Developer cartridge and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: developer spilling out from a discharge port of a developer container or an opening and closing member of the discharge port may make the inside and outside of an image forming apparatus dirty.SOLUTION: A developer cartridge 22 to which the present invention is applied has: a developer container R that includes a developer storage part Rm1 for storing developer; a discharge port h1 that is formed in the developer container R and discharges the developer stored in the developer storage part Rm1; an opening and closing member 41 that is movable between a closing position for closing the discharge port h1 and an opening position for opening the discharge port h1; and a developer receiving member 50 that is connected with the developer container R, is located below the discharge port h1 and the opening and closing member 41, and is at a position overlapping the entirety of the discharge port in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a developer cartridge and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in image forming devices such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction devices, for example, electrophotographic printers, an image forming unit, an LED head, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, etc. are arranged in the main body of the printer, i.e., the device main body, and a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a developing roller, a supply roller, a toner cartridge as a developer container, etc. are arranged in the image forming unit.

[0003] Incidentally, there is known a toner cartridge that blocks the discharge of developer by providing an opening / closing member (shutter) at the discharge port so as to seal the space between the toner cartridge and the developer discharge port (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-146509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the toner cartridge is operated, developer spilled from the discharge port or the opening and closing member of the discharge port may soil the inside and outside of the image forming apparatus.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and its purpose is to improve contamination caused by developer spilled from the discharge outlet of a developer container or the opening and closing member of the discharge outlet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] With this objective in mind, the developer cartridge to which the present invention is applied comprises a developer container equipped with a developer storage section that stores developer, a discharge port formed in the developer container for discharging the developer stored in the developer storage section, an opening / closing member that is movable between a closed position that blocks the discharge port and an open position that opens the discharge port, and a developer receiving member that is connected to the developer container and positioned below the discharge port and the opening / closing member, and that is positioned so as to overlap the entire discharge port in the vertical direction. The developer receiving member moves to a first position retracted from below the discharge port when the developer receiving member is attached to a receiving device that receives the supply of the developer discharged from the discharge port, and moves to a second position protruding below the discharge port when the developer receiving member is detached from the receiving device. In addition, when the surface of the developer receiving member facing the discharge outlet is defined as a first surface, a second surface is provided on the opposite side to the first surface, and the distance between the developer receiving member and the discharge outlet is narrowed when the developer container is grasped and the developer receiving member is left standing with the second surface facing down, compared to when the developer container is gripped and the developer receiving member is placed in the air with the second surface facing down. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the developer cartridge is operated, developer spilled from the discharge port or the opening and closing member of the discharge port is received by the developer receiving member, so that it is possible to improve the contamination of the inside and outside of the image forming apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit main body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the shutter unit when it is in an open position in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the toner cartridge and the image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention when they are not fixed and when they are fixed. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of a toner cartridge and a tray according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are an exploded perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a process of inserting and removing the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. [Figure 12] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the toner container is gripped and suspended in the air according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the shutter unit is in a closed state according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the toner container according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In this case, a toner cartridge 22 as a developer cartridge and a printer 10 as an image forming apparatus will be described. In the drawings, the horizontal direction is the X-axis, and as shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which a paper P as a medium is transported from the downstream side of an image forming section Q described below toward a fixing device 14 as a fixing device is the positive direction, and the positive direction of the X-axis is the front. The vertically upward direction is the positive direction of the Z-axis, and the right side in the width direction (main scanning direction) as viewed from the front of the paper surface perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Z-axis is the positive direction of the Y-axis.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The printer 10 is composed of a housing Cs of the printer 10 and a device body Bd of the printer 10. The device body Bd of the printer 10 is a main body part that forms an image and is composed of an image forming unit 11, an LED head 12 as an exposure device, a transfer roller 13 as a transfer device, a fixing device 14, etc. A paper feed cassette 15 as a medium storage unit is disposed below the device body Bd, that is, on the negative side of the Z axis. Paper sheets P are stacked and stored in the paper feed cassette 15. A paper feed mechanism including a paper feed roller 16 is disposed adjacent to the negative side of the X axis of the paper feed cassette 15, and after the paper sheets P are separated one by one by the paper feed roller 16, the paper sheets P are fed to a paper transport path as a medium transport path. The paper sheets P fed in the Rt1 direction by the paper feed mechanism are supplied to an image forming section Q. Here, the image forming section Q is composed of the image forming unit 11, the LED head 12, and the transfer roller 13, and an image is formed by the image forming section Q.

