US-20260126734-A1 - IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

US20260126734A1US 20260126734 A1US20260126734 A1US 20260126734A1US-20260126734-A1

Abstract

Provided are development units to which toner is supplied from toner replenishment containers through toner supply pipes, to miniaturize a main body by changing toner supply positions in the development units in longitudinal directions of development rollers, to reduce the numbers of exclusive components included in the development units. One end of a first passage communicates with a first space of a first development container through a first through-hole, one end of a second passage communicates with a second space of a second development container through a fourth through-hole, and a second through-hole of the first development container and a third through-hole of the second development container are sealed.

Inventors

Isao Koishi
Yukio Kubo
Shunsuke Hijikata
Naoki Hayashi
Yuuji Obukuro
Yu Fukasawa

Assignees

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251027
Priority Date: 20241105

Claims (13)

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: a first toner container configured to store first toner, the first toner container including a first discharge port for discharge of the first toner; a second toner container configured to store second toner, the second toner container including a second discharge port for discharge of the second toner; a first development unit including a first development container configured to store the first toner, the first development unit including a first development roller configured to bear the first toner stored in the first development container; a second development unit including a second development container configured to store the second toner, the second development unit including a second development roller configured to bear the second toner; a first passage configured to convey the first toner discharged from the first discharge port toward the first development container, wherein one end of the first passage communicates with the first discharge port of the first toner container and another end of the first passage communicates with the first development container; and a second passage configured to convey the second toner discharged from the second discharge port toward the second development container, wherein one end of the second passage communicates with the second discharge port of the second toner container and another end of the second passage communicates with the second development container, wherein the first development container includes a first frame, which forms a first space configured to store the first toner, with a first through-hole and a second through-hole provided in the first frame, wherein the second development container includes a second frame, which forms a second space configured to store the second toner, with a third through-hole and a fourth through-hole corresponding to the first through-hole and the second through-hole, respectively, provided in the second frame, wherein the other end of the first passage communicates with the first space of the first development container through the first through-hole, wherein the other end of the second passage communicates with the second space of the second development container through the fourth through-hole, and wherein the second through-hole and the third through-hole are sealed.
2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first development container includes a first container forming the first space with the first frame, provided below the first frame, and including a first opening that opens upward, wherein the second development container includes a second container forming the second space with the second frame and provided below the second frame, and wherein the first frame is configured as a first cover member that closes an opening of the first container, and the second frame is configured as a second cover member that closes an opening of the second container.
3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first development roller is configured to rotate about a first rotational axis extending in a first direction, wherein the second development roller is configured to rotate about a second rotational axis extending in the first direction, wherein the first through-hole and the second through-hole are provided in a first end portion of the first development container in the first direction and a second end portion on a side opposite to the first end portion in the first direction, respectively, and wherein the third through-hole and the fourth through-hole are provided in a third end portion of the second development container in the first direction on a same side as the first end portion in the first direction, and a fourth end portion on the opposite side of the third end portion and on a same side as the second end portion in the first direction, respectively.
4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second development containers are aligned in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the first and second toner containers are aligned in the first direction, and wherein in the first direction, the first toner container is provided at a position closer to the first end portion than the second end portion, and the second toner container is provided at a position closer to the second end portion than the first end portion.
5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first pump configured to discharge air for conveying the first toner conveyed through the first passage; and a second pump configured to discharge air for conveying the second toner conveyed through the second passage.
6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in a rotational axis direction of a rotating shaft of the first development roller, the first and second through-holes overlap.
7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the first frame and the second frame have a same shape, and the first and second through-holes have a same shape.
8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a filter configured to separate air for conveying the first toner from the first toner container and discharge air from the first development container, wherein the filter is configured to cover the second through-hole of the first cover member, to prevent the first toner from passing through the filter, and to allow the air to pass through the filter.
9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a third toner container configured to store third toner, the third toner container including a third discharge port for discharge of the third toner; a third development unit including a third development container configured to store the third toner, the third development unit including a third development roller configured to bear the third toner stored in the third development container; a third passage configured to convey the third toner discharged from the third discharge port toward the third development container, wherein one end of the third passage communicates with the third discharge port and another end of the third passage communicates with the third development container; a fifth through-hole provided in the first frame of the first development container; and a sixth through-hole provided in the second frame of the second development container, wherein the third development container includes a third frame, which forms a third space configured to store the third toner, the third frame having a same shape as the first frame, with a seventh through-hole corresponding to the first through-hole, an eighth through-hole corresponding to the second through-hole, and a ninth through-hole corresponding to the fifth through-hole provided therein, and wherein the other end of the third passage communicates with the third space of the third development container through the ninth through-hole.
10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first development container includes a sealing cap configured to seal the fifth through-hole of the first frame.
11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first relay member between the other end of the first passage and the first through-hole, wherein the first relay member includes an opening, and the other end of the first passage and the first through-hole are configured to communicate through the opening.
12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first pump configured to discharge air for conveying the first toner through the first passage, wherein the first frame of the first development container includes: a fifth through-hole; and a filter configured to separate air for conveying the first toner from the first toner and discharge the air to outside the first development container, the filter placed to cover the fifth through-hole and configured to prevent the first toner from passing through the filter and allow the air to pass through the filter, and wherein the first through-holes, the second through-holes, and the fifth through-hole overlap a virtual line parallel to a rotational axis direction of a rotating shaft of the first development roller, and are offset in the rotational axis direction.
13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a volume of the second space is greater than a volume of the first space due to a difference between shapes of the first container and the second container.

