IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20150248078A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mugita, Naoki, Nose, Katsuya, Yago, Toshihisa, Saito, Fumiyoshi
• Application Number:
  US14/626,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0126 using a solid developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0189 primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt G03G15/0184 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0882 by a peelable sealing film resealing used developer units before refilling: G03G15/0894
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0893 in a closed loop within the sump of the developing device
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0898 for preventing toner scattering during operation, e.g. seals sealing the donor member G03G15/0817; sealing the magnetic brush G03G15/0942
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means

Abstract

A sheet member is adhered to a circumference of the communication port such that a part thereof in a removing direction to be removed is wider in area in a width direction orthogonal to the removing direction than another part. Therefore, a load required in removing the part in the removing direction increases. The parts in the removing direction of a plurality of sheet members are removed at timing different from each other. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the load because the timings causing the high load in removing the sheet members are shifted.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of developing apparatuses, each of the developing apparatuses including;

a first chamber storing developer in an initial state and having at least one communication port communicating an inside and an outside of the first chamber;

a second chamber forming a circulation path of the developer with the first chamber during operation;

at least one sealing member sealing the communication port by being adhered to a circumference of the communication port in the initial state, the sealing member including a wide adhesion part which is adhered to be wider in area in a width direction orthogonal to a removing direction to be removed than another part in the removing direction; and

a removing device configured to remove the sealing member from the communication port;

a driving source driving each removing device of the plurality of developing apparatuses;

a plurality of switching devices switching connection/disconnection of transmission of a drive of the driving source and each removing device; and

a control portion controlling the plurality of switching devices such that the wide adhesion part of each sealing member is removed at timings different from each other per each developing apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control portion differentiates timings for starting to remove the plurality of sealing members per each developing apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is a sheet member having a sealing portion adhered to the circumference of the communication port between one end portion and an intermediate portion of the sheet member and covering the communication port, and a fold-back portion folded back from an end portion of the sealing portion on a side opposite from the one end portion of the sheet member,

wherein the removing device includes a winding portion configured to wind up the sheet member from an end of the fold-back portion on a side opposite to the sealing portion, and

wherein a length of the fold-back portion of at least either one of the plurality of sheet members is different from that of the other sheet members.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each developing apparatus includes:

a conveying member driven by the driving source and conveying the developer within the first chamber; and

a partition wall partitioning the first and second chambers and provided the communication ports communicating the first chamber with the second chamber, the communication ports formed upstream and downstream sides of the partition wall in a developer conveying direction of the conveying member,

wherein the one winding portion is disposed in one developing apparatus and the one winding portion winds the two sheet members respectively sealing the two communication ports formed through the partition wall, and

wherein the fold-back portion of the sheet member on the downstream side in the developer conveying direction of the conveying member of the first chamber among the two sheet members is shorter than the fold-back portion of the sheet member on the upstream side in the developer conveying direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developing apparatus includes a developer carrier driven by the driving source and carrying and conveying the developer in the second chamber.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication port is opened substantially in a rectangular shape having sides substantially in parallel with the removing direction,

the sealing member is adhered to a whole circumstance of the communication port, and

the wide adhesion part of the sealing member includes two potions on the both end in the removing direction among the circumference of the communication port.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting portion detecting that the communication port of the developing apparatus is sealed by the sealing member,

wherein the control portion automatically performs an operation for removing the sealing member in a case when the detecting portion detects that the communication port is sealed by the sealing member.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of developing apparatuses, each of the developing apparatuses including;

a first chamber storing developer in an initial state and having at least one communication port communicating an inside and an outside of the first chamber;

a second chamber forming a circulation path of the developer with the first chamber during operation;

at least one sheet member sealing the communication port by being adhered to a circumference of the communication port in the initial state, the sealing member including a wide adhesion part which is adhered to be wider in area in a width direction orthogonal to a removing direction to be removed than another part in the removing direction; and

a winding device configured to remove the sheet member from the communication port by winding up the sheet member; and

a driving source driving each winding device of the plurality of developing apparatuses,

wherein the wide adhesion parts of the sheet members of the plurality of developing apparatus are removed at different timings from each other per each developing apparatuses.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each developing apparatus includes:

a conveying member driven by the driving source and conveying the developer within the first chamber; and

a partition wall partitioning the first and second chambers and provided the communication ports communicating the first chamber with the second chamber, the communication ports formed upstream and downstream sides, in a developer conveying direction of the conveying member, of the partition wall,

wherein the one winding portion is disposed in one developing apparatus and the one winding portion winds the two sheet members respectively sealing the two communication ports formed through the partition wall, and

wherein the fold-back portion of the sheet member on the downstream side in the developer conveying direction of the conveying member of the first chamber among the two sheet members is shorter than the fold-back portion of the sheet member on the upstream side in the developer conveying direction.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of developing apparatuses, each of the developing apparatuses including;

a first chamber storing developer in an initial state and having at least one communication port communicating an inside and an outside of the chamber;

a second chamber forming a circulation path of the developer with the first chamber during operation;

at least one sealing member sealing the communication port in the initial state; and

a removing device configured to remove the sealing member from the communication port; and

a driving source driving each removing device of the plurality of developing apparatuses,

wherein the removing devices remove the sealing members such that a maximum value of a load in removing of each sealing member of the plurality of developing apparatuses is shifted from each other.