JP2006284814A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a developer leak and developer agglomeration by reducing compression of developer (high density) at both ends of a developing roller. <P>SOLUTION: The restricting heights of both ends 21 of a regulation blade 20 regulating an amount of toner supplied from a supply roller 12, which are located near both ends of the developing roller 11, are made greater than the other part (e.g., the part near the middle of the regulation blade 20). In addition, a scooping magnetic pole Q is set almost in the middle between the height of each end 21 and the height of the other part. This restricts an amount of toner supplied to areas near both ends of the developing roller 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a developing device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and in particular, when a developer carried on the surface of a developing roller is made uniform, developer leakage or developer leakage at both ends of the developing roller. The present invention relates to a technique for preventing aggregation.

Conventionally, the developing device is provided with a layer thickness regulating blade for making the developer carried on the surface of the developing roller uniform. In such a developing device, when the developer on the surface of the developing roller is leveled by the layer thickness regulating blade, the developer moves toward the end of the developing roller (outward in the axial direction), and at the end of the developing roller. As a result, the toner pressure increases, and the developer leaks (spills out) easily at the end of the developing roller.
As a technique for preventing leakage of the developer, there is a technique for sealing the developer by pressing an elastic member such as felt or sponge against the surface end of the rotating developing roller, as described in Patent Document 1. In addition, there is known a technique in which a magnetic brush is formed by arranging a magnetic material such as a magnet with a predetermined gap along the outer peripheral surface of both ends of the developing roller to seal the developer.
Further, in Patent Document 2, in addition to the magnetic brush, a process cartridge having a double seal structure in which the elastic member (elastic foam) pressed against the surface of the developing roller is provided on the developing region side of the magnetic brush. Is disclosed.
JP-A-3-13975 JP-A-7-219343

However, in the conventional method described in Patent Document 2 in which the elastic member is pressed against the developing roller, the elastic member is provided, so that the developer that has moved toward the end of the developing roller has no escape space. There is a problem that the developer is compressed in the vicinity of the pressure contact position of the elastic member, and the elastic member is pushed away as a result and the developer leaks from both ends of the developing roller. Further, there may be a problem that the developer aggregates due to the compression of the developer.
On the other hand, even when the sealing method using the magnetic brush described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is used, when the developer is pushed toward the end of the developing roller, the developer is compressed, and the magnetic body and the surface of the developing roller are compressed. The developer intervening in the gap is pushed out, passes through the magnetic brush, and the developer leaks from both ends of the developing roller. In addition, there is a possibility that the developer that has entered the gap aggregates in the gap and wears or damages the surface of the elastic member or the developing roller. Another problem is that the developer aggregated in the gap prevents the rotation of the developing roller and reduces the amount of developer attached to the photoreceptor.
Each of the above-mentioned problems has become prominent as the rotational speed of the developing roller is increased in response to the recent demand for higher printing processing.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent developer leakage and reduce developer aggregation by reducing developer compression at the end of the developing roller. It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device capable of preventing the formation of the developing device.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a layer thickness regulating member such as a developing roller carrying a developer on its surface and a layer thickness regulating blade for regulating the layer thickness of the developer carried on the developing roller substantially uniformly. A seal member that seals the developer carried on the developing roller at both ends of the developing roller, a developer containing portion that contains the developer to be fed to the developing roller, and the developer containing portion from the developer containing portion. And a feeding amount regulating means for regulating the feeding amount of the developer fed to the roller, and fed from the developer accommodating portion to the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller. The developing device is configured to include a feeding amount suppressing unit that suppresses the feeding amount of the developer.
As a result, before the layer thickness of the developer is regulated by the layer thickness regulating member, the amount of developer supplied to both ends of the developing roller is suppressed (decreased), and development at the end of the developing roller is suppressed. Although the amount of the developer carried decreases, the developer moving from the vicinity of the central portion of the developing roller to the vicinity of both ends due to the restriction of the developer layer thickness by the layer thickness regulating member causes the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller. The developer shortage at is replenished. Therefore, the compression of the developer due to the developer that has moved to both ends of the developing roller due to the layer thickness regulation by the layer thickness regulating member being pressed against the seal member is reduced. As a result, developer leakage and developer aggregation are prevented.
Here, as a technique for suppressing the developer feeding amount, it is conceivable to restrict the progress of the developer fed from the developer accommodating portion. For this reason, the feed amount suppressing means is a protruding member that is erected on the feed amount restricting means or the housing of the developing device and restricts the progress of the developer fed from the developer accommodating portion. Is desirable.
In this case, if the protruding height of the protruding member of the feeding amount suppressing means is set higher than the regulating height of the feeding amount regulating means, the developer feeding to the end of the developing roller is performed. The amount can be effectively suppressed.

