JP2002132031A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of eliminating the difficulty of accessing to the image structural unit by arrangement of a set part. SOLUTION: In this image forming device, the set part 30 is made capable of changing allocation of an normal position for the toner container 20, to replenish toner into the developing device 10 to the another position in the image forming device body 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like which employs an electrophotographic system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there have been many image forming apparatuses such as printers configured to replenish consumed toner from a toner storage container such as a cartridge or a bottle to a developing device. In this type of image forming apparatus, since the toner is transferred by a mechanical auger, the toner replenishing device and the toner container have to be installed integrally with the developing device or at a position very close to the developing device. For this reason, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the installation position of the toner container is greatly restricted, and the layout of the entire apparatus is determined by itself.

Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a toner replenishing system in which toner stored in a toner storage container is transferred to a developing device by a powder pump or air pressure. In such a toner replenishing method, the toner container can be separated from the developing device, the both are connected by a flexible tube, and the toner can be transferred through the tube. Therefore, there is an advantage that the installation position of the toner container is not restricted by the developing device, and the degree of freedom in designing the entire device is greatly improved.

[0004]

By the way, when the toner container can be arranged without being restricted by the developing device, the arrangement is made at a position where the user can easily replace the toner container or at a position where there is a dead space. can do. However, if a set portion for setting the toner storage container is provided at such a position, for example, during the maintenance, the set portion interferes with the image forming unit which was conventionally easily accessible, so that it is difficult to access the image forming unit. A problem arose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can eliminate the difficulty in accessing an image forming unit by arranging a set unit.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a set portion for setting a toner container for storing toner to be supplied to a developing device is provided independently of the developing device. In the image forming apparatus described above, the setting section can be repositioned between a regular position where the toner container is supplied with toner to the developing device and another position in the image forming apparatus main body.

The present invention is effective when the set portion and the developing device are connected by a flexible transfer tube and the toner in the toner container is transferred to the developing device via the transfer tube. is there.

Further, the present invention is effective when the moving range of the set section from the normal position to the another position is a range in which the transfer pipe does not deviate from the set. Still further, in the present invention, there is provided a restraining means for restraining the position of the transfer tube at at least one position between the set section and the developing device, and moving the transfer section from the regular position to the another position. It is advantageous if the range is within a circle centered on the first constraint point from the set part and having a radius of the transfer pipe length from the set part to the first constraint point.

Further, the present invention is effective when a fixing portion for fixing the set at a regular position is provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and the fixing portion serves as a temporary fixing means for the setting portion at another position. It is.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a color laser printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. This color laser printer has a configuration in which a paper feed unit 2 is disposed at a lower portion of an apparatus main body 1 and an image forming unit 3 is disposed above the paper feed unit 2. The image forming unit 3 is provided with a transfer belt device that is arranged so as to be inclined such that the paper supply side is downward and the paper discharge side is upward. The transfer belt device 8 has an endless transfer belt 8a wound around a plurality of belt wheels, in this example, four belt wheels, and magenta (M) is sequentially arranged from the bottom on the upper running side of the transfer belt 8a. , Cyan (C),
Four image forming units 4 for yellow (Y) and black (Bk)
M, 4C, 4Y, and 4Bk are arranged in parallel.

Each image forming unit 4M, 4C, 4Y, 4Bk
Is provided with a photosensitive drum 7 as an image carrier, and around the photosensitive drum 7, a charging unit, a developing device 10, and a cleaning unit are provided. The developing device 10 is a two-component developing device including a toner and a carrier, and toner corresponding to the consumed toner amount is replenished from the toner storage container 20 by a toner replenishing device. The toner replenishing device is provided in each of the image forming units 4M, 4C, 4Y, and 4Bk.
The toner stored in the same number of toner storage containers 20 is supplied to the developing device 10.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing a setting section 30 in which the toner container 20 is set. The setting section 30 is a box-shaped holder 31 supporting the toner container 20 and having an open top. And a support plate 32 for fixedly supporting the holder 31. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a support plate 32 of the setting unit 30.
Is indicated by a chain line, but the toner container 20 is omitted. The set unit 30 of the present embodiment is a set unit for three toner storage containers 20 storing color toners to be supplied to the image forming units 4M, 4C, and 4Y, respectively, and is a set unit for black toner. Are provided outside a front side plate described later, and are not shown in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the setting section 30 is provided near the upper right corner of the apparatus main body 1 far away from each of the image forming units 4M, 4C, 4Y.
The toner stored in the toner storage container 20 is transferred by the suction force of a suction type powder pump (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the M, 4C, and 4Y developing devices 10 so as to be supplied to the developing device 10. It is configured. For this reason, the setting unit 3
In FIG. 2, a nozzle (not shown) inserted into each toner storage container 20 when the toner storage container 20 is mounted is fixedly arranged. FIG. 2 shows a toner discharge pipe 21 provided integrally with the nozzle. One end of a tube 22 is inserted into the toner discharge tube 21 as a flexible transfer tube. The other end of the tube 22 is inserted into the suction port of the powder pump.

In the image forming apparatus configured as described above,
Since the toner storage container 20 can be arranged at an arbitrary position without being restricted by the developing device 10, in this example, the toner storage container 20 is placed in the empty space on the upper right in FIG. Is provided in the setting section 30. The position of the setting unit 30 is
It can be said that this is a very advantageous position where the toner container 20 can be easily replaced.

