Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can certainly grasp wrong mounting of a toner container.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a toner container 41 including a shutter 57 that rotates to open and close a toner supply port; a storage unit that allows attachment and detachment of the toner container 41 along a predetermined direction; a cover that is movable between a closing position for closing the storage unit and an opening position for opening the storage unit; and an opening and closing mechanism 91 that, with the toner container 41 mounted in the storage unit, rotates the shutter 57 in one direction along with an opening operation to move the cover to the opening position thereby closing the supply port, and rotates the shutter 57 in the other direction along with a closing operation to move the cover to the closing position thereby opening the supply port. The toner container 41 has an interference part 63 that, when the cover is not moved to the normal opening position, interferes with the opening and closing mechanism 91 to inhibit mounting of the toner container in the storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a detachable toner container.

Background Art

[0002] In an image forming apparatus including a detachable toner container, as described in Patent Document 1, a cover member is provided that is rotatable between an open position for opening a mounting portion of a toner container (corresponding to the toner container) and a closed position for closing it. A configuration is known in which the open / closed state of a shutter member of the toner container can be switched in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the cover member.

[0003] This image forming apparatus includes a rack gear that moves along with the opening / closing operation of the cover member, and a gear that meshes with the rack gear and rotates and engages with the shutter member when the toner container is mounted on the mounting portion. When the cover member is opened, the rack gear moves in one direction to switch the shutter member to the closed state via the gear. On the other hand, when the cover member is closed, the rack gear moves in a direction opposite to the one direction to switch the shutter member to the open state via the gear.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion with the cover member rotated to the normal open position, the shutter member engages with the gear. However, even when the cover member is not rotated to the normal open position, such as being half-opened, the toner container may be attached to the attachment portion. Then, the shutter member does not engage with the gear, and even when the cover member is rotated to the closed position, the shutter member cannot be switched to the open state, and the supply of toner from the toner container becomes impossible. Further, since the position of the toner container attached to the attachment portion does not change between the state where the cover member is not rotated to the normal open position and the state where the cover member is rotated to the normal open position, it is impossible to visually confirm whether the toner container is properly attached.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of surely grasping misattachment of a toner container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a toner container having a shutter that opens and closes a toner supply port by rotation, a housing portion to which the toner container is attached and detached along a predetermined direction, a cover movable between a closed position for closing the housing portion and an open position for opening the housing portion, and an opening / closing mechanism that rotates the shutter in one direction to close the supply port along with an opening operation of moving the cover to the open position and rotates the shutter in the other direction to open the supply port along with a closing operation of moving the cover to the closed position in a state where the toner container is attached to the housing portion. The toner container has an interference portion that interferes with the opening / closing mechanism and inhibits attachment to the housing portion when the cover is not moved to the normal open position.

[0008] In the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism includes a rack gear that moves along with the opening / closing operation of the cover, and an opening / closing gear that meshes with the rack gear and rotates, and engages with the shutter when the toner container is mounted on the housing portion. When the cover is opened, the rack gear moves in one direction, rotates the shutter in one direction via the opening / closing gear, and closes the supply port. When the cover is closed, the rack gear moves in the direction opposite to the one direction, rotates the shutter in the other direction via the opening / closing gear, and opens the supply port. The interference portion may be an interference protrusion provided on the shutter and interfering with the opening / closing gear.

[0009] In the present invention, the shutter has an engagement protrusion, and the opening / closing gear has an engagement piece that can engage with the engagement protrusion, and a pair of guide pieces provided on both sides of the engagement piece in the rotation direction of the opening / closing gear. The interference protrusion of the shutter may interfere with one of the pair of guide pieces of the opening / closing gear.