Further, when the developing roller is configured to include at least one magnetic force adsorbing means for magnetically adsorbing the developer having magnetic particles, the magnetic pole position of the magnetic force adsorbing means is set to the feeding amount suppressing means. By setting the projection height of the protruding member to a substantially intermediate position between the height of regulation of the feeding amount regulating means, the amount of developer adsorbed by the magnetic force attracting means at both ends of the developing roller is reduced. It is possible to cause a shortage of developer in the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller.
Further, if the feeding amount suppressing means is formed integrally with the housing of the developing device, the number of parts can be reduced, so that the part cost can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, since the developer that has moved to the end portion of the developing roller is used in the form of replenishing the shortage of developer in the vicinity of both end portions of the developing roller, the layer thickness is regulated by the layer thickness regulating member. Compression of the developer due to the developer that has moved to both ends of the developing roller being pressed against the seal member is reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent developer leakage and developer aggregation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the present invention can be understood. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.
1 is a schematic sectional view of an image forming portion X of an image forming apparatus provided with a developing device 16 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the developing device 16, and FIG. 3 is the developing device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the developing device 16 is cut along the line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a setting of a pumping pole of the developing roller. It is an enlarged view for demonstrating a position.

First, a schematic configuration and an image forming operation of the image forming unit X of the image forming apparatus including the developing device 16 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. Specific examples of the image forming apparatus to which the developing device 16 can be applied include a copying machine, a FAX apparatus, and a printer apparatus.
The image forming unit X is roughly divided into a photosensitive drum 4 (image carrier) that carries an electrostatic latent image, and a charging device 6 that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 around the photosensitive drum 4. An exposure device 7 that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 with a laser beam, a developing device 16 that develops the electrostatic latent image with toner (corresponding to a developer), and development by the developing device 16 The transferred toner image is transferred to the recording paper conveyed by the transfer belt 9, the transfer device 8 for transferring the developer remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 after the transfer, and the photosensitive drum 4 after the transfer. The static elimination lamp 5 etc. which remove the residual electric potential are arrange | positioned and comprised.

The photosensitive drum 4 is rotated in the clockwise direction (arrow P1 direction) in FIG. 1, and the charging device 6 charges the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 4 to several hundred V (for example, +600 V) by corona discharge or the like. . The surface potential of the photosensitive drum 4 downstream of the charging device 6 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 4 is irradiated with the laser beam emitted from the exposure device 7, thereby reducing the surface potential to about 50V. A formed electrostatic latent image is formed.
A developing device 16 according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed further downstream in the rotation direction of the exposure device 7. A developing bias (for example, +300 V) is applied to the developing roller 11 constituting the developing device 16, and the electrostatic latent image whose surface potential is lowered to about 50 V by the developing roller 11 and the exposure device 7. The toner particles carried on the surface of the developing roller 11 move to the electrostatic latent image due to the potential difference generated during the period, and the electrostatic latent image is developed.
In the transfer device 8, the recording paper conveyed from a recording paper storage unit (not shown) is charged while being conveyed while being sandwiched between the photosensitive drum 4 and the transfer belt 9 moving at the same speed as the peripheral speed. As a result, the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 4 is transferred onto the recording paper.
A cleaning device 3 for removing the developer remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 is disposed downstream of the transfer device 8 in the rotation direction. The developer removed by the cleaning device 3 is stored in a collection tank (not shown) provided in the cleaning device.
On the downstream side of the cleaning device 3 in the rotation direction, a static elimination lamp 5 is disposed. The charge removal lamp 5 removes the potential remaining on the photosensitive drum 4 after the transfer. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 is uniformly charged by the charging device 6 and the next image forming process is executed.
The recording paper onto which the toner image has been transferred by the transfer device 8 is conveyed to a fixing device (not shown) provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The recording paper is pressed and conveyed by a heating roller provided in the fixing device and a pressure roller facing the heating roller, whereby the toner on the recording paper is melted and fixed by the heat of the heating roller, and at the same time by the pressure roller. The recording paper is pressed against the heating roller to fix the toner. Thereafter, the recording paper having the image fixed on a discharge tray (not shown) is discharged.

