JP2010054684A - Waste toner collection device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner collection device for reducing a wasteful operation period of a rotary member to achieve efficient operation, and to provide an image forming apparatus provided with it. <P>SOLUTION: The waste toner collection device 40 installed in the image forming apparatus and for collecting a waste toner removed from the surface of a photoreceptor includes: a toner collection container 41 for storing the waste toner; the rotary member 43 extending in a toner conveying direction orthogonal to a fall direction in the toner collection container 41; and a control part 40A for controlling rotation drive of the rotary member 43 when satisfying prescribed conditions concerning an amount of waste toner stored in the toner collection container 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste toner collecting apparatus and an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus in which a charged photoconductor is irradiated with light based on image data, toner is attached to the photoconductor, and then transferred and fixed on a sheet of paper is widely used. An image forming apparatus that forms an image using toner generally has a waste toner collecting container. Unnecessary toner remaining on the photosensitive member after image transfer is removed by a cleaning unit, and the waste toner is removed by a screw or the like. The toner is transported through the transport path and accumulated in a waste toner collecting container.

By the way, an image forming apparatus for forming a color image includes an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductors corresponding to black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) images. Some color toner images are formed by superimposing toner images of respective colors on an intermediate transfer member.
In such an image forming apparatus including a plurality of photoconductors corresponding to each color, the toner removed from each photoconductor is conveyed while being collected in the same waste toner conveyance path, and is collected in a waste toner collection container. The waste toner removed from the photoconductor tends to harden, and even if it accumulates in the waste toner collection container, the depositability in the container is poor and the capacity of the waste toner collection container cannot be used effectively. There was a point.
Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, a rotating member such as a coil is installed inside the waste toner collecting container, and the rotating member is rotated to improve the accumulation property of the waste toner in the waste toner collecting container. Is disclosed.
JP 2007-163764 A

  However, since the technique of Patent Document 1 is configured to rotate the rotating member at all times except when a torque exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the rotating member, the rotation is performed until the top of the waste toner peak contacts the rotating member. There was no effect of the member, and there was a problem that the rotation of the rotating member during that time was a wasteful operation and inefficient.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a waste toner collecting apparatus capable of reducing the useless operation period of a rotating member and realizing an efficient operation, and an image forming apparatus provided with the waste toner collecting apparatus. .

The invention described in claim 1
In a waste toner collecting apparatus that is installed in an image forming apparatus and collects waste toner removed from the surface of a photoreceptor,
A toner collection container for storing waste toner;
A rotating member extending in a toner transport direction perpendicular to a direction in which waste toner falls in the toner recovery container;
A control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating member when a predetermined condition relating to the amount of waste toner stored in the toner collecting container is satisfied;
It is characterized by providing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the waste toner collecting device according to the first aspect,
A sensor for detecting that the waste toner in the toner recovery container has accumulated to a predetermined height;
The controller is
When the sensor detects that waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height, the rotating member is controlled to start rotating.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the waste toner collecting device according to the first aspect,
When waste toner in the toner collection container has accumulated to a predetermined height, a switch member that is pressed down by pressing the waste toner accumulated to the predetermined height,
The controller is
The rotating member is controlled to start rotating when it is detected that the waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height by pressing the switch member.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the first aspect,
A torque detector for detecting the rotational torque of the rotating member;
The controller is
The rotating member is rotated intermittently at a predetermined time interval, and the torque detection unit detects the rotating torque of the rotating member,
When the torque detection unit detects that the rotational torque value of the rotating member is equal to or greater than a set value, the rotating member is controlled to start rotating continuously.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the waste toner collecting device according to the fourth aspect,
The rotating member includes a paddle protruding outward on a circumferential surface.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the fourth or fifth aspect,
The controller is
When the torque detector detects that the rotational torque value of the rotating member is equal to or higher than an upper limit set value, the rotating member is controlled to stop rotating.

An image forming apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention provides:
A housing,
The waste toner recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the waste toner recovery device is installed in the housing.
An image forming unit that irradiates light based on input image data, attaches toner to the photoreceptor, and then transfers and fixes the image on a sheet;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the waste toner collecting device for collecting waste toner, the rotating member is driven to rotate when a predetermined condition relating to the amount of waste toner stored in the toner collecting container is satisfied. Efficient operation can be realized by reducing the useless operation period of the rotating member. Moreover, since the useless operation period of the rotating member is reduced, it is possible to reduce the operation sound during this period.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the rotating member starts to rotate when the sensor detects that the waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height, the useless operation period of the rotating member can be reduced and efficient. Can be realized.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the rotating member starts rotating when it is detected that the waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height by pressing the switch member, the useless operation period of the rotating member is reduced. Efficient operation.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the torque detector detects that the rotational torque value of the rotating member is equal to or greater than the set value, the rotating member starts to rotate continuously. Efficient operation can be realized by reducing the period.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the rotating member has the paddle around it, the resistance when the rotating member rotates increases, and the reliability of detection of the rotational torque value can be improved.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the rotating member is stopped when the torque detecting unit detects that the rotational torque value of the rotating member is equal to or higher than the upper limit set value, thereby improving the durability of the drive system. The container can be prevented from being damaged.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the image forming apparatus includes the waste toner recovery device capable of reducing the useless operation period of the rotating member and realizing efficient operation, the replacement of the toner recovery container The cycle can be extended, and the troublesomeness of maintenance of the image forming apparatus for replacing the toner collection container can be reduced. Therefore, usability can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The XYZ axes displayed on the drawings indicate common axes.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit GH, an image reading device YS, a fixing device 9 and the like.

The image forming unit GH is called, for example, a tandem color image forming unit, and includes a plurality of sets of image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, an intermediate transfer member 6, a secondary transfer unit 7A, and the like.
An image reading device YS including an automatic document feeder 501 and a scanning exposure device 502 is installed above the image forming unit GH. The document d placed on the document table of the automatic document feeder 501 is transported by the transport unit, and an image on one or both sides of the document is scanned and exposed by the optical system of the scanning exposure device 502 and read by the line sensor CCD.
The image signal photoelectrically converted by the line sensor CCD is subjected to analog processing, A / D conversion, shading correction, image compression processing, and the like in the image processing unit, and then sent to the exposure units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K. .

An image forming unit 10Y that forms a yellow (Y) image has a charging unit 2Y, an exposure unit 3Y, a developing device 4Y, a primary transfer unit 7Y, and a cleaning unit 8Y around a photosensitive drum 1Y that is an image carrier. is doing.
An image forming unit 10M that forms a magenta (M) color image includes a charging unit 2M, an exposure unit 3M, a developing device 4M, a primary transfer unit 7M, and a cleaning unit 8M around the photosensitive drum 1M.
The image forming unit 10C that forms a cyan (C) color image has a charging unit 2C, an exposure unit 3C, a developing device 4C, a primary transfer unit 7C, and a cleaning unit 8C around the photosensitive drum 1C.
The image forming unit 10K that forms a black (K) image has a charging unit 2K, an exposure unit 3K, a developing device 4K, a primary transfer unit 7K, and a cleaning unit 8K around the photosensitive drum 1K.
The charging unit 2Y and the exposure unit 3Y, the charging unit 2M and the exposure unit 3M, the charging unit 2C and the exposure unit 3C, and the charging unit 2K and the exposure unit 3K constitute a latent image forming unit.
The developing devices 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K use, for example, a two-component developer composed of a toner having a small particle size of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) and a carrier. .

The image forming unit 10Y charges the photosensitive drum 1Y by the charging unit 2Y, irradiates light based on the image data by the exposure unit 3Y, attaches toner by the developing device 4Y, and then forms a yellow (Y) image. Is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 6. The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1Y after being transferred to the intermediate transfer member 6 is removed by the cleaning unit 8Y.
Similarly, in each of the image forming units 10M, 10C, and 10K, the photosensitive drums 1M, 1C, and 1K are charged by the charging units 2M, 2C, and 2K, respectively, and the exposure units 3M, 3C, and 3K convert the image data to the respective image data. Based on this, light is applied and toner is adhered by the developing devices 4M, 4C, and 4K, and then each color image is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer member 6.
The toner remaining on the photosensitive drums 1M, 1C, and 1K after the primary transfer to the intermediate transfer body 6 is removed by the cleaning units 8M, 8C, and 8K, respectively.

