JP2012027197A - Waste toner amount detection device, waste toner recovery device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner amount detection device which can detect a waste toner amount with high accuracy by a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A waste toner amount detection device comprises: a waste toner conveyance path for accumulating waste toner removed from a surface of a photoreceptor drum; a waste toner presence/absence sensor 600 for detecting that the waste toner conveyance path is full of the waste toner; a waste toner conveyance part 530 which conveys all waste toner in the waste toner conveyance path toward a waste toner storage part when the waste toner presence/absence sensor 600 detects that the waste toner conveyance path is full of the waste toner; a conveyance frequency counter 604 for counting the number of times the waste toner is conveyed; and a controller 1100 which determines whether the number of times the waste toner is conveyed is equal to or above a predetermined value, and causes a display panel 1126 to display a message indicating that the waste toner storage part is full of the waste toner if the number of times the waste toner is conveyed is determined to be equal to or more than the predetermined value.

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste toner amount detection device, a waste toner collection device, and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for accurately detecting a waste toner amount.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique for detecting that the waste toner is full by measuring or estimating the amount of waste toner in a waste toner collection container provided in the image forming apparatus, and notifying the fact.

  For example, Patent Document 1 described below discloses an image forming apparatus that estimates whether or not a waste toner container is full of waste toner based on the number of times toner is supplied to the hopper.

  Further, in Patent Document 2 described later, after the absence of waste toner is directly detected by a transparent portion provided below the waste toner collecting portion and an optical sensor provided at a position facing the transparent portion, image formation is performed. A waste toner amount detection device that counts the number of times and detects that the waste toner is almost full when the count value reaches a certain value is disclosed. Patent Document 2 further irradiates the light reflecting surface with a mutating member that is attached to the waste toner collecting section and varies with the pressure of the waste toner, a light reflecting surface provided on the displacement member, and a light sensor. A waste toner amount detecting device for detecting a full state of waste toner based on whether reflected light of the received light enters a light receiving element is disclosed.

JP-A-6-3890 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-365084

  In the former techniques of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the amount of waste toner is indirectly obtained and estimated by calculation based on the amount of toner used and the number of image formations. As described above, when the amount of waste toner is obtained indirectly, complicated calculation in consideration of the usage status and environmental conditions of the image forming apparatus main body is required, and there is a problem that accurate prediction is difficult. In addition, when the two-stage detection is performed as in the former technique of Patent Document 2, the configuration of the apparatus becomes complicated.

  In the latter technique of Patent Document 2, the amount of waste toner is directly measured by an optical sensor. For reasons of physical behavior of the waste toner, the distribution and aggregation degree of the waste toner in the waste toner collection container are not uniform. Therefore, there is a problem that a relatively large error is likely to occur when the amount of waste toner is directly measured by an optical sensor or the like.

  In order to solve the above problem, it is conceivable to use a method of designing a waste toner collecting container larger, but when this method is used, there is a problem that the cost increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a waste toner amount detection device, a waste toner collection device, and an image forming apparatus that can accurately detect a waste toner amount with a simple configuration.

  The waste toner amount detection device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a waste toner removing unit that removes, as waste toner, toner to be removed that adheres to the surface of the object to be cleaned, and is detachable from the waste toner collecting device. A waste toner amount detection device provided in a waste toner collection device that includes a waste toner storage unit that is mounted and stores waste toner. The waste toner amount detection device includes a storage unit that stores the waste toner removed from the surface of the object to be cleaned by the waste toner removal unit, a detection unit that detects that the waste toner in the storage unit is full, When the detection unit detects that the waste toner in the storage unit is full, the transport unit transports all the waste toner in the storage unit toward the waste toner storage unit, and the waste toner by the transport unit A counting means for counting the number of times the toner has been transported, a judging means for judging whether or not the number of times the waste toner has been transported counted by the counting means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the judging means First notification means for notifying that the waste toner storage means is full of waste toner when it is determined that the predetermined value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

  As described above, the waste toner amount detection device of the present invention is provided with a storage unit that has a smaller amount of waste toner that can be stored than the waste toner storage unit in a stage preceding the waste toner storage direction of the waste toner storage unit. Then, the detecting means detects whether or not the storage means is full of waste toner. As described above, since the waste toner is stored in the storage unit having a small capacity, the uneven distribution of the waste toner can be reduced and the waste toner can be uniformly stored. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the detection means can be increased. Further, since it is determined based on the number of times the waste toner is conveyed whether the waste toner storage means is full of waste toner, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage means can be accurately detected with a simple configuration. it can.

  Preferably, the waste toner amount detection device further includes a waste toner storage unit in the waste toner storage unit based on the waste toner transport number when the determination unit determines that the waste toner transport number is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Calculating means for calculating a toner amount; and second notification means for notifying the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage means calculated by the calculation means.

  As described above, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage unit is calculated using the number of times the storage unit is full of waste toner, that is, the number of times the waste toner is conveyed, so that the detection accuracy of the waste toner amount is further improved. Can be increased.

  More preferably, the waste toner amount detection device further includes an opening / closing valve that is provided at a communication portion between the storage unit and the waste toner storage unit, and that can be opened and closed with respect to the waste toner conveyance direction. A first control means for opening the on-off valve when it is detected that the waste toner in the storage means is full, and a second control for closing the on-off valve when the conveyance of the waste toner by the conveyance means is completed. Means.

  As a result, the transport unit can transport all the waste toner in the storage unit more reliably, so that the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage unit can be detected with higher accuracy.

  More preferably, the conveying means includes a shaft rotatably provided in the accumulating means, a conveying screw provided on an outer periphery of the shaft and having one longitudinal end connected to the shaft, and the other longitudinal end of the conveying screw. And a drive unit that transmits the rotational force by coupling.

  When the transport means has the above-described structure, friction between the transport screw and the shaft is generated during transport of the waste toner, and the waste toner that is stuck or stuck near the inner edge of the transport screw is scraped or removed. Can do. Therefore, waste toner can be conveyed without causing a blocking phenomenon even when used for a long period of time.

  More preferably, the predetermined value is a value indicating the number of times of waste toner conveyance in which the storage unit is full of waste toner.

