JP2010210933A - Powder storage container, toner conveying device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder storage container capable of restraining generation of an unpleasant sound during sliding of a cam receiving part of a stirring member and a cam member against each other, with a simple configuration, and to provide a toner conveying device and an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The powder storage container includes, in its casing storing powder, the stirring member 56 for stirring the powder in the casing, the cam member 60 provided in a rotating shaft 57 provided in the casing 10, and the cam receiving part 59 on the side of the stirring member surrounding the cam member 60. The powder storage container is configured so that the stirring member 56 is driven by sliding rotation with respect to the inner surface of the cam receiving part of the cam member 60. There is provided, in the cam member 60, a scraping member 62 which includes a scraping surface 64 for scraping a toner from the cam receiving part 59 of the stirring member 56 and guiding the scraped toner in a direction where it is discharged from between the cam receiving part 59 and the cam member 60. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder container, a toner conveying device using the powder container as a toner container, and an image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine of these, transfers a formed toner image onto a sheet, and then removes toner remaining on the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt by a cleaning mechanism. The toner is collected in a powder container.

  Some conventional powder containers are provided with an agitation mechanism in order to efficiently store the introduced toner (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The stirring mechanism includes a stirring plate disposed in a casing of the powder container, a shaft extending from the stirring plate and projecting outside through the casing, a cam member in contact with one end of the shaft, The main components are a spring that presses one end toward the cam member, a cam drive gear, and the like.

  Then, the cam member is rotated, the shaft is periodically pressed against the spring side, and the stirring plate is reciprocated. The toner is stirred by the reciprocating motion of the stirring plate. In recent years, in order to reduce the size and cost of an image forming apparatus, there has been proposed one in which a cam member that reciprocates the stirring plate is disposed in a casing (Patent Document 2). In this case, when the toner is filled in the casing, the toner may enter between the sliding surfaces of the cam member and the cam receiving portion of the stirring plate. When the cam member and the stirring plate slide in this state, the friction coefficient between the sliding surfaces gradually increases due to the toner interposed between the sliding surfaces. In addition, when the intervening toner deteriorates and adheres to the outer periphery of the cam member or the surface of the cam receiving portion, the friction coefficient between the sliding surfaces is further increased.

  As described above, the friction coefficient between the sliding surfaces of the cam member and the cam receiving portion increases, so that minute vibration is generated between the sliding surfaces. When the vibration propagates to the cam member, the stirring plate, and other peripheral members, abnormal noise is generated, which becomes a factor of deteriorating environmental comfort. Therefore, the thing of patent document 2 suppresses generation | occurrence | production of the noise at the time of a sliding with a cam receiving part and a cam member by interposing a layered vibration isolating member between a cam member and the cam receiving part of a stirring plate. is doing.

  However, as in Patent Document 2, in the case where a layered vibration isolating member is interposed between the cam member and the cam receiving portion of the stirring plate, there are many portions where the cam receiving portion of the stirring plate and the cam member slide. Therefore, it is necessary to install a large number of vibration isolation members. Moreover, it is difficult to perform the work of attaching the layered vibration isolating member along the inner surface of the cam receiving portion, and it takes time to attach the vibration isolating member. For this reason, manufacturing time has been required, which has led to an increase in cost.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a powder container, a toner conveying device, and an image forming apparatus that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise when the cam receiving portion of the stirring member and the cam member slide with a simple configuration. It is something to try.

  The powder container of the present invention includes a stirring member for stirring powder in the casing, a cam member provided on a rotating shaft provided in the casing, and the cam member in a casing that stores the powder. And a cam receiving portion of the stirring member, wherein the stirring member is driven by sliding rotation with respect to the inner surface of the cam receiving portion of the cam member. The cam member is provided with a scraping member having a scraping surface for scraping off the toner from the cam and guiding the scraped toner in a direction of being discharged from between the cam receiving portion and the cam member.

  In the powder container of the present invention, the cam member is provided with a scraping member so that when the cam member rotates, the toner that has entered the sliding surface between the cam receiving portion of the stirring member and the cam member is scraped off. It can be removed by scraping with a member. Thereby, minute vibrations due to the presence of toner and an increase in the coefficient of friction can be suppressed, and noise can be prevented from being generated due to propagation to the cam member, the stirring member, and the peripheral members.

  The scraping surface can be constituted by a tapered surface that guides the scraped toner from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft and along the axial direction.

  A plurality of the cam members are disposed at predetermined intervals on the rotation shaft, and the scraping member can be provided on each cam member. Accordingly, since the driving force can be transmitted to the stirring member at a plurality of locations, the driving force can be stably transmitted to the stirring member.

