JPH0521265U - Development device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a developing device with a simple configuration in which once the process unit reaches the end of its life, it is impossible to supply more toner. When toner is supplied to the developing device 40, the toner case 22 is attached to the developing device 40, and the convex portion 30 provided on the toner case 22 and the convex portion fixed to the developing device 40 so as to be slidable are fixed. The toner case 22 and the developing device 40 are fixed by the engagement with the fixing portion 49 provided on the member 48. When the toner is used up, the protrusion fixing member 48 is slid to cut the protrusion 30 engaged with the fixing portion 49 to cut the toner case 22.
Is removed from the developing device 40. By sliding the convex fixing member 48, a new fixing portion 49 comes to a position where it is engaged with the convex 30. Since the number of fixing portions 49 is set to the number of times that toner can be supplied according to the life of the process unit, toner cannot be replenished after all fixing portions 49 are engaged with the cut convex portions 30. .

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a developing device used in an electrophotographic image recording device such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, in this type of image recording apparatus, a process unit 1 using an electrophotographic Carlson process as shown in FIG. 6 has been widely used.

The process unit 1 includes a photosensitive drum (hereinafter abbreviated as “drum”) 2 as an electrostatic latent image carrier, a primary charger 3 for uniformly charging the drum 2, and an image recording signal. A modulated light beam from a light source (not shown) is scanned and exposed on the drum 2 to form an electrostatic latent image, and the exposure opening 4 and the electrostatic latent image on the drum 2 can be developed with toner 8. To scrape and collect the toner remaining on the drum 2 without being transferred after the developing device 5 for visualizing and the toner 8 on the drum 2 are transferred to a sheet by a transfer charger (not shown). And the cleaning device 10 of FIG.

Of the components of the process unit 1, the toner 8 stored in the developing device 5 is consumed in accordance with printing. On the other hand, the waste toner 9 that has not been transferred is stored in the cleaning device 10. Further, the charging and exposure characteristics of the drum 2 generally gradually deteriorate as the printing process is repeated. Therefore, it is necessary to replace or add these consumables for each certain number of printed sheets.

In recent years, in order to save the trouble of this replacement and prevent the waste toner 9 from spilling at the time of replacement, a so-called integrated process unit in which the above-mentioned process means are integrally formed is often used. ing.

The integrated process unit is designed so that the life of the drum 2, the life of the toner determined by the toner capacity of the developing device 5, and the life of the cleaning device 10 determined by the volume of the waste toner case 11 are substantially the same. There is. When these constituent elements reach the end of their lives, the process unit 1 is integrally replaced with a new one, which facilitates the above-described replacement.

However, the above-described integrated process unit has the following problems.

In recent years, the OPC (organic photoconductor) used as a photoconductor has been improved, and a drum having a diameter of 30 mm and a long life of 10,000 to 20,000 printed sheets has been put into practical use. .. The toner consumed when the number of printed sheets is 10,000 differs depending on the developing method. For example, in the case of the one-component magnetic toner method, when the printing area ratio is 5%, the toner consumption is about 600 g (bulk density 0.6 Then, the volume is about 1000 cc). For this reason, the volume of the toner storage portion in the developing device 5 of the process unit must be made larger, and the volume of the process unit becomes larger, which makes the process unit less manageable and the image recording device itself There was a problem that it became inconvenient due to its large size.

Therefore, in the process unit, only the toner is filled in another case, and the toner amount is divided into several times until the other parts such as the drum and the waste toner case reach the end of their life. The method of supplying it was considered.

[0010]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, such a toner replenishment type process unit has the following problems.

