Toner container

Abstract

To provide one form of an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus has a supply container storing toner removably attached thereto and forms an image on a recording material, and comprises: an image carrier; a developer container that stores the toner; developing means that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image by using the toner stored in the developer container; a supply port for supplying toner from the supply container outside the image forming apparatus to a developer container by attaching the supply container thereto, the supply port to which a plurality of types of supply containers can be connected which are different in the amount of toner stored therein; and determination means that, when the toner is supplied from the supply container to the developer container, determines the type of the supply container used for supply of toner based on information held by holding means provided in the supply container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides Toner container that contains toner Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, electrophotographic image forming devices develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member into a toner image using toner, and then transfer the toner image from the photosensitive member to a recording material, thereby forming an image on the recording material. Known methods for replenishing toner consumed during repeated image formation in an image forming device include the process cartridge method and the sequential replenishment method. The process cartridge method integrates a photosensitive member and a developer container that contains toner into a process cartridge, and when the toner remaining in the developer container becomes empty, the process cartridge is replaced with a new one.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes a developing device of a sequential replenishment type that includes a toner transport path that supplies toner to a developing roll and a developer supply box connected to this toner transport path, and that replenishes toner from the developer supply box to the toner transport path depending on the detection result of the remaining toner amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-30084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, users have been demanding various uses for image forming apparatuses, in addition to the above-mentioned process cartridge system and sequential replenishment system.

[0006] Book The invention is Toner container The present invention aims to provide an embodiment of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a toner container comprising: a bag member for storing toner; a discharge member formed of resin and having a discharge port for discharging the toner in the bag member to the outside of the toner container; and a shutter configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a first direction, where the direction in which the bag member and the discharge member are aligned is defined as a first direction, between an open position that opens the discharge port and a closed position that closes the discharge port. contact a memory having a surface of points; When a direction intersecting the first direction is defined as a second direction and a direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction, the bag member has a shape in which the width in the third direction is wider than the width in the second direction, the discharge port is provided on an end surface of the discharge member in the first direction, and the memory is oriented such that the contact surface faces the second direction. the discharge member Taken The toner container is characterized in that it is attached to the [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, Toner container A form of the above can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining attachment and detachment of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are diagrams for explaining openable and closable members of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A is a perspective view and FIG. 1B is a side view of a toner pack according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8]1A is a perspective view of a toner pack according to a first embodiment, FIG. 1B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a view showing a state in which toner is being discharged. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is a top view, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of a supply container attachment part according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the supply container attachment part according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the position of a locking member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toner pack according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a pressing mechanism of a locking member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 2A to 2C are diagrams showing a panel according to a first embodiment. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are perspective views, a side view, and a cross-sectional view of a toner bottle unit according to a first modified example. [Figure 16] 10A to 10D are diagrams illustrating the internal configuration of a toner bottle unit according to a first modified example, and FIG. 10E and FIG. 10F are diagrams illustrating rotation detection of the toner bottle unit. [Figure 17] 10A is a perspective view, FIG. 10B is a top view, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view of a process cartridge according to a second modified example. [Figure 18] 10A is a perspective view, FIG. 10B is a top view, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view of a process cartridge according to a third modified example. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an operation unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 22] 2A to 2C are views illustrating a refill container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a supply container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 24] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the supply container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 26] 10A is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of an image forming apparatus and a supply container according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a modified example thereof. [Figure 27] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 28] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing the circuit configuration of an image forming apparatus and a supply container according to a third embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the circuit configuration of the image forming apparatus and the supply container according to the third embodiment. [Figure 30] 10A to 10C are views illustrating a refill container according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus and a supply container according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 32] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the image forming apparatus and the supply container according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a selection screen displayed on a display unit of an image forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 34] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a selection screen displayed on a display of an external device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 35] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an image forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] First Embodiment (1) Image forming device 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. The recording material includes a variety of sheet materials made of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and cardboard, plastic film such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

[0013] (1-1) Overall structure As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the image forming apparatus 1 includes a printer main body 100 as the apparatus main body, a reading device 200 supported by the printer main body 100 so as to be openable and closable, and an operation unit 300 attached to the exterior surface of the printer main body 100. The printer main body 100 includes an image forming unit 10, a feeding unit 60, a fixing unit 70, and a pair of discharge rollers 80. The feeding unit 60 feeds a recording material to the image forming unit 10, which forms a toner image on the recording material. The fixing unit 70 fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit 10 to the recording material, and the pair of discharge rollers 80 discharges the recording material that has passed through the fixing unit 70 to the outside of the apparatus. The process cartridge 20 of this embodiment employs a direct replenishment system in which toner is directly replenished from outside the image forming apparatus 1 using a toner pack 40 filled with replenishment toner.

[0014] The image forming section 10 is an electrophotographic image forming means having a scanner unit 11, a process cartridge 20, and a transfer roller 12. The process cartridge 20 has a photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22, a developing roller 31, and a cleaning blade 24 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21.

[0015] The photosensitive drum 21 serving as an image carrier in this embodiment is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 21 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively chargeable organic photosensitive material on a drum-shaped substrate made of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 21 is rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (clockwise in the drawing) at a predetermined process speed.

[0016] The charging roller 22 contacts the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging portion. A desired charging voltage is applied by a charging high-voltage power supply, thereby uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 21 is negatively charged by the charging roller 22.

[0017] The scanner unit 11 scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light L corresponding to image information input from an external device or the reading device 200 using a polygon mirror. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. Note that the scanner unit 11 is not limited to a laser scanner device, and may, for example, be an LED exposure device having an LED array in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0018] The developing unit 802 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrier that carries developer, a developing container 32 that forms the frame of the developing unit 802, and a supply roller 33 that can supply developer to the developing roller 31. The developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 are rotatably supported by the developing container 32. The developing roller 31 is disposed at the opening of the developing container 32 so as to face the photosensitive drum 21. The supply roller 33 rotatably contacts the developing roller 31, and the toner contained in the developing container 32 as the developer is applied to the surface of the developing roller 31 by the supply roller 33.

[0019] The developing unit 802 of this embodiment uses a contact development method. That is, a toner layer carried on a developing roller 31 serving as a developing means comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 in a developing section (developing area) where the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing roller 31 face each other. A developing voltage is applied to the developing roller 31 by a high-voltage developing power supply. Under the developing voltage, the toner carried on the developing roller 31 is transferred from the developing roller 31 to the drum surface in accordance with the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. Note that this embodiment employs a reversal development method. That is, a toner image is formed by toner adhering to areas of the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 that have been charged in the charging process and whose charge has attenuated due to exposure in the exposure process.

[0020] In this embodiment, a toner having a particle diameter of 6 μm and a normal negative charge polarity is used. As an example, the toner used in this embodiment is a polymerized toner produced by a polymerization method. The toner used in this embodiment does not contain a magnetic component and is a so-called non-magnetic single-component developer, in which the toner is supported on the developing roller 31 mainly by intermolecular forces and electrostatic forces (image forces). However, a single-component developer containing a magnetic component may also be used. In addition to toner particles, a single-component developer may also contain additives (e.g., wax or silica particles) to adjust the fluidity and charging performance of the toner. A two-component developer composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier may also be used. When a magnetic developer is used, a cylindrical developing sleeve with a magnet disposed inside may be used as the developer carrier. In other words, the developer contained in the developing container 32 is not limited to a single-component developer composed of a toner component, but may also be a two-component developer composed of a toner and a carrier.

[0021] An agitating member 34 serving as a stirring means is provided inside the developing container 32. When driven to rotate, the agitating member 34 agitates the toner in the developing container 32 and sends the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 also circulates, within the developing container, the toner that has been scraped off from the developing roller 31 and not used in development, thereby serving to homogenize the toner in the developing container.

[0022] A developing blade 35 is disposed at the opening of the developing container 32 in which the developing roller 31 is disposed, to regulate the amount of toner carried by the developing roller 31. The toner supplied to the surface of the developing roller 31 passes through the area facing the developing blade 35 as the developing roller 31 rotates, whereby the toner is uniformly formed into a thin layer and is negatively charged by frictional charging.

[0023] The feeding section 60 has a front door 61 supported by the printer body 100 so as to be able to open and close, a stacking tray 62, a middle plate 63, a tray spring 64, and a pickup roller 65. The stacking tray 62 forms the bottom of a recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened, and the middle plate 63 is supported by the stacking tray 62 so as to be able to move up and down. The tray spring 64 urges the middle plate 63 upward, pressing the recording material P loaded on the middle plate 63 against the pickup roller 65. Note that the front door 61 closes the recording material storage space when closed relative to the printer body 100, and supports the recording material P together with the stacking tray 62 and middle plate 63 when open relative to the printer body 100.

[0024] The transfer roller 12 serving as transfer means transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 onto a recording material. Note that, although this embodiment describes a direct transfer method in which a toner image formed on an image carrier is transferred directly from the image carrier to a recording material, an intermediate transfer method in which the toner image is transferred from the image carrier to the recording material via an intermediate transfer body such as an intermediate transfer belt may also be used. In that case, for example, a transfer unit comprising an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer roller that performs primary transfer of the toner image from the photosensitive drum to the intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer roller that transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt to the recording material functions as transfer means.

[0025] The fixing unit 70 is a thermal fixing unit that fixes an image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 70 includes a fixing film 71, a fixing heater such as a ceramic heater that heats the fixing film 71, a thermistor that measures the temperature of the fixing heater, and a pressure roller 72 that presses against the fixing film 71.

[0026] Next, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When an image formation command is input to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming process is started by the image forming unit 10 based on image information input from an external computer or reading device 200 connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The scanner unit 11 irradiates the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light L based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 21 is pre-charged by the charging roller 22, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21 by the irradiation of the laser light L. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 31, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21.

[0027] In parallel with the image forming process described above, a pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61, stacking tray 62, and middle plate 63. The recording material P is fed by the pickup roller 65 to the pair of registration rollers 15, and skew is corrected when the recording material P hits the nip of the pair of registration rollers 15. The pair of registration rollers 15 is then driven in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image determined from the exposure start time of the scanner unit 11, and transports the recording material P toward the transfer section, which is the nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0028] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 12 from a transfer high-voltage power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred onto the recording material P being conveyed by the registration roller pair 15. After transfer, residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is removed by a cleaning blade 24, which is an elastic blade that abuts against the photosensitive drum 21. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is conveyed to the fixing unit 70, and the toner image is heated and pressurized as it passes through a nip between a fixing film 71 and a pressure roller 72 of the fixing unit 70. This melts the toner particles and then solidifies them, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. After passing through the fixing unit 70, the recording material P is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 by a discharge roller pair 80 and is stacked on a discharge tray 81 formed at the top of the printer main body 100.

[0029] The discharge tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream in the discharge direction of the recording material, and the recording material discharged onto the discharge tray 81 slides down the discharge tray 81 so that its rear end is aligned by the regulating surface 84.

[0030] (1-2) Openable parts of the image forming device As shown in FIGS. 2(a), (b), and 3, a first opening 101 that opens upward is provided at the top of the printer body 100. The first opening 101 is covered by a top cover 82 during use (FIG. 1(b)), and the process cartridge 20 is exposed by opening the top cover 82 upward (FIG. 2(b)). The top cover 82 is supported on the printer body 100 so as to be openable and closable around a pivot shaft 82c (FIG. 3) that extends in the left-right direction, and an ejection tray 81 is provided on the top surface. The top cover 82 opens from the front side toward the back side when the reading device 200 is opened relative to the printer body 100. The reading device 200 and the top cover 82 may be configured to be held in an open state and a closed state by a holding mechanism such as a hinge mechanism.

[0031] For example, if the recording material jams (paper jams) in the conveying path CP through which the recording material fed by the pickup roller 65 passes, the user opens the top cover 82 together with the reading device 200. Then, the user accesses the process cartridge 20 through a first opening 101 that is exposed when the top cover 82 is opened, and pulls out the process cartridge 20 along the cartridge guide 102. The cartridge guide 102 slides and guides the process cartridge 20 on a protrusion 21a (FIG. 5(a)) provided at the end of the process cartridge 20 in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0032] Then, by pulling out the process cartridge 20 from the first opening 101 to the outside, a space is created where the user can reach into the conveying path CP. The user can reach into the printer main body 100 from the first opening 101 and access the jammed recording material on the conveying path CP, thereby removing the jammed recording material.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 4(c), an opening / closing member 83 is provided on the top cover 82 in an openable / closable manner. An opening 82a that opens upward is provided on the top surface of the top cover 82, on which the discharge tray 81 is provided, and the opening 82a is covered when the opening / closing member 83 is closed. The opening / closing member 83 and the opening 82a are provided on the right side of the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is supported on the top cover 82 in an openable / closable manner about a rotation shaft 83a extending in the front-rear direction, and is opened to the left by inserting a finger into a groove 82b provided in the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is formed in a substantially L-shape to match the shape of the top cover 82. Note that the opening / closing member 83 is not limited to the above-described opening / closing mechanism. For example, the opening / closing member 83 may be arranged on the top cover 82 so as to cover the supply container attachment portion 701, and may be configured to open and close the opening 82a by rotating in a sliding manner along the upper surface of the top cover 82 about a rotation shaft that perpendicularly intersects with the top cover 82. Here, sliding on the upper surface of the top cover 82 means that movement of the opening / closing member 83 in the direction of the rotation axis is restricted.

[0034] The opening 82a is open so as to expose a supply container mounting portion 701 for toner supply provided on the top of the process cartridge 20. By opening the opening / closing member 83, the user can access the supply container mounting portion 701 without opening the top cover 82. The user can replenish toner into the process cartridge 20 by mounting the toner pack 40 in the supply container mounting portion 701.

[0035] In this embodiment, a method (direct replenishment method) is adopted in which the user replenishes toner from a toner pack 40 (FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)) filled with replenishment toner to the process cartridge 20 while the process cartridge 20 remains attached to the image forming apparatus 1. This eliminates the need to remove the process cartridge 20 from the printer main body 100 and replace it with a new process cartridge when the amount of toner remaining in the process cartridge 20 becomes low, thereby improving usability. The image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pack 40 constitute an image forming system.

