JP2013068745A - Waste toner collection device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner collection device capable of collecting waste toner at a high storage rate and an image forming apparatus comprising the collection device.SOLUTION: A waste toner collection device 100 includes a waste toner collection vessel 101, and a waste toner conveyance member 102 housed therein. The conveyance member 102 is a member of a cylindrical vessel having a spiral groove 1021 for conveying waste toner provided on the circumferential surface thereof, conveys the waste toner carried from a waste toner collection port 103 into the vessel 101, with the spiral groove 1021, and can stuff the waste toner within the vessel 101 with a bottom surface BS of an end part of the conveyance member at the conveyance destination. By the bottom surface BS of the conveyance member receiving a reaction force of the stuffed waster toner, the conveyance member 102 is contractable in the rotation center direction in response to the reaction force so as to provide a new waster toner storage space. An image forming apparatus A comprises the waste toner collection device 100.

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste toner collecting apparatus that collects waste toner discharged from a toner cleaning device of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a combination machine combining two or more of them. The present invention also relates to an image forming apparatus provided with such a waste toner collecting apparatus.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a combination machine combining two or more of these, an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier such as a photoconductor, and the static image is formed. The electrostatic latent image is developed to form a visible toner image, and the visible toner image is transferred to a recording medium such as recording paper, or temporarily transferred to an intermediate transfer member such as an intermediate transfer belt, and then transferred from the intermediate transfer member. Secondary transfer onto the recording medium is performed, and the toner image thus transferred onto the recording medium is fixed on the recording medium. There is also an image forming apparatus in which a toner image formed on an image carrier is transferred to a recording medium held on a transfer body and fixed on the recording medium.

  After the toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred to the recording medium or intermediate transfer body, residual transfer toner, recording medium powder, etc. remaining on the image carrier are removed and cleaned by a toner cleaning device for the image carrier. The After the toner image primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer member is secondarily transferred to the recording medium, residual transfer toner and recording medium powder remaining on the intermediate transfer member are removed and cleaned by a toner cleaning device for the intermediate transfer member. . In addition, in an image forming apparatus in which a toner image is transferred to a recording medium held on a transfer body, toner or recording medium powder that may remain on the transfer body is removed by the toner cleaning apparatus for the transfer body. Sometimes cleaned. The toner that is removed and cleaned by the toner cleaning device, or toner and recording medium powder are generally called waste toner.

  The waste toner removed from the image carrier by the toner cleaning device accumulates in the toner cleaning device as the number of printed sheets (image forming number) increases, so the waste toner in the toner cleaning device is a toner such as a toner conveying screw. The toner is discharged from the cleaning device by a transport member and transported to a waste toner collecting device.

  Such a waste toner collecting device includes a waste toner collecting container, and the waste toner collecting container is usually replaceable when the waste toner is full.

  In order to meet the demands for downsizing of today's image forming apparatuses, such waste toner collecting containers are increasing in the shape of a horizontally long shape that can be installed in an empty space in the image forming apparatus.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-224284 describes a waste toner collection container that is long in the horizontal direction, and waste toner is introduced into the collection container from a waste toner collection port provided on the upper surface of the waste toner collection container. It is described that waste toner that is received and collected and accumulated under the collection port is moved to an empty space in the collection container with a conveying screw having a horizontal rotation shaft, and the space is to be used effectively. Yes.

  Further, in the waste toner collecting apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-224284, the waste toner accumulated in the waste toner collecting container is fixed to the conveying screw and is prevented from causing clogging of the waste toner near the collection port. Therefore, a toner sticking prevention member is provided, thereby trying to utilize the space in the collection container without waste.

JP 2010-224284 A

  However, in the above-described waste toner collecting apparatus, since the conveying screw can only agitate a part of the waste toner in the waste toner collecting container, a dead space in which the waste toner does not go through is generated in the waste toner collecting container. In other words, it is difficult to satisfy the waste toner storage rate (filling rate) in the waste toner collection container.

  Further, the conveying screw and the waste toner sticking prevention member provided in the waste toner collecting container to improve the waste toner containing ratio reduce the waste toner collecting space in the container, resulting in the waste toner containing. It is also difficult to reduce the amount.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste toner recovery device for recovering waste toner generated in an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image, and capable of recovering waste toner with a high accommodation rate. To do.

