JP2001312149A - Waste toner recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner recovery device where sharing of a driving source for a waste toner carrying unit and driving sources for other units for which the characteristic of an oscillating driving source for a waste toner recovery container is appropriate is made possible. SOLUTION: In the waste toner recovery device for an image forming device provided with an intermediate transfer unit and the waste toner recovery container 111 recovering untransferred toner, the oscillating driving system of the waste toner recovery device 111, the driving system for an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit by which an intermediate transfer body of the intermediate transfer unit and the driving system of the waste toner carrying unit 117 by which the toner is carried to the waste toner recovery container 111 are all connected to the same driving source and the driving force is distributed to each driving system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waste toner collecting apparatus for recovering toner remaining on an image forming member without being transferred to an image forming member in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the colorization of electrophotographic copying machines and printers using toner as an image forming body has been rapidly progressing, and the amount of waste toner generated tends to increase.
In such an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, there is conventionally known a method in which a vibration mechanism is provided in a container for collecting waste toner, and the toner is uniformly and as much as possible collected in the container. FIG. 4 shows such a conventional waste toner collecting apparatus.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 16 denotes an intermediate transfer unit,
16d is a drive input section of the intermediate transfer unit 16, 20 is an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit, and 20d is a drive input section of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 21, 21, 22, 2
Reference numerals 3 and 24 denote developing units having different toner colors, respectively.
d, 22d, 23d and 24d are the respective developing units 21 and
Drive input units 2, 23, 24, 17 is a waste toner transport unit, 17d is a drive input unit of the waste toner transport unit, 1
1 is a waste toner collecting container, and 11d is a waste toner collecting container 11.
Is a vibration drive input unit. The operation of the conventional waste toner collecting device thus configured will be described.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional waste toner collecting device. In FIG. 4, non-transferred waste toner generated in the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 20 and the development units 21, 22, 23, and 24 is transferred to the spiral rotator 20 of each unit.
s, 21 s, 22 s, 23 s, and 24 s convey the toner to the waste toner conveying unit 17. The transported waste toner falls to the waste toner transport unit 17 and the spiral rotator 1
7s, it is conveyed in the direction of the waste toner collecting container 11 and falls into the waste toner collecting container 11. In addition, since the vibration is applied to the waste toner collecting container 11 by the vibration drive input section 11d of the waste toner collecting container, the dropped waste toner is uniformly deposited by the vibration.

[0005] In the waste toner collecting apparatus constructed as described above, the drive input section 17d of the waste toner transport unit 17 and the vibration drive input section 11d of the waste toner collection container 11 are completely different from the drive input sections of the other units. Often placed on top.

[0006]

However, in the structure of the conventional apparatus, it is difficult to share the drive source of the waste toner transport unit 17 and the vibration drive source of the waste toner collecting container 11 with the drive sources of other units. In many cases, it is difficult in terms of structural problems and characteristics of the driving source, and a dedicated driving source is required in some cases.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a waste toner collecting apparatus which enables the drive source of the waste toner transport unit and the vibration drive source of the waste toner collecting container to be shared with the drive sources of other units having suitable characteristics. The purpose is to provide.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a waste toner collecting device in an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer unit and a waste toner collecting container for collecting non-transferred toner. A drive system of an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit that cleans the intermediate transfer body of the intermediate transfer unit, and a drive system of a waste toner transport unit that transports the toner to the waste toner collection container are connected to the same drive source. And the driving force is distributed to the respective driving systems.

In the present invention, the waste toner collecting container is a flat housing, and the vibration drive input section is arranged near the same plane as the driving source for sheet conveyance. Further, the waste toner conveying unit is driven by using the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit as a drive connecting body. This makes it possible to share the drive source for the waste toner transport unit and the vibration drive source for the waste toner collection container with the drive source for paper transport.

[0010]

The invention according to claim 1 is a waste toner collecting device in an image forming apparatus provided with an intermediate transfer unit and a waste toner collecting container for collecting non-transferred toner. The same drive source as the vibration drive system, the drive system of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit that cleans the intermediate transfer body of the intermediate transfer unit, and the drive system of the waste toner transport unit that transports toner to the waste toner collection container. A waste toner collecting device, wherein the driving force is distributed to each of the driving systems by connecting to the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit, the driving of the waste toner conveying unit, and the This has the effect that the toner recovery container can be driven to vibrate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the same driving source is a driving system for conveying a sheet. This has the effect that necessary and minimum driving of each unit is possible.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waste toner collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drive unit of the waste toner collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a drive timing chart at the time of printing of the waste toner collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

