JP2001331035A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing device capable of preventing the soiling of a toner bottle at the time of developing operation without waste because a toner bottle soiling preventing member need not be provided for each toner bottle. SOLUTION: Even when the toner bottle 33 is not covered over due to spatial restriction because a distance between the bottle 33 and a photoreceptor is short, the aperture part 38a of a bottle holding member 38 is covered with the cylindrical toner bottle soiling preventing member 54 made of thin Mylar(R), so that the soiling of the outer peripheral surface of the bottle 33 is prevented. The member 54 is fit in the member 38 from the above and attached to the aperture part 38a of the member 38 in any unit of the developing device 5 pulled out of an image forming device main body in a state where the bottle 33 is pulled out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device provided in an image forming section of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a two-component developing type developing apparatus in which toner is sealed in a bottle and toner is supplied, the toner scatters into the apparatus from a developing opening or the like during a developing operation. In some cases, the outer surface of the toner bottle becomes dirty, and the user gets his hands dirty when replacing the toner bottle. In particular, when the toner density in the developing device increases due to environmental fluctuations, toner scattering deteriorates.

In the technique disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-8569, the outer periphery of a toner cartridge, that is, a toner bottle is covered with a flexible member so that toner is scattered from an opening of the toner bottle when the toner bottle is replaced. Has been prevented. By the way, since the toner bottle is often installed in contact with the developing device, a part of the toner bottle is covered by the developing device, and the toner bottle becomes dirty by scattering in a specific direction such as an opening of the toner bottle holding portion. Often limited. In this technique, since a stain prevention member is provided on the toner bottle side, it is necessary to cover substantially the entire toner bottle, so that not only is there a large amount of waste in material, but also in this respect, a waste is required for each toner bottle. .

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a developing device which does not need to be provided for each toner bottle and can prevent the toner bottle from being stained during the developing operation without waste.

[0005] Further, the toner bottle is often formed in a cylindrical shape such as a cylinder, and the outer peripheral surface is almost always a curved surface. Therefore, the stain prevention member for preventing the toner bottle outer peripheral surface from being stained also has a curved surface, but it takes time and effort to install the stain prevention member to have a predetermined curved surface. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a developing device in which a stain prevention member can be easily installed in a small space.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing device for a two-component developing system, in which a toner is sealed in a bottle and toner is replenished. In the toner bottle holding part arranged inside,
A member is provided for covering the outer periphery of the toner bottle to be mounted on the toner bottle holding portion and preventing the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle from being stained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the stain prevention member is cylindrical.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the stain preventing member is made of a flexible member.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the stain prevention member is made of a sheet-shaped mylar.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of an example of a multicolor image forming apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as an image forming apparatus) to which a developing device according to the present invention is provided. The photoconductor 1 is rotatably supported, and is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow A in the figure.
A charging charger 2 and a cleaning device 3 for the photoreceptor are arranged on the outer periphery of the photoreceptor 1. Above the charging device 2, a writing unit 4 to which a laser beam emitted from a laser writing unit is applied is provided. At a position downstream of the writing unit 4, a multicolor developing device (hereinafter simply referred to as a developing device) 5 that supports a plurality of developing devices in a switchable manner is disposed.

The developing device 5 includes a black developing unit 5K and a yellow developing unit 5 for each color of toner to be stored.
Y, magenta developing unit 5M, cyan developing unit 5
C is provided. In this example, the developing device 5 has a 90
There is a mechanism for selecting the developing unit by rotation of degrees. The developing device 5 is configured to be drawn out from the image forming apparatus main body in order to facilitate installation and replacement of a toner bottle contamination preventing member described later.

In this image forming apparatus, a laser beam output based on image information from the writing section 4 is guided in a predetermined direction by a mirror 6 and is placed on a photosensitive member 1 charged by a charging charger 2. Form an image. The latent image on the photoreceptor 1 is developed by the developing device 5, and a visible image with toner is formed and held on the surface of the photoreceptor. The lower portion of the photoconductor 1 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 7. The intermediate transfer belt 7 is rotatably supported by a belt roller 8,
The toner image on the photoconductor 1 is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 7.

