JPH0535068A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a means which can not supply toner any more when a process unit reaches to the end of life by a simple constitution by providing a projecting part on a developer supplying container, making this projecting part fit in a projecting part fixing member provided on a developing device, and preventing the developer supplying container from being attached for or exceeding the specified number of times. CONSTITUTION:When the toner is supplied, the developer supplying container 22a is moved in a way shown by an arrow (a), and the fixed pawl 24 and the fixed pawl 46 of the developing device are fitted. At this time, the projecting part 30 of the developer supplying container 22a is fitted and fixed to the projecting part fixing member 48a of the developing device. A seal is pulled off, the toner inside is supplied to the developing device 40, and when the toner remains a little, a signal 'empty' is outputted from a toner sensor. When the developer supplying container 22a is detached from the developing device 40 in a reverse direction as shown by the arrow (a), the part of the adhesion of the projecting part 30 is peeled, so that the developer supplying container 22a remains at the projecting part fixing member 48a of the developing device 40. In this case, when a toner case is attached three times, the projecting part 30 is fixed to all the projecting part fixing members 48a at three places, so that the toner case can not be attached for the fourth time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developer supplying device for a dry developing device used in an electrophotographic image recording device such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related 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.

In FIG. 7, a process unit 1 includes a photosensitive drum (hereinafter abbreviated as drum) 2 as an electrostatic latent image carrier, and a primary charger 3 for uniformly charging the drum 2. A light beam from a light source (not shown) modulated by an image recording signal is scanned and exposed on the drum 2 to form an electrostatic latent image, and an exposure latent image on the drum 2 is exposed by a toner 8. And a developing device 5 for developing a visible image by a transfer charger, and the toner 8 on the drum 2 after being transferred to a sheet (not shown) by a transfer charger and remaining on the drum 2 without being transferred to the sheet. A cleaning device 10 for scraping off and collecting the same is a main component.

Of the constituent elements of the process unit 1,
The toner stored in the developing device 5 is consumed according to the number of printed sheets. On the other hand, the waste toner 9 that has not been transferred is stored in the cleaning device 10. In addition, the charging and exposure characteristics of the drum 2 generally gradually deteriorate as the above 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 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.

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 waste toner case 11 of the cleaning device 10 are substantially the same. ing. 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-mentioned integrated process unit has the following problems.

In recent years, OPCs (organic photoconductors) used as photoconductors have been improved, and the number of sheets printed on a drum having a diameter of 30 mm can be reduced.
Longevity of 10,000 to 20,000 has come into practical use. The amount of toner consumed when the number of printed sheets is 10,000 varies depending on the developing method. For example, in the case of the one-component magnetic toner method, if the printing area ratio is 5%, the toner consumption is about 600.
Gram (assuming a bulk density of 0.6, the volume is about 1000CC). Therefore, the volume of the toner storage portion in the developing device 5 of the process unit must be made larger than that, and the volume of the process unit becomes large, the handleability of the process unit deteriorates, and the main body of the image recording apparatus becomes large. There was a problem that it was inconvenient to convert.

Therefore, in the process unit, only the toner is filled in another case, and the toner amount necessary for the other parts such as the drum and the waste toner case to reach the end of life is divided into several times to divide the toner. A method of supplying is conceivable.

[0009]

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, if the toner is supplied over the life of the drum and the waste toner case and printing is continued, the electrical characteristics of the drum are deteriorated and the surface is damaged. As a result, there is a risk that the image quality may deteriorate, the normal cleaning action may not be performed due to the waste toner case becoming full, or the toner may spill from the cleaning device and stain the paper or the inside of the device body.

For this reason, a means for detecting or displaying how many times toner has been supplied to the process unit or the developing device 5 can be considered. FIG. 8 was previously filed by the present applicant, in which the developing device 5 is provided with a counter device 20 for displaying the number of times the toner case has been replaced. When the user replaces the toner case, the display on the counter advances by one step, and when the toner case is replaced by the number of times corresponding to the life of the process unit, a display is displayed to inform the replacement of the entire process unit. However, with this method, it is not possible to avoid the above-mentioned inconvenience that occurs when the user does not understand the meaning of the display or even if the user understands the meaning and forcibly replaces the toner case.

There is also a method of displaying the number of printed sheets to the user by detecting the process unit or the replacement time of the drum or the waste toner from the cumulative rotational speed of the drum, the cumulative 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 a process unit of a type in which toner is replenished several times by a toner case, when the process unit reaches the end of its life, It is an object of the present invention to provide a means that cannot replenish toner with a simple configuration.

[0014]

In order to achieve this object, a developing device of the present invention is an electrophotographic device for visualizing a latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier by a developer on a developer carrier. In the developing device, the developer supply container which is attachable to and detachable from the developing device, the convex portion provided on the housing of the developer supply container via the separating portion, and the developer supply container which is provided in the developing device. A plurality of convex fixing members that fit into the convex when the container is attached.

Further, it is preferable that the plurality of convex portion fixing members are arranged in a line, and the convex portions are arranged at different positions corresponding to the convex portion fixing members for each developer supply container.