An embodiment corresponding to the first aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 116 denotes an intermediate transfer unit, 120 denotes an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit,
Reference numerals 1, 122, 123, and 124 denote developing units having different toner colors, 117 denotes a waste toner conveying unit, and 111 denotes a waste toner collecting container. Also, in FIG.
Is a paper transport drive unit, 120a is a roller-shaped cleaning brush, 120d is a drive input unit of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit, and 117d is a waste toner transport unit 1.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a drive input unit, and 111d denotes a vibration drive input unit of the waste toner collecting container.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the waste toner collecting container 111 having a flat housing that is long in the depth direction is placed in the intermediate transfer unit 11.
Attach immediately below 6. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the vibration applying surface 111m of the waste toner collecting container 111 can be disposed in the vicinity of the unit driving plane at the rear of the apparatus, and the driving source of another unit disposed at the rear of the apparatus, for example, the paper transport drive By connecting the unit 125 to the vibration drive input unit 111d of the waste toner collecting container by a gear or the like, the drive for vibration can be easily distributed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in the vicinity of the unit driving plane at the rear of the apparatus, an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 120 to which the driving is distributed from a driving source of another unit disposed at the rear of the apparatus, for example, a paper transport driving unit 125. The components, for example, the roller-shaped cleaning brush 12
The waste toner transport unit 117 can be driven by connecting the drive input unit 117a to the drive input unit 117d of the waste toner transport unit with a gear or the like.

With the above configuration, the drive of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 120 and the waste toner transport unit 117
And the vibration drive of the waste toner collecting container 111 can be obtained from the same drive source, for example, the paper transport drive unit 125.

Next, an embodiment corresponding to the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a drive timing chart at the time of a printing operation. TM is an intermediate transfer unit drive motor, HM is a paper transport drive motor, YM, MM, CM, and BM are drive motors of a developing unit having different toner colors. ON is the driving start of each motor, OFF is the driving stop of each motor, t is time, t
1 indicates the start of generation of waste toner, and t2 indicates the end of generation of waste toner.

The start t1 of waste toner generation is when the drive motor of the first developing unit is ON, and the end t of waste toner generation is completed.
Reference numeral 2 denotes when the intermediate transfer unit drive motor is off. Therefore, when the drive of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 120, the drive of the waste toner transport unit 117, and the vibration drive of the waste toner collecting container 111 are distributed from the same drive source,
The drive source must be operating at least during the time period from t1 to t2. On the other hand, the drive timing of the paper transport drive motor HM is ON immediately before the start t1 of waste toner generation.
However, it is set to be turned off at the same time as the end t2 of waste toner generation.

Under the above conditions, when the driving of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 120, the driving of the waste toner conveying unit 117, and the vibration driving of the waste toner collecting container 111 are distributed from the same driving source, the paper conveying driving is the same. Is optimal, and the driving time of each unit can be covered with a necessary minimum.

[0022]

As described above, the present invention is constructed as described above, and does not require a dedicated driving source in the waste toner collecting device.
One drive source of another unit can be shared. Further, since the paper conveyance drive unit is used as a drive source, the waste toner collecting operation can be started immediately before the generation of the waste toner. further,
The intermediate transfer member cleaning unit is used as a drive connection member, and the drive connection to each unit can be simplified by the shape characteristics of the waste toner collecting container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waste toner collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a driving unit of the waste toner collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a drive timing chart during printing of the waste toner collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional waste toner collecting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

111 Waste toner collection container 111d Vibration drive input unit of waste toner collection container 111m Vibration applying surface 116 Intermediate transfer unit 117 Waste toner transport unit 117d Drive input unit of waste toner transport unit 120 Intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 120a Roller cleaning brush 120d Intermediate Drive input unit 121, 122, 123, 124 of transfer body cleaning unit Developing unit 125 Paper transport drive unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Yoshihara 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tadashi Shimokara Minato 1006 Kadoma Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuhiro Ogata 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Kusuda 1006 Odaka Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. BA23 BA30 2H034 CA02 CA04 CA08

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A waste toner collecting device in an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer unit and a waste toner collecting container for collecting non-transferred toner. The drive system of the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit for cleaning the intermediate transfer body and the drive system of the waste toner transport unit for transporting the toner to the waste toner collecting container are connected to the same drive source to drive the respective drive systems. And a waste toner collecting device. 2. The waste toner collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the same driving source is a driving system for conveying a sheet.