  Further, the present invention is an image forming apparatus that can form a toner image and includes a waste toner collection device, and has a high waste toner storage rate by the waste toner collection device, thereby reducing the replacement frequency of the waste toner collection container. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in print productivity due to replacement of a waste toner collecting container.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following waste toner collecting device and image forming apparatus.
(1) Waste toner collection device A waste toner collection device for collecting waste toner generated in an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image. The waste toner collection device is incorporated in the waste toner collection container and the waste toner collection container and is disposed of by rotation. A waste toner conveying member capable of conveying toner,
The waste toner collection container has a waste toner collection port,
The waste toner conveying member is a cylindrical container-shaped member in which a spiral groove for conveying the waste toner in the rotation center line direction is provided.
The waste toner collection port is formed so as to face the waste toner conveyance member at a portion near one end in the rotation center line direction of the waste toner conveyance member of the waste toner collection container,
The waste toner conveyance member conveys the waste toner carried into the waste toner collection container from the waste toner collection port through the spiral groove by being rotationally driven, and conveys the waste toner at the conveyance destination. The waste toner collecting container can be packed at the bottom surface of the end of the member, and the bottom surface of the waste toner conveying member is subjected to the waste toner reaction force due to the filling, so that a new waste toner storage space can be provided. Waste toner recovery device that can contract in the direction of the rotation center line.

(2) Image Forming Apparatus An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image, and includes the waste toner collecting device according to the present invention and an image forming device that includes a rotation driving unit of a waste toner conveying member of the waste toner cleaner collecting device. apparatus.

  According to the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention, the waste toner collecting member having a cylindrical container shape in which a spiral groove for carrying the waste toner in the rotation center line direction is provided in the waste toner collecting container. Further, a waste toner collection port is provided at a portion of the waste toner collection container near the one end in the rotation center line direction of the waste toner conveyance member so as to face the waste toner conveyance member.

  The waste toner conveying member is driven to rotate so that the waste toner carried into the waste toner collecting container from the waste toner collecting port portion is conveyed by a spiral groove, and the bottom surface of the end portion of the waste toner conveying member that is the conveyance destination, In other words, the waste toner collecting container is packed at the bottom of the cylindrical toner-shaped waste toner conveying member.

Further, when the waste toner is packed, the bottom surface of the waste toner conveying member receives the waste toner reaction force, and contracts in the rotation center line direction according to the reaction force so as to provide a new waste toner storage space. The waste toner sent thereafter is packed into a new waste toner storage space formed in this way. The waste toner conveying member contracts in the direction of the rotation center line in response to the reaction force so as to provide a new waste toner accommodating space again by receiving the waste toner reaction force on the bottom surface of the waste toner conveying member again by the waste toner filling. .

  Thus, according to the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention, the waste toner is collected until the cylindrical toner waste member cannot be shrunk to provide a new waste toner storage space in the waste toner collecting container. Since the waste toner can be collected and stored in the container, the waste toner can be collected with a high accommodation rate. When mounted on an image forming apparatus, the waste toner collection container can be replaced less frequently, and the print productivity by replacing the waste toner collection container can be reduced. Can be suppressed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, since the waste toner collecting device according to the present invention is adopted as the waste toner collecting device, the waste toner collecting rate by the toner collecting device is high, thereby replacing the waste toner collecting container. By reducing the frequency, it is possible to suppress a decrease in print productivity due to replacement of the waste toner collection container.

  The waste toner conveying member has the spiral groove. However, the waste toner conveying member may be contracted in the direction of the rotation center line using the spiral groove. For this purpose, as the peripheral side wall of the waste toner conveying member, an example of providing a bellows-like wall that can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the rotation center line of the waste toner conveying member together with the spiral groove and the spiral hook-shaped portion along the spiral groove is illustrated. it can.

  As described above, the waste toner conveying member having the peripheral side wall of the bellows-like wall can be contracted in accordance with the reaction force by receiving the reaction force from the waste toner packed in the bottom surface.

The waste toner collecting device receives a reaction force from the waste toner packed in the bottom surface of the waste toner conveyance member, so that the waste toner conveyance member can contract more reliably according to the reaction force. You may have a contraction means.
As an example of such means, a vent hole for releasing the internal pressure during contraction may be provided (for example, on the end wall on the waste toner collecting port side).

  As a waste toner reaction force responsive shrinking means, the pressure inside the waste toner conveying member is higher than a predetermined pressure by receiving a reaction force from the waste toner packed in the bottom of the cylindrical container-shaped waste toner conveying member in addition to the vent hole. For example, a relief valve that opens at that pressure and closes when the pressure inside the waste toner conveying member falls to a predetermined pressure can be exemplified. The waste toner conveying member may be provided with such a relief valve (for example, on the end wall on the waste toner collecting port side). When such a relief valve is provided, the vent hole need not be provided.

  Further, as waste toner reaction force responsive shrinking means, it is disposed on the bottom wall of the waste toner conveying member that extends in the direction of the rotation center line in the waste toner conveying member and is non-rotatably provided to provide the bottom surface. You may employ | adopt the male screw rod screwed together in the provided female screw part. In this case, as the male screw rod, the waste toner is packed by the rotation of the waste toner conveying member, and the waste toner is packed so that the reaction force of the packed waste toner falls within a predetermined reaction force range. A male screw rod that drives the bottom wall of the toner conveying member in the contraction direction of the waste toner conveying member may be employed.

