Toner container and image forming system

Abstract

To provide a toner container which reduces leakage of toner in the time of toner supply.SOLUTION: A toner container comprises: a toner storage part; a discharge part 602; a shutter which can rotate between the open position for opening a discharge port of the discharge part 602 and the close position for closing the discharge port; and a seal member 603b which seals the space between the inner peripheral surface of the shutter and the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part 602 when the shutter is at the close position. The toner container includes a guide part 910 which, when the direction heading toward the discharge part 602 from the toner storage part in the direction of the rotation axis is a first direction and an end on the downstream side in the first direction of the sealing member 603b is a first end 603b1, has a downstream end part that is on the downstream side with respect to the first end 603b1 in the first direction and overlaps a seal member 603b even viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. The downstream end part of the guide part 910 includes an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach a contact surface CF as heading toward the second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner container and an image forming system for forming an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses form images by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum onto a transfer material as a transfer medium. Known methods for supplying developer include a process cartridge system and a toner supply system. The process cartridge system integrates the photosensitive drum and a developer container into a process cartridge, and when the developer runs out, the process cartridge is replaced with a new one.

[0003] On the other hand, in the toner supply system, when the toner runs out, new toner is supplied to the developing container. In recent years, an image forming apparatus using such a toner supply system, which uses a detachable toner pack in an attachment section, has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-124694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when replenishing toner by attaching and detaching a toner container such as the toner pack, it is required to minimize leakage of toner when replenishing toner.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toner container and an image forming system that reduce toner leakage during toner replenishment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner container to be mounted in a mounting portion of an image forming apparatus, the toner container having an attachment guide, a mask sheet attached to the attachment guide, and a device-side shutter having a communication port communicating with a toner receiving port through which toner is supplied, the communication port being rotatable between an open position where the communication port faces the toner receiving port in a radial direction of an imaginary circle centered on a rotation axis, and a shielding position where the communication port is located outside the attachment guide in the radial direction and the toner receiving port is shielded, the toner container comprising: a toner storage portion that stores toner; and a device-side shutter that is rotatable between an open position where the communication port faces the toner receiving port in a radial direction of an imaginary circle centered on a rotation axis, and a shielding position where the communication port is located outside the attachment guide in the radial direction and the toner receiving port is shielded. a shutter rotatable about a rotation axis, the shutter being rotatable between an open position at which the discharge port is opened and a closed position at which the discharge port is closed, the shutter being provided on an outer peripheral surface of the discharge part extending in the direction of the rotation axis; a seal member provided on an inner peripheral surface of the shutter facing inward in the radial direction, the seal member being configured to seal between the inner peripheral surface of the shutter and the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part when the shutter is at the closed position; and a guide part, wherein the discharge part is provided with a mounting guide of the mounting part. the seal member has a contact surface that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the discharge portion, and the direction from the toner storage portion toward the discharge portion in the direction of the rotation axis is defined as a first direction, a direction opposite to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and an end of the seal member on the downstream side in the first direction is defined as a first end. wherein the guide portion includes a downstream end portion that is downstream of the first end portion of the sealing member in the first direction and overlaps with the sealing member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, and the downstream end portion of the guide portion has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the contact surface as it approaches the second direction when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis, and the guide portion is configured so that the mask sheet extends beyond the boundary portion between the attachment guide and the discharge portion in the rotation direction of the device-side shutter when the shutter is in the closed position,The toner container is configured to guide the mask sheet between the outer circumferential surface of the discharge portion and the contact surface of the seal member when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce toner leakage during toner replenishment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the reading device in an open state. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of attaching the toner pack to the attachment portion. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion with the toner pack mounted thereon and the shutter in the covering position. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion with the toner pack mounted therein and the shutter in the open position. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation when the mask sheet is inserted. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] Six-view diagram of the guide piece. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing attachment of the guide piece to the rib. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing attachment of the guide piece to the rib. [Figure 16] Cross section of pack side seal. [Figure 17]FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the attachment operation of the end of the pack-side seal. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the insertion operation of the mask sheet. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the insertion operation of the mask sheet. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a guide sheet according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the mask sheet insertion operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a guide piece according to a third embodiment. [Figure 25] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the attachment operation of the pack-side seal according to the third embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the insertion operation of the mask sheet. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the insertion operation of the mask sheet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment 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 various sheet materials 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.

[0012] [Overall configuration] 1(a) and 1(b), the image forming apparatus 1 has a printer main body 100 as the device 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 has an image forming unit 10 that forms a toner image on a recording material, a feeding unit 60 that feeds the recording material to the image forming unit 10, a fixing unit 70 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit 10 to the recording material, and a pair of discharge rollers 80.

[0013] The image forming section 10 has a scanner unit 11, an electrophotographic process cartridge 20, and a transfer roller 12 that transfers a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 to a recording material. The process cartridge 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21, a pre-exposure device 23, and a developing device 30 including a developing roller 31.

[0014] The photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 21 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively chargeable organic photosensitive member on a drum-shaped base body made of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 21, which serves as an image carrier, is rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (clockwise in the drawing) at a predetermined process speed.

[0015] The charging roller 22 contacts the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging portion. A desired charging voltage is applied to the charging roller 22 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. The pre-exposure device 23 neutralizes the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 21 before it enters the charging portion in order to generate a stable discharge at the charging portion.

[0016] The scanner unit 11, which serves as an exposure means, scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light 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.

[0017] The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrier that carries developer, a developing container 32 that forms the frame of the developing device 30, 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. Note that the supply roller 33 is not necessarily required as long as the configuration can supply a sufficient amount of toner to the developing roller 31.

[0018] The developing device 30 of this embodiment uses a contact development method. That is, a toner layer carried on the developing roller 31 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 in a development section (development area) where the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing roller 31 face each other. A development voltage is applied to the developing roller 31 by a development high-voltage power supply. Under the development 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 the toner adhering to the surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21, which has been charged in a charging process and then exposed in an exposure process, where the charge amount has attenuated.