  Accordingly, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the waste toner storage unit is full of waste toner, so that the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage unit can be detected with higher accuracy.

  A waste toner collecting apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the above-described waste toner detection device, the above-described waste toner removing unit that removes, as waste toner, the toner to be removed that adheres to the surface of the object to be cleaned, and the waste toner. And a waste toner storage unit that is detachably attached to the toner recovery device and stores waste toner.

  As described above, since the waste toner storage unit of the present invention includes the above-described waste toner detection device, the user can easily know that the waste toner storage unit is full of waste toner. Therefore, at an appropriate time, the waste toner storage means filled with the waste toner can be taken out and discarded, and replaced with a new one. As a result, user convenience is further improved.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention includes the above-described waste toner collecting apparatus. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid problems (for example, contamination inside the image forming apparatus due to defective cleaning of the object to be cleaned) caused by delaying replacement of the waste toner storage unit.

  According to the present invention, the waste toner amount detection device is provided with a storage unit that has a smaller amount of waste toner that can be stored than the waste toner storage unit in a stage preceding the waste toner storage direction of the waste toner storage unit. Then, the detecting means detects whether or not the storage means is full of waste toner. As described above, since the waste toner is stored in the storage unit having a small capacity, the uneven distribution of the waste toner can be reduced and the waste toner can be uniformly stored. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the detection means can be increased. Further, since it is determined based on the number of times the waste toner is conveyed whether the waste toner storage means is full of waste toner, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage means can be accurately detected with a simple configuration. it can.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a configuration of an upper part of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a waste toner recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a waste toner transport unit in the waste toner collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 3 when viewed from the upstream side in the waste toner transport direction. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a figure which shows the control structure of the computer program for implement | achieving waste toner full detection processing in a flowchart format. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an operation of a waste toner collecting device during a waste toner full detection process.

In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals and names are assigned to the same components. Their functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[Image Forming Apparatus 1A]
<Hardware configuration>
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an image forming apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment is a multifunction machine that functions as, for example, a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine. The image forming apparatus 1A is based on image data read by the scanner unit 22 or the like or image data transmitted from an external device such as a client personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “client PC”) 1120 shown in FIG. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 3 that is rotationally driven by a photographic method. The electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image by a developer in which two components of a chargeable toner and a magnetic carrier are mixed and charged, and then transferred to a sheet P to be a monochrome (single color) image. Output as.

  The image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A includes an image forming unit 14 having a photoconductive drum 3, a transfer mechanism 10 that directly or indirectly transfers a toner image formed on the photoconductive drum 3 to a paper P, and a paper P And a fixing unit 6 for fixing the transferred toner image on the paper P.

  The image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A further functions as a sheet storage unit 8, and can accommodate a plurality of sheets P of multi-stage paper feed cassettes 1000, 1002, 1004, and paper P supplied from the multi-stage paper feed cassettes 1000, 1002, 1004 Is provided to the image forming unit 14, and a paper conveying device 7 is provided to convey the paper P printed by the image forming unit 14 to the fixing unit 6.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A mainly includes an exposure unit 1, a developing device 2, a toner supply device 30, a photosensitive drum 3, a charger 4, a charge removal device 41, a waste toner collection device 500, and a fixing unit 6. , An apparatus main body 1A1 including a sheet conveying device 7, multi-stage sheet feeding cassettes 1000, 1002, and 1004, a sheet discharge tray 9, a transfer mechanism 10, and the like, and an automatic document conveying apparatus 1A2.

  A document placing table 21 made of transparent glass for placing a document is provided on the upper surface of the device body 1A1, and the automatic document feeder 1A2 is attached to the device body 1A1 so that the document placing table 21 can be opened and closed. It has been.

  A scanner unit 22 that reads image information of a document is provided below the document placing table 21, and below the scanner unit 22, the exposure unit 1, the developing device 2, the photosensitive drum 3, the charger 4, and the charge eliminating device. 41, an image forming unit 14 including a waste toner collecting device 500, a transfer mechanism 10, a fixing unit 6, a paper transport device 7, and a paper discharge tray 9.

  The exposure unit 1 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 uniformly charged by the charger 4 by irradiating a laser beam corresponding to image data output from an image processing unit 1112 described later, thereby exposing the photosensitive member. An electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the drum 3. The exposure unit 1 is disposed immediately below the scanner unit 22 and above the photosensitive drum 3. In the exposure unit 1, laser scanning units (hereinafter referred to as “LSU”) 13 </ b> A and 13 </ b> B including a laser irradiation unit 11 and a reflection mirror 12 are employed. In this embodiment, in order to perform high-speed printing processing, a technique (two-beam technique) that uses a plurality of laser beams and reduces an increase in irradiation timing per laser element is adopted. In the present embodiment, the LSUs 13A and 13B are used for the exposure unit 1, but instead, for example, light emitting elements such as an EL (Electro Luminescence) or LED (Light Emitting Diode) writing head are arrayed. You may use what was arranged in the shape.

  The photosensitive drum 3 is a substantially cylindrical member. The photosensitive drum 3 is disposed below the exposure unit 1 and is controlled to rotate in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow A in the drawing) by a driving device (not shown) and a control device 1100 shown in FIG. The Referring to FIG. 2, around the photosensitive drum 3, along the outer peripheral surface thereof, a sheet peeling claw 31, a waste toner collecting device 500, a charger 4 as an electric field generating unit, a developing device 2, and The static eliminator 41 is arranged in this order toward the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum with reference to the position after completion of the image transfer.

  The sheet peeling claw 31 is disposed so as to be able to contact and separate from the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 3 by a solenoid 32. When the unfixed toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 is transferred to the paper P in a state where the paper peeling claw 31 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 3, the paper sticks to the surface of the photosensitive drum 3. P is peeled off. In addition, as a driving device for the sheet peeling claw 31, a driving motor or the like may be employed instead of the solenoid 32. Also, other drive devices can be selected.

  The developing device 2 visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3 with black toner. A registration roller 15 is disposed below the developing device 2 and upstream of the sheet conveying direction.

  The toner supply device 30 is disposed adjacent to the developing device 2 and temporarily stores the toner discharged from the toner container 300 filled with toner in the intermediate hopper 33 and then supplies the toner to the developing device 2. .