[0016]

In the developing device of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, when the developer supply container is mounted on the developing device, the convex portion attached to the developer supplying device is one of the plurality of convex portion fixing members of the developing device. Fit into one of. When the developer supply container is removed, the convex portion and the developer supply container are separated at the separation portion, and the convex portion remains fitted to the convex portion fixing member. Next, the developer supply container for supplying the developer is provided with a convex portion at a position different from the previous developer supply container, and the convex portion is not yet used among the plurality of convex portion fixing members. There is no protrusion (there are no protrusions). As in the previous case, the developer supply container is removed with the convex portion fitted to the convex portion fixing member. In this way, each time the developer supply container is replaced, the plurality of convex portion fixing members are successively filled with the convex portions, and when all the convex portion fixing members are filled, the developer supply container cannot be replaced thereafter. Therefore, the developer supply container is not replaced more than necessary.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a developing device of an integrated process unit will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, each component will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toner case 22a is provided with two fixing claws 24 for fixing the toner case 22 to a developing device, which will be described later, on the side surface in the longitudinal direction, and the lower opening. The part is covered with a seal 26,
The toner 28 inside is sealed and stored. Further, a convex portion 30 that fits into a developing device described later is attached to the side surface on the front side in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the convex portion 30 has hook-shaped right and left side surfaces. Toner case 22
b and 22c are different in the mounting position of the convex portion 30,
22a is attached to the left side, 22b is attached to the center, and 22c is attached to the right side. To attach the convex portion 30 and the toner case 22,
Attach the two fixing rods 32 on the toner case 22 side to the two protrusions 30
It is inserted into the hole 34 at some place, and the tip of the fixing rod 32 is melted and fixed by heat. When the toner case is molded, six fixing rods 32 are provided as shown in FIG. 3, and the unused four sticks can be folded so that it is not necessary to make different toner case molds.

The developing device 40 in which the toner case 22 is mounted will be described with reference to FIG. On the side surface in the longitudinal direction of the developing device 40, there is a developing sleeve 42 that conveys the toner to the developing area, and on the upper part thereof, a layer thickness regulating blade 44 that regulates the layer thickness of the toner on the developing sleeve 42 to a constant value. It is provided. Further, around the upper opening of the developing device 40, a toner case fixing claw 46 that is fitted to the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22 and fixes the toner case 22 to the developing device 40 is provided. Further, on the front end surface of the developing device 40 in FIG. 5, a convex fixing member 48a that fits with the convex 30,
48b and 48c are provided. These three positions correspond to the positions of the convex portions of the toner cases 22a, 22b, 22c described above. The convex fixing member 48 has a hook shape corresponding to the shape of the convex 30 as shown in FIG.
When the projection 30 is fitted, it will not come off unless a very strong force is applied.

Next, a toner supply method using the above components will be described.

To replenish the toner, first, the toner case 22a is moved as shown by an arrow a in FIG. 7, and the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22a and the toner case fixing claw 46 are fitted to each other. As a result, the toner case 22a and the developing device 40 are completely fixed. At this time, the convex portion 3 of the toner case 22a
0 is fitted and fixed to the convex fixing member 48a.

Next, the seal 26 covering the lower opening of the toner case 22 is pulled out, and the toner 28 inside is supplied into the developing device 40. Printing is performed in this state, and the toner 28 is running low, and a toner sensor (a known method such as a method of detecting a change in capacitance due to a decrease in toner amount, a method of detecting a pressure change by an actuator, etc., is used. Sensor may be used), the toner case 22 is removed from the developing device 40 in the opposite direction to the arrow a. At this time, the convex portion 30 of the toner case 22a is fitted into the convex portion fixing member 48a, and the convex portion 30 and the toner case 22a are not strongly joined to each other, so that the convex portion 30 is formed into the toner case 22.
And is left on the convex fixing member 48a.

When replenishing further, the convex fixing member 48
Since the convex portion 30 remains on a, the toner case 22a
Cannot be installed. Toner case 22b or 22c,
Install in the same procedure. When the toner is further replenished, since the two convex fixing members are closed by the convex portions 30, the toner case having the convex portions 30 is attached to the vacant convex fixing member positions. In this embodiment, there are three convex fixing members, and when the toner case is mounted three times, the convex portions 30 are fixed to all three convex fixing members, so that the toner case 22 cannot be mounted for the fourth time. . At this time the developing device,
Replace the process unit including the waste toner case.

As described above, the convex portion 3 attached to the toner case 22 every time the toner case 22 is attached.
Since 0 is fixed to the convex fixing member 48 and it is impossible to mount a predetermined number of toner cases or more, it is possible to grasp the replacement time of the process unit by a simple method.

The present invention can be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the developer supply device of the present invention, the developer supply container is provided with the convex portion, and the convex portion is the convex portion fixing member provided in the developing device. Since they are fitted to each other and the developer supply device cannot be mounted a predetermined number of times or more, it is possible to easily grasp the replacement time of the process unit including the electrostatic latent image carrier.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toner case to which a convex portion is attached.

FIG. 2 is a cross section showing a toner case.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner case.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a developing device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating mounting of a toner case.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

22 toner case 28 toner 30 convex 32 fixed rod 42 Development sleeve 48 Convex part fixing member

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Soichiro Nishimura             Brother work, 15-1 Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi             Business

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A developing device of an electrophotographic apparatus, which develops a latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearing member with a developer on a developer bearing member, a developer supply container detachable from the developing device,
A protrusion provided on the housing of the developer supply container via a separating portion, and a plurality of protrusion fixing members provided on the developing device and fitted to the protrusion when the developer supply container is mounted. A developing device having. 2. The plurality of protrusion fixing members are arranged in a line, and the protrusions are arranged at different positions corresponding to the protrusion fixing members for each developer supply container. The developing device according to claim 1.