JP2010020233A - Method of recycling toner container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of recycling a toner container for making effective use of resources. <P>SOLUTION: The method for recycling the toner container includes: a collecting step 100 of collecting a used toner container; a non-destructive separation step 101 of separating the toner container and toner remaining in the container to a collected container and collected toner without destroying the toner container; a container recycling step 102 of recycling the separated collected container; a container recycling step 103 of recycling the separated collected container that has not been supplied to the container recycling step 102; a toner regenerating step 104 of regenerating the separated collected toner; and a toner recycling step 105 of recycling the separated collected toner that has not been supplied to the toner recycling step 104. An amount determination step 106 of determining an amount of collected containers and collected toner to be supplied for each of the respective steps 102 to 105. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recycling method for recycling used toner containers collected from consumers after being used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine.

In today's society, the importance of environmental issues is increasingly recognized. As a result, consumers and investors are increasingly selecting companies based on environmental considerations. Therefore, it will be a challenge for companies to carry out environmental conservation activities in the future along with the profit creation activities that have been conducted so far.
For this reason, from the viewpoint of effective use of resources and reduction of waste, companies are urgently required to recycle and use products, parts, and materials. At the same time as reducing energy consumption and preventing the use of harmful substances, companies that take the initiative in this area of recycling can open up the path of growth.
OA equipment manufacturers that manufacture image forming devices such as copiers, printers and facsimiles can reuse units and parts related to used electrophotographic devices from the viewpoint of effective use of resources and waste reduction. Material recycling is done by classifying by material.

  Patent Documents 1 to 4 describe an invention for removing toner remaining in a container of a toner container collected after being used in an image forming apparatus. In this way, the container from which residual toner has been removed may be reused as a collection container, reused as a container for a toner container, or recycled to be used for some purpose as a recycled material. ing. The toner remaining in the container of the toner container and removed is subjected to recycling processing so that it can be used as a recycled material for some purpose. As an invention that uses such a toner as a recycling material, Patent Document 5 describes an invention that uses a toner collected from a used and collected product of an image forming apparatus as a resin to be contained in a binder.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-164813 JP 2006-181462 A JP 2006-3529 A JP 2007-11232 A Patent No. 3986291

  However, it is not sufficient for the effective use of resources to simply recover the recovered toner removed from the container of the collected toner container as a recycled material.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner container recycling method capable of more effectively using resources.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a collection container for collecting a used toner container, and a container and a toner remaining in the container without destroying the toner container. Of the recovery container separated in the non-destructive separation process, and the recovery container separated in the non-destructive separation process was not supplied to the container regeneration process. A toner container recycling method for recycling a used toner container by a container recycling process for recycling a recovery container and a toner recycling process for recycling the recovered toner separated in the non-destructive separation process A toner regeneration step for regenerating the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step, the container regeneration step, the container recycling step, the toner recycling step, and the above A recycling / recycling supply amount judgment step for judging a supply amount of the collection container and the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step is provided for each step of the toner regeneration step. is there.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the toner container recycling method according to the first aspect, the regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step is information on the amount of the separated recovery container emitted from the non-destructive separation step. Certain collection container generation information, collection toner generation information that is information on the amount of separated collected toner, regeneration container demand information issued from the container regeneration process, and regeneration toner demand information issued from the toner regeneration process And determining the amount of the container and the toner to be supplied to each of the container recycling process, the container recycling process, the toner recycling process, and the toner recycling process. It is.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the recycling method of the toner container according to the second aspect, the regeneration / recycled supply amount determining step is configured such that the amount of the collection container generated by the collection container generation information is the regeneration container demand information. Is less than or equal to the demand for reclaimed containers, the decision is made to supply all of the collection containers separated in the non-destructive separation process to the container regeneration process. When the amount exceeds the amount, the demand for the regenerated container out of the generated amount of the recovery container is supplied to the container recycling process, and the remaining recovery container is determined to be supplied to the container recycling process. It is characterized by this.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the recycling method of the toner container according to the second or third aspect, in the recycling / recycling supply amount determining step, the generated amount of the recovered toner based on the recovered toner generation information is the regenerated toner. When the amount of recycled toner is less than or equal to the demand amount of the reclaimed toner based on the demand information, it is judged that all of the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step is supplied to the toner reclaiming step. If the amount exceeds the demand amount of the collected toner, a determination is made to supply the demand amount of the recycled toner out of the amount of the collected toner generated to the toner recycling step and supply the remaining collected toner to the toner recycling step. It is characterized by doing.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the toner container recycling method of the first, second, third, or fourth aspect, the non-destructive separation step is a method in which a cleaning medium is introduced into the container and the container is disposed inside the container. Adhering the adhering toner to the cleaning medium, and discharging the cleaning medium adsorbing the toner from the container to remove the toner from the inside of the container. The cleaning medium is any of the members constituting the container. It is characterized by being formed of the same material as this or a material having compatibility therewith.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the toner container recycling method of the fifth aspect, the cleaning medium is manufactured using a material recycled in the container recycling step. It is a feature.
Further, the invention of claim 7 is the toner container recycling method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the toner regeneration step is after the collected toner is kneaded, pulverized and classified. It is the process of filling a container.