  The charger 4 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 3 and close to the outer peripheral surface thereof, and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to a predetermined potential. In the present embodiment, the charger type charger 4 is used, but a contact type roller system, a brush system, or the like may be used instead.

  The static eliminator 41 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 3, and in order to facilitate the transfer of the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 onto the paper P, the photosensitive drum 3. Lowers the surface potential. In the present embodiment, the static eliminator 41 is configured using the static elimination electrode, but may alternatively be neutralized by a static elimination lamp and other methods.

  The waste toner collecting device 500 removes and collects waste toner, paper powder, dust, and the like remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 after development and image transfer. The waste toner collecting device 500 is disposed substantially horizontally at a position substantially opposite to the developing device 2 with the photosensitive drum 3 interposed therebetween, and on the side of the photosensitive drum 3 (left side in FIGS. 1 and 2). The Details of the waste toner collecting apparatus 500 will be described later.

  As described above, the electrostatic image visualized on the photosensitive drum 3 is applied by the transfer mechanism 10 onto the paper P on which the electric field having the opposite polarity to the charge of the electrostatic image is conveyed. Transferred onto the paper P. For example, when the electrostatic image has a charge of (−) polarity, the applied polarity of the transfer mechanism 10 is (+) polarity.

The transfer mechanism 10 includes a drive roller 101, a driven roller 102, and a transfer belt 103 wound around the drive roller 101, the driven roller 102, and other rollers, and is configured as a transfer belt type unit in which these are unitized. The The transfer belt 103 has a predetermined resistance value (in the present embodiment, a range of 1 × 10 ⁹ to 1 × 10 ¹³ Ω · cm), and the surface of the transfer belt 103 is located below the photosensitive drum 3 on the photosensitive member. It arrange | positions so that a part of outer peripheral surface of the drum 3 may contact. The transfer belt 103 conveys the paper P while pressing it against the photosensitive drum 3.

  An elastic conductive roller 105 capable of applying a transfer electric field with a conductivity different from that of the driving roller 101 and the driven roller 102 is disposed at the contact portion 104 between the photosensitive drum 3 and the transfer belt 103.

  The elastic conductive roller 105 is made of a soft material such as elastic rubber and foaming resin. Since the elastic conductive roller 105 has elasticity, the photosensitive drum 3 and the transfer belt 103 are not in line contact but in surface contact having a predetermined width called a transfer nip. Transfer efficiency can be improved.

  Further, on the downstream side of the transfer region of the transfer belt 103 in the sheet conveyance direction, a discharge roller 106 is used for discharging the electric field applied to the sheet P to be transferred in the transfer region, and for smooth transfer to the next process. It is arranged on the back side of the belt 103.

  The transfer mechanism 10 further includes a transfer belt cleaning unit 107 that removes dirt due to residual toner on the transfer belt 103, and a plurality of static elimination mechanisms 108 that neutralize the transfer belt 103. As a static elimination method used for the static elimination mechanism 108, there is a method of grounding through an apparatus or a method of positively applying an electric field having a reverse polarity to the polarity of the transfer electric field.

  The electrostatic image (unfixed toner) transferred onto the paper P by the transfer mechanism 10 is conveyed to the fixing unit 6 and is pressurized and heated to melt the unfixed toner and be fixed on the paper P. .

  The fixing unit 6 includes a heating roller 6A and a pressure roller 6B. Inside the heating roller 6A, there is provided a heat source 614 for setting the surface of the heating roller 6A to a predetermined temperature (fixing set temperature: approximately 160 ° C. to 200 ° C.). On the outer periphery of the heating roller 6A, a sheet peeling claw 611, a thermistor 612, and a fixing roller cleaning unit 613 for cleaning the outer periphery of the heating roller 6A are arranged.

  At both ends of the pressure roller 6B, pressure members 621 that allow the pressure roller 6B to be brought into pressure contact with the heating roller 6A with a predetermined amount of pressure are disposed. A sheet peeling claw 622 and a roller surface cleaning member 623 are disposed on the outer periphery of the pressure roller 6B.

  The fixing unit 6 heats and melts unfixed toner on the conveyed paper P by the heating roller 6A at a pressure contact portion 600 between the heating roller 6A and the pressure roller 6B, which is called a fixing nip portion, The unfixed toner is fixed on the sheet by a throwing action on the sheet P by the pressure contact force between 6A and the pressure roller 6B.

  On the downstream side of the fixing unit 6 in the sheet conveyance direction, a conveyance roller 16 that conveys the sheet P toward the inside and outside of the fixing unit 6 is provided. A paper discharge roller 17 that discharges the paper P to the paper discharge tray 9 is provided on the downstream side of the transport roller 16 in the paper transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-stage sheet feeding cassettes 1000, 1002, and 1004 are cassettes for storing a plurality of sheets P having different sizes, and are disposed below the image forming unit 14. The first cassette 1000 can store 500 to 1500 sheets of standard size paper P in order to perform high-speed printing processing.

  The paper transport unit 59 includes three paper feed systems for feeding the paper P from the multistage paper feed cassettes 1000, 1002, and 1004 to the paper transport path leading to the image forming unit 14.

  The first paper feed system functions as a pick-up roller and a pair of upper and lower pick-up rollers 1006 to feed the paper P in the uppermost first paper feed cassette 1000 one by one to the paper transport path. A sheet feeding roller 1008 and a separation roller 1010 to be picked up, and by the rotation of these rollers 1006, 1008, 1010, the sheets P stacked and accommodated in the first sheet feeding cassette 1000 are picked up one by one from the uppermost layer and conveyed. Feed the road. The pickup roller 1006, the paper feed roller 1008, and the separation roller 1010 are disposed at the paper discharge side end of the first paper feed cassette 1000. The sheet P fed from the first sheet cassette 1000 to the sheet conveyance path by the operation of these rollers 1006, 1008, and 1010 is positioned at the end of the sheet conveyance path by the rotation of a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers in the middle. Is conveyed toward the registration roller 15.