[0019] In this embodiment, a toner having a particle size 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 carried 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 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 is used as the developer carrier.

[0020] The developing container 32 is provided with a storage section 36 serving as a second toner storage section for storing toner, and an agitating member 34 serving as agitating means disposed inside the storage section 36. The agitating member 34 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), thereby agitating the toner in the developing container 32 and feeding the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 also serves to circulate, within the developing container, toner that has not been used in development and has been scraped off from the developing roller 31, thereby homogenizing the toner in the developing container. Note that the agitating member 34 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, an agitating member that swings may be used.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 1(a) and 1(b), the feeding section 60 has a front door 61 supported by the printer main body 100 so as to be able to open and close, a tray section 62, a middle plate 63, a tray spring 64, and a pickup roller 65. The tray section 62 forms the bottom surface of a recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened, and the middle plate 63 is supported by the tray section 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 main body 100, and supports the recording material P together with the tray section 62 and middle plate 63 when open relative to the printer main body 100.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 a laser beam toward the photosensitive drum 21 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 beam. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 31, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21.

[0025] In parallel with the image forming process described above, the pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61, the tray section 62, and the middle plate 63. The recording material P is fed by the pickup roller 65 to the pair of registration rollers 15, and any skew is corrected by the recording material P hitting the nip of the pair of registration rollers 15. The pair of registration rollers 15 is then driven in synchronization with the transfer timing of the toner image, and conveys the recording material P toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0026] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 12 as a transfer means 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 a pair of registration rollers 15. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is conveyed to a fixing section 70, where 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 section 70. This melts the toner particles and then solidifies them, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing section 70 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine) by a pair of discharge rollers 80 as a discharge means, and is stacked on a discharge tray 81 as a stacking section formed at the top of the printer main body 100.

[0027] The discharge tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream side 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 a regulating surface 84 .

[0028] The reading device 200 has a reading unit 201 that incorporates a reading section (not shown) therein, and a pressure plate 202 that is supported so as to be openable and closable 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.

[0029] 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, for example, the operation unit 300. When the reading operation is started, the reading unit in the reading unit 201 moves back and forth in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the left-right direction with the operation unit 300 of the image forming device 1 facing forward. The reading unit emits light toward the document from the light-emitting unit, receives light reflected by the document with the light-receiving unit, and reads the image of the document by photoelectrically converting the light. Note that, hereinafter, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 is facing forward.

[0030] A top cover 82 serving as a stacking tray is provided on the top of the printer main body 100, and a discharge tray 81 serving as a stacking surface is formed on the upper surface of the top cover 82. As shown in Figures 1(b) and 2, an opening / closing member 83 is supported on the top cover 82 so as to be openable and closable around a pivot shaft 83a extending in the front-to-rear direction. An opening 82a that opens upward is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82.

[0031] The open / close member 83 is configured to be movable between a closed position where it covers the mounting portion 600 so that the toner pack 40 cannot be mounted in the developing container 32, and an open position where it exposes the mounting portion 600 so that the toner pack 40 can be mounted in the developing container 32. In the closed position, the open / close member 83 functions as part of the discharge tray 81. The open / close member 83 and the opening 82a are formed on the left side of the discharge tray 81. The open / close member 83 is opened to the left by inserting a finger into a groove 82b formed in the top cover 82. The open / close member 83 is formed in a substantially L-shape to fit the shape of the top cover 82.

[0032] The opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is open so as to expose the mounting portion 600 formed on the upper part of the developing container 32, and the user can access the supply port 32a by opening the opening / closing member 83. Note that in this embodiment, a method (direct supply method) is adopted in which the user supplies toner from a toner pack 40 (see FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)) filled with replenishment toner to the developing device 30 while the developing device 30 remains attached to the image forming apparatus 1. At least a portion of the toner pack 40 is exposed to the outside when attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0033] Therefore, when the amount of toner remaining in the process cartridge 20 becomes low, it is not necessary to remove the process cartridge 20 from the printer main body 100 and replace it with a new process cartridge, thereby improving usability. Also, toner can be replenished to the developing container 32 more cheaply than if the entire process cartridge 20 were replaced. Note that the direct replenishment method can reduce costs compared to replacing only the developing device 30 of the process cartridge 20, since it does not require replacing various rollers, gears, etc. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pack 40 constitute an image forming system 1000.

[0034] [Toner pack composition] Next, the configuration of toner pack 40 as a toner container will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, toner pack 40 includes a pouch 601 as a toner storage portion that stores toner, an outer ring member 620 connected to pouch 601, a nozzle 602 as a discharge portion, and a pack-side shutter 603. Pouch 601 is formed, for example, from a flexible polypropylene sheet, and has a bag shape with one end open. Note that the toner storage portion is not limited to pouch 601, and may be a resin bottle or a container made of paper, vinyl, or the like.

[0035] Outer ring member 620 has hole 620b formed therein through which toner can pass, and has a joining surface 620a joined (fixed) to opening 601a of pouch 601, and a joining portion 620c on the opposite side of joining surface 620a to which nozzle 602 is connected. The joining surface is joined to opening 601a of pouch 601 by various adhesives such as hot melt, or by means of heat welding, for example.

[0036] Furthermore, nozzle 602 is attached to connecting portion 620c. Therefore, when filling pouch 601 with toner, the toner is replenished through hole 620b of outer ring member 620 without nozzle 602 being attached to connecting portion 620c. Hole 620b has a larger area than outlet 602a of nozzle 602, which will be described later, and this allows a larger amount of toner to be filled in a shorter time without using a complicated device.

