JP2002196644A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device in which the number of sensors is reduced by detecting the presence or absence of a cleaner unit by using a sensor to detect full waste toner, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the structure of the device is simplified. SOLUTION: The image forming device has a plurality of first image carriers 1 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a belt-like intermediate transfer body 18, a cleaning blade 24 which cleans toner after transferring a toner image prepared on the intermediate transfer body 18 on a sheet, a cleaner container 27 holding toner recovered by the cleaning blade 24, a waste toner transporting screw 28 which transports the recovered toner to a waste toner bottle 37, a shutter 56 which prevents the leakage of the recovered toner, and the sensor to detect full waste toner which detects the full of the waste toner bottle. The sensor 52 to detect full waste toner also detects the presence or absence of a cleaner unit 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic or electrostatic recording type image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The structure of an image forming apparatus using an intermediate transfer member is widely used, for example, in an image forming apparatus having a full-color or multiple image forming function.

In such an image forming apparatus, a desired full-color image or a plurality of color component images of a multiplex image is formed on a first image carrier such as an electrophotographic photosensitive member or an electrostatic recording dielectric by an appropriate image forming process means. Are sequentially formed. Then, these component color toner images are successively superimposedly transferred at a primary transfer portion on an intermediate transfer member as a second image carrier, which is generally a rotating belt type, so that a desired full-color image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer member. And a full-color toner image or a multiplex toner image corresponding to the multiplex image. Then, the toner image synthesized and formed on the intermediate transfer body is introduced from the secondary transfer unit to the fixing unit to fix the image, thereby obtaining a full-color image formed product.

Here, the configuration of an image forming apparatus in which an intermediate transfer belt is used as the second image carrier will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the intermediate transfer belt 103.

[0005] The component color toner images corresponding to the plurality of color component images formed on the image carrier 101 are sequentially superimposed and transferred by the primary transfer portion T1 sandwiched between the image carrier 101 and the primary transfer opposing roller 102, and the intermediate transfer is performed. A desired full-color image is formed on the transfer belt 103.

The full-color image on the intermediate transfer belt is collectively transferred to a sheet 116 at a secondary transfer portion T2 sandwiched between a secondary transfer roller 117 and a secondary transfer opposed roller 105, and an image is fixed at a fixing portion (not shown). By doing so, a full-color formed product is obtained.

The intermediate transfer belt 103 is stretched by three axes of a driving roller 104, a secondary transfer opposing roller 105, and a tension roller 106, and a bearing 107 of the swingable tension roller 106 is pressed by a compression spring 108. The tension of the intermediate transfer belt 103 can be kept constant.

A cleaner unit 113 is provided around the intermediate transfer belt 103, and a cleaning blade is used as cleaning means for cleaning a toner image remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 103 as a result of being untransferred due to the secondary transfer. 111 are arranged.

The cleaning blade 111 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 103 at a predetermined angle. A backup roller is disposed at a portion facing the cleaning blade 111. The cleaning blade 111 is held in the cleaner container 110. The cleaner container 110 fits into a positioning portion provided in the intermediate transfer belt unit 109, the position is determined, and the structure is detachable.

Since the cleaner container 110 is configured to be detachable, the cleaning blade 111 and the intermediate transfer belt 103 can be replaced at the end of their life without being affected by the life of each other. It is a target.

A waste toner transport screw 112 for transporting waste toner collected by the cleaning means is disposed in the cleaner container 110, and a connecting member 1 disposed in the main body is provided.
The toner is conveyed to and accumulated in a waste toner box 115 disposed separately from the cleaner container 110 via the.

The waste toner box 115 is provided with a sensor for detecting a full state so that the collected waste toner does not overflow from the waste toner box 115.

Further, a sensor for detecting that the cleaner container 110 and the waste toner box 115 are correctly mounted are arranged on the main body, respectively.