  Each scraping member has a scraping surface composed of a single taper surface, and the scraping surface is a first taper surface that is inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. Two kinds of scraping members, and a second scraping member composed of a second tapered surface whose scraping surface is inclined in a direction different from the first tapered surface along the axial direction. You can have it. By providing the taper surface on the scraping member, the taper surface applies a load to the cam receiving portion in the direction of the rotation axis (thrust direction) of the cam member, and the stirring member moves in the axial direction to contact the inner wall of the casing. There is a problem that abnormal noise is generated by contact. For this reason, there are two types of scraping: a first scraping member having a first taper surface and a second scraping member having a second taper surface inclined in a direction different from the first taper surface. When the take-up member is provided, the respective thrust surfaces are directed in opposite directions to each other in the thrust direction applied to the cam receiving portion. Thereby, the thrust load of the direction which opposes with respect to a cam receiving part can be provided, these are canceled, and the load provided with respect to a stirring member can be reduced as a whole.

  In the case of having the first scraping member and the second scraping member, the length dimension of each tapered surface is L1, L2,... Ln, and the inclination angle of each tapered surface is θ1, θ2,. ..., Θn, L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2... + Lnsin θn = 0. Thereby, the load in the thrust direction applied to the stirring member by the tapered surface is canceled as a whole, and the load applied to the stirring member can be made substantially zero. Here, “inclination angle” refers to an acute angle side inclination angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to the axis of the rotation axis. When the scraping surface of each scraping member is constituted by a single tapered surface, the scraping member is different from the first scraping member having the first tapered surface and the first tapered surface. There are two types of second scraping members having a second tapered surface that is inclined in the direction in which the inclination direction of the tapered surface of one scraping member is positive. The inclination angle of the tapered surface of the scraping member becomes negative.

  The scraping surface includes a first tapered surface that is inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and a second tapered surface that is inclined in a direction different from the first tapered surface along the axial direction. The scraping member can have a shape that forms a mountain shape in a side view in which the first taper surface and the second taper surface are joined on the upstream side in the rotation direction. As a result, the thrust load applied to the cam receiving portion by the first tapered surface and the thrust load applied to the cam receiving portion by the second tapered surface are in opposite directions. For this reason, in one scraping member, it is possible to apply a thrust load in a direction opposite to the cam receiving portion, and these can be offset to reduce the load applied to the stirring member as a whole. it can.

  The length of the first taper surface is La, the length of the second taper surface is Lb, the angle of inclination formed by the first taper surface on the joint side is θa, and the second taper surface is on the second side. When the inclination angle formed by the tapered surface is θb, it can be expressed as La × sin θa = Lb × sin θb. Thereby, in one scraping member, the thrust-direction load applied to the stirring member by the first tapered surface and the thrust-direction load applied to the cam receiving portion by the second tapered surface are substantially reduced. It can be made equal and these are offset, and the load applied to the stirring member can be made substantially zero. Here, “inclination angle” refers to an acute angle side inclination angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to the axis of the rotation axis. When the scraping surface of each scraping member is composed of two tapered surfaces inclined in opposite directions, another tapered surface with a different inclination direction when the inclination angle of one tapered surface is positive The inclination angle is negative.

  The scraping member can be made of an elastic body. Thereby, the scraping member follows the surface of the stirring member by the elastic action of the elastic body. In this case, the scraping member can be formed of a foam material.

  The scraping member can be a film.

The toner conveying device of the present invention includes the powder container of the present invention as a toner container for collecting toner.
The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the powder container of the present invention as a toner container for collecting toner.

  According to the powder container of the present invention, it is possible for the scraping member to suppress the minute vibration generated when the cam receiving portion of the stirring member and the cam member are slid to the peripheral member. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise and noise generated by the propagation of minute vibrations. In addition, since abnormal noise and noise can be reduced with a simple configuration, the mounting operation can be facilitated, the working time can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. In the toner conveying device and the image forming apparatus provided with the powder container of the present invention, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

  When the scraping surface is formed of a tapered surface, it is possible to effectively prevent the toner from accumulating on the scraping surface and to stably guide the toner outside the cam receiving portion.

  A plurality of the cam members are arranged at predetermined intervals on the rotation shaft, and when the scraping member is provided on each cam member, the driving force can be stably transmitted to the stirring members. It moves stably and the stirring effect in the casing is stabilized.

  Even if the scraping surface is a single tapered surface and has a first scraping member and a second scraping member, the scraping surface has a scraping member having a mountain shape in side view. Even if it is a thing, the load provided with respect to a stirring member can be reduced as a whole, and it can prevent that a stirring member moves to an axial direction. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the noise by the stirring member contact | abutting on the inner wall of a casing can be prevented. In addition, when the scraping surface is constituted by a single tapered surface, the scraping member can be easily processed, and the cost can be reduced.