The photosensitive member 1 is cleaned for each color,
A toner image of a predetermined color is sequentially formed on the photoconductor 1, the intermediate transfer belt 7 is rotated each time, and the toner image on the photoconductor 1 is transferred to the same position on the intermediate transfer belt 7 for each rotation. Then, a color toner image in which several colors are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 is formed.

Transfer paper 1 fed by paper feed roller 1 from paper feed unit 9 (paper feed cassette 9A, manual paper feed tray 9B)
1 is sent out at predetermined timing by registration rollers 12 (12R is a sheet feeding cassette 9A side, 12B is a manual sheet feeding tray 9B side in the drawing), and several colors of toner on the intermediate transfer belt 7 are transferred by a transfer unit 13. The images are collectively transferred, the toner image on the transfer paper 11 is fixed in the fixing device 14, and the transfer paper 11 is discharged to the discharge tray 15.

The intermediate transfer belt 7 is provided with an intermediate transfer belt cleaning device 16, and a cleaning blade 16A is provided with a cleaning blade contacting / separating arm 16B.
It is configured to be able to freely contact and separate via The cleaning blade 16A separates from the intermediate transfer belt 7 in the step of receiving the toner image from the photoreceptor 1, contacts the intermediate transfer belt 7 after transferring the image from the intermediate transfer belt 7 to the transfer paper 11, and After the transfer of the toner, the residual toner is scraped off.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a drawer unit in which the developing unit and the photosensitive member are integrated, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the positional relationship between one developing device and the photosensitive member, and FIG. 4 is one developing device. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same. In the figure, reference numeral 17 denotes a drawer unit.

A magnet 22 is provided in the developing sleeve 21 of each of the developing units 5K, 5Y, 5M, and 5C. Motor 23 and gear 2 installed in image forming apparatus main body
4, 25, 26, the developing sleeve 21 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow B in the figure, and the conveying screws 31, 32 are driven to rotate via gears 27, 28, 29, 30.

A spiral toner transfer rib 34 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33. When the toner is consumed and the toner concentration in the developing device 5 (the developing unit 5Y in FIG. 4) decreases, the driving of the motor 35 rotates the toner bottle 33 via the coupling 36, and the toner in the toner bottle 33 becomes the toner. The toner is sequentially fed to the vicinity of the discharge port 37, replenished into the developing device 5 from the toner discharge port 37, stirred with the developer (carrier) by the conveying screws 31 and 32, and frictionally charged with mutually opposite magnetism.
It becomes a component-based developer and is sent to the developing sleeve 21. In the drawing, reference numeral 39 denotes a boss for discriminating a toner color.

When the toner end sensor 52 detects that the toner in the toner bottle 33 has run out, the user is informed of the toner end by a display on an operation panel provided in the image forming apparatus main body. 33 will be exchanged.

This replacement operation is performed by removing the empty toner bottle 33 from the bottle holding portion 38, setting a new toner bottle 33 in the bottle holding portion 38, and twisting the toner bottle leftward in FIGS. Shutter 4 for bottle 33
0 is opened, the toner in the toner bottle 33 is replenished into the developing device 5 by the drive of the motor 35,
When the toner is stirred by the developer 1 and 32 and the toner concentration in the developing device 5 reaches a predetermined value, the replacement operation is completed.