[0036] In this embodiment, the reading device 200 is provided on the top of the image forming apparatus 1, and when opening the opening / closing member 83, it is necessary to first open the reading device 200 to expose the top cover 82. However, the reading device 200 may be omitted, and the opening / closing member 83 may be exposed on the top of the image forming apparatus 1 from the beginning.

[0037] (1-3) Reading device 4(a) and 4(b), the reading device 200 has a reading unit 201 that incorporates a reading section (not shown) therein, and a pressure plate 202 that is openably and closably supported by the reading unit 201. On the top surface of the reading unit 201, there is provided a document table glass 203 that transmits light emitted from the reading section and on which a document is placed.

[0038] When a user wants to have the image of a document read by the reading device 200, the user places the document on the document glass 203 with the pressure plate 202 open. Then, by closing the pressure plate 202, the document on the document glass 203 is prevented from shifting position, and a reading command is output to the image forming device 1 by operating the operation unit 300, for example. When the reading operation is started, the reading section in the reading unit 201 moves back and forth in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the left and right directions with the operation unit 300 of the image forming device 1 facing forward. The reading section emits light toward the document from the light-emitting section, receives light reflected by the document with the light-receiving section, and reads the image of the document by photoelectric conversion.

[0039] In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction (direction of gravity) of the image forming apparatus 1 are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 is viewed from the front. The positional relationship of the process cartridge 20 and other detachable members with respect to the printer main body 100 will be explained based on the state in which they are attached to the printer main body 100. Furthermore, the "longitudinal direction" of the process cartridge 20 refers to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0040] (1-4) Process Cartridge Configuration Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 20 will be described. Fig. 5(a) is a perspective view showing the process cartridge 20 and the toner pack 40, and Fig. 5(b) is a side view showing the process cartridge 20 and the toner pack 40. Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6A-6A of Fig. 5(b), Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6B-6B of Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6C-6C of Figs. 6(a) and 6(b). Note that in Figs. 5 and 6, the external shape of the supply container mounting portion 701 is shown in a simplified form (see, for example, Fig. 9(a) for a detailed shape).

[0041] 5 and 6, the process cartridge 20 is made up of a toner receiving unit 801, a developing unit 802, and a cleaning unit 803. The toner receiving unit 801, cleaning unit 803, and developing unit 802 are arranged in this order from top to bottom in the direction of gravity. Each unit will be described below in order.

[0042] The toner receiving unit 801 is disposed on top of the process cartridge 20. A toner storage section 8011 constituted by a frame for storing toner is provided inside the toner receiving unit 801, and a supply container mounting section 701 for connecting to the toner pack 40 is provided at one longitudinal end. The frame constituting the toner storage section 8011 may be formed of a single member or a combination of multiple members. The supply container mounting section 701 has a supply port 8012 for receiving toner discharged from the toner pack 40. The detailed structure of the supply container mounting section 701 and the mounting of the toner pack 40 to the supply container mounting section 701 will be described later.

[0043] Furthermore, a first conveying member 8013, a second conveying member 8014, and a third conveying member 8015 are provided inside the toner receiving unit 801. The first conveying member 8013 conveys toner that has fallen to the end of the toner storage portion 8011 in the longitudinal direction via the supply port 8012 toward the center of the toner storage portion 8011 in the direction of arrow H (FIG. 6(c)). The second conveying member 8014 conveys the toner conveyed by the first conveying member 8013 toward the direction of arrow J (FIG. 6(c)), which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, to above the developing unit 802, i.e., to the discharge port 8016. The third conveying member 8015 receives toner from the second conveying member 8014 mainly at the center in the longitudinal direction and conveys it to one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow K and the direction of arrow K'). Note that the first to third conveying members can also be referred to as first to third developer moving members, since they operate to move toner.

[0044] When toner flows into toner receiving unit 801 from toner pack 40 serving as a supply container, air also flows in at the same time. Toner receiving unit 801 has air filter 8017 (see FIG. 5(a)) that allows air to flow in the direction of arrow H when toner is replenished to make it easier to replenish toner. This air filter 8017 prevents toner from being sprayed out of replenishing port 8012 when the internal pressure of toner receiving unit 801 increases during toner replenishment, causing some air to flow in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow H.

[0045] At both longitudinal ends of the toner receiving unit 801, there are provided discharge ports 8016 (FIG. 6(b)) for discharging toner from the toner storage section 8011 to the developing container 32 of the developing unit 802. The toner that has reached the discharge ports 8016 by the third conveying member 8015 falls into the developing container 32 by gravity. Note that a further conveying member may be provided midway along the path of the discharge port 8016 to keep the toner moving by gravity.

[0046] The developing unit 802 located at the bottom of the process cartridge 20 has an opening 8021 that receives the toner discharged from the discharge port 8016 (FIG. 6(b)). A sealing member (not shown) is provided between the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 to seal the gap between the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 so that the toner does not leak out.

[0047] The toner that has dropped from the toner pack 40 into the toner receiving unit 801 through the supply port 8012 is transported inside the toner receiving unit 801 by a first transport member 8013, a second transport member 8014, and a third transport member 8015. Then, the toner is transferred from the toner receiving unit 801 to the developing unit 802 through the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the toner that is supplied through the supply port 8012, which is located at the end of the process cartridge 20 in the longitudinal direction and is horizontally spaced apart from the developing container 32 as seen in the longitudinal direction, is transported inside the cartridge and reaches the developing container 32.

[0048] In this way, the toner storage portion 8011 of the toner receiving unit 801 and the developing container 32 of the developing unit 802 communicate with each other to form a storage container that forms a space for storing toner in the process cartridge 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, a supply port 8012 for replenishing toner from the outside is provided as part of the storage container of the process cartridge 20. However, a supply port directly connected to the supply container may be provided in the printer body, and the process cartridge may receive toner through this supply port. In this case, the portion of the process cartridge 20 excluding the supply port becomes detachable from the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] The toner supplied to the developing unit 802 through the opening 8021 is accommodated in the transport chamber 36 formed inside the developing container 32, which is formed by the frame of the developing unit 802 (FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). The frame constituting the developing container 32 may be formed by a single member or a combination of multiple members. The transport chamber 36 is provided with an agitating member 34. The agitating member 34 has a shaft member 34a provided near the rotation center of the agitating member 34 and a blade portion 34b extending radially from the shaft member 34a. In cross section, the toner within the rotation path of the tip of the blade portion 34b is pushed and moved in accordance with the movement of the blade portion 34b. The toner supplied through the opening 8021 is transported toward the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, and the developing blade 35 while being agitated by the agitating member 34.

[0050] The cleaning unit 803 includes a waste toner chamber 8033 that is composed of a fourth conveying member 8031, a fifth conveying member 8032, and a frame (FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). The frame that constitutes the waste toner chamber 8033 may be composed of a single member, or may be composed of a combination of multiple members. The waste toner chamber 8033 is a space that contains recovered material (so-called waste toner), such as transfer residual toner recovered from the photosensitive drum 21 by the cleaning blade 24, and is independent of the internal spaces of the toner receiving unit 801 and the developing unit 802. The waste toner recovered by the cleaning blade 24 is transported in the direction of arrow M by the fourth conveying member 8031 ​​and the fifth conveying member 8032, and gradually accumulates from the back 8033a of the waste toner chamber to the front.

[0051] Here, between the cleaning unit 803 and the developing unit 802, a laser passing space SP is formed as a gap through which the laser light L emitted from the scanner unit 11 (FIG. 1(a)) toward the photosensitive drum 21 can pass (FIG. 6(a)). As described above, the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 for transferring toner from the toner receiving unit 801 to the developing unit 802 are provided at the end of each unit in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the process cartridge 20 as a whole has a compact configuration, and while the laser passing space SP is secured, toner supplied from outside the image forming apparatus (particularly via a supply port opening on the top surface of the apparatus) can be transported to the developing container 32 at the bottom of the cartridge.

[0052] (1-5) Toner pack configuration The configuration of the toner pack 40 will be described. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the toner pack 40 with the shutter member 41 in a closed state, and Fig. 7(b) is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 8(a) is a perspective view showing the toner pack 40 with the shutter member 41 in an open state, and Fig. 8(b) is a bottom view thereof, and Fig. 8(c) shows the user squeezing the toner pack 40 by hand when replenishing toner. Fig. 12 is a perspective view from below of the toner pack 40 with the shutter member 41 in a closed state.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a toner pack 40, which is an example of a replenishment container, includes a bag member 43 filled with toner, a resin discharge portion 42 attached to the bag member 43, and a shutter member 41 that can open and close the opening of the discharge portion 42. A memory unit 45 is attached to the discharge portion 42 as a storage unit for storing information about the toner pack 40. The memory unit 45 has multiple metal plates (metal terminals) exposed on the outside of the toner pack 40 as contact portions 45a that contact contact portions 70133 (see FIG. 9) of the replenishment container attachment portion 701, which will be described later. The bag member 43 can be made of a material such as PP resin (polypropylene), PET resin (polyethylene terephthalate resin), cardboard, or paper. The thickness can be 0.01 mm to 1.2 mm. From the perspectives of ease of unpacking and durability, a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm is even more preferable.

[0054] As shown in Figures 7(b), 8(b), and 12, the shutter member 41 has a shape in which a portion of a disk that can rotate relatively to the discharge portion 42 is cut out. The side surface that forms the thickness of the shutter member 41 at the cut-out portion functions as an engagement surface 41s. Meanwhile, the discharge portion 42 also has a cut-out shape. The discharge portion 42 has an engagement surface 42s that is parallel to the engagement surface 41s at the cut-out portion. The discharge opening 42a is provided at a position approximately 180 degrees away from the engagement surface 42s in the circumferential direction of the discharge opening 42a. The engagement surfaces 41s and 42s are shown in detail in Figure 12.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 12, when the notches of the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42 are aligned when viewed from the top or bottom, the discharge opening 42a is covered by the shutter member 41 (closed state). As shown in FIG. 8(b), when the shutter member 41 rotates 180 degrees relative to the discharge portion 42, the discharge opening 42a is exposed through the notch of the shutter member 41, and the interior space of the bag member 43 communicates with the exterior space of the toner pack 40. As shown in FIG. 12, the shutter member 41 preferably has a structure in which a rigid main body portion 41a is bonded to a sealing layer 41b made of an elastic material such as sponge. In this case, in the closed state, the sealing layer 41b is in close contact with a sealing layer 42c that covers the periphery of the discharge opening 42a, thereby preventing toner leakage. The sealing layer 42c is shown in FIG. 12, and like the sealing layer 41b, this sealing layer 42c is also made of an elastic material such as sponge.

[0056] As will be described later, when replenishing toner from the toner pack 40 to the image forming apparatus 1, the discharge portion 42 is aligned to a predetermined position, and the toner pack 40 is inserted and coupled to the replenishing container mounting portion 701. Then, by rotating the discharge portion 42 by 180 degrees, the discharge portion 42 rotates relative to the shutter member 41, the discharge port 42a opens, and the toner in the bag member 43 flows down into the toner receiving unit 801 due to gravity. At this time, the shutter member does not move relative to the replenishing container mounting portion 701.

[0057] As shown in Figure 8(c), the user can attach the toner pack 40 to the supply container attachment portion 701, rotate it 180 degrees, and then squeeze the bag member 43 with their hands to encourage the toner to be discharged from the toner pack 40.

[0058] Although a rotary shutter member 41 is exemplified here, the shutter member may be omitted, or a sliding shutter member may be applied instead of the rotary shutter member 41. The shutter member 41 may be configured to be destroyed when the toner pack 40 is attached to the replenishing port 8012 or when the toner pack is rotated while attached, or may have a removable lid structure such as a seal.

[0059] It is also preferable to attach a protective cap to the discharge portion 42 of an unused toner pack 40 to prevent toner from leaking during transportation, etc. The protective cap is configured to engage with the notched portions of the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42 when attached to the discharge portion 42, for example, and to restrict the relative rotation of the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42. By removing the protective cap, the user can attach the toner pack 40 to the replenishment container attachment portion 701.

[0060] (1-6) Configuration of the supply container attachment section The following describes the shutter opening / closing mechanism of the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving unit 801, and the locking mechanism of the shutter member 41. Fig. 9(a) is a perspective view of the supply container mounting part 701, and Fig. 9(b) is its top view. The supply container mounting part 701 has a supply port 8012, a supply port shutter 7013, a locking member 7014, and a rotation detection part 7015.

[0061] The replenishing port 8012 is an opening that communicates with the toner storage portion 8011 (see FIG. 6) of the toner receiving unit 801, and is fixed to the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. The replenishing port shutter 7013 has a lid portion 70131 that covers the replenishing port 8012, a cylindrical portion 70132 that receives the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40, and a contact portion 70133 that connects with the contact portion 45a (see FIG. 8(b)) of the memory unit 45 of the toner pack 40. In the drawing, the portion of the cylindrical portion 70132 that covers the contact portion 70133 is indicated as cylindrical portion 70132a. The replenishing port shutter 7013 is a member in which the lid portion 70131, the cylindrical portion 70132, and the contact portion 70133 are integrated, and is rotatably attached to the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. Each conductor exposed at the contact portion 70133 is electrically connected to the control unit of the image forming device 1 mounted in the printer main body 100 via wiring provided in the process cartridge 20 and contacts between the process cartridge 20 and the printer main body 100.

[0062] The rotation detection unit 7015, which serves as a rotation detection sensor, is a mechanism that detects the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013. In this embodiment, the rotation detection unit 7015 is composed of two conductive leaf springs 70151 and 70152. The leaf spring 70152 is biased clockwise, and when pressed by a protrusion 70135a provided on the outer periphery of the supply port shutter 7013, the tip 701521 comes into contact with the other leaf spring 70151. In other words, the rotation detection unit 7015 is an electric circuit configured to switch between a conductive state and a disconnected state depending on the rotation angle (rotational position) of the supply port shutter 7013. As will be described later, the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus (FIG. 19) determines whether the discharge port 42a of the toner pack 40 and the supply port 8012 of the supply container mounting unit 701 are in communication with each other based on whether the rotation detection unit 7015 is in a conductive state or a disconnected state. In other words, the control unit 90 can determine that the user's operation to replenish the toner pack 40 has been performed normally at least until the discharge port 42a and the replenishing port 8012 are in communication with each other.

[0063] A plurality of protrusions 70135a and 70135b are provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 70132 of the supply port shutter 7013. In addition, a plurality of protrusions 70125a and 70125b are also provided on the portion of the frame 8010 that supports the cylindrical portion 70132 of the supply port shutter 7013 (cylindrical portion 7011a of 7011). The plurality of protrusions 70125a and 70125b are positioned lower in the direction of gravity than the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 10(a)). The protrusion 70125b allows the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 10(a)) to pass through due to its rotational movement. On the other hand, the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 10(a)) is at the same height as the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 10(a)), and extends downward to a height that overlaps with the protrusions 70125a and 70125b. Therefore, the protrusion 70125b comes into contact with the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 10(a)) depending on the rotation angle (rotation position) of the supply port shutter 7013, and restricts the rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 10(a)).

[0064] Furthermore, before the supply port shutter 7013 rotates in the R1 direction, the protrusion 70125a abuts against the protrusion 70135a (left side), restricting rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a in the R2 direction. Furthermore, the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 10(a)) abuts against the locking member 7014, restricting rotational movement of the locking member 7014 in the R1 direction. On the other hand, after the supply port shutter 7013 rotates in the R1 direction, the protrusion 70135b abuts against the locking member 7014 after it has moved to the locked position, restricting rotational movement of the locking member 7014 in the R2 direction. Furthermore, the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 10(a)) abuts against the protrusion 70125b, restricting further rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a in the R1 direction. The rotation direction of the supply port shutter 7013 is the R1 direction when the toner pack 40 is attached, and the R2 direction when the toner pack 40 is removed.

[0065] The locking member 7014 is a member that restricts the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013. FIG. 11(a) shows the locking member 7014 in the locked position, and FIG. 11(b) shows the locking member 7014 in the unlocked position. The locking member 7014 can move up and down between the locked position (restricted position) and the unlocked position (permitted position). As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 11(a), when the locking member 7014 abuts against the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013 in the locked position, the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013 is restricted. When the locking member 7014 moves to the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 11(b), the locking member 7014 moves out of the path of movement of the protrusion 70135a when the supply port shutter 7013 rotates, thereby allowing the supply port shutter 7013 to rotate.

[0066] (1-7) Locking member pressing mechanism 13 shows a pressing mechanism 600 that moves the locking member 7014 between a locked position and an unlocked position. The pressing mechanism 600 is made up of a motor 601, an input gear 602, a cam gear 603, and an advance / retract pin 604. The input gear 602 is a screw gear attached to the output shaft of the motor 601. The cam gear 603 includes a gear portion 6032 made up of a helical gear that meshes with the input gear 602, and a cam portion 6031 that causes the advance / retract pin 604 to move back and forth.

[0067] The advance / retract pin 604 is supported by a holding member so as to be capable of linear movement in the direction of gravity and the opposite direction (vertical direction). When the motor 601 rotates, the cam gear 603 rotates via the input gear 602, and the advance / retract pin 604 is pressed against the cam portion 6031, causing it to reciprocate up and down, and accordingly the lock member 7014 also moves up and down between the locked position and the unlocked position. Figure 13 shows the locked state.

[0068] Although the drive transmission configuration in the pressing mechanism 600 of this embodiment is a combination of a helical gear and a cross-hair gear, it is not limited to this as long as it is a configuration that can convert the rotation of the motor into linear motion. For example, a bevel gear may be used, or the input gear 602 may be eliminated and the cam gear 603 may be directly driven by the motor 601. Furthermore, instead of the motor 601, an actuator that outputs linear motion, such as a solenoid, may be used as the drive source.

[0069] 13 is supported by a frame 609 of the printer body. Meanwhile, the pivot shaft 7014a of the locking member 7014 is supported by a holder provided on the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801 so as to be rotatable and slidable in the vertical direction. Therefore, when replacing the process cartridge 20, the locking member 7014 is also replaced at the same time, and the pressing mechanism 600 remains in the printer body. The pivot shaft 7014a and the retractable pin 604 are separate components. When the locking member 7014 is in the unlocked position, the retractable pin 604 is separated from the locking member, and the process cartridge 20 is removed from the printer body with the retractable pin 604 remaining in the printer body. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the pivot shaft 7014a of the locking member 7014 may be supported by the printer body.

[0070] (1-8) Flow of replenishment operation using toner pack A series of operations when the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply container attachment part 701, refilled with toner, and then removed will be described based on the above-described configurations of the toner pack 40, supply container attachment part 701, and pressing mechanism 600. Fig. 10(a) is a top view of the supply container attachment part 701 with the supply port 8012 in a closed state, and Fig. 10(b) is a top view of the supply container attachment part 701 with the supply port 8012 in an open state.

[0071] 10(a), when the supply port shutter 7013 is in the closed state, the protrusion 70135a abuts against the locking member 7014, which is in the locked position, in the rotational direction, and the supply port shutter 7013 is fixed so as not to rotate relative to the supply port 8012. At this time, the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013 completely blocks the supply port 8012. Furthermore, the leaf springs 70151 and 70152 of the rotation detection portion 7015 are separated, and the rotation detection portion 7015 is in a disconnected state.

[0072] When inserting the toner pack 40 into the replenishing container mounting portion 701, the user aligns the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 and the cutout portion of the shutter member 41 (FIG. 12) with the replenishing port 8012 and the lid portion 70131 of the replenishing port shutter 7013, respectively. Then, the engagement surface 42s of the discharge portion 42 engages with the engagement surface 7013s (see FIG. 9C) which is the side surface of the lid portion 70131, and the engagement surface 41s of the shutter member 41 engages with the engagement surface 8012s (see FIG. 9C) provided on the outer periphery of the replenishing port 8012. At this time, the discharge portion 42 engaged with the lid portion 70131 of the replenishing port shutter 7013 cannot rotate until the replenishing port shutter 7013 is later unlocked by the locking member 7014, and becomes rotatable together with the replenishing port shutter 7013 upon unlocking. Meanwhile, the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 is prevented from rotating by engaging with a supply port 8012 fixed to a frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. As another engagement configuration for the lid portion 70131 and the discharge portion 42, a convex portion protruding upward from the upper surface of the lid portion 70131 may be provided, and a concave portion that engages with this protrusion may be provided on the lower surface 42b of the discharge portion 42 (see FIG. 12).

[0073] Furthermore, when the toner pack 40 is inserted, the contact 45a (FIG. 7) of the memory unit 45 comes into contact with the contact 70133 of the replenishment container mounting portion 701, and the information recorded in the memory unit 45 is read by the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus. The memory unit 45 stores information (new product flag) indicating whether or not the toner pack 40 contains toner (whether or not it is a used toner pack). The control unit 90 reads the new product flag and, when it determines that the currently installed toner pack 40 contains toner (is unused), controls the pressing mechanism 600 to push up the locking member 7014. This moves the locking member 7014 from the locked position to the unlocked position (FIG. 11(b)).

[0074] When the locking member 7014 is in the unlocked position, the locking member 7014 moves away from the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013, allowing the supply port shutter 7013 to rotate in the R1 direction in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) (FIG. 11(b)). In contrast, the protrusion 70125a provided on the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801 interferes with the protrusion 70135a (FIG. 10(a)), restricting rotation of the supply port shutter 7013 in the R2 direction. That is, in FIG. 10(a), 70125a and 70125b are positioned lower than 70135a and 70135b in the direction of gravity so that 70135a and 70135b can move past in the rotational direction.

[0075] When the user grips the toner pack 40 and rotates the discharge portion 42 or the bag member 43 in the vicinity thereof 180 degrees in the R1 direction, the state shown in FIG. 10(b) is reached. As the supply port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees together with the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40, the lid portion 70131 moves from the position covering the supply port 8012, exposing the supply port 8012. The side surface of the lid portion 70131 is pressed by the engagement surface 42s, which is part of the rotating discharge portion 42, and the lid portion 70131 rotates together with the engagement surface 42s. Furthermore, as the discharge portion 42 rotates 180 degrees while the shutter member 41 is fixed, the discharge port 42a of the toner pack 40 is exposed (FIG. 8(b)) and faces the supply port 8012. As a result, the internal space of the toner pack 40 and the internal space of the toner receiving unit 801 are connected via the discharge port 42a and the supply port 8012, and the toner filled in the bag member 43 flows down into the toner storage section 8011.

[0076] As described above, the toner that has fallen into the toner storage section 8011 is transported inside the toner receiving unit 801 and reaches the developing container 32, where it becomes available for use in the developing process. Note that the developing unit 802 may be configured to be able to execute the developing process even before newly replenished toner reaches the developing container 32, as long as a necessary amount of toner for maintaining image quality remains in the developing container 32. In other words, the developing unit 802 may be configured to be able to replenish toner from a replenishment container outside the image forming apparatus to the developing container, regardless of whether or not an image forming operation is being performed in the image forming section 10 (FIG. 1(a)).

[0077] Furthermore, the protrusion 70125b is positioned so as to come into contact with the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter when the supply port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees in the R1 direction from the state shown in FIG. 10(a) (FIG. 10(b)). That is, like 70125a, the protrusion 70125b is positioned lower in the direction of gravity than 70135a and 70135b. This prevents the supply port shutter 7013 from rotating in the R1 direction beyond 180 degrees. At the same time, the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013 presses the leaf spring 70152 of the rotation detection unit 7015, bringing the tip 701521 into contact with the leaf spring 70151. When the rotation detection unit 7015 is brought into a conductive state, the control unit 90 recognizes that the supply port shutter 7013 is in the open state, and operates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 back to the locked position. Then, the locking member 7014 engages with the protrusion 70135b of the supply port shutter 7013 to restrict rotation in the R2 direction, preventing the supply port shutter 7013 and the toner pack 40 from rotating in either direction.

[0078] 10(b) in which the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 and the replenishing port shutter 7013 are rotated 180 degrees, the lid portion 70131 of the replenishing port shutter 7013 covers the upper side of the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to lift the toner pack 40 upward from the replenishing container mounting portion 701, the shutter member 41 interferes with the lid portion 70131, restricting movement of the toner pack 40. Therefore, the toner pack 40 is prevented from falling off from the replenishing container mounting portion 701 unless the user performs a removal operation of the toner pack 40 according to the predetermined procedure described below.

[0079] After the toner starts to be discharged from the toner pack 40, when the condition for determining whether the toner has been discharged is met, the control unit 90 operates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 to the unlocked position. In this embodiment, whether the toner has been discharged is determined based on the elapsed time from when the rotation detection unit 7015 becomes conductive.

[0080] After the locking member 7014 has moved to the unlocked position, the user can remove the toner pack 40 by reversing the procedure for installing the toner pack 40. That is, the user grasps the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 or the bag member 43 in the vicinity thereof and rotates it 180 degrees in the R2 direction, which is the opposite direction to that for installation. This causes the supply port shutter 7013 to rotate 180 degrees together with the discharge portion 42, and the supply port 8012 is covered by the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013, as shown in FIG. 10(a). Furthermore, the protrusion 70135a (on the left side in FIG. 10(a)) of the supply port shutter 7013 comes into contact with the protrusion 70125a, thereby restricting the supply port shutter 7013 from rotating in the R2 direction beyond 180 degrees.

[0081] When the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 is rotated 180 degrees in the R2 direction, the position of the notch in the discharge portion 42 is aligned with the position of the notch in the shutter member 41 (FIG. 12). Therefore, even if the toner pack 40 moves upward, the shutter member 41 does not interfere with the lid portion 70131 of the replenishing port shutter 7013, and the user can remove the toner pack 40 from the replenishing container mounting portion 701 by grasping and lifting it.

[0082] As the replenishing port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees in the R2 direction, the protrusion 70135a separates from the leaf spring 70152, and the rotation detector 7015 returns to the disconnected state. The controller 90 then recognizes that the replenishing port shutter 7013 has been closed and activates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 to the locked position. This returns the replenishing container mounting portion 701 to its initial state before the toner replenishing operation. For example, the controller 90 may determine that a predetermined condition for moving the locking member 7014 to the unlocked state has been met when a predetermined time has elapsed since the rotation detector 7015 entered the conductive state. The trigger for moving the locking member 7014 to the locked position may be, for example, a loss of continuity between the contact 70133 of the replenishing container mounting portion and the contact 45a of the toner pack (see FIG. 7 ) due to, for example, the toner pack 40 being pulled out of the replenishing container mounting portion 701.

[0083] In this embodiment, the discharge port 42a of the toner pack 40 and the supply port 8012 are positioned so that they communicate with each other when rotated 180 degrees, but the rotation angle required for communication can be changed as long as the toner pack 40 can be attached and detached by the same operation as in this embodiment.

[0084] (1-9) Panel Next, the panel 400 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1(b) and FIGS. 14(a) to 14(c), the panel 400 is provided, for example, on the front of the housing of the printer main body 100. It is an example of a display unit that displays information regarding the remaining amount of toner in the developer container 32 (or the free space in the developer container 32). The panel 400 is made up of a liquid crystal panel including multiple scales (indicators). In this embodiment, three scales 4001, 4002, and 4003 are arranged vertically from top to bottom. The panel 400 indicates the amount of toner that can be replenished to the developer container 32 by displaying the scales 4001 to 4003, which change in stages. The control unit 90 updates the panel display as needed based on the recognition of the completion of the replenishment operation, which will be described later. Furthermore, if the completion of the replenishment operation is not reflected in the actual remaining toner amount, the remaining toner amount may be detected later and the panel display may be updated. For example, if the control unit 90 turns on the indicator 4002 and then detects via the optical sensors (51a, 51b, see FIG. 6(a)) that the remaining amount of toner is not actually sufficient, the control unit 90 turns off the indicator 4002 and updates the display on the panel 400. The scale 4003 at the bottom also indicates whether the toner in the developing container 32 is at a Low level or an Out level. The Low level indicates that the developing container 32 needs to be replenished with toner, but a minimum amount of toner remains to maintain image quality, and image formation can currently be performed. The Out level indicates that almost no toner remains in the developing container 32, and image formation cannot be performed.

[0085] In the illustrated configuration example of the panel 400, when all three scales 4001, 4002, and 4003 are off, this indicates that the toner in the developing container 32 is at the Out level (fourth state).

