JP2004198789A - Waste toner recovery device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover waste toner in accordance with using circumstances by a user while maintaining high versatility. <P>SOLUTION: The recovery device 100 is attached instead of a recovery bottle incorporated in a printer body. The device 100 is provided with a primary recovery part 110 attached to the printer body instead of the recovery bottle, a secondary recovery part 130 in which waste powder recovered by the recovery part 110 is finally stored and a carrying part 150 carrying the waste powder between the primary and the secondary recovery parts 110 and 130. A secondary recovery container having storing capacity about five times as large as the recovery bottle is attached to the secondary recovery part 130. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the collection of waste toner that is used in, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and that is unnecessary.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, an image carrier (e.g., a photosensitive drum) that forms and carries an electrostatic latent image, a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner, and a photosensitive medium that is exposed to a recording medium (e.g., paper) 2. Related Art An image forming apparatus including a transfer device that transfers a toner image on a body drum is known. In such an image forming apparatus, since the toner remains on the photosensitive drum after the transfer, the remaining toner is cleaned and removed by a cleaner, and then the next toner image is formed. Then, the residual toner (waste toner) collected by the cleaner is transported by the transport auger and then dropped and stored in a recovery container (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-297773 (page 3)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, a full-color image forming apparatus capable of forming a full-color image in addition to a monochrome image has been widely used. In such a full-color image forming apparatus, the amount of waste toner to be discharged is significantly different depending on the use situation of the user. The amount of waste toner varies depending on whether the image to be formed is a monochrome image or a full-color image, whether the ratio of the image to the paper (image density) is high or low, whether the number of prints is large or small, and the like. Considering the case of printing the same number of sheets, for example, in a typical office, many users print mainly monochrome character images, and the image density of the formed image is relatively low. In this case, the amount of waste toner does not become so large. In design studios and the like, many users mainly print full-color pop images and photographic images, and the image density of formed images is relatively high. In this case, the amount of waste toner is larger than in the office. However, in either case, if the print amount is large, the amount of waste toner increases in accordance with the print amount.
Recently, this type of image forming apparatus may be used for light printing. In light printing, images including full-color images are often printed in large quantities, and in this case, the amount of waste toner is extremely large.
[0005]
Therefore, the user who prints a large number of full-color images fills up the collection container in a short time, and the frequency of replacing the collection container increases. Since the image formation cannot be performed during the replacement of the collection container, if the collection container is frequently replaced, the image forming efficiency is reduced. In addition, the cost of the collection container to be replaced increases. As described above, an unfavorable situation has occurred particularly for a user who intends to perform light printing.
In order to solve such a situation, it is conceivable to increase the capacity of a standardly equipped collection container. However, a collection container conventionally used is sufficient for a large number of general users, and increasing the collection capacity of the collection container for some users leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus. become.
Note that such a problem is not limited to a full-color image forming apparatus, but can also occur in a monochrome image forming apparatus for a monochrome image.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problem, and an object of the present invention is to collect waste toner according to a user's usage while maintaining high versatility. It is in.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention proposes that collection containers having different storage capacities can be mounted in accordance with the use situation of the user. At the same time, in order to maintain high versatility, a configuration is provided in which a collection container having a large storage capacity can be mounted instead of a normally mounted recovery container without changing the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus. .
That is, the present invention relates to a waste toner collecting apparatus for collecting waste toner discharged from an image forming apparatus, wherein a temporary collecting unit which can be mounted in a main body of the image forming apparatus instead of a built-in collecting container which can be stored in the main body of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a container, an external collection container disposed outside the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a transport mechanism for transporting waste toner collected in the temporary collection container to the external collection container. In this waste toner collecting apparatus, the external collecting container can be characterized by having a larger storage capacity than the built-in collecting container.
[0008]
Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image using toner, and a discharge mechanism that discharges waste toner that is no longer required in the image forming unit. One of the large collection containers having a larger storage capacity than the small collection container is configured to be selectively mountable, and the waste toner discharged from the discharge mechanism is collected. In this image forming apparatus, the small collection container has a shape that can be built into the apparatus main body, the large collection container is arranged outside the device main body, and has a shape that can be built into the device main body instead of the small collection container. It can be characterized in that it is connected to a collection mechanism. Further, the image forming unit forms an image using a developer having a toner and a carrier, and the discharging mechanism further discharges waste developer that is no longer required in the image forming unit. Further, the image forming section may be characterized by having a plurality of image forming units arranged in parallel and different for each color. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus may further include an intermediate transfer mechanism disposed to face the plurality of image forming units, and the discharge mechanism may further discharge waste toner that is no longer required in the intermediate transfer mechanism.
