JP2006091074A - Toner replenishing device and toner replenishing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner replenishing device and a toner replenishing method for surely stopping the rotation of a toner bottle in the state that a toner discharge port is completely turned upwards in simple and low-cost constitution. <P>SOLUTION: The toner replenishing device comprises the toner bottle 30 provided with the toner discharge port 31 and a notch 32 on a peripheral surface, a DC motor 17 for rotating the toner bottle 30, a sensor (1) for detecting the rotation origin (notch 32) of the toner bottle 30 when the toner discharge port 31 is turned right above, a sensor (2) arranged more on the rotation upstream side of the toner bottle 30 than the sensor (1), and a print mechanism control part 16 for controlling the rotation speed of the DC motor 17. When the notch 32 of the toner bottle 30 is detected by the sensor (2), the print mechanism control part 16 reduces the rotation speed of the DC motor 17 by pulse width modulation and decelerates the rotation of the toner bottle 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device and a toner replenishing method used in a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine having both a copying function and a facsimile function.

  A technique is known in which a toner bottle is rotated about a horizontal rotation axis, and toner is supplied from the rotating toner bottle to a developing device of an image forming apparatus. In this case, a toner discharge port is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle, and the toner bottle is attached and removed with the toner discharge port facing upward to prevent toner leakage from the toner discharge port. Therefore, it is necessary to control the rotation of the toner bottle so that the toner discharge port faces upward when the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped.

Conventionally, a toner delivery port detection sensor for detecting the toner delivery port of a toner bottle has been provided, and the toner delivery port detection sensor detects that the toner delivery port has completely turned up (rotation origin position of the toner bottle). When the toner outlet detection signal is detected, the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-92229 A

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped when the toner delivery port of the toner bottle is completely turned upward. However, the toner bottle that is actually rotating may be stopped immediately. In addition, since inertia acts on the toner bottle, there is a problem that the toner bottle cannot be stopped immediately when the toner delivery port is completely turned upward. Therefore, the toner delivery port cannot be directed completely upward, that is, when the toner bottle is stopped, the toner delivery port is completely over and the toner leakage occurs when the toner bottle is detached. May occur.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and can reliably stop the rotation of the toner bottle with the toner discharge port completely facing upward with a simple and low-cost configuration. It is an object to provide a toner replenishing device and a toner replenishing method.

  In order to achieve the above object, a toner replenishing device according to the present invention includes a toner bottle having a toner discharge port on a peripheral surface, a rotation driving unit for rotating the toner bottle, and a first origin for detecting the rotation origin of the toner bottle. A sensor that stops rotation of the toner bottle when the first sensor detects the rotation origin of the toner bottle. The second sensor and the second sensor detect the rotation origin of the toner bottle. Control means for performing control to reduce the rotation speed of the toner bottle by the rotation driving means.

  In this toner replenishing device, specifically, it is preferable that the rotation driving means is a DC motor, and the control means controls the rotational speed of the DC motor by pulse width modulation.

  In the toner replenishing method of the present invention, the toner bottle is rotated to replenish the toner into the image forming apparatus. When the toner is not replenished, the rotation origin of the toner bottle is detected by the first sensor, and In the toner replenishing method of stopping the toner bottle with the toner discharge port on the surface facing upward, when the second sensor detects the rotation origin of the toner bottle, the rotation speed of the toner bottle is reduced. Features.

  In the present invention, the rotation speed of the toner bottle is reduced in advance before the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped.

  According to the present invention, when the rotation of the toner bottle is stopped, if the rotation origin of the toner bottle is detected by the second sensor, the rotation speed of the toner bottle is decreased, and the rotation origin of the toner bottle is detected by the first sensor. When it is done, the rotation of the toner bottle can be stopped immediately. Thus, the toner bottle can be surely stopped with the toner discharge port completely facing upward, so that there is no problem of toner leakage when the toner bottle is detached.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the toner bottle can be surely stopped with a simple and low-cost circuit with the toner discharge port completely facing upward.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus including a toner replenishing device according to an embodiment. Here, as an image forming apparatus, a multi-function machine having both a copy function and a facsimile function is taken as an example.

  In FIG. 1, an MPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 controls the entire multifunction peripheral.

  The MPU 1 includes an NCU (Network Control Unit) 2, a MODEM 3, a reading / communication CODEC (Coder and Decoder) 4, a scanner 5, a display unit 6, an operation unit 7, and a LAN I / F (local premises). An information network (Local Area Network Interface) 8, a ROM 9, an SRAM 10, an image memory 11, a printer CODEC 12, a printing image processing circuit 13, and a printing mechanism control unit 16 are connected via a bus 21.

  The NCU 2 is controlled by the MPU 1 to control the connection between the line 20 and the multifunction peripheral, and has a function of sending a dial pulse corresponding to the telephone number of the communication partner and a function of detecting an incoming call. The line 20 is connected to a general public telephone network (PSTN). MODEM 3 modulates / demodulates transmission / reception data, specifically, modulates transmission data, which is originally a digital signal, into an analog audio signal, sends it to line 20 via NCU 2, and conversely receives it from line 20 via NCU 2. The analog audio signal is demodulated into a digital signal.

  The reading / communication CODEC 4 encodes the image data to be transmitted stored in the image memory 11, decodes the received image data, and stores the decoded image data in the image memory 11. The scanner 5 reads an original image using, for example, a CCD image sensor. The display unit 6 displays various information such as a telephone number and a FAX number input by operating the operation unit 7 and the remaining amount of toner of the printer. As the display unit 6, a CRT display or an LCD (liquid crystal display device) is used.

