, and a stepped portion 73D is formed near the center in the vertical direction on the front side (i.e., the side facing the mounting space 70). In the front portion 73, the portion above the stepped portion 73D is located further forward than the portion below it. That is, the length in the front-to-back direction (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction) of the mounting space 70 is wider at the top than at the bottom. In addition, a stepped recess 73E that is recessed downwards is formed at a location slightly away from the right end of the stepped portion 73D.

[0078] Furthermore, the front portion 73 has a front positioning portion 85 and left / right positioning recesses 86 formed therein. The front positioning portion 85, which serves as a width restricting portion on the other side, is provided within the stepped recess 73E and is a portion that is slightly raised inward (i.e., towards the rear) compared to its surroundings. The position of this front positioning portion 85 in the left / right direction is the same as that of the rear positioning portion 82 of the rear portion 72. The upper end of the front positioning portion 85 is located above the upper end of the rear positioning portion 82. The rear surface of the front positioning portion 85 is flat and plate-like. The left / right positioning recesses 86 are formed to the right of the stepped recess 73E in the stepped portion 73D and to the left of the latch release portion 83, and are recessed downward from the stepped portion 73D.

[0079] The right side portion 74 is a relatively thin plate in the front-to-back direction, and a right engaging projection 87 is formed on the lower side of the left or inner side (i.e., the mounting space 70 side) near the center in the front-to-back direction. This right engaging projection 87 is long in the vertical direction and is formed as a thin plate in the front-to-back direction.

[0080] The bottom portion 75 has a curved surface such that when its upper surface is viewed from the left and right, it forms a curved arc that protrudes downward. As shown in Figures 9(A) and (B), this curved surface is part of a cylinder centered on the central axis XC when the toner cartridge 13 (shown by a dashed line in the figure) is installed.

[0081] The bottom portion 75 has a supply port 54 formed approximately in the center in the left-right direction and slightly behind the center in the front-back direction (Figure 9(A)). When viewed from above (Figure 8), this supply port 54 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction and short in the front-back direction.

[0082] Furthermore, a sealing member 76 is provided at the bottom 75, surrounding the supply port 54. This sealing member 76 is made of a sponge-like material and elastically deforms in response to external forces. In addition, the upper surface of the sealing member 76, in a natural state without any external force applied, reaches a position on the central axis XC side (i.e., generally above) the position reached by the outermost part of the toner cartridge housing 30 when the toner cartridge 13 is installed in the mounting space 70.

[0083] Here, as shown in Figure 9(A), the hypothetical point that is the center in the front-rear direction of the sealing member 76 is defined as the seal center point Q76. Also, similar to the cases in Figures 5(A) and 6(A), the hypothetical straight line along the vertical direction is defined as the vertical line XN, and the straight line connecting the central axis XC when the toner cartridge 13 is installed and the seal center point Q76 is defined as the seal center line X76. Then, when the toner cartridge 13 is installed in the ID unit 14 (details will be described later), the seal center line X76 almost coincides with the discharge line X32 (Figure 5). That is, the angle between the vertical line XN and the seal center line X76 is the same as the first angle θ1 which is the same as the angle between the vertical line XN and the discharge line X32. Furthermore, the direction from the central axis XC towards the seal center point Q76 along the seal center line X76 is the first direction DR1, similar to the direction from the central axis XC towards the discharge center point Q32 in Figure 5(A).

[0084] This first angle θ1 is greater than 0 degrees and less than the second angle θ2 (Figure 6(A)) in the toner cartridge 13, i.e., it is 90 degrees or less. Expressed as an inequality, this relationship is (0°<θ1<θ2≦90°). Looking at this from another perspective, the first direction DR1 along the seal center line X76 is in a different direction from the second direction DR2 along the latch line X35.

[0085] When the toner cartridge 13 is installed in the mounting space 70, the sealing member 76 brings its upper surface into contact with the toner cartridge housing 30, and an external force is applied from the toner cartridge housing 30, generally downwards, causing it to elastically deform. In response, the sealing member 76 applies an elastic force to the toner cartridge 13, generally toward the central axis XC.

[0086] As a result, the sealing member 76 contacts both the toner cartridge housing 30 and the bottom 75, respectively, and closes the gap formed between the toner cartridge housing 30 and the bottom 75. Consequently, the sealing member 76 can prevent the toner discharged from the discharge port 32 of the toner cartridge 13 and supplied to the supply port 54 from leaking out into the surroundings.