Description

BACKGROUND Field of the Technology The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method. Description of the Related Art In a color image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method, a configuration is known in which toner is conveyed to a development container in the image forming apparatus by providing a conveyance mechanism using air in the image forming apparatus. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2024-132973 discusses a configuration in which air supplied from a pump is mixed with toner, and the air and the toner are conveyed to a development container. SUMMARY An aspect of the present disclosure provides an image forming apparatus that includes a first toner container configured to store first toner, the first toner container including a first discharge port for discharge of the first toner, a second toner container configured to store second toner, the second toner container including a second discharge port for discharge of the second toner; a first development unit including a first development container configured to store the first toner, the first development unit including a first development roller configured to bear the first toner stored in the first development container; a second development unit including a second development container configured to store the second toner, the second development unit including a second development roller configured to bear the second toner; a first passage configured to convey the first toner discharged from the first discharge port toward the first development container, wherein one end of the first passage communicates with the first discharge port of the first toner container and another end of the first passage communicates with the first development container; and a second passage configured to convey the second toner discharged from the second discharge port toward the second development container, wherein one end of the second passage communicates with the second discharge port of the second toner container and another end of the second passage communicates with the second development container. The first development container includes a first frame, which forms a first space configured to store the first toner, with a first through-hole and a second through-hole provided in the first frame. The second development container includes a second frame, which forms a second space configured to store the second toner, with a third through-hole and a fourth through-hole corresponding to the first through-hole and the second through-hole, respectively, provided in the second frame. The other end of the first passage communicates with the first space of the first development container through the first through-hole. The other end of the second passage communicates with the second space of the second development container through the fourth through-hole. The second through-hole and the third through-hole are sealed. Features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following description of embodiments is described by way of example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A and 1B are a top view and a front view, respectively, of a development unit according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 3A to 3C are perspective views of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of an image forming unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating laser optical paths of the image forming unit according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6A and 6B are top views of the image forming unit and a laser scanner according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of the image forming unit and the laser scanner perpendicular to rotational axes of drums according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the image forming unit and the laser scanner parallel to the rotational axes of the drums according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the image forming unit in a state where the image forming unit is pulled out of an apparatus main body according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 10A to 10E are a front view, a top view, a bottom view, a side view, and a rear view, respectively, of a cartridge according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 11A to 11C are a cross-sectional view, a perspective view, and an exploded perspective view, respectively, of the cartridge according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 12A and 12B are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view, respectively, of the cartridge according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 13A and 13B are an exploded perspective view and a perspective view, respectively, of a development unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspectiv