Toner container and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a toner container that has reduced parts to be discarded when the toner container is recycled.SOLUTION: A toner container comprises: a container body 41 that has a filling port 43 for toner; a cylinder part 57 that extends along the filling port 43; and a cap 45 that closes the cylinder part 57. The cap 45 includes a pair of pawl parts 79 that is inserted into the cylinder part 57 and can be engaged with edges of the filling port 43, a link piece 81 that connects leading ends of the pair of pawl parts 79, and a closing plate 63 that can close the cylinder part 57. The pair of pawl parts 79 is engaged with the edges of the filling port 43, and thereby the cylinder part 57 is closed by the closing plate 63. A part of the closing plate 63 is separated to form an opening 63X, the link piece 81 is pulled through the opening 63X to release the engagement between the pair of pawl parts 79 and the edges of the filling port 43, and the cap 45 is removed from the cylinder part 57, thereby allowing recycling of the container body 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6A

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses using toner, such as multifunction devices and printers, there has been an increasing trend to reuse (recycle) toner containers.

[0003] For example, the developer cartridge (corresponding to a toner container) described in Patent Document 1 includes a container body provided with a cylindrical toner filling port and a cap for closing the toner filling port. At the time of reuse, after cutting a part of the toner filling port together with the cap, another cap is inserted into the toner filling port to close the toner filling port. Further, the toner container described in Patent Document 2 includes a container body provided with a cylindrical filling port and a cap having a flange portion adhered to the tip surface of the filling port. At the time of reuse, after cutting the cap including the flange portion together with the filling port, the flange portion of another cap is adhered to the tip surface of the filling port.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the manuscript cartridge described in Patent Document 1 and the toner container described in Patent Document 2, the cap after cutting cannot be reused, and the amount of discarded parts increases. Further, by cutting the filling port, the strength and rigidity of the container body decrease, so the number of times the container body can be reused is limited.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a toner container that reduces the amount of waste generated during reuse, and an image forming apparatus equipped with this toner container, taking the above circumstances into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the toner container of the present invention comprises a container body having a toner filling port, a cylindrical portion provided along the filling port, and a removable cap that closes the opening of the cylindrical portion, wherein the cap is provided so as to be deformable in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion and comprises a pair of claws that can be inserted into the cylindrical portion and engage with the edge of the filling port, a link piece connecting the tips of the pair of claws, and a closing plate that can close the opening of the cylindrical portion, wherein by engaging the pair of claws with the edge of the filling port, the opening of the cylindrical portion is closed by the closing plate, a part of the closing plate is released to form an opening, the link piece is pulled through the opening to elastically deform the pair of claws radially inward, releasing the engagement between the pair of claws and the edge of the filling port, and the cap is removed from the cylindrical portion, thereby making the container body reusable.

[0008] In the toner container of the present invention, the cap may further comprise a disc portion having an opening, and the closing plate may be fixed to the disc portion.

[0009] In the toner container of the present invention, the closing plate may have a detachable portion surrounded by a breakable weak portion, and the detachable portion may be detached along the weak portion to form an opening in the closing plate, and the link piece may be pulled through the opening and the opening of the disc portion.

[0010] In the toner container of the present invention, the vulnerable portion may be characterized by being a groove.

[0011] In the toner container of the present invention, the detachable portion may be characterized by having a symbol indicating the number of times the container body has been used.

[0012] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a toner container and an image forming unit that forms an image using toner supplied from the toner container.