[0086] As shown in FIG. 14(a), when only the lower scale 4003 is lit, it indicates that the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is low. In this state, two scales are off, which indicates that, for example, two bottles' worth of toner can be replenished with the toner pack 40 (third state). In addition, the number panels "+1" and "+2" adjacent to the scales are lit, which indicates that two bottles' worth of toner can be replenished with the toner pack 40.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 14(b), when the lower and central scales 4002 and 4003 are lit and the upper scale 4001 is off, this indicates that the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is greater than the Low level and less than the Full level (full). In this state, since one scale is off, it can be seen that, for example, one bottle's worth of toner can be replenished with the toner pack 40 (second state). In addition, the number panel "+1" adjacent to the scale is lit and the number panel "+2" is off, which also indicates that one bottle's worth of toner can be replenished with the toner pack 40.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 14(c), when all three scales 4001 to 4003 are lit, this indicates that the remaining toner in the developing container 32 is at the full level. In this state, since no scales are lit, it is clear that toner cannot be replenished from the toner pack 40, for example (first state). In addition, the fact that the number panels "+1" and "+2" adjacent to the scales are lit also indicates that toner cannot be replenished from the toner pack 40.

[0089] 14 is an example of a display means in which the display content changes depending on the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32, and other configurations may be used. For example, instead of a liquid crystal panel, the panel may be configured by combining a light source such as an LED or an incandescent lamp with a diffusion lens. The scale may be omitted and only a numeric panel may be used, or the numeric panel may be omitted and only a scale may be used.

[0090] The number of scale marks and the display method thereof on the panel 400 can be changed as appropriate. For example, when the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is low, the scale mark at the bottom may be made to flash, urging the user to replenish toner.

[0091] (2) First Modification Next, as another example of a supply container, a first modified embodiment in which a bottle-shaped toner bottle unit is used instead of a bag-shaped toner pack will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Note that this toner bottle unit is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the supply container mounting portion 701, similar to the above-mentioned toner pack 40. Therefore, a description of the configuration of the image forming apparatus that is common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0092] (2-1) Toner bottle unit configuration Figure 15(a) is a perspective view showing the appearance of toner bottle unit 900, and Figure 15(b) is a perspective view showing toner bottle unit 900 after toner has been discharged. Figure 15(c) is a view of toner bottle unit 900 seen from below the piston, and Figure 15(d) is a cross-sectional view of toner bottle unit 900 at cross-sectional position DD shown in Figure 15(c).

[0093] 16(a) is a perspective view of toner bottle unit 900 with outer cylinder 903 (see FIG. 15(a)) hidden, and FIG. 16(b) is a perspective view of toner bottle unit 900 with outer cylinder 903 hidden after toner has been discharged. FIG. 16(c) is a diagram showing the state of parts involved in push-in detection of toner bottle unit 900 before the push-in operation, and FIG. 16(d) is a diagram showing the state of parts involved in push-in detection after the push-in operation. FIG. 16(e) is a diagram showing the state of parts involved in rotation detection of toner bottle unit 900 before the rotation operation, and FIG. 16(f) is a diagram showing the state of parts involved in rotation detection of toner bottle unit 900 after the rotation operation.

[0094] 15(a) and 15(d), toner bottle unit 900 roughly comprises an outer cylinder 903, an inner cylinder 901, a piston 902, a shutter member 904, and a memory unit 911. Outer cylinder 903 and inner cylinder 901 are cylindrical, with inner cylinder 901 fitted inside outer cylinder 903, and piston 902 fitted further inside inner cylinder 901 and slidable relative to inner cylinder 901. Hereinafter, the direction in which piston 902 moves (the direction of the axes of outer cylinder 903 and inner cylinder 901) will be referred to as the axial direction of toner bottle unit 900. Piston 902 is an example of a pressing member.

[0095] Inner cylinder 901 has a cylindrical toner storage portion 9014 that stores toner, a bottom 9013 provided at one axial end, and an outlet 9011 provided at bottom 9013. Inner cylinder 901 is cylindrical in shape, with one axial end of toner storage portion 9014 closed by bottom 9013. The other end of toner storage portion 9014 forms opening 9012, and piston 902 is inserted into toner storage portion 9014 through opening 9012. In addition, inner cylinder 901 contains spherical weight member 905 that can move freely within toner storage portion 9014.

[0096] The outer cylinder 903 has a cylindrical inner cylinder accommodating portion 9034 that accommodates the toner accommodating portion 9014 of the inner cylinder 901 inside, a bottom 9033 provided at one axial end, and a discharge port 9031 provided at the bottom 9033. Like the inner cylinder 901, the outer cylinder 903 has a cylindrical shape in which one axial end of the inner cylinder accommodating portion 9034 is closed by the bottom 9033, and holds the inner cylinder 901 so that it cannot move relative to the inner cylinder 901. The other end of the inner cylinder accommodating portion 9034 forms an opening 9032 through which the piston 902 is inserted.

[0097] Discharge port 9011 of inner cylinder 901 is a thin cylinder extending from bottom 9013 to one end in the axial direction. Discharge port 9031 of outer cylinder 903 is provided at a position on bottom 9033 corresponding to discharge port 9011 of inner cylinder 901. Discharge port 9031 of outer cylinder 903 is a discharge port that discharges toner contained in toner containing portion 9014 to the outside of toner bottle unit 900. Adjacent to discharge port 9011 of inner cylinder 901 is provided retraction space 9013a, which retracts weight member 905 so that it does not block discharge port 9011 when the piston is pushed in.

[0098] The bottom 9013 of the inner cylinder 901 has a sloping shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the outlet in the axial direction (particularly, a conical shape in which the inner diameter decreases toward the outlet in the axial direction). The bottom 9033 of the outer cylinder 903, which faces the bottom 9013 of the inner cylinder 901, also has a similar sloping shape. The outlet 9011 and the evacuation space 9013a of the inner cylinder 901 are provided at the apex of the sloping shape of the bottom 9033. The weight member 905 is spherical, and is guided by the bottom 9013, and moves into the evacuation space 9013a by gravity.

[0099] The piston 902 is equipped with an elastic member 906 attached to an end 9023 at one axial end (the discharge port side), and a push-in rib 9021 provided near an end 9022 (the portion that the user presses when pushing the piston) at the other end. The elastic member 906 is configured to tightly contact the inner circumferential surface of the toner storage section 9014 and has the function of preventing toner from slipping through when the piston is pushed in. The push-in rib 9021 has a convex shape that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the piston 902.

[0100] The configuration of the shutter member 904 is the same as that of the shutter member 41 provided in the toner pack 40 described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 15(c), the shutter member 904 has a shape in which a portion of a disk that is rotatable relative to the outer cylinder 903 is cut out. The side surface that forms the thickness of the shutter member 904 at the cut-out portion functions as an engagement surface 904s. Meanwhile, the outer cylinder 903 also has a shape with a cut-out. The cut-out portion of the outer cylinder 903 has an engagement surface 903s that is parallel to the engagement surface 904s. The discharge port 9031 is provided at a position approximately 180 degrees away from the engagement surface 903s in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder 903.

[0101] Although FIG. 15(c) illustrates a state in which the discharge port 9031 is already exposed, in the state in which the toner bottle unit 900 is shipped, the positions of the notched engagement surfaces 903s, 904s of the shutter member 904 and the outer cylinder 903 are aligned. In this state, the discharge port 9031 is covered by the shutter member 904, and the toner storage portion 9014 remains sealed (closed state). As shown in FIG. 15(c), when the shutter member 904 rotates 180 degrees relative to the outer cylinder 903, the discharge port 9031 is exposed through the notched portion of the shutter member 904, and the toner storage portion 9014 is unsealed, allowing the toner to be discharged (open state). The configurations of the discharge port 9031, engagement surface 903s, and shutter member 904 are basically the same as those described in FIGS. 7, 8, and 12.

[0102] A memory unit 911 serving as a storage means for storing information about the toner bottle unit 900 is attached near the discharge port 9031 of the outer cylinder 903. The memory unit 911 has a plurality of metal plates 9111, 9112, 9113 (FIG. 16(a)) exposed to the outside of the toner bottle unit 900 as contact points 911a that come into contact with contact points 70133 (FIG. 9(a)) of the replenishment container mounting portion 701.

[0103] (2-2) Piston push-in detection mechanism 16(a) and 16(c), a push-in detection rod 907, a first contact plate 908, and a second contact plate 909 are disposed between the outer cylinder 903 and the inner cylinder 901 as a push-in detection mechanism for detecting the push-in operation of the piston 902. The push-in detection rod 907 is formed of an insulating material such as resin, while the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 are formed of a conductive material such as metal. The push-in detection rod 907 has a contact release portion 9072 at one axial end (discharge port side) and a piston contact portion 9071 at the other axial end that can come into contact with a push-in rib 9021 of the piston 902. The push-in detection rod 907 moves in the axial direction as the push-in rib 9021 presses the piston contact portion 9071 in conjunction with the push-in operation of the piston 902.

[0104] The push-in detection rod 907 is fitted into an axial groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 901 or the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 903, for example, so that its movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is restricted while it is held axially movable relative to the inner cylinder 901 and the outer cylinder 903. The piston contact portion 9071 has a shape bent perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e., in an L-shape, so that the push-in rib 9021 more reliably abuts against it. Note that, although the push-in rib 9021 is provided around the entire outer peripheral surface of the piston 902 in FIG. 16(a), the push-in rib 9021 may be formed only at a circumferential position corresponding to the piston contact portion 9071.

[0105] First contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are metal plates that switch between a conductive state and a disconnected state depending on the position of push-in detection rod 907, which is made of insulating resin. A method for detecting whether toner bottle unit 900 is new using first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 will be described later.

[0106] Furthermore, a tube cover 910 (FIG. 15(a)) is attached to the end of the opening side of outer tube 903, preventing push-in detection rod 907 from falling off. In other words, tube cover 910, which forms opening 9032 of outer tube 903, is narrowed inward (FIG. 15(d)) from the radially outer end position of piston contact portion 9071 (FIG. 16(b)). Therefore, even if a force is applied that tries to move push-in detection rod 907 axially toward the opening side, piston contact portion 9071 interferes with tube cover 910, and push-in detection rod 907 does not fall off from toner bottle unit 900.

[0107] (2-3) Determine whether the toner bottle unit is new or used Next, a description will be given of a configuration for detecting whether the toner bottle unit 900 is unused (new) or used when the toner bottle unit 900 is attached to the supply container attachment portion 701. As shown in Figures 16(c) and 16(d), the contact release portion 9072 of the push-in detection rod 907 is located near the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909.

[0108] 16(c) corresponds to the state before the piston is pushed in shown in FIG. 16(a), in which the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 are in contact with each other and are therefore in a conductive state. In this case, it is preferable to configure one of the metal first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 as a leaf spring so that it presses against the other contact plate. Furthermore, for example, by applying conductive grease to the contact surfaces of the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909, the conductivity between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 can be more reliably established.

[0109] Figure 16(d) corresponds to the state after the piston is pushed in shown in Figure 16(b), in which the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 are in a disconnected state. In this state, the contact release portion 9072 of the push-in detection rod 907, which has been pushed in by the push-in rib 9021, gets between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909, physically separating them. At least the contact release portion 9072 of the push-in detection rod 907 is made of an insulating material, and in the state of Figure 16(d) with the contact release portion 9072 present, conductivity between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 is cut off.

[0110] First contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are each connected to a different metal plate among multiple metal plates 9111-9113 at an end opposite to the end that contacts contact release portion 9072 of push-in detection rod 907. Here, first contact plate 908 is connected to metal plate 9111, and second contact plate 909 is connected to metal plate 9113. In this case, by detecting the presence or absence of current when a weak voltage is applied between metal plates 9111 and 9113, it is possible to determine whether toner bottle unit 900 is in a state before the piston is pushed in (unused) or a state after the piston has been pushed in (used). In other words, when toner bottle unit 900 is attached to replenishment container attachment portion 701, control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus can determine whether toner bottle unit 900 is unused or used based on the presence or absence of conduction between metal plates 9111 and 9113. Furthermore, control unit 90 can determine that the user's refilling operation has ended when first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 become non-conductive. Based on this determination, control unit 90 controls the display of panel 400 as described above. Furthermore, when the conductivity between metal plates 9111 and 9113 changes, control unit 90 writes a new product flag (new: 1, used: 0) into memory unit 45, indicating that toner bottle unit 900 has been used.

[0111] In the above configuration, it is preferable to place memory unit 911 on the circuit connecting metal plates 9111 and 9112. This allows control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus to monitor the pushing operation of toner bottle unit 900 via metal plates 9111 and 91113, while simultaneously accessing memory unit 911 via metal plates 9111 and 9112.

[0112] (2-4) Rotation detection of toner bottle unit 16(e) and 16(f), a method for detecting the rotation of toner bottle unit 900 will be described. The rotation detection method in this embodiment is the same as that in the embodiment using toner pack 40 described above, except that shutter member 904 that seals the discharge port of the supply container is attached to outer cylinder 903 of toner bottle unit 900.

[0113] 16(e) and 16(f), the supply container mounting portion 701 of the process cartridge is provided with two conductive leaf springs 70151 and 70152 as a rotation detection portion 7015. In addition, a protrusion 70135b is provided on the outer periphery of the supply port shutter 7013.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 16(e), before the toner bottle unit 900 inserted into the supply container mounting portion 701 is rotated, the tip of the leaf spring 70152 Department 701521 is not in contact with leaf spring 70152, and rotation detection unit 7015 is in a disconnected state. In other words, even if a weak voltage is applied between leaf springs 70151 and 70152, no current flows. As shown in FIG. 16(f), when toner bottle unit 900 is rotated 180 degrees, leaf spring 70152 is pressed by protrusion 70135a, and tip portion 701521 comes into contact with the other leaf spring 70151, resulting in a conductive state. In this state, applying a weak voltage between leaf springs 70151 and 70152 causes a current to flow. Based on whether rotation detection unit 7015 is in a conductive state or not, control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus recognizes whether discharge port 9031 of toner bottle unit 900 and refill port 8012 of refill container mounting unit 701 are in a communicated state.