The intermediate transfer body 6 is wound around a plurality of rollers and is rotatably supported. The fixing device 9 includes a fixing roller 91 and a pressure roller 92, and fixes the toner image on the paper P by heating and pressing at a nip portion formed between the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92.
The respective color images formed by the image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are sequentially primary-transferred and superimposed on the rotating intermediate transfer body 6 by the primary transfer units 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K. An image is formed.

  The paper P stored in the paper feed tray 21 serving as the paper storage unit is separated and fed one by one by the paper feed roller 22 of the paper feed unit 20, and passes through the paper feed roller 23 and is in a stopped state. Paper is fed to the roller 24. Therefore, once stopped, the registration roller 24 starts rotating at the timing when the positional relationship between the leading edge and the toner image on the intermediate transfer body 6 exactly coincides, and is fed to the secondary transfer portion 7A. A color image is secondarily transferred onto the paper P. The sheet P on which the color image has been transferred is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 9 and the color image on the sheet P is fixed. Thereafter, the sheet is sandwiched between the sheet discharge rollers 25 and placed on the sheet discharge tray 26 outside the apparatus.

On the other hand, the intermediate transfer member 6 that has separated the curvature of the sheet P after the color image is transferred to the sheet P by the secondary transfer unit 7A, the residual toner is removed by the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 8A.
11Y is a toner bottle containing yellow (Y) toner, and supplies the toner to the developing device 4Y. Reference numeral 11M denotes a toner bottle containing magenta (M) toner, which supplies the toner to the developing device 4M. Reference numeral 11C denotes a toner bottle that contains cyan (C) toner, and supplies the toner to the developing device 4C. Reference numeral 11Y denotes a toner bottle that contains black (Bk) toner, and supplies the toner to the developing device 4K.
As shown in the drawing, the toner bottle 11K containing the black (K) toner that is frequently used is the one having the largest capacity.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cleaning unit, a waste toner collection device, and a waste toner conveyance path of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the waste toners removed by the cleaning units 8K, 8C, 8M, and 8Y that remove the toner remaining on the photoconductors are disposed in waste toner conveyance paths 31 to 34 formed in a substantially horizontal direction. It is conveyed leftward on the page.
The waste toner transport paths 31 to 34 are connected by connecting cylindrical pipes, and a waste toner transport member (not shown) for transporting the waste toner in the left direction of the paper is disposed inside. It is adapted to be rotated by the illustrated driving unit.

The waste toner transport path 31 is black, the waste toner transport path 32 is black and cyan, the waste toner transport path 33 is black, cyan and magenta, and the waste toner transport path 34 is black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Waste toner is conveyed.
The waste toner transport path 34 is connected to a waste toner transport path 35 formed in a substantially vertical direction, and black and the three color waste toners are collected by the waste toner recovery device 40 by the waste toner transport path 35. Accumulated in the container 41. The waste toner transport path 35 is also formed of a cylindrical pipe, and a waste toner transport member (not shown) for transporting the waste toner in the lower direction of the paper surface is disposed inside the waste toner transport path 35 and is rotated by a drive unit (not shown). It is supposed to be.

That is, as shown in the drawing, the photosensitive member that uses the toner in the toner bottle with the largest capacity in the waste toner transport path that connects the cleaning units 8K, 8C, 8M, and 8Y disposed on each photoconductor and the toner collection container 41. The waste toner conveyance path of the cleaning unit disposed on the body is formed to be the longest.
In this way, by forming the longest waste toner conveyance path of the photosensitive member in which the toner bottle having the largest capacity is arranged, the time for which the waste toner having a large discharge amount and the waste toner conveyance member are in contact with each other is the longest. Can be long. By increasing the contact time between the waste toner with a large amount of discharged color and the waste toner conveying member, it is possible to secure a lot of time to break up the waste toner mass, eliminate clogging of the waste toner conveyance path, and collect waste toner. The deposition property of the apparatus can be improved.