  Further, as the waste toner reaction force response shrinking means, a spring that elastically deforms as waste toner is packed by rotation of the waste toner conveying member may be employed.

  As such a spring, for example, a coil spring disposed along the spiral groove of the waste toner conveying member can be cited. Such a spring is gradually compressed and elastically restored as the waste toner transport member contracts by receiving a reaction force from the waste toner packed in the bottom surface of the waste toner transport member and new waste toner can be packed. Increases power and makes it easier to pack more waste toner. When such a spring is employed, the vent hole or the relief valve may be used in combination.

  In any case, the cylindrical toner container waste toner conveying member may be a member that can be used as a replenishing toner storage space when not in use.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the waste toner collecting device according to the present invention, and includes a rotation driving unit of the waste toner conveying member of the waste toner collecting device. Can have a driven portion that is rotationally driven by such a waste toner conveying member driving portion.

  The waste toner conveying member of the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention is a member in which a spiral groove that conveys the waste toner by rotation is provided in a circumferential direction. Since the waste toner can be conveyed, the orientation, size, etc. can be selected according to the arrangement space of the waste toner collecting device of the image forming apparatus, and there is an advantage that it is easy to design and manufacture.

  In addition, since the waste toner conveying member of the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention is a member in which a spiral groove that conveys the waste toner by rotation is provided, the waste toner discharging means from the toner cleaning device in the image forming apparatus It is easy to select the position of the waste toner collection port according to the direction and position, and it is easy to design and manufacture in this respect.

  For example, the waste toner conveying member can be a conveying member that conveys the waste toner in the horizontal direction or a conveying member that conveys the waste toner in the direction of gravity in the image forming apparatus.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, for example, a control unit of a rotation driving unit of the waste toner conveying member is provided, and the control unit is configured to stop the waste toner carrying into the waste toner collecting container upon completion of the image formation. Alternatively, the rotation driving unit may be controlled such that the waste toner conveying member is rotated for a predetermined time. As a result, the amount of waste toner spilling from the collection port can be reduced. For example, the waste toner collection device can be easily replaced while suppressing waste toner spillage.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a waste toner recovery device for recovering waste toner generated in an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image, which can recover waste toner with a high accommodation rate. can do.

  In addition, according to the present invention, an image forming apparatus that can form a toner image and includes a waste toner collection device, the waste toner collection rate by the waste toner collection device is high, and the replacement frequency of the waste toner collection container is reduced. Thus, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in print productivity due to replacement of the waste toner collecting container.

1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration of an example of an image forming apparatus equipped with an example of a waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the waste toner recovery device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the waste toner recovery device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which waste toner is started to be stored in the waste toner collection device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which waste toner is packed into a waste toner collection container following the state illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state where the waste toner conveying member contracts due to the packed waste toner reaction force, following FIG. 5. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the other example of the waste toner collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of still another example of the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating conveyance of waste toner downward in the gravity direction by a waste toner conveyance member. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating conveyance of waste toner upward in the gravity direction by a waste toner conveyance member. FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example in which the waste toner collection container is used as a replenishment toner storage container, and FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating another example in which the waste toner collection container is used as a replenishment toner storage container. is there.

  Hereinafter, an example of a waste toner collecting apparatus and an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of an image forming apparatus equipped with an example of a waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention. An image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. 1 is an electrophotographic monochrome image forming apparatus, and is a complex machine having functions of a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and the like.

  The image forming apparatus A includes an image reading device IR mounted on the printer unit 10 and also includes a control unit Cont that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus A. The operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus is performed under the instruction of the control unit Cont. The image reading device IR is known per se, and can read a document image and use the read image information for document copying, facsimile transmission, and the like.

  The printer unit 10 includes an image forming unit 1, and the image forming unit 1 includes a drum type photoconductor 11 that is rotationally driven as an electrostatic latent image carrier. Around the photosensitive member 11, a charger 12, a developing unit 14, a transfer unit 15, a toner cleaning device 16, and the like are arranged in this order. An image exposure device 13 that performs image exposure on the photosensitive member 11 from between the charger 12 and the developing device 14 is also provided. Here, the transfer device 15 performs toner image transfer by a transfer roller 151. Here, the image exposure device 13 is supplied with image information from the image reading device IR, a computer (not shown) or the like, and performs image exposure with laser light.

  A timing roller pair T is provided on the upstream side of the transfer roller 151 in the recording medium conveyance direction, and a fixing device 17 is provided on the downstream side. A recording medium supply unit 2 is provided further upstream of the timing roller pair T.