  The second paper feeding system functions as a pair of upper and lower pick-up rollers in order to feed the paper P in the second paper feeding cassette 1002 in the middle stage one by one to the paper conveyance path. A sheet feeding roller 1014 and a separation roller 1016 are included, and by rotating these rollers 1012, 1014, and 1016, sheets P stacked and accommodated in the second sheet feeding cassette 1002 are picked up one by one from the uppermost layer, and a sheet transport path Feed the paper. The pickup roller 1012, the paper feed roller 1014, and the separation roller 1016 are disposed at the paper discharge side end of the second paper feed cassette 1002. The sheet P fed from the second sheet cassette 1002 to the sheet conveyance path by the operation of these rollers 1012, 1014, and 1016 is positioned at the end of the sheet conveyance path by the rotation of a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers in the middle. Is conveyed toward the registration roller 15.

  The third paper feed system functions as a pick-up roller and a pair of upper and lower pick-up rollers 1018 to feed the paper P in the lowermost third paper feed cassette 1004 one by one to the paper transport path. A sheet feed roller 1020 and a separation roller 1022 that rotate, and the rollers 1018, 1020, and 1022 rotate to pick up the sheets P stacked and accommodated in the third sheet feed cassette 1004 one by one from the top layer and convey the sheets Feed the road. The pickup roller 1018, the paper feed roller 1020, and the separation roller 1022 are disposed at the paper discharge side end of the third paper feed cassette 1004. The sheet P fed from the third sheet cassette 1004 to the sheet conveyance path by the operation of the rollers 1018, 1020, and 1022 is positioned at the end of the sheet conveyance path by the rotation of a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers in the middle. Is conveyed toward the registration roller 15.

  The registration roller 15 aligns the sheet P supplied from each of the multistage sheet feeding cassettes 1000, 1002, and 1004 with the leading end of the sheet P and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3, and the photosensitive drum 3 and the transfer belt 103. The operation is controlled by a drive device (not shown) and the control device 1100 shown in FIG.

  An automatic paper feed cassette 81 capable of storing a large amount of a plurality of types of paper is connected to one side surface (right side surface in FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 1A1. Above the automatic paper feed cassette 81, a manual feed tray 82 mainly for printing on irregular-size paper is provided. Paper is also supplied from the automatic paper feed cassette 81 and the manual feed tray 82 to the image forming unit 14 through the paper conveyance path.

  The paper discharge tray 9 is disposed on the opposite side to the manual feed tray 82. Instead of the paper discharge tray 9, a post-processing device that performs stapling processing and punching processing of paper discharge, a multi-stage paper discharge tray, and the like can be arranged as options.

  The sheet conveying device 7 is disposed between the photosensitive drum 3 and the multistage sheet feeding cassettes 1000, 1002, 1004. The paper transport device 7 includes a paper transport path, a branching claw, and the like. The paper transport device 7 has a function of transporting the paper P supplied from the multi-stage paper feed cassettes 1000, 1002, 1004 one by one to the transfer mechanism 10, and the paper on which the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 3 by the transfer mechanism 10. A function of conveying P to the fixing unit 6 and a function of conveying the paper P according to a designated paper discharge processing mode after an unfixed toner image is fixed on the paper P by the fixing unit 6.

  In the image forming apparatus 1A, a single-sided printing mode and a double-sided printing mode are set as discharge processing modes set in advance. In the single-sided printing mode, it is possible to select a setting of face-up discharge for discharging the print surface upward and face-down discharge for discharging the print surface downward as the discharge process.

[Waste toner collecting device 500]
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the waste toner collecting device 500 includes a waste toner removing unit 510 that removes waste toner and paper dust (not shown) adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 3, and waste toner. A waste toner storage unit 520 that stores the waste toner, a waste toner transport unit 530 that transports the waste toner toward the waste toner storage unit 520, and a transport count counter 604 that counts the number of times the waste toner is transported and stores the count value (FIG. 5).

  The waste toner conveyance unit 530 includes a casing 532 having a waste toner conveyance path 531 therein, a shaft 533 rotatably provided in the waste toner conveyance path 531, a conveyance screw 534 provided on the outer periphery of the shaft 533, and a conveyance screw 534. And a drive unit 535 that transmits a rotational force to the conveying screw 534.

  The casing 532 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container-like member provided along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 3. The length of the casing 532 in the longitudinal direction is formed to be larger than the length of the photosensitive drum 3 in the longitudinal direction. In the casing 532, an opening 532 A having a length approximately the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 3 is formed in a wall portion facing the photosensitive drum 3.

  The shaft 533 is pivotally supported on both side walls located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the casing 532 so as to be rotatable about the axis.

  The drive unit 535 includes a servo motor 535A attached to the upstream side wall of the casing 532 in the waste toner conveyance direction, a first drive gear 535B fixed to a drive shaft of the servo motor 535A penetrating the side wall of the casing 532, and a shaft. And a second drive gear 535C that is rotatably attached to the upstream side of the waste toner conveying direction 533 and meshes with the first drive gear 535B. The axial movement of the first drive gear 535B is restricted with respect to the shaft 533.

  The casing 532 has a structure in which a waste toner conveyance path 531 that accommodates the conveyance screw 534 and a gear accommodation chamber that accommodates the first drive gear 535B and the second drive gear 535C communicate with each other. The gear storage chamber is shielded from the outside so that waste toner does not leak outside.

  The conveying screw 534 is made of a coil spring. In the conveyance screw 534, one end on the downstream side in the waste toner conveyance direction is fixed to the shaft 533, and the other end on the upstream side in the waste toner conveyance direction is fixed to a part of the side surface of the second drive gear 535C. The conveying screw 534 is disposed near the bottom surface of the casing 532 inside the casing 532. In FIG. 1, a symbol W represents a portion (fixed portion) where the conveying screw 534 and the shaft 533 are fixed by welding.

  In the present embodiment, a waste toner presence sensor 600 is provided on the upper surface of the casing 532 inside the casing 532. The waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 detects that the waste toner conveyance path 531 is full of waste toner, and notifies the control device 1100 shown in FIG. 5 of the detection result. The waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used in the field, but a pressure sensor, a dielectric constant sensor, and the like can be used.

  The waste toner transport unit 530 further includes a relay transport unit 540 that transports the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 toward the waste toner storage unit 520. The relay conveyance unit 540 includes a relay conveyance path 541 formed of a flexible tube that connects the waste toner discharge port 532B formed on the bottom surface of the casing 532 on the downstream side in the waste toner conveyance direction and the waste toner storage unit 520. And a coil spring 542 rotatably provided in the relay conveyance path 541 and a drive unit 543 that rotationally drives the coil spring 542.

  More specifically, a connecting cylinder portion 532C communicating with the waste toner discharge port 532B is provided at the end of the casing 532 on the downstream side in the waste toner conveyance direction. The connecting cylinder portion 532C is a short cylindrical member extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the casing 532, and one end thereof is opened and connected to the relay conveyance path 541, and the other end is blocked from the outside by an end wall. ing. The waste toner discharge port 532B communicates with the upper portion of the connection cylinder portion 532C. Further, the upstream end portion of the coil spring 542 in the waste toner conveyance direction is disposed in the connection cylinder portion 532C.

  As the drive unit 543, for example, an interlocking shaft that is rotatably pivoted through the end wall of the connection cylinder part 532C and an end of the connection axis that is fixed to the inner end of the connection cylinder part 532C are not shown. The rotating plate and a transmission gear (not shown) that transmits the rotational force of the shaft 533 to the interlocking shaft can be included, and the end of the coil spring 542 on the upstream side in the waste toner conveying direction is connected to the rotating plate. The As described above, by providing the relay conveyance unit 540, the waste toner storage unit 520 can be arranged at a position away from the casing 532.

  In the present embodiment, an open / close valve 602 that can be opened and closed with respect to the waste toner conveyance direction is provided at a portion of the relay conveyance path 541 that communicates with the waste toner container 520. The opening / closing of the on-off valve 602 is controlled by a control device 1100 shown in FIG. The on-off valve 602 is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used in the field, and an electromagnetic valve using a solenoid or the like can be used.

  The waste toner removing unit 510 includes a cleaning blade 511 provided along the upper edge of the opening 532A of the casing 532, and a waste toner leakage prevention mylar 512 provided along the lower edge of the opening 532A. The cleaning blade 511 is a long plate made of a rubber-like member having a predetermined hardness. The cleaning blade 511 is formed such that the length in the longitudinal direction is longer than the range in which the toner image is formed in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 3.

  The cleaning blade 511 is sandwiched between a bent portion formed by bending an upper edge of the opening 532A of the casing 532 inward at a predetermined angle and the blade mounting plate 511A, and a mounting screw 511B is provided from the blade mounting plate 511A side. By being attached, it is detachably attached to the casing 532 so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 3 with a predetermined pressure.

  The waste toner fall prevention mylar 512 is a long plate made of a plastic member. The waste toner fall prevention mylar 512 is formed at a position facing the lower side of the cleaning blade 511 with a length similar to that of the cleaning blade 511.

  The waste toner removing unit 510 configured as described above is a phenomenon in which the tip of the cleaning blade 511 that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 3 with a predetermined pressure is repelled from the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 3 (so-called “stick stick”). Using the “slip phenomenon”), residual toner, paper dust, and the like adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 are blown off from the photosensitive drum 3. The waste toner fall prevention mylar 512 prevents the residual toner that has been blown off from being scattered outside the casing 532.

  The waste toner container 520 includes an outer box 521 having an upper connection port that is connected to the downstream side of the relay conveyance path 541 in the waste toner conveyance direction, and an upper-open waste toner collection that is detachably mounted in the outer box 521. Box 522.

  In the stopped state of the waste toner collecting apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 3A, the conveying screw 534 is composed of a coil spring and only one end is connected to the shaft 533. A gap G is formed between them. In addition, the other end of the conveying screw 534 is not connected to the shaft 533 but is connected to the second driving gear 535C of the driving unit 535, so that the shaft 533 is free with respect to the conveying screw 534 and the driving gear 535C. .

  When the driving state is switched from the stopped state to the driving state shown in FIG. 3B, the rotational force of the servo motor 535A is transmitted to the second driving gear 535C via the first driving gear 535B, whereby the conveying screw 534 is moved to the arrow. Start rotation in direction B. At this time, only one portion of the shaft 533 on the downstream side of the conveyance is connected to the conveyance screw 534, and the gap G is formed between the shaft 533 and the conveyance screw 534, so that the rotation of the conveyance screw 534 is started. At the same time, the shaft 533 does not rotate.

  Since the conveying screw 534 is a coil spring, the conveying screw 534 moves in the radial inner direction and the screw pitch narrowing direction so as to tighten the shaft 533 simultaneously with the rotation. As a result, the inner edge of the conveying screw 534 comes into contact with the shaft 533 so that there is no gap G, the rotational force of the conveying screw 534 is transmitted to the shaft 533, and the shaft 533 rotates with a time difference.

  Since the conveying screw 534 and the shaft 533 rotate in this manner, the waste toner in the waste toner conveying path 531 is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction (in the direction of arrow C) by the rotation of the conveying screw 534. Further, friction occurs between both the conveying screw 534 and the shaft 533, and the waste toner that is fixed or adhering to the vicinity of the inner edge of the conveying screw 534 can be scraped off or removed. Therefore, waste toner can be conveyed without causing a blocking phenomenon even when used for a long period of time.

  On the other hand, when the conveying screw 534 is rotated, the drive unit 543 of the relay conveying unit 540 is interlocked with the coil spring 542 and is also rotated in the direction of arrow D. As a result, the waste toner that is transported downstream of the waste toner transport path 531 in the waste toner transport direction and falls into the connecting cylinder portion 532C from the waste toner discharge port 532B passes through the relay transport path 541 by the rotating coil spring 542. The toner is transported and dropped into a waste toner collection box 522 of the waste toner container 520.

  When the driving unit 535 in such a driving state is stopped, the conveying screw 534 stops rotating and moves outward in the radial direction away from the shaft 533 and in a direction in which the screw pitch spreads by the restoring force of the coil spring, and then the shaft The rotation of 533 stops (see FIG. 5A). At this time, the intermediate conveyance unit 540 also stops driving. Since the conveying screw 534 and the shaft 533 perform such an operation even when they are stopped, the waste toner adhering to or adhering to the wall surface of the waste toner conveying portion 531 has a force in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (arrow C direction). To be solved.