  On the other hand, the waste toner removed by the intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 8A is transported to the toner recovery container 41 of the waste toner recovery device 40 through the waste toner transport path 36 different from the waste toner transport paths 31 to 35 and accumulated. The

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the waste toner collecting device, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the waste toner collecting device.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the waste toner collecting device 40 includes a toner collecting container 41, a rotating member 43, a drive unit 44, a first sensor 45, a second sensor 46, a control unit 40A, and the like.

  The toner collection container 41 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 100 using an empty space in the image forming apparatus 100, and is formed horizontally long in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the toner collection container 41 is installed so as to be long from the near side to the far side in FIG.

The toner collection container 41 has a waste toner collection port 42 at the upper part of one end thereof. The waste toner collecting port 42 is inserted with a leading end of a transporting pulp 37 that connects the waste toner transporting paths 35 and 36 together. The waste toner transported through the transporting paths 31 to 36 is transported to the transporting pulp 37. The toner is passed through the toner collection container 41 and accumulated in a mountain shape at the bottom of the leading end of the transport pulp 37.
Further, for example, a colorless transparent or colored transparent resin bottle is used as the toner recovery container 41, and a recess (not shown) is formed on the outer wall thereof to reinforce the strength of the container.

In the toner recovery container 41, a rotating member 43, a first sensor 45, and a second sensor 46 are installed.
The rotating member 43 is disposed so as to extend long in the toner collection container 41 in the lateral direction, that is, in the transport direction (X direction) orthogonal to the direction in which the waste toner falls (Y direction). One end portion 43a of the rotating member 43 protrudes downward from the toner collection container 41 below the waste toner collection port 42, and a drive portion 44 such as a motor is connected to the projected one end portion 43a. Yes. The drive unit 44 is driven when a predetermined condition relating to the amount of stored waste toner is satisfied under the control of the control unit 40A, and rotates the rotating member 43 by rotating the projecting one end portion 43a. It has become. The other end 43 b of the rotating member 43 is rotatably supported by a bearing H provided in the toner recovery container 41.
The waste toner that falls downward from the front end of the transporting pulp 37 and accumulates in a mountain shape is transported to the far side of the container far from the dropping position in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member 43.
As described above, the rotating member 43 is driven to rotate when a predetermined condition relating to the amount of waste toner is satisfied under the control of the control unit 40A, and the waste toner falls while stirring the waste toner accumulated in the toner recovery container 41. The waste toner deposited by being transported in the transport direction (X direction) orthogonal to the direction (Y direction) is flattened.
Further, the rotation member 43 is positioned so that the other end portion 43b farther from the waste toner collection port 42 is positioned above the one end portion 43a below the waste toner collection port 42 in the toner collection container 41. Has been placed.
As a result, the rotating member 43 is inclined from the one end portion 43a to the other end portion 43b so as to be inclined upward in the Y-axis direction, and waste toner at the conveyance direction side end portion can be made bulky. The waste toner can be efficiently accommodated by effectively using the toner.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the rotating member 43.
As shown in the figure, the rotating member 43 includes, for example, a shaft portion 431 and a screw portion 432 provided around the shaft portion 431, and a gap 433 is provided between the screw portion 432 and the shaft portion 431. Is formed. The screw part 432 is integrated with the shaft part 431 at both ends thereof. Accordingly, the screw portion 432 is rotated by rotating the shaft portion 431 by the driving portion 44, so that the waste toner can be efficiently conveyed. In addition, by using a member in which a gap 433 is formed between the screw portion 432 and the shaft portion 431, the waste toner can be more efficiently broken up.

  Further, the rotating member 43 is configured only by a coiled screw portion 434 as shown in FIG. 6 in addition to a member in which a gap 433 is formed between the screw portion 432 and the shaft portion 431 shown in FIG. It may be.