[0014]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since a sensor for detecting the full level of the waste toner and a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the cleaner unit are separately provided, the detection means is not provided. Cost and space are required, and there has been a problem that the cost is increased and the structure is complicated.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the number of sensors by detecting the presence or absence of a cleaner unit by a waste toner fullness detection sensor, thereby reducing costs and simplifying the structure. The purpose is to:

[0016]

In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of first image carriers on which electrostatic latent images are formed, and a plurality of first image carriers. A belt-shaped second image carrier stretched by rollers, and toner remaining on the second image carrier after transferring a toner image formed on the second image carrier to a sheet Cleaning means for cleaning the toner, a toner collection container for holding the toner collected from the second image carrier by the cleaning means, and a toner provided in the cleaner unit for conveying the collected toner to the toner collection container Conveying means, sealing means disposed at an inlet of the toner collecting container for preventing collected toner from leaking out of the toner collecting container, and detecting that the toner collecting container is full of toner. It includes a sensor that, the, the sensor is characterized by detecting also the presence or absence of the cleaner unit.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view showing an intermediate transfer body unit contacting / separating unit of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an intermediate transfer body unit contacting / separating means of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a relationship between the intermediate transfer body unit and the cleaner unit of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows a state where the cleaner unit of the present invention is in a detachable position. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a stage in which the cleaner unit of the present invention is being set, FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a state where the cleaner unit of the present invention is set, and FIG. 9 is a cleaner unit of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a top view of the cleaner unit of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a front view showing the arrangement of the waste toner bottle, the cleaner unit, and the waste toner full detection sensor of the present invention. FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views showing a connection state between the waste toner bottle and the cleaner unit of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state where only the waste toner pot of the present invention is set, and FIG. Front view showing the state of being full,
FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing a state where the waste toner bottle and the cleaner unit of the present invention are mounted, FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a state where only the waste toner bottle of the present invention is set, and FIG.
FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing a state where the waste toner bottle of the present invention is about to be mounted, and FIG. 18 is a front view showing a conventional example.

First, the configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus will be schematically described with reference to FIG. In the image forming apparatus,
A feeding unit that stacks and stores sheets for forming an image, feeds the sheets one by one to the image forming unit, an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet, a conveying unit that further conveys the sheet on which the image is transferred, A fixing unit 38 for fixing the image of the conveyed sheet substantially permanently and a sheet discharging unit for discharging the fixed sheet to the outside of the apparatus are arranged. Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit of the image forming apparatus will be described in detail.

(Feeding Unit) The sheet 2 stored in the sheet cassette 7 disposed below the image forming apparatus is fed out toward the feeding roller 9 by the rotation of the contacting pickup roller 8. The sheet 2 sent out by the pickup roller 8 is separated into one sheet by a reverse rotation roller 10, and is conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 9 to a pair of registration rollers 12 provided near the entrance of the image forming unit.

The registration roller pair 12 temporarily stops the sheet 2 in order to adjust the posture of the conveyed sheet 2 and adjust the image forming timing with the image forming section. The sheet 2 whose skew has been corrected by the registration roller pair 12 and whose timing has been adjusted with the image forming unit is conveyed to the image forming unit by the rotation operation of the registration roller pair 12.

(Image Forming Section) In the image forming section utilizing the electrophotographic method, laser scanners 6Y to 6K for irradiating a laser beam based on image data input to the apparatus, image carrier 1, image carrier 1 A charging unit 5 for uniformly charging the surface; developing units 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K for visualizing the toner by adsorbing toner onto an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier 1; A belt-shaped second belt that rotates in synchronization with the outer peripheral speed of the image carrier 1, is stretched by a plurality of rollers, and undergoes multiple transfer in order to multiple-transfer the toner image on the image carrier 1 visualized by the container. The intermediate transfer member 18 serving as an image carrier, and the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member
And a cleaner unit 23 for removing the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 18 and cleaning the intermediate transfer body 18 for the next image forming operation.

When the image forming operation is started, the charging means 5
Thereby, the surfaces of the plurality of first image carriers 1 are uniformly charged. Laser scanners 6Y to 6Y on charged image carrier 1
Image data is written by the laser beam irradiated by K. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier 1.

The developing units 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K adsorb toner onto the image carrier 1 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, and a toner image to be transferred to a sheet on the surface of the image carrier 1 Is formed. Then, the toner images are superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer member 18 at the primary transfer portions T1Y to T1K.

The sheet 2 conveyed from the registration roller pair 12 at the timing synchronized with the image forming operation described above is transferred at the same time that the sheet 2 is pressed by the transfer roller 22 at the secondary transfer portion T2 of the intermediate transfer member 18. By applying a bias having a characteristic opposite to that of the toner to the roller 22, the intermediate transfer member 18 is
The above full-color image is simultaneously transferred to sheet 2 in four colors at a stretch. Excess toner and the like remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer member 18 are removed by the cleaner unit 23, and the intermediate transfer member 18 is ready for the next image forming operation.

