JPH0619302A - Developing device for electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a developing device where how many times toner is supplied is known by an easy method. CONSTITUTION:A projecting part 30 is provided in a developer supply container 22, and the projecting part 30 is fitted in the fitting part 48a of a projecting part fixing member 48 provided in the developing device 40. Since the specified number of fitting parts 48a are formed and the container 22 can not be attached equal to or above specified number of times, the exchange time of a process unit including an electrostatic charger and an electrostatic latent image carrier, etc., is easily grasped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional developing device in this type of electrophotographic apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows a process unit 1 using the electrophotographic Carlson process which is widely used at present. The process unit 1 includes a photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as a drum) 2 as an electrostatic latent image carrier, a primary charger 3 for uniformly charging the drum 2, and a light beam from a light source on the drum 2. Exposure opening 4 for scanning and exposing to form an electrostatic latent image
And the developer 8 (hereinafter referred to as toner), and the drum 2
The developing device 5 for adhering the toner 8 to the electrostatic latent image on the surface and developing it to make it visible, and the toner 8 having the visible image formed on the drum 2 are transferred to a sheet by a transfer charger (not shown). After that, the cleaning device 10 is provided for scraping off and collecting the excess toner remaining on the drum 2.

The toner 8 stored in the developing device 5 of the process unit 1 is consumed according to the number of printed sheets. on the other hand,
The waste toner 9 collected by the cleaning device 10 without being transferred is accumulated in the cleaning device 10. Further, the charging and exposure characteristics of the drum 2 gradually deteriorate as the above printing process is repeated. Therefore, it is necessary to replace or add these consumable items for each certain number of printed sheets. This replacement work is saved, and the waste toner 9
In order to prevent spillage, what is used is a so-called integrated process unit in which the above-mentioned process means are integrally formed.

In such an integrated process unit, the life of the drum 2, the life of the charger 3, and the life of the toner storage portion determined by the toner storage capacity of the developing device 5,
It is designed so that the lives determined by the capacity of the waste toner case 11 in the cleaning device 10 are substantially the same. When these components reach the end of their life, process unit 1
By exchanging the whole with a new one, the convenience at the time of the above-mentioned exchange is achieved. On the other hand, of the process unit, only the toner part is filled in another case so that it can be replaced and the other parts such as the drum, the charger, and the waste toner case have the required toner amount until the end of their life. There is also a system that replenishes toner in batches.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned integral type process unit and the toner section exchange type process unit have the following problems.
OPCs (organic photoconductors) used as photoconductors have been improved in recent years, and drums having a diameter of 30 mm and having a long life of 10,000 to 20,000 printed sheets have come into practical use. The toner consumed when the number of printed sheets is 10,000 is
Although it depends on the developing method, for example, in the case of the one-component magnetic toner method, when the printing area ratio is 5%, it is about 600 grams (when the bulk density is 0.6, the volume is about 1,000 CC). Therefore, in order to match the service lives of the constituent elements of the process unit 1, the volume of the toner storage portion in the developing device 5 must be made larger than this, and the volume of the process unit 1 becomes large. The handling of the process unit has deteriorated, and the size of the image recording apparatus main body has increased.

Further, in the toner unit exchange type process unit, since the toner can be supplied into the process unit any number of times by exchanging the developer supply container (hereinafter referred to as a toner case), the drum, the charger, and the waste toner case can be replaced. If toner is supplied over the life of the printer and printing is continued, the image quality may deteriorate due to deterioration of the electrical characteristics of the drum, scratches on the surface, and the initial potential may not be sufficient due to the deterioration of the charger wire. When the toner case is full, a normal cleaning action may not be performed, or toner may spill from the cleaning device and stain the paper or the inside of the device body.