A first sensor 45 is installed on a side surface in the toner recovery container 41. The first sensor 45 is positioned in the height direction so that the lower end portion thereof is below a portion located below the front end portion of the conveyance pipe 37 of the rotating member 43.
The first sensor 45 detects that waste toner that has fallen from the conveying pulp 37 and gradually accumulated has accumulated to a predetermined height. Specifically, when the waste toner gradually accumulates and the top reaches the rotating member 43, the first sensor 45 detects this. In other words, the predetermined height is a height at which the top of the waste toner accumulated in the toner recovery container 41 reaches the rotating member 43.

As the first sensor 45, for example, a reflective sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element can be used. The reflection type sensor detects presence / absence of a target object by a light receiving element detecting light reflected from the target object of light emitted from a light emitting element. That is, when the waste toner is accumulated to a predetermined height, the light receiving element detects the light emitted from the light emitting element because it is reflected by the waste toner.
Note that the configuration of the first sensor 45 is not limited to the above-described reflection type sensor. For example, a light is emitted from the light emitting element by detecting a light emitted from the light emitting element by arranging a reflector on the opposite surface of the light emitting element. In addition, when the light emitted from the light emitting element is blocked by the accumulation of the waste toner, the presence or absence of the target object may be detected based on the absence of detection of the light receiving element.

Further, in the toner collection container 41, a second sensor 46 for detecting that the toner collection container 41 is full is provided in the vicinity of the end 43b far from the waste toner collection port 42 of the rotating member 43. is set up.
The second sensor 46 is used when the waste toner is transported in the transport direction from the dropping position by the rotational drive of the rotating member 43 and gradually accumulated, and then reaches the upper part of the end in the transport direction, that is, the toner collection container 41. This is detected when the toner is almost full.
In addition, when the second sensor 46 detects, a toner collection container replacement notice instruction, a toner collection container replacement instruction display, or the like is performed on a display (not shown) of the image forming apparatus.

The control unit 40A includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and the like, and includes a drive unit 44, a first sensor 45, and a second sensor 46 that drive the rotating member 43. Etc. are connected.
The ROM of the control unit 40A stores a control program and various processing programs for controlling the drive unit 44, the first sensor 45, the second sensor 46, and the like. The operation of the waste toner collecting device 40 is comprehensively controlled by the above cooperation.

For example, the control unit 40A detects that the waste toner has accumulated more than a predetermined height by the first sensor 45, drives the drive unit 44, and controls the rotating member 43 to start rotating.
In addition, when the amount of waste toner is still small and the height of the waste toner decreases as the rotation of the rotation member 43 collapses, and the height of the waste toner is not detected by the first sensor 45, the control unit 40A The rotation member 43 is controlled to stop the rotation drive.
That is, the control unit 40A controls the rotation member 43 to rotate, assuming that the period during which waste toner is detected by the first sensor 45 satisfies a predetermined condition regarding the amount of waste toner.
For this reason, the control unit 40A performs control so that the operating rate of the rotating member 43 increases stepwise as the waste toner storage amount increases, and the rotating member 43 can be operated efficiently. Yes.
When the second sensor 46 detects that the toner collection container 41 is almost full, the control unit 40A displays a toner collection container replacement notice instruction and a toner collection container replacement instruction display on the display of the image forming apparatus. Execute.
The control unit 40A may be incorporated in the control unit of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 or may be provided separately.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7, how the waste toner is collected in the toner collecting container 41 having the above-described configuration will be described with time.
When the waste toner starts to be collected, the collected waste toner starts to be accumulated in the lower part of the opening end of the conveying pulp 37 in the toner collection container 41.
As shown in FIG. 7A, when the accumulation of the waste toner proceeds and the top of the waste toner reaches a height that reaches the rotating member 43, the control unit 40A starts to rotate the rotating member 43. Waste toner begins to be transported in the transport direction. After that, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the waste toner crushes and is no longer detected by the first sensor 45, the control unit 40A stops the rotation of the rotation member 43. When the top of the waste toner reaches a height that reaches the rotating member 43 again, the control unit 40A starts the rotation of the rotating member 43 again, and the waste toner is transported in the transport direction. By repeating this, the waste toner starts to be accumulated at the end of the toner collection container 41 in the conveyance direction.
Thereafter, when the collection of the waste toner further proceeds, as shown in FIG. 7C, the toner density gradually increases from the end in the transport direction side in the toner collection container 41, and the toner reaches the vicinity of the rotating member 43. The second sensor 46 detects that the toner is full on the display of the image forming apparatus.