[0010] In the present invention, the toner container includes a supply screw that supplies toner through the supply port by rotating, and a container-side coupling provided on the supply screw. The housing portion is connected to a drive source that rotates the supply screw, and includes a drive-side coupling that is movable between a connection position where it can be connected to the container-side coupling and a non-connection position where the connection is released, and a link member that connects the drive-side coupling and the opening / closing gear. When the cover is moved to the open position, the drive-side coupling moves to the non-connection position via the link member. When the cover is moved to the closed position, the drive-side coupling moves to the connection position via the link member.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, when the cover is not rotated to the normal open position, it is impossible to attach the toner container to the housing portion, so that the user can easily recognize the misattachment of the toner container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. L and R in each figure indicate the left side and the right side of the image forming apparatus 1, respectively.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a housing 3 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped hollow portion. In the hollow portion of the housing 3, a sheet feeding unit 5, an electrophotographic image forming unit 7, a fixing device 9, and a discharging device 11 are provided. Further, in the hollow portion of the housing 3, a main conveyance path 13 for the sheet is provided from the sheet feeding unit 5 toward the discharging device 11 via the image forming unit 7 and the fixing device 9.

[0016] Also, on the top plate of the housing 3, a sheet discharge port 15 and a discharge tray 17 are provided. The discharge tray 17 is rotatably supported around a rotation shaft 19 provided below the discharge port 15. By rotating the discharge tray 17 upward, the hollow portion of the housing 3 is opened.

[0017] The sheet feeding unit 5 is disposed at the lower part of the hollow portion and includes a paper feed cassette 21 in which sheets are accommodated and a paper feeding device 23 that feeds the sheets from the paper feed cassette 21 to the main conveyance path 13.

[0018] The image forming unit 7 is disposed above the sheet feeding unit 5 and includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 27, four image carrier units 29 corresponding to toners of four colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, black), four developing units 31, four primary transfer rollers 33 corresponding to the four image carrier units 29, a secondary transfer roller 35, and an exposure device 37.

[0019] The intermediate transfer belt 27 is wound around a driving roller and a driven roller that are arranged apart in the left - right direction. By the rotation of the driving roller, the intermediate transfer belt 27 runs in the counter - clockwise direction in FIG. 1.

[0020] The four image carrier units 29 are arranged opposite to the lower - side track of the intermediate transfer belt 27 and are arranged side by side along the running direction of the belt 27. The four developing units 31 are arranged adjacent to the upstream side of the four image carrier units 29 in the running direction of the intermediate transfer belt 27. The four primary transfer rollers 33 are arranged in the hollow portion of the intermediate transfer belt 27 and face the four image carrier units 29 with the intermediate transfer belt 27 interposed therebetween. The secondary transfer roller 35 is arranged opposite to the intermediate transfer belt 27 on the downstream side of the four image carrier units 29 and the four developing units 31 in the running direction of the intermediate transfer belt 27. A transfer nip 39 is formed between the secondary transfer roller 35 and the intermediate transfer belt 27.

[0021] The exposure device 37 is disposed below the four image carrier units 29 and the four developing units 31 and performs exposure corresponding to image data on the four image carrier units 29.

[0022] Further, the four developing units 31 are each connected to a toner container 41 containing toner of a corresponding color. The four toner containers 41 are housed in a container housing portion 43 provided in the housing 3. The container housing portion 43 is provided above the intermediate transfer belt 27 and below the discharge tray 17. By rotating the discharge tray 17 upward, the container housing portion 43 is opened. The toner container 41 is detachably mounted in the container housing portion 43 along the attachment / detachment direction along the vertical direction. Thus, the discharge tray 17 is an example of a cover for opening and closing the container housing portion 43. When the toner container 41 is mounted in the container housing portion 43, the toner container 41 can communicate with the corresponding developing unit 31. The toner container 41 and the container housing portion 43 will be described later.

[0023] The fixing device 9 is disposed above the transfer nip 39 and has a pressure roller and a heating roller, and forms a fixing nip 47 between the two rollers. The discharging device 11 is disposed above the fixing device 9 and inside the discharge port 15.

[0024] The main conveyance path 13 is formed from the paper feeding device 23 of the sheet feeding unit 5, through the transfer nip 39 and the fixing nip 47, and toward the discharging device 11. A registration roller pair 49 is disposed between the paper feeding device 23 and the transfer nip 39 in the main conveyance path 13.