  Further, immediately after the driving unit 535 is stopped, the conveying screw 534 may be rotated reversely by several rotations by the servo motor 535A. By reversely rotating the conveying screw 534 in this way, the conveying screw 534 moves in the radially outward direction away from the shaft 533 and the direction in which the screw pitch increases while rotating in the reverse direction, so that the waste toner in the waste toner conveyance path is discarded. It is understood that the toner is conveyed upstream in the toner conveying direction, and the waste toner fixed to the inner wall surface of the waste toner conveying path can be scraped off. As a result, the blocking phenomenon in which waste toner abnormally accumulates in the waste toner conveyance path can be more effectively prevented.

<Electrical configuration>
Referring to FIG. 5, image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A includes a control device 1100 that performs overall control of image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A. The control device 1100 is substantially a computer, and includes a main CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1104, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1106, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 1108, and an image memory 1110. And an image processing unit 1112.

  A common BUS line 1114 is connected to the main CPU 1102, and a ROM 1104, a RAM 1106, an HDD 1108, an image memory 1110, and an image processing unit 1112 are connected to the BUS line 1114.

  The main CPU 1102 executes various computer programs in accordance with instructions from the operation unit 1116 and the like, thereby executing desired processes such as operations of the respective units of the image forming apparatus 1A and communication with the client PC 1120. The various computer programs are stored in the ROM 1104 or the HDD 1108 in advance, and are read from the ROM 1104 or the HDD 1108 and transferred to the RAM 1106 when a desired process is executed. The main CPU 1102 reads and interprets a program instruction from an address in the RAM 1106 specified by a value stored in a register called a program counter (not shown) in the main CPU 1102. The main CPU 1102 also reads data necessary for an operation from an address specified by the read instruction, and executes an operation corresponding to the instruction on the data. The execution result is also stored in an address specified by an instruction, such as a register in the RAM 1106, HDD 1108, and main CPU 1102.

  The HDD 1108 includes a magnetic storage medium, and various computer data including image data and a computer program for realizing a general operation of the image forming apparatus 1A, as well as a computer program for realizing a waste toner full detection process described later. Remember.

  The image processing unit 1112 performs various kinds of processing including predetermined image processing such as rasterization processing on the image data received from the scanner unit 22 to create print data of predetermined gradation, and stores it in the image memory 1110. Output.

  The image memory 1110 includes a RAM and temporarily stores print data in units of pages. The image memory 1110 is print data input from the image processing unit 1112 or transmitted from an external device such as the client PC 1120 for transmission to the image forming unit 14 in response to an instruction from the main CPU 1102 or the like. Are temporarily stored in units of pages, and the stored print data is output to the image forming unit 14 in synchronization with image formation by the image forming unit 14.

  The common BUS line 1114 further includes an image forming unit 22, an image forming unit 14, a sheet conveying unit 59, a transfer mechanism 10, a fixing unit 6, a sheet conveying apparatus 7, an automatic sheet feeding cassette 81, and an automatic document conveying apparatus 1 A 2. An NIC (Network Interface Card) 1122 that interfaces with a client PC 1120 or the like, which is one of external devices, is connected via an operation unit 1116 of the apparatus 1A and a LAN (Local Area Network) line 1118. The main CPU 1102 controls each unit described above to execute desired operations such as document reading, document image printing, sheet feeding and discharging, and communication with an external device such as the client PC 1120.

  The operation unit 1116 is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 1A1. The operation unit 1116 includes a start key 1124, a display panel 1126, and the like.

  Further, the common BUS line 1114 is connected to a waste toner conveyance unit 530 (that is, a servo motor 535A of the drive unit 535), an on-off valve 602, a waste toner presence / absence sensor 600, and a conveyance number counter 604. The main CPU 1102 executes a waste toner full detection process, which will be described later, by controlling each unit described above.

<Software configuration>
(Waste toner full detection process)
A program for realizing the waste toner full detection process is started simultaneously with the start of an operation by the image forming unit 14 (an operation with waste toner removal by the waste toner removing unit 510 such as an image forming operation). This waste toner full detection process is periodically repeated during the operation of the image forming unit 14.

  Referring to FIG. 6, this program determines whether or not waste toner transport path 531 is full of waste toner based on the detection result of waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 in steps S1000 and S1000. This is executed when it is determined to be full (in the case of YES), and the shaft 533, the conveying screw 534, and the coil spring 542 are rotated by driving the drive unit 535 in step S1001 to open the on-off valve 602. And step S1002 of transporting the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 toward the waste toner container 520. If it is determined in step S1000 that it is not full (in the case of NO), this control ends.

  This program is further executed in steps S1003 for waiting until a predetermined time elapses, and when it is determined in step S1003 that the predetermined time has elapsed (in the case of YES), the step of closing the on-off valve 602. S1004. The predetermined time described above is a time required until all of the waste toner that is full in the waste toner conveyance path 531 is discharged to the waste toner storage unit 520, is registered in advance by a serviceman or the like, and the HDD 1108. Is remembered.

  The program further includes step S1005 for incrementing the variable N by 1, and step S1006 for determining whether or not the variable N is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A. Here, the variable N is a count value indicating the number of times of waste toner conveyance, which is stored in the conveyance number counter 604. As described above, the number of times the waste toner is conveyed is counted by 1 when the series of processing from step S1001 to step S1004 is performed. The predetermined value A is a value indicating the number of times of waste toner conveyance that the waste toner storage unit 520 becomes full of waste toner. In this way, since the amount of waste toner transported (waste toner discharge amount) at a time is constant, the amount of waste toner stored in the waste toner storage unit 520 can be expressed by the number of times of waste toner transport. The predetermined value A is registered in advance by a service person or the like and stored in the HDD 1108.

  This program is further executed when it is determined in step S1006 that the variable N is greater than or equal to the predetermined value A (in the case of YES), and the waste toner container 520 is disposed on the display panel 1126 of the operation unit 1116. Displayed in steps S1007 for displaying a message indicating that the toner is full, and if it is determined in step S1006 that the variable N is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value A (in the case of NO), the display panel of the operation unit 1116 is displayed. A step S1008 of displaying a value (N / A (%)) indicating the ratio of the variable N to the predetermined value A as a waste toner amount for 1126.