As described above, according to the waste toner collecting device and the image forming apparatus including the waste toner collecting device according to the present embodiment, the rotating member 43 starts to rotate when the waste toner is accumulated to a predetermined height. The useless operation period of the rotating member 43 can be shortened to a minimum, and an efficient operation can be realized.
Moreover, since the useless operation period of the rotating member 43 is shortened to the minimum, the operation sound can be reduced to the minimum.
Moreover, since the useless operation period of the rotating member 43 is shortened to the minimum, the durability of the drive system can be improved and the container can be prevented from being damaged.
In addition, the replacement cycle of the toner collection container 41 is not shortened easily, and the image forming apparatus 100 becomes easier to use, and the troublesomeness of the image forming apparatus maintenance related to the replacement of the toner collection container 41 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the first sensor 45 is described as an optical sensor. However, instead of the optical sensor, when the accumulated waste toner accumulates to a predetermined height, the pressure of the waste toner accumulated to a predetermined height is pressed. It is good also as installing the switch member pushed down by.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the switch member 47 and the rotating member 43, and is a view of the toner recovery container 41 of FIG. 3 viewed from the side (right side of FIG. 3).
The switch member 47 is installed at the same height as the first sensor 45 via the contact surface 47a. When the waste toner is gradually accumulated and reaches a predetermined height, the contact surface 47a is pressed, and the contact surface 47a presses the switch member 47. The control unit 40A detects that the accumulated amount of waste toner has reached a predetermined height due to the pressing of the switch member 47, and starts the rotation of the rotating member 43.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol as 1st Embodiment is attached | subjected to the same structure, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The waste toner collecting device 50 according to the second embodiment is configured to detect the amount of accumulated waste toner based on the rotational torque value of the rotating member 53.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the waste toner collecting device, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the waste toner collecting device.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the waste toner collecting device 50 includes a rotating member 53, a driving unit 54, a torque detecting unit 55, a time measuring unit 56, a control unit 50A, and the like.

The rotating member 53 has a shaft portion 531 and a paddle 532 protruding outward on the peripheral surface of the shaft portion 531, and increases the rotational resistance when the rotating member 53 rotates.
A drive unit 54 and a torque detection unit 55 are provided at the end 53 a of the rotation member 53. The drive unit 54 is driven according to the amount of waste toner stored under the control of the control unit 50A, and rotationally drives the rotating member 53 by rotationally driving the protruding end portion 53a. For example, a torque transducer or the like is used as the torque detection unit 55. The torque detection unit 55 converts the rotation torque of the rotation member 53 into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the control unit 50A.

  The control unit 50A is connected to a driving unit 54 that drives the rotating member 53, a torque detecting unit 55, a time measuring unit 56, and the like.

The controller 50 </ b> A controls the drive unit 54 based on the value of the rotational torque of the rotary member 53 detected by the torque detector 55, thereby driving the rotary member 53 to rotate.
For example, the control unit 50A intermittently rotates the rotating member 53 at a predetermined time interval, and the torque detecting unit 55 detects the rotating torque of the rotating member 53 during this time, and the detected rotating torque value of the rotating member 53 is When it is detected that it is greater than or equal to a preset set value (hereinafter referred to as the first set value), the rotating member 53 is controlled to rotate continuously.
Further, the control unit constantly detects the rotation torque of the rotation member 53 while the rotation member 53 is continuously rotating, and the torque detection unit 55 detects the rotation torque value of the rotation member 53 as an upper limit set value (hereinafter, This is referred to as a second set value.) When it is detected that the value is greater than or equal to, it is controlled so that the rotation member 53 stops rotating.
When the controller 50A detects that the rotational torque value of the rotating member 53 is equal to or greater than the second set value, the controller 50A displays a toner collection container replacement notice instruction and a toner collection container replacement instruction display on the display of the image forming apparatus. Execute.