[0025] Next, the image forming operation will be briefly described. In the image forming unit 7, the image carrier unit 29 forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data by exposure by the exposure device 37. The developing unit 31 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier unit 29 into a toner image. The toner image of each image carrier unit 29 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 27 by the corresponding primary transfer roller 33.

[0026] On the one hand, in the sheet feeding unit 5, a sheet is conveyed from the sheet feeding cassette 21 to the main conveyance path 13 by the sheet feeding device 23. The sheet is conveyed to the transfer nip 39 at an appropriate timing by the registration roller pair 49. At the transfer nip 39, the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 27 is transferred to the sheet. The sheet is conveyed to the fixing device 9 along the main conveyance path 13, and the toner image is fixed to the sheet at the fixing nip 47. The sheet is further conveyed to the discharging device 11 and discharged to the discharge tray 17 through the discharge port 15 by the discharging device 11.

[0027] Next, the toner container 41 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a view of the toner container 41 seen from the rear.

[0028] The toner container 41 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 51 having a hollow portion that is long in the front-rear direction, a supply screw 53 and a stirring paddle 55 housed in the housing 51. A recess 51a that is recessed inward is formed in the rear side plate of the housing 51 along a direction (left-right direction) that intersects the attachment / detachment direction (up-down direction).

[0029] A cylindrical duct 51b that protrudes rearward from the lower part of the rear side plate is formed in the housing 51. A supply port (not shown) for supplying toner to the developing unit 31 is formed on the lower surface of the duct 51b. A cylindrical shutter 57 is rotatably supported around the duct 51b. A communication port (not shown) is formed in the shutter 57 along the circumferential direction. By rotating the shutter 57 so that the communication port coincides with the supply port of the duct 51b, toner can be supplied to the developing unit 31 through the supply port and the communication port.

[0030] On the outer peripheral surface of the shutter 57, an engaging projection 61 and an interfering projection 63 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. As an example, the engaging projection 61 and the interfering projection 63 are spaced apart at a central angle of about 70 degrees with respect to the center of the shutter 57. The engaging projection 61 has a rectangular tubular shape that is long in the circumferential direction of the shutter 57 when viewed from the rear. A slit 61a is formed in the engaging projection 61 along the axial direction of the shutter 57. The interfering projection 63 has a substantially trapezoidal tubular shape that is long in the circumferential direction of the shutter 57 when viewed from the rear, and has two leg portions 63a along the radial direction of the shutter 57 and an outer peripheral portion 63b connecting the two leg portions 63a. The length of the leg portion 63a closer to the engaging projection 61 is longer than the length of the other leg portion 63a.

[0031] The engaging projection 61 is arranged at a position different from the communication port in the circumferential direction. As an example, the engaging projection 61 and the communication port are spaced apart at a central angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the center of the shutter 57. Therefore, when the shutter 57 is rotated so that the engaging projection 61 is directly below as shown in FIG. 2, the communication port of the shutter 57 and the supply port of the duct 51b do not communicate, and toner is not supplied. The posture of the shutter 57 at this time (refer to the solid line in FIG. 2) is defined as the closed posture.

[0032] When the shutter 57 rotates to the closed posture, the interfering projection 63 protrudes outward (rearward) from the duct 51b, and the outer peripheral portion 63b extends along the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the shutter 57 rotated to the closed posture is rotated about 90 degrees in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2, the communication port of the shutter 57 and the supply port of the duct 51b communicate, and toner can be supplied. The posture of the shutter 57 at this time (refer to the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) is defined as the open posture. When the shutter 57 rotates to the open posture, the interfering projection 63 protrudes above the duct 51b. In this way, the interfering projection 63 is arranged on the downstream side of the engaging projection 61 in the rotation direction of the shutter 57 from the closed posture to the open posture.