[0115] (2-5) Flow of replenishment operation using the toner bottle unit The following describes a series of operations for attaching toner bottle unit 900 to supply container mounting portion 701, replenishing toner, and then removing toner bottle unit 900. Note that descriptions of parts that are the same as those in the above-described embodiment using toner pack 40 will be omitted.

[0116] First, the user mounts an unused toner bottle unit 900 in the supply container mounting portion 701. Specifically, the notched engagement surfaces 903s, 904s (FIG. 15C) of the outer cylinder 903 and the shutter member 904 are aligned with the supply port 8012 and the lid portion 70131 (FIG. 9A) of the supply port shutter 7013, and then inserted. Then, the engagement surface 903s of the outer cylinder 903 engages with the engagement surface 7013s on the side of the lid portion 70131, and the engagement surface 904s of the shutter member 904 engages with the engagement surface 8012s provided on the outer periphery of the supply port 8012. At this time, the outer cylinder 903 engaged with the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013 is unable to rotate until the locking member 7014 later releases the lock on the supply port shutter 7013. Once the locking is released, the outer cylinder 903 becomes rotatable together with the supply port shutter 7013. On the other hand, the shutter member 904 is in an unrotatable state by engaging with a supply port 8012 fixed to a frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. Also, the leaf springs 70151 and 70152 of the rotation detection portion 7015 are separated, and the rotation detection portion 7015 is in a disconnected state (FIG. 16(e)).

[0117] When an unused toner bottle unit 900 is inserted into the supply container mounting portion 701, the control unit 90 recognizes that the toner bottle unit 900 is new using the new product detection configuration described above. As explained above, the control unit 90 may recognize continuity between the metal plates 9111-91113, or may read and determine the new product flag (new: 1, used: 0) in the memory unit 45. Then, the control unit 90 operates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 to the unlocked position, allowing the toner bottle unit 900 to rotate.

[0118] Thereafter, when the user grasps the toner bottle unit 900 and rotates it 180 degrees, the shutter member 904 and the supply port shutter 7013 are opened, and the discharge port 9031 of the toner bottle unit 900 communicates with the supply port 8012 of the supply container mounting portion 701. The operation of opening the shutter member 904 and the supply port shutter 7013 as the toner bottle unit 900 rotates is the same as in the case of the toner pack 40 described using Figures 10(a) and (b).

[0119] As shown in FIG. 16(f), when the toner bottle unit 900 is rotated by 180 degrees, the leaf spring 70152 pressed by the protrusion 70135b of the supply port shutter 7013 is destination End 701521 comes into contact with the other leaf spring 70151. When rotation detector 7015 is thus brought into a conductive state, controller 90 of the image forming apparatus detects that toner bottle unit 900 has been rotated. In other words, controller 90 recognizes that shutter member 904 and replenishing port shutter 7013 have been unsealed, and that discharge port 42a of toner pack 40 and replenishing port 8012 of replenishing container mounting portion 701 are now in communication. In addition, controller 90 operates pressing mechanism 600 to move locking member 7014 to the locked position, thereby restricting the rotation of toner bottle unit 900.

[0120] Next, the user presses the piston 902 of the toner bottle unit 900 to start discharging the toner. The toner that has fallen into the toner storage portion 8011 is transported inside the toner receiving unit 801 and reaches the developing container 32. In this modified example, when the piston 902 is pushed all the way in, the above-described push-in detection mechanism detects the completion of the pushing operation of the piston 902. That is, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the push-in rib 9021 of the piston 902 presses the piston contact portion 9071 of the push-in detection rod 907, causing the push-in detection rod 907 to move in conjunction with the piston 902. Then, as shown in FIG. 16(d), the contact release portion 9072 of the push-in detection rod 907 breaks the electrical connection between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909. The control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus recognizes that the pushing of the piston 902 is complete based on the fact that no current flows even when a voltage is applied between the metal plate 9111 connected to the first contact plate 908 and the metal plate 9113 connected to the second contact plate 909. In other words, in this modified example, the condition for determining that the toner discharge is complete is that the push-in detection mechanism detects that the pushing operation of the piston 902 is complete. As another configuration example, the control unit 90 may rewrite the new product flag in the memory unit 911 when the electrical connection between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 is cut, and determine that the toner discharge is complete based on the rewriting of the new product flag.

[0121] Upon detecting that toner has been completely discharged from the toner bottle unit 900, the control unit 90 again operates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 to the unlocked position, rendering the toner bottle unit 900 rotatable. The user grips the toner bottle unit 900 and rotates it 180 degrees. As a result, the discharge port 9031 of the toner bottle unit 900 is covered by the shutter member 904, and the supply port 8012 of the supply container attachment portion 701 is covered by the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16(e), the leaf springs 70151 and 70152 separate, and the rotation detection portion 7015 returns to the disconnected state. The control unit 90 then recognizes that the supply port shutter 7013 is now closed, and operates the pressing mechanism 600 to move the locking member 7014 to the locked position. This returns the supply container attachment portion 701 to its initial state before toner replenishment.

[0122] (3) Second Modification Next, a second modified example will be described, which has a different process cartridge configuration. This modified example has the same configuration as the first embodiment except for the configuration related to the process cartridge, so a description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0123] (3-1) Process cartridge 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D are a perspective view, a side view, a cross-sectional view, and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the process cartridge 20A according to this modification, and FIGS. 17C and 17D show cross sections taken along the cross-sectional position shown in FIG. 17B.

[0124] As shown in each diagram in FIG. 17, the process cartridge 20A of this modified example is composed of a toner receiving unit 801, a developing unit 802, and a drum unit 803A. Compared to the first embodiment, the drum unit 803A is not provided with a cleaning blade 24 that cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 21, or a waste toner chamber 8033 (see FIG. 6(a)) that stores waste toner. This is because this modified example employs a cleaner-less configuration in which residual toner that has not been transferred to a recording material and remains on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is collected in the developing unit 802 and reused. It should be noted that, here too, for example, a non-magnetic or magnetic one-component developer is used.

[0125] In the illustrated example, the developing unit 802 is located at the bottom of the process cartridge 20A, and the toner receiving unit 801 and drum unit 803A are located above the developing unit 802 in the direction of gravity. As shown in FIG. 17(b), the toner receiving unit 801 and drum unit 803A do not overlap in position when viewed in the direction of gravity, but they may be configured to be at least partially aligned vertically. Furthermore, the toner receiving unit 801 is disposed in the space where the cleaning blade 24 and waste toner chamber 8033 were provided in the first embodiment. The configuration of the supply container mounting portion 701 provided in the toner receiving unit 801 is the same as in the first embodiment, but FIG. 17 illustrates a simplified shape.

[0126] Between the developing unit 802 and the drum unit 803A and the toner receiving unit 801, there is formed a laser passing space SP as a gap through which the laser light L emitted from the scanner unit 11 (see FIG. 1(a)) toward the photosensitive drum 21 can pass. In addition, it is preferable to dispose a pre-exposure device in the drum unit 803A, downstream of the transfer unit in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 21 and between the photosensitive drum 21 and the charging roller 22, that irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 with light to erase the electrostatic latent image.

[0127] (3-2) Toner behavior in cleanerless configuration The behavior of toner in a cleanerless configuration will be explained. Residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 21 at the transfer unit is removed in the following process. The residual toner is a mixture of positively charged toner and negatively charged toner that does not have a sufficient charge. The photosensitive drum 21 after transfer is neutralized by a pre-exposure device, and the charging roller 22 generates a uniform discharge, thereby re-charging the residual toner to a negative polarity. The residual toner, which has been re-charged to a negative polarity at the charging unit, reaches the developing unit as the photosensitive drum 21 rotates. The surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21 that has passed through the charging unit is then exposed by the scanner unit 11, with the residual toner still adhering to the surface, and an electrostatic latent image is written onto it.

[0128] Here, the behavior of the transfer residual toner that has reached the development unit will be explained separately for the exposed and non-exposed areas of the photosensitive drum 21. The transfer residual toner adhering to the non-exposed area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the development roller 31 in the development unit due to the potential difference between the potential of the non-exposed area (dark area potential) of the photosensitive drum 21 and the development voltage, and is then collected in the development container 32. This is because the normal charge polarity of the toner is negative, and the development voltage applied to the development roller 31 is positive relative to the potential of the non-exposed area. The toner collected in the development container 32 is stirred and dispersed with the toner in the development container by the stirring member 34, and is then carried by the development roller 31 and used again in the development process.

[0129] On the other hand, the transfer residual toner adhering to the exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 does not transfer from the photosensitive drum 21 to the developing roller 31 in the developing portion, but remains on the drum surface. This is because the normal charge polarity of the toner is negative, and the developing voltage applied to the developing roller 31 has a more negative potential than the potential of the exposed portion (light portion potential). The transfer residual toner remaining on the drum surface is carried by the photosensitive drum 21 together with other toner transferred from the developing roller 31 to the exposed portion, and moves to the transfer portion, where it is transferred to the recording material.

[0130] The cleaner-less configuration eliminates the need for space to install a collection container for collecting residual toner, etc., making it possible to further miniaturize the image forming device 1, and also reduces printing costs by reusing residual toner.

[0131] (4) Third Modification Next, a third modified example will be described, in which the configuration of the process cartridge is different from any of the above-described embodiments. This modified example has the same configuration as the first embodiment except for the configuration related to the process cartridge, so a description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0132] (4-1) Third Form of Process Cartridge Figure 18 shows (a) a perspective view, (b) a side view, and (c) a cross-sectional view of a process cartridge 20B according to this modification. Figure 18(c) shows a cross section taken along the cutting position shown in Figure 18(b).

[0133] As shown in each diagram in Figure 18, the process cartridge 20B of this modified example is made up of a developing unit 802 and a drum unit 803A. Compared to the third embodiment, the toner receiving unit 801 is omitted, and instead a supply container attachment section 701, a first conveying member 8013, and a second conveying member 8014 are arranged in the developing unit 802. In other words, this modified example is configured so that toner is replenished by attaching a supply container such as a toner pack 40 or a toner bottle unit 900 from outside the image forming apparatus to a supply port 8012 provided in the developing container 32. The configuration of the supply container attachment section 701 is the same as in the first embodiment, but a simplified shape is shown in the figures.

[0134] Between the developing unit 802 and the drum unit 803A and the toner receiving unit 801, there is formed a laser passing space SP as a gap through which the laser light L emitted from the scanner unit 11 (see FIG. 1(a)) toward the photosensitive drum 21 can pass. In addition, it is preferable to dispose a pre-exposure device in the drum unit 803A downstream of the transfer unit in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 21 and between the charging roller 22, which irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 with light to erase the electrostatic latent image. This modified example employs a cleanerless configuration. The behavior of toner in the cleanerless configuration is the same as in the second modified example, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0135] (5) Control system of image forming device 19 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. A control unit 90 serving as a control means for the image forming apparatus 1 includes a CPU 91 as a calculation device, a RAM 92 used as a work area for the CPU 91, and a non-volatile memory 93 for storing various programs. The control unit 90 also includes an I / O interface 94 as an input / output port for connecting to external devices, and an A / D conversion unit 95 for converting analog signals to digital signals. The CPU 91 controls each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 by reading and executing the control program stored in the non-volatile memory 93. Therefore, the non-volatile memory 93 is an example of a non-transitory storage medium that stores a control program for operating the image forming apparatus in a specific manner.

[0136] The control unit 90 is also connected to a T memory 57, which is a nonvolatile memory mounted in a supply container such as the toner pack 40 or the toner bottle unit 900, and a P memory 58, which is a nonvolatile memory mounted in the process cartridge 20. Examples of the T memory 57 as a storage means provided in a supply container are the memory unit 45 mounted in the toner pack 40 and the memory unit 911 mounted in the toner bottle unit 900. The T memory 57 also stores toner information indicating that the toner contained in a supply container such as the toner pack 40 or the toner bottle unit 900 is toner that can be replenished to the developing container 32. The toner information is, for example, information describing whether the toner pack 40 is in an unused state, the initial capacity of the toner, the expiration date, etc. The P memory 58 also stores the remaining amount of toner contained in the developing container 32, the total amount of toner replenished from the supply container, information regarding the photosensitive member lifespan, and information regarding the timing of replacing the process cartridge 20.

[0137] Furthermore, the control unit 90 is connected to a rotation lock mechanism 59 and the image forming unit 10. Examples of the rotation lock mechanism 59 include a lock member 7014 (FIGS. 9 and 11) provided in the supply container mounting unit 701 and a pressing mechanism 600 (FIG. 13) that moves the lock member 7014. The image forming unit 10 has a motor M1 as a drive source for driving the photosensitive drum 21, developing roller 31, supply roller 33, agitator 34, etc. Note that the drive sources for these rotating members do not necessarily have to be the same. For example, the photosensitive drum 21, developing roller 31, supply roller 33, and agitator 34 may each be driven by a separate motor. The image forming unit 10 also includes a power supply unit 211 for applying voltage to each member, such as the developing roller 31, and an exposure control unit 212 for controlling the scanner unit 11.

[0138] The input side of the control unit 90 is connected to a remaining toner amount detection means 51, a waste toner full detection means 52, an attachment detection means 53, an open / close detection means 54, a rotation detection means 55, and a push-in detection means 56.

[0139] The toner remaining amount detecting means 51 detects the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32. An example of the toner remaining amount detecting means 51 is an optical sensor (51a, 51b) shown in FIG. 6(a). This optical sensor includes a light-emitting element 51a that emits detection light toward the inside of the developing container 32 and a light-receiving element 51b that detects the detection light. In this case, the ratio of the period during which the optical path of the detection light is blocked by toner relative to the rotation period of the agitating member 34 (duty factor) correlates with the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32. By utilizing this, the correspondence between the duty factor and the amount of toner remaining can be prepared in advance, and the amount of toner remaining can be calculated from the current duty factor. Note that this optical sensor is an example of a toner remaining amount detecting means; a pressure-sensitive sensor or a capacitance sensor may also be used. The waste toner full detecting means 52 detects when the amount of waste toner accumulated in the waste toner chamber 8033 (FIG. 6(a)) of the cleaning unit 803 has reached a predetermined upper limit. The waste toner full detection means 52 may be, for example, a pressure sensor disposed in the waste toner chamber 8033. Furthermore, the control unit 90 may calculate and predict the amount of waste toner from the image information, based on the expectation that a predetermined percentage of the image information will be collected as waste toner.

