JP2002287526A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a transfer part and the inside of a device or printing from being soiled by eliminating the influence of negative pressure exerted on a waste toner tank side. SOLUTION: In this image forming device, a suction fan (31) arranging the posture of paper is installed between a transfer part for transferring a toner image from an intermediate transfer body (20) to the paper and a fixing part. The device is provided with a sealing member (36) sealing a gap between a waste toner pipe (15) extended from a cleaning member (11) provided to be opposed to the transfer body (20) to a waste toner storing container (17) through a partition (35) and the partition (35).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a guide member incorporating a suction fan for adjusting the orientation of a sheet after transfer and feeding the sheet into a fixing unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image formed one by one by a photoreceptor is sequentially transferred to an intermediate transfer body at a primary transfer unit and superimposed on a color.
2. Description of the Related Art An intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus in which a sheet is sandwiched between an intermediate transfer body and a secondary transfer roller in a secondary transfer section and batch transfer is performed is known, and the overall configuration of such an image forming apparatus is shown in FIG. This will be described below. On the photoconductor (OPC) 1, toner images of one to four colors are formed by a developing device (not shown). The intermediate transfer belt 20 is connected to the cleaner backup roller 2.
1, tension roller 22, secondary transfer backup roller 23, drive roller 26, primary transfer support roller 25
, And is rotationally driven by the driving roller 26 so as to come into contact with the photoreceptor 1 by forward rotation. Photoconductor 1 and 1
A primary transfer portion is formed with the secondary transfer backup roller 24, and a primary transfer support roller 25 cooperates with the primary transfer backup roller 24 to secure a contact pressure with the photoconductor 1 and perform primary transfer. Done. The image thus formed on the photoreceptor 1 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 20 one color at a time, is superimposed on the color, and is transferred onto the paper 31 at a secondary transfer section formed by the secondary transfer roller 30 and the secondary transfer backup roller 23. The images are collectively transferred and fixed by the fixing device 40.

[0003] The secondary transfer roller 30 is
A suction fan 3 for adjusting the posture of the sheet after the transfer and feeding the sheet into the fixing device 40 is provided near the transfer unit which comes into contact with the transfer unit.
The guide 31 in which the 2 is incorporated is installed. Since the suction fan 32 flows air in the direction in which the sheet is attracted to the guide 31, negative pressure is applied near the secondary transfer portion. In the vicinity of the secondary transfer portion, a cleaner member 10 is provided which comes into contact with and separates from the intermediate transfer belt at the position of the cleaner backup roller 21 to clean residual toner after secondary transfer and residual toner at the time of jam. . The cleaner member 10 includes a cleaner blade 12 in a cleaner case 11 opening to the intermediate transfer belt side, a cleaner cover 13 for preventing the scattered waste toner from scattering,
A cleaning rake sheet 14 is provided to separate and contact the intermediate transfer belt to clean and collect residual toner.

As shown in FIG. 3, the toner collected by the cleaner member 10 is transported through a waste toner pipe 15 having a transport screw (not shown) extending from the cleaner case 11 and a toner drop port 16 at the tip of the pipe.
From the waste toner tank 17 and stored. The waste toner tank 17 can be easily detached by the user and can be replaced before the waste toner overflows.
The pipe insertion port is larger than the pipe. In addition, the waste toner tank has a front door for maintenance so that it does not hinder maintenance work, facilitates the removal and attachment of waste toner, and smoothes the unevenness of the stored waste toner to improve the efficiency of use of the tank. May be attached to In this case, the accuracy of the opening and closing of the door and the trajectory of the movement of the tank with the opening and closing are arc-shaped. is there. Therefore, a gap is formed between the pipe insertion port of the waste toner tank and the waste toner pipe.