For this reason, means for detecting or displaying how many times the toner has been supplied to the process unit or the developing device can be considered. FIG. 9 is a proposal previously made by the applicant of the present application, in which the developing device 5 is provided with a counter device 20 for displaying the number of times the toner case 22 is replaced. This is because when the user replaces the toner case 22, the counter display advances by one step, and when the toner case is replaced by the number of times corresponding to the lifespan of other components of the process unit, a notification indicating the replacement of the entire process unit is displayed. Is to issue. However, in this method, the user does not understand the meaning of the display,
If the toner case is forcibly replaced, the above-mentioned problem cannot be avoided. There is also a method of displaying the number of printed sheets to the user by detecting the cumulative rotation number of the drum, the cumulative light emission time of the light source, etc. when the process unit is to be replaced. However, there is a problem that the control device becomes complicated and the cost is affected.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in a process unit of a toner case exchange type toner case, the toner is used a number of times corresponding to the life of the entire process unit with a simple structure. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device capable of easily notifying when the process unit is replaced, after supplying the case, the toner cannot be supplied any more.

[0009]

To achieve this object, the present invention is directed to a developing device for an electrophotographic apparatus, which visualizes a latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier with a developer on a developer carrier. In a process unit used in the electrophotographic apparatus, a developer supply container that is attachable to and detachable from the process unit, a protrusion provided on the housing of the developer supply container, and the developer supply container provided on the process unit. A protrusion fixing member having a fitting portion to which the protrusion is fitted, and when the developer supply container is removed from the process unit, the protrusion is a fitting portion of the protrusion fixing member. It is designed to be left fitted.

[0010]

According to the above construction, when the developer supply container is attached to the process unit, the convex portion attached to the developer supply container fits into the convex portion fixing member of the process unit. When the developer supply container is removed because the developer is exhausted, the convex portion is left to be fitted to the convex portion fixing member. It is possible to replace the developer supply container by the number of fitting portions, and it is not possible to replace it more. Since this number is made equivalent to the life of the components of the process unit, the developer supply container cannot be replaced when all the fitting parts are filled, that is,
It is time to replace the entire process unit.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Each component will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the toner case 22 is attached to a process unit (a developing device that is a part of the process unit is shown in FIG. 4) to be described later on a side surface in the longitudinal direction. There are two fixing claws 24 for fixing each of them, and a convex portion 30 which is fitted to the developing device (FIG. 4) is provided on the front side surface. As shown in FIG. 3, the convex portion 30 has the left and right side surfaces which are recessed inward in a "V" shape when viewed from above.
The two fixing rods 32 on the second side are inserted into the two holes 34 of the convex portion 30, and the ends of the fixing rods 32 are fixed by being melted by heat. The lower opening is covered with a seal 26, and the toner 28 inside is sealed and stored. The joint force between the convex portion 30 and the toner case 22 is relatively weak.

Further, on the side surface in the longitudinal direction of the developing device 40 shown in FIG. 4, a developing sleeve 42 that conveys the toner to a drum, which is a developing area, and a layer thickness of the toner on the developing sleeve 42 is fixed above the developing sleeve 42. Layer thickness control blade 44
And the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22 around the upper opening.
And a toner case fixing claw 46 for fixing the toner case 22 to the developing device 40. A convex fixing member 48 that fits into the convex 30 of the toner case 22 is attached to the front end surface of the developing device 40. The convex portion fixing member 48 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 50 at the center thereof, and four fitting portions 48a for fitting with the convex portion 30 are provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, this fitting portion 48a
In the top view, since the central portion projects in a V shape and the fitting groove width is narrow, it tightly fits the above-mentioned convex portion 30 and is difficult to come off.

Next, the toner supply method will be described with reference to FIG. When the toner case 22 is attached to the developing device 40 and the toner 28 is supplied to the process unit 40,
The toner case 22 is moved as shown by an arrow a, and the fixing claw 24 of the toner case 22 and the toner case fixing claw 46 of the developing device 40 are fitted and fixed. At this time, at the same time, the convex portion 30 of the toner case 22 is fitted and fixed to the fitting portion 48a provided on the convex portion fixing member 48 of the developing device 40.
Next, by pulling out the seal 26 covering the lower opening of the toner case 22, the toner 28 inside the toner case 22 is supplied to the developing device 40.