[0013] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a toner container and an image forming unit that forms an image using toner supplied from the toner container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the container body can be reused when reusing the toner container. Furthermore, since there is no need to cut or process the container body for reuse, the container body can be reused multiple times. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view showing a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] This is a cross-sectional view showing the cap of a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] This is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the cap of a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an exploded perspective view showing the cap of a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] This is a cross-sectional view showing a cap with the detachable portion removed from a toner container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B]In the toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is a cross-sectional view showing a cap in a state where a link piece is pulled. [Figure 6C] In the toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is a cross-sectional view showing a cap during removal. [Figure 7] In the toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is a perspective view showing a cap with a detachment portion of a closing plate detached.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus and a toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] First, referring to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the inside of the image forming apparatus 1. Fr, Rr, L, and R shown in each figure indicate the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the image forming apparatus 1, respectively.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a hollow housing 3 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Inside the housing 3, a paper feed cassette 5 for storing paper, a paper feed device 7 for feeding paper from the paper feed cassette 5, an image forming unit 9 for forming a toner image on the paper, a fixing device 11 for fixing the toner image on the paper, and a discharging device 13 for discharging the paper are accommodated. On the upper surface of the housing 3, a paper discharge tray 15 on which the discharged paper is stacked is formed. Further, inside the housing 3, a conveyance path 17 through which the paper is conveyed from the paper feed device 7 to the discharging device 13 through the image forming unit 9 and the fixing device 11 is formed. Further, inside the housing 3, a reversing path 19 that branches from the conveyance path 17 on the downstream side of the fixing device 11 and merges into the conveyance path 17 on the upstream side of the image forming unit 9 is formed.

[0019] The image forming unit 9 includes a rotatable photoreceptor drum 21, a charging device 23, a developing device 25, a transfer roller 27, and a cleaning device 29 arranged around the photoreceptor drum 21 along the direction of rotation of the photoreceptor drum 21, an exposure device 31, and a toner container 33. A transfer nip is formed between the photoreceptor drum 21 and the transfer roller 27. The toner container 33 is connected to the developing device 25, and toner is supplied from the toner container 33 to the developing device 25.

[0020] A brief explanation of the image formation operation is as follows: Paper fed from the paper cassette 5 by the paper feed device 7 is transported along the transport path 17 to the image forming unit 9. In the image forming unit 9, the charging device 23 charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 21. The exposure device 31 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 21, which has been charged by the charging device 23, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 21 corresponding to the image data. The developing device 25 develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum 21 into a toner image using toner supplied from the toner container 33. The transfer roller 27 transfers the toner image to the paper transported along the transport path 17 to the transfer nip. The paper with the transferred toner image is transported along the transport path 17 to the fuser device 11. The cleaning device 29 removes any toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 21 after the transfer. In the fuser device 11, the toner image is fixed to the paper. The paper with the fixed toner image is discharged into the output tray 15 by the discharge device 13.

[0021] In the case of double-sided printing, the paper, with a toner image fixed to one side by the fuser unit 11, is switched back in the transport path 17 and transported to the reversal path 19. Then, it is transported from the reversal path 19 back to the transport path 17, where a toner image is formed on the other side in the image forming unit 9, and the toner image is fixed to the other side by the fuser unit 11. The paper with toner images fixed to both sides in this way is then discharged into the output tray 15 by the discharge device 13.

[0022] Next, the toner container 33 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the toner container 33, and Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the toner container 33.

[0023] The toner container 33 comprises a container body 41 having a toner filling port 43 (see Figure 3), and a cap 45 that closes the filling port 43.

[0024] The container body 41 has a main body portion 51 with an open top and a lid portion 53 with an open bottom. The main body portion 51 has a roughly semi-cylindrical bottom plate 51a that is long in the front-to-back direction and roughly semi-circular front and rear side plates 51b. The main body portion 51 also has a flange 51c that protrudes outward along the top opening. The lid portion 53 has a flange 53c that protrudes outward along the bottom opening. By welding both flanges 51c and 53c together, the main body portion 51 and the lid portion 53 form a container body 41 having an internal space for containing toner.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, a toner filling port 43 is formed in one of the side plates 51b. Furthermore, a cylindrical tube portion 57 is formed in the side plate 51b along the filling port 43. A groove 57a (not shown in Figures 2 and 3, see Figure 4B) is formed on the tip surface of the tube portion 57 along the circumferential direction. In addition, a positioning projection 57b that is positioned in relation to the cap 45 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tube portion 57.

[0026] The internal space of the container body 41 rotatably houses a stirring paddle and a conveying screw (both not shown). Furthermore, a toner discharge port (not shown) is formed in the bottom plate 51a of the main body 51. The discharge port communicates with the toner supply port (not shown) of the developing device 25. The discharge port can be opened and closed by a shutter (not shown).

[0027] Next, the cap 45 will be described with reference to Figure 3, Figures 4A and 4B, and Figure 5. Figures 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the cap 45, and Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the cap 45. The cap 45 consists of a cylindrical body 61 that is attached to the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41, and a closing plate 63 that closes the opening of the cylindrical portion 57. The cap 45 is made of resin.

[0028] The cylindrical body 61 has a disc portion 71 with an outer diameter larger than the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41, and a cylindrical insertion portion 73 that is integrally provided with the disc portion 71 and can be inserted into the cylindrical portion 57. A roughly cross-shaped opening 71a is formed in the center of the disc portion 71. The front surface of the disc portion 71 is formed flat. In addition, a side wall 71b is formed along the outer edge of the front surface of the disc portion 71. As a result, a recess 71c surrounded by the side wall 71b is formed on the front surface of the disc portion 71. A pair of notches 71d are formed in the side wall 71b along the diagonal. Furthermore, an annular rib 71e concentric with the disc portion 71 is formed around the opening 71a on the back surface of the disc portion 71. In addition, a positioning pin 71f is provided on the back surface of the disc portion 71.

[0029] The insertion portion 73 is formed concentrically with the disc portion 71 between the opening 71a on the back surface of the disc portion 71 and the annular rib 71e. As clearly shown in Figure 5, the insertion portion 73 has a pair of radially opposing semi-cylindrical portions 77 and a pair of radially opposing claw portions 79. The outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of semi-cylindrical portions 77 are inclined radially inward from the base end (disc portion 71 side) to the tip end (the side opposite to the disc portion 71). The maximum outer diameter of the pair of semi-cylindrical portions 77 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41. Also, the length of the pair of semi-cylindrical portions 77 is approximately the same as the length of the cylindrical portion 57. At the tip of the pair of claw portions 79, a claw 79a is formed that protrudes radially outward. The outer surface of each claw 79a is inclined to taper toward the tip. The distance between the claws 79a of a pair of claw portions 79 in the radial direction is greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41. The length of the pair of claw portions 79 is longer than the length of the cylindrical portion 57 by the length of the claws 79a. For example, the length of the pair of claw portions 79 is 10 mm.

[0030] The tips of the pair of claw portions 79 are connected by a link piece 81. The link piece 81 is curved in a U-shape towards the base end of the pair of claw portions 79. By pulling the link piece 81 toward the disc portion 71, the pair of claw portions 79 can be deformed radially inward. By deforming the pair of claw portions 79 radially inward, the distance between the claws 79a of the pair of claw portions 79 can be shortened.

[0031] Next, the closing plate 63 will be described. The closing plate 63 is formed in the shape of a disc that can be attached to the recess 71c of the disc portion 71 of the cylindrical body 61. In the center of the closing plate 63, a roughly cross-shaped release portion 85 is formed, corresponding to the shape of the opening 71a of the disc portion 71. The area around the release portion 85 is surrounded by a groove 87 and is thinner than the rest of the plate. The groove 87 is an example of a weak point in this invention. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the release portion 85 is marked with a number indicating the number of times the toner container 33 has been used (in this example, the number 3, indicating the 3rd use). On the side surface of the closing plate 63, a pair of diagonal projections 63a are formed. The back surface of the closing plate 63 is formed flat.

[0032] The closing plate 63 is positioned relative to the disc portion 71 by engaging a pair of projections 63a with a pair of notches 71d in the side wall 71b of the disc portion 71, and is attached to the bottom surface of the recess 71c of the disc portion 71 (the front surface of the disc portion 71) with double-sided tape.

[0033] The method for reusing the toner container 33 having the above configuration will be explained mainly with reference to Figures 6A to 6C and Figure 7. Figures 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views showing the cap 45, and Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the cap 45. When toner is filled for the first time (1st time), a predetermined amount of toner is filled into the container body 41 from the filling port 43. After that, the opening (filling port 43) of the cylindrical part 57 is closed with the cap 45. The number 1, indicating the first use, is marked on the detachable part 85 of the closing plate 63 of the cap 45.