(Fixing Section) The sheet 2 having passed through the secondary transfer section T2 is peeled off from the intermediate transfer member 18 and conveyed to the fixing section 38 to fix the toner. It is discharged onto the discharge tray 44 with the image side facing down,
The image forming operation ends.

Next, the intermediate transfer unit 13 and the cleaner unit 23 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer belt 18 includes a driving roller 14,
The bearing member 17 of the tension roller 16 is tensioned by three axes, the secondary transfer opposing roller 15 and the tension roller 16, and is compressed by a compression spring.
Pressure is applied at 19 to absorb changes in circumference due to temperature and humidity in the main body of the intermediate transfer belt 18 and changes over time.

Further, by transmitting the driving force of a driving motor (not shown) to the driving roller 14, the intermediate transfer belt 18 is rotated in a direction for conveying the sheet 2 at a predetermined peripheral speed in accordance with the image forming operation.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
The lever 45 is moved to a predetermined contact position A and a separated position B by a contact / separation means constituted by a stay 47, four cams 48, a shaft 46 connecting the two stays 47, and a lever 45. By moving each, the four cams 48 move the intermediate transfer body unit 13 up and down, and a contact state and a separation state where the image carrier 1 and the intermediate transfer body 18 contact and separate can be created.

As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 23 includes a cleaning blade 24 and a pressure spring for pressing the cleaning blade 24 against the intermediate transfer member 18.
29 and a cleaner container 27 for holding these.

The material of the cleaning blade 24 is molded from polyurethane rubber so as to sandwich a metal blade holding plate 26. Since it is pressed against the intermediate transfer member 18 at a predetermined angle, the intermediate transfer member 18 is uniformly contacted.

A tension roller 16 is provided as a backup roller at a portion facing the cleaning blade 24 so that the cleaning blade 24 can contact the intermediate transfer member 18 at a predetermined contact pressure. At the point where the cleaning blade 24 comes into contact, the toner image is scraped off the intermediate transfer member 18 and the intermediate transfer member 18 is cleaned.

The waste toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 24 is collected in a cleaner container 27 which is a toner collecting container, and is separately arranged in the main body by a screw 28 which is toner conveying means arranged at the lowermost portion of the cleaner container 27. The waste toner bottle 37 is sent and collected.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5, a boss for positioning the cleaner unit 23 is provided on the intermediate transfer body unit 13.
20a and 20b are arranged at two places. Boss 20a, 20b
The bearing members 17a, 17b are provided at both ends of the tension roller 16.
Even when the tension roller 16 moves, the line L connecting the tension roller shaft O and the axes of the bosses 20a and 20b at both ends is always kept parallel.

A cleaner unit is provided on one of the bearing members 17b.
There is a round elongated hole 21 into which the screw drive input part of 23 fits, and when the cleaner unit 23 is set, it serves as a detent. The cleaner unit 23 is provided with a detent member 30, and the detent member 30 is positioned on the bearing member 17a.

Further, the positioning grooves 31a, 31b provided in the cleaner unit 23 are fitted into the bosses 20a, 20b, and further, the latch units 32a, 32b are used to hold the cleaner unit.
23 can be positioned in the intermediate transfer unit 13.

When setting the cleaner unit 23, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 (front view) and FIG. 10 (top view),
In the separated state, the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction with respect to the main body (bearing member 1
7b) (the direction from 7b to the bearing member 17a), and push it in until it hits the abutting portion (not shown) of the intermediate transfer body unit 13. Then, while being pushed, the lever 36 provided on the cleaner unit 23 is held and rotated about the axis of the waste toner conveying screw shaft, and the latches 32a are attached to the bosses 20a and 20b.
Push up until 32b catches.

Conversely, when removing the cleaner unit 23,
As shown in FIG. 9, by rotating the lever 36, the latches 32a and 32b are released, the cleaner unit 23 is separated, and pulled out in the direction opposite to the insertion (the direction from the bearing member 17a to the bearing member 17b).

The waste toner 51 collected by the cleaning blade 24 is conveyed by a waste toner conveying screw 28 disposed at the lowermost part of the cleaner container 27, and is connected to the waste toner bottle 37 from the connection between the cleaner container 27 and the waste toner bottle 37.
It is dropped and collected.