[0013] The LED head 12 is disposed above the photoconductor drum 31 serving as an image carrier provided in the image forming unit 11, i.e., on the positive side of the Z axis so as to face the photoconductor drum 31. The image forming unit 11 extends with the width direction (Y axis direction) as its longitudinal direction, and is disposed so as to be detachable from the device main body Bd. The LED head 12 exposes the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 based on print data to form an electrostatic latent image as a latent image.

[0014] Here, the photoconductor drum 31 is an organic photoconductor formed by sequentially laminating a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer as a photoconductive layer on a conductive support made of an aluminum metal pipe.

[0015] The transfer roller 13 is disposed below the photoconductor drum 31, that is, on the negative side of the Z axis so as to face the photoconductor drum 31. The toner image, which serves as a developer image and is formed on the photoconductor drum 31 in the image forming unit 11, is transferred by the transfer roller 13 onto the paper P supplied to a transfer section between the photoconductor drum 31 and the transfer roller 13.

[0016] The paper P is then transported along the paper transport path in the Rt2 direction to the fixing device 14, where the toner image on the paper P is heated by the heating roller 19 and pressed by the pressure roller 20 to be fixed to the paper P, forming an image on the paper P.

[0017] The paper P discharged from the fixing unit 14 is transported in the Rt3 direction by transport rollers 17 as a transport member, and then discharged to the outside of the apparatus body Bd by paper discharge rollers 18.

[0018] 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Image forming unit 11 includes toner cartridge 22 detachably mounted in image forming unit body 21, and image forming unit body 21 as a device receiving toner cartridge 22, i.e., image forming unit 11 main body, which receives unused toner (hereinafter simply referred to as "toner") as a developer from toner cartridge 22 and forms an image.

[0019] Next, the internal configuration of the toner cartridge 22 and the image forming unit main body 21 will be described.

[0020] The toner cartridge 22 has a toner storage section Rm1 as a developer storage section that stores toner therein, a waste toner storage section Rm2 as a waste developer storage section that stores waste toner as waste developer, and an outer frame Fr2 equipped with a shutter unit 41 as an opening / closing member. A toner discharge port h1 as a discharge port is formed at the bottom of the toner storage section Rm1, in this embodiment, at the bottom Twb of the outer frame Fr2, and the shutter unit 41 plays a role as an opening / closing member that opens and closes the toner discharge port h1 by operating a lever Lv (FIG. 5). In addition, a recovery spiral 39 for recovering waste toner sent from a cleaning member 36 that removes toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 31 after the transfer of a toner image as waste toner is rotatably disposed in the waste toner storage chamber Rm2. Here, agitating members Mx1 and Mx2 are rotatably provided inside the toner storage section Rm1 and the shutter unit 41, respectively.

[0021] The image forming unit main body 21 has a base frame Fr1 that is formed to extend in the width direction and has a process element housing section CP therein as a main body section that houses each element for performing an image forming process. The base frame Fr1 has a toner supply port h3 as a supply port that receives the supply of toner discharged from the toner discharge port h1 of the toner cartridge 22, and a toner storage section Rm3 as a developer storage section that stores the toner supplied from the toner supply port h3.

[0022] Here, the elements contained within the process element housing section CP include the photosensitive drum 31, the charging roller 32 as a charging member that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 31, the developing roller 33 as a developer carrier that holds the toner, the supply roller 34 as a supply member that supplies the toner to the developing roller 33, the developing blade 35 as a developer layer regulating member that uniformly turns the toner supplied onto the developing roller 33 into a thin layer, the cleaning blade 37 constituting the cleaning member 36, and the spiral 38 as a transport member for transporting the waste toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 37. Also disposed within the toner storage section Rm3 are agitating members Mx3-1 and Mx3-2 that agitate the toner.

[0023] In addition, the photosensitive drum 31, charging roller 32, developing roller 33, supply roller 34, etc. are connected to a drive motor (drum motor) (not shown) that serves as a drive unit for image formation, and are rotated by driving the drive motor.

[0024] FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the image forming unit main body in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The image forming unit main body 21 includes side plates SL and SR formed at one end and the other end in the width direction of the base frame Fr1, and an insertion / removal guide Gm1 is formed inside the side plates SL and SR as a guide portion. When the toner cartridge 22 (FIG. 2) is moved in a direction in which it is attached to or detached from the image forming unit main body 21, the insertion / removal guide Gm1 engages with an insertion / removal guide 221 (FIG. 7) as a guided member to guide the toner cartridge 22. For this reason, the insertion / removal guide Gm1 is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the negative side of the Z axis as it approaches the installation end position from the installation start position of the toner cartridge 22 at the rear end of the side plates SL and SR to the installation end position of the toner cartridge 22 formed at a predetermined position in front of the side plates SL and SR.

[0026] 4 is an external perspective view of the image forming unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. That is, it is a view showing the toner cartridge 22 mounted in the image forming unit main body 21. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 22 is inserted, removed, and otherwise operated by a user by gripping the recesses X1 and X2. The recesses X1 and X2 serve as gripping parts that are gripped when operating the toner cartridge 22.

[0027] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the shutter unit in the open position in the embodiment of the present invention. The shutter unit 41 is composed of a shutter member 411 and a lever member 412, and the shutter member 411 moves by operating a lever Lv included in the lever member 412. In this embodiment, the shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are arranged to be rotatable around the Y axis and extend in the width direction. When the shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are in the position shown in FIG. 6, the shutter opening h2 overlaps with the toner discharge port h1 (FIG. 2). The shutter member 411 and the lever member 412 are engaged with pinion gears 414 and 415 provided thereon, respectively, and the shutter member 411 can be rotated by operating the lever Lv. For example, when the lever Lv is pushed in the R1 direction, that is, when the lever member 412 is operated to rotate clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 5, the rotation is transmitted to the shutter member 411 via the pinion gears 414 and 415, and the shutter member 411 is rotated counterclockwise. This causes the shutter closing portion 411-1 of the shutter member 411 to rotate to a closed position covering the toner discharge outlet h1 (Figure 2), closing the toner discharge outlet h1 (Figure 2), and stopping the supply of toner from the toner storage section Rm1 (Figure 2) to the toner storage section Rm3.

[0028] On the other hand, when the lever Lv is pushed in the R2 direction from a state in which the shutter unit 41 is in the closed position, that is, when the lever member 412 is operated to rotate counterclockwise, the shutter member 411 is rotated to the open position.

[0029] Using the above configuration, the movement of toner within image forming unit 11 and the operation of image formation will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] The toner contained in the toner container Rm1 is discharged from the toner discharge port h1 through a shutter opening h2 (FIG. 5) formed in the shutter unit 41, and is replenished to the toner storage unit Rm3 through a toner refill port h3. When the lever member 412 (FIG. 5) is operated, the shutter opening h2 (FIG. 5) of the shutter member 411 (FIG. 5) is rotated to an open position where it overlaps with the toner discharge port h1, and the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port h1.

[0031] In the image forming unit 11, the developing roller 33 and the supply roller 34 are rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 2 by a drive motor. The toner that has been frictionally charged by the supply roller 34 is supplied to the developing roller 33, and as the developing roller 33 rotates, it is sent to the contact portion between the developing roller 33 and the developing blade 35, and is formed into a thin layer by the developing blade 35.

[0032] The photoconductor drum 31 is rotated clockwise by the drive motor, and the charging roller 32 is rotated counterclockwise together with the photoconductor drum 31, so that the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 32. The photoconductor drum 31 is then exposed to light by the LED head 12 (FIG. 1) to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface, and toner on the developing roller 33 is electrostatically attached to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image. The toner image on the photoconductor drum 31 is then transferred to paper P by the transfer roller 13 (FIG. 1).

[0033] The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 after the toner image is transferred is scraped off by the cleaning blade 37 as the photosensitive drum 31 rotates, falls to the bottom inside the cleaning member 36, and is collected as waste toner in the waste toner storage chamber Rm2 by the rotation of the spiral 38.

[0034] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge and the image forming unit in the embodiment of the present invention when they are not fixed and when they are fixed. Fig. 6-a is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge and the image forming unit when they are not fixed, that is, when the shutter member 411 is rotated to the closed position from the state in Fig. 5 as described above. Fig. 6-b is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge and the image forming unit when they are fixed, that is, when the shutter member 411 is in the open position.

[0035] Fig. 6-b shows that the lever Lv (Fig. 5) is operated from the non-fixed state shown in Fig. 6-a to rotate the lever Lv to the open position with the engagement fixing groove 413 engaged with the post 211 provided on each of the side plates SR and SL (Fig. 4). In Fig. 6-b, the insertion / removal direction dir and the extending direction of the engagement fixing groove 413 intersect, so that the relative positions of the toner cartridge 22 and the image forming unit main body 21 can be fixed in a state in which toner can be supplied from the toner cartridge 22 to the image forming unit main body 21.

[0036] On the other hand, when the lever Lv (FIG. 5) is operated from the fixed state shown in FIG. 6-b and rotated to the closed position with the post 211 engaged with the engaging and fixing groove 413, the state becomes as shown in FIG. 6-a. As a result, the insertion / removal direction dir and the extending direction of the engaging and fixing groove become approximately parallel, so that the toner cartridge 22 can be detached from the image forming unit main body 21 in a state in which toner cannot be supplied from the toner cartridge 22 to the image forming unit main body 21.