The toner used in the image forming apparatus may be used as it is by removing the collected toner from the collected toner container and using the collected toner as it is, rather than manufacturing it from raw materials. This leads to a reduction in toner production energy.
In addition, if the regeneration and recycling are performed separately, even if there is no demand for recycling and there is a demand for recycling, the collected container or toner remains supplied to the regeneration process and there is no place to go. It becomes stagnant and resources cannot be used efficiently.
In the toner container recycling method according to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, since the toner recycling step is provided, the collected toner can be used not only as a resource but also as a toner again. Reduction can be achieved. In addition, the recycling / recycling that determines the amount of the collection container and the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation process to be supplied to the container recycling process, the container recycling process, the toner recycling process, and the toner recycling process. Recycling and recycling can be managed in a batch because it has a recycling supply judgment process, and recycling that makes efficient use of resources is possible rather than recycling recycling and recycling independently. Become.

  In the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, resources can be effectively utilized by reducing toner production energy, and resources can also be effectively utilized by recycling that efficiently utilizes resources. There is an excellent effect of being able to.

In addition, it is desirable that the collection container and the collected toner be reused as a recycling container and a recycled toner. However, there is a problem that there is not necessarily a correlation between supply and demand. In other words, when there is no demand for recycled products, there are cases where it is impossible to turn them into recycled products. For this reason, if continuity is provided in recycling, it is desired to smoothly link regeneration and recycling.
In the invention having the configuration of the second aspect, the amount of the collection container and the collection toner to be supplied to each process based on the collection container generation information, the collection toner generation information, the reproduction container demand information, and the reproduction toner demand information Therefore, it is possible to supply the collection container and the collected toner in an amount corresponding to the demand for recycled products to the container regeneration process and the toner regeneration process. Then, by supplying the remainder to the container recycling process and the toner recycling process, the regeneration and the recycling can be smoothly linked, and the continuity can be given to the recycling.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a toner container recycling method to which the present invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of recycling the toner container according to the present embodiment.
The method for recycling a toner container according to the present invention basically comprises six steps after a collecting step of collecting used toner containers such as toner cartridges and toner bottles. That is, a non-destructive separation process 101, a container recycling process 102, a container recycling process 103, a toner recycling process 104, a toner recycling process 105, and a recycling / recycling supply amount judgment process 106.
The non-destructive separation step 101 is a step of separating the toner container collected in the collecting step 100 into a non-destructive empty container (hereinafter referred to as a collecting container) and a toner (hereinafter referred to as a collected toner). The collection container separated in the non-destructive separation process 101 is supplied to a container recycling process 102 for recycling (reusing) the collection container as a container for a toner container, or a container recycling process 103 for recycling the collection container. The The collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 is supplied to a toner regeneration step 104 that regenerates the collected toner as a toner that fills the container, or a toner recycling step 105 that recycles the collected toner.
The regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 includes the container supply amount to the container recycling step 102 and the container recycling step 103, and the toner regeneration step 104 and the toner recycling step 105. This is a step of determining the supply amount of the container.