  When the scraping member has a scraping surface composed of a single taper surface, L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2... + Lnsin θn = 0, and the scraping member has a scraping surface that forms a mountain shape when viewed from the side. If it is assumed that La × sin θa = Lb × sin θb, the load applied to the stirring member can be substantially zero, and the stirring member can be effectively prevented from moving in the axial direction. it can.

  When the scraping member is made of an elastic body, the scraping member follows the surface of the stirring member by the elastic action of the elastic body, and the scraping member can have a long life, and the scraping effect over a long period of time. Can be maintained.

  When the scraping member is formed of a foam material, weight can be reduced and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Further, the elastic modulus can be adjusted by changing the foaming rate of the foamed material.

  When the scraping member has a film shape, the weight can be reduced, the material cost can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the scraping member can be disposed in a space-saving manner. it can.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a powder container used in the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the state which fractured | ruptured a part of upper case of the powder container of 1st Example of this invention, and exposed the inside. It is a cross-sectional side view of the powder container shown in FIG. It is a partial perspective view of the rotating shaft which comprises the powder container shown in the said FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in a fitted state in which the cam member is received by the cam receiving portion in FIG. 5. It is a perspective view of the rotating shaft which comprises the powder container shown in the said FIG. It is a side view of the rotating shaft which comprises the powder container shown in the said FIG. It is a perspective view of the rotating shaft which comprises the powder container of 2nd Example of this invention. FIG. 10 is a side view of the rotating shaft of FIG. 9. It is a perspective view of the rotating shaft which comprises the powder container of 3rd Example of this invention. It is a side view of the rotating shaft of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a color image forming apparatus. The main part of the image forming apparatus will be described below with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus includes four process units 1K, 1Y, 1M, and 1C for forming an image with developers of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan corresponding to color separation components of a color image.

  Each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C has toner bottles 6K, 6Y, 6M, 6C containing unused toners of different colors. Other than that, the configuration is the same. The structure of one process unit 1K will be described as an example. The process unit 1K includes an image carrier 2K (photosensitive drum), a drum cleaning device 3K, a static eliminator (not shown), a charging device 4K, a developing device 5K, and the like. Have. The process unit 1K is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus so that consumable parts can be replaced at a time.

  An exposure unit 7 is disposed above each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C. The exposure device 7 is configured to emit laser light from a laser diode based on image data.

  A transfer device 15 is disposed below each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C. The transfer device 15 includes four primary transfer rollers 19K, 19Y, 19M, and 19C facing each image carrier 2K, 2Y, 2M, and 2C, each primary transfer roller 19K, 19Y, 19M, and 19C, a driving roller 18, and a driven roller. 17 includes an intermediate transfer belt 16 that circulates around 17, a secondary transfer roller 20 that is disposed to face the driving roller 18, a belt cleaning device 21, a cleaning backup roller 22, and the like.

  In the lower part of the image forming apparatus, there are provided a paper feed cassette 30 capable of storing a large number of paper P and a paper feed roller 30 a for sending the paper P from the paper feed cassette 30 toward the paper feed path 31. Near the end of the paper feed path 31, a registration roller pair 32 for temporarily stopping the paper is provided.

  A post-transfer conveyance path 33 is disposed above the nip between the secondary transfer roller 20 and the driving roller 18. A fixing device 34 is provided near the end of the post-transfer conveyance path 33. The fixing device 34 includes a fixing roller 34a that includes a heat source such as a halogen lamp (not shown), and a pressure roller 34b that rotates while contacting the fixing roller 34a with a predetermined pressure.

  A post-fixing conveyance path 35 is disposed above the fixing device 34, and branches to a paper discharge path 36 and a reverse conveyance path 41 at the end of the post-fixing conveyance path 35. A switching member 42 that swings around a swing shaft 42a is disposed on the side of the post-fixing conveyance path 35. A paper discharge roller pair 37 is disposed at the end of the paper discharge path 36. The reverse conveyance path 41 joins the paper feed path 31 at the end thereof, and a reverse conveyance roller pair 43 is disposed in the middle of the reverse conveyance path 41. A paper discharge tray 44 having an upper cover recessed inward is disposed at the top of the image forming apparatus.

  A powder container 10 (toner container) that stores waste toner is disposed between the transfer device 15 and the paper feed cassette 30. The powder container 10 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body.