Specifically, the control unit 50 </ b> A rotates the rotating member 53 by driving the driving unit 54 at predetermined time intervals according to the timing of the time measuring unit 56.
At this time, if there is no waste toner in the toner collecting container 41 and there is still a small amount, the rotational torque applied to the rotating member 53 is small. Judgment is made and the rotation of the rotation member 53 is stopped. On the other hand, when the amount of waste toner in the toner recovery container 41 increases, the waste toner density around the rotation member 53 increases, and thus the rotational torque value applied to the rotation member 53 increases. Thus, it is determined that the rotational torque value is equal to or greater than the first set value, and the rotating member 53 is continuously rotated.
Further, when the collection of the waste toner further proceeds, the waste toner density gradually increases from the conveyance direction side end portion in the toner collection container 41 and the waste toner density around the rotating member 53 becomes higher. At a certain time, it is determined that the rotational torque value exceeds the second set value, and the continuous rotation of the rotating member 53 is stopped.
As described above, the control unit 50A controls the rotation member 43 to rotate or stop when the rotation torque value exceeds the first set value or the second set value and the predetermined condition regarding the amount of waste toner is satisfied. .

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the rotating member 53.

First, in step S <b> 1, the control unit 50 </ b> A resets the time count up to that point and starts a new time count by the time count unit 56.
Next, in step S <b> 2, the control unit 50 </ b> A determines whether or not the stop time of the rotating member 53 has exceeded a predetermined time based on the time count of the time count unit 56.

In step S2, when it is determined that the stop time of the rotating member 53 does not exceed the predetermined time (step S2; No), the control unit 50A repeats the determination in step S2.
On the other hand, when the control unit 50A determines in step S2 that the stop time of the rotation member 53 has exceeded the predetermined time (step S2; Yes), the rotation of the rotation member 53 is started in the subsequent step S3.

Next, in step S4, the control unit 50A detects the rotational torque of the rotating member 53 by the torque detection unit 55, and determines whether or not the value of the rotational torque is greater than or equal to the first set value.
In step S4, when the control unit 50A determines that the value of the rotational torque is not equal to or greater than the first set value (step S4; No), in the subsequent step S5, the rotation of the rotating member 53 is stopped, and the process returns to step S1. Repeat the subsequent steps.
On the other hand, when the control unit 50A determines in step S4 that the value of the rotational torque is greater than or equal to the first set value (step S4; Yes), the rotation of the rotating member 53 is continued in the subsequent step S6.

Next, in step S7, the control unit 50A detects the rotational torque of the rotating member 53 by the torque detection unit 55, and determines whether or not the value of the rotational torque is equal to or greater than the second set value.
In step S7, when it is determined that the value of the rotational torque is not equal to or greater than the second set value (step S7; No), the control unit 50A returns to step S4 and repeats the subsequent processing.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 50A determines in step S7 that the value of the rotational torque is greater than or equal to the second set value (step S7; Yes), in the subsequent step S8, the rotation of the rotating member 53 is stopped, and this processing is performed. Exit.

As described above, according to the waste toner collecting device and the image forming apparatus including the waste toner collecting device in the present embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the rotational torque can be obtained. When it is detected that the value is equal to or greater than the first set value, the rotation member 53 starts to rotate, so that it is possible to reduce the useless operation period of the rotation member 53 and realize efficient operation.
Further, since the rotation of the rotation member 53 stops when the rotation torque of the rotation member 53 becomes equal to or higher than the second set value, the durability of the drive system can be improved and the container can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, since the rotating member 53 has a paddle around it, the resistance when the rotating member 53 rotates increases, and the reliability of detection of the rotational torque value can be improved.