  These six steps can be classified from the viewpoint of (1) a step of actually performing some kind of recycling process, and (2) a step of receiving or transmitting information related to recycling. The non-destructive separation step 101, the container regeneration step 102, the container recycling step 103, and the toner regeneration step 104 can be classified into the above (1). The non-destructive separation step 101, the container regeneration step 102, and the toner regeneration step 104 and the recycling / recycling supply amount determination step 106 can be classified into the above (2). Thus, depending on the six processes, there are processes belonging to both (1) and (2), and there are processes belonging to only one of them.

As shown in FIG. 1, the regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 uses the collection container generation information, which is information on the amount of collection containers, and the collection toner generation information, which is information on the amount of separated collection toner. The collected amount information 10a is sent from the non-destructive separation step 101. Also, recycled container demand information 10 c is sent from the container recycling step 102 to the recycled / recycled supply amount determining step 106 from the toner recycling step 104. Then, the recycling / recycling supply amount determination step 106 performs the container regeneration step based on the collection container generation information and the collection toner generation information of the collection amount information 10a, the regeneration container demand information 10c, and the regeneration toner demand information 10b. The supply amount of the container to each of the steps 102 and 103 and the supply amount of the container to each step of the toner recycling step 104 and the toner recycling step 105 are determined. Then, the toner supply amount information 11 a and the container supply amount information 11 b as the determination results are sent to the non-destructive separation step 101. In the non-destructive separation step 101, a predetermined amount of collected toner is supplied to the toner regeneration step 104 based on the toner supply amount information 11a, and the remaining collected toner is supplied to the toner recycling step 105. Further, based on the container supply amount information 11 b, a predetermined amount of the recovery container is supplied to the container regeneration step 102, and the remaining recovery containers are supplied to the container recycling step 103.
With such a recycling method, there is a link between the demand from the market for recycled containers or recycled toner and the amount of used toner containers that can be said to be raw materials for recycled products such as recycled containers and recycled toner. Can be increased.

Next, an example of a toner container will be described.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner cartridge 200 as an example of a toner container is viewed from two directions.
A toner cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2 is used by being connected to a main body of an image forming apparatus (not shown). The toner cartridge 200 has a structure (mainly a resin molded product) in which the entire container 201 accommodates toner, and an image forming apparatus is provided in the container 201 from an agitating member 204a and a toner replenishing port 203 for appropriately releasing the toner. A replenishing member 204b for feeding toner to the main body is provided.
Examples of the replenishing member 204b include a magnet roller when storing magnetic toner, a roller having a notch on the surface when storing non-magnetic toner, and a conveying screw. Further, a connecting portion between the container (201) and a process device (not shown) in the image forming apparatus has some opening (toner filling port 205).
In the case where the toner is filled by the air suction method, a toner injection hole and an air vent hole for filling the toner may be provided. These holes are closed with plugs after filling with toner.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a toner bottle 210 as another example of the toner container. As the toner container, the recycling method of the present invention can be applied even if it is bottle-shaped as shown in FIG.
Furthermore, as another example of the toner container, there is a toner cartridge (not shown) in which a developing function is further added to the function of the toner cartridge 200 of FIG.

[Example 1]
Next, as the first embodiment, in the toner container recycling method shown in the flowchart in FIG. 1, there is no demand (= demand) for the regenerated toner from the market, while there is a demand for the recycle container from the market. However, an example in which the amount of demand is small compared to the total amount of containers collected will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of recycling in the first embodiment.
The amount of toner container generated and the amount of toner generated through the non-destructive separation step 101 are transmitted as information about the amount of collection 10a from the “container generation amount information” and the “toner generation amount information” from the non-destructive separation step 101. Then, the reproduction / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 receives the information. As a result, the regeneration / recycling supply amount determination step 106 can grasp the amount of the collection container and the amount of collected toner (that is, the suppliable amount) as a material for regeneration or recycling.

On the other hand, of the demand for recycled products from the market, the demand for recycled containers is transmitted from the container regeneration step 102 as the recycled container demand information 10c, and the demand for recycled toner (however, in this example) As for the absence of the demand), information is transmitted from the toner regeneration step 104 as the regenerated toner demand information 10b. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the reproduction / recycling supply amount determination step (106) receives these pieces of information (10b, 10c). Thereby, the regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 can grasp the demand amount, that is, that there is currently demand for the reclaimed container and no demand for the reclaimed toner itself.
Based on these results, according to the instructions (container supply amount information 11b, toner supply amount information 11a) of the regeneration / recycling supply amount determination step 106, the collection containers first separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 are A certain amount is sent to the container recycling step 102 and the rest is sent to the container recycling step 103. All of the collected toner separated in the nondestructive separation step 101 is sent to the toner recycling step 105.
Thereafter, regeneration or recycling is performed in each step (102, 103, 105).

  As an example of the recycling of toner, the use as in the invention described in Patent Document 5 can be considered. In Patent Document 5, the toner is used as a material for the binder for the steelmaking flux (601 in FIG. 5). Since the low softening property of the binder resin of the toner is suitable as a binder raw material, the value as a raw material is high, and it can be said that the above proposal is excellent in both recyclability and economical efficiency (valuability).

  In addition, in order to smoothly recycle the toner container recycling method described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, both the collection container and the collected toner must be separated with high quality in the non-destructive separation step 101. I must. Here, in the collection container, if there is residual toner inside or if the internal parts of the container are damaged, the quality of the recycled product will be remarkably increased. However, when the container-side part is mixed as a fragment, a quality problem of the recycled toner is caused.

Here, the recycling of the parts with the conventional toner will be described.
Conventionally, each part collected from the image forming apparatus is classified by material and recycled. At that time, a cleaning process for removing the toner from the taken out parts and units is indispensable. Conventionally, manual wiping, ultrasonic cleaning devices, and the like have been used in cleaning processes outside parts and units. However, manual wiping is labor intensive and labor intensive. In a wet cleaning method such as ultrasonic cleaning, a large amount of energy is required for wastewater treatment of a cleaning liquid and drying after cleaning. For this reason, such a wet cleaning method is not desirable in terms of environmental load.

When cleaning the inside of a toner container (for example, a toner bottle or a toner cartridge), the air injection from the opening and the air suction are combined, or the air injection nozzle or the suction nozzle is protruded from the opening to the inside. A general method is to remove the toner inside by performing ejection and suction. However, in these methods, the toner blown off from the surface of the container by the air current easily reattaches due to static electricity, and the cleaning efficiency is lowered. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult to remove the stuck toner and the toner behind the overhang portion.
Thus, conventionally, a toner container cleaning method and apparatus that can ensure the image quality when the toner container is reused as a component and can easily ensure the material quality even when recycled as a raw material, It was a big problem in the past.

Therefore, several proposals have been made as means for solving such conventional problems.
Examples of such proposals include the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 to 4.
In these inventions, a cleaning medium for cleaning (hereinafter also referred to as a medium) is put into the toner container, the toner adhering to the inside of the container is adsorbed on the medium, and the medium on which the toner is adsorbed is discharged from the container. This is a method of removing powder from the inside of the container.
The media is made of the same material as the container or the toner component, or a material having compatibility therewith, or a coating member that is charged with a polarity opposite to that of the residual toner, and a specific gravity higher than that of the coating member. The core member may be included. Further, there is also a type in which a medium is configured by connecting powder adsorbing members that adsorb toner.
Furthermore, as a toner removal device that uses such media, it has a dust collection function that sucks each toner media in the container, and after the suction, a filter function that allows only the toner to pass inside and separates the toner adsorbed by the media Is provided.
The invention described in each of the above-mentioned patent documents can be said to be an epoch-making proposal that significantly improves the quality of toner removal in the toner container and enhances environmental conservation.

The invention described in each patent document described above is mainly for recycling the collection container of the toner container. However, if the recycling is to be continuous, it must be considered how to recycle the collected toner separated from the collection container. In addition, the inventions described in each of the above-mentioned patent documents mainly assume reproduction (reuse), although recycling is also considered. However, if continuity is provided in recycling, a new recycling system that smoothly links regeneration and recycling utilizing the above-described invention is required. In order to carry out recycling reliably (and to carry out environmental conservation activities economically as a company), the separated collection container and the collected toner are placed on a continuously operated recycling system. It must be used in practice.
That is, a new recycling system that smoothly links the recycling of the collection container utilizing the invention described in each of the above-mentioned patent documents and the recycling of the separated toner is required.
In contrast, in the toner container recycling method of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the recovered toner separated from the recovery container in the non-destructive separation step 101 is supplied to the toner regeneration step 104 or the toner recycling step 105. Therefore, the collected toner can be recycled, and the continuity of recycling can be ensured and implemented.

