JP2000147879A - Toner supply device and toner supply container used therein - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (with correction) [Problem] The toner can be easily transported without using a cushioning material or the like in a state where the toner is stored, and it can be surely confirmed that the toner has been loosened when the toner is mounted on the developing unit. The present invention provides a toner supply container that can be easily folded or rolled up after use and can be collected and reused, and a toner supply device using the same. The toner supply device includes a toner supply container and a suction pump, and supplies toner to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus. The toner supply container has flexibility. The suction pump 5 suctions the toner stored in the toner supply container 4 and sends it to the developing unit 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing section of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, and a toner supply container used for the toner supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A latent image formed on a photoreceptor by an electrophotographic copying machine or the like is visualized by attaching toner to a developing unit. As shown in FIG. 14, the toner replenishing container for supplying the toner to the developing unit is made of plastic, and the toner stored in a container 41 having a spiral groove therein is supplied from a supply port 42 by rotating the container. An agitator for discharging toner is provided in a toner container made of plastic or paper to supply the toner to the developing unit, and the toner is discharged by rotating the agitator. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-23281
As shown in FIG. 15, the toner supply container disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 0-205300 has an upper container tube 44 having an opening at the lower end and having a toner discharge port, and a lower container tube 45 having an upper end opening.
The toner is stored in a toner container 47 having a lower end edge of an upper container tube 44 and an upper end edge of a lower container tube 45, and the expansion / contraction tube 46 is evacuated from the vent hole.
Is contracted to supply toner to the developing unit.

A waste toner container for collecting waste toner removed from a photoreceptor after developing a latent image in a developing section is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Hei 5-11173. As shown in FIG. 16, the waste toner container 50 is integrally formed of plastic as a whole, and the neck 51 and the shoulder 52 each having a toner inlet at the tip are formed to be relatively thick and rigid. The part 53 is formed in a relatively thin and flexible state, and the tip of the body part 53 is joined by heat sealing, and when not in use, the body part 53 is folded down to make it easier to handle. .

[0004]

Since each of the toner supply containers for supplying toner to the developing unit is formed of plastic or the like so as to have rigidity, when the toner is transported in a state in which the toner is stored, it is transported. In order to prevent the inside from being damaged, it was necessary to store it together with the cushioning material in the cardboard case, a lot of materials were required, the transportation cost was high, and the disposal of the cardboard case and the cushioning material was not easy.

When the toner replenishing container is mounted on the developing section, it is necessary to shake the toner replenishing container by hand to loosen the agglomeration of the stored toner. However, the toner replenishing container is made of plastic or the like to have rigidity. Therefore, it was not easy to confirm that the toner was loosened.

Further, when a used toner supply container is transported for disposal or reuse, it cannot be folded or rolled up, and the used toner container is bulky when transported, and is often used for transportation and storage. The disadvantage is that it costs money.

Further, the waste toner container disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 5-1173 is intended to collect and store waste toner, and is not used as a toner supply container for supplying toner to a developing unit. The toner supply function was not shown, and the toner supply function was not satisfied, so that the toner supply function could not be realized.

According to the present invention, the disadvantages are improved, the toner can be easily transported without using a buffer material or the like in a state where the toner is stored, and it can be surely confirmed that the toner has been loosened when the toner is mounted on the developing unit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a toner supply container that can be easily folded or rolled up after use and can be collected and reused, and a toner supply device using the same.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A toner supply device according to the present invention has a toner supply container and a suction pump, and supplies toner to a developing section of an image forming apparatus. It has a flexible bag portion that can be rolled up and contracted after use, and a rigid mouth portion. The suction pump sucks the toner stored in the toner supply container and sends it to the developing section.

It is preferable that the suction pump is a suction-type uniaxial eccentric screw pump that moves toner along an axial direction by rotating.

It is preferable to provide an air supply means for diffusing and fluidizing the toner sent out by the suction pump between the suction pump and the developing section.

Further, it is desirable that the toner supply container is connected to a connection portion with a suction pump with the opening of the toner supply container facing downward.

Further, the apparatus has an air feeding means for feeding air into the toner replenishing container, and suctions the toner contained in the toner replenishing container by stirring the toner by the air flow sent by the air feeding means. It is desirable to send it out.

Further, a toner separating means for separating toner and air may be provided between the suction pump and the developing section, and the separated air may be sent to the air sending means.

It is preferable that the bag portion of the toner supply container has a shape in which a portion connected to the mouth portion is gradually made linear or curved.

Preferably, the bottom of the toner supply container opposite to the mouth of the bag is flat-folded.

The bag portion of the toner supply container is preferably made of a material whose inside can be seen through.

Further, it is desirable that the bag portion of the toner supply container has an air hole made of a material that allows air to pass but does not allow toner to pass.

It is preferable to provide one or a plurality of squeezing portions on the side surface of the bag portion of the toner supply container or to provide a baffle plate near the mouth of the bag portion.

Further, it is preferable to provide a hanging grip for the toner supply container.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A toner supply device according to the present invention supplies toner to a developing unit that visualizes an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer with toner. And has a toner supply container and a suction pump. The toner supply container stores toner to be supplied to the developing unit, and has a bag portion and a mouth portion. The bag part is made of plastic or paper etc. and has flexibility,
After use, it can be folded or rolled up and contracted. The mouth is formed of a rigid column made of plastic or metal, and one end is fixed to the open end of the bag. A toner supply port is provided through the center of the opening, and a screw for attaching a cap for sealing the stored toner when storing or transporting the toner supply container is provided at the outer peripheral portion.

The suction pump is for sending out the toner contained in a toner supply container mounted on the housing of the image forming apparatus to the developing section, and is composed of a suction type uniaxial eccentric screw pump and has a casing having a shallow spiral groove on the inner wall. It has a pump body provided with a rotating shaft formed of a torsion rod therein, and a delivery section provided on the discharge side of the pump body and having an air introduction pipe and a supply pipe. The suction side of the pump body is connected to the toner supply port at the mouth of the toner supply container via a suction pipe, and the feed pipe of the sending section is connected to the developing section via an introduction pipe.

When the toner supply container is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the cap of the toner supply container is removed, the toner supply container is turned upside down, the toner supply port is connected to the adapter at the end of the suction pipe, and the opening is connected to the housing. Attach to In this state, the rotation shaft of the pump body is rotated while supplying air at a predetermined pressure from the air introduction pipe to the delivery section of the suction pump. Due to the spatial movement between the casing and the casing due to the rotation of the rotating shaft, the toner stored in the toner supply container is sucked and sent to the sending section without compressing the toner. The toner sent to the sending section is diffused and fluidized by the air flow sent from the air introducing pipe, and is supplied from the feeding pipe to the developing section through the introducing pipe.

When the toner stored in the toner replenishing container is supplied to the developing unit, the toner stored in the toner replenishing container is suctioned and sent out by the suction pump, and diffused and fluidized in the feeding unit. It is not necessary to provide an agitator for delivery in the toner supply container, and the bag portion of the toner supply container can be formed of a flexible material into any shape.

After supplying the toner from the toner supply container to the developing unit and supplying all the toner stored in the bag unit to the developing unit,
The mouth of the toner supply container is removed from the housing and the suction pipe, and the bag is folded or rolled up in a folded state and collected at the factory.

[0026]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in the figure, a toner supply device 3 that supplies toner to a developing unit 2 that visualizes an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor 1 of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer with toner.
Has a toner supply container 4 and a suction pump 5. The toner supply container 4 stores toner to be supplied to the developing unit 2, and includes a bag unit 6 and a mouth unit 7 as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG.
And The bag portion 6 is made of plastic such as polyester, polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, vinyl or the like, paper or the like, and has flexibility.
As shown in the figure, it can be folded or rolled and contracted in the folded state. The mouth 7 is formed of a rigid column made of plastic or metal, and one end is fixed to the open end of the bag 6. At the center of the opening 7, a toner supply port 8 is provided so as to pass therethrough. At the outer periphery, a screw 10 for attaching a cap 10 for sealing the stored toner 9 when storing and transporting the toner supply container 4 is provided. 11
Having. The toner supply port 8 of the mouth 7 is used as a filling port when the toner 9 is filled at the factory, and when the toner 9 is attached to the housing 12 of the image forming apparatus and used, the stored toner 9 is stored.
Supply. Further, a connection portion of the bag portion 6 with the mouth portion 7 is formed to be gradually narrowed linearly or curvedly.