  The operation unit 7 includes a numeric keypad for inputting a telephone number and a FAX number, a one-touch key for calling a destination telephone number with a single touch, a start key for instructing the start of a FAX, a stop key for instructing a stop of operation, etc. Have. The LAN I / F 8 is for connecting to a LAN to which a client PC (personal computer) or server is connected. The LAN may be further connected to the Internet via a router.

  The ROM 9 stores in advance a program and the like for controlling the operation of the entire multifunction machine. The SRAM 10 stores data necessary for control by the MPU 1 and data that needs to be temporarily stored during the control operation. The image memory 11 stores the image data read and converted by the scanner 5 in a compressed state, and also stores the image data received from the outside via the line 20 and the MODEM 3 or the LAN I / F 8 in a compressed state.

  The printer CODEC 12 decodes the compressed encoded image data stored in the image memory 11. The print image processing circuit 13 converts image data supplied to the printer into image data corresponding to the resolution of the printer, and at the time of printing an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data on a photosensitive drum (not shown) of the printer. The laser scanning unit (LSU) 15 is controlled to form. An LED print head may be used instead of the LSU 15.

  The page memory 14 temporarily stores an output (image data) from the print image processing circuit 13. The printer prints the image data supplied from the print image processing circuit 13 on a sheet via the page memory 14.

  The print mechanism control unit 16 controls each unit related to exposure, development, transfer, fixing, and paper conveyance in the printer. The print mechanism control unit 16 controls a DC motor (rotation drive means) 17 that rotates the toner bottle 30 (see FIG. 2), and also detects a rotation origin of the toner bottle 30 (1) 18 (first sensor). Sensor) and sensor (2) 19 (second sensor). Here, the sensor (1) and the sensor (2) are reflective photoelectric sensors. Specifically, when the rotation origin of the toner bottle 30 is detected by the sensor (2), the print mechanism control unit 16 performs control to reduce the rotation speed of the toner bottle 30 by the DC motor 17 by pulse width modulation.

  The positional relationship between the toner bottle 30 and the sensors (1) and (2) is as shown in FIG. 2 (schematic diagram). The sensor (1) is disposed directly below the rotation axis at the center of the toner bottle 30, and the sensor (2) is disposed upstream of the sensor (1) in the rotation direction (arrow direction). The toner bottle 30 includes a toner discharge port 31 and a notch 32 provided on the opposite side of the toner discharge port 31, and the notch 32 serves as a rotation origin of the toner bottle 30.

  The circuit of the DC motor 17 and the sensors (1) and (2) is as shown in FIG. Here, the pulse from the pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit 41 is applied to the DC motor 17 via the LPF 42. The DC motor 17 rotates at a speed corresponding to the pulse width of the applied pulse signal. The output from the sensor (1) is an origin position signal, the output from the sensor (2) is input to the OR circuit 43 together with the stop command signal, and the output from the OR circuit 43 is a deceleration start signal, which is sent to the print mechanism control unit 16. It is captured.

  An operation of stopping the rotation of the toner bottle 30 in a state where the toner discharge port 31 faces directly upward will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. When the toner bottle 30 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 after the stop command signal is issued, the same PWM output is input to the DC motor 17 until the sensor (2) detects the notch 32. The DC motor 17 is rotating at high speed. When the sensor (2) detects the notch 32 [(a) of FIG. 2], a deceleration start signal is output. From this point, the output of the PWM circuit 41 changes. That is, as the duty ratio becomes smaller, the rotation of the DC motor 17 becomes slower and the rotation speed of the toner bottle 30 decreases.

  When the sensor (1) detects the notch 32 [(b) of FIG. 2], the origin position signal is output and the output of the PWM circuit 41 is turned off. At this time, since the rotation of the toner bottle 30 has been decelerated in advance, if the output of the PWM circuit 41 is turned off, the toner bottle 30 immediately stops with the toner discharge port 31 facing upward. As a result, there is no problem that the toner leaks from the toner discharge port 31 when the toner bottle 30 is detached.

  In the above embodiment, the DC motor 17 is used as the rotation driving means, and the print mechanism control unit 16 controls the rotational speed of the DC motor 17 by PWM, but it can also be implemented by a stepping motor. The sensors (1) and (2) use reflective photoelectric sensors, but other sensors (for example, proximity sensors using magnetism) may be used.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an entire image forming apparatus including a toner supply device according to an embodiment. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between a toner bottle, a sensor (1), and a sensor (2) in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a DC motor, a sensor (1), and a sensor (2) in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining an operation of stopping the rotation of the toner bottle in a state where the toner discharge port faces directly upward in the image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 MPU
13 Print Image Processing Circuit 16 Print Mechanism Control Unit (Control Unit)
17 DC motor (rotation drive means)
18 sensors (1) (first sensor)
19 Sensor (2) (second sensor)
30 Toner bottle 31 Toner outlet 32 Notch

Claims (3)

A toner bottle provided with a toner discharge port on its peripheral surface, a rotation driving means for rotating the toner bottle, and a first sensor for detecting a rotation origin of the toner bottle, wherein the rotation origin of the toner bottle is determined by the first sensor; In the toner replenishing device that stops the rotation of the toner bottle when detected,
Toner replenishment comprising: a second sensor; and control means for performing control to reduce the rotation speed of the toner bottle by the rotation driving means when the rotation origin of the toner bottle is detected by the second sensor apparatus.   2. The toner replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation driving unit is a DC motor, and the control unit controls the rotation speed of the DC motor by pulse width modulation. When the toner bottle is rotated to replenish toner into the image forming apparatus and the toner is not replenished, the rotation origin of the toner bottle is detected by the first sensor, and the toner discharge port on the peripheral surface of the toner bottle faces upward. In the toner replenishing method for stopping the toner bottle,
A toner replenishing method comprising: providing a second sensor; and reducing the rotation speed of the toner bottle when the second sensor detects the rotation origin of the toner bottle.

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