[0033] The front end of the supply screw 53 is rotatably supported by the front side plate of the housing 51, and the rear end protrudes rearward from the rear plate of the duct 51b. A first gear 71 is fixed to the rear end of the supply screw 53 protruding from the rear plate of the duct 51b.

[0034] The stirring paddle 55 is disposed above the supply screw 53. The front end is rotatably supported by the front side plate of the housing 51, and the rear end protrudes rearward from the rear side plate of the housing 51. A second gear 73 is fixed to the rear end of the stirring paddle 55 protruding from the rear plate of the housing 51. On the rear side surface of the second gear 73, a container-side coupling 75 is fixed coaxially with the supply screw 53. The container-side coupling 75 has three coupling pieces arranged at a predetermined interval along the rotation direction of the stirring paddle 55.

[0035] The first gear 71 and the second gear 73 are connected via an idler gear 77. When the second gear 73 rotates, the stirring paddle 55 rotates to stir the toner in the housing 51. Also, when the second gear 73 rotates, the first gear 71 rotates via the idler gear 77 and the supply screw 53 rotates. Thereby, the toner in the housing 51 is conveyed toward the supply port.

[0036] Next, the container accommodating portion 43 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIGS. 3 and 4 are front views showing the rear container accommodating portion 43.

[0037] As described above, the container housing portion 43 is provided on the front and rear side plates of the housing 3 above the intermediate transfer belt 27 (see FIG. 1). On the front and rear side plates, five guide protrusions 81 provided along the vertical direction and a stepped portion 83 provided along the horizontal direction below the guide protrusions 81 are formed. The five guide protrusions 81 are formed with a predetermined width in the horizontal direction. The front stepped portion 83 is formed by recessing the front side plate rearward so as to protrude into the hollow portion of the housing 3, and the rear stepped portion 83 is formed by recessing the rear side plate forward so as to protrude into the hollow portion of the housing 3. The stepped portions 83 below two adjacent guide protrusions 81 are formed to correspond to the shape of the bottom of the housing 51 of the toner container 41.

[0038] Four individual housing portions for accommodating four toner containers 41 are formed side by side in the horizontal direction by two adjacent guide protrusions 81 and the stepped portions 83 below the two guide protrusions 81. A lock member 85 for positioning the toner container 41 is movably supported along the horizontal direction intersecting the attaching / detaching direction (vertical direction) on one of the guide protrusions 81 of each individual housing portion. Each lock member 85 is biased by a spring in the direction protruding into the individual housing portion.

[0039] The toner container 41 is guided in the attaching / detaching direction by the guide protrusions 81 adjacent in the horizontal direction, and is mounted in the individual housing portion when the front and rear ends of the housing 51 are placed on the front and rear stepped portions 83. When the toner container 41 is mounted in the individual housing portion, the lock member 85 of the guide protrusion 81 engages with the recess 51a (see FIG. 2) of the toner container 41, and the toner container 41 is positioned in the corresponding individual housing portion.

[0040] Also, in each individual housing portion, a support shaft 87 protrudes from the rear side plate above the stepped portion 83, and a circular opening 89 is formed above the support shaft 87. An opening / closing gear 91 is supported on the support shaft 87. A drive-side coupling 115 is supported in the opening 89.

[0041] First, the opening and closing gear 91 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a view of the opening and closing gear 91 as seen from the front. The opening and closing gear 91 is a member having a substantially fan-shaped form as seen from the front, and includes a flat plate portion 93, a gear portion 95 provided on the flat plate portion 93, and an engagement projection 97.

[0042] The flat plate portion 93 has a substantially fan-shaped form as seen from the front. A shaft hole 101 through which the support shaft 87 is inserted is formed near the center of the substantially fan shape. Further, a substantially rectangular opening 103 is formed on one end side in the circumferential direction of the flat plate portion 93. An outer peripheral wall 93a is formed along the circumferential direction centered on the shaft hole 101 on the outer periphery of the flat plate portion 93.