The suction pump 5 pumps out the toner 9 stored in the toner supply container 4 mounted on the housing 12 of the image forming apparatus by the developing unit 2, and as shown in FIG. A pump body 15 having a rotary shaft 14 formed of a torsion bar provided in a casing 13 having a shallow spiral groove on the inner wall, and an air introduction pipe 16 provided on the discharge side of the pump body 15. And a delivery section 18 having a supply pipe 17. The suction side of the pump body 15 is connected to the toner supply port 8 of the mouth 7 of the toner supply container 4 via the suction pipe 19, and the supply pipe 17 of the delivery section 18 is connected to the developing section 2 via the introduction pipe 20. Have been.

The toner supply device 3 configured as described above
When the toner replenishing container 4 is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the cap 10 of the toner replenishing container 4 containing the toner 9 and sealed with the cap 10 is removed, the toner replenishing container 4 is turned upside down, and the toner supply port is Suction tube 19 for 8
The mouth part 7 is attached to the housing 12 by being connected to the front end adapter. In this state, while supplying air at a predetermined pressure from the air introduction pipe 16 to the delivery section 18 of the suction pump 5, the pump body 15
Is rotated. Due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 14 and the spatial movement between the casing 13 and the toner 13, the toner 9 stored in the toner supply container 4 is sucked, and the toner 9 is sent to the delivery unit 18 without being compressed. When the toner 9 stored in the toner supply container 4 is sucked, the connection portion of the bag portion 6 with the mouth portion 7 is formed so as to be gradually narrowed linearly or curvedly. The toner 9 in the inside can be smoothly moved to the mouth 7 and can be efficiently sucked. The toner 9 sent to the delivery unit 18 is diffused and fluidized by an air flow sent from the air introduction pipe 16, and is supplied from the supply pipe 17 to the development unit 2 through the introduction pipe 20.

When the toner 9 stored in the toner replenishing container 4 is supplied to the developing unit 2 as described above, the toner 9 stored in the toner replenishing container 4 is sucked out by the suction pump 5, sent out, and diffused to flow. Therefore, there is no need to provide an agitator for delivery in the toner supply container 4, and the bag portion 6 of the toner supply container 4 does not need to have rigidity, and the bag portion 6 is a container made of a flexible material. Therefore, the buffer material can be reduced, and the material cost and the transportation cost can be reduced.

After the toner is supplied from the toner supply container 4 to the developing unit 2 as described above, and all the toner 9 stored in the bag unit 6 is supplied to the developing unit 2, the opening 7 of the toner supply container 4
Is removed from the housing 12 and the suction pipe 19, and as shown in FIG. 3, the bag 6 is folded or rolled up in a folded state and collected at the factory. When the used toner supply container 4 is collected, the bag portion 6 is formed of a flexible material and can be easily folded or rolled. Therefore, the capacity of the toner supply container 4 at the time of collection is extremely small. In addition to being able to prevent scratches and breakage during transportation, it can be transported or stored without the need for cushioning material.
Further, when the collected toner replenishing container 4 is refilled with the toner 9 and shipped, the toner is stored in the bag portion 6 formed of a flexible material. It can be transported without using a cushioning material, and can also be transported or stored without using a cushioning material, so that the cost of transportation and the like can be greatly reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the toner supply container 4 is connected upside down to the suction pipe 19 has been described. However, the toner supply container 4 may be connected to the suction pipe 19 in an upright state.

Alternatively, air may be sent into the toner supply container 4 and the toner 9 stored in the toner supply container 4 may be sucked by the suction pump 5 while stirring. The configuration of the embodiment in this case is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the toner supply device 3a includes a toner supply container 4 and a suction pump 5
And an air feeding unit 21 and a toner separating unit 22. The air feeding means 21 feeds air into the toner supply container 4 while the suction pump 5 is sucking the toner 9 in the toner supply container 4. The toner separating unit 22 is provided in the introduction pipe 20 between the suction pump 5 and the developing unit 2 and separates the toner and the air supplied to the suction pump 5 and the developing unit 2 from each other. Send to

The suction pipe 19 connected to the suction side of the suction pump 5 has a tip adapter 23 attached to the housing 12 of the image forming apparatus main body, as shown in FIG. An opening support 25 attached to the toner supply port 8 via a packing 24, a toner suction pipe 26, and an air blowing pipe 27 are provided. The toner suction pipe 26 is connected to the suction pipe 19, and the air blowing pipe 27 has a mesh that does not allow the passage of air at the tip end but does not allow toner to pass therethrough, and the other end is connected to the discharge port of the air feeding means 21. Connected to the outlet pipe 28. Note that a mesh may not be provided at the tip of the air blowing pipe 27.

The toner supply container 4 containing the toner 9 in the tip adapter 23 is turned upside down and the opening 7 is
Is attached to the mouth support 25 via. At the time of this attachment, the tips of the toner suction pipe 26 and the air blowing pipe 27 may be traveling from the mouth 7 and may end in the toner supply port 8 of the mouth 7. When the suction pump 5 is operated in this state, the toner 9 is sucked from the toner suction pipe 26. At this time, the air feeding means 21 is simultaneously operated to feed air from the air blowing pipe 27 into the toner supply container 4. The fed air loosens the toner in the vicinity of the toner suction pipe 26 to prevent clogging due to lumps, and agglomeration is broken down to 1
The toner 9 is separated into individual toner particles, and the separated toner 9 is sucked by the suction pump 5 and sent out to the toner separating means 22 provided in the introduction pipe 20. The toner separating unit 22 separates the sent toner and air, and sends the separated air containing the fine powder of the toner to the air sending unit 21.

When the toner 9 is sucked from the toner replenishing container 4 in this manner, the air can be sent into the toner replenishing container 4 to separate the toner. This prevents the toner 6 from shrinking and the toner 9 from stopping at that portion, making it impossible to use all the toner stored in the toner supply container 4.
Further, since the air containing the fine powder of the toner separated by the toner separating means 22 is sent to the air sending means 21 and circulated, the air containing the fine powder of the toner does not need to be released to the outside, thereby preventing the air in the surrounding environment from being polluted. it can. Further, by controlling the amount of air sent from the air sending means 21, the amount of toner supply can also be controlled.

In the above embodiment, the mouth support 25 having the toner suction pipe 26 and the air blowing pipe 27 is connected to the housing 1 of the image forming apparatus.
2 is provided separately from the toner replenishing container 4, but the mouth supporting member 25 having the toner suction pipe 26 and the air blowing pipe 27 is attached to the mouth 7 of the toner replenishing container 4, and the toner is replenished. When mounting the container 4, the mouth support 25 may be fixed to the housing 12. By attaching the mouth support 25 to the toner replenishing container 4 in this manner, air can be blown when the toner replenishing container 4 is filled with toner at a factory or when waste toner is collected in the used toner replenishing container 4. By filling new toner or waste toner from the toner suction pipe 26 while sucking air in the toner supply container 4 from the pipe 27, new toner or waste toner can be efficiently filled.

In the above embodiment, the case where the toner suction pipe 26 and the air blowing pipe 27 are separately provided on the mouth support 25 has been described. However, as shown in FIG.
A double pipe in which 6 and the air blowing pipe 27 are arranged on the same axis may be used. Then, the distal end of the toner suction pipe 26 is made to protrude from the distal end of the air blowing pipe 27, and a suction port 26a is provided on the side surface of the distal end of the toner suction pipe 26 as shown in FIG. As shown, by providing the suction port 26a at the tip of the toner suction pipe 26, the toner separated by the air flow can be efficiently sucked.

In each of the above embodiments, a case has been described in which toner is supplied from the suction pump 5 to the developing unit 2 via the inlet pipe 20 or the inlet pipe 20 and the toner separating means 22.
By providing an auger 29 having blades and screws in the introduction tube 20 as shown in FIG. 8, toner can be more efficiently supplied to the operation unit 2.

In the above embodiment, the bag portion 6 of the toner supply container 4 is used.
Although the case where it was formed in a cylindrical shape was described, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the ends of the two plastic sheets 30 are bonded to each other by heat sealing or the like to form the bag portion 6, or as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the bag portion 6 may be formed by bonding the respective ends of the two plastic sheets 30 and flattening the bottom. By making the cross section of the bag portion 6 flat, the toner supply container 4 can be more easily folded after the toner is used. In addition, when the bottom of the bag portion 6 is folded flat, the new toner can be easily filled from the bottom of the folded portion when the new toner is filled at the factory.