Here, the developing device 16 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the developing device 16 is a dry developing device, and is a magnetic one-component toner (an example of a developer; hereinafter, abbreviated as “toner”) having magnetic toner (corresponding to magnetic particles). However, of course, a two-component developing system developing using a developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a carrier, or a wet type using a liquid developer. The present invention can be applied even to a developing device.
As shown in the figure, the developing device 16 stirs the developing roller 11 carrying toner on the surface, a toner containing portion 18 (corresponding to a developer containing portion) containing toner, and the toner in the toner containing portion 18. In addition, a predetermined magnetic or electric charge is charged, and a spiral stirring roller 13 for feeding charged toner to a supply roller 12 to be described later, and a toner fed from the stirring roller 13 is fed to the developing roller 11. A spiral supply roller 12, a doctor blade 15 (an example of a layer thickness regulating member) for substantially uniforming the thickness of the toner layer on the developing roller 11, and toner on the developing roller 11 at both ends of the developing roller 11. The magnetic seal member 14 (an example of a seal member) that seals the toner and the amount of toner that is fed from the toner container 18 to the developing roller 11 are regulated. The control blade 20 (see FIG. 2, an example of the feed amount regulating means) configured to include a housing 17 for accommodating or supporting them.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the developing roller 11 includes four magnets 19a (N pole), 19b (S pole), 19c (N pole), and 19d (S pole) provided therein. And a non-magnetic cylindrical developing sleeve 11b provided on the outer periphery of the magnet roller 11a. The magnet roller 11a is of a block type in which magnets are laminated such that adjacent magnetic poles are different, and is fixedly supported by the casing 17 so as not to rotate. On the other hand, the developing sleeve 11b is pivotally supported by the casing 17 so as to be rotatable counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow P2 in FIG. 1) in the outer circumferential direction of the magnet roller 11a.
Each of the four magnets constituting the magnet roller 11a has an individual role, the magnet 19a serves to attract and attract the charged toner onto the developing sleeve 11b, and the magnet 19b serves on the developing sleeve 11b. The role of transporting toner, the magnet 19c has a role of raising the toner, and the magnet 19d has a role of transporting (collecting) toner remaining after development into the developing device. The magnet roller 11a is not limited to the block type, and may be an integral type having four magnetic pole areas, for example. Further, the number of magnetic poles is not limited to four.

  The magnetic seal members 14 made of a magnetic material are fixed to both ends of the developing roller 11 at positions spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the developing sleeve 11b. The magnetic seal member 14 generates a concentrated magnetic field between the magnetic roller 11a and the magnet roller 11a included in the developing roller 11, and forms a magnetic brush by interposing the toner in the predetermined gap. Outflow from both ends of the roller 11 to the outside of the development area is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 2, the regulating blade 20 that regulates the amount of toner supplied from the supply roller 12 is provided between the developing roller 11 and the supply roller 12. The regulating blade 20 is integrally formed with the casing 17 and is formed in a protruding shape standing from the inner wall of the casing 17 in parallel with the rollers. The regulating blade 20 has a length at least equal to the width of the developing area of the developing roller 11.
The conventional developing device is also provided with a member corresponding to the regulating blade 20 that regulates the amount of toner supplied from the supply roller 12. However, this uniformly regulates the amount of toner supplied to the developing roller 11. The restriction blade 20 of the developing device 16 is different from the conventional one in that the developing roller 11 is controlled as shown in FIG. 2 in order to suppress the amount of toner fed to the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller 11. The height (corresponding to the protruding height) of the both end portions 21 of the regulating blade 20 corresponding to the vicinity of both end portions is formed higher than the height (corresponding to the regulating height) near the center portion. is there. Note that both end portions 21 of the regulation blade 20 formed in this way correspond to the protruding members of the present invention, and correspond to an example of the feeding amount suppressing means.
Since the both end portions 21 are formed in such a shape, the progress of the toner fed to the vicinity of both end portions of the developing roller 11 is restricted. That is, the amount of toner fed to the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller 11 is suppressed as compared with the amount of toner near the center.

The magnets 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d constituting the magnet roller 11a form a magnetic flux density pattern (two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) corresponding to each role as shown in FIG. The magnetic flux density pattern 19a-1 of the magnet 19a (an example of magnetic force attracting means) is the magnetic pole axis Q of the magnet 19a, that is, the axis Q passing through the point where the magnetic flux density is the highest in the magnetic flux density pattern 19a-1 of the magnet 19a. (Hereinafter referred to as “pumping pole axis Q”), as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the height (top) of both end portions 21 of the regulating blade 20 and the vicinity of the center portion (both end portions 21) of the regulating blade 20. It is set so as to pass through the vicinity of the intermediate position R with respect to the height (the top) of the portion excluding. In other words, the pumping pole axis Q is set to face the intermediate position R. Specifically, the height of both end portions 21 of the regulating blade 20 is designed so that a point passing through the pumping polar axis Q is the intermediate position R, or the above-mentioned intermediate position R is passed through the intermediate position R. The arrangement of the magnets of the magnet roller 11a is determined.
The pumping pole axis Q is set so that the pumping pole axis Q passes through the intermediate position R, since it is an axis connecting points where the magnet 19a attracts the toner magnetically. For example, the toner supply amount is suppressed by the both end portions 21 of the regulating blade 20, and the toner adsorption amount at both end portions of the developing roller 11 can be effectively reduced.