This position is the normal position of the setting unit 30. If the setting unit 30 is located at this position, the writing unit 9 which is an image forming unit adjacent thereto at the time of maintenance, for example, is viewed from above. Hard to access. That is, the setting unit 30 becomes an obstacle, making it difficult to access the writing unit 9 from above.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the set 30 is shown in FIG.
The arrangement conversion can be easily performed at another position shown in FIG. The set portion 30 is held at a regular position shown in FIG. 2 during normal use, and the support plate 32 at this time is, as shown in FIGS. Are fixed to the front side plate 5 and the rear side plate 6. These four screws 33 are bent pieces 11, 12, 13, 1 as fixing portions to the front and rear side plates 5, 6, respectively.
4 are provided, and a screw hole is formed in each of the bent pieces 11 to 14. On the other hand, each bent piece 11-
At positions corresponding to 14, screw holes 34, 35, 36, and 37 whose axes are aligned with the screw holes are provided. Also,
Raised claws 1 protruding upward from the bent pieces 11 and 12
1a and 12a are formed, and square holes 38 and 39 in which the rising claws 11a and 11a are fitted are formed in the support plate 32 near the screw holes 34 and 35.

In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, when the writing unit 9 is inspected or replaced for maintenance or the like, even if the user wants to access the writing unit 9, the setting unit 30 is in the way. Therefore, the arrangement of the setting unit 30 is changed. To change the arrangement, first remove the four screws 33. Even if the screw 33 is removed, the set portions 30 are fitted with the square holes 38 and 39 in the rising claws 11a and 12a,
Further, since the support plate 32 is supported by the bent pieces 13 and 14, the support plate 32 is held at a regular position. Next, the set portion 30 is slightly lifted to form the square holes 38 to the rising claws 11a and 12a.
By releasing the fitting of 39, it is possible to move to another position shown in FIGS.

Another position is a position where the setting unit 30 is slightly deviated from the upper region of the writing unit 9 and the tube 22 does not deviate from the toner discharge tube 21. For this reason, another position in this example is set to a position shifted rightward in the figure from the normal position shown in FIG. 2 and tilted clockwise. Then, the setting unit 30 is placed
2 are formed near the center of the support plate 32 in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 so as to be fitted to the rising claws 11a, 12a. Therefore,
The set part 30 from which the screw 33 has been removed is moved to raise the claw 1
By fitting the square holes 40 and 41 into 1a and 12a, the setting unit 30 rotates clockwise by its own weight. And
By providing the stopper pawls 15 and 16 in contact with the rotated set portion 30 on the front and rear side plates 5 and 6, the set portion 30 can be held at another position. Further, at this different position, even if the toner container 20 is tilted rightward, the toner container 20 does not fall out of the holder 31, so that it is not necessary to remove the toner container 20 in advance during the movement.

Thus, the setting unit 30 can be relocated from a regular position to another position accessible to the writing unit 9 by a simple operation. Further, since this movement is within a range in which the tube 22 does not come off from the toner discharge pipe 21, there is no need to remove the tube 22, so that there is no possibility that toner scattering may occur. Further, since the tube 22 is flexible, a retaining ring 23 as a restraining means for restraining a position between the toner discharge pipe 21 and the suction port of the powder pump may be provided. In this case, the range of movement of the setting part 30 from the regular position to another position is set around the first restraining point of the retaining ring 23 from the setting part 30 and the first restraining point from the setting part 30. Is set within a circle whose radius is the length r of the tube 22.

With this configuration, even if the retaining ring 23 for determining the position through which the tube 22 is passed is provided, the tube 22 does not need to be removed, and toner scattering can be avoided.

【The invention's effect】

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the setting section in which the toner container is set can be moved to a position where it does not hinder the operation. According to the configuration of the second aspect, the set portion in which the toner storage container is set can be arranged at an arbitrary position, and the degree of freedom in design is greatly improved.

According to the configuration of the third and fourth aspects, the movement of the set section can be performed without removing the transfer pipe, and it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering. Claim 5
According to the configuration, the set unit can be moved without taking out the toner storage container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a color image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a setting portion at a normal position.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a setting unit at a normal position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a support plate of the setting unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a setting portion at another position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a support plate of the setting unit at another position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 Writing Unit 10 Developing Device 11, 12, 13, 14 Folding Piece 11a, 12a Standing Claw 20 Toner Storage Container 22 Tube 23 Retaining Ring 30 Set Part 31 Holder 32 Support Plate 38, 39, 40, 41 Square Hole

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus in which a set unit for setting a toner storage container storing toner to be supplied to a developing device is provided independently of the developing device, wherein the set unit includes a toner storage container. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it can be relocated to a regular position where toner is supplied to a developing device and to a different position in the image forming apparatus main body. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the set unit and the developing device are connected by a flexible transfer tube, and the toner in the toner storage container is transferred to the developing device via the transfer tube. An image forming apparatus, comprising: 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a moving range of the setting section from the normal position to the another position is a range in which the transfer pipe does not deviate from the setting section. An image forming apparatus comprising: 4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a restraining means for restraining a position of said transfer tube at at least one position between said set portion and said developing device.
The moving range of the set portion from the normal position to the another position is centered on a first constraint point from the set portion, and has a radius of the transfer pipe length from the set portion to the first constraint point. An image forming apparatus characterized by being within a circle. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a holder on which a toner storage container is mounted is provided in the set unit, and a movement range of the set unit from the regular position to the another position. An image forming apparatus, wherein the toner storage container does not fall out of the holder. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fixing portion for fixing the set at a regular position is provided on the image forming device main body, and the fixing portion is provided on another image forming device. An image forming apparatus, which serves as a temporary fixing unit for a setting unit at a position.