The bag portion 6 of the toner supply container 4 is
As shown in FIG. 0, an air window 31 that allows air to pass through but does not allow toner to be provided, or a synthetic resin film, paper, or a metal thin film that does not allow the passage of fine particles such as toner developed in recent years but allows the passage of air. When the toner supply container 4 is filled with the toner, the air in the toner supply container 4 can be released to the outside, and the toner can be efficiently filled. The stored toner 9
It is also possible to prevent the bag portion 6 from shrinking when sucking the toner and stopping the flow of the toner. Further, damage to the toner supply container 4 in a low-pressure environment can be prevented.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11A, a squeezing portion 32 is provided in the vicinity of a connection portion of the bag portion 6 with the mouth portion 7, or as shown in FIG. It is desirable to provide a plurality of apertures 32 in the fin. The provision of the squeezing portion 32 in this way prevents the toner above the squeezing portion 32 from receiving its own weight and transmitting the toner to the mouth portion 7 to prevent the toner from clumping and tightening in the vicinity of the mouth portion 7 and to prevent a large amount of toner Without passing through the toner suction pipe 26 and the toner supply port 8.
Can be prevented from being blocked. The throttle portion 32 may be formed in a straight line or a funnel shape. In addition, bag part 6
As shown in FIG. 12, the baffle plate 3
3 may be provided. By providing the baffle plate 33 in this way, it is possible to prevent loosening of a lump of toner or passage of a lump of a large size, thereby preventing clogging of the toner.

Since the bag portion 6 of the toner supply container 4 has flexibility, a hanging portion 35 having a hanging hole 34 at the bottom of the bag portion 6 is provided as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 13C, a handle 36 is provided on the side surface of the bag portion 6 so that the hanging portion 35 and the handle 36 hold the toner supply container 4 when the toner supply container 4 is mounted. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the toner replenishing container 4 from falling down when the amount of stored toner decreases. Also,
The provision of the hanging portion 35 and the handle 36 makes it easy to carry the toner supply container 4 containing the toner.

Further, by forming the bag portion 6 of the toner supply container 4 from a material whose inside can be seen, it is possible to easily determine the remaining amount of toner and the replacement time of the toner supply container 4.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the toner stored in the toner supply container is supplied to the developing section, the toner stored in the toner supply container is sucked out by the suction pump, sent out, and diffused. Therefore, the toner supply container need not be provided with an agitator for delivery, and the bag portion of the toner supply container can be formed of a flexible material into any shape.

Further, when the toner supply container containing the toner is transported, since the bag portion is formed of a flexible material, it can be prevented from being scratched or damaged during transportation, and the cushioning material can be used. Can be transported or stored without need. Furthermore, when the used toner supply container is collected, it can be easily folded or rolled up.
The toner supply container at the time of collection can be transported and stored with a very small capacity. When the collected toner supply container is refilled with toner and shipped, the toner is stored in a bag made of a flexible material.
The toner supply container can be transported without being damaged by vibration or impact, and can be transported or stored without using a cushioning material, so that transportation and storage costs can be significantly reduced.

Further, since the suction pump is constituted by a suction-type uniaxial eccentric screw pump, the toner can be sent out without being compressed, and the aggregation of the toner can be prevented.

Further, since the toner sent by the suction pump is diffused and fluidized between the suction pump and the developing unit, a uniform toner without lumps can be sent to the developing unit, and a high quality image can be stably formed. Can be formed.

Further, by connecting the toner supply container to the connection with the suction pump with the opening of the toner supply container facing downward, the toner stored in the toner supply container can be supplied stably and can be used without waste.

Further, air is supplied to the toner stored in the toner supply container, and the toner stirred by the supplied air flow is sucked out by a suction pump and sent out.
The toner to be sucked can be separated, and the bag portion of the toner supply container contracts due to the suction, so that the toner does not stop at that portion, and it is possible to prevent the toner stored in the toner supply container from becoming unusable. .

Further, a toner separating means for separating the toner and the air is provided between the suction pump and the developing section, and the separated air is sent to the air sending means and circulated to discharge the air containing the fine powder of the toner to the outside. It is not necessary to prevent the air in the surrounding environment from being polluted. Further, by controlling the amount of air sent from the air sending means, the supply amount of toner can also be controlled.