  In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the space from the paper feed roller 30a to the secondary transfer roller 20 needs to be separated to some extent due to the transfer paper transfer relationship. For this purpose, the powder container 10 is installed in the dead space generated to reduce the size of the entire image forming apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the powder container 10 has a dimensional ratio that is set large in the X direction and Y direction (horizontal direction) and small in the Z direction (vertical direction), and is formed in a flat shape as a whole. . The powder container 10 includes a casing 50 including an upper case 51 and a lower case 52. The upper case 51 is provided with an entrance 53 for introducing waste toner into the interior, and a waste toner transfer hose (not shown) extending from the belt cleaning device 21 is connected to the entrance 53. Further, the powder container 10 includes a waste toner full detection unit 54.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower case 52 accommodates a toner conveying means 55. The toner conveying means 55 is attached to a plate-like stirring member 56 (hereinafter referred to as a stirring plate) that reciprocates substantially in the direction indicated by the arrow E, a rotating shaft 57, and one end of the rotating shaft 57 and is not shown. A drive gear 58 connected to the drive source and a cam receiving portion 59 of the stirring plate 56 attached to the rotary shaft 57.
It has the cam member 60 which can slide with respect to.

  The rotation shaft 57 is supported by a U-shaped upper support member 200 a formed integrally with the upper case 51 and a lower support member 200 b formed integrally with the lower case 52, and the position of the rotation shaft 57 in the direction orthogonal to the axis line. Prevents deviation.

  The stirring plate 56 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin, and has a plurality of conveying portions 61a, 61b, 61c,... 61g that are partitioned in a rectangular shape by ribs provided vertically and horizontally. Each transport unit 61 includes a plurality of transfer force applying members 610 that are inclined with respect to the moving direction of the stirring plate 56 (the direction indicated by the arrow E).

  The transfer force applying members 610 are arranged in an oblique manner at the same inclination angle at substantially equal intervals, and slits are formed between the transfer force applying members 610. In addition, the transfer force applying member 610 may be disposed to be inclined in different directions for each transport unit 61.

  In addition, the toner conveying ability can be adjusted by changing the interval between the transfer force applying members 610. For example, when the distance between the transfer force applying members 610 is increased, the number of transfer force applying members 610 is reduced, and the amount of toner to be conveyed is reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 57, the cam receiving portion 59 of the stirring plate 56 is formed in a square cylinder shape, and the rotating shaft 57 is inserted into the cam receiving portion 59 so that the cam member 60 is inserted. Is housed.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cam member 60 is provided with a notch 67 on the outer periphery. A side-view trapezoidal scraping member 62 is attached to the notch 67 with a double-sided adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like. As the material of the scraping member 62, for example, an elastic member such as foamed PUR or rubber is suitable, but any other elastic member or flexible member can be adopted as long as it has appropriate elasticity or flexibility. It is. The upstream side of the rotation direction of the scraping member 62 scrapes off the toner from the cam receiver 59 of the stirring plate 56 by the rotation of the rotation shaft 57 in the direction of the arrow, and the scraped toner is upstream of the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 57. It has a scraping surface 64 that gathers to the side. The scraping surface 64 is configured by a single tapered surface 65 that is inclined from one end side to the other end side of the rotating shaft 57.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of cam members 60 (four in the illustrated example) are arranged on the rotating shaft 57 at a predetermined interval. These cam members 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d are provided with scraping members 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d, respectively. By providing the taper surface 65 on the scraping member 62, the taper surface 65 applies a load to the cam receiving portion 59 in the rotation axis direction (thrust direction) of the cam member 62, and the stirring plate 56 moves in the axial direction. Thus, there is a problem that abnormal noise is generated by contacting the inner wall of the casing 10. For this reason, the tapered surfaces 65 of the scraping members 62 a and 62 b and the tapered surfaces 65 of the scraping members 62 c and 62 d are inclined in different directions along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 57. That is, the scraping surfaces 64 a and 64 b of the scraping members 62 a and 62 b are configured by the first tapered surface 65 A that is inclined downward from the one end side 57 a of the rotating shaft 57 toward the central portion of the rotating shaft 57. . Further, the scraping surfaces 64c and 64d of the scraping members 62c and 62d are inclined downward from the other end side 57b of the rotating shaft 57 toward the central portion of the rotating shaft 57 (that is, the first tapered surface 65A and the first taper surface 65A). (Inclined in the opposite direction) and the second tapered surface 65B. Accordingly, the scraping member 62 includes a first scraping member 62A in which the scraping surface 64 is configured by the first tapered surface 65A, and a scraping surface 64 is configured by the second tapered surface 65B. Two types of the second scraping member 62B are provided.