[0037] Nozzle 602 has a passage formed therein through which toner supplied via hole 620b of outer ring member 620 passes, and its side surface (outer peripheral surface) 602c is provided with discharge port 602a for discharging toner inside pouch 601 (inside the toner storage section) to the outside. Also, on side surface 602c of nozzle 602, recess 602e is provided at a different circumferential position from discharge port 602a. Also, nozzle 602 has a cylindrical protrusion 602b at its bottom.

[0038] The pack-side shutter 603 includes a pack-side shutter main body 603a and a pack-side seal member 603b. The pack-side shutter main body 603a is a cylindrical drum-shaped member with a bottom, and a fitting hole 603a25 is formed in its bottom surface 603a2. The pack-side shutter main body 603a is attached to the nozzle 602 from the outside by fitting the fitting hole 603a25 onto the protrusion 602b, and is rotatable around the rotation axis z. In other words, the pack-side shutter main body 603a is rotatably fitted onto the nozzle 602.

[0039] Therefore, the cylindrical portion (hereinafter also referred to as the side surface) 603a1 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a is located outside the side surface 602c of the nozzle 602 in the direction of radius r of an imaginary circle VC centered on the rotation axis z.

[0040] A substantially rectangular pack-side seal member (nozzle seal) 603b is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 603a1. The cylindrical portion 603a1 is also provided with an opening 603a11. The pack-side seal member 603b is formed to be in sliding contact with the side surface 602c of the nozzle 602. The pack-side shutter 603 is in a blocking position when the pack-side seal member 603b blocks the discharge outlet 602a of the nozzle 602 in the rotational direction. The pack-side shutter 603 is in an open position when the discharge outlet 602a of the nozzle 602 is exposed and opened through the opening 603a11 of the cylindrical portion 603a1. The pack-side shutter 603 is rotatable about the rotation axis z between the blocking position and the open position. Rotating the pack-side shutter 603 from the blocking position to the open position enables the toner in the pouch 601 to be discharged. In this embodiment, the toner pack 40 having the pouch 601 as the toner storage portion is used as the toner container. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a toner container having a fixed plastic container as the toner storage portion may be used.

[0041] In this embodiment, the pack-side shutter 603 includes the pack-side shutter main body 603a and the pack-side seal member 603b. However, for example, the pack-side shutter may be defined as the pack-side shutter only, without the pack-side seal 603b. In this case, the pack-side shutter main body 603a is a shutter that can rotate between an open position where it opens the discharge port 602a provided on the side surface 602c extending in the direction of the rotation axis z of the discharge portion 602, and a closed position (closed position) where it closes (blocks) the discharge port 602a. In this case, the pack-side seal member 603b can be considered a seal member provided on the inner peripheral surface of the pack-side shutter 603a facing inward in the direction of the radius r of the imaginary circle VC. The pack-side seal member 603b can be said to be a seal member configured to seal between the inner peripheral surface of the pack-side shutter 603a and the outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion 602 when the pack-side shutter 603a is in the blocking position. Note that, hereinafter, the radially inner surface of the pack-side seal member 603b that comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion 602 is also referred to as the contact surface.

[0042] [Installation part] Next, we will explain the configuration of the mounting unit 700 to which the toner pack 40 is attached. As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the mounting unit 700 is a unit for mounting the toner pack 40. This mounting unit 700 includes a main body base 2 which is a fixed member, a lever 710 which is rotatable relative to the main body base 2, and an apparatus-side shutter 720.

[0043] The main body base portion 2 includes a first frame 730, a second frame 740, and a cover 750, with the apparatus-side shutter 720 and the cover 750 interposed between the first frame 730 and the second frame 740. More specifically, the first and second frames 730, 740 are combined with each other to form a port portion 760 to which the toner pack 40 is attached. The first and second frames 730, 740 also form a toner supply path 770 that guides toner supplied from the toner pack 40 attached to the port portion 760 toward the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32 (see FIG. 1(a)).

[0044] The port portion 760 is made up of a port base 741 of the second frame 740 that supports the apparatus-side shutter 720, and a cylindrical portion 731 of the first frame 730 that is attached to the port base 741 from above. The toner supply path 770 is formed by a toner receiving port 732 that is opened in part of the cylindrical portion 731 of the first frame 730, and a cover portion of the first frame 730 that covers the area between the toner receiving port 732 and an opening 742 of the second frame 740. The opening 742 of the second frame 740 communicates with the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32, and when toner is supplied from the toner receiving port 732, the toner is supplied to the storage portion 36 of the developing container 32.

[0045] The apparatus-side shutter 720 comprises an apparatus-side shutter main body 721 and an apparatus-side seal member 722. The apparatus-side shutter main body 721 is a cylindrical, drum-shaped member with a bottom, and is attached to a port base 741 of the second frame 740 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis z. A communication port 721b is formed in a cylindrical portion 721a of the apparatus-side shutter main body 721. Furthermore, the apparatus-side seal member 722 is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 721a so as to surround the periphery of the communication port 721b. In addition, a center boss 721c with which the protrusion 602b of the nozzle 602 engages is provided on the bottom surface of the apparatus-side shutter 720.

[0046] In the direction of radius r of an imaginary circle VC centered on the rotation axis z, the side surface of the cylindrical portion 721a is located inside the toner receiving port 732, and the position where it blocks the toner receiving port 732 is the blocking position of the apparatus-side shutter 720 (see FIG. 5(a)). Also, the position where the communication port 721b of the cylindrical portion 721a faces the toner receiving port 732 and the toner receiving port 732 is open is the opening position of the apparatus-side shutter 720 (see FIG. 5(b)). The apparatus-side shutter 720 is rotatable between the blocking position and the opening position around the rotation axis z, and by rotating the apparatus-side shutter 720 from the blocking position to the opening position, toner can be replenished to the developing container 32.