[0140] The attachment detection means 53 detects that a supply container such as the toner pack 40 has been attached to the supply container attachment portion 701. The attachment detection means 53 is configured, for example, as a pressure-sensitive switch that is provided in the supply container attachment portion 701 and outputs a detection signal when pressed by the bottom surface of the toner pack 40. The attachment detection means 53 may also be a detection circuit that detects that the T memory 57 has been electrically connected to the control portion 90 via a contact portion 70133 (FIG. 9) of the supply container attachment portion 701.

[0141] The rotation detection means 55 detects the rotation of the refill container attached to the refill container attachment portion 701. An example of the rotation detection means 55 is a rotation detection portion 7015 configured with leaf springs 70151 and 70152 (FIGS. 9 and 16). The rotation detection portion 7015 is one example of the rotation detection means 55, and for example, a photoelectric sensor that is shielded from light by a protrusion provided on the refill port shutter 7013 can also be used as the rotation detection sensor. In addition, as another example of a rotation detection sensor, the leaf springs 70151 and 70152 of the rotation detection portion 7015 may be configured to be conductive via a protrusion provided on the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40.

[0142] Push-in detection means 56 is an element that is added when toner bottle unit 900 of the first modified example is used, and detects completion of pushing in of piston 902 of toner bottle unit 900. An example of push-in detection means 56 is a detection circuit provided in image forming apparatus 1 that detects a change in the state of a push-in detection mechanism (FIG. 16) that is made up of push-in detection rod 907, first contact plate 908, and second contact plate 909 provided in toner bottle unit 900. This detection circuit detects whether piston 902 has been pushed in or not by monitoring the current value when voltage is applied to metal plates 9111 and 9113 to which first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are connected, respectively.

[0143] The control unit 90 is also connected to an operation unit 300, which serves as a user interface for the image forming apparatus 1, and a remaining toner panel 400, which serves as a notification unit (alert unit) that notifies the user of information related to the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32. Here, the information related to the remaining toner is not limited to indicating the amount of toner remaining itself. In addition, the information related to the remaining toner also includes information indicating how much toner has already been replenished using the toner packs 40 and the toner bottle unit 900. The information related to the remaining toner also includes information indicating how many toner packs 40 remain in the developing container 32 and the free capacity of the developing container 32 that can be replenished using the toner bottle unit 900.

[0144] As shown in Fig. 20, the operation unit 300 has a display unit 301 capable of displaying various setting screens. The display unit 301 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal panel. The operation unit 300 also has an input unit 302 that accepts input operations from the user. The input unit 302 is configured, for example, by physical buttons or a touch panel function unit such as a liquid crystal panel. Furthermore, the control unit 90 is connected to external devices such as a desktop computer or a smartphone via an I / O interface 94.

[0145] Furthermore, the control unit 90 is connected to external devices such as a desktop computer or a smartphone via an I / O interface 94, and is capable of displaying a message 561 such as that shown in FIG. 21 on a display 560 of the host computer.

[0146] (6) Control according to the type of supply container The following describes the operation when toner is replenished from a replenishment container to the image forming apparatus 1. In this embodiment, multiple types of replenishment containers containing different amounts of toner can be connected to one image forming apparatus 1. The advantage is that the user can select the amount of toner to be replenished in one toner replenishment, allowing for more flexible operation of the image forming apparatus 1. Here, a case where multiple types of toner bottle units with different capacities (fillings) are used as an example of a replenishment container will be described.

[0147] (6-1) Toner bottle unit type FIG. 22 shows the types of toner bottle unit 900 described above. FIG. 22(a) shows a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991, which stores enough toner for 1,000 prints. FIG. 22(b) shows a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992, which stores enough toner for 2,000 prints. FIG. 22(c) shows a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993, which stores enough toner for 4,000 prints. Note that the "number of prints" refers to the increase in the number of sheets of recording material on which the image forming apparatus can form images, which is increased by using the toner bottle unit to replenish toner. Furthermore, the "amount of toner for 1,000 prints" refers to the amount of toner consumed when 1,000 images are output at a standard average printing rate (the ratio of the area of ​​the toner image to the effective image area of ​​the recording material).

[0148] Each of the toner bottle units 991 to 993 has the same configuration as the aforementioned toner bottle unit 900, except that they have different capacities. Therefore, each of the toner bottle units 991 to 993 includes a T memory 57 as storage means, such as a memory unit 911, and a first contact plate 908, a second contact plate 909, and a push-in detection rod 907 that constitute push-in detection means 56.

[0149] (6-2) Circuit configuration of the toner bottle unit 23 shows the circuit configuration of toner bottle units 991-993, including T memory 57 and a push-in detection mechanism. T memory 57 is connected to metal plates 9111 and 9112, first contact plate 908 is connected to metal plate 9111, and second contact plate 909 is connected to metal plate 9113. When toner bottle units 991-993 are attached to replenishment container attachment portion 701, metal plates 9111-9113 of contact portion 911a are electrically connected to the control portion of the image forming apparatus via contact portion 70133 (FIG. 9) of replenishment container attachment portion 701.

[0150] The T memory 57 stores different capacity information (toner amount information) depending on the type of toner bottle unit 991-993. The T memory 57 is an example of a storage unit that stores information that enables identification of the type of replenishment container to which the T memory 57 is attached, among the multiple types of replenishment containers that exist. In this embodiment, the capacity information is stored as electronic information in the memory. For the small-capacity toner bottle unit 991, capacity information indicating that an amount of toner equivalent to 1,000 pages of prints is stored is stored in the T memory 57. For the medium-capacity and large-capacity toner bottle units 992 and 993, capacity information indicating that an amount of toner equivalent to 2,000 pages of prints and an amount of toner equivalent to 4,000 pages of prints are stored is stored in the T memory 57. Furthermore, the T memory 57 stores a new product flag that indicates whether the toner bottle unit 991-993 is unused (new) or has been used to replenish toner.

[0151] The control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1, which is connected to the T memory 57 via the contact portion 70133, acquires the capacity information stored in the T memory 57 through the metal plates 9111 and 9112. In other words, the contact portion 70133 is an example of an acquisition unit that allows the image forming apparatus to acquire information indicating the type of replenishment container. In this embodiment, the control unit 90 identifies the type of toner bottle unit 991-993 by reading the capacity information from the T memory 57 via the contact portion 70133. The method of communication with the T memory 57 is a so-called two-wire transmission method that uses both a power supply line and a communication signal line, and communication is performed through the metal plates 9111 and 9112. Note that a different communication method may also be used.

[0152] The information that the control unit 90 obtains from the T memory 57 is not limited to information that directly indicates the capacity of the toner bottle unit, but may be information that can identify which of multiple types of toner bottle unit with different capacities the toner bottle unit is. In this case, the control unit 90 can determine the capacity of the toner bottle unit by referring to the correspondence between the type of toner bottle unit and its capacity that is stored in advance in non-volatile memory.

[0153] As explained using Figures 16(a) to (d), when piston 902 of toner bottle unit 991 to 993 is pressed, contact release portion 9072 of push-in detection rod 907, which is an insulator, enters between first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909, and conduction is released. In other words, Figure 23 shows the circuit state after piston 902 is pushed in. However, in Figure 23, the switch mechanism consisting of first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 is shown as an equivalent circuit symbol that is turned on / off by push-in detection rod 907.

[0154] When no current flows even when a voltage is applied between metal plates 9111 and 9113, control unit 90 of image forming apparatus 1 determines that piston 902 has been pushed in and that the toner stored in toner bottle units 991 to 993 has been completely discharged. On the other hand, when first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are electrically connected, control unit 90 determines that piston 902 is not pushed in (a brand new state) based on the fact that a current flows when a voltage is applied between metal plates 9111 and 9113.

[0155] (6-3) Toner replenishment control Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus when toner is replenished using one of the toner bottle units 991 to 993 with different capacities will be described.

[0156] During a period when toner is not being replenished, the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 changes the display level of the panel 400 (FIG. 14) based on the detection result of the toner remaining amount detection means 51 (FIG. 19). Hereinafter, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the display state of the panel 400 can be changed between at least five display levels. In the case of the panel configuration shown in FIG. 14, for example, a state in which the lower scale 4003 is lit and the central scale 4002 flashes can be set as a display level between (a) and (b). Also, a state in which the central and lower scales 4002 and 4003 are lit and the upper scale 4001 flashes can be set as a display level between (b) and (c).

[0157] 14(a) to 14(c) and the display state at the Low level described above, the display level of panel 400 can be changed in at least six stages. In this case, one display level stage corresponds to the amount of toner in one small-capacity toner bottle unit 991, or the amount of toner for 1,000 prints. In other words, if image forming apparatus 1 repeats image formation operations without toner replenishment, the display level of panel 400 will decrease by one stage approximately every time images are formed on 1,000 sheets of recording material.

[0158] The operation when toner is replenished will be described with reference to Figure 24. In the procedure of this flowchart, S501, S508, S511, S519, and S520 represent operations performed by the user. The other steps are realized by the CPU 91 (Figure 19) provided in the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 executing a program read from the non-volatile memory 93.

[0159] First, the user opens the opening / closing member 83 (FIG. 4(c)) and mounts one of the small-capacity, medium-capacity, and large-capacity toner bottle units 991, 992, 993 in the supply container mounting portion 701 (S501). This connects the T memory 57 to the control unit 90, so the control unit 90 communicates with the T memory 57 and acquires the new product flag and capacity information stored in the T memory 57 (S502). Furthermore, the control unit 90 communicates with the P memory 58 and acquires the free capacity information of the developer container 32 stored in the P memory 58 (S503). The free capacity information of the developer container 32 in the P memory 58 is updated by the control unit 90 as needed based on the detection result of the toner remaining amount detection means 51.

[0160] The control unit 90 determines whether the toner bottle units 991-993 currently attached to the supply container mounting portion 701 are new or not based on the value of the new product flag acquired from the T memory 57. The control unit 90 also compares the capacity information of the toner bottle units 991-993 acquired from the T memory 57 with the free space information of the P memory 58 to determine whether the developer container 32 has sufficient free space (S505). That is, when the free space capacity of the developer container 32 is larger than the capacity of the toner bottle units 991-993 currently attached to the supply container mounting portion 701, it is determined that the developer container 32 has sufficient free space.

[0161] If the currently installed toner bottle units 991 to 993 are new and there is sufficient free space in the developing container 32, the control unit 90 operates the rotation lock mechanism 59 to unlock the supply port shutter 7013 (S506, see Figure 11(a)).

[0162] On the other hand, if the currently installed toner bottle units 991-993 are not new, the control unit 90 maintains the locked state of the supply port shutter 7013 (S507, see FIG. 11B). If there is insufficient free space in the developing container 32, the control unit 90 also maintains the locked state of the supply port shutter 7013 (S507, see FIG. 11B). If the lock on the supply port shutter 7013 is not released, the user cannot rotate the toner bottle units 991-993, and the process does not proceed to the subsequent steps S506-S519. In this case, the user can remove the toner bottle units 991-993 to end the procedure (S520), and the image forming apparatus 1 returns to the state before the toner supply operation. In this way, the rotation lock mechanism 59 functions as a locking mechanism that restricts the operation of connecting the discharge port of the supply container installed in the supply port with the supply port (in this embodiment, a rotation operation). Whether or not to release the restriction is determined based on the capacity of the installed supply container and other information.

[0163] When the lock on the supply port shutter 7013 is released (S506), the user rotates the toner bottle units 991-993 180 degrees (S508). Then, the rotation detection means 55 detects that the supply port shutter 7013 has rotated 180 degrees (S509), and based on this, the control unit 90 locks the rotation lock mechanism 59 (S510). As a result, the toner bottle units 991-993 cannot be rotated by the user, and the discharge ports of the toner bottle units 991-993 attached to the supply container attachment portion 701 remain in communication with the supply port 8012.

[0164] When the user pushes in piston 902 of toner bottle unit 991-993 to discharge toner (S511), push-in detection means 56 detects that piston 902 has been pushed in (S512). That is, in this configuration example, push-in detection means 56 is used as discharge detection means that detects completion of toner discharge from the supply container. Upon detecting completion of toner discharge, control unit 90 lights up at least one of the unlit scales on panel 400 to notify the user that toner has been replenished.

[0165] Here, the control unit 90 changes the increment of the display level of the panel 400 depending on which of the multiple types of toner bottle units 991 to 993 with different capacities the toner is replenished from (S513 to S516).

[0166] For example, suppose toner is replenished when the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 indicates a low level. In this case, if capacity information indicating a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991 is acquired in S502, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by one level (S514). If capacity information indicating a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992 is acquired in S602, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by two levels (S515). If capacity information indicating a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993 is acquired in S602, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by four levels (S516).

[0167] In this way, the unit by which the scale on the display means of this embodiment increases or decreases corresponds to the capacity of the supply container (first supply container) with the smallest capacity among the multiple types of supply containers. In other words, when toner is replenished using the first supply container with the smallest capacity among the multiple types of supply containers (for example, small-capacity toner bottle unit 991), the scale on the display means changes by one level. When toner is replenished using a second supply container (for example, medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992) with a larger capacity than the first supply container among the multiple types of supply containers, the scale on the display means changes by multiple levels.

[0168] After changing the display on panel 400, control unit 90 records in T memory 57 that the toner pack has been used up (S517) and releases rotation lock mechanism 59 (S518). The user rotates toner bottle units 991-993 180 degrees (S519) and removes toner bottle units 991-993 from replenishment container mounting portion 701 (S520). This completes the procedure for replenishment of toner to image forming apparatus 1.

[0169] Although the procedure for toner replenishment using toner bottle units 991-993 has been described above, toner replenishment is basically performed in the same manner when using other replenishment containers such as toner pack 40. Therefore, by accessing T memory 57 (memory unit 45) of toner pack 40 attached to replenishment container attachment portion 701, control unit 90 can determine the type of the toner pack.