[0009]
Further, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body for arranging a plurality of image forming units different for each color in parallel, forming a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium, and a plurality of image forming units. And a first collection container for temporarily collecting waste toner discharged from the plurality of image forming units, and a first collection container provided outside one side of the apparatus main body and collected in the first collection container. A second collection container for finally collecting the waste powder, and an opening / closing member provided on the other side of the apparatus main body to open and close the side surface of the apparatus main body. In this image forming apparatus, the opening / closing member can expose the conveyance path of the recording medium by an opening operation. In addition, the storage device further includes a storage member that stores the second collection container, and a post-processing mechanism that performs predetermined post-processing on the recording medium discharged from the main body, wherein the post-processing mechanism is attached to an upper portion of the storage member. It can be a feature.
[0010]
Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a main body that arranges a plurality of image forming units that are different for each color in parallel, forms a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium, and a side portion of the main body. A post-processing mechanism that is disposed and performs predetermined post-processing on the recording medium discharged from the main body, and a first recovery that is mounted inside the main body and temporarily recovers waste toner discharged from a plurality of image forming units. A container and a second collection container that is stored in a storage member attached to the lower part of the post-processing mechanism outside the apparatus main body and that finally collects the waste powder collected in the first collection container. I have. In this image forming apparatus, the post-processing mechanism can be slidably attached to the storage member.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-Embodiment 1-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a printer main body 1 and a base 2 on which the printer main body 1 is mounted. The printer main body 1 has waste toner and waste developer discharged from the printer main body 1. A collecting device 100 is externally attached as a storage means for collecting waste powder such as. FIG. 1 shows a state where the front door 1a of the printer main body 1 is opened.
[0012]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the printer main body 1. The printer body 1 is connected to an image processing system 10 for forming an image corresponding to gradation data of each color, a sheet conveying system 40 for conveying recording paper (sheet), for example, a personal computer or an image reading device, and receives and receives the image data. An IPS (Image Processing System) 50, which is an image processing system for performing predetermined image processing on the image data, is provided.
[0013]
The image processing system 10 includes four image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11 (Y), 11 (Y), 11 (Y), 11 (Y), 11 (M), 10 (Y), 10 (M), 9 (M), 9 (M), 9 (Y), 9 (Y), 9 (M), 9 (Y) 11C, 11K; a transfer unit (intermediate transfer mechanism) 20 for multiplex-transferring toner images of respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K onto an intermediate transfer belt 21; An ROS (Raster Output System) 30, which is an optical system unit that irradiates laser beams to 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, is provided. The transfer unit 20 and the intermediate transfer belt 21 constitute an intermediate transfer unit. Further, the printer main body 1 is provided with a fixing device 29 for fixing the toner image on the recording paper secondary-transferred by the transfer unit 20 to the recording paper using heat and pressure. Further, provided above the transfer unit 20 are toner cartridges 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K for supplying toner of each color to the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K.
[0014]
The transfer unit 20 includes a drive roll 22 that drives an intermediate transfer belt 21 that is an intermediate transfer body, a tension roll 23 that applies a constant tension to the intermediate transfer belt 21, and a secondary transfer of a superimposed toner image of each color onto recording paper. And a belt cleaner 25 that removes residual toner and the like existing on the intermediate transfer belt 21. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is stretched between the drive roll 22 and the tension roll 23 and the backup roll 24 with a constant tension, and is rotationally driven by a dedicated motor (not shown) excellent in constant speed. The drive roll 22 is driven to circulate at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow. As the intermediate transfer belt 21, for example, a belt whose resistance is adjusted by a belt material (rubber or resin) that does not cause charge-up is used. The belt cleaner 25 includes a cleaning brush 25a and a cleaning blade 25b that are arranged in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the residual toner and paper dust from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 after the secondary transfer process of the toner image is completed. , Talc, etc., to prepare for the next image forming process. Under the belt cleaner 25, residual toner (waste toner), paper dust, and the like removed by the cleaning brush 25a and the cleaning blade 25b are transferred to the belt cleaner 25 along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. An auger 25c for transporting to the outside is provided.