That is, since the toner can be supplied into the process unit any number of times by the toner case, there is a risk that the toner may be supplied and printing may be continued beyond the life of the drum or the waste toner case. Deterioration or surface scratches may deteriorate the image quality, the waste toner case may become full and the cleaning function may not work properly, or toner may spill from the cleaning device and stain the paper or the inside of the device. There is a risk of

Therefore, a process unit or a developing device having a means for detecting or displaying how many times the toner has been replenished has been considered. An example of such a developing device is disclosed in the specification and drawings attached to the application of Japanese Patent Application No. 3-50296 previously filed by the applicant of the present application, which is shown in FIG. The developing device 5 is provided with a counter device 20 for displaying the number of toner case replacements. When the user replaces the toner case, the counter display advances one step at a time, and the toner case is replaced by the number of times corresponding to the life of the process unit. When is replaced, a display is displayed to inform the replacement of the entire process unit. However, even in this developing device, the user may not understand the meaning of the display, or even if he / she understands it, he / she may not be able to avoid the above-mentioned problems that occur when the toner case is forcibly replaced. Therefore, further improvement is required.

There is also a method of displaying the time when the process unit, the drum, or the waste toner is replaced, to the user by detecting the number of printed sheets from the accumulated rotational speed of the drum, the accumulated light emitting time of the light source, etc. In addition, a counter circuit and a memory are required, and the control device is complicated and the cost is high.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in the developing device of the process unit of the method of replenishing the toner in several times by the toner case, the life of the process unit is shortened. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device having a simple structure, which makes it impossible to replenish the toner further.

[0015]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve this object, the developing device of the present invention comprises a developing device having a developer carrying member and a toner supplying device which is detachably attached to the developing device and stores toner therein. And a tongue that can be cut by a part of the tongue, and the tongue of the toner container that is slidably provided on the developing device and that can be engaged with the tongue when the toner supply device is mounted on the developing device. A sliding member having a number of engaging portions for the number of times toner can be supplied, and the tongue piece engaged with the engaging portion by sliding the sliding member when the toner feeder is disengaged. Is cut so that the new engaging portion is positioned so as to engage with the tongue piece.

[0016]

[Action]

 In the developing device of the present invention having the above structure, when the toner is supplied to the developing device, the toner supplying device is mounted on the developing device and slidably provided on the tongue piece provided on the toner supplying device and the developing device. The toner supply device and the developing device are fixed by the engagement with the engaging portion provided on the sliding member. When the toner is used up, the sliding member is slid to cut the tongue engaged with the engaging portion, and the toner feeder is removed from the developing device. By sliding the sliding member, the new engaging portion comes to the position where it engages with the tongue piece. Since the number of engaging parts is set according to the number of times that toner can be supplied according to the life of the process unit, it is impossible to replenish toner after all engaging parts engage with the tongue pieces after cutting. ..

[0017]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the toner case of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Two fixing claws 24 for fixing the toner case 22 to a developing device, which will be described later, are provided on each side surface of the toner case 22 in the longitudinal direction. The lower opening of the toner case 22 is covered with a seal 26, and the toner 28 is hermetically stored therein. Further, on one side surface of the toner case 22, there is formed a convex portion 30 that fits into a developing device, which will be described later. Further, the convex portion 30 is provided with a hole 30a.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the developing device 40 in which the above-mentioned toner case 22 is mounted will be described.

A developing sleeve 42 that conveys toner to a developing area is provided on a side surface in the longitudinal direction of the developing device 40, and a layer thickness regulating blade that regulates a constant layer thickness of the toner on the developing sleeve 42 is provided above the developing sleeve 42. 44 is attached. A toner case fixing claw 46 that fits with the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22 is provided around the upper opening of the developing device 40, and the fixing claw 24 and the toner case fixing claw 46 are fitted together. As a result, the toner case 22 is fixed to the developing device 40.