[0037] 7 is an external perspective view of a toner cartridge and a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge 22 includes a toner container R serving as a developer container that serves as a housing having a toner container portion Rm1 (FIG. 2) therein, and a tray 50 serving as a developer receiving member, and is disposed to extend in the width direction, that is, in the Y-axis direction that is the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 31 (FIG. 2). The toner container R is composed of a cylindrical outer frame Fr2 with a bottom, and side covers ScR and ScL that respectively cover one end and the other end of the outer frame Fr2 in the width direction. The lever Lv is disposed at the end of the toner container R on the side cover ScL side so as to be freely swingable relative to the outer frame Fr2.

[0038] The tray 50 and the toner container R are connected by guide engagement portions 53 provided at both ends of the tray 50 in the width direction engaging with guides 59, which are elongated holes provided in the side covers ScL and ScR, so as to be movable within the guides 59. The guide engagement portions 53 are protrusions that protrude in the Y-axis direction from side surfaces 56R and 56L provided at both ends of the tray 50 in the width direction. As described above, the tray 50 is supported relative to the toner container R by the side covers ScL and ScR.

[0039] The movement direction of the tray 50 is determined by the guide direction in which the guide 59 extends, and the tray 50 can protrude and retract below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41. In this embodiment, the guide 59 extends in the X-axis direction in the state of FIG. 1 in which the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the printer 10. Therefore, the tray 50 is provided so as to be movable in the guide direction, i.e., in the X-axis direction, and can protrude in the positive direction of the X-axis and retract in the negative direction of the X-axis. In the following, the direction in which the tray 50 protrudes is referred to as the protruding direction, and the direction in which it retracts is referred to as the retracting direction. In addition, in the following drawings in which the toner cartridge 23 is placed on a desk, the protruding direction and the retracting direction are inclined with respect to the horizontal X-axis.

[0040] In this embodiment, the guide 59 is a through hole, but is not limited thereto and may be a groove that does not penetrate on one side or on the other side.

[0041] The tray 50 has a first surface S1 facing the toner discharge port h1 (FIG. 2), a second surface S2 disposed on the opposite side of the first surface S1, side surfaces 56R and 56L disposed on both ends of the tray 50 in the Y-axis direction, a rib 55 disposed on the protruding direction side, and a convex portion 58 disposed on the retracting direction side. Also, the first surface S1 has an uneven surface S1-1 in an area between the rib 55 and the convex portion 58.

[0042] The ribs 55, the sides 56R, 56L and the protrusions 58 allow the toner received by the tray 50 to remain on the uneven surface S1-1, making it difficult for the received toner to slip out of the tray due to vibration or the like.

[0043] 8 is a plan view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention, and will be used to explain the locations of the cross sections in the cross-sectional views of FIGS.

[0044] Fig. 9 shows an exploded perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9-b is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow Cr1-Cr1 in Fig. 8, and is a cross-sectional view at a position overlapping with a hole 57 on the side cover ScR side, which will be described later. The toner cartridge 22 has, as members for movably connecting the toner container R and the tray 50, a spring 51 as a biasing member at each end in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge 22, a spring receiving member 52 as a biasing member receiving member that determines the biasing direction of the spring 51 and supports the spring 51, and a hole 57 for accommodating the spring 51 and the spring receiving member 52. The spring receiving member 52 is provided on each of the side covers ScR and ScL so as to bias the spring 51 in the protruding direction.

[0045] 9-b, the tray 50 is biased in the protruding direction by the spring 51 and positioned below the toner discharge port h1. Furthermore, the spring 51 contracts and the spring receiving member 52 penetrates the hole 57, causing the tray 50 to retreat from below the toner discharge port h1.