[0015]
The ROS 30 includes a laser diode (not shown), a modulator, and a polygon mirror 31 that deflects and scans the laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) emitted from the laser diode. In the example shown in FIG. 2, since the ROS 30 is provided below the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, there is a risk of contamination due to a drop of toner or the like. Therefore, the ROS 30 is provided with a rectangular frame 32 for sealing each component, and a glass window 33 through which laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) passes. Is provided above the frame 32 so as to enhance the shielding effect together with the scanning exposure.
[0016]
The sheet transport system 40 includes a sheet feeding device 41 for stacking and supplying recording sheets on which images are to be recorded, a nager roll 42 for picking up and supplying the recording sheets from the sheet feeding device 41, and a recording source supplied from the nager roll 42. A feed roll 43 that separates and transports the paper one by one, and a transport path 44 that transports the recording paper separated by the feed roll 43 one by one toward the image transfer unit are provided. Further, a registration roll 45 that conveys the recording paper conveyed via the conveyance path 44 toward the secondary transfer position in a timely manner, and is pressed against the backup roll 24 provided at the secondary transfer position via the recording paper. And a secondary transfer roll 46 for secondary transfer of an image onto recording paper. Further, there is provided a discharge roll 47 for discharging the recording paper on which the image is fixed by the fixing unit 29 to the outside of the printer main body 1, and a discharge tray 48 for stacking the recording paper discharged by the discharge roll 47. Further, the image forming apparatus includes a double-sided conveyance unit 49 that enables recording on both sides of a recording sheet on which an image is fixed by the fixing unit 29 to enable double-sided recording.
[0017]
Next, the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K in the image processing system 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K. Here, the yellow (Y) image forming unit 11Y and the magenta (M) image forming unit 11M are included. It is shown. The other image forming units 11C and 11K have substantially the same configuration.
[0018]
The image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are charged by a photosensitive drum 12 as an image carrier for carrying a toner image, a charger 13 for charging the photosensitive drum 12 using a charging roll 13a, and a charger 13. , A developing device 14 for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 12 by a developing roll 14a by a laser beam (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) from the ROS 30; A primary transfer roll 15 that is provided to face the photoconductor drum 12 with the belt 21 interposed therebetween and transfers the toner image developed on the photoconductor drum 12 onto the intermediate transfer belt 21; A drum cleaner 16 for removing remaining toner is provided.
[0019]
In the present embodiment, a two-component developing method using a so-called two-component developer (hereinafter, referred to as a developer) having a toner and a carrier in the developing device 14 is adopted. The developing device 14 is provided with a pair of augers 14b and 14c that are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12 and agitate and transport the developer in opposite directions. The developing device 14 employs a trickle system in which toner containing a carrier is newly supplied into the developing device 14 at a predetermined timing, and as a result, excess developer in the developing device 14 is discharged to the outside as waste developer. By employing such a carrier, it is possible to remove carriers that have deteriorated with long-term use. New developer is supplied, for example, from the upstream side of the auger 14b in the developer transport direction, and the developer to be discarded is discharged from the downstream side of the auger 14c in the developer transport direction. The drum cleaner 16 includes a cleaning blade 16 a that is arranged in contact with the photosensitive drum 12. Inside the drum cleaner 16, residual toner removed by the cleaning blade 16 a is removed along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12. An auger 16b for transporting the drum cleaner 16 outside the drum cleaner 16 is provided.
[0020]
In the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum 12, the charger 13 and the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are integrated into a process cartridge 60 shown in FIG. 1, only the process cartridge 60 can be removed, and only the process cartridge 60 can be attached to the printer main body 1 so that the user can replace it. Each process cartridge 60 has a nonvolatile memory unit 61 mounted thereon. In the nonvolatile memory unit 61, for example, the process cartridge 60 is mounted in a predetermined image forming unit 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K such as the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 12, the high voltage application time, the number of prints, and the like. In this case, the cartridge use history information at the time of the operation is stored. A discharge pipe 62 for accommodating the auger 16b (not shown; see FIG. 3) of the drum cleaner 16 is provided on a side portion of the nonvolatile memory unit 61. A discharge opening 62a for waste toner is formed at the lower end (upper side in the figure) of the end of the discharge pipe 62, and a cap 63 having an opening 63a at the side at the end of the discharge pipe 62 is rotated. Mounted as possible. A torsion spring 64 wound around and fixed to the discharge pipe 62 is mounted on the cap 63. When the process cartridge 60 is mounted on the printer main body 1, the cap 63 rotates and the opening 62 a of the discharge pipe 62 is opened. And the opening 63a of the cap 63, so that the waste toner can be discharged to the outside.