[0087] Here, as shown in Figure 9(B), the latch release point Q83 is defined as the point in the latch release section 83 that comes into contact with the latch point Q35 (Figure 6(A)) when the toner cartridge 13 is installed in the mounting space 70. Also, similar to the case in Figure 6(A), etc., a virtual straight line along the vertical direction is defined as the vertical line XN, and the straight line connecting the central axis XC when the toner cartridge 13 is installed and the latch release point Q83 is defined as the latch release line X83. In this case, the latch release line X83 almost coincides with the latch line X35 and becomes a straight line along the second direction DR2. Furthermore, the angle between the vertical line XN and the latch release line X83 is equivalent to the second angle θ2 (Figure 6(A)) in the toner cartridge 13.

[0088] [5. Installing the toner cartridge into the ID unit] Next, the process of installing the toner cartridge 13 into the ID unit 14 will be described. When the toner cartridge 13 is installed into the ID unit 14, it is first moved slightly above the installation space 70 of the ID unit 14, and then tilted so that the left side is lower than the right side.

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(A), the left end portion of the toner cartridge 13 is inserted into the mounting space 70 of the ID unit 14. At this time, the rear portion 72 and front portion 73 of the ID unit 14 restrict the range of movement of the lower part 30L of the housing of the toner cartridge 13 in the front-rear direction, and the front-rear position of the toner cartridge 13 relative to the ID unit 14 is roughly aligned to the appropriate mounting position.

[0090] Next, the left end of the toner cartridge 13 is pressed against the left side portion 71 within the mounting space 70 of the ID unit 14, causing the left engaging projection 37 (Figure 3(A), etc.) to engage with the left engaging recess 81 (Figure 7(A), etc.). As a result, the position of the toner cartridge 13 in the left-right and up-down directions is restricted at its left end, and its rotation around the central axis XC is also significantly restricted.

[0091] Next, while maintaining the engagement between the left engaging projection 37 and the left engaging recess 81, the toner cartridge 13 is displaced approximately downwards on its right side, moving closer to the ID unit 14 and gradually entering the mounting space 70 from the left side, thereby bringing its central axis XC closer to the horizontal. In other words, the toner cartridge 13 rotates around a virtual axis along the front-rear direction, with its left end as the pivot point, and gradually enters the mounting space 70. At this time, the downward direction in which the right side of the toner cartridge 13 moves is also called the approach direction.

[0092] At this time, the toner cartridge 13 first has the sealing member 76 of the ID unit 14 come into contact with the area near the discharge port 32 in the lower part 30L of the housing, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view in Figure 11(A), and then the sealing member 76 is gradually elastically deformed.

[0093] Here, the sealing member 76 is provided such that the sealing center line X76, which passes through the virtual sealing center point Q76, makes a relatively small first angle θ1 with respect to the vertical line XN. Therefore, the elastic force that the toner cartridge 13 receives from the sealing member 76 is generally directed upward and diagonally forward along the sealing center line X76.

[0094] Next, the toner cartridge 13 is positioned and positioned by the ID unit 14 on both its front and rear sides, as shown in Figure 12(A), which is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the D1-D2 cross-section in Figure 8. Specifically, on the front side, the toner cartridge 13 brings its front positioning portion 39 very close to, or in contact with, the front positioning portion 85 provided on the front side portion 73 of the ID unit 14. At the same time, on the rear side, the toner cartridge 13 brings its rear positioning projection 38 very close to, or in contact with, the rear positioning portion 82 provided on the rear side portion 72 of the ID unit 14.

[0095] At this time, the toner cartridge 13 brings its front positioning part 39 close to or into contact with the front positioning part 85, which is located at a relatively higher position, and then brings its rear positioning projection 38, which is located at a relatively lower position, close to or into contact with the rear positioning part 82. As a result, the position of the toner cartridge 13 in the front-to-back direction is greatly restricted on the right side.

[0096] Next, the toner cartridge 13 inserts its left and right positioning protrusions 40 into the left and right positioning recesses 86 provided on the front part 73 of the ID unit 14, as shown in Figure 12(B), which is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the E1-E2 cross-section in Figure 8. This ensures that the left and right position of the toner cartridge 13 relative to the ID unit 14 is adjusted to the appropriate mounting position.