<Operation>
1 to 7, image forming apparatus 1A including waste toner collecting apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment operates as follows. Except for the following operations, operations for realizing general functions of the image forming apparatus 1A are the same as those of the conventional image forming apparatus. In the following operation, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 1A is in a power-on state, and the on-off valve 602 is closed when the image forming apparatus 1A is turned on.

  The user sets a desired document on the document table 21 and presses the start key 1124 of the operation unit 1116 in order to copy the document. When the start key 1124 is pressed, the scanner unit 22 reads the image information of the placed document, and transmits the read image information to the image processing unit 1112 as image data.

  The image processing unit 1112 performs various processes including predetermined image processing on the image data received from the scanner unit 22 to create print data with a predetermined gradation, and outputs the print data to the image memory 1110.

  The image memory 1110 temporarily stores print data input from the image processing unit 1112 in units of pages, and outputs the stored print data to the image forming unit 14 in synchronization with image formation by the image forming unit 14. To do.

  Each unit of the image forming apparatus 1A including the image forming unit 14, the transfer mechanism 10, the fixing unit 6, the paper transport device 7 and the like executes print processing in accordance with an instruction from the control device 1100, and is input to the image forming unit 14 A document image based on the print data is printed on the recording paper P and output. At this time, waste toner, paper dust, dust, and the like remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 after development and image transfer in the image forming unit 14 are removed by the waste toner removing unit 510 and are disposed in the waste toner conveyance path 531. Accumulated.

(Waste toner full detection process)
When the image forming operation by the image forming unit 14 is started, the control device 1100 determines whether the waste toner conveyance path 531 is full of waste toner based on the detection result of the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600. (Step S1000). When the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 detects that the waste toner conveyance path 531 is full of waste toner (see FIG. 7A), it notifies the control device 1100 of the detection result.

  When the detection result of waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 is notified, control device 1100 determines that waste toner conveyance path 531 is full of waste toner (YES in step S1000), and opens on-off valve 602 (step S1000). Step S1001). The control device 1100 further rotates the shaft 533, the conveying screw 534, and the coil spring 542 by driving the driving unit 535. As a result, the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 is transported toward the waste toner container 520 (step S1002) (see FIG. 7B).

  When a predetermined time elapses after the start of waste toner conveyance (YES in step S1003), control device 1100 closes on-off valve 602 (step S1004). In this way, a certain amount of waste toner accumulated in the waste toner conveyance path 531 is discharged to the waste toner storage unit 520.

  After closing the on-off valve 602, the control device 1100 increments the variable N stored in the conveyance number counter 604 by 1 (step S1005). After incrementing the variable N, the control device 1100 determines whether or not the variable N is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A (step S1006).

  If control device 1100 determines that variable N is greater than or equal to predetermined value A (YES in step S1006), that is, if waste toner container 520 is full of waste toner, control unit 1116 A message indicating that the waste toner container 520 is full of waste toner is displayed on the display panel 1126 (step S1007). The user confirms the message, takes out the waste toner collection box 522 filled with waste toner (including residual toner and paper dust), discards it, and replaces it with a new one.

  On the other hand, if control device 1100 determines that variable N is not equal to or greater than predetermined value A (NO in step S1006), that is, if waste toner container 520 is not full of waste toner, operation unit 1116 A value (N / A (%)) indicating the ratio of the variable N to the predetermined value A is displayed on the display panel 1126 as the amount of waste toner (step S1008). By checking the display, the user can determine whether it is almost time to replace the waste toner collection box 522.

  The control device 1100 periodically and repeatedly executes the above-described waste toner full detection process until the image forming operation by the image forming unit 14 is completed.

<Action and effect>
According to the above embodiment, the waste toner collecting device 500 is attached to and detached from the waste toner collecting device 500 and the waste toner removing unit 510 that removes the toner to be removed attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 as waste toner. A waste toner storage unit 520 including a waste toner collection box 522 that can be mounted and that stores waste toner, and a waste toner amount detection mechanism described below are included. In this waste toner amount detection mechanism, the waste toner transport path 531 for accumulating waste toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 by the waste toner removal unit 510 and the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 are full. When the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 and the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 detect that the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 is full, all the waste toners in the waste toner transport path 531 are detected. , A waste toner transport unit 530 that transports the waste toner toward the waste toner storage unit 520, a transport number counter 604 that counts the number of times the waste toner is transported by the waste toner transport unit 530, and the waste toner counted by the transport number counter 604. It is determined whether or not the number of conveyances is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A, and it is determined that the number of conveyances of waste toner is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A. In case, to the display panel 1126 includes a control unit 1100 to display a message indicating that the waste toner container 520 is full with waste toner, a.

  As described above, the waste toner amount detection mechanism is provided with the waste toner conveyance path 531 having a smaller amount of waste toner that can be accumulated than the waste toner storage unit 520 in the preceding stage of the waste toner storage unit 520 in the waste toner conveyance direction. Then, the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 detects whether or not the waste toner conveyance path 531 is full of waste toner. As described above, since the waste toner is accumulated in the waste toner conveyance path 531 having a small capacity, the uneven distribution of the waste toner can be reduced, and the waste toner can be uniformly accumulated. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 can be increased. Further, since it is determined based on the number of times the waste toner is conveyed whether or not the waste toner container 520 is full of waste toner, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner container 520 is accurately detected with a simple configuration. be able to.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, when the controller 1100 determines that the number of waste toner conveyance times is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value A, the waste toner in the waste toner container 520 is determined based on the number of waste toner conveyance times. The toner amount is calculated, and the calculated waste toner amount in the waste toner container 520 is displayed on the display panel 1126.

  As described above, the amount of waste toner in the waste toner container 520 is calculated using the number of times the waste toner conveyance path 531 is filled with waste toner, that is, the number of times of waste toner conveyance. The accuracy can be further increased.