[0005] The suction airflow from the suction fan or the cooling fan inside the machine generates an airflow around the pipe insertion port of the waste toner tank, and the waste toner scatters around the tank through the gap between the waste toner pipe and the pipe insertion port. Conventionally, in order to prevent this, a partition wall 35 is provided between the various exhaust fans and the waste toner tank to isolate the air flow so as not to directly affect the pipe insertion port of the waste toner tank. These partitions also serve to prevent the user from contacting the inside of the apparatus other than necessary during maintenance, and also to prevent the heat of the fixing unit from being directly transmitted to the waste toner tank.

[0006]

However, according to the above-described conventional apparatus configuration, the partition wall 35 formed between the waste toner tank and the area where the suction fan is provided is connected to the waste toner pipe. And waste toner pipe 15
Air flows in through the gap. Therefore, the waste toner drop port 16 of the waste toner pipe 15 located in the vicinity from the gap.
Further, the waste toner is sucked by the airflow, and the toner scatters in the vicinity of the secondary transfer portion, thereby contaminating the inside of the transfer device, thereby causing a problem that the print is stained. In particular, when printing on the second side of double-sided printing, the paper curls and the paper enters the fusing position is not stable, and the paper tends to wrinkle. In the case of color printing, the printing density is high, so use a suction fan. It is necessary to suck and follow the guide, and therefore, a stronger airflow is generated, and the degree of dirt becomes severe.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and eliminates the influence of negative pressure on the waste toner tank side by the suction fan, thereby contaminating the transfer unit, the inside of the apparatus, and printing. It is to try to prevent.

In order to achieve this, the present invention is directed to an image forming apparatus in which a suction fan for adjusting the orientation of a sheet is provided between a transfer section for transferring a toner image from an intermediate transfer member to a sheet and a fixing section. A seal member for closing a gap between the waste toner pipe extending from the cleaning member provided opposite to the transfer member to the waste toner container through the partition and the partition is provided.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the apparatus configuration of the present invention, and the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate the same contents.

As described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sheet on which the transfer from the intermediate transfer belt 20 is performed by the secondary transfer roller 30 is adjusted into a posture by the suction fan 31, and then is fed into the fixing unit. The residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 20 is conveyed through a waste toner pipe 15 extending from the cleaner case 11 of the cleaner member 10, and is charged into a waste toner tank 17 from a toner drop port 16 at the tip of the pipe to be stored. At this time, the waste toner pipe 15 and the partition 3
5, there is a gap, and air flows in through the gap due to the intake airflow generated by the suction fan 31 and the like. Therefore, the waste toner is sucked by the air flow from the waste toner fall port 16 of the waste toner pipe 15 located in the vicinity from the gap, and the waste toner to be put into the tank is scattered.

Accordingly, in the present invention, a seal 36 for closing a gap between the partition wall 35 and the waste toner pipe 15 is provided. As a result, no airflow is generated on the waste toner tank side due to the influence of the suction fan 31 and the like, and the toner to be put into the waste toner tank from the toner drop port 16 is not sucked and scattered.

In the above-described example, the seal 36 is provided to fill the gap between the partition wall 35 and the waste toner pipe 15. However, in order to eliminate the toner that falls from the cleaner case and scatters on the transfer section side, the cleaner 36 is used. A plate may be further provided outside the cover to block the air flow.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the airflow generated by the suction fan and the like can be prevented from being generated in the gap between the waste toner pipe and the partition wall. An airflow for sucking the toner is not generated in the vicinity, and the waste toner is stored in the waste toner tank without being scattered, thereby preventing the transfer device, the inside of the device, and the printing from being contaminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a device configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partition provided between a transfer unit and a waste toner tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

15: toner pipe, 16: toner drop port, 17: waste toner tank, 30: secondary transfer roller, 31: guide, 3
2: suction fan, 35: partition wall, 36: seal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having a suction fan for adjusting a posture of a sheet between a transfer section for transferring a toner image from an intermediate transfer body to a sheet and a fixing section, the image forming apparatus being provided to face the intermediate transfer body. An image forming apparatus, further comprising a seal member for closing a gap between the waste toner pipe extending from the cleaning member through the partition to the waste toner storage container and the partition.