  In this case, the thrust-direction load applied to the cam receiving portion 59 by the first tapered surface 65A and the thrust-direction load applied to the cam receiving portion 59 by the second tapered surface 65B are reciprocal. It becomes the direction to do.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the length dimensions of the respective tapered surfaces 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d are L1, L2,... Ln, and the inclination angles of the respective tapered surfaces 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d are θ1, θ2. ,..., Θn, L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2... + Lnsin θn = 0. Here, the “inclination angle” refers to an inclination angle on the acute angle side with respect to the plane L orthogonal to the axis of the rotation shaft 57. There are two types of scraping members 62: a first scraping member 62A having a first tapered surface 65A and a second scraping member 62B having a second tapered surface 65B. When the inclination angle of the taper surface 65 of the member 62 is positive, the inclination angle of the taper surface 65 of another scraping member 62 having a different inclination direction is negative. In this embodiment, θ1 and θ2 that are counterclockwise with respect to the plane L orthogonal to the axis of the rotation shaft 57 are negative values, and clockwise with respect to the plane L that is orthogonal to the axis of the rotation shaft 57. Θ3 and θ4 are positive values.

  In this embodiment, n = 4. That is, the length dimension of the taper surface 65a of the scraping surface 64a is L1, the length dimension of the taper surface 65b of the scraping surface 64b is L2, the length dimension of the taper surface 66a of the scraping surface 64c is L3, and the scraping surface The length dimension of the 64d tapered surface 66b is L4. Further, the inclination angle of the taper surface 65a of the scraping surface 64a is θ1, the inclination angle of the taper surface 65b of the scraping surface 64b is θ2, the inclination angle of the taper surface 66a of the scraping surface 64c is θ3, and the taper of the scraping surface 64d. The inclination angle of the surface 66b is θ4. In this case, L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2 + L3 × sin θ3 + L4 × sin θ4 = 0.

  Next, the basic operation of this image forming apparatus will be described. In FIG. 1, when the feed roller 30 a is rotated by a paper feed signal from a control unit (not shown) of the image forming apparatus, only the topmost paper P stacked on the paper feed cassette 30 is separated and fed to the paper feed path 31. Sent out. When the leading edge of the sheet P reaches the nip of the registration roller pair 32, the sheet P waits in a state in which a slack is formed on the sheet P in order to synchronize with the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 16.

  The image forming operation will be described by taking one process unit 1K as an example. First, the charging device 4K charges the surface of the image carrier 2K to a uniform high potential. Based on the image data, the exposure device 7 irradiates the surface of the image carrier 2K with the laser beam L, and the potential of the irradiated portion is lowered to form an electrostatic latent image. Unused black toner is supplied from the toner bottle 6K to the developing device 5K. The toner is transferred to the surface portion of the image carrier 2K on which the electrostatic latent image is formed by the developing device 5K, and a black toner image is formed (developed). Then, the toner image formed on the image carrier 2K is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16. The drum cleaning device 3K removes residual toner adhering to the surface of the image carrier 2K after the intermediate transfer process. The removed residual toner is sent to a waste toner container in the process unit 1K and collected by a waste toner transport unit (not shown). Further, a static elimination device (not shown) neutralizes residual charges on the image carrier 2K after cleaning. In the process units 1Y, 1M, and 1C for the respective colors, toner images are similarly formed on the image carriers 2Y, 2M, and 2C, and the respective color toner images are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16 so as to overlap each other.

  The registration roller pair 32 and the feeding roller 30a resume driving, and the sheet P is fed to the secondary transfer roller 20 in synchronism with the toner image superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 16. Then, the secondary transfer roller 20 transfers the toner image superimposed and transferred onto the fed paper P.

  The paper P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 34 through the post-transfer conveyance path 33. The paper P sent to the fixing device 34 is sandwiched between the fixing roller 34a and the pressure roller 34b, and the unfixed toner image is heated and pressed to be fixed on the paper P. The sheet P on which the toner image is fixed is sent out from the fixing device 34 to the post-fixing conveyance path 35.

  At the timing when the paper P is sent out from the fixing device 34, the switching member 42 is at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1 and opens near the end of the post-fixing conveyance path 35. The paper P sent out from the fixing device 34 passes through the post-fixing conveyance path 35, is sandwiched between the paper discharge roller pair 37, and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 44.

  When performing duplex printing, when the trailing edge of the paper P conveyed by the paper discharge roller pair 37 passes through the post-fixing conveyance path 35, the switching member 42 swings to the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. The vicinity of the end of the path 35 is closed. At substantially the same time, the paper discharge roller pair 37 rotates in the reverse direction, and the paper P is fed back and enters the reverse conveyance path 41. The sheet P transported in the reverse transport path 41 passes through the reverse transport roller pair 43, reaches the registration roller pair 32, and is sent out in time with the toner image for the back surface formed on the intermediate transfer belt 16. A toner image is transferred to the back surface of the paper P when passing through the secondary transfer roller 20. After the toner image on the back surface of the paper P is fixed by the fixing device 34, the toner image is discharged to the paper discharge tray 44 through the post-fixing conveyance path 35, the paper discharge path 36, and the paper discharge roller pair 37 in order.