[0034] First, the cap 45 is positioned relative to the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41 so that the positioning pin 71f (see Figure 5) on the disc portion 71 of the cap 45 corresponds to the positioning projection 57b (see Figure 3) on the cylindrical portion 57 of the container body 41, and the insertion portion 73 of the cylindrical body 61 of the cap 45 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 57. As described above, the distance between the claws 79a of the pair of claw portions 79 of the insertion portion 73 is greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 57, so the inclined outer surface of each claw 79a contacts the edge of the opening of the cylindrical portion 57, and as the insertion portion 73 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 57, the pair of claw portions 79 elastically deform inward in the radial direction. With the pair of claw portions 79 still elastically deformed, each claw 79a slides along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 57.

[0035] When the insertion portion 73 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 57, and the claws 79a of the pair of claw portions 79 protrude from the filling port 43 of the container body 41 into the inner space of the container body 41, the pair of claw portions 79 elastically deform radially outward and engage with the edge of the filling port 43 (see Figure 4A). In this way, the pair of claw portions 79 snap-fit ​​to the edge of the filling port 43. Furthermore, the back surface of the disc portion 71 abuts against the front surface of the cylindrical portion 57, and the annular rib 71e formed on the back surface of the disc portion 71 fits into the groove 57a formed on the front surface of the cylindrical portion 57. As a result, the opening of the cylindrical portion 57 is closed by the cap 45, and the cap 45 is attached to the container body 41 (see Figure 4A). In this state, the toner container 33 is shipped.

[0036] After shipment, the toner container 33 is installed in a predetermined position inside the housing 3, and the aforementioned image forming operation is performed. If the toner density of the developing unit 25 falls below a predetermined density during the image forming operation, a toner replenishment operation is performed, and toner is replenished from the toner container 33 to the developing unit 25. During the toner replenishment operation, the stirring paddle and the transport screw rotate, and the shutter opens. As the stirring paddle rotates, the toner in the container body 41 is stirred and transported toward the transport screw. Then, as the transport screw rotates, the toner is transported toward the discharge port and supplied to the developing unit 25 through the discharge port. When the toner density in the developing unit 25 reaches a predetermined density, toner replenishment is stopped. This replenishment operation is repeated, and when the toner in the container body 41 is consumed, the replacement of the toner container 33 is instructed, and the toner container 33 is replaced.

[0037] When replacing the toner container 33, remove the toner container 33 from the housing 3. Then, as shown in Figure 6A, detach the release portion 85 of the closing plate 63 of the cap 45 along the groove 87. The groove 87 is thin and easily broken. Therefore, by pushing the release portion 85 with a finger or tool (see arrow in Figure 6A), the groove 87 will easily break, and the release portion 85 can be detached. The release portion 85 that has entered the inside of the cylindrical portion 57 can be removed using a finger or tool.

[0038] When the detachable part 85 detaches, an opening 63X is formed in the closing plate 63. Since this opening 63X corresponds to the opening 71a of the disc portion 71 of the cylindrical body 61, as shown in Figure 7, the inside of the cylindrical portion 57 and the inner space of the container body 41 are exposed through these openings 63X and 71a. In other words, the link piece 81 and claw portion 79 that have entered the inside of the cylindrical portion 57 and the inner space of the container body 41 are exposed through these openings 63X and 71a.

[0039] Then, as shown in Figure 6B, insert your fingers or a tool through these openings 63X and 71a into the cylindrical part and pull the link piece 81 outwards (see arrow in Figure 6B). This releases the engagement between the pair of claws 79 and the edge of the filling port 43 (releasing the snap-fit ​​connection), allowing the cap 45 to be removed from the container body 41. After releasing the engagement between the two in this way, as shown in Figure 6C, hold the link piece 81 and pull the cap 45 out of the cylindrical part 57 (see arrow in Figure 6C). After removing the cap 45 in this way, clean the inside of the container body 41 with compressed air.

[0040] Then, just like the first time, a predetermined amount of toner is filled into the container body 41 through the filling port 43. Next, the cap 45 corresponding to the second time is attached to the cylindrical part 57 as described above. The cap 45 corresponding to the second time has the number 2, indicating the second time, marked on the detachable part 85.