[0021]
Further, in the printer main body 1 shown in FIG. 2, a recovery bottle (built-in recovery container) 70 shown by a broken line in the figure is usually attached. FIGS. 5A and 5B show a collection bottle 70. The collection bottle 70 has openings 71 to 79 for taking in unnecessary waste toner and waste developer. Of these, the openings 71 to 74 are collected by the drum cleaner 16 (both shown in FIG. 4) attached to the process cartridge 60 constituting each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 1). Waste toner and the like conveyed by the auger 16b (see FIG. 3) are carried in. Further, the waste developer conveyed from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 1) by the auger 14c (both shown in FIG. 3) is carried into the openings 76 to 79. Further, waste toner and the like collected by the belt cleaner 25 and transported by the auger 25c (both shown in FIG. 2) are carried into the opening 75. A sponge is attached to each of the openings 71 to 79 to prevent external leakage of the waste toner, waste developer, and the like to be carried in.
A paddle (not shown) is attached inside the collection bottle 70 along the longitudinal direction. The paddle is rotatably driven via a gear and a coupling (both not shown) attached to the side surface of the end of the collection bottle 70 on the opening 71 side. The collection bottle 70 has a capacity capable of storing waste powder discharged for approximately 10,000 prints under general use conditions.
[0022]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the collection device 100. The collecting device 100 shown in FIG. 6 replaces the collecting bottle 70 described above with a primary collecting unit 110 attached to the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1), and finally stores the waste powder collected by the primary collecting unit 110. And a transport unit (transport mechanism) 150 that transports the waste powder between the primary recovery unit 110 and the secondary recovery unit 130.
[0023]
FIG. 7 is a front view of the primary recovery unit 110, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where four process cartridges 60 are mounted on the primary recovery unit 110. The primary recovery unit 110 has a hollow primary recovery container (temporary recovery container, first recovery container) 110a. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the primary recovery container 110a is formed with openings 111 to 119 for taking in unnecessary waste toner and waste developer. Here, the openings 111 to 114 are collected and discharged by the drum cleaner 16 (both shown in FIG. 4) attached to the process cartridge 60 constituting each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C and 11K (see FIG. 2). Waste toner and the like conveyed by the auger 16b (see FIG. 3) are carried in. That is, the openings 111 to 114 have a function as a waste toner carry-in port. In the openings 116 to 119, waste developer conveyed from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 2) by an auger 14c (both see FIG. 3) as a discharge mechanism. It is carried in. That is, the openings 116 to 119 have a function as a waste developer carry-in port. Further, waste toner and the like collected by the belt cleaner 25 (see FIG. 2) and transported by the auger 25c (see FIG. 2) as a discharge mechanism are carried into the opening 115. That is, the opening 115 has a function as a waste toner carry-in port. Further, the openings 111 to 119 have a function as a drop unit for dropping waste toner or waste developer into the primary recovery container 110a. In addition, a sponge for preventing leakage having a cut in a predetermined shape is attached to each of the openings 111 to 119.
[0024]
Comparing the collection bottle 70 shown in FIG. 5 and the primary collection container 110a shown in FIG. 7, the openings 71 to 74 of the collection bottle 70 are located at the same positions as the openings 111 to 114 of the primary collection container 110a, and the opening 75 of the collection bottle 70 is The openings 76 to 79 of the collection bottle 70 are formed at the same positions as the openings 115 of the primary collection container 110a, and at the same positions as the openings 116 to 119 of the primary collection container 110a. The outer shapes of the collection bottle 70 and the primary collection container 110a are also substantially the same. Therefore, the collection bottle 70 or the primary collection container 110a can be selectively attached to the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1).
[0025]
In addition, a coil auger 120 as a transport member is disposed along the longitudinal direction on the inner bottom of the primary collection container 110a. The coil auger 120 is made of a hard steel wire, the outer diameter of which is φ16, the wire diameter is φ1, and the pitch is 5 mm. One end of the coil auger 120 is connected to a gear 121 disposed outside the primary collection container 110a, and the other end thereof is further outside a discharge port 122 provided on the lower side of the primary collection container 110a. Specifically, it extends to the downstream end of the transport pipe 151 of the transport section 150. A gear 121 for driving the coil auger 120 is meshed with a gear 123 formed integrally with the coupling 124, and is driven by a driving device 160 provided on the main body side. Thereby, the coil auger 120 can transport the waste toner and the waste developer carried into the primary recovery container 110a toward the transport pipe 151. As is apparent from the figure, the transport pipe 151 is bent, but the coil auger 120 has flexibility, so that the waste toner and the waste developer can be sufficiently transported even in the bent transport pipe 151. It is possible to do.