[0047] The cover 750 includes a cover base 751 that is attached coaxially with the center boss 721c of the apparatus-side shutter 720, and a wall portion 752 that stands upright from the cover base 751. An engaged portion 753 that engages with a positioning portion 734 of the first frame 730 is provided at the upper end of the wall portion 752. Engagement of the engaged portion 753 with the positioning portion 734 prevents the cover 750 from rotating relative to the first frame 730 about the rotation axis z. The wall portion 752 is located inside the side surface of the apparatus-side shutter 720 in the direction of radius r of the imaginary circle VC, and the apparatus-side seal member 722 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wall portion 752. Furthermore, when the apparatus-side shutter 720 is in the above-described shielding position, the communication port 721b of the apparatus-side shutter 720 is located toward the wall portion 752 and is blocked by the wall portion 752.

[0048] Lever 710 is attached to first frame 730 so as to be rotatable about rotation axis z, and includes a drive transmission unit 711 and an operation unit 712. A user can rotate lever 710 about rotation axis z by operating operation unit 712. Drive transmission unit 711 of lever 710 is configured by a convex portion that protrudes inward in the radial r direction from an inner circumferential surface of lever 710 that is centered on rotation axis z.

[0049] A drive-received portion 723 to which the driving force from the drive transmission portion 711 of the lever 710 is transmitted is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 721a of the apparatus-side shutter 720. However, the drive transmission portion 711 of the lever 710 and the drive transmission portion 711 of the apparatus-side shutter 720 are not drive-coupled when the toner pack 40 is not attached. The drive transmission portion 711 and the drive transmission-received portion 723 are only drive-coupled when the drive transmission portion 711 and the drive transmission-received portion 723 engage with a drive transmission-received portion 603a12 (see FIG. 3) consisting of a recess provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 603a1 of the pack-side shutter 603. For this reason, when the toner pack 40 is not attached, the apparatus-side shutter 720 does not rotate even if the lever 710 is turned.

[0050] [Installing the toner pack into the mounting compartment] Next, the installation of the toner pack 40 into the installation portion 700 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the toner pack 40 is installed into the installation portion 700 with both the pack-side shutter 603 and the apparatus-side shutter 720 in the closed position. When installing the toner pack 40 into the installation portion 700, the recess 602e of the nozzle 602 exposed from the opening 603a11 of the pack-side shutter 603 is aligned with the positioning portion 734 of the first frame 730. Furthermore, the drive-receiving portion 603a12 of the pack-side shutter 603 is aligned with the drive-transmitting portion 711 of the lever 710. Then, by inserting the toner pack 40 in the installation direction M in this state, the toner pack 40 is installed into the installation portion 700.

[0051] When the toner pack 40 is completely attached to the attachment portion, the center boss 721c (see FIG. 5) of the apparatus-side shutter 720 fits into the inner circumferential surface 602b1 (see FIG. 3) of the protrusion 602b of the nozzle 602. This determines the position of the nozzle 602 in the radial direction relative to the apparatus-side shutter 720, as well as the position of the toner pack 40 in the attachment direction M.

[0052] Furthermore, by aligning the recess 602e of the nozzle 602 with the positioning portion 734 of the first frame 730 and inserting the toner pack 40, the wall portion 752 of the cover 750 engages with the recess 602e of the nozzle 602. The wall portion 752 of the cover 750 is a guide member that guides the nozzle 602 so that it can be inserted smoothly in the installation direction. This allows the nozzle 602 to be inserted smoothly while being positioned roughly in the rotational direction. Furthermore, the nozzle 602 has a pair of positioning protrusions (protrusions) 602g (see FIG. 3 ) that protrude toward the recess 602e at the upstream end of the recess 602e in the installation direction M. Furthermore, by engaging the positioning protrusions 602g with the positioning portion 734 of the first frame 730, the discharge port 602a is positioned so that it faces the receiving port 732 of the port portion 760. Furthermore, the nozzle 602 of the toner pack 40 cannot rotate relative to the port portion 760. That is, the wall portion 752 serves as a mounting guide that engages with a part of the nozzle 602 and guides the nozzle 602 in the direction of the rotation axis z.

[0053] Furthermore, the drive transmitted portion 603a12 of the pack-side shutter 603 engages with the drive transmitted portion 711 of the lever 710 and the drive transmitted portion 723 of the device-side shutter 720. This drives and connects the lever 710, the pack-side shutter 603, and the device-side shutter 720, so that the pack-side shutter 603 and the device-side shutter 720 move between the closed position and the open position in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 710.

[0054] When the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 700, the user operates the lever 710 to rotate the pack-side shutter 603 and the apparatus-side shutter 720 from the closed position to the open position, thereby replenishing toner from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32. Furthermore, when the replenishing of toner from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32 is completed, the user rotates the lever 710 from the open position to the closed position, and pulls out the toner pack 40 from the attachment portion 700.

[0055] [Mask sheet] Next, the mask sheet 800 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cover 750, and Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of the mounting portion 700 with the toner pack 40 mounted, with Figure 8 showing the case where the shutters 603, 720 are in the closed position and Figure 9 showing the case where the shutters 603, 720 are in the open position. Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views taken at the position where the wall portion 752 is cut.

[0056] 7(a) and 7(b), a mask sheet 800, which is a film having a thickness of about 100 μm, is fixed to the outer periphery of the wall portion 752 of the cover 750 with double-sided tape or the like. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the mask sheet 800 is formed so that a tip 801 on the toner receiving opening 732 side protrudes beyond an end surface 7521 of the wall portion 752. The mask sheet 800 masks the gap (boundary) G between the nozzle 602 and the wall portion 752 on the pack side and inside the apparatus-side seal members 603b and 722 so as to cover the gap G between the wall portion 752 and the nozzle 602. In other words, the mask sheet 800 extends beyond the gap G between the wall portion 752 and the nozzle 602.