[0046] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of inserting and removing a toner cartridge in an embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the tray 50 during the process of inserting and removing the toner cartridge 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Note that the mounting direction dir1 for mounting the toner cartridge 22 to the image forming unit main body 21 and the removal direction dir2 for removing the toner cartridge 22 are parallel to the insertion and removal direction dir guided by the insertion and removal guide Gm1 described above. In this embodiment, the insertion and removal direction dir determined based on the insertion and removal guide Gm1 is inclined 15° downward from the horizontal with the positive side of the X-axis, but is not limited to this configuration.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 10-a, when the toner cartridge 22 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21, the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41. When the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the image forming unit main body 21 set in the printer 10 (FIG. 1) from the detached state, the insertion guide Gm1 is engaged with the insertion guide 221 (FIG. 7) and guides the attachment in the attachment direction dir1 inclined by 15° with respect to the horizontal direction with the attachment side facing down. In this embodiment, when the rib 55 of the tray 50 is abutted against the base frame Fr1 of the image forming unit main body 21 as shown in FIG. 10-b and pressed in the attachment direction dir1 of the tray 50, the spring 51 contracts against its own biasing force. Accordingly, the guide engagement portion 53 (FIG. 7) is moved according to the guide 59 (FIG. 7), and the tray 50 is retreated from below the toner discharge port h1. 10-c, toner can be replenished from the toner discharge port h1 to the toner storage section Rm3. The relative position of the toner container R and the tray 50 in the guide direction that enables the toner cartridge 22 to supply to the image forming unit main body 21 when the toner cartridge 22 is attached to the image forming unit main body 21 is the first position, which is determined by the shapes of the base frame Fr1, the rib 55, and the tray 50.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 10-c, when the toner cartridge 22 is removed from the image forming unit body 21 set in the printer 10 from the mounted state, the insertion / removal guide Gm1 and the insertion / removal guide 221 are engaged, so that the removal of the toner cartridge 22 is guided in the removal direction dir2. The rib 55 of the tray 50 protrudes to the above-mentioned second position while remaining in contact with the base frame Fr1 of the image forming unit body 21 by the biasing force of the spring 51, as shown in Fig. 10-b. Thereafter, the rib 55 leaves the base frame Fr1 as shown in Fig. 10-a, and the toner cartridge 22 is removed.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the tray 50 is configured to be able to protrude and retract below the toner discharge port h1 as the toner cartridge 22 is inserted or removed.

[0050] In addition, since the tray 50 is moved so as to block the space vertically below the toner discharge port h1 when the toner cartridge 22 is inserted or removed, it is possible to prevent toner from spilling out of the toner discharge port h1 during insertion or removal and soiling the inside of the printer 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the first position is located closer to the removal direction dir2 than the second position. Also, recesses X1 and X2 are formed on the removal direction dir2 side of toner cartridge 22. Therefore, after a user has grasped recesses X1 and X2 to remove toner cartridge 22 from image forming unit main body 21, the user can place toner cartridge 22 on a desk with tray 50 facing down without changing the place where the user grasps the toner cartridge 22, thereby improving operability of toner cartridge 22.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention placed on a desk. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow Cr2-Cr2 in FIG. 8. The uneven surface S1-1 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. Note that a desk is an example of a horizontal surface. In this embodiment, the toner cartridge has convex parts Co1 and Co2 below the toner discharge port h1, i.e., on the negative side of the Z axis, and has convex parts Co3, Co4, and Co5 in the storing direction. In other words, five concave parts Re1 to Re5 are provided between the rib 55 and each of the convex parts Co1 to Co5, in order from the rib 55 side.

[0053] The distances between the rib 55 and the convex portion Co1, between the convex portion Co1 and the convex portion Co2, and between the convex portion Co2 and the convex portion Co3 are wider than the distances between the convex portion Co3 and the convex portion Co4 and between the convex portion Co4 and the convex portion Co5.

[0054] Here, the height of each of the convex parts Co1 to Co4 is 0.5 mm, and the convex part Co5, which is the convex part closest to the side where the tray is stored, is formed to a height of about 1.0 mm. The height here refers to the height at which the convex part protrudes from the surface of the adjacent concave part.

[0055] The height and number of the protrusions in this embodiment are merely an example, and are not limited to this embodiment. Although there are differences depending on the type of toner, if the height of each protrusion is 0.5 mm or more, the toner can be sufficiently trapped.

[0056] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the toner container in the embodiment of the present invention is held in the air. More specifically, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the positive side of the Y axis from the side surface 56R. As shown in FIG. 7, the tray 50 has a symmetrical structure, so the description will be given with reference to the side cover ScR side as a representative. The tray 50 can be rotated around the guide engagement portion 53 as an axis until the guide 59 and the guide engagement portion 53 engage with each other in the guide direction and the end portion of the side surface 56R in the negative direction of the X axis abuts at a position (position S in FIG. 12) spaced apart from the center of the guide engagement portion 53 in the guide direction. The side cover ScR has a regulating portion A shown by a thick line that regulates the angle of the tray 50 with respect to the side cover ScR. The regulating portion A is disposed parallel to the guide direction (X-axis direction) in which the tray 50 is moved, and the angle of the tray 50 with respect to the protruding direction during movement is regulated by the side surface 56R abutting against the regulating portion A. 12 also shows a line L1 that overlaps with the restricting portion A and extends in the X-axis direction, and a line L2 that overlaps with the positive side of the Z-axis of the side surface 56R. The distance from the center of the guide engaging portion 53 to the line L1 is equal to or greater than the distance from the guide engaging portion 53 to the line L2. The distance here refers to the closest distance between the line (for example, the line L1) and the center of the guide engaging portion 53.