A convex fixing member 48 is attached to a part of the developing device 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the convex portion fixing member 48 is provided with three fixing portions 49 into which the convex portions 30 provided on the toner case 22 are fitted, and each fixing portion 49 has a convex portion 30. A claw 50 that engages with the hole 30a is provided. The convex fixing member 48 is configured to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the housing of the developing device 40. However, the metal fitting 52 attached to the housing of the developing device 40 and the unevenness provided on the convex fixing member 48. Due to the engagement with the portion 54, the protrusion fixing member 48 can only be pushed in the direction of the arrow a. The number of the fixing portions 49 is set to the number of times the toner can be supplied according to the life of the cartridge including the photosensitive drum and the waste toner case.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the toner case 22 is attached to the developing device 40 and the toner 28 is supplied to the developing device 40, first, the toner case 22 is moved as shown by an arrow b in FIG. 5, and the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22 is moved. By fitting the toner case fixing claw 46 of the developing device 40 with the toner case 22, the developing device 40 is completely fixed to the toner case 22. At this time, the convex portion 30 is inserted into the fixing portion 49 of the convex portion fixing member 48, and the hole 30a and the claw 50 are engaged with each other. Next, the seal 26 of the toner case 22 is pulled out, and the toner 28 inside is supplied to the developing device 40.

Printing is performed in this state, the toner 28 is running low, and a well-known toner sensor (not shown) (a sensor that uses a method such as detection of a change in capacitance due to a decrease in toner amount or detection of a pressure change by an actuator) When the toner empty signal is output by, the toner case 22 is replaced.

Explaining how to replace the toner case 22, first, the tip of the protrusion 30 is cut off from the toner case 22 by pushing down the protrusion fixing member 48. Then, the toner case 22 is removed from the developing device 40 in the reverse operation of the mounting operation described above.

Next, a new toner case 22 is attached by the same operation as the above-mentioned procedure. Since the convex fixing member 48 is pushed down when the old toner case 22 is removed, the fixed portion 49 fitted with the cut convex portion 30 of the cut old toner case 22 enters the casing of the imager 40. A new fixed part 49 appears in the fixed area. Therefore, the second toner case 22 can be mounted in the same manner as the first toner case 22. In the case of this embodiment, since the fixing portions 49 are provided at three places on the convex fixing member 48, the toner case 22 can be replaced three times. When the toner case 22 is replaced three times, the convex portions 30 are all fitted to the fixed portion 49, and the fixed portion 49 is entirely housed in the housing of the developing device 40. Cannot be installed. At this time, replace the cartridge including the photoconductor drum and waste toner case.

As described above in detail, every time the toner case 22 is attached, the tip end portion 30 a of the convex portion 30 attached to the toner case 22 is fixed to the fixing portion 49 of the convex portion fixing member 48. Since it is impossible to install more than the specified number of toner cases, it is possible to know when to replace the cartridge with a simple method. Further, since the fixing portion 49 sequentially appears in the fixing area as the convex fixing member 48 slides in the upward and downward directions, the toner case 22 need only be prepared in one shape as shown in FIG.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0030]

[Effect of the device]

 As is apparent from the above detailed description, according to the developing device of the present invention, when the process unit reaches the end of its life, it is possible to provide a developing device with a simple structure in which it is impossible to replenish the toner further. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner case.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a toner case.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a developing device.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around a convex fixing member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view when a toner case is attached.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional process unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional developing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 toner case 28 toner 30 convex portion 42 developing sleeve 48 convex portion fixing member 49 fixing portion

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Soichiro Nishimura 15-1 Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi Brother Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A developing device of an electrophotographic apparatus, which develops a latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier by a developer on a developer carrier, the developing device comprising the developer carrier. A developing device comprising a toner supply device detachably provided in the developing device and storing toner therein, wherein a tongue piece provided in the toner supply device and capable of being cut by a part thereof is slidable on the developing device. A sliding member that is movably provided and has a number of engaging portions that can be engaged with the tongue piece of the toner container when the toner supplier is attached to the developing device for the number of times that toner can be supplied. When the toner supply device is detached, the sliding member is slid to cut the tongue piece engaged with the engaging portion, and the new engaging portion is brought into a position to engage with the tongue piece. A developing device having the above-mentioned configuration.