[0097] Finally, the toner cartridge 13 is pushed toward the central axis XC side when the latch 35 is pressed against the latch release section 83 of the ID unit 14. As a result, the latch 35 moves to the release position, and consequently transitions from the latch engaged state (Figure 6(A)) to the latch released state, which is schematically shown in the cross-sectional view in Figure 13(A).

[0098] At this time, an elastic force acts on the toner cartridge 13 from the sealing member 76 along the sealing center line X76, that is, in an upward diagonal forward direction forming a first angle θ1 with respect to the vertical line XN. However, the latch release line X83, which extends from the central axis XC to the latch release point Q83, forms a second angle θ2 with respect to the vertical line XN. This second angle θ2 is larger than the first angle θ1.

[0099] In other words, only a portion of the elastic force that the toner cartridge 13 receives from the sealing member 76 acts in the direction along the latch release line X83. Specifically, as schematically shown in Figure 14, if FR1 is the magnitude of the elastic force from the sealing member 76 toward the first direction DR1 along the sealing center line X76, then the magnitude of FR2, which is the component acting toward the second direction DR2 along the latch release line X83, is given by the following equation (1).

[0100] FR2=FR1·cos(θ2-θ1) ……(1)

[0101] Therefore, in the toner cartridge 13, when the user pushes its right-hand portion into the mounting space 70 of the ID unit 14, the latch 35 can be transitioned to the unlocked state by requiring the user to apply a force that is sufficiently small compared to the elastic force received from the sealing member 76.

[0102] Subsequently, when an external force is applied to the operating lever 34 in the direction of arrow S2, the toner cartridge 13 rotates the operating lever 34 and the shutter 33 in the direction of arrow S2, as shown in Figure 13(B). As a result, the shutter 33 is displaced so that the through hole 33H of the shutter 33 aligns with the discharge port 32, as shown in Figure 11(B), which corresponds to Figures 5(B) and 9(A). This connects the storage space 31 of the toner cartridge 13 to the toner storage space 55 of the ID unit 14, allowing toner to be supplied from the storage space 31.

[0103] Incidentally, as the toner cartridge 13 is being pushed into the mounting space 70 with the operating lever 34, the right engaging projection 87 (Figure 7, etc.) provided on the right side 74 of the ID unit 14 passes through the notch 34C and enters the lever recess 34D. Subsequently, when the operating lever 34 is rotated in the direction of arrow S2, the outer circumference of the lever recess 34D enters below the right engaging projection 87, preventing the toner cartridge 13 from detaching from the ID unit 14 and maintaining its mounted state.

[0104] [6. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the toner cartridge 13 and ID unit 14 that constitute the attachment / detachment unit 18, which is part of the image forming unit 12, are designed such that the second angle θ2 (Figure 6(A)) is sufficiently large relative to the first angle θ1 (Figure 9(A)).

[0105] Specifically, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the toner cartridge 13's discharge port 32 and the ID unit 14's supply port 54 and sealing member 76 are positioned to match the first angle θ1. In addition, the attachment / detachment unit 18 is positioned to match the second angle θ2, with the toner cartridge 13's latch 35 and the ID unit 14's latch release part 83 positioned to match the second angle θ2.

[0106] Here, we hypothetically assume that the position of the latch 35 in the attachment / detachment unit 18 is different, and that the second angle θ2 (Figure 6(A), etc.) is equivalent to the first angle θ1 (Figure 9(A), etc.). In this case, in order for the latch release part 83 of the ID unit 14 to release the latch 35 of the toner cartridge 13 (to transition from the latch engaged state to the latch released state), it is necessary to apply a force to the toner cartridge 13 in the direction along the latch release line X83 that is equal in magnitude to the elastic force (FR1).

[0107] In contrast, in the attachment / detachment unit 18 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the second angle θ2 (Figure 6(A)) is a sufficiently larger angle than the first angle θ1 (Figure 9(A)). Therefore, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the latch 35 can be released by applying a force (FR2 = FR1·cos(θ2-θ1)) that is sufficiently smaller than the elastic force (FR1) from the sealing member 76 to the toner cartridge 13 in the direction along the latch release line X83 (Figure 14).

[0108] In other words, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the operating lever 34 can be rotated smoothly by applying a force smaller than the elastic force from the sealing member 76 when rotating the operating lever 34. Furthermore, since the attachment / detachment unit 18 maintains the elastic force of the sealing member 76 while enabling the smooth rotation of the operating lever 34, toner is not likely to leak between the toner cartridge 13 and the ID unit 14.

[0109] Furthermore, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the front positioning portion 39 of the toner cartridge 13 is positioned higher than the rear positioning projection 38, and the front positioning portion 85 of the ID unit 14 is positioned higher than the rear positioning portion 82 (Figure 12(A)). As a result, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the front positioning portion 39 is brought into contact with the front positioning portion 85 at the front, thereby first restricting the forward position of the toner cartridge 13 relative to the ID unit 14. Thus, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the front-to-back position of the toner cartridge 13 is roughly aligned with the ID unit 14 at the front first, and then the rear positioning projection 38 is brought into contact with the rear positioning portion 82 at the rear, followed by the latch release portion 83 being brought into contact with the latch 35 without any misalignment (Figure 13).

[0110] Furthermore, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the latch 35 is positioned to the right of the left-right positioning projection 40 on the toner cartridge 13 (Figure 4(B)). Therefore, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, first the left-side engaging projection 37 engages with the left-side engaging recess 81 (Figure 10(A)), and then as the right side is gradually inserted into the mounting space 70, the left-right positioning projection 40 enters the left-right positioning recess 86, and then the latch release part 83 contacts the latch 35. As a result, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the left-right position of the toner cartridge 13 is aligned with the ID unit 14, and the latch release part 83 can contact the latch 35 with high positional accuracy.

[0111] With the above configuration, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the toner cartridge 13 and ID unit 14 constituting the attachment / detachment unit 18 are designed such that the second angle θ2 with respect to the latch release part 83 is sufficiently large with respect to the first angle θ1 with respect to the sealing member 76. As a result, in the attachment / detachment unit 18, the latch 35 can be released by applying a force to the toner cartridge 13 in a direction along the latch release line X83 that is sufficiently smaller than the elastic force from the sealing member 76, thereby allowing the operating lever 34 to rotate smoothly.

[0112] [7. Other Embodiments] In the embodiments described above, the first angle θ1 is defined as the angle made with the first direction DR1 and the second angle θ2 as the angle made with the second direction DR2, with respect to the vertical line XN that is aligned vertically, i.e., the downward direction which is the mounting direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, various other directions such as the horizontal direction may be used as a reference, with the first angle θ1 being the angle made with the first direction DR1 and the second angle θ2 being the angle made with the second direction DR2.

[0113] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the latch 35 (Figures 3(C) and 6(A)) is configured as a single component made of resin material together with the latch biasing body 36 and the lever connector 34B. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the latch 35 may be a separate component, and a spring instead of the latch biasing body 36 may be used to bias the latch 35 in a direction that pulls it away from the lever connector 34B.

[0114] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the shutter 33 (Figure 5) is configured in a cylindrical shape with a through hole 33H provided in a part thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the shutter 33 may be larger than the discharge port 32 and be a curved plate-shaped member. In short, the discharge port 32 can be opened or closed by rotating the shutter 33 about the central axis XC as the operating lever 34 is rotated, that is, by displacing the shutter 33 in an arc shape along the inner surface of the lower part 30L of the toner cartridge housing 30.

[0115] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a configuration was described in which the front positioning portion 39 is positioned higher than the rear positioning projection 38 in the toner cartridge 13 (Figures 3 and 4) in the vertical direction (Figure 12(A)). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the front positioning portion 39 may be positioned at the same height as the rear positioning projection 38, or it may be positioned lower than the rear positioning projection 38.

[0116] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the toner cartridge 13 (Figures 3 and 4) is described in which the position of the front positioning section 39 in the left-right direction is included within the left-right range of the rear positioning projection 38. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the position of the front positioning section 39 in the left-right direction may be positioned outside the left-right range of the rear positioning projection 38. In this case, in the ID unit 14, the positions of the rear positioning section 82 and the front positioning section 85 can be adjusted to match the positions of the rear positioning projection 38 and the front positioning section 39, respectively.

[0117] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the left and right positioning protrusions 40 are positioned on the front side of the toner cartridge 13 (Figures 3 and 4). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the left and right positioning protrusions 40 may be positioned in other locations, such as the rear side of the toner cartridge 13.

[0118] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the left engaging projection 37 (Figure 3(A), etc.) provided on the left side of the toner cartridge housing 30 is shaped like the letter "U" when viewed from the left, and a left engaging recess 81 having a corresponding groove is provided on the left side of the ID unit 14 (Figure 7). However, the present invention is not limited to these, and the left engaging projection 37 may be shaped in various other ways, and the left engaging recess 81 may be shaped in various ways to engage with it.

[0119] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the toner cartridge 13 is provided with an outlet 32 ​​located near the center in the left-right direction of the lower part 30L of the housing, and slightly towards the rear from the center in the front-rear direction (Figure 4(B)). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the outlet 32 ​​may be provided in various locations, such as a position away from the center in the left-right direction, or a position slightly towards the front from the center in the front-rear direction. In this case, the ID unit 14 can be provided with a supply port 54 at a location corresponding to the outlet 32, and a sealing member 76 can be arranged around it.

[0120] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a configuration in which a sealing member 76 is provided around the supply port 54 in the ID unit 14 was described (Figure 7(A)). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a sealing member 76 may be provided around the discharge port 32 in the toner cartridge 13.

[0121] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, we described a configuration in which the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with only one image forming unit 12, thereby configuring it as a monochrome printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be configured as a color printer by providing two or more image forming units 12.

[0122] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured in a so-called direct transfer manner, in which the toner image is directly transferred from the photoreceptor drum 17 to the paper P. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an intermediate transfer manner may be used, in which the toner image formed by the image forming unit 12 is first transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, and the intermediate transfer belt is run to transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt to the paper P in a secondary transfer unit.

[0123] Furthermore, the embodiments described above describe a configuration in which the image forming apparatus 1 is configured as a single-function printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured as, for example, an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) having the functions of a copier or a facsimile machine.

[0124] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or embodiments that extract some of them. The scope of application of the present invention also extends when a part of the configuration described in any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or adapted with a part of the configuration of any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or when the extracted part of the configuration is added to any embodiment.

[0125] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which a detachable unit 18 is made up of an ID unit 14 as the main body of the device and a toner cartridge 13 as a developer cartridge was described. Of these, the developer cartridge was described as having a toner cartridge housing 30 as a frame, an outlet 32 ​​as an outlet, a shutter 33 as an opening / closing member, a latch 35 as a restricting part, and a left engaging projection 37 as an engaging part. The main body of the device was described as having a supply port 54 as a supply port, a sealing member 76 as a sealing member, a left engaging recess 81 as an engaged part, and a latch release part 83 as a restriction release part. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and the detachable unit may be made up of a main body and a developer cartridge with various other configurations. Of these, the developer cartridge may be made up of a frame with various other configurations, an outlet, an opening / closing member, a restricting part, and an engaging part. The main body of the device may be made up of a supply port, a sealing member, an engaged part, and a restriction release part with various other configurations. [Industrial applicability]

[0126] This invention can be used, for example, in an electrophotographic printer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1...Image forming apparatus, 12...Image forming section, 13...Toner cartridge, 14...ID unit, 18...Attachment / detachment unit, 30...Toner cartridge housing, 30L...Lower part of housing, 31...Storage space, 32...Discharge port, 33...Shutter, 34...Operating lever, 35...Latch, 37...Left engaging projection, 38...Rear positioning projection, 39...Front positioning section, 40...Left and right positioning projections, 50...ID unit housing, 51...Toner cartridge mounting section, 54...Supply port, 55...Toner storage space, 70... Mounting space, 71...left side, 72...rear side, 73...front side, 73D...stepped section, 74...right side, 75...bottom, 76...sealing member, 81...left engaging recess, 82...rear positioning section, 83...latch release section, 85...front positioning section, 86...left and right positioning recesses, 87...right engaging projection, DR1...first direction, DR2...second direction, X32...discharge line, X35...latch line, X76...seal center line, X83...latch release line, XC...center axis, XN...up and down line, θ1...first angle, θ2...second angle.