[0043] The gear portion 95 is formed along the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 93a of the flat plate portion 93. As an example, the gear portion 95 is formed in a range having a central angle of about 90 degrees centered on the shaft hole 101. The engagement projection 97 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 93a of the flat plate portion 93. The engagement projection 97 is formed on the side opposite to the opening 103 in the circumferential direction. The engagement projection 97 includes an engagement piece 111 and a pair of guide pieces 113 disposed on both sides of the engagement piece 111 in the circumferential direction. The engagement piece 111 is linearly formed along the radial direction of the shaft hole 101. Each of the guide pieces 113 has a substantially trapezoidal cylindrical shape that is long in the circumferential direction as seen from the front, and the length (height) along the radial direction is longer than that of the engagement piece 111. Each guide piece 113 includes two leg portions 113a and an outer peripheral portion 113b connecting the two leg portions 113a. The leg portion 113a of each guide piece 113 closer to the engagement piece 111 is formed parallel to the engagement piece 111, and the leg portion 113a farther from the engagement piece 111 is formed along the radial direction.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the opening and closing gear 91 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 87 protruding from the rear side plate, and rotates in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the discharge tray 17.

[0045] A drive gear 121 is provided on the rotation shaft 19 of the discharge tray 17. The drive gear 121 is a sector gear and rotates about the rotation shaft 19 together with the rotation shaft 19. That is, it rotates along with the opening and closing operation of the discharge tray 17.

[0046] Also, below the stepped portion 83 of the rear side plate, a rack gear 123 is supported so as to be movable along the horizontal direction. One end of the rack gear 123 meshes with the drive gear 121. Further, the rack gear 123 meshes with a gear portion 95 (see FIG. 5) of an opening and closing gear 91 supported by each individual accommodation portion through a slit (not shown) formed in the bottom surface of the stepped portion 83. Thus, when the drive gear 121 rotates along with the opening and closing operation of the discharge tray 17, the rack gear 123 moves along the horizontal direction, and the opening and closing gear 91 rotates.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in a state where the discharge tray 17 is rotated to the open position, the rack gear 123 moves to the leftmost position, and the opening and closing gear 91 rotates such that the engaging piece 111 of the engaging projection 97 is directly below. The posture of the opening and closing gear 91 at this time is taken as the initial posture. When the discharge tray 17 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the drive gear 121 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, and the rack gear 123 moves to the right. Thereby, the opening and closing gear 91 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, when the discharge tray 17 rotates to the open position, the opening and closing gear 91 rotates approximately 90 degrees about the support shaft 87 from the initial posture. The posture of the opening and closing gear 91 at this time is taken as the rotation posture. In this way, by the closing operation in which the discharge tray 17 rotates from the open position to the closed position, the opening and closing gear 91 rotates from the initial posture to the rotation posture, and by the opening operation in which the discharge tray 17 rotates from the closed position to the open position, the opening and closing gear 91 rotates from the rotation posture to the initial posture.

[0048] Next, the drive-side coupling 115 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B as well. FIGS. 6A and 6B are views of the drive-side coupling 115 and the opening / closing gear 91 as seen from the front. The drive-side coupling 115 is a cylindrical member, and on one end face, three coupling pieces are formed along the circumferential direction. The three coupling pieces are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. Further, the drive-side coupling 115 is connected to a drive source (not shown) disposed within the housing 3 and is rotatable in a predetermined direction. The drive-side coupling 115 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a connection position where it protrudes into the interior (container accommodation portion 43) of the housing 3 through the opening 89 of the rear side plate with the end face on which the coupling pieces are formed facing forward, and a non-connection position where it retracts from the interior of the housing 3.

[0049] The drive-side coupling 115 is biased toward the connection position and is rotatably accommodated in a cylindrical cam member (not shown). A cam is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cam member, and a gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface along the circumferential direction. The cam member is rotatably supported by a bush (not shown) fixed to the opening 89 of the rear side plate. A cam follower with which the cam of the cam member engages is formed on the bush. When the cam member rotates, the cam of the cam member is guided by the cam follower of the bush, and the cam member moves in the front-rear direction. As a result, the drive-side coupling 115 moves together with the cam member between the connection position and the non-connection position.