  Further, after the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred to the paper P, residual toner adheres on the intermediate transfer belt 16. This residual toner is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the belt cleaning device 21.

  The toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transported to the inlet 53 of the powder container 10 by a waste toner transport means (not shown) and collected in the powder container 10 (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the rotary shaft 57 rotates in the direction of arrow F, the stirring plate 56 first advances to the right side of the figure in the substantially horizontal direction as shown by arrow A, and then, as shown by arrow B, Move diagonally upward while moving forward slightly. Subsequently, as shown by an arrow C, it moves backward to the left of the figure so as to float upward, and then descends while slightly moving forward as shown by an arrow D.

  When the stirring plate 56 moves along the bottom surface of the lower case 52 in the direction indicated by the arrow A, the conveyance unit 61 can push the toner. Further, the stirring plate 56 is lifted from the bottom surface of the lower case 52 in the directions indicated by the arrows B and C, so that the transport unit 61 can move without returning the pushed toner. When the stirring plate 56 repeats such a circulation movement (reciprocating movement) of A → B → C → D, the toner introduced from the inlet 53 is stirred and conveyed in the direction indicated by the thick arrow in FIG. The In the present embodiment, since a plurality of cam members 60 are arranged on the rotating shaft 57 at a predetermined interval, the driving force can be transmitted to the stirring plate 56 at a plurality of locations. The driving force can be transmitted stably.

  As the powder container 10 is filled with the toner, the toner may enter between the outer periphery of the cam member 60 and the inner surface 62 of the cam receiving portion 59 (see FIG. 6). In this case, due to the rotation of the cam member 60, the edge portion 72 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the scraping surface 64 of each scraping member 62 comes into contact with the inner surface 62 of the cam receiving portion 59, and the stirring plate 56 and the cam The toner that has entered between the sliding surfaces with the member 60 is scraped off and removed. The toner scraped off by the scraping member 62 is guided by the taper surface 65 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the rotating shaft 57 and along the axial direction. In this case, the first tapered surface 65A of the scraping surfaces 64a and 64b guides the toner in the direction of arrow G in FIG. On the other hand, the second tapered surface 5B of the scraping surfaces 64c and 64d guides the toner in the direction of arrow H in FIG. In this way, the scraped toner is discharged to the outside of the cam receiving portion 59.

  Further, since the first taper surface 65A and the second taper surface 65B are inclined in different directions along the axial direction, the first taper surface 65A imparts to the cam receiving portion 59. The thrust direction load and the thrust direction load applied to the cam receiving portion 59 by the second tapered surface 65B are opposite to each other. Thereby, the load in the thrust direction applied to the stirring plate 56 by the tapered surface 65 is canceled as a whole. In addition, since L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2 + L3 × sin θ3 + L4 × sin θ4 = 0, the load applied to the stirring plate 56 is almost zero.

  Thus, since the powder container of the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with the scraping member 62 on the cam member 60, when the cam member 60 rotates, the stirring plate 56 and the cam member 60 slide. The toner that has entered between the surfaces can be scraped off by the scraping member 62 and removed. Thereby, minute vibrations due to the presence of toner and an increase in the coefficient of friction can be suppressed, and generation of abnormal noise due to propagation of this to the cam member 60, the stirring plate 56, and peripheral members can be prevented. Further, since abnormal noise and noise can be reduced with a simple configuration, the mounting operation can be facilitated, the working time can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. In the toner conveying device and the image forming apparatus provided with the powder container of the present invention, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

  Since the scraping surface 64 is constituted by the taper surface 65, since the taper surface 65 guides the scraped toner in the axial direction, it is possible to effectively prevent toner from accumulating on the scraping surface 64 and to receive the cam. The toner can be stably guided to the outside.

  A plurality of cam members 60 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the rotation shaft 57, and each cam member 60 is provided with a scraping member 62, so that driving force can be transmitted at a plurality of locations. A driving force can be stably transmitted to the stirring plate 56. For this reason, the stirring plate 56 moves stably, and the stirring effect in the casing is stabilized.

  The scraping surface 64 includes a single taper surface 65, and the scraping surface 64 includes a first scraping member 62A configured by a first taper surface 65A inclined along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 57; The scraping surface 64 has two types of the first taper surface 65B and the second scraping member 62B configured by the second taper surface 64B inclined in a direction different from the axial direction. ing. Thereby, the thrust load of the direction which opposes with respect to the cam receiving part 59 can be provided, these are canceled, and the load provided with respect to the stirring board 56 can be reduced as a whole. Therefore, the load applied to the stirring plate 56 by the scraping members 62A and 62B can be reduced as a whole, and the stirring plate 56 can be prevented from moving in the axial direction. Generation of abnormal noise due to contact with the inner wall of the casing 10 can be prevented.