[0057] With the above structure, the tray 50 has a play with respect to the toner container R, and when the toner cartridge 22 is suspended in the air by gripping the recesses X1 and X2 (FIG. 4) of the toner container R, for example, the tray 50 tilts with the rib 55 side facing down as shown in FIG. 12. This allows the tray 50 to move smoothly. This is because, if the angle of the tray 50 were restricted as opposed to this embodiment, friction would be generated between the members associated with the fixation, hindering the movement of the tray 50.

[0058] Furthermore, the regulating portion A is disposed so that the closest distance between the line L1 and the surface B of the toner container R is 0.5 mm. This allows the tray 50 to protrude below the toner discharge port h1 without getting caught on the surface B of the toner container R. Note that this is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is sufficient that the toner container R is disposed to be accommodated on the positive side of the Z axis from the line L1.

[0059] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge in this embodiment when placed on a desk. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the Cr2-Cr2 arrow in FIG. 8. When the tray 50 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21 (FIG. 3), it is positioned at a second position where it is protruded below the toner discharge port h1 by the urging force of the spring 51 (FIG. 9). The tray 50 also has a protrusion 54 as a protrusion on the protruding direction side of the second surface S2. When the tray 50 is in the second position and placed on a desk with the second surface S2 facing down, the side surface 56R of the tray 50 abuts against the abutment portion C of the toner container R. Also, due to the symmetrical structure as described above, the regulating portion A, the abutment portion C, the protrusion 54, and the side surface 56L are provided at positions overlapping in the Y-axis direction not only on the side cover ScL side but also on the side cover ScR (FIG. 7) side.

[0060] Since the protrusion 54 lifts the protruding direction side of the first surface S1 toward the positive direction of the Z axis, the first surface S1 of the tray 50 is tilted with the protruding direction side facing up relative to the desk surface on which it is placed. With this tilt, for example, when the toner cartridge 22 is placed on a desk with the tray 50 facing down, the toner is more likely to move toward the convex portion 58, so that the toner received on the first surface S1 is less likely to scatter over a wide area outside the rib 55.

[0061] Among the edges that form the toner discharge port h1, the tray 50 extends to a second position where the angle θ between a line a extending in the direction of gravity from the edge eg1 on the side where the tray 50 protrudes and a line b connecting the edge eg1 to the apex 551 of the rib 55 of the tray 50 is 20° in this embodiment. As a result, the rib 55 is located on the positive side of the X-axis from the edge eg1, so that it can receive toner that has spilled out from the toner discharge port h1.

[0062] Also, as described above, when placed on a desk, the tray 50 is tilted relative to the desk surface with the rib 55 facing up, so that when the tray 50 is placed on the desk with the second surface S2 of the tray 50 facing down, the distance between the apex of the rib 55 of the tray 50 and the toner discharge port h1 becomes narrower than when the toner container R is held in the air by gripping it, which means that the distance between the tray 50 and the toner container R becomes narrower when the tray 50 is allowed to stand on its own compared to when it is being operated, and the space between the toner discharge port h1 and the apex 551 of the rib 55 becomes smaller, making it even more difficult for the toner to scatter over a wide area.

[0063] The distance here refers to the closest distance between the edge eg1 of the toner discharge port h1 on the side where the tray 50 protrudes and the tray 50. In this embodiment, this corresponds to the distance from eg1 to the vertex 551 on the line b shown in FIG.

[0064] The angle θ is not limited to 20° as in the embodiment, but may extend within the range of 10°≦θ≦30°. The reason is that if the angle θ is less than 10°, the range in which the tray 50 can receive toner is narrow, and if the angle θ exceeds 30°, it becomes difficult to design the tray 50 to accommodate it.

[0065] Also, if the tray 50 is not provided, when the toner discharge port h1 is placed on the desk with the recesses X1 and X2 (FIG. 4) held, the toner discharge port h1 may come into contact with the desk and soil the desk. In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention in which the tray 50 is provided, the second surface S2 comes into contact with the desk, so the toner discharge port h1 can be placed without coming into contact with the desk. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the center of gravity of the toner container R is on the toner discharge port h1 side (the positive side of the X-axis), but the rib 55 of the tray 50 is extended beyond the edge eg1 to the positive side of the X-axis, so that the posture when placed on the desk can be stabilized. As described above, after the toner cartridge 22 is detached from the image forming unit main body 21 (FIG. 4) by holding the recesses X1 and X2 (FIG. 4), it can be stably placed on the desk without changing the place of holding, so that the operability of the toner cartridge 22 can be improved.