[0050] When the drive-side coupling 115 moves to the connection position with the toner containers 41 accommodated in the respective individual accommodation portions of the container accommodation portion 43, it engages with the container-side coupling 75 (see FIG. 2) of the toner container 41. By engaging the drive-side coupling 115 and the container-side coupling 75 in this way, the rotation of the drive-side coupling 115 is transmitted to the second gear 73, making it possible to rotate the stirring paddle 55 and the supply screw 53. On the other hand, when the drive-side coupling 115 moves to the non-connection position, the engagement with the container-side coupling 75 is released.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the cam member and the opening / closing gear 91 are connected by a link member 131. One end of the link member 131 is rotatably connected to an opening 103 formed in the flat plate portion 93 of the opening / closing gear 91. A rack gear 131a that meshes with the gear of the cam member is formed at the other end of the link member 131.

[0052] As described above, when the rack gear 123 moves and the opening / closing gear 91 rotates along with the opening / closing operation of the discharge tray 17, the cam member rotates via the link member 131. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the discharge tray 17 rotates to the open position and the opening / closing gear 91 rotates to the initial position, the cam member moves backward along the bush by the link member 131, and the drive-side coupling 115 moves to the unconnected position. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the discharge tray 17 rotates to the closed position and the opening / closing gear 91 rotates to the rotated position, the cam member moves forward along the bush by the link member 131, and the drive-side coupling 115 moves to the connected position.

[0053] The mounting operation of the toner container 41 in the image forming apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B. FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B are views of the toner container 41 as seen from the rear. The shutter 57 of the toner container 41 is rotated to the closed position.

[0054] When mounting the toner container 41, as shown in FIG. 3, the discharge tray 17 is rotated to the open position to open the container housing portion 43. The rack gear 123 moves to the leftmost position, and the opening / closing gear 91 rotates to the initial position. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the opening / closing gear 91 rotates so that the engaging piece 111 of the engaging projection 97 is directly below. Guide pieces 113 are located on both sides of the engaging piece 111. A space along the vertical direction is formed between the engaging piece 111 and the two guide pieces 113. Also, the drive-side coupling 115 moves to the unconnected position.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 7, the toner container 41 is inserted downward along the adjacent guide protrusion 81 of the corresponding individual accommodation portion. At this time, the lock member 85 supported by the guide protrusion 81 is pushed into the guide protrusion 81 against the biasing force of the spring by the housing 51 of the toner container 41.

[0056] When the toner container 41 is inserted downward, as shown in Fig. 8A, eventually, the engaging protrusion 61 of the shutter 57 engages with the engaging protrusion 97 of the opening and closing gear 91. Specifically, the engaging piece 111 of the opening and closing gear 91 enters the slit 61a of the engaging protrusion 61 of the shutter 57. At this time, the engaging protrusion 61 of the shutter 57 is guided downward along both guide pieces 113 of the opening and closing gear 91 and eventually fits between both guide pieces 113. Alternatively, one guide piece 113 of the opening and closing gear 91 fits between the engaging protrusion 61 and the interference protrusion 63 of the shutter 57. Thereby, the shutter 57 and the opening and closing gear 91 are engaged, and the front end portion and the rear end portion of the housing 51 of the toner container 41 are placed on the stepped portions 83 of the front and rear side plates. Further, the lock member 85 is biased by a spring and engages with the recess 51a. As a result, the toner container 41 is mounted in the individual accommodation portion. Also, when the engaging piece 111 enters the slit 61a, the engaging piece 111 of the opening and closing gear 91 is slightly elastically deformed, and a load is applied to the user due to the friction between the two. Then, when the engaging piece 111 completely enters the slit 61a, the engaging piece 111 of the opening and closing gear 91 elastically returns, giving the user a clicking sensation.