The waste toner conveying screw 28 is rotated by transmitting a driving force from a driving motor (not shown) to a driving input unit 34. The driving source of the waste toner conveying screw 28 is a fixing driving source, so that the number of motors can be reduced and the structure is simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the waste toner bottle 37 is held by the waste toner bottle holding member 50 arranged on the main body side plate 52, and the waste toner inlet 58 at the upper part of the waste toner bottle 37. And the discharge port 57 of the cleaner unit 23 are fitted and connected, and positioned.

At this time, the waste toner bottle 37 is held by the waste toner bottle holding member 50 while keeping a gap in the horizontal direction. The waste toner bottle 37 does not affect the positioning of the cleaner unit 23 and the waste toner bottle 37, and the waste toner bottle 37 is not affected. The posture of the bottle 37 can be maintained.

Therefore, the position change of the tension roller 16 (horizontal direction) due to the temporal change of the intermediate transfer belt 18 and expansion and contraction due to heat, that is, the position of the discharge port 57 of the cleaner unit 23 changes (horizontal direction), and Even if the position of connection with 37 fluctuates (horizontally), waste toner bottle holding member 50
Can be held.

The waste toner bottle holding member 50 is disposed so as to be able to slide up and down with respect to the main body side plate 53. The intermediate transfer body unit 13 is configured to be fitted to a shaft 49 provided on a front stay 47 connected to a lever 45 for contacting and separating the intermediate transfer body unit 13. , Can move up and down in synchronization with the intermediate transfer body unit 13 in conjunction with the movement of the lever 45.

Accordingly, the cleaner unit 23 fixed to the intermediate transfer body unit 13 and the waste toner bottle holding member
The waste toner bottle 37 held at 50 can move together while connected.

With the configuration described above, the weight of the waste toner bottle 37, which increases when the waste toner is accumulated in the waste toner bottle 37, can be supported by the waste toner bottle holding member 50, and the discharge of the cleaner unit 23 can be performed. Unnecessary external force is applied to the outlet 57, and the waste toner conveying screw 28 is bent, so that adverse effects such as generation of noise and an increase in driving torque do not occur.

The same applies to the contact / separation operation of the intermediate transfer unit 13.
Unnecessary external force is not applied to the connection part of

As described above, since the waste toner bottle 37 moves in synchronization with the cleaner unit 23, the cleaner unit 23 can be directly connected to the waste toner bottle 37 without using a connecting member, and the number of parts is reduced and the configuration is simplified. it can.

Further, since the connecting portion can be fitted, the sealing performance can be improved without using a separate sealing member.

Further, when the waste toner bottle 37 moves up and down, vibration is applied to the accumulated waste toner 51, and the waste toner
The filling density of the waste toner 51 increases, and the waste toner 51 can be collected to the full capacity of the waste toner bottle 37.

As shown in FIG. 13, the waste toner bottle holding member 50 is provided with a full tank detection sensor 52 for detecting the full state of the waste toner bottle 37. The full tank detection sensor 52 is a light transmission type sensor, and a light emitting unit 52a and a light receiving unit 52b are arranged on both sides near the lower part of the waste toner inlet 58, respectively.

The waste toner bottle 37 includes a light emitting section 52a and a light receiving section.
The portion on the optical axis connecting 52b is formed of a transparent member, and can transmit the sensor light.

The collected waste toner 51 is placed in the waste toner bottle 37.
When the sensor light of the waste toner full detection sensor 52 is blocked as shown in FIG. 14, a warning is issued to replace the waste toner bottle 37.

As shown in FIG. 17, the waste toner bottle 37 is provided with a shutter 56 as a sealing means for preventing the waste toner 51 collected from the waste toner inlet 58 from easily spilling when the bottle is removed from the main body. Provided.

A seal member 54 is attached to the shutter 56, and the shutter 56 is a
In this state, the waste toner inlet 58 is completely sealed.

Then, as shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 56 denotes a structure in which when the waste toner outlet 6 of the cleaner unit 23 is inserted into the waste toner inlet 58, the waste toner outlet 6 is pushed along a guide disposed on the waste toner bottle 37 to open.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the shutter
Reference numeral 56 is configured to function as a flag that blocks the sensor light of the waste toner full detection sensor 52 when it is closed, that is, when it is urged by the waste toner intake roller 58.