[0066] In this embodiment, the contact portion C is positioned such that when the tray 50 is in the second position described above, the ratio of (distance between the convex portion 58 and the contact portion C):(distance between the contact portion C and the rib 55) in the guide direction is 66:34. In this manner, when the toner container R is placed on a desk, it contacts the tray 50 at a position sufficiently separated from the guide engagement portion 53, so that the toner container R is less likely to be deformed or damaged by an impact such as pressing down on the toner container R from above. This is not limited to this embodiment, and the ratio may be any ratio between 50:50 and 100:0.

[0067] In addition, the above-mentioned regulating portion A regulates the angle of inclination with the rib 55 facing up during insertion and removal, and keeps the tray 50 and the toner discharge port h1 apart. This prevents, for example, the outer side of the rib 55 (the surface on the protruding direction side) from contacting the toner discharge port h1 when the tray 50 protrudes, and thus prevents the tray 50 from being rubbed and soiled.

[0068] Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge when the shutter unit is in the closed state in the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, it is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows Cr3-Cr3 in Fig. 13. Line L3 is a cross section that overlaps with the toner discharge port h1. Fig. 14 shows the state in which the lever Lv is operated as described above, in which the toner discharge port h1 is closed by the shutter closing portion 411-1, and the shutter opening h2 is in a position that does not overlap with the toner discharge port h1.

[0069] In this embodiment, the side surface 56R on the ScR side extends 41 mm from the right edge eg4 of the toner discharge port h1, and the side surface 56L on the ScL side extends 15 mm from the left edge eg3 of the toner discharge port h1 in the longitudinal direction to the outside of the toner discharge port h1. As a result, when the tray 50 protrudes, the sides 56R and 56L are positioned outside the toner discharge port h1, so that the toner spilled from the toner discharge port h1 can be received.

[0070] With the configuration described in Figures 13 and 14, when the tray 50 is in the second position protruding below the toner discharge outlet h1, the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge outlet h1 and the shutter unit 41, and can be said to be in a position overlapping with the entire discharge outlet at least in the vertical direction.

[0071] Note that this is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is sufficient that the toner discharge port h1 protrudes to a position where it overlaps with the toner discharge port h1 in the vertical direction in both ScR and ScL.

[0072] Figure 15 is a bottom view of a toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tray 50 has been removed in Figure 15 and is therefore not shown. In this embodiment, the toner discharge port h1 is rectangular, and of the edges forming the toner discharge port h1, the side in the protruding direction of the tray 50 is eg1, the side in the retracting direction is eg2, the side on the side of the side cover ScL is eg3, and the side on the side of the side cover ScR is eg4. Line D is a straight line that overlaps with the edge eg2 of the toner discharge port h1.

[0073] In this embodiment, the regulating portion A is provided at the longitudinal end of the tray 50, but it is sufficient if the tray 50 is located on the retreat direction side of the edge eg2 of the toner discharge outlet h1, that is, on the negative side of the X-axis from the line D of the toner container R.

[0074] In this embodiment, the contact portion C is provided on both ends of the toner container R in the longitudinal direction, but only one may be provided on the outer side of the edges eg1-eg4 of the toner discharge port h1 as long as sufficient strength is ensured. However, since the strength can be ensured by contacting at a location farther away from the guide engagement portion 53, it is preferable to provide the contact portion within the region F, for example. Furthermore, providing multiple contact portions in the longitudinal direction reduces the maximum distance between the point at which force is applied to the tray 50 in the longitudinal direction and the contact portion that serves as the fulcrum, and also makes it difficult for the balance of the force applied in the longitudinal direction to be lost, thereby increasing the strength.

[0075] As a modification in which the forces applied in the longitudinal direction can be balanced with one contact portion, it is possible to use the entire region G as the contact portion that contacts the rib 55 of the tray 50. In this modification, since the contact portion is provided in the middle over a wide area in the longitudinal direction, the maximum distance to the contact portion is small and the tray contacts over a wide area in the longitudinal direction, and therefore it is possible to prevent the balance of the applied forces from being significantly disrupted. Also, the contact portion may extend to the end in the longitudinal direction as in region H.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tray 50 is provided with sides 56R, 56L that are close to the toner container R, so that the tray 50 abuts against the toner container at abutment portion C, but conversely, a convex portion as an abutment portion may be provided within area F (for example, area G) on the toner container R side.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, the image forming unit main body 21 is given as an example of an attached device, but the present invention can also be applied to an attached device that accepts a supply of developer different from that of the embodiment, such as a form in which it is directly inserted into and removed from a printer 10 as an image forming device.