[0041] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, when the toner container 33 is reused, the cap 45 is discarded, but the container body 41 can be reused. Furthermore, there is no need to cut or process the container body 41 for reuse. In addition, by engaging the pair of claws 79 of the cap 45 with the edge of the filling port 43 of the container body 41, the filling port 43 (opening of the cylindrical portion 57) can be securely closed without placing a large load on the container body 41 (especially the cylindrical portion 57). That is, the edge of the filling port 43 is formed at the corner between the side plate 51b of the main body portion 51 of the container body 41 and the cylindrical portion 57, and is highly rigid, so even if the claws 79 are engaged with the edge, it is difficult to deform the edge. If the cap 45 and the cylindrical portion 57 are tightly pressed together in order to securely close the filling port 43 (opening of the cylindrical portion 57) with the cap 45, a large load may be placed on the container body 41 (especially the cylindrical portion 57). In that case, the container body 41 may deform or become easily damaged, making reuse impossible. In this invention, since the container body 41 is resistant to deformation, the container body 41 can be reused multiple times. Furthermore, since the number of uses is indicated on the detachable part 85, the number of uses can be reliably tracked.

[0042] Furthermore, since a cylindrical portion 57 is formed along the filling port 43 of the container body 41, and a pair of claw portions 79 are configured to engage with the edge of the filling port 43, the length of the pair of claw portions 79 can be increased by the length of the cylindrical portion 57. This allows the pair of claw portions 79 to be stably elastically deformed.

[0043] Alternatively, the closing plate 63 may be formed integrally with the cylindrical body 61. That is, instead of an opening 71a, a release portion 85 surrounded by a groove 87 may be provided in the disc portion 71 of the cylindrical body 61. In this case, by breaking the groove 87 and releasing the release portion 85, an opening is formed in the disc portion 71, and the link piece 81 can be pulled through this opening. However, if the closing plate 63 is to be marked with a number indicating the number of uses, it is preferable to provide the closing plate 63 and the cylindrical body 61 separately. In this case, the cylindrical body 61 can be used in common regardless of the number of uses. Then, only the closing plates 63 can be prepared according to the number of uses, and the corresponding closing plate 63 can be attached to the cylindrical body 61 with double-sided tape or adhesive each time it is used.

[0044] Furthermore, by providing a weak point, the detachable part 85 can be easily removed. Also, no chips or fragments are generated when removing the detachable part 85. In particular, since the weak point is a groove 87, the sealing performance of the closing plate 63 can be maintained. If a weak point is not provided, an opening may be formed in the closing plate 63 using a tool such as a cutter.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can modify the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Image forming apparatus 9 Image forming unit 33 Toner Containers 41 Container body 43 Filling port 45 caps 59 Cylinder part 63 Closing plate 71 Disc section 79 Nail area 81 Link Pieces 85 Separation part 87 Groove (weak part)

Claims

1. A container body having a toner filling port, A cylindrical portion provided along the aforementioned filling port, It comprises a removable cap that closes the opening of the cylindrical portion, The aforementioned cap is A pair of claws are provided that are deformable in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion and can be inserted into the cylindrical portion and engage with the edge of the filling port, A link piece connecting the tips of the pair of claw portions, The cylindrical portion includes a closing plate capable of closing the opening, By engaging the pair of claws with the edge of the filling port, the opening of the cylindrical portion is closed by the closing plate. A toner container characterized in that the container body can be reused by detaching a part of the closing plate to form an opening, pulling the link piece through the opening to elastically deform the pair of claws radially inward, releasing the engagement between the pair of claws and the edge of the filling port, and removing the cap from the cylindrical part.

2. The cap further comprises a disc portion having an opening, The toner container according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing plate is fixed to the disc portion.

3. The closing plate has a detachable portion surrounded by a fragile portion that can be broken, The toner container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the detachable portion is detached along the fragile portion to form an opening in the closing plate, and the link piece is pulled through the opening and the opening of the cylindrical portion.

4. The toner container according to claim 3, characterized in that the weak portion is a groove.

5. The toner container according to claim 3, characterized in that the detachable portion is marked with a symbol indicating the number of times the container body has been used.

6. The toner container according to claim 1, An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit that forms an image using toner supplied from the toner container.

Images