JP2000019830A - Toner residual quantity detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner residual quantity detecting device capable of preventing an image thinning or the like in an electrophotographic device capable of detecting the residual toner quantity by stepwise, and appropriately informing a user of the toner replenishing time, even in the case of the device adopting a sensor allowed to detect the residual toner quantity by either value of the presence or absence. SOLUTION: This toner residual quantity detecting device made delicately detects the residual toner quantity stepwise by providing a variable air chamber 6 whose volume is varied with an injected air quantity, inside the toner container 1 in which the toner is contained, disposing the toner detecting part 4 detecting the presence or absence of the toner, in the toner feeding part 2 receiving the toner from the toner container 1, feeding the toner in the toner container 1 to the toner feeding part 2 in proportion to a specified quantity, by means of injecting air in the variable air chamber 6, at the time when the toner detecting part 4 detects the absence of the toner in the toner feeding part 2, and detecting the toner quantity in the toner container 1, based on this injection quantity of the air.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a remaining amount of toner used in an electrophotographic (or electrophotographic) apparatus or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional toner detecting device in an electrophotographic (or electrostatographic) device or the like has a structure in which a sensor is provided in a toner container portion, and the presence or absence of toner is determined in binary by the sensor. Was. There has also been proposed a configuration in which a piezoelectric element is provided in a toner container portion, the weight of the toner is converted into a voltage, and the remaining amount of the toner is detected.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By providing the above-mentioned sensor,
Since the toner detection device that determines the value can determine only the presence or absence of toner, there is a problem that if there is no toner suddenly, and if there is no spare toner supply, subsequent copying or printing becomes impossible. there were.
Further, since the image of a copy or print made immediately before the absence of toner is immediately before the absence of toner, a defect such as blurring may occur.

On the other hand, in a toner detecting device which is provided with a piezoelectric element to convert the weight of toner into a voltage and detects the remaining amount of toner, a piezoelectric element which is sensitive to a change in the weight of relatively light toner must be used. In addition, it is difficult to obtain the piezoelectric element, and it is difficult to accurately detect the remaining amount of toner when the remaining amount of toner is small.

In the present invention, attention is paid to the above-mentioned conventional problem, and even if a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of toner in two values, that is, presence / absence, is used, the remaining amount of toner can be detected stepwise. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner remaining amount detecting device which appropriately notifies a toner replenishing time and prevents a blur of an image in an electrophotographic apparatus or the like.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a variable air chamber having a volume that varies according to the amount of air injected into a toner container for storing toner. The toner supply unit that receives and supplies the toner to the toner use unit is provided with a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of toner, and an air amount detection unit that detects the amount of air injected into the air injection system into the variable air chamber. The configuration of the provided toner remaining amount detecting device is adopted.

When the sensor detects that the toner supply unit has run out of toner, air is injected into the variable air chamber to reduce the amount of toner in the toner container by a predetermined amount. To detect the amount of toner in the toner container portion based on the amount of the air injected. The remaining amount of toner can be detected in a stepwise manner, and the time when the remaining amount of toner is low and toner replenishment is needed is reliably notified. Therefore, blurring of an image in an electrophotographic apparatus or the like can be prevented.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to the first aspect of the present invention is directed to a toner container having a variable air chamber having a volume that varies according to the amount of air to be injected therein and containing toner, A toner supply unit that receives toner from the container unit and supplies the toner to the toner use unit; a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of toner is provided in the toner supply unit; and the toner is supplied to the air supply system to the variable air chamber. An air amount detection unit for detecting the amount of air is provided, and when the sensor detects that the toner supply unit has run out of toner, air is injected into the variable air chamber and a certain amount of toner in the toner container unit is supplied to the toner supply unit. The toner remaining amount detecting device is configured to detect the amount of toner in the toner container portion by sending out and injecting the air. The remaining amount of toner can be detected in a stepwise manner. Kuna' has an effect of timing it is possible to reliably inform requiring toner supply Te.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the toner remaining amount detecting device according to the first aspect, the air injection system for adjusting the amount of air injected into the variable air chamber is provided. An amount adjusting unit that adjusts an amount of air sent to the variable air chamber at one time to adjust an amount of toner supplied to the toner supply unit and to vary a toner remaining amount detection step; The remaining amount can be detected at a detailed stage, and an effect that the time when the remaining amount of toner becomes small and toner supply is needed can be reliably notified.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner remaining amount detecting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the toner remaining amount detecting device.