[0057] After the toner container 41 is mounted, the discharge tray 17 is rotated to the closed position. Then, the rack gear 123 moves and the opening / closing gear 91 rotates. As a result, the shutter 57 engaged with the opening / closing gear 91 rotates along the duct 51b. When the discharge tray 17 is completely rotated to the closed position, as shown in FIG. 8B, the opening / closing gear 91 rotates to the rotating posture. Then, the shutter 57 rotates to the open posture together with the opening / closing gear 91. Thereby, the communication port of the shutter 57 communicates with the supply port of the duct 51b, and the supply of toner through the supply port becomes possible. In this way, the opening / closing gear 91 and the rack gear 123 constitute an opening / closing mechanism that rotates the shutter 57 in one direction along with the opening operation of the discharge tray 17 to close the supply port, and rotates the shutter 57 in the other direction along with the closing operation of the discharge tray 17 to open the supply port.

[0058] Furthermore, with the rotation of the opening / closing gear 91, the cam member moves forward via the link member 131, and the drive-side coupling 115 is moved from the unconnected position to the connected position. Thereby, the drive-side coupling 115 engages with the container-side coupling 75, and the rotational force of the drive source can be transmitted to the agitation paddle 55 and the supply screw 53.

[0059] In this way, when the discharge tray 17 is completely rotated to the open position, the toner container 41 is accommodated in the corresponding individual accommodation portion, and furthermore, the supply of toner from the toner container 41 becomes possible. On the other hand, when the discharge tray 17 is not rotated to the normal open position, the opening / closing gear 91 is not rotated to the initial posture.

[0060] For example, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, when the opening and closing gear 91 is not rotated to the initial position, that is, when the engaging piece 111 is not rotated to the lowest position, when the toner container 41 is inserted into the individual storage part, eventually, the interference protrusion 63 of the shutter 57 abuts against the guide piece 113 of the opening and closing gear 91, and the downward movement of the toner container 41 becomes impossible. That is, the toner container 41 is not completely mounted in the container storage part 43 and floats upward from the container storage part 43 to some extent. In this way, the interference protrusion 63 of the shutter 57 is an example of an interference part that inhibits the mounting of the toner container 41 to the container storage part 43 when the discharge tray 17 is not arranged at the normal open position.

[0061] The fact that the toner container 41 floats upward from the container storage part 43 can be easily grasped visually by the user. Further, during the closing operation of the discharge tray 17, the discharge tray 17 interferes with the toner container 41 that has floated upward. Thereby, the user can be made aware that the toner container 41 is not correctly mounted. Thereafter, the user, for example, once removes the toner container 41, then correctly rotates the discharge tray 17 to the open position, and remounts the toner container 41.

[0062] Note that if the interference protrusion 63 is not provided on the shutter 57, as shown in FIG. 10, even when the discharge tray 17 is not rotated to the normal open position, it may be possible to mount the toner container 41 to the container storage part 43. In this case, since the engaging protrusion 61 of the shutter 57 does not engage with the engaging protrusion 97 of the opening and closing gear 91, even when the discharge tray 17 is rotated to the closed position, the shutter 57 does not rotate and the supply port of the toner container 41 is not opened. If the image forming operation is executed in such a state, toner is not supplied from the toner container 41 to the developing unit 31, and problems such as insufficient image density occur.

[0063] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, when the discharge tray 17 is not rotated to the normal open position, the toner container 41 interferes with the opening and closing gear 91, making it impossible to mount the toner container 41 in the container housing portion 43. In other words, it is possible to prevent the toner container 41 from being mounted in the container housing portion 43 when the discharge tray 17 is in a half-open state. When the toner container 41 interferes with the opening and closing gear 91, the toner container 41 floats above the container housing portion 43 (housing 3), making it easily recognizable by visual inspection. Further, when the toner container 41 floats above the container housing portion 43, it becomes impossible to rotate the discharge tray 17 to the closed position. Therefore, the user can surely recognize that the toner container 41 is not correctly mounted in the container housing portion 43 (misinstallation).