[0170] However, in the case of a toner pack, since the piston is not pushed in, the completion of toner discharge is detected by another discharge detection means instead of the steps S511 and S512 in Fig. 24. Specifically, one method is to consider discharge to be complete when a predetermined time has passed since the rotation of the toner bottle was detected in S509. Another method is to display a button on operation unit 300 indicating that toner discharge is complete after the rotation of the toner bottle is detected in S509, and determine that toner discharge is complete when the user presses the button.

[0171] Thus, in this embodiment, in a configuration in which multiple types of toner bottle units 991-993 with different capacities can be used, when a toner bottle unit is attached to the image forming apparatus, control unit 90 reads capacity information from T memory 57 of that toner bottle unit. In other words, in a configuration in which multiple types of replenishment containers containing different amounts of toner can be used, control unit 90 as a discrimination means reads capacity information stored in T memory 57, which is an example of holding means, to discriminate the type of that replenishment container (S502 in FIG. 24).

[0172] Based on the result of this determination, the control unit 90 can perform an appropriate operation of the image forming apparatus according to the type of replenishment container used by the user to replenish toner. For example, in S505 of FIG. 24, the amount of toner contained in the replenishment container is monitored to see if it exceeds the available capacity of the developer container 32, thereby preventing toner from overflowing from the developer container 32. In addition, in S513 to S516 of FIG. 24, the display level of the panel 400 is changed according to the type of replenishment container used for the current toner replenishment. This allows the user to quickly check the change in the amount of toner that can be replenished to the developer container 32 without waiting for the detection result of the toner remaining amount detection means after toner replenishment to be reflected in the display level of the panel 400.

[0173] The determination of the free space (S505) and the panel display control (S513 to S516) described above are both examples of operations performed in response to the determination result of the type of replenishment container, and the control unit 90 may use the determination result of the type of replenishment container for other operations. For example, after S502 in Fig. 24, the display unit 301 (Fig. 20) of the operation unit 300 or the display 560 (Fig. 21) of the external device may be configured to display a message indicating that a replenishment container has been attached to the replenishment container attachment unit 701 and indicating the type of replenishment container.

[0174] Although FIG. 23 illustrates an example of the circuit configuration of the toner bottle unit push-in detection mechanism, other circuit configurations may be used. In this circuit configuration, the contact connected to memory unit 911 and the contact of the push-in detection mechanism are shared by the same metal plate 9111. However, as shown in FIG. 25, these contacts may be independent. In this circuit configuration, memory unit 911 is connected to metal plates 9111 and 9112, first contact plate 908 of the push-in detection mechanism is connected to metal plate 9114, and second contact plate 909 is connected to metal plate 9113. In this case, too, control unit 90 can access T memory 57 via metal plates 9111 and 9112 to read capacity information when the toner bottle unit is attached to replenishment container attachment portion 701. Note that even with this circuit configuration, control unit 90 can detect that the piston of the toner bottle unit has been pushed in and toner has been discharged based on the presence or absence of conductivity between metal plates 9113 and 9114.

[0175] Furthermore, the T memory 57 used as the holding means in this embodiment is an example of a storage medium that stores capacity information, which is information indicating the type of replenishment container, as electronic information. However, the holding means (storage means for information indicating the type of replenishment container) in this disclosure is not limited to an electronic storage medium, as will be described in the following embodiments.

[0176] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration and method for distinguishing between types of refill containers with different capacities. Other elements having the same configuration and function as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0177] (Capacitive sensing using a resistor) In this embodiment, as an example of a plurality of types of replenishment containers with different capacities, explanation will be given using small-capacity, medium-capacity, and large-capacity toner bottle units 991, 992, and 993 shown in Fig. 22. However, in this embodiment, instead of a memory unit which is a storage medium for storing electronic information, a resistor 912 is used as a storage means (storage means) for storing information about the replenishment container, as shown in Fig. 26(a).

[0178] A plurality of types of resistors 912 with different resistance values ​​are provided, and a resistor type corresponding to the type of toner bottle unit 991 to 993 is attached to each of them. Specifically, a resistor 912 with a resistance value Ra is attached to a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991 that contains enough toner for 1,000 pages of printing. A resistor 912 with a resistance value 2Ra is attached to a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992 that contains enough toner for 2,000 pages of printing. A resistor 912 with a resistance value 4Ra is attached to a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993 that contains enough toner for 4,000 pages of printing. In each case, resistor 912 is connected to metal plates 9111 and 9112 of contact portion 911a.

[0179] In this way, the resistor 912, which is the holding means (storage means) of this embodiment, holds information (capacity information) related to the type of replenishment container as a resistance value. That is, a resistance value Ra represents capacity information corresponding to the amount of toner for 1000 sheets, a resistance value 2Ra represents capacity information corresponding to the amount of toner for 2000 sheets, and a resistance value 4Ra represents capacity information corresponding to the amount of toner for 4000 sheets.

[0180] The control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus can check the resistance value of the resistor 712 by applying a voltage to the resistor 712 via a contact 70133 provided in the supply container attachment unit 701. That is, a voltage is applied to the metal plate 9112 via a contact 91120 of the contact unit 70133. However, the voltage applied to the metal plate 9112 is a divided voltage obtained by dividing the resistance of the resistance value Ra and the voltage Vcc, and the contact 91110 in contact with the other metal plate 9111 is grounded. The control unit 90 checks the resistance value of the resistor 712 by acquiring the voltage value on the resistor 912 side via the A / D conversion unit 95.

[0181] Here, the operation of the push-in detection means 56 (FIG. 19) will also be described using FIG. 26. The configuration of the push-in detection mechanism in the toner bottle unit is the same as that described in the first embodiment. That is, the first contact plate 908 is connected to the metal plate 9111 of the contact portion 911a, and the second contact plate 909 is connected to another metal plate 9113 of the contact portion 911a. When the piston 902 is pushed in, the push-in detection rod 907 slides in conjunction with the piston 902, and the contact release portion 9072 of the push-in detection rod 907 cuts off the electrical connection between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 (see also FIGS. 16(a) to 16(d)). Furthermore, the contact 91130 of the contact portion 70133 is connected to the second contact plate 909 via the metal plate 9113, and the contact 91110 is connected to the first contact plate 908 via the metal plate 9111. However, in FIG. 26, a switch mechanism consisting of a first contact plate 908 and a second contact plate 909 is shown as an equivalent circuit symbol that is turned on / off by a push-in detection rod 907.

[0182] The control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus can detect the pushing of the piston 902 by monitoring the presence or absence of continuity between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 via the contact 70133 provided in the replenishment container mounting portion 701. That is, when the toner bottle unit is mounted in the replenishment container mounting portion 701 and the piston 902 is not pushed in, the contact 91130 is grounded via the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909, which are in a conductive state. Therefore, the voltage value detected by the CPU 91 is 0 [V]. On the other hand, when the piston 902 is pushed in, the continuity between the first contact plate 908 and the second contact plate 909 is cut off, and the voltage value detected by the CPU 91 changes to Vcc [V]. Based on this change in voltage value, the control unit 90 determines whether the piston is being pushed in.

[0183] (Control when replenishing toner) Next, the control of panel 400 when toner is replenished using toner bottle units 991 to 993 with different capacities will be described.

[0184] The operation when refilling a toner bottle will be described with reference to Fig. 27. In this flowchart, steps other than S601, S608, S611, S619, and S620, which are user operations, are realized by the CPU 91 (Fig. 19) provided in the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 executing a program read from the nonvolatile memory 93.

[0185] First, the user opens the open / close member 83 (FIG. 4(c)) and attaches one of the small-, medium-, or large-capacity toner bottle units 991-993 to the replenishment container attachment portion 701 (S601). This connects the resistor 912 to the control unit 90, so the control unit 90 acquires a voltage value from a circuit including the resistor 912 via the A / D conversion unit 95 and acquires capacity information of the toner bottle units 991-993 based on the acquired voltage value (S602). Specifically, if the voltage value acquired by the A / D conversion unit 95 in FIG. 26 is Vcc×Ra / (Ra+Rb), the control unit 90 determines that the capacity information is the toner amount for 1,000 printed pages. Also, if the voltage value acquired by the A / D conversion unit 95 is Vcc×2Ra / (2Ra+Rb), the control unit 90 determines that the capacity information is the toner amount for 2,000 printed pages. Furthermore, when the voltage value acquired by the A / D conversion unit 95 is Vcc×4Ra / (4Ra+Rb), it is determined that the capacity information is the toner amount for 4000 prints. Furthermore, the control unit 90 communicates with the P memory 58 and acquires the free capacity information of the developing container 32 stored in the P memory 58 (S603).

[0186] The control unit 90 compares the capacity information of the toner bottle units 991-993 determined based on the resistance value of the resistor 912 with the free capacity information of the P memory 58, and determines whether or not there is sufficient free capacity in the developing container 32 (S605). That is, when the free capacity of the developing container 32 is larger than the capacity of the toner bottle units 991-993 currently attached to the supply container attachment portion 701, it is determined that there is sufficient free capacity in the developing container 32.

[0187] If there is sufficient free space in the developing container 32, the control unit 90 operates the rotation lock mechanism 59 to unlock the supply port shutter 7013 (S606, see FIG. 11(a)). On the other hand, if there is not enough free space in the developing container 32, the control unit 90 maintains the locked state of the supply port shutter 7013 (S607, see FIG. 11(b)). If the lock of the supply port shutter 7013 is not unlocked, the user cannot rotate the toner bottle units 991-993, and the process does not proceed to the subsequent steps S606-S619. In this case, the user can remove the toner bottle units 991-993, which ends the procedure (S620), and the image forming apparatus 1 returns to the state it was in before the toner supply operation was performed.

[0188] Between S603 and S605, a step may be provided in which push-in detection means 56 confirms that pistons 902 of toner bottle units 991-993 have not been pushed in. At this time, if the toner bottle unit is in the state before the pistons are pushed in (if first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are conductive), the toner bottle unit is determined to be new and the process proceeds to S605. On the other hand, if the toner bottle unit is in the state after the pistons are pushed in (if the first contact plate 908 and second contact plate 909 are not conductive), the toner bottle unit is determined to be used and the process proceeds to S607.

[0189] When the lock on the supply port shutter 7013 is released (S606), the user rotates the toner bottle units 991-993 180 degrees (S608). Then, the rotation detection means 55 detects that the supply port shutter 7013 has rotated 180 degrees (S609), and based on this, the control unit 90 locks the rotation lock mechanism 59 (S610). As a result, the toner bottle units 991-993 cannot be rotated by the user, and the discharge ports of the toner bottle units 991-993 attached to the supply container attachment portion 701 remain connected to the supply port 8012.

[0190] When the user pushes in piston 902 of toner bottle unit 991-993 to discharge toner (S611), push-in detection means 56 detects that piston 902 has been pushed in (S612). That is, in this configuration example, the completion of toner discharge from the supply container is determined based on the detection result of the push-in detection means. When the completion of toner discharge is detected, control unit 90 lights up at least one of the unlit scales on panel 400 to notify the user that toner has been replenished.

[0191] Here, the control unit 90 changes the increment of the display level of the panel 400 depending on which of the multiple types of toner bottle units 991 to 993 with different capacities the toner is replenished from (S613 to S616).

[0192] For example, suppose toner has been replenished, indicating that the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32 is low. In this case, if capacity information indicating a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991 has been acquired in S602, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by one level (S614). If capacity information indicating a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992 has been acquired in S602, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by two levels (S615). If capacity information indicating a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993 has been acquired in S602, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by four levels (S616).

[0193] After changing the display on panel 400, control unit 90 releases rotation lock mechanism 59 (S618). The user rotates toner bottle units 991-993 180 degrees (S619) and removes toner bottle units 991-993 from replenishment container mounting portion 701 (S620). This completes the procedure for replenishment of toner to image forming apparatus 1.

[0194] Thus, in this embodiment, when a toner bottle unit is attached to an image forming apparatus, control unit 90 measures the resistance value of resistor 912 of the toner bottle unit to obtain capacity information of the toner bottle unit. In other words, in a configuration in which multiple types of replenishment containers containing different amounts of toner can be used, control unit 90, as a discrimination means, discriminates the type of the replenishment container based on the resistance value of resistor 912, which is an example of holding means (S502 in FIG. 24). Using the result of this discrimination, control unit 90 can operate the image forming apparatus appropriately depending on the type of replenishment container that the user is going to use to replenish toner.

[0195] 26(a), the same metal plate 9111 is used as both the contact connected to resistor 912 and the contact of the push-in detection mechanism, but as shown in FIG. 26(b), these contacts may be independent. In this circuit configuration, resistor 912 is connected to metal plates 9111 and 9112, first contact plate 908 of the push-in detection mechanism is connected to metal plate 9114, and second contact plate 909 is connected to metal plate 9113. In this case, too, control unit 90 can obtain capacity information of the toner bottle unit based on the resistance value of resistor 912 via metal plates 9111 and 9112 when the toner bottle unit is attached to replenishment container attachment portion 701. Note that even with this circuit configuration, control unit 90 can detect that the piston of the toner bottle unit has been pushed in and toner has been discharged based on the presence or absence of conductivity between metal plates 9113 and 9114.

[0196] In addition, in this embodiment, the procedure for toner replenishment using toner bottle units 991 to 993 has been described, but toner replenishment is basically performed in the same procedure when using other replenishment containers such as toner pack 40. Therefore, control unit 90 can determine the type of toner pack by detecting the resistance value of the resistor provided in toner pack 40 attached to replenishment container attachment unit 701.

[0197] <Third embodiment> As a third embodiment, a description will be given of an embodiment in which the wiring pattern between the multiple contacts provided on the refill container varies depending on the type of refill container. This embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in the configuration and method for distinguishing between types of refill containers with different capacities. Hereinafter, elements having the same configuration and function as those of the first and second embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as those of the first and second embodiments, and their description will be omitted.

[0198] FIG. 28 shows an example of the configuration of wiring pattern 913 between metal plates 9111, 9112, 9115 exposed at contact portion 911a when small-, medium-, and large-capacity toner bottle units 991, 992, 993 are used as supply containers.