The toner remaining amount detecting device of the first embodiment is
A toner container 1 for storing toner and a toner supply unit 2 for receiving toner from the toner container 1 are provided.

Incidentally, the toner container 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
Although it is shown as a cylindrical shape, the shape may be a square.

A variable air chamber 6 having a telescopic chamber wall is provided in the toner container 1.
, An air supply unit 7 is connected by a pipe, and an air amount detection unit 8 is connected to the air supply unit 7.

The toner supply unit 2 includes a developing roller 3 for printing, a toner stirring paddle 5 for supplying toner to the developing roller 3, and a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of toner in the toner supply unit 2. A toner detection unit 4 is provided.

Next, the operation of the toner remaining amount detecting device having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 2, both the toner container section 1 and the toner supply section 2 have a sufficient amount of toner. However, in the initial state of the toner container unit 1, the amount of toner calculated from the size of the toner container unit 1 exists, and the control unit can recognize this toner amount as the initial state of the toner.

When printing is performed from this state, FIG.
To the state of. In this state, printing is possible,
There is little toner in the toner supply unit 2. In this state, the toner detection unit 4 of the toner supply unit 2 including the toner presence / absence sensor detects the absence of toner.

When the absence of toner is detected, as shown in FIG. 4, air is sent into the variable air chamber 6 in the toner container 1 by the air supply unit 7 so that the variable air chamber 6 expands, and Is pushed out to the toner supply unit 2. Since the amount of the extruded toner is proportional to the amount of the supplied air, the remaining amount of the toner in the toner container unit 1 can be detected by detecting the amount of the supplied air by the air amount detecting unit 8. By repeating this control, the remaining amount of toner can be detected.

Although not shown, the air injection system for the variable air chamber is provided with air amount adjusting means for adjusting the amount of air to be injected into the variable air chamber. The amount of toner to be supplied to the toner supply unit can be adjusted.

In this way, if the amount of air sent into the variable air chamber 6 at one time is reduced, the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 1 can be detected with high accuracy, and the amount of air once sent into the variable air chamber 6 can be detected. If the amount of air is increased, the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 1 can be roughly detected.

That is, the step of detecting the remaining amount of toner can be changed. As described above, even if the toner remaining amount detecting device of the first embodiment uses the conventional toner detecting unit that detects the presence or absence of toner, the remaining toner amount in the toner container unit is stepwise, that is, It can detect finely,
Therefore, it is possible to reliably notify the time when the toner remaining amount becomes low and toner supply is required, and it is possible to prevent blurring of an image in an electrophotographic apparatus or the like.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the remaining amount of toner can be detected in a stepwise manner even if a toner detector for detecting whether the remaining amount of toner is binary is used. In addition, it is not necessary to use a piezoelectric element that responds to a minute weight, and it is possible to reliably notify the time when the remaining amount of toner is low and toner supply is required. And the like can be prevented beforehand, and the effect is great.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner remaining amount detection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the toner remaining amount detection device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the remaining toner amount detection device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the toner remaining amount detecting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner container part 2 Toner supply part 3 Developing roller 4 Toner detection part 5 Toner stirring paddle 6 Variable air chamber 7 Air supply part 8 Air amount detection part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kazumasa Tsunoda 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 72) Inventor Hiroshi Oda 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yasushi Kojima 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2H077 AA12 AB03 DA15

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A toner container portion having a variable air chamber having a volume that varies according to an amount of air to be injected therein, containing toner, receiving toner from the toner container portion, and supplying toner to a toner using portion. A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of toner in the toner supply unit, and an air amount detection unit for detecting an amount of air to be injected into an air injection system into the variable air chamber; When it detects that the toner supply section runs out of toner, air is injected into the variable air chamber to send out a fixed amount of toner in the toner container section to the toner supply section, and the amount of toner in the toner container section is determined by the amount of air injected. Wherein the remaining amount of toner is detected. 2. The system for injecting air into a variable air chamber has air amount adjusting means for adjusting the amount of air to be injected into the variable air chamber, and the toner is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air sent to the variable air chamber at one time. 2. The toner remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein an amount of toner supplied to the supply unit is adjusted, and a toner remaining amount detecting step is changed.