The coupling (not shown) provided on the collection bottle 70 shown in FIG. 5 is also driven by the driving device 160 when the collection bottle 70 is mounted on the printer main body 1.
[0026]
Further, the primary collection container 110a is provided with four openings 125 to 128 in parallel. These openings 125 to 128 are for cleaning the glass window 33 (see FIG. 2) through which the laser beams (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) pass. FIG. 6 shows a state in which these openings 125 to 128 are hidden by a plate 129 for attachment to the printer main body 1.
[0027]
The secondary collection unit 130 has a housing cover 131 shown in FIG. 6, and has therein a secondary collection container (an external collection container or a second collection container) shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. ) 132 are accommodated. Here, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a main part of the secondary collection container 132 and the transport unit 150, FIG. 10 (a) is a side view thereof, and FIG. 10 (b) is a front view thereof.
The secondary collection container 132 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a handle 133 is formed on an upper side thereof. Further, a circular opening 134 for carrying waste powder is formed on the upper surface of the secondary recovery container 132. On the other hand, at the end of the transport pipe 151 of the transport unit 150, a mounting unit 152 for attaching and detaching the secondary collection container 132 is provided. Note that the secondary collection container 132 has a capacity capable of storing waste powder discharged corresponding to about 50,000 prints under general use conditions. That is, the capacity of the secondary collection container 132 is about five times that of the collection bottle 70 (see FIG. 5).
[0028]
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the secondary collection container 132 has been removed from the mounting portion 152. The mounting section 152 includes a mounting section main body 153 having a transport path 153a for freely dropping the waste powder transported by the transport pipe 151, and a shaft 154a attached to a lower portion of the transport path of the mounting section main body 153. The shutter 154 includes a swingable shutter 154 and a torsion spring 155 that is wound around a shaft 154 a of the shutter 154 and urges the shutter 154 toward the mounting portion main body 153. A step 153b is formed obliquely on a side surface of the conveyance path 153a orthogonal to the axis 154a of the shutter 154, and the shutter 154 swings to a position where it comes into contact with the step 153b by the urging force of the torsion spring 155 in a normal state. The transport path 153a moves to close the transport path 153a.
[0029]
FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the shutter 154. The shutter 154 includes a flat plate portion 154b to which a shaft 154a is attached on one side of the one end portion, and a lever portion 154c that projects from the flat plate portion 154b with an inclination in a direction away from the flat plate portion 154b from the shaft 154a side of the flat plate portion 154b. I have. As a result, a U-shaped concave portion is formed between the flat plate portion 154b and the lever portion 154c. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 11, when the transport path 153 is closed by the shutter 154, the flat plate portion 154b is hidden inside the mounting portion main body 153, whereas the lever portion 154c is connected to the outside. Exposed.
[0030]
When attaching the secondary collection container 132 to the attachment portion 152, as shown in FIG. 11, the opening 134 of the secondary collection container 132 is moved in the direction of the arrow to approach the shutter 154. Then, the wall surface 134a of the opening 134 comes into contact with the lever portion 154c of the shutter 154, and the shutter 154 is swung in a direction to open the transport path 153a against the urging force of the torsion spring 155, so that the transport path 153a To release. At this time, since the opening 134 is provided below the transport path 153a, the waste powder dropped from the transport path 153a is collected in the secondary recovery container 132.
[0031]
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state where the secondary transfer container 132 is mounted on the mounting section 152. In this state, the lever portion 154c of the shutter 154 and the wall surface 134a of the opening 134 of the secondary collection container 132 come into contact with each other. Further, the flat plate portion 154b of the shutter 154 enters the opening 132 of the secondary collection container 132, and the waste powder is stably carried into the secondary collection container 132. Further, the upper end portion 134b of the opening 34 of the secondary collection container 132 abuts on the mounting portion 152, so that the secondary collection container 132 is stably suspended by the mounting portion 152. By doing so, when the secondary collection container 132 is attached to the mounting portion 152, the waste powder can be carried into the secondary collection container 132, and the secondary collection container 132 is removed from the mounting portion 152. In this case, it is possible to prevent the waste powder from leaking to the outside. Note that a cover 156 shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the transport pipe 151. The cover 156 is mounted on the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1).