[0078] It should be noted that, not limited to this embodiment, the tray 50 does not necessarily have to be configured to be movable. In that case, a space for storing the tray 50 needs to be provided on the image forming unit main body 21 side, and therefore a significant design change is required. However, if the tray 50 is positioned below the toner discharge port h1 and the shutter unit 41 and positioned so as to overlap the entire toner discharge port h1 at least in the vertical direction, the tray 50 can receive toner spilled from the toner discharge port h1 when the toner cartridge 22 is operated, and dirt on the inside and outside of the printer can be improved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The present invention can be applied to developer cartridges in image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10 Printers 11 Image forming unit 12 LED Head 13 Transfer roller 14 Fixing unit 21 Image forming unit main body 22 Toner cartridge 31 Photoconductor drum 32 Charging roller 33 Developing roller 34 Supply roller 35 Development blade 36 Cleaning materials 41 Shutter unit 50 Saucer 51 Spring 52 Spring support member 53 Guide engagement part 54 Protrusion 55 Ribs 56R, 56L side 57 holes 58 Convex 59 Guide 211 Post 221 Insertion / Removal Guide 411 Shutter parts 412 Lever member 413 Engagement fixing groove 414, 415 Pinion gear 551 Rib Peak Bd printer body Cs printer housing eg1~eg4 Edge Fr1 Base frame Fr2 outer frame Gm1 Insertion / Removal Guide h1 Toner outlet h2 Shutter aperture h3 supply port Lv Lever Rm1 Toner storage unit Rm3 Toner Reservoir S1 First Side S1-1 Uneven surface S2 Second Side ScL side cover (left) ScR side cover (right) SL Side Plate (Left) SR side plate (right)

Claims

1. a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer; a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port; a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening / closing member, and overlapping the entire discharge port in the vertical direction; With The developer receiving member is the developer discharged from the discharge port is moved to a first position, which is retracted from below the discharge port, in association with mounting to a receiving device that receives the developer discharged from the discharge port; When the nozzle is detached from the device to be attached, the nozzle moves to a second position protruding below the outlet, a second surface is provided on an opposite side to the first surface of the developer receiving member, the second surface being located on the opposite side to the first surface; The distance between the developer receiving member and the discharge port is narrowed when the developer container is held by gripping the developer receiving member and held in the air with the second surface facing down, compared to when the developer container is held by gripping the developer receiving member and held in the air with the second surface facing down. A developer cartridge comprising:

2. The developer container includes: a contact portion that contacts the developer receiving member when the developer receiving member is in the second position and the developer receiving member is supported by the developer receiving member with the second surface facing down; The abutment portion is Located outside the edge of the outlet 2. The developer cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge is a developer cartridge having a first opening and a second opening.

3. a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer; a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port; a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening / closing member, and overlapping the entire discharge port in the vertical direction; With The developer receiving member is the developer discharged from the discharge port is moved to a first position, which is retracted from below the discharge port, in association with mounting to a receiving device that receives the developer discharged from the discharge port; When the nozzle is detached from the device to be attached, the nozzle moves to a second position protruding below the outlet, The developer container includes: a regulating portion provided on the retreated side of the discharge port and regulating an angle of the developer receiving member with respect to the protruding direction when the developer receiving member moves; A developer cartridge comprising:

4. a developer container including a developer container portion for storing a developer; a discharge port formed in the developer container and configured to discharge the developer stored in the developer storage portion; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position that closes the exhaust port and an open position that opens the exhaust port; a developer receiving member connected to the developer container, located below the discharge port and the opening / closing member, and overlapping the entire discharge port in the vertical direction; 1. A developer cartridge having a a second surface opposite to the first surface of the developer receiving member, the second surface having a protrusion on a side of the developer cartridge mounting direction relative to a mounting device; When the second surface is placed on a flat surface, The first surface of the developer receiving member is inclined with respect to the plane by the projection, with the mounting direction side of the developer receiving member facing upward. A developer cartridge comprising:

5. In the developer cartridge, On a removal direction side of the developer cartridge with respect to the mounted device, a gripping portion that is gripped when inserting or removing the developer cartridge; The first position is located on the detachment direction side of the second position.

4. The developer cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge is a developer cartridge having a developer holder.

6. 6. An image forming apparatus to which developer is supplied by the developer cartridge according to claim 1.

Images