The toner carried on the surface of the developing roller 11 while being regulated by the regulating blade 20 is on the downstream side in the rotational direction from the arrangement position of the regulating blade 20 due to the rotation of the developing sleeve 11b. 4 is transported to the doctor blade 15 provided on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the surface facing 4. At this time, since the toner passes over the regulation blade 20 and is attracted to the developing sleeve 11b, the amount of toner pumped up greatly varies depending on the height of the regulation blade 20, as described above.
When the toner reaches the doctor blade 15, the layer thickness of the carried toner is regulated substantially uniformly by the doctor blade 15. At this time, the toner in the central portion of the developing sleeve 11b is pushed toward both ends of the developing sleeve 11b by the restriction by the doctor blade 15, but the amount of toner carried on both ends of the developing sleeve 11b by the restriction blade 20, that is, Since the pumping amount is reduced from the central portion, the reduced amount is replenished with the toner moved from the central portion. Therefore, the compression of the developer due to the toner moving to both ends of the developing sleeve 11b being pressed against the magnetic seal member 14 is reduced, and the leakage of the developer and the aggregation of the developer due to the compression are prevented. .

In the embodiment described above, an example in which the height of both end portions 21 of the regulating blade 20 is higher than the vicinity of the central portion of the regulating blade 20 has been described as an example of the feeding amount suppressing means. A regulating blade having a uniform standing height from the inner wall of 17 and a protruding member protruding higher than the regulating blade separately provided on the side closer to the developing roller 11 or closer to the supply roller 12 than the regulating blade May be an example formed in the casing 17. In this case, the protruding member is provided at a position corresponding to the vicinity of both end portions of the developing roller 11.
In addition, the height of the casing 17 from the inner wall of the casing 17 is a regulation blade having a uniform height, excluding a portion corresponding to the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller 11 (a portion excluding both ends of the regulation blade, for example, a regulation blade) Even if a regulating blade having a plurality of openings of a predetermined size is used only in the vicinity of the central portion of the developing roller 11 before the toner layer thickness is regulated by the doctor blade 15, it is supplied to both ends of the developing roller 11. The amount of supplied toner can be suppressed.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming unit X of an image forming apparatus including a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view of a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. BB sectional drawing of FIG. The enlarged view for demonstrating the setting position of the drawing-up pole of a developing roller.

Explanation of symbols

4 ... photosensitive drum 5 ... static discharge lamp 6 ... charging device 7 ... exposure device 8 ... transfer device 9 ... transfer belt 11 ... developing roller 12 ... supply roller 13 ... stirring roller 14 ... magnetic seal member 15 ... doctor blade 16 ... developing device 17 ... Case 18 ... Toner container 19 ... Magnet 20 ... Regulator blade

Claims (5)

A developing roller carrying a developer on its surface;
A layer thickness regulating member for regulating the layer thickness of the developer carried on the developing roller substantially uniformly;
A seal member that seals the developer carried on the developing roller at both ends of the developing roller;
A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be fed to the developing roller;
A feeding amount regulating means for regulating a feeding amount of the developer fed from the developer accommodating portion to the developing roller;
A developing device comprising:
A developing device comprising: a feeding amount suppressing means for suppressing a feeding amount of the developer fed from the developer containing portion to the vicinity of both ends of the developing roller.   2. The protruding amount member, wherein the feeding amount suppressing means is a protruding member that is provided on the casing of the developing device or restricts the progress of the developer fed from the developer accommodating portion. The developing device according to 1.   The developing device according to claim 2, wherein a protruding height of the protruding member of the feeding amount suppressing unit is set higher than a regulating height of the feeding amount regulating unit. The developing roller includes at least one magnetic force adsorbing means for magnetically adsorbing the developer having magnetic particles.
4. The developing device according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic pole position of the magnetic force attracting means is set at a substantially intermediate position between the protruding height of the protruding member of the feed amount suppressing means and the regulated height of the feed amount restricting means.   The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding amount suppressing means is formed integrally with a housing of the developing device.

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