[0032]
In the present embodiment, as is apparent from FIGS. 10B and 13, the secondary collection container 132 is attached to the mounting portion 152 in a state where the secondary collection container 132 is inclined by a predetermined angle. By arranging the secondary collection container 132 in this way, the waste powder falling in the secondary collection container 132 slides down the inner side wall of the secondary collection container 132, so that the waste powder inside Can be suppressed.
[0033]
Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. A color material reflected light image of a document read by a document reading device (not shown) and color material image data formed by a personal computer (not shown) include, for example, R (red), G (green), and B (blue). The data is input to the IPS 50 as 8-bit reflectance data. In the IPS 50, image processing such as shading correction, position shift correction, lightness / color space correction, gamma correction, various image editing such as frame erasing, color editing, and moving editing is performed on the input reflectance data. . The image data subjected to the image processing is converted into four color material gradation data of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) and output to the ROS 30.
[0034]
The ROS 30 converts laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) emitted from a laser diode (not shown) into f-θ according to the input color material gradation data. The light is emitted to the polygon mirror 31 via a lens (not shown). The polygon mirror 31 modulates the incident laser light according to the gradation data of each color, scans the laser light, scans the laser light, and forms the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K via an imaging lens (not shown) and a plurality of mirrors. Of the photosensitive drum 12. In the photoconductor drums 12 of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, the charged surface is scanned and exposed to form an electrostatic latent image. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) in each image forming unit 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K. Is done.
[0035]
The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are sequentially transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 21 that is an intermediate transfer body. At this time, the black image forming unit 11K for forming a black toner image is provided on the most downstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the black toner image is finally transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 21. You.
[0036]
On the other hand, in the sheet transport system 40, the nudger roll 42 rotates in synchronization with the timing of image formation, and a recording sheet of a predetermined size is supplied from the sheet feeding device 41. The recording paper separated one by one by the feed roll 43 is transferred to a registration roll 45 via a transport path 44 and temporarily stopped. Thereafter, the registration roll 45 rotates in accordance with the movement timing of the intermediate transfer belt 21 on which the toner image is formed, and the recording paper is transported to a secondary transfer position formed by the backup roll 24 and the secondary transfer roll 46. . Using a pressing force and a predetermined electric field, the toner images on which the four colors are superimposed and transferred are sequentially secondary-transferred in the sub-scanning direction on the recording paper conveyed upward from below at the secondary transfer position. You. Then, the recording paper on which the toner image has been secondarily transferred is subjected to a fixing process by heat and pressure by a fixing device 29, and then discharged by a discharge roll 47 to a discharge tray 48 provided at an upper portion of the printer main body 1. The recording sheet can be reversed by the double-sided conveyance unit 49 by a switching gate (not shown) without directly discharging the recording sheet to the discharge tray 48. After the inverted recording paper is conveyed to the registration roll 45, an image is formed on the other unprinted surface by the same flow as described above, so that an image can be formed on both sides of the recording paper. Become.
[0037]
Next, the operation of collecting waste powder when the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, that is, the collection device 100 (primary collection unit 110) is attached to the printer body 1, will be described.
The waste developer including the toner and the carrier transported by the auger 14c from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the primary collection container 110a through the openings 116 to 199. Further, the waste toner carried by the auger 16b from the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the primary collection container 110a through the openings 111 to 114. Further, waste toner including paper powder, talc, and the like, which is conveyed from the belt cleaner 25 by the auger 25c, is carried into the primary collection container 110a through the opening 115. Then, the waste powder including the waste developer and the waste toner carried into the primary recovery container 110a is transported in the transport pipe 151 by the coil auger 120, and is finally recovered in the secondary recovery container 132.
[0038]
The operation of collecting the waste powder when the collection bottle 70 is attached to the printer main body 1 instead of the collection device 100 will be described.
The waste developer including the toner and the carrier transported by the auger 14c from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the openings 76 to 79. Further, the waste toner carried by the auger 16b from the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the openings 71 to 74. Further, waste toner including paper powder, talc, and the like conveyed from the belt cleaner 25 by the auger 25 c is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the opening 75. The waste powder containing waste developer, waste toner, and the like carried into the collection bottle 70 is agitated by a paddle (not shown) and leveled to a substantially uniform height.