As described above, when the collected toner container is separated into the collection container and the collected toner and recycled, both the collection container and the collected toner must be separated with high quality in the non-destructive separation step 101.
In the non-destructive separation step 101 of this embodiment, a cleaning medium (hereinafter referred to as a medium) is put into a container, the toner adhering to the inside of the container is adsorbed to the medium, and the medium adsorbed with the toner is discharged from the container. Is used to remove the toner body from the inside of the container.

Here, media that can be used in the non-destructive separation step 101 of the present embodiment will be described.
6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of media shape examples. FIG. 6A is a sphere shape, FIG. 6B is a cylindrical shape, FIG. 6C is a polygonal column shape, and FIG. 6D is a ring shape. An example is shown. Note that the shape of the media is not limited to the shape shown in FIG.
Considering that the toner diameter is several [μm], the media size is preferably about 100 [μm] to several [mm] in terms of average particle diameter. It is preferable to enlarge the media to increase the mass of one particle so that it can be easily discharged from the collected toner container. To increase the adsorption efficiency, the media must be reduced. Since it can be said that it is preferable to increase the specific surface area and increase the number of media put into the container, it is desirable to balance these.

As a material used for the media, it is conceivable to use a material formed of the same material as the container of the toner container or a material compatible with the material of the container. For example, if the container is made of HPDE (High Density Polyethylene), HPDE media or EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) compatible with HPDE, which is the same material, is used for cleaning. A medium formed of LDPE (low density polyethylene) or the like is applied.
In such a case, as a method for producing these media, if the media is manufactured using a material that has not been supplied to the container recycling step 102 among the collection containers and processed in the container recycling step 103 as a raw material, This is preferable because a medium of the same material as the container of the toner container can be easily formed.

  Furthermore, a charge control agent (such as a metal complex) may be added as a material when manufacturing the media. As a result, when the medium is charged by friction with the toner and the toner is attracted to the medium, it is possible to increase the chargeability of the medium and generate a stronger Coulomb force than the container of the toner container.

Next, an example of a cleaning device using media will be described.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a cleaning apparatus 400 using media. The cleaning device 400 includes a connection port 403, a dust collector 401, a cyclone filter 402, and a duct 404 that connects them. The connection port 403 is detachable from the container 201 of the toner cartridge 200, and is in close contact with the toner supply port 203 of the container 201 without a gap when connected.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged explanatory view of the vicinity of the connection portion in a state where the connection port 403 is connected to the toner supply port 203 provided in the container 201 of the toner cartridge 200. As shown in FIG. 8, the connection port 403 includes a filter 501 that separates toner from the medium 300 therein. The filter 501 is composed of a mesh of a certain size, and passes only toner and air and does not allow the medium 300 to pass. A duct 404 is connected to the opposite side of the connection port 403, and residual toner in the container 201 is sucked out by a suction force generated by the dust collector 401 connected to the duct 404.

[Example 2]
Next, as Example 2, in the toner container recycling method shown in the flowchart in FIG. 1, there is a certain amount of reclaimed toner demand (= demand) from the market. An example in which the amount is small and there is a demand for reclaimed containers from the market, but the demand amount is small compared to the total recovered amount of containers will be described with reference to FIG.
Collected amount information 10a including “container generation amount information” and “toner generation amount information” transmitted from the non-destructive separation step 101, regeneration container demand information 10c transmitted from the container regeneration step 102, and toner regeneration step The reproduction / recycling supply amount judgment step (106) receives the reproduction toner demand information 10b transmitted from 104. As a result, the recycling / recycling supply amount determination step 106 grasps the amount of the collection container and the amount of collected toner (that is, the supplyable amount) as the material as the recycled or recycled material based on the collected amount information 10a. (This is the same as in Example 1).
On the other hand, based on the recycling container demand information 10c and the recycling toner demand information 10b, it is grasped that both the recycling container and the recycling toner are currently in demand (that is, the demand amount).
Based on these results, the collection containers sorted in the non-destructive separation step 101 are first performed according to the instructions (container supply amount information 11b and toner supply amount information 11a) in the regeneration / recycled supply amount determination step 106. Is sent to the container recycling step 102, and the rest is sent to the container recycling step 103. Similarly, a certain amount of the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 is sent to the toner regeneration step 104, and the rest is the toner recycling step 105 (for example, the invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-138320). It will be sent to the factory.