Claims

1. A detachable unit comprising a main body of the device and a developer cartridge that is detachably attached to the main body of the device, The aforementioned developer cartridge is A frame having a cylindrical part formed in a cylindrical shape with a virtual central axis, and capable of storing developer inside, The cylindrical portion of the frame is provided with an outlet for discharging the developer to the main body of the apparatus, An opening / closing member is provided on the frame so as to be rotatable about the central axis, and transitions between a closed state that closes the discharge port and an open state that opens the discharge port by rotational movement, The frame body is provided with a restricting unit that moves to a restricting position that restricts the opening / closing member to the closed state, and to an unrestricted position that allows the opening / closing member to transition from the closed state, An engaging portion is provided on one end in the axial direction along the central axis, and engages with the device body when mounted on the device body. It has, The main body of the aforementioned device is When the developer cartridge is installed, the supply port receives the developer from the discharge port, A sealing member having elastic deformation properties, provided on the outer circumference of the supply port, and in contact with the outer circumference of the discharge port when the developer cartridge is installed, When the developer cartridge is installed, an engaged portion is provided on one end in the direction along the central axis, and engages with the engaging portion of the developer cartridge, A release unit is provided at a position that contacts the restricting unit when the developer cartridge is installed, and the release unit moves the restricting unit to the release position upon contact. It has, The first direction from the position of the central axis toward the center of the area where the sealing member is provided, when the developer cartridge is installed in the main body of the apparatus, is different from the second direction from the position of the central axis toward the restriction release portion. A detachable unit characterized by the following features.

2. The second direction is inclined with respect to the proximity direction, which is the direction in which the developer cartridge approaches when it is mounted on the main body of the device. The detachable unit according to feature 1.

3. The first angle, which is the angle of the first direction with respect to the proximity direction, is smaller than the second angle, which is the angle of the second direction with respect to the proximity direction. Both the first angle and the second angle are 90 degrees or less. The detachable unit according to feature 2.

4. The developer cartridge further includes an operating part that rotates about the central axis and transitions the opening / closing member to the closed state or the open state, In the main body of the device when the developer cartridge is installed, with respect to the circumferential direction in which the operating part rotates when the opening / closing member is transitioned from the closed state to the open state, The restriction release unit is provided downstream of the operation unit. The supply port is provided downstream of the restriction release section. With respect to the central axis, the angle between the direction toward the regulating part and the direction toward the operating part is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. The detachable unit according to feature 1.

5. The main body of the aforementioned device is When the width direction is defined as the proximity direction in which the developer cartridge is located when it is installed, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction in which the developer cartridge is installed, On one side in the width direction, a one-way width restricting portion restricts the range of movement of the developer cartridge in that width direction, On the other side in the width direction, there is a width restricting portion on the other side that restricts the range of movement of the developer cartridge in that width direction. It has, The restriction release section is provided on one side in the width direction of the device body within the range in which the developer cartridge is installed, The aforementioned width restriction portion in the other direction is located on the opposite side of the proximity direction from the aforementioned width restriction portion in the one direction. The detachable unit according to feature 1.

6. The apparatus body further includes an axial positioning unit which is provided on the engagementd portion side of the restricting portion in the axial direction and which positions the developer cartridge in the axial direction. The detachable unit according to feature 1.

7. A developer cartridge that is detachable from the main body of the device, A frame having a cylindrical part formed in a cylindrical shape with a virtual central axis, and capable of storing developer inside, The cylindrical portion of the frame is provided with an outlet for discharging the developer to the main body of the apparatus, An opening / closing member is provided on the frame so as to be rotatable about the central axis, and transitions between a closed state that closes the discharge port and an open state that opens the discharge port by rotational movement, The frame body is provided with a restricting unit that moves to a restricting position that restricts the opening / closing member to the closed state, and to an unrestricted position that allows the opening / closing member to transition from the closed state, An engaging portion is provided on one end in the axial direction along the central axis, and engages with the device body when mounted on the device body. It has, When the engaging portion is mounted on the device body, it engages with the engaged portion provided on one end of the device body in the direction along the central axis, When the restricting unit is mounted on the device body, it is moved to the release position by contact with the release unit provided on the device body. When the discharge port is mounted on the main body of the device, a sealing member having elastic deformation properties is positioned on the outer circumference of the supply port provided on the main body of the device and contacts the outer circumference of the discharge port, and the developer is supplied to the supply port of the main body of the device, and the first direction from the position of the central axis toward the center of the discharge port is different from the second direction from the position of the central axis toward the regulating portion. A developer cartridge characterized by the following features.

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