Therefore, if the cleaner unit 23 is not installed at a predetermined position in the main body, the waste toner bottle
Even if 51 is set on the waste toner bottle holding member 50, the shutter 56 does not open, so that the waste toner full detection sensor 52 is in the state where the optical axis is blocked, that is, the waste toner full state.

At this time, by issuing a warning such as "attach the cleaner unit or replace the waste toner bottle", the waste toner full detection sensor 52 can also serve as the presence / absence detection of the cleaner unit 23. .

Therefore, it is not necessary to dispose a sensor only for detecting the presence or absence of the cleaner unit 23, thereby realizing low cost and simplification of the configuration.

The present invention is not limited to the structure of the image carrier 1 and the intermediate transfer member 18, but is effective for all image carriers including the intermediate transfer member.

[0061]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the presence / absence of the cleaner unit can be detected by the waste toner full detection sensor, the number of sensors can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced and the apparatus can be simplified.

Further, since the shutter of the waste toner bottle functions as a flag for blocking the sensor light of the sensor, the presence or absence of the cleaner unit can be detected with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate transfer body unit and a cleaner unit.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an intermediate transfer body unit contact / separation unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an intermediate transfer body unit contact / separation unit.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between an intermediate transfer body unit and a cleaner unit of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cleaner unit of the present invention is at a detachable position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a stage when the cleaner unit of the present invention is being set.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the cleaner unit of the present invention is set.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cleaner unit of the present invention is released from the intermediate transfer body unit.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the cleaner unit of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing an arrangement of a waste toner bottle, a cleaner unit, and a waste toner full tank detection sensor of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connection state between the waste toner bottle and the cleaner unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state where only the waste toner pot of the present invention is set.

FIG. 14 is a front view showing a state where the waste toner of the present invention is full.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the waste toner bottle and the cleaner unit of the present invention are mounted.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where only the waste toner bottle of the present invention is set.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the waste toner bottle of the present invention is about to be mounted.

FIG. 18 is a front view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 T1K to T1Y Primary transfer position T2 Secondary transfer section 1 Image carrier 2 Sheet 4K to 4Y Developing device 5 Charging means 6K to 6Y Laser scanner 7 Sheet cassette 8 Pickup roller 9 Feeding roller 10 ... reverse rotation roller 12 ... registration roller pair 13 ... intermediate transfer body unit 14 ... drive roller 15 ... secondary transfer opposed roller 16 ... tension roller 17a, 17b ... bearing member 18 ... intermediate transfer body 19 ... compression spring 20a, 20b ... boss 21 ... round hole 22 ... secondary transfer roller 23 ... cleaner unit 24 ... cleaning blade 25 ... swinging shaft 26 ... blade holding plate 27 ... cleaner container 28 ... waste toner conveying screw 29 ... compression spring 30 ... detent member 31a 31b ... Positioning grooves 32a, 32b ... Latch 34 ... Screw drive input section 36 ... Lever 37 ... Waste toner bottle 38 ... Fixing section 39 ... Fixing roller 40 … Pressure rollers 41, 42, 43… Discharge roller pair 44… Discharge tray 45… Lever 46… Axis 47… Stay 48… Cam 49… Axis 50… Waste toner bottle holding member 51… Waste toner 52… Waste toner full detection Sensor 53… Body side plate 54… Seal member 55… Spring 56… Shutter 57… Outlet 58… Waste toner intake

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of first image carriers on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a second belt-shaped image carrier stretched by a plurality of rollers, and on the second image carrier Cleaning means for cleaning the toner remaining on the second image carrier after transferring the toner image formed on the sheet to the sheet, and holding the toner collected from the second image carrier by the cleaning means A toner collection container that is provided in the cleaner unit, and a toner conveying unit that conveys the collected toner to the toner collection container; and a toner collection container that is disposed at an inlet of the toner collection container and that collects the toner outside the toner collection container. A sealing unit for preventing leakage, and a sensor for detecting that the toner collecting container is full of toner, wherein the sensor also detects the presence or absence of the cleaner unit. An image forming apparatus. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing unit is configured to open when a toner discharge port for discharging toner of the cleaner unit is inserted. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is turned off when the sealing unit is closed. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is a cleaning blade.