In each of the above figures, reference numeral 50 denotes a doctor, 51
Is a toner supply screw, 52 is a toner end sensor,
Reference numeral 53 denotes a drawer unit slide rail. 5 in the figure
Reference numeral 4 denotes a toner bottle stain prevention member. The toner bottle stain prevention member 54 is formed by rolling a sheet-shaped mylar into a cylindrical shape.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the toner bottle, its holding member, and the toner bottle contamination preventing member.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a state where the toner bottle and the toner bottle contamination preventing member are mounted on the holding member. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where the toner bottle and the toner bottle contamination preventing member are mounted on the holding member. When the toner bottle stain prevention member 54 is installed in the developing device 5, the drawer unit 17 is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body with the toner bottle 33 pulled out, and the revolver is revolved to revolve the developing device 5. One of them is moved upward, and the toner bottle stain prevention member 54 is fitted into the opening 38a of the bottle holding member 38 from above. Toner bottle stain prevention member 54
When the toner bottle 33 is rotated, the toner bottle stain prevention member 54 does not come off from the bottle holding member 38 if a double-sided tape is stuck on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 and attached to the bottle holding member 38.

If the bottle holding member 38 is extended in the depth direction of the main body of the image forming apparatus to cover the entire outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33, it is possible to prevent the outer periphery of the toner bottle 33 from being stained due to toner scattering. Even when the distance between the bottle 33 and the photoconductor 1 is so short that the toner bottle 33 cannot be covered due to space restrictions, a thin mylar can be installed. In such a case, the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 can be prevented from being stained by closing the opening 38a of the bottle holding member 38 with a thin mylar. Further, since the toner bottle 33 often has a cylindrical shape, it is necessary to cover the opening 38 a of the bottle holding member 38 with a curved surface along the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33. Since the toner bottle 33 has a length (in the depth direction of the image forming apparatus main body), it takes time to install the mylar along a predetermined curved surface. However, as described above, the mylar rolled into a cylindrical shape is held in the bottle. With the method of installing in the opening 38a of the member 38, it is possible to easily and reliably install the apparatus without any trouble.

[0024]

Since the developing device according to the first aspect of the present invention is as described above, it is possible to easily and effectively prevent contamination of the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle due to toner scattering during the developing operation. effective.

In the developing device according to the second to fourth aspects, in addition to the above-mentioned common effects, the outer peripheral curved surface of the toner bottle can be covered with a small space, and the number of parts can be reduced. There is an effect that it can be easily assembled in a short time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of an example of a multicolor image forming apparatus to which a developing device according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a drawer unit in which a developing unit and a photoconductor are integrated.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a positional relationship between one developing device and a photoconductor in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view of one developing device in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a toner bottle, a holding member thereof, and a toner bottle stain prevention member.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a toner bottle and a toner bottle contamination preventing member are attached to a holding member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner bottle and a toner bottle stain prevention member are mounted on a holding member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 photoconductor 2 charging charger 3 cleaning device (for photoconductor) 4 writing unit 5 multicolor developing device 6 mirror 7 intermediate transfer belt 8 belt roller 9 paper feed unit 9A paper cassette 9B manual paper feed tray 10 paper feed roller 11 transfer Paper 12R, 12B Registration roller 13 Transfer unit 14 Fixing unit 15 Discharge tray 16 Cleaning device (for intermediate transfer belt) 17 Pull-out unit 21 Developing sleeve 22 Magnet 23 Motor 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 Gear 31 , 32 conveying screw 33 toner bottle 34 toner transfer rib 35 bottle driving motor 36 coupling 37 toner discharge port 38 bottle holding part 38a opening 39 toner color discriminating boss 40 toner bottle shutter 50 doctor 51 toner supply screw 52 Over end sensor 53 drawer unit slide rails 54 bottles antifouling member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A developing device of a two-component developing system for replenishing toner by enclosing toner in a bottle, wherein an outer periphery of the toner bottle mounted on the toner bottle holding portion is provided in a toner bottle holding portion provided inside the device. A developing device provided with a member for covering and preventing contamination of the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein said stain prevention member is cylindrical. 3. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein said stain preventing member is made of a flexible member. 4. The developing device according to claim 3, wherein said stain prevention member is made of a sheet-shaped mylar.