Here, a toner regeneration step 104 in which processing is not executed in the first embodiment and processing is executed in the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the toner regeneration step 104.
In the toner regeneration step 104, toner is received (801) in STEP1, toner kneading (802) in STEP2, pulverized (803) in STEP3, and only those of a desired size are selected by means of wind sorting in STEP4. Classification (804), toner filling (805) in STEP5, and shipping (806) in STEP6.
Each of these STEPs is basically the same as the prior art grinding method for producing new toner. However, in the case of a new toner, a plurality of raw materials are kneaded in STEP 2 (802), whereas in the toner regeneration step 104 of this embodiment, the raw material to be kneaded is basically one type of recovered toner.
Further, classification (804) is performed in STEP 4 in FIG. 9, but the toner removed here is a re-injection step (807) in which the toner is introduced before the next lot kneading (STEP 2 (802)). ) Can be used again.

In the toner container recycling method of the present embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 1, the collected toner container is washed with a medium in the first step of the recycling flow, and the collection container and the collected toner are separated ( = Non-destructive separation step 101, which is a cleaning step, is set, so that both the subsequent collection container and the collected toner can be used for either regeneration or recycling.
Furthermore, the reuse technology and the recycling technology are connected on the recycling system as in the regeneration step (for example, FIG. 9) and the recycling step (for example, the invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-138320). That is, the decomposition / separation / regeneration / recycling can be operated as a series of systems.
In addition, by operating a system that is linked to information on the supply and demand of recycled products, it is possible to optimally arrange recycling (for recycling / recycling).
Therefore, by implementing the toner container recycling method of this embodiment, it is possible to establish a used toner container and toner recycling system with high quality and continuity, and contribute to the conservation of the global environment. Is possible.

  As described above, in the toner container recycling method of the present embodiment, the collecting step 100 for collecting the used toner container, the container and the toner remaining in the container without destroying the toner container are collected into the collecting container. A non-destructive separation step 101 for separating the toner from the recovered toner. Also, a container regeneration step 102 for regenerating the collection container separated in the non-destructive separation step 101, and a container for recycling the collection container that has not been supplied to the container regeneration step 102 among the collection containers separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 And a recycling step 103. Also, a toner regeneration step 104 that regenerates the collected toner separated in the nondestructive separation step 101, and a toner that recycles the collected toner that has not been supplied to the toner regeneration step 104 among the collected toner separated in the nondestructive separation step 101. And a recycling step 105. Further, for each of the container recycling step 102, the container recycling step 103, the toner recycling step 105, and the toner recycling step 104, the collection container and the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 are respectively added. A regeneration / recycling supply amount determination step 106 for determining the supply amount is provided. In this recycling method, since the toner regeneration step 104 is provided, the collected toner can be used not only as a resource but also as a toner again, and the production energy of the toner can be reduced. Further, the amount of the collection container and the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation process 101 is supplied to each process of the container recycling process 102, the container recycling process 103, the toner recycling process 105, and the toner recycling process 104. Since it is provided with a regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 for judging, regeneration and recycling can be managed collectively, and resources can be efficiently used rather than recycling and recycling independently. Recycling is possible. Therefore, in the toner container recycling method of the present embodiment, resources can be effectively utilized by reducing toner production energy, and resources can also be effectively utilized by recycling that efficiently uses resources. It can be used for.