Note that a toner discharge hole 533 may be formed in the paddle 532 of the rotating member 53 as shown in FIG. By providing the toner discharge hole 533, waste toner is discharged from the toner discharge hole 533, so that the waste toner does not adhere to the surface of the paddle 532, so that the rotational torque value of the collecting member 53 is rapidly increased. Can be prevented.
Further, the arrangement position and number of the paddles 532 of the collection member 53 are not limited to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, and the collection member 53 may be arranged in another place or the number may be increased or decreased.
In addition, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cleaning unit, a waste toner collection container, and a waste toner conveyance path of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the waste toner collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a rotating member disposed inside a toner recovery container. FIG. 10 is a view showing a modification of the rotating member disposed inside the toner recovery container. 6 is a diagram for explaining how waste toner is collected in a toner collection container 41. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of a sensor disposed inside a toner recovery container. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the waste toner collection | recovery apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a waste toner recovery apparatus according to a second embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a rotating member of a waste toner collecting apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing a modified example of the rotating member disposed inside the toner recovery container.

Explanation of symbols

1C, 1K, 1M, 1Y Photosensitive drums 2C, 2K, 2M, 2Y Charging units 3C, 3K, 3M, 3Y Exposure units 4C, 4K, 4M, 4Y Developing device 6 Intermediate transfer member 7A Secondary transfer units 7C, 7K, 7M, 7Y Primary transfer unit 8A Intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 8C, 8K, 8M, 8Y Cleaning unit 9 Fixing device 10C, 10K, 10M, 10Y Image forming unit 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K Toner bottle 20 Paper feed unit 21 Paper feed Tray 26 Paper discharge trays 31 to 36 Waste toner conveyance path 37 Conveying pulp 40 Waste toner collection device 40A Control unit 41 Toner collection container 42 Waste toner collection port 43 Rotating member 44 Drive unit 45 First sensor 46 Second sensor 47 Switch member 47a Contact surface 50 Waste toner collecting device 50A Control unit 53 Rotating member 54 Drive unit 55 Torque detection unit 56 Timekeeping unit 1 0 image forming apparatus 531 shaft portion 532 paddle 533 toner discharge hole GH image forming section YS image reading apparatus

Claims (7)

In a waste toner collecting apparatus that is installed in an image forming apparatus and collects waste toner removed from the surface of a photoreceptor,
A toner collection container for storing waste toner;
A rotating member extending in a toner transport direction perpendicular to a direction in which waste toner falls in the toner recovery container;
A control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating member when a predetermined condition regarding the amount of waste toner stored in the toner recovery container is satisfied;
A waste toner collecting device comprising: A sensor for detecting that the waste toner in the toner recovery container has accumulated to a predetermined height;
The controller is
2. The waste toner collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the sensor detects that waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height, the rotating member is controlled to start rotating. 3. When waste toner in the toner collection container has accumulated to a predetermined height, a switch member that is pressed down by pressing the waste toner accumulated to the predetermined height,
The controller is
2. The waste toner recovery according to claim 1, wherein when the switch member is pressed to detect that waste toner has accumulated to a predetermined height, the rotation member is controlled to start rotating. apparatus. A torque detector for detecting the rotational torque of the rotating member;
The controller is
The rotating member is rotated intermittently at a predetermined time interval, and the torque detection unit detects the rotating torque of the rotating member,
2. The waste according to claim 1, wherein when the torque detection unit detects that the rotation torque value of the rotation member is equal to or greater than a set value, the rotation member is controlled to start rotation continuously. Toner recovery device.   The waste toner collecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rotating member includes a paddle protruding outward on a circumferential surface. The controller is
6. The control according to claim 4, wherein when the torque detection unit detects that the rotation torque value of the rotation member is equal to or greater than an upper limit set value, the rotation member is controlled to stop rotating. Waste toner collection device. A housing,
The waste toner recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the waste toner recovery device is installed in the housing.
An image forming unit that irradiates light based on input image data, attaches toner to the photoreceptor, and then transfers and fixes the image on a sheet;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

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