  The supply unit 2 can pick up the recording medium (recording paper or the like) S stored in the recording medium storage cassette 21 with the pickup roller 22 and supply the recording medium S to the timing roller pair T one by one with the medium supply roller 211 and the rolling roller 212. A medium discharge roller pair 18 and a medium discharge tray 19 are also provided on the downstream side of the fixing device 17.

  Further, a waste toner collecting device 100 is disposed between the image forming unit 1 and the recording medium containing cassette 21. In the figure, r is a recording medium guide roller.

  According to this image forming apparatus A, the photoconductor 11 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction in the figure, the surface of the photoconductor is charged to a predetermined potential by the charger 12, and an attempt is made to form the charged area from the image exposure device 13. Image exposure according to the image is performed. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 11, and the latent image is developed by the developing device 14 to become a visible toner image.

  On the other hand, the recording medium S is supplied from the recording medium (recording paper or the like) supply unit 2 to the timing roller pair T, and the timing roller pair T passes the recording medium S at the timing when the toner image on the photoconductor 11 arrives at the transfer roller 151. Send to the transfer area.

  Thus, the toner image on the photosensitive member is transferred to the recording medium S by the transfer device 15 (transfer roller 151), and the recording medium S is subsequently passed through the fixing device 17 to be fixed to the recording medium S. Thereafter, the recording medium S is discharged to the medium discharge tray 19 by the discharge roller pair 18.

  Transfer residual toner, recording medium powder, and the like remaining on the photoconductor 11 after the toner image transfer are removed and cleaned by a toner cleaning device 16.

  A waste toner collecting device 100 is disposed in the upper space of the recording medium supply cassette 21. The toner or the like removed by the cleaning device 16 is sent as waste toner to a waste toner collection container 101 of the waste toner collection device 100 through a waste toner conveyance pipe 161 containing a conveyance member (not shown) such as a screw conveyor. To be recovered.

  2 is a schematic perspective view of the waste toner collecting device 100 in the image forming apparatus A, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the waste toner collecting device 100 by cutting.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste toner collecting apparatus 100 includes a waste toner collecting container 101 and a waste toner conveying member 102 built in the waste toner collecting container 101. The waste toner collection container 101 may have, for example, a cylindrical shape or the like, but here has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a waste toner collection port portion 103 to which the waste toner transport pipe 161 is detachably connected.

The waste toner conveying member 102 is a member capable of conveying waste toner by rotation.
More specifically, the waste toner conveying member 102 is a hollow cylindrical container-shaped member around which a spiral groove 1021 for conveying the waste toner t in the direction of the rotation center line CL is provided.

The collection port 103 for the waste toner t is formed so as to face the waste toner conveyance member 102 at a portion near one end in the rotation center line CL direction of the waste toner conveyance member of the waste toner collection container 101.

  The waste toner conveying member 102 has a rotation shaft 104 on the end wall w1 of the waste toner collection container near the waste toner collection port 103, and the rotation shaft 104 is rotatably supported by the collection container 101 and It protrudes to the outside. A driven gear g is provided at a portion of the rotating shaft 104 that protrudes outside the container 101.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the waste toner collecting device 100 is mounted on the image forming apparatus A, the rotation center line CL of the waste toner conveying member 102 is horizontally arranged from the near side to the far side in FIG. The waste toner conveying member 102 can be rotationally driven under the instruction of the control unit Cont by a driving unit (here, the gear transmission mechanism G and its driving motor M) in the image forming apparatus A.

  The peripheral side wall W of the waste toner transport member 102 provides a bellows-like wall that can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the waste toner transport member rotation center line CL along with the spiral groove 1021 and the spiral flange 1022 along the spiral groove 1021.

  A relief valve V is disposed outside the waste toner collecting container 101 and communicates with the inside of the conveying member 102 by a pipe P passing through the rotating shaft 104 of the waste toner conveying member 102. The relief valve V will be described later.

  An end wall w2 opposite to the end wall w1 of the waste toner transport member 102 is a bottom wall of the waste toner transport destination of the transport member 102 having a cylindrical container shape. A toner stirring protrusion a is provided on the bottom wall w2.

  The waste toner collecting apparatus 100 described above is mounted on the image forming apparatus A, and is driven to rotate so that the waste toner conveying member 102 can convey the toner to the bottom wall w2 side through the spiral groove 1021. The waste toner t discharged at 161 can be received by the collection port 103 and accommodated in the collection container 101.

4 to 6 show how the waste toner t is stored in the waste toner collection container 101 with a high storage rate.
In this waste toner storing operation, the waste toner transport member 102 transports the waste toner t carried into the container 101 from the waste toner collection port 103 through the spiral groove 1021, and the waste toner transport member bottom wall w2 of the transport destination. Is packed into the waste toner collecting container 101 from the back side with the bottom surface BS provided by (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

  As the waste toner is stuffed, the waste toner conveying member bottom surface BS receives the waste toner reaction force and contracts in the direction