[0039]
As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to select the installation of the collection bottle 70 that can be built into the printer main body 1 and the installation of the collection device 100 that can be externally mounted on the printer main body 1. Therefore, for example, for a general user or a user who requires space saving, the printer main body 1 mounted with the collection bottle 70 having a small storage capacity of the waste powder can be provided as a color printer. On the other hand, for example, for a user who wants to use light printing or a user who frequently performs color printing, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus equipped with a collection device 100 having a large storage capacity of waste powder. That is, it is possible to provide a color printer that meets the needs of the user based on the same printer body 1.
[0040]
In the present embodiment, a tandem-type color image forming apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly applied to a 4-cycle type color image forming apparatus. Further, the present invention can be similarly applied not only to a color image forming apparatus but also to a monochrome image forming apparatus. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which waste powder including waste toner and waste developer is collected has been described. However, for example, when collecting waste toner in an image forming apparatus using a one-component developer, etc. Can be similarly applied.
[0041]
-Embodiment 2-
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the printer main body 1 is placed on a paper supply device 3 instead of the base 2 and It is provided with a post-processing device (post-processing mechanism) 4 for performing predetermined post-processing on recording paper, and a paper transport device 5 for transferring recorded recording paper between the printer body 1 and the post-processing device 4. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the printer main body 1 and the paper supply device 3 are referred to as a main body.
[0042]
The paper supply device 3 is supplied from a second paper supply device 81 that loads and supplies the recording paper, a nudger roll 82 that picks up and supplies the recording paper from the second paper supply device 81, and a nudger roll 82. It has a feed roll 83 that separates and transports the recording paper one by one. The paper supply device 3 is further provided below the second paper supply device 81, and supplies the recording paper from the third paper supply device 91 and the third paper supply device 91, which stacks and supplies the recording paper. It has a nager roll 92 to pick up and supply, and a feed roll 93 to separate and convey the recording paper supplied from the nager roll 92 one by one. The feed roll 83 also functions as a transport roll that transports the recording paper supplied from the third paper feeder 91. Further, on the left side surface of the paper supply device 3, a door 3a for removing recording paper that has been jammed during conveyance is provided. In addition, a door 1b for removing recording paper that has been jammed during conveyance is also provided on the left side surface of the printer body 1. That is, a plurality of doors 1b and 3a are provided on the left side surface of the main body 3.
[0043]
The post-processing device 4 is arranged on the right side of the printer main body 1 and above the secondary collection unit 130 of the collection device 100. The post-processing device 4 includes a transport roll 4a that transports the recording paper sent from the paper transport device 5, a post-processing unit 4b that post-processes the recording paper, and a transport roll 4c that transports the post-processed recording paper or the recording paper bundle. And a discharge tray 4d for discharging recording paper or a bundle of recording paper. Here, the post-processing performed by the post-processing unit 4b includes, for example, an alignment process of stacking and aligning a plurality of recording sheets, a punching process of punching holes in a recording sheet or a bundle of recording sheets, and folding a recording sheet or a bundle of recording sheets into two. Alternatively, there are a folding process of folding in three, a stapling process of stapling a bundle of recording sheets, a stamp process of pressing a predetermined stamp on a recording sheet or a bundle of recording sheets, and the like.
[0044]
The paper transport device 5 is a unit provided on the upper side of the printer main body 1 and detachable from the printer main body 1 and the post-processing device 4. The paper transport device 5 includes a carry-in roll 5a for carrying in the recording paper sent from the printer main body 1, a transport roll 5b for carrying the recording paper, and a carry-out roll 5c for carrying out the recording paper to the post-processing device 4. Have.
[0045]
In this image forming apparatus, a rail 130 a parallel to the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is attached to an upper surface of a housing cover (storage member) 131 that stores the secondary collection container 132, and a lower surface of the post-processing device 4. The rail 4e is slidably fitted to the rail 130a. The rail 130a and the rail 4e constitute a slide mechanism. The post mechanism 4 can be separated from the printer body 1 by the slide mechanism as shown in FIG. With such a configuration, it is possible to easily exchange the secondary collection container 132 in the secondary collection unit 130. That is, when replacing the secondary collection container 132, the post-processing device 4 is moved to remove the full secondary collection container 132 from the upper part of the secondary collection unit 130, and to replace the new secondary collection container 132. Can be attached.