[0199] The contact portion 70133 of the supply container mounting portion 701 is provided with contacts 91110, 91120, 91130, and 91150 which are connected to the metal plates 9111, 9112, 9113, and 9115, respectively, when the toner bottle units 991 to 993 are mounted. The contact 91110 is connected to a ground potential. The contacts 91120 and 91150 are connected to a supply voltage (Vcc) via resistors having resistances Rd and Re, respectively.

[0200] 28(a) shows the circuit configuration of small-capacity toner bottle unit 991, in which metal plates JP1 and JP2 are arranged. In this case, metal plates 9112 and 9115 are always electrically connected to metal plate 9111 via metal plates JP1 and JP2, respectively.

[0201] 28(b) shows the circuit configuration of a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992, in which metal plate JP1 is provided but metal plate JP2 is not provided. In this case, metal plate 9112 is always electrically connected to metal plate 9111 via metal plate JP1, while metal plate 9115 is insulated from metal plate 9111.

[0202] 28(c) shows the circuit configuration of large-capacity toner bottle unit 993, in which metal plate JP2 is provided but metal plate JP1 is not provided. In this case, metal plate 9112 is insulated from metal plate JP1, while metal plate 9115 is always electrically connected to metal plate 9111 via metal plate JP2.

[0203] When the toner bottle units 991-993 are attached to the replenishment container attachment portion 701, the control portion 90 can determine the type of replenishment container by electrically detecting the presence or absence of the metal plates JP1 and JP2. That is, when the toner bottle units 991-993 are attached, the current flowing through the contact 91120 is Vcc / Rd if the metal plate JP1 is present (FIGS. 28(a) and (b)), and is 0 if the metal plate JP1 is not present (FIG. 28(c)). Furthermore, when the toner bottle units 991-993 are attached, the current flowing through the contact 91150 is Vcc / Re if the metal plate JP2 is present (FIGS. 28(a) and (c)), and is 0 if the metal plate JP2 is not present (FIG. 28(b)).

[0204] In this way, in this embodiment, the wiring pattern 913 of the electric circuit provided on the replenishment container differs depending on the type of replenishment container. In other words, in this embodiment, the wiring pattern 913, which changes depending on the presence or absence of the metal plates JP1, JP2, functions as a holding means for holding information about the replenishment container.

[0205] When a replenishment container is connected to the replenishment container mounting portion 701, the control portion 90 can detect differences in the wiring path of the replenishment container and identify the type of replenishment container based on the presence or absence of current flowing through each contact of the contact portion 70133 for the replenishment container. The method of controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus using the identification result when a user performs an operation to replenish toner is the same as in the first and second embodiments, and therefore will not be described here.

[0206] In this embodiment, the wiring pattern 913 is differentiated by changing the presence or absence of the metal plates JP1, JP2 depending on the type of replenishment container, but the wiring pattern 913 may also be differentiated by changing the presence or absence of the metal plates 9112, 9115, for example. In this case as well, when a replenishment container is attached to the replenishment container attachment section 701, the control section 90 can determine the type of replenishment container based on the presence or absence of current flowing through each contact of the contact section 70133.

[0207] 28, metal plate 9111 serves both as a contact for wiring pattern 913 indicating the type of refill container and as a contact for the push-in detection mechanism, but these contacts may be independent as shown in Fig. 29. In this circuit configuration, metal plate 9111 is part of wiring pattern 913, and first contact plate 908 of the push-in detection mechanism is connected to metal plate 9114, and second contact plate 909 is connected to metal plate 9113.

[0208] <Fourth embodiment> As a fourth embodiment, a description will be given of an embodiment in which the shape of a portion of a replenishment container differs depending on the type of replenishment container. This embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in the configuration and method for distinguishing between types of replenishment containers with different capacities. Hereinafter, elements having the same configuration and function as those of the first to third embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as those of the first to third embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0209] Figure 30 shows toner bottle units 991, 992, and 993 as replenishment containers in this embodiment. Figure 30(a) shows a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991, which has two protrusions 994 and 995 at its downstream end in the insertion direction into the replenishment container mounting portion 701. Figure 30(b) shows a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992, which has one protrusion 994 at its downstream end in the insertion direction into the replenishment container mounting portion 701. Figure 30(c) shows a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993, which has another protrusion 995 at its downstream end in the insertion direction into the replenishment container mounting portion 701.

[0210] In this way, the multiple types of toner bottle units 991 to 993 with different capacities have shape patterns 914 formed in different shapes for each type. Shape patterns 914 are an example of a holding means (storage means) that holds information about the supply container as a physical shape.

[0211] When the toner bottle units 991-993 are attached to the supply container attachment portion 701, the control portion 90 of the image forming apparatus determines the type of the toner bottle units 991-993 by detecting the shape of the shape pattern 914. Specifically, the supply container attachment portion 701 of this embodiment is provided with two switches SW1 and SW2 that are activated by contact with protrusions 994 and 995 of the shape pattern 914, as shown in FIG.

[0212] If the toner bottle unit has a protrusion 994, the protrusion 994 turns switch SW1 on when the toner bottle unit is attached, and if the protrusion 994 is not attached, switch SW1 remains off. Similarly, if the toner bottle unit has a protrusion 995, the protrusion 995 turns switch SW2 on when the toner bottle unit is attached, and if the protrusion 995 is not attached, switch SW2 remains off. The control unit 90 determines the type of toner bottle unit 991-993 currently attached based on the on / off patterns of switches SW1 and SW2.

[0213] The switches SW1 and SW2 are an example of a detection means capable of detecting differences in the shape pattern 914 of the refill container, and other detection means may be used. For example, as shown in Fig. 32, optical sensors PI1 and PI2, which are shielded from light by protrusions 994 and 995, respectively, may be disposed in the refill container mounting portion 701. In this case as well, the control portion 90 can determine the type of toner bottle unit 991-993 currently mounted based on the patterns of the output signals of the optical sensors PI1 and PI2.

[0214] In the above first to fourth embodiments, a configuration has been exemplified in which information about the replenishment container is stored in a storage means (storage means) provided in the replenishment container, and the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus reads the information from the storage means to determine the type of replenishment container. The storage means is not limited to those described in the above embodiments, and any storage means can be used as long as it is capable of storing information that can identify which of multiple types of replenishment containers is attached to the replenishment container attachment unit 701. For example, a two-dimensional barcode encoding information about the type (capacity) and expiration date of the replenishment container may be attached to the surface of the replenishment container, and the type of replenishment container may be determined by reading the information using an image sensor in the image forming apparatus.

[0215] <Fifth embodiment> As a fifth embodiment, a description will be given of an embodiment in which a user is prompted to input the type of replenishment container for different toner replenishment, and the image forming apparatus determines the type of replenishment container based on the user input. This embodiment differs from the first to fourth embodiments in the configuration and determination method for determining the type of replenishment container with different capacities. Hereinafter, elements having the same configuration and function as the first to fourth embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as the first to fourth embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0216] As shown in Fig. 33, a selection screen 562 is displayed on the display unit 301 of the operation unit 300 in this embodiment to prompt the user to select the type of replenishment container used for toner replenishment. Here, it is assumed that the selection is made from the three types of toner bottle units 991 to 993 shown in Fig. 22. The user operates any of the buttons on the input unit 302 in accordance with the instructions on the selection screen 562 to input the type of replenishment container used for toner replenishment to the image forming apparatus.

[0217] As a modified example, a selection screen 562 that prompts the user to select the type of replenishment container used for toner replenishment may be displayed on a display 560 of a host computer connected to the image forming apparatus. In this case, the host computer displays the selection screen 562 based on information received from the image forming apparatus, and transmits information on the type of replenishment container input by the user via an input device to the image forming apparatus.

[0218] The operation of toner replenishment in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 35. In this flowchart, steps other than S701 to S703, S706, S711, and S712, which are user operations, are realized by the CPU 91 (Fig. 19) provided in the control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 executing a program read from the nonvolatile memory 93.

[0219] First, the user opens the opening / closing member 83 (FIG. 4(c)) and attaches one of the small-, medium-, or large-capacity toner bottle units 991-993 to the supply container attachment portion 701 (S701). Next, the user rotates the toner bottle units 991-993 180 degrees (S702). This causes the outlets of the toner bottle units 991-993 attached to the supply container attachment portion 701 to communicate with the supply port 8012. When the user pushes in the pistons 902 of the toner bottle units 991-993 to eject the toner (S703), the push-in detection means 56 detects that the pistons 902 have been pushed in (S704).

[0220] Here, the control unit 90, which has detected in S704 that the toner has been discharged, executes a process (display process) of displaying the selection screen 303 (FIG. 33) on the display unit 301, which allows the user to select the type of toner bottle (S705, S706). In the case of the above-described modified example, the control unit 90, which has detected in S704 that the toner has been discharged, sends a notification to the host computer via the I / O interface 94 (FIG. 19), and performs the display process by displaying the selection screen 562 (FIG. 34) on the display 560.

[0221] Then, when the control unit 90 receives information about the type of toner bottle unit input by the user from the operation unit 300, the control unit 90 changes the display level of the panel 400 based on the input information (S707 to S710). For example, if information indicating a small-capacity toner bottle unit 991 has been acquired in S706, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by one level (S708). If information indicating a medium-capacity toner bottle unit 992 has been acquired in S706, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by two levels (S709). If information indicating a large-capacity toner bottle unit 993 has been acquired in S706, the control unit 90 increases the display level of the panel 400 by four levels (S710).

[0222] After inputting the type of toner bottle unit 991-993 in S706, the user rotates the toner bottle unit 991-993 by 180 degrees (S711) and removes the toner bottle unit 991-993 from the supply container mounting portion 701 (S712). This completes the procedure for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0223] As described above, in this embodiment, when toner is replenished, the selection screen 303, 562 is displayed on at least one of the display unit 301 of the image forming apparatus or the external display 560. The control unit 90 determines the type of toner bottle unit used in the current toner replenishment based on information input by the user in accordance with the selection screen 303, 562. In other words, the control unit 90, as a determination unit, requests the user to input information regarding the type of replenishment container via the image forming apparatus or the external display unit, and determines the type of replenishment container based on the information input by the user. Using the determination result, the control unit 90 can operate the image forming apparatus appropriately depending on the type of replenishment container used by the user for toner replenishment.

[0224] In this embodiment, the timing at which the selection screen 303, 562 is displayed is when it is detected that the piston of the toner bottle unit has been pushed in. However, for example, the selection screen 303, 562 may also be displayed when it is detected that a toner bottle unit has been attached to the supply container attachment portion 701. In this case, it is preferable to initially lock the supply port shutter 7013 with the rotation lock mechanism 59, and to unlock it when the capacity of the toner bottle unit selected by the user is equal to or less than the free capacity of the developer container 32 obtained from the P memory 58 (see S505 to S507 in FIG. 24).

[0225] In addition, although the procedure for toner replenishment using toner bottle units 991 to 993 has been described in this embodiment, toner replenishment is basically performed in the same procedure when using other replenishment containers such as toner pack 40. Therefore, control unit 90 can determine the type of toner pack 40 attached to replenishment container attachment unit 701 based on information input by the user.

[0226] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0227] 1...image forming apparatus / 21...image carrier (photosensitive drum) / 31...developing means (developing roller) / 32...developing container / 34...stirring member / 40, 900, 991, 992, 993...supply container (toner pack, toner bottle unit) / 51...toner remaining amount detection means / 56...discharge detection means (push-in detection means) / 90...discrimination means (control unit) / 400...display means (panel) / 45, 911...holding means, storage medium / 912...holding means, resistor / 913...holding means, wiring pattern / 914...holding means, shape pattern / 8012...supply port

Claims

1. A toner container, a bag member for storing toner; a discharge member formed of resin and having a discharge port for discharging the toner in the bag member to the outside of the toner container; a shutter configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a first direction, where the direction in which the bag member and the discharge member are aligned is defined as a first direction, between an open position that opens the discharge outlet and a closed position that closes the discharge outlet; a memory having a contact surface; and When a direction intersecting the first direction is defined as a second direction, and a direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction, the bag member has a shape in which the width in the third direction is greater than the width in the second direction, the discharge port is provided on an end surface of the discharge member in the first direction, the memory is attached to the ejection member so that the contact surface faces the second direction; A toner container characterized by:

2. When the toner container is oriented in a predetermined direction in which the rotation axis is oriented in the direction of gravity and the discharge member is located below the bag member, The outlet faces downward.

2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container.

3. When the toner container is oriented in the predetermined direction, the discharge port is located below the mark.

3. The toner container according to claim 2.

4. The image forming apparatus is configured to be mountable in the first direction, the contact surface includes a plurality of metal plates each formed elongated with the first direction as a longitudinal direction and arranged with gaps between them in the third direction; 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container.

5. The contact surface is located farther from the rotation axis than the discharge port in a radial direction centered on the rotation axis.

5. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a toner container body.

6. the contact surface overlaps with the bag member when the toner container is viewed in the first direction; 6. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a plurality of openings.

7. The bag member is made of polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate.

7. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container.

8. The bag member is made of paper.

7. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container.

9. The bag member is made of a sheet having a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1.2 mm.

9. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a toner container.

10. The bag member is made of a sheet having a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm.

9. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a toner container.

11. a cap for covering the discharge member; The cap engages the discharge member.

11. The toner container according to claim 1.

12. a cap for covering the discharge member; The cap engages with the shutter.

11. The toner container according to claim 1.

13. The cap restricts movement of the shutter relative to the ejection member.

13. The toner container according to claim 11 or 12.

14. When viewed in the first direction, the memory and the outlet are aligned in the second direction.

11. The toner container according to claim 1.

15. The shutter has a first recess recessed from the outer periphery of the shutter in a radial direction centered on the rotation axis toward the rotation axis, When the shutter is in the closed position, the first recess is located on an opposite side of the rotation axis from the memory and the discharge port in the second direction, When the shutter is in the open position, the first recess is on the same side as the memory and the discharge port with respect to the rotation axis in the second direction, and the discharge port is exposed through the first recess when viewed in the first direction.

15. The toner container according to claim 14.

16. A cap for covering the discharge member, the discharge member has a second recess formed at a position corresponding to the first recess when the shutter is in the closed position; the cap engages with the first recess and the second recess when the shutter is in the closed position, thereby restricting movement of the shutter relative to the ejection member.

16. The toner container according to claim 15.

Images