  In the regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106, the collection container generation information that is information on the amount of the separated collection container that is issued from the non-destructive separation step 101, and the collection that is information on the amount of the separated collection toner. The collection amount information 10a including the toner generation information is received. Further, the recycling / recycling supply amount determination step 106 receives the recycling container demand information 10 c issued from the container recycling step 102 and the recycled toner demand information 10 b issued from the toner recycling step 104. The recycling / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 performs the container recycling step 102, the container recycling step 103, the toner recycling based on the collected amount information 10a, the recycling container demand information 10c, and the recycling toner demand information 10b. The collection container and the amount of the collected toner to be supplied to each of the resource recycling process 105 and the toner regeneration process 104 are determined. As a result, it is possible to supply the collection container and the collected toner in an amount corresponding to the demand for the recycled product to the container regeneration process and the toner regeneration process. Then, by supplying the remainder to the container recycling process and the toner recycling process, the regeneration and the recycling can be smoothly linked, and the continuity can be given to the recycling.

  Further, as a recycling method of the toner container, the recycling / recycling supply amount determination step 106 is configured such that the generated amount of the recovery container based on the recovery container generation information included in the recovery amount information 10a is determined based on the recycling container demand information 10c. When the amount is equal to or less than the demand amount, it is determined that all of the collection containers separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 are supplied to the container regeneration step 102, and when the generated amount of the collection container exceeds the demand amount of the regeneration container, A determination may be made to supply the demand amount of the regenerated container out of the generated amount of the collection container to the container regeneration step 102 and to supply the remaining collection container to the container recycling step 103. Recycling containers can be used for manufacturing toner containers as recycling containers, rather than being recycled and used as raw materials for other purposes. Can do. For this reason, it is desirable to reuse the recovery container as a recycling container. Then, by supplying the required amount of the recycling container to the container recycling step 102 out of the generated amount of the recovery container, as many recovery containers as possible can be reused as the recycling container, exceeding the demand for recycled products. Since only that amount is recycled, the environmental burden can be reduced.

  Further, as a recycling method of the toner container, the regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step 106 determines that the amount of the collected toner based on the collected toner generation information included in the collected amount information 10a is the amount of the regenerated toner based on the regenerated toner demand information 10b. When the amount is equal to or less than the demand amount, it is determined that all of the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step 101 is supplied to the toner regeneration step 104, and when the amount of collected toner exceeds the demand amount of the recycled toner, A determination may be made to supply the demand amount of the regenerated toner out of the amount of the collected toner generated to the toner regenerating step 104 and supply the remaining recovered toner to the toner recycling step 105. Recycled toner can be used as a recycled toner for filling toner containers rather than being recycled and used as a raw material for other purposes. Can do. Therefore, it is desirable to reuse the collected toner as a recycled toner. Then, by supplying the required amount of the recycled container to the generated amount of the collected toner to the container recycling step 102, as many collected containers as possible can be reused as the recycled container, exceeding the demand for recycled products. Since only that amount is recycled, the environmental burden can be reduced.

  Further, the non-destructive separation step 101 of the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, put the medium 300 as a cleaning medium into the container 201 and adheres to the inside of the container 201. In this process, the toner is adsorbed on the medium 300 and the medium 300 on which the toner is adsorbed is discharged from the container 201 to remove the toner from the container 201. The medium 300 is preferably formed of the same material as that of any of the members constituting the container 201 of the toner cartridge 200 that is a toner container, or a material having compatibility therewith. By using the media 300, the toner blown off from the surface of the container by the air current is likely to be reattached due to static electricity, and the efficiency of the cleaning becomes low. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the problem that it is difficult to remove the toner in the toner. Further, by forming the medium 300 using the same material as any of the members constituting the container 201 or a material having compatibility therewith, even if the medium as the cleaning medium cannot be completely discharged and remains in the container 201. When the material is pulverized with the container components and recycled, different materials are not mixed, and the physical properties of the recycled raw material are hardly deteriorated. Therefore, the discharge operation of the medium 300 and the separation operation of the medium 300 and the container 201 can be simplified.

  In addition, the medium 300 made of the same material as that of the container 201 of the toner container can be easily formed by using the medium 300 manufactured using the material recycled in the container recycling step 103 as a raw material. preferable.