  Since L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2. The load applied to the stirring plate 56 can be made substantially zero. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the stirring plate 56 from moving in the axial direction. Further, since the scraping surface 64 is constituted by the single tapered surface 65, the scraping member 62 can be easily processed, and the cost can be reduced.

  Since the scraping member 62 is constituted by an elastic body, the scraping member 62 follows the surface of the cam receiving portion 59 by the elastic action of the elastic body, and the scraping member 62 may have a long life. And the scraping effect can be maintained over a long period of time.

  Since the scraping member 62 is formed of a foam material, weight reduction and manufacturing cost reduction can be achieved. Further, the elastic modulus can be adjusted by changing the foaming rate of the foamed material.

  In FIG. 9, the perspective view of the rotating shaft of the powder container which concerns on Example 2 of this invention is shown. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the scraping member 62 is attached to the notch 67. The scraping surface 64 of the scraping member 62 includes two tapered surfaces 68A and 68B that are inclined in opposite directions. That is, the scraping member 62 has a first taper surface 68A inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 57, and a second taper inclined in a direction different from the first taper surface 68A along the axial direction. The scraping member 62 is shaped like a mountain in a side view where the first taper surface 68A and the second taper surface 68B are joined on the upstream side in the rotational direction. As shown in FIG. 10, in the second embodiment, the rotating shaft 57 is provided with one cam member 60, and the notch portion 67 is provided with one scraping member 62.

  The length dimension of the first taper surface 68A is La, the length dimension of the second taper surface 68B is Lb, the inclination angle formed by the first taper surface 68A on the joint portion side is θa, and the second taper surface on the joint portion side is θa. When the inclination angle formed by the taper surface 68B is θb, La × sin θa = Lb × sin θb. Here, the “inclination angle” refers to an inclination angle on the acute angle side with respect to the plane M perpendicular to the axis of the rotation shaft 57. The scraping surface 64 includes a first taper surface 68A and a second taper surface 68B that are inclined in opposite directions, and the inclination directions are different when the inclination angle of one taper surface is positive. The inclination angle of the other taper surface becomes negative. That is, the length dimension of the first taper surface 68A is La, and the length dimension of the second taper surface 68B is Lb. Further, the inclination angle of the first taper surface 68A is θa, and the inclination angle of the second taper surface 68B is θb. In this case, La × sin θa = Lb × sin θb.

  As a result, in one scraping member 62, the load in the thrust direction that the first tapered surface 68A applies to the cam receiving portion 59 and the thrust that the second tapered surface 68B applies to the cam receiving portion 59 are obtained. The directional loads can be made approximately equal and these are offset. For this reason, the load provided with respect to the stirring plate 56 can be made substantially 0, and it can prevent effectively that the stirring plate 56 moves to an axial direction.

  As described above, in the powder container according to the second embodiment, when the scraping surface 64 has a mountain shape when viewed from the side, the load applied to the stirring plate 56 by one scraping member is reduced. It is possible to prevent the stirring plate 56 from moving in the axial direction.

  In FIG. 11, the perspective view of the rotating shaft of the powder container which concerns on Example 3 of this invention is shown. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, a film-like scraping member 62 is attached to the notch 67. As this material, for example, a highly slidable and highly durable material such as urethane, PTFE, PET, or nylon-based material is preferable. The scraping surface 64 of the scraping member 62 is configured by a single tapered surface 70. That is, the scraping member 62 has a shape of a thin flat plate having a tapered surface 70 that is inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 57.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of cam members 60 (two in the illustrated example) are arranged on the rotating shaft 57 at a predetermined interval. The tapered surface 70 a of the scraping member 62 a and the tapered surface 70 b of the scraping member 62 b are inclined in different directions along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 57. That is, the scraping surface 64 a of the scraping member 62 a is configured by the first tapered surface 70 </ b> A that is inclined downward from the one end side 57 a of the rotating shaft 57 toward the central portion of the rotating shaft 57. Further, the scraping surface 64b of the scraping member 62b is inclined downward from the other end side 57b of the rotating shaft 57 toward the central portion of the rotating shaft 57 (that is, in a direction opposite to the first tapered surface 70A). The second tapered surface 70B is inclined). Accordingly, the scraping member 62 includes a first scraping member 62A in which the scraping surface 64 is configured by the first tapered surface 70A, and a scraping surface 64 is configured by the second tapered surface 70B. Two types of the second scraping member 62B are provided.