Further, since the bag portion of the toner supply container has a shape that gradually and linearly or curvilinearly connects to the mouth portion, the toner in the bag portion can be smoothly moved to the mouth portion. It can be sucked efficiently. Further, it is possible to prevent toner scattering when resetting the toner supply container by reducing the remaining amount of toner.

Further, by forming the bottom of the toner supply container opposite to the mouth of the bag portion flat, the new toner can be easily filled from the bottom of the flat portion when the new toner is filled at the factory. it can.

Further, by forming the bag portion of the toner supply container with a material whose inside can be seen through, the remaining amount of the toner and the replacement time of the toner supply container can be easily determined.

By providing an air hole made of a material that allows air to pass through but does not allow toner to pass through the bag portion of the toner replenishing container, the air in the toner replenishing container is filled with toner when the toner replenishing container is filled with toner. The toner can be released and the toner can be efficiently filled. Further, it is possible to prevent the bag portion from shrinking and stopping the flow of the toner when sucking the toner stored in the toner supply container.
Further, damage to the toner supply container at low pressure can be prevented, and deterioration of the toner during storage can be prevented.

Further, by providing one or a plurality of squeezing portions on the side surface of the bag portion of the toner supply container or providing a baffle plate near the mouth portion of the bag portion, the toner clumps can be loosened or large-sized clumps can be formed. Can be prevented from passing through, and toner aggregation at the toner discharge port can be alleviated to prevent toner clogging.

Further, by providing a holding portion for hanging the toner replenishing container, the toner replenishing container can be prevented from falling down when the amount of the stored toner is reduced. It can be easily carried.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a toner supply container.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a used toner supply container.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a suction pump.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tip adapter for mounting a toner supply container.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a toner suction pipe and an air blowing pipe.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an auger provided in the introduction pipe.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a second toner supply container.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a third toner supply container.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a fourth toner supply container.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a fifth toner supply container.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a sixth toner supply container.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a first conventional example.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing a second conventional example.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a third conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoconductor 2 Developing part 3 Toner supply device 4 Toner supply container 5 Suction pump 6 Bag part 7 Mouth part 19 Suction pipe 20 Inlet pipe 21 Air feeding means 22 Toner separation means

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A toner supply device having a toner supply container and a suction pump for supplying toner to a developing section of an image forming apparatus, wherein the toner supply container has flexibility and can be rolled up and contracted after use. And a suction pump for sucking the toner stored in the toner supply container and sending the suction toner to the developing unit. 2. The toner supply device according to claim 1, wherein the suction pump is a suction-type single-axis eccentric screw pump that moves toner along an axial direction by rotating. 3. The toner supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an air supply unit provided between the suction pump and the developing unit to diffuse and fluidize the toner sent by the suction pump. 4. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein an opening of the toner supply container is directed downward, and the toner supply container is connected to a connection portion with a suction pump.
The toner supply device as described in the above. 5. An air supply means for feeding air into the toner supply container, wherein the toner contained in the toner supply container is agitated by an air flow sent by the air supply means by a suction pump. 5. The toner supply device according to claim 1, wherein the toner is supplied by suction. 6. The toner supply device according to claim 5, further comprising a toner separating unit for separating toner and air between the suction pump and the developing unit, and feeding the separated air to an air feeding unit. 7. A toner supply container for use in a toner supply device for supplying toner sucked by a suction pump to a developing section of an image forming apparatus, the bag having flexibility and a bag portion capable of being rolled up and contracted after use. And a mouth portion having the toner supply container. 8. The toner replenishing container according to claim 7, wherein the bag portion has a shape in which a portion connected to the mouth gradually and linearly or curvedly becomes smaller. 9. The toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein the bottom of the bag portion opposite to the mouth is flat-folded. 10. The toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein the bag portion is formed of a material whose inside can be seen through. 11. The toner supply container according to claim 7, further comprising an air hole made of a material that allows air to pass through but does not allow toner to pass through the bag portion. 12. The toner supply device according to claim 7, wherein one or a plurality of throttle portions are provided on a side surface of the bag portion. 13. The toner supply container according to claim 7, wherein a baffle plate is provided near an opening of said bag portion. 14. The toner replenishing container according to claim 7, wherein a hanging grip portion is provided in the bag portion.