[0057] When the pack-side and apparatus-side shutters 603, 720 are moved between the closed position and the open position, the communication opening 721b of the apparatus-side shutter 720 passes radially outside the gap G. That is, the boundary G between the wall portion 752 and the nozzle 602 is positioned opposite the communication opening 721b in the radial direction r while the apparatus-side shutter 720 rotates from the open position to the closed position. When toner is replenished from the toner pack 40, toner remains inside the apparatus-side seal member 722, which surrounds the communication opening 721b through which the toner passes. In this state, for example, if the shutters 603, 720 are moved from the open position to the closed position to remove the toner pack 40, there is a risk that the toner remaining inside the apparatus-side seal member 722 will leak out through the gap G. In particular, unlike the gap between positioning protrusion 602g, which performs the positioning, and positioning portion 734 of first frame 730, wall portion 752 and recessed portion 602e are configured to guide nozzle 602 in the mounting direction while roughly determining the relative position in the rotational direction. Therefore, gap G between wall portion 752 and nozzle 602 is larger than the portion where the positioning is performed, and toner can easily get in.

[0058] In this embodiment, as described above, the mask sheet 800 covers the gap G on the radially inner side of the pack-side and apparatus-side seal members 603b and 722, preventing toner leakage from this gap G. When the toner pack 40 is attached, the end faces of the pack-side seal member 603b and the apparatus-side seal member 722 overlap in the circumferential direction and are pressed against each other. This improves sealing performance and reduces toner leakage from between the pack-side seal member 603b and the apparatus-side seal member 722.

[0059] [Information Department] Next, the guide portion 900 that guides the mask sheet 800 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), an opening 603a21 for inserting the mask sheet 800 is formed in the bottom surface (bottom portion) 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a. When the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 700, the mask sheet 800 also passes through the opening 603a21 and is inserted between the pack-side seal member 603b and the nozzle 602. However, as described above, the mask sheet 800 is a film with a thickness of approximately 100 μm. Furthermore, there is a predetermined distance from the bottom surface (bottom portion) 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a to the downstream end 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b in the attachment direction M of the toner pack 40. Therefore, depending on the position and posture of the toner pack 40 when it is attached, the mask sheet 800 may come into contact with the end surface of the end 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b, causing the sheet to fold.

[0060] For this reason, in this embodiment, a guide portion 900 that guides the mask sheet 800 between the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b is provided between the bottom surface 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a and the end portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b. The guide portion 900 is configured to include a guide piece 910, a rib 920, the pack-side seal member 603b, and the inclined surface 602f of the nozzle 602. First, the guide piece 910 and the inclined surface 602f of the nozzle 602 that initially guide the mask sheet 800 when the toner pack 40 is attached will be described below.

[0061] 20(a), the opening 603a21 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a opens in a manner that widens toward the downstream side in the installation direction M. More specifically, the radially outer end face 603a22 overlaps with the pack-side seal member 603b radially outer than the contact face CF when viewed from the installation direction M, so that the contact face CF between the side face of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b is within the width. The radially inner end face 603a23 overlaps with the nozzle 602 radially inner than the contact face CF when viewed from the installation direction M.

[0062] 20(a), the toner pack 40 may be mounted in the mounting portion 700 in a positional relationship in which the mask sheet 800 and the pack-side seal member 603b overlap in the radial direction when viewed from the mounting direction M. Furthermore, if the toner pack 40 is tilted, the toner pack 40 may be mounted in the mounting portion 700 in a tilted manner so that the toner pack 40 faces the mask sheet 800 toward the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0063] In the above-described case, the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 911a of the guide piece 910 to the contact surface CF between the side surface of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the guide piece 910 is roughly divided into three portions 911 to 913. The first portion 911 is a portion where the inclined surface 911a is formed. In this first portion 911, the inclined surface 911a is formed by cutting out a part of the end surface on the tip side facing the bottom surface 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a (the end surface on the opposite side to the pouch 601 in the direction of the rotation axis z).

[0064] 18(a), the guide piece 910 is formed along the bottom surface 603a2 and side surface 603a1 of the drum-shaped pack-side shutter main body 603a. The inclined surface 911a is formed to be inclined in the direction of the rotation axis z and the circumferential direction of the pack-side shutter main body 603a. That is, the inclined surface 911a is inclined radially outward in the direction of the rotation axis z from the pouch 601 side toward the bottom surface 603a2.

[0065] More specifically, for example, the direction from the pouch 601 serving as the toner storage portion toward the nozzle 602 serving as the discharge portion along the rotation axis z is defined as the first direction, and the direction opposite to the first direction is defined as the second direction. The downstream end of the pack-side seal member 603b in the first direction is defined as the first end 603b1. In this case, the guide piece 910 serving as the guide portion includes a downstream end that is downstream of the first end 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b in the first direction and overlaps with the pack-side seal member 603b when viewed along the rotation axis z. An inclined surface 911a is formed on this downstream end. As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 18(a), when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis z, the inclined surface 911a is inclined toward the contact surface of the pack-side seal member 603b as it approaches the second direction. In other words, the inclined surface 911a is inclined downward toward the downstream side in the mounting direction M in FIGS. 10(a) and 18(a).

[0066] Furthermore, the inclined surface 911a is inclined in the circumferential direction so as to be radially outward as it approaches the opening 603a11 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a (counterclockwise when looking at the bottom surface 603a2 from the opposite side to the pouch 601). In other words, the inclined surface 911a is inclined so as to be closer to the first direction as it moves in the direction of rotation of the pack-side shutter 603 from the closed position to the open position.

[0067] 10, the inclined surface 911a is configured so that the distance between it and the nozzle 602 becomes wider toward the downstream side in the mounting direction M. That is, the inclined surface 911a is inclined so that a second position, which is farther from the pack-side seal member 603b in the rotational axis direction than the first position in the rotational axis direction, is farther from the nozzle 602 (rotational axis x) than a first position in the rotational axis direction.