  Further, as described with reference to FIG. 9, the toner regeneration step 104 is a step in which the recovered toner is kneaded (802), pulverized (803), classified (804) and then filled (805). Thereby, the collected toner can be used as a recycled toner.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of recycling the toner container according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge that is an example of a toner container. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a toner bottle as another example of a toner container. FIG. 2 is a recycling flowchart of the first embodiment. The perspective view of the flux for steel manufacture. Explanatory drawing of the example of a shape of a medium. Explanatory drawing of the washing | cleaning apparatus using a medium. Explanatory explanatory drawing of the connection part vicinity with the container of a washing | cleaning apparatus. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of a toner regeneration process.

Explanation of symbols

10a Collection amount information 10b Recycled toner demand information 10c Recycle container demand information 11a Toner supply amount information 11b Container supply amount information 100 Collection process 101 Non-destructive separation process 102 Container regeneration process 103 Container recycling process 104 Toner recycling process 105 Toner recycling Step 106 Regeneration / recycling supply amount determination step 200 Toner cartridge 201 Container 203 Toner supply port 204a Stirring member 204b Replenishment member 205 Ner filling port 210 Toner bottle 300 Media 400 Cleaning device 401 Dust collector 402 Cyclone filter 403 Connection port 404 Duct 501 filter

Claims (7)

A recovery process for recovering the used toner container;
A non-destructive separation step of separating the container and the toner remaining in the container without destroying the toner container into a collection container and a collected toner;
A container regeneration step for regenerating the collection container separated in the non-destructive separation step;
A container recycling process for recycling a recovery container that has not been supplied to the container regeneration process among the recovery containers separated in the non-destructive separation process;
In a toner container recycling method for recycling a used toner container by a toner recycling process for recycling the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation process,
A toner regeneration step for regenerating the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step;
Amount of supply of the collection container and the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation step to each of the container recycling step, the container recycling step, the toner recycling step, and the toner recycling step And a recycling / recycling supply amount determination step for determining the toner content. The toner container recycling method according to claim 1,
The regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step is as follows.
Recovery container generation information that is information on the amount of the separated recovery container emitted from the non-destructive separation step, and recovery toner generation information that is information on the amount of the separated recovery toner,
Recycle container demand information issued from the container regeneration process,
Based on the reclaimed toner demand information issued from the toner reclaim process,
A container for toner, wherein the container and the amount of toner supplied to each step of the container recycling step, the container recycling step, the toner recycling step, and the toner recycling step are determined. Recycling method. The method for recycling a toner container according to claim 2,
The regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step is as follows.
If the amount generated in the collection container based on the collection container generation information is less than or equal to the demand for the regeneration container based on the regeneration container demand information, supply all the collection containers separated in the non-destructive separation process to the container regeneration process. Make a decision to
When the generated amount of the recovery container exceeds the demand amount of the regeneration container, the demand amount of the regeneration container among the generated amount of the recovery container is supplied to the container regeneration step, and the remaining recovery containers are A method for recycling a toner container, characterized in that the supply to the container recycling step is determined. The method for recycling a toner container according to claim 2 or 3,
The regeneration / recycling supply amount judgment step is as follows.
If the amount of collected toner generated by the collected toner generation information is equal to or less than the amount of recycled toner demanded by the recycled toner demand information, all of the collected toner separated in the non-destructive separation process is supplied to the toner recycling process. Make a decision to
When the amount of the collected toner generated exceeds the demand for the recycled toner, the demanded amount of the recycled toner is supplied to the toner regeneration step out of the amount of the collected toner generated, and the remaining collected toner is removed. A method for recycling a toner container, characterized in that the supply to the toner recycling step is determined. In the recycling method of the toner container according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4,
The non-destructive separation step is a method in which a cleaning medium is put into a container, toner adhering to the container is adsorbed to the cleaning medium, and the cleaning medium having adsorbed toner is discharged from the container. Is a process of removing toner from the inside of
The method for recycling a toner container, wherein the cleaning medium is formed of the same material as any of the members constituting the container, or a material having compatibility therewith. The recycling method of the toner container according to claim 5,
A method for recycling a toner container, wherein the cleaning medium is manufactured using a material recycled in the container recycling step. In the recycling method of the toner container according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6,
The toner recycling step is a step of filling the container after kneading, pulverizing and classifying the recovered toner, and recycling the toner container.

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