  In addition, according to the above embodiment, the waste toner amount detection mechanism is further provided with the open / close valve 602 that is provided in a communication portion between the waste toner conveyance path 531 and the waste toner storage unit 520 and can be opened and closed in the waste toner conveyance direction. When the waste toner presence / absence sensor 600 detects that the waste toner in the waste toner transport path 531 is full, the control device 1100 opens the on-off valve 602 and the waste toner transport unit 530 supplies waste toner. When the conveyance is finished, the on-off valve 602 is closed.

  As a result, the waste toner conveyance unit 530 can more reliably convey all the waste toner in the waste toner conveyance path 531. Therefore, the waste toner amount in the waste toner storage unit 520 can be detected with higher accuracy. can do.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the waste toner conveyance unit 530 is provided in the waste toner conveyance path 531 so as to be rotatable, and is provided on the outer periphery of the shaft 533, and one end in the longitudinal direction is coupled to the shaft 533. A conveying screw 534 connected to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the conveying screw 534 and a driving unit 535 that transmits a rotational force.

  Since the waste toner transport unit 530 has the above-described structure, when the waste toner is transported, friction is generated between the transport screw 534 and the shaft 533, and the waste toner is fixed or fixed to the vicinity of the inner edge of the transport screw 534. Can be scraped or solved. Therefore, waste toner can be conveyed without causing a blocking phenomenon even when used for a long period of time.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the predetermined value A is a value indicating the number of times of waste toner conveyance that the waste toner storage unit 520 becomes full of waste toner.

  This makes it possible to more accurately determine whether or not the waste toner storage unit 520 is full of waste toner, so that the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage unit 520 can be detected more accurately.

  As described above, the waste toner collection device 500 includes the above-described waste toner detection mechanism, the waste toner removal unit 510, and the waste toner storage unit 520. Therefore, the user can use the waste toner storage unit 520 as waste toner. You can easily know that you are full. Therefore, at an appropriate time, the waste toner collection box 522 filled with waste toner can be taken out and discarded, and replaced with a new one. As a result, user convenience is further improved.

  Further, according to the embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 </ b> A includes the waste toner collecting device 500. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid problems caused by delaying replacement of the waste toner collection box 522 (for example, contamination inside the image forming apparatus 1A due to poor cleaning of the photosensitive drum 3).

<Modification>
In the above embodiment, in step S1007 shown in FIG. 6, a message indicating that the waste toner container 520 is full of waste toner is displayed on the display panel 1126. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment. For example, together with the display of the message, each part of the main body of the image forming apparatus 1A may be stopped. As a result, it is possible to more reliably avoid problems caused by the delay in replacing the waste toner collection box 522.

  In the above embodiment, the mechanism for transporting waste toner from the image forming unit 14 to the waste toner transport unit 530 and the mechanism for transporting waste toner from the waste toner transport unit 530 to the waste toner storage unit 520 are independent of each other. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and may be a common mechanism.

  In the above embodiment, the waste toner collecting device 500 removes the waste toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 3, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, instead of the transfer belt cleaning unit 107 for removing residual toner on the transfer belt 103 and the fixing roller cleaning unit 613 for cleaning the outer periphery of the heating roller 6A, the waste toner collecting device 500 of the present invention is applied. May be.

  In the above embodiment, the waste toner is transported once until a predetermined time elapses. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, it may be performed until the number of rotations of the shaft 533 and the like by the drive unit 535 reaches a predetermined number of rotations.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The scope of the present invention is indicated by each claim in the scope of claims after taking into account the description of the detailed description of the invention, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the wording described therein are included. Including.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A Image forming apparatus 3 Photosensitive drum 500 Waste toner collection | recovery apparatus 510 Waste toner removal part 520 Waste toner storage part 522 Waste toner collection | recovery box 530 Waste toner conveyance part 531 Waste toner conveyance path 533 Shaft 534 Drive screw 535 Drive part 600 Existence of waste toner Sensor 602 On-off valve 604 Conveyance number counter 1100 Control device 1116 Operation unit 1126 Display panel

Claims (7)

Waste toner removing means for removing toner to be removed attached to the surface of the object to be cleaned as waste toner; and waste toner containing means that is detachably attached to the waste toner collecting device and contains waste toner. A waste toner amount detection device provided in a waste toner recovery device,
Accumulation means for accumulating waste toner removed from the surface of the object to be cleaned by the waste toner removing means;
Detection means for detecting that the waste toner in the storage means is full;
A transporting unit configured to transport all waste toner in the storage unit toward the waste toner storage unit when the detection unit detects that the waste toner in the storage unit is full;
Counting means for counting the number of times the waste toner is conveyed by the conveying means;
Determining means for determining whether or not the number of times of transporting the waste toner counted by the counting means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
First notification means for notifying that the waste toner storage means is full of waste toner when the determination means determines that the number of times the waste toner is conveyed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; Including waste toner amount detection device. The waste toner amount detection device further includes:
A calculating unit that calculates the amount of waste toner in the waste toner storage unit based on the number of times the waste toner is conveyed when the determination unit determines that the number of times the waste toner is conveyed is not greater than a predetermined value. When,
The waste toner amount detection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second notification unit that notifies a waste toner amount in the waste toner storage unit calculated by the calculation unit. The waste toner amount detection device further includes:
An open / close valve provided at a communication portion between the storage unit and the waste toner storage unit and capable of opening and closing with respect to a waste toner conveying direction;
The conveying means is
First detecting means for opening the on-off valve when the detecting means detects that the waste toner in the accumulating means is full;
The waste toner amount detection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second control unit that closes the on-off valve when the transport of the waste toner by the transport unit is completed.   The conveying means includes a shaft rotatably provided in the accumulating means, a conveying screw provided on an outer periphery of the shaft and having one longitudinal end connected to the shaft, and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the conveying screw. The waste toner amount detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a drive unit that is coupled to transmit a rotational force.   5. The waste toner amount detection device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is a value indicating the number of times the waste toner is transported when the storage unit is full of waste toner. 6. A waste toner detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The waste toner removing means for removing the toner to be removed attached to the surface of the object to be cleaned as waste toner;
A waste toner collecting device including the waste toner containing means which is detachably attached to the waste toner collecting device and contains the waste toner.   An image forming apparatus comprising the waste toner collecting apparatus according to claim 6.

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