[0064] Also, by providing the interference projection 63 on the shutter 57, it is possible to prevent the mounting of the toner container 41 when the discharge tray 17 is in a half-open state by using the guide piece 113 originally provided on the opening and closing gear 91.

[0065] Furthermore, since the drive-side coupling 115 and the container-side coupling 75 can be connected or disconnected as the opening and closing gear 91 rotates, the configuration of the rotation force transmission mechanism to the stirring paddle 55 and the supply screw 53 of the toner container 41 can be simplified.

[0066] In the above embodiment, an example in which the interference projection 63 is provided on the shutter 57 of the toner container 41 is shown, but the interference projection 63 may be provided on the housing 51 of the toner container 41. However, in the present invention, since the shutter 57 and the opening and closing gear 91 engage when the toner container 41 is mounted in the container housing portion 43, by providing the interference projection 63 on the shutter 57, when the discharge tray 17 is not rotated to the normal open position, the interference projection 63 can be surely brought into contact with the opening and closing gear 91.

[0067] Also, in the above embodiment, the discharge tray 17 as a cover is described as being rotatable between an open position and a closed position. However, the cover may move vertically between the open position and the closed position. In this case, a rack gear along the vertical direction may be provided on the cover, and this rack gear may be meshed with the rack gear 123 of the opening / closing mechanism via a pinion gear. By moving the cover in the vertical direction, the rack gear moves in the vertical direction, and the rack gear 123 can be moved horizontally via the pinion gear.

[0068] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can modify the above embodiments without departing from the scope and gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0069] 1 Image forming apparatus 17 Discharge tray (cover) 41 Toner container 43 Container housing part 53 Supply screw 57 Shutter 61 Engagement protrusion 63 Interference protrusion (interference part) 75 Container side coupling 91 Opening / closing gear (opening / closing mechanism) 111 Engagement piece 113 Guide piece 115 Driving side coupling 123 Rack gear (opening / closing mechanism) 131 Link member

Claims

1. A toner container having a shutter that opens and closes a toner supply port by rotating, a housing portion in which the toner container is detachably attached along a predetermined direction, a cover movable between a closed position for closing the housing portion and an open position for opening it, and an opening / closing mechanism that, when the toner container is attached to the housing portion, rotates the shutter in one direction to close the supply port in association with an opening operation of moving the cover to the open position, and rotates the shutter in the other direction to open the supply port in association with a closing operation of moving the cover to the closed position. The toner container includes, when the cover is not moved to a normal open position, an interference portion that interferes with the opening / closing mechanism to inhibit attachment to the housing portion, a supply screw that rotates to supply toner through the supply port, and a container-side coupling provided on the supply screw. The opening / closing mechanism includes, a rack gear that moves in association with the opening and closing operations of the cover, and an opening / closing gear that meshes with the rack gear and rotates, and engages with the shutter when the toner container is attached to the housing portion. When the cover is opened, the rack gear moves in one direction to rotate the shutter in one direction through the opening / closing gear to close the supply port, and when the cover is closed, the rack gear moves in a direction opposite to the one direction to rotate the shutter in the other direction through the opening / closing gear to open the supply port. The interference portion is an interference protrusion provided on the shutter that interferes with the opening / closing gear. The housing portion includes, a drive-side coupling connected to a drive source for rotating the supply screw and movable between a connecting position where it can be connected to the container-side coupling and a non-connecting position where the connection is released, and a link member that connects the drive-side coupling and the opening / closing gear. When the cover is moved to the open position, the drive-side coupling moves to the non-connecting position through the link member, and when the cover is moved to the closed position, the drive-side coupling moves to the connecting position through the link member. An image forming apparatus characterized by this.

2. The shutter has an engaging protrusion, and the opening / closing gear has an engaging piece that can engage with the engaging protrusion, and a pair of guide pieces provided on both sides of the engaging piece in the rotation direction of the opening / closing gear. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interference protrusion of the shutter interferes with one of the pair of guide pieces of the opening and closing gear.

Images