  Thus, in the powder container according to the third embodiment, when the scraping member 62 is formed in a film shape, the weight can be reduced, the material cost can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the scraping member 62 can be disposed in a space-saving manner.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the number of cam members 60 and the scraping member 62 may be one. In the second embodiment, a plurality of cam members 60 and the scraping member 62 may be provided. That is, the number of cam members 60 and scraping members 62 is arbitrary. The shapes of the cam member 60 and the cam receiving portion 59 may also be shapes other than those shown in the drawings.

  The arrangement positions of the inlet 53, the cam member 60, the cam receiving portion 59, and the like of the powder container 10 are not limited to the positions shown in FIG. By disposing the cam member 60 and the cam receiving portion 59 as far as possible from the entrance 53, the time when the toner enters between the cam member 60 and the cam receiving portion 59 can be delayed. Therefore, in FIG. 3, the rotation shaft 57 may be disposed in the upper right rear side in the powder container 10 in parallel with the arrow X direction. Or you may arrange | position the rotating shaft 57 in the arrow Y direction in the back left upper side in the powder container 10 in parallel.

  The length L of the tapered surface and the inclination angle θ can be arbitrarily set. In the first embodiment, the scraping member 62 does not have to have a trapezoidal shape in a side view, and the shape on the downstream side in the rotation direction can be various shapes such as a semicircular shape and an elliptical shape.

  In the first to third embodiments, when a plurality of scraping members 62 are provided, the shape and size of each scraping member may not be the same. Further, the scraping member 62 of the first to third embodiments can be mixed in one rotating shaft 57. In the first to third embodiments, a plurality of scraping members 62 may be provided along the circumferential direction.

  When the scraping surface 64 is configured with a single tapered surface as in the first and third embodiments, the arrangement order of the two types of scraping members having different inclination directions is various. be able to. In other words, scraping members having different types of tapered surfaces are alternately arranged, or one type of scraping member is arranged on one end side of the rotating shaft and another type of scraping member is arranged on the other end side. They can be installed, arranged with a predetermined regularity, or randomly arranged.

  Further, the powder container of the present invention may be provided in an apparatus other than the toner conveying apparatus or the image forming apparatus, or may be used for conveying powder other than toner.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Powder container 50 Casing 56 Stirring member 57 Rotating shaft 59 Cam receiving part 60 Cam member 62 Scraping member 64 Scraping surface 65, 68, 70 Tapered surface L Length dimension θ Inclination angle

JP 2008-180831 A JP 2008-275883 A

Claims (12)

A stirring member for stirring the powder in the casing in the casing containing the powder;
A cam member provided on a rotating shaft provided in the casing, and a cam receiving portion on the stirring member side surrounding the cam member;
In the powder container in which the stirring member is driven by sliding rotation with respect to the inner surface of the cam receiving portion of the cam member,
The cam member has a scraping surface having a scraping surface for scraping off toner from the cam receiving portion of the stirring member and guiding the scraped toner in a direction of being discharged from between the cam receiving portion and the cam member. A powder container characterized by being provided.   2. The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the scraping surface is constituted by a tapered surface for guiding the scraped toner from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotational direction of the rotating shaft and along the axial direction. .   The powder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the cam members are disposed at predetermined intervals on the rotation shaft, and the scraping member is provided on each cam member. Body container.   Each scraping member has a scraping surface composed of a single taper surface, and the scraping surface is a first taper surface that is inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. There are two types of scraping members: a scraping surface and a second scraping member configured by a second tapered surface whose scraping surface is inclined in a direction different from the first tapered surface along the axial direction. The powder container according to claim 3, comprising:   When the length dimension of each taper surface is L1, L2,... Ln, and the inclination angle of each taper surface is θ1, θ2,... Θn, L1 × sin θ1 + L2 × sin θ2. The powder container according to claim 4, wherein   The scraping surface includes a first tapered surface that is inclined along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and a second tapered surface that is inclined in a direction different from the first tapered surface along the axial direction. The scraping member is formed in a side-view mountain shape in which the first taper surface and the second taper surface are joined on the upstream side in the rotation direction. The powder container according to claim 3.   The length of the first taper surface is La, the length of the second taper surface is Lb, the angle of inclination formed by the first taper surface on the joint side is θa, and the second taper surface is on the second side. The powder container according to claim 6, wherein La × sin θa = Lb × sin θb, where θb is an inclination angle formed by the tapered surface.   The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the scraping member is formed of an elastic body.   The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the scraping member is formed of a foam material.   The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the scraping member has a film shape.   11. A toner conveying device comprising the powder container according to claim 1 as a toner container for collecting toner.   An image forming apparatus comprising the powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 as a toner container for collecting toner.

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