[0046]
Further, in the present embodiment, since the post-processing device 4 and the secondary collection unit 130 are mounted on the right side of the printer main body 1, the right side of the printer main body 1, that is, the post-processing device 4 and the secondary collection unit 130 are reversed. It does not hinder the opening and closing of the door 1b or door 3a provided on the side. Further, in the present embodiment, the secondary collection unit 130 is arranged in a space below the post-processing device 4 which is arranged at a relatively high position in order to improve the workability (operability) of the user. Therefore, the space can be effectively utilized.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, while maintaining high versatility, it is possible to collect waste toner according to the use situation of the user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a printer main body.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming unit.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process cartridge.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a collection bottle.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a collection device.
FIG. 7 is a front view of the primary collection unit.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which four process cartridges are mounted on a primary recovery unit.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a main part of a secondary collection container and a transport unit.
10A is a side view of a secondary collection container and a transport unit, and FIG. 10B is a front view thereof.
FIG. 11 is a view showing a state where a secondary collection container is removed from a mounting portion.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a shutter provided in the mounting unit.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state where a secondary collection container is attached to a mounting portion.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 15 is a view for explaining an exchange operation of the secondary collection container.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer body, 1a ... Front door, 1b ... Door, 2 ... Base, 3 ... Paper supply apparatus, 3a ... Door, 4 ... Post-processing apparatus, 4b ... Post-processing part, 5 ... Paper conveyance apparatus, 10 ... Image Process system, 11Y: yellow image forming unit, 11M: magenta image forming unit, 11C: cyan image forming unit, 11K: black image forming unit, 12: photosensitive drum, 13: charging device, 14: developing device, 15: primary Transfer roll, 16: drum cleaner, 20: transfer unit, 25: belt cleaner, 30: ROS, 40: sheet transport system, 50: IPS, 60: process cartridge, 70: collection bottle, 100: collection device, 110: primary Collection unit, 110a: Primary collection container, 111 to 119: Opening, 120: Coil auger, 130: Secondary collection unit, 132: Secondary collection container, 150 Conveyance section, 151 ... conveying pipe, 152 ... mounting portion

Claims (12)

A waste toner collecting device that collects waste toner discharged from the image forming apparatus,
A temporary collection container that can be mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus instead of the built-in collection container that can be stored in the main body,
An external collection container arranged outside the main body of the image forming apparatus,
A conveying mechanism for conveying the waste toner collected in the temporary collection container to the external collection container. The waste toner collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the external collecting container has a larger storage capacity than the built-in collecting container. An image forming unit that forms an image using toner,
A discharge mechanism for discharging waste toner that is no longer needed in the image forming unit,
Either a small collection container having a small storage capacity or a large collection container having a larger storage capacity than the small collection container is configured to be selectively mountable, and the waste toner discharged from the discharge mechanism is collected. Image forming apparatus. The small collection container has a shape that can be built into the apparatus body,
The image according to claim 3, wherein the large collection container is arranged outside the apparatus main body, and is connected to a collection mechanism having a shape that can be built into the apparatus main body instead of the small collection container. Forming equipment. The image forming unit forms an image using a developer having a toner and a carrier,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the discharging mechanism further discharges the waste developer that has become unnecessary in the image forming unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming unit includes a plurality of image forming units that are arranged in parallel and that are different for each color. Further comprising an intermediate transfer mechanism disposed opposite to the plurality of image forming units,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the discharge mechanism further discharges waste toner that has become unnecessary in the intermediate transfer mechanism. A main body for arranging a plurality of image forming units different for each color in parallel, and forming a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium;
A first collection container provided along the plurality of image forming units and temporarily collecting waste toner discharged from the plurality of image forming units,
A second collection container that is provided outside one side of the apparatus main body and that finally collects the waste powder collected in the first collection container,
An opening / closing member provided on the other side of the apparatus main body to open and close a side surface of the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the opening / closing member exposes a conveyance path of the recording medium by an opening operation. A storage member for storing the second collection container,
A post-processing mechanism for performing predetermined post-processing on the recording medium discharged from the main body,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the post-processing mechanism is mounted on an upper part of the storage member. A main body for arranging a plurality of image forming units different for each color in parallel, and forming a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium;
A post-processing mechanism disposed on a side portion of the main body and performing a predetermined post-processing on the recording medium discharged from the main body;
A first collection container attached to the inside of the main body and temporarily collecting waste toner discharged from the plurality of image forming units,
A second collection container that is stored in a storage member attached to a lower part of the post-processing mechanism outside the apparatus main body and that finally collects the waste powder collected in the first collection container. Image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the post-processing mechanism is slidably attached to the storage member.

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