Printing is performed in this state, and the toner 28 is running low, and a toner sensor (a sensor using a method such as detection of a change in electrostatic capacity due to a decrease in toner amount or detection of a pressure change by an actuator may be used). When the toner empty signal is output and the toner supply timing is notified, the toner case 22 is removed from the developing device 40 in the direction opposite to the arrow a. At this time, the toner case 22 fitted in the fitting portion 48 a of the convex fixing member 48 of the developing device 40.
Since the convex portion 30 of has weakened its mounting strength,
The toner is separated from the toner case 22 and left in the fitting portion 48 a of the convex fixing member 48. When mounting a new toner case 22, by moving the convex portion fixing member 48 of the developing device 40, the fitting portion 48a where the convex portion 30 is not yet fitted is moved to the toner case mounting position, and the procedure described above is performed. Then, the next new toner case 22 is mounted.

In this embodiment, the fitting portion 48a has four
When the toner case 22 is mounted four times, the protrusions 30 remain fitted in all the four fitting portions 48a, so that the toner case 22 cannot be mounted for the fifth time. Replace the process unit including the charger and waste toner case. In this way, the convex portion 30 attached to the toner case 22 every time the toner case 22 is attached is the fitting portion 4 of the convex portion fixing member 48.
Since the toner remains attached to 8a and the toner case cannot be mounted a predetermined number of times or more, the lifespan of all the constituent elements of the process unit, that is, the replacement time can be grasped by a simple method. Further, since the protrusion fixing member 48 has the rotating shaft 50, the fitting portion can be sequentially moved to the toner case mounting position. Therefore, the toner case 22 has one shape shown in FIG. All you have to do is

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 30 of the toner case 22 is attached to the side surface extending in the toner case longitudinal direction, and the protrusion fixing member 48 attached to the developing device 40 is also attached. The rotation shaft 50 is rotated by 90 degrees from the first embodiment, and the toner supply method in this embodiment is the first.
The toner case 22 is moved in the direction of the arrow b, and the fixing claw 24
And the toner case fixing claw 46 of the developing device 40 are fitted and fixed, and at the same time, the convex portion 30 of the toner case 22 is provided at the convex portion fixing member 48 of the developing device 40 at four fitting portions 4
Fit in one place of 8a. In this state, the toner case 22
The seal covering the lower opening of the printer is pulled out, and toner is supplied into the developing device 40 for printing. When the toner empty signal is displayed on the printer body side, the toner case 22 is removed in the direction opposite to the arrow b. At this time, the convex portion 30 of the toner case 22 remains fitted to the fitting portion 48 a of the convex portion fixing member 48. When the mounting of the toner case 22 is repeated four times, the convex portions 30 are fitted and left in all of the four fitting portions 48a provided on the convex fixing member 48, and the toner case 22 cannot be mounted any more. , It is easy to know when to replace the process unit.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the developer supply container is provided with the convex portion, and the convex portion is fitted into the fitting portion of the convex portion fixing member provided in the process unit. Since the convex portion remains in the fitting portion and the fitting portion has a predetermined number, the developer supply container cannot be mounted a predetermined number of times or more. Therefore, it is possible to easily grasp the replacement time of the process unit by setting the time when all the fitting parts are filled up so as to match the life of the process unit. By moving the convex fixing member having the rotation axis, the fitting portions of the convex fixing member are sequentially
By making it movable to the developer mounting position, it suffices to prepare only one shape of the developer supply container.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner case mounted on a developing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the toner case.

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

FIG. 5 is a top view of a convex fixing member provided in the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a method of mounting the toner case.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining a method of mounting the toner case according to the second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a conventional process unit.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a process unit according to a related example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 Toner Case 28 Toner 30 Convex Part 40 Developing Device 42 Developing Sleeve 48 Convex Part Fixing Member 48a Fitting Part

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

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A developing device for an electrophotographic apparatus, which develops a latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearing member with a developer on a developer bearing member, the developing unit being detachable from a process unit used in the electrophotographic apparatus. A protrusion having a developer supply container, a protrusion provided on the developer supply container casing, and a fitting portion provided on the process unit and fitted with the protrusion when the developer supply container is mounted. In the electrophotographic apparatus, the projection fixing portion is left fitted to the fitting portion of the projection fixing member when the developer supply container is removed from the process unit. Development device.