[0068] The second portion 912 of the guide piece 910 is an extension portion that extends from the upper end in Fig. 11 (the radially inner end of a circle centered on the rotation axis z) toward the upstream side in the installation direction M, i.e., toward the pack-side seal member 603b in the rotation axis direction. An upper surface (radially inner surface, hereinafter referred to as the connecting surface) 912a of the second portion 912 in Fig. 11 is a surface that is continuous with the inclined surface 911a on the downstream side in the installation direction M. Furthermore, the connecting surface 912a is configured to connect with the inner circumferential surface (contact surface) of the pack-side seal member 603b on the upstream side in the installation direction M.

[0069] The third portion 913 of the guide piece 910 is a portion extending in the circumferential direction with a mounting recess 914 sandwiched between it and the first portion 911. The position of the guide piece 910 in the direction of the rotation axis is determined by abutting an end portion 913a of the third portion 913 on the downstream side in the mounting direction M against the bottom surface 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 13, the rib 920 is a rectangular rib formed near one edge of the opening 603a11 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a from the bottom surface 603a2 along the side surface (inner peripheral surface) 603a1 in the direction of the rotation axis z of the pack-side shutter main body 603a. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the mounting recess 914 of the guide piece 910 is slid in the direction of the rotation axis z and mounted on the rib 920, thereby mounting the guide piece 910 to the pack-side shutter main body 603a. In this embodiment, the guide pieces 910 are formed as separate members from the pack-side shutter main body 603a, but the guide pieces 91 and the rib 920 may be formed integrally with the pack-side shutter main body 603a. The guide pieces 91 and the rib 920 form a guide portion 950 that guides the mask sheet 800 (see Fig. 18(a)).

[0071] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the inclined surface 602f of the nozzle 602 is formed so as to face the guide piece 910 at the downstream end of the nozzle 602 in the mounting direction M. More specifically, the inclined surface 602f is formed to be inclined in the direction of the rotation axis z of the pack-side shutter main body 603a and in the circumferential direction thereof. That is, in the direction of the rotation axis z, the inclined surface 602f is inclined so as to be radially inward from the pouch 601 side toward the bottom surface 603a2 side. In other words, in FIG. 10(a), the inclined surface 602f is inclined upward toward the downstream side in the mounting direction M. Furthermore, in the circumferential direction, the inclined surface 602f is inclined so as to be radially inward as it moves away from the opening 603a11 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a (clockwise when looking at the bottom surface 603a2 from the opposite side to the pouch 601). Furthermore, the inclined surface 602f faces the guide piece 910 over the entire length of the guide piece 910 in the direction of the rotation axis z. Therefore, the inclined surface 602f is formed so that its downstream end in the mounting direction M abuts against the bottom surface 603a2 and its downstream end in the mounting direction M is aligned with the upstream end of the connecting surface 912a in the mounting direction M.

[0072] In this embodiment, as described above, the inclined surface 911a of the guide piece 910 and the inclined surface 602f of the nozzle 602 are formed. Therefore, even when the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the guide piece 910 side as shown in Fig. 20(a) above, the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 911a without being folded as shown in Fig. 20(b).

[0073] Furthermore, even when the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the nozzle 602 side as shown in FIG. 21(a), the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 602f without being folded as shown in FIG. 21(b).

[0074] Next, the configuration of the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b will be described. During the transition from the state shown in FIG. 20(b) to the state shown in FIG. 20(c), the leading edge of the mask sheet 800 passes through the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b. If there is a large step between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b at this time, there is a risk that the leading edge of the mask sheet 800 will get caught on this step. For this reason, in this embodiment, the corner portion 603b12 (see FIG. 19) of the end face 603b11 of the pack-side seal member 603b downstream of the mounting direction M is hooked onto the rib 920. This causes the connection portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 to bend radially outward. This configuration will be described in detail below.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 16, the pack-side seal member 603b includes an elastic layer 6031, a sliding contact layer 6033, and an adhesive portion 6032 that bonds the elastic layer 6031 and the sliding contact layer 6033 together. The elastic layer 6031 is made of a material with a high elastic limit, thereby imparting a predetermined elasticity to the pack-side seal member 603b. This elasticity allows the pack-side seal member 603b to deform and slide against the side surface (outer peripheral surface) of the nozzle 602, thereby improving adhesion between the pack-side seal member 603b and the side surface of the nozzle 602. In addition, the sliding contact layer 6033 is made of a material with a low friction coefficient, so that the pack-side seal member 603b has high sliding performance.

[0076] In this embodiment, the elastic layer 6031 is formed of an approximately 3 mm thick urethane layer, the sliding layer 6033 is formed of an approximately 0.34 mm thick polyester and nylon layer, and the adhesive portion 6032 is formed of double-sided tape. Also, as shown in Fig. 17, in this embodiment, the pack-side seal member 603b is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the pack-side shutter main body 603a within a range of 101°. The longitudinal elastic modulus of the guide portions 910 and 920 is greater than that of the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b), a downstream end (connection portion) 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b in the installation direction M, which connects to the guide piece 910, is bent radially outward so as to enter the lower side of the guide piece 910. As shown in FIG. 19(a), an end face 603b11 of the pack-side seal member 603b downstream in the installation direction M has a substantially vertical sheer shape. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19(b), a radially inner edge portion 603b12 of the end face 603b11 is pinched with tweezers or the like and hooked onto the rib 920. Then, the elastic layer 6031 of the pack-side seal member 603b elastically deforms, causing the end portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b to bend radially outward.

[0078] As described above, the connection portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 is curved downward (radially outward) relative to the second portion 912 of the guide piece 910. Therefore, a step is minimized at the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 20(b), even if the mask sheet 800 is guided from the inclined surface 911a of the guide piece 910 to the connection surface 912a and then reaches the connection portion, it will not get caught between the pack-side seal member 603b. As shown in FIG. 20(c), the mask sheet 800 is smoothly inserted between the side surface of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 21(b) and 21(c), even when the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the nozzle 602 side, the mask sheet 800 is smoothly inserted between the side surface of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the guide portion 910 and the rib 920 are in contact with the first end 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b, but this is not necessarily the case. That is, the guide portion 910 and the rib 920 do not necessarily have to be in contact with the first end 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, the gap between the opening 603a21 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a, which is the insertion port for the mask sheet 800, and the pack-side seal member 603b is filled with the guide piece 910 constituting the guide portion 950. The guide piece 910 has an inclined surface 911a that is inclined so that a second position, which is farther from the pack-side seal member 603b in the direction of the rotation axis z, is farther away from the nozzle 602 than a first position in the direction of the rotation axis z. Therefore, even if the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the guide piece 910 side, the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 911a, preventing the mask sheet 800 from folding during insertion. This prevents toner from leaking from the gap G described above along the folds of the mask sheet 800.

[0081] Furthermore, a connection portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 is bent radially outward so as to move away from the side surface of the nozzle 602. At least a portion of this 603b1 overlaps with the guide portion in the direction of the rotation axis, and this overlapping portion is located on the opposite side of the nozzle 602 with the second portion 912 of the guide piece 910 in between. This allows the guide piece 910 to hold down the pack-side seal member 603b from above, preventing a step from occurring at the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rib 920 forms an engaging portion that engages with an end face 603b11 of the pack-side seal member 603b on the guide portion side (guide piece 910 side) in the rotation axis direction. Therefore, the pack-side seal member 603b elastically deforms, and an edge portion 603b12 on the nozzle side of the end face 603b11 engages with the rib 920, thereby bending the connecting portion 603b1. Note that the connecting portion 603b may be originally molded into a curved shape, but by utilizing the elastic deformation of the pack-side seal member 603b as in this embodiment, it can be constructed more inexpensively.

[0083] Furthermore, the nozzle 602 has an inclined surface 602f formed to face the inclined surface 911a of the guide piece 910. This inclined surface 602f is inclined so that a fourth position, which is farther from the pack-side seal member 603b in the direction of the rotation axis z, is farther from the guide piece 910 than a third position in the direction of the rotation axis z. Therefore, even if the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the nozzle 602 side, the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 602f, and it is possible to prevent the mask sheet 800 from folding during insertion.

[0084] <Second embodiment> Next, the second embodiment will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the mask sheet 800 is guided by a guide sheet 940 instead of the guide piece 910 and ribs. Therefore, in the following description, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 22, the guide sheet 940 is a sheet-like member made of resin such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and in this embodiment has a thickness of approximately 60 μm. As shown in Fig. 23, one end of this guide sheet 940 is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the pack-side shutter main body 603a with double-sided tape 943 or the like, forming a fixing portion 941. The end of the guide sheet 940 on the fixing portion 941 side is sandwiched between the inner circumferential surface of the pack-side shutter main body 603a and the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0086] The fixing portion 941 extends in the mounting direction M (direction of the rotation axis z) from an end portion sandwiched between the inner circumferential surface of the pack-side shutter main body 603a and the pack-side seal member 603b, beyond an end portion of the pack-side seal member 603b on the downstream side in the mounting direction M. More specifically, the fixing portion 941 extends to a position where it abuts against the bottom surface 603a2 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a.

[0087] The downstream end of the fixing portion 941 in the installation direction forms a folding point in the guide sheet 940, and the guide sheet 940 is folded back to wrap around the downstream end of the pack-side seal member 603b in the installation direction. The other end of the guide sheet 940 is sandwiched and held between the pack-side seal member 603b and the nozzle 602. The other end of the guide sheet 940 is tapered as shown in FIG. 22 to make it easier to insert between the pack-side seal member 603b and the nozzle 602.

[0088] The folded portion 942 of the guide sheet 940 forms a curved surface that is inclined radially outward toward the downstream side in the attachment direction M. That is, the folded portion 942 as a guide portion is folded back so as to be curved from the fixed portion 941, and this curved portion forms an inclined surface that guides the mask sheet 800. In other words, the folded portion 942 extends in the second direction from the downstream end portion and serves as a clamping portion that clamps the first end portion 603b1 of the seal member 603b together with the inner circumferential surface of the pack-side shutter 603a.

[0089] As a result, even when the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the guide sheet 940 side as shown in FIG. 23(a), the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 942a without being folded as shown in FIG. 23(b).

[0090] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the shape of the rib 920 is different from that of the first embodiment, and the method of inserting the seal member into the guide piece and curving it is different. Therefore, in the following explanation, only the differences from the first embodiment will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

[0091] The rib 3920 of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 24, the rib 3920 is a rectangular rib formed near one edge of the opening 603a11 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a from the bottom surface 603a2 along the side surface (inner peripheral surface) 603a1 in the direction of the rotation axis z. Furthermore, the rib 3920 is shorter in the direction of the rotation axis z than the rib 920 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the upstream end of the rib 3920 in the first direction (attachment direction M) is located downstream of the first end 603b1 of the seal member 603b in the first direction and is not in contact with the first end 603b1 of the seal member 603b. As in the first embodiment, the attachment recess 914 of the guide piece 910 slides in the direction of the rotation axis z and is attached to the rib 3920, thereby attaching the guide piece 910 to the pack-side shutter main body 603a.

[0092] Next, the configuration of the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b will be described. During the transition from the state shown in FIG. 26(b) to the state shown in FIG. 26(c), the leading edge of the mask sheet 800 passes through the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b. If there is a large step between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b at this time, there is a risk that the leading edge of the mask sheet 800 will get caught on this step. For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, the downstream end face 603b11 of the pack-side seal member 603b in the attachment direction M is recessed into the guide piece 910. Furthermore, the bottom surface 603b13 of the connection portion 603b1 recessed into the guide piece 910 is fixed to double-sided tape 3701 attached to the side surface (inner peripheral surface) 603a1 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a. This causes the elastic layer 6031 of the pack side seal member 603b to elastically deform, bending the connecting portion 603b1 of the pack side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 radially outward.

[0093] As described above, the connection portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 is curved downward (radially outward) relative to the second portion 912 of the guide piece 910. Therefore, a step is minimized at the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 26(b), even if the mask sheet 800 is guided from the inclined surface 911a of the guide piece 910 to the connection surface 912a and then reaches the connection portion, it will not get caught between the pack-side seal member 603b. As shown in FIG. 26(c), the mask sheet 800 is smoothly inserted between the side surface of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 27(b) and 27(c), even when the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the nozzle 602 side, the mask sheet 800 is smoothly inserted between the side surface of the nozzle 602 and the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0094] As described above, in this embodiment, the gap between the opening 603a21 of the pack-side shutter main body 603a, which is the insertion port for the mask sheet 800, and the pack-side seal member 603b is filled with the guide piece 910. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, even if the mask sheet 800 is inserted from the guide piece 910 side, the mask sheet 800 is guided by the inclined surface 911a, and it is possible to prevent the mask sheet 800 from folding during insertion. This also makes it possible to prevent toner from leaking from the gap G described above along the folds of the mask sheet 800.

[0095] Furthermore, a connection portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b with the guide piece 910 is bent radially outward so as to move away from the side surface of the nozzle 602. At least a portion of this 603b1 overlaps with the guide portion in the direction of the rotation axis, and this overlapping portion is located on the opposite side of the nozzle 602 with the second portion 912 of the guide piece 910 in between. This allows the guide piece 910 to hold down the pack-side seal member 603b from above, preventing a step from occurring at the connection portion between the guide piece 910 and the pack-side seal member 603b.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 603b1 of the pack-side seal member 603b is inserted into the guide piece 910, and the bottom surface 603b13 of the connecting portion 603b1 is fixed with double-sided tape 3701, making it possible to curve it. Although it may be formed into a curved shape from the beginning, by utilizing the elastic deformation of the pack-side seal member 603b as in this embodiment, it is possible to construct it more inexpensively.

[0097] The inventions described in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 40: Toner container (toner pack) / 601: Toner storage section (pouch) / 602: Discharge section (nozzle) / 603a: Shutter (pack-side shutter body) / 603b: Sealing member (pack-side sealing member) / 910: Guide section (guide piece) / 911a: Inclined surface

Claims

1. A mounting guide; A mask sheet attached to the attachment guide; a device-side shutter that is rotatable between an open position where the communication port is opposed to the toner receiving port in a radial direction of an imaginary circle centered on a rotation axis, and a closed position where the communication port is located outside the mounting guide in the radial direction and closes the toner receiving port, the device-side shutter being configured to be mounted in a mounting portion of an image forming device; a toner storage unit that stores toner; a discharge section having a discharge port for discharging the toner from the toner storage section; a shutter rotatable about a rotation axis, the shutter being rotatable between an open position at which the discharge port is opened and a closed position at which the discharge port is closed, the shutter being provided on an outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion extending in the direction of the rotation axis; a seal member provided on an inner peripheral surface of the shutter facing inward in the radial direction, the seal member being configured to seal between the inner peripheral surface of the shutter and the outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion when the shutter is in the closed position; a guide portion, the discharge portion engages with an attachment guide of the attachment portion and is guided in the attachment direction of the toner container, and when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion, a boundary portion between the discharge portion and the attachment guide is positioned at a position facing the communication port in the radial direction while the device-side shutter rotates from the open position to the closed position, the seal member has a contact surface that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the discharge portion, a first direction is a direction from the toner storage unit toward the discharge unit in the direction of the rotation axis, a second direction is a direction opposite to the first direction, and a first end is an end of the seal member on the downstream side in the first direction, the guide portion includes a downstream end that is located downstream of the first end of the seal member in the first direction and overlaps with the seal member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, the downstream end of the guide portion has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the contact surface as it extends in the second direction when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis, the guide portion is configured to guide the mask sheet between the outer circumferential surface of the discharge portion and the contact surface of the seal member when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion in the first direction, so that the mask sheet extends beyond the boundary between the attachment guide and the discharge portion in the rotation direction of the device-side shutter when the shutter is in the closed position. A toner container characterized by:

2. 2. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is in contact with the first end portion of the seal member.

3. 3. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion has a larger modulus of longitudinal elasticity than the seal member.

4. 4. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface is inclined more toward the first direction as it moves in a direction of rotation of the shutter from the closed position to the open position.

5. a first end of the seal member overlapping with the guide portion in the rotational axis direction; The first end is located outside the guide portion in the radial direction.

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

6. The first end of the sealing member is bent radially outward.

6. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a plurality of openings.

7. the guide portion includes an engaging portion that engages with an end surface at the first end of the seal member, the seal member is elastically deformed so that the radially inner edge of the end surface engages with the engaging portion of the guide portion, thereby bending the first end portion; 7. The toner container according to claim 6.

8. the guide portion is provided separately from the shutter and includes a guide piece on which the inclined surface is formed, the engaging portion is a rib formed integrally with the shutter, The guide piece is attached to the rib.

8. The toner container according to claim 7.

9. 3. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion extends in the second direction from the downstream end portion and has a clamping portion that clamps the first end portion of the sealing member together with the inner circumferential surface of the shutter.

10. a first end of the sealing member bonded to an inner circumferential surface of the shutter; 6. The toner container according to claim 1, wherein the toner container is a toner container having a plurality of openings.

11. The guide portion is a guide piece provided separately from the shutter and having the inclined surface; a rib formed integrally with the shutter and to which the guide piece is attached; Equipped with an upstream end of the rib in the first direction not in contact with the first end of the seal member; 11. The toner container according to claim 10.

12. the discharge portion includes an inclined surface formed on the radially inner side so as to face the inclined surface of the guide portion, The inclined surface of the discharge portion is inclined so as to approach the rotation axis as it extends downstream in the first direction.

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

13. The toner container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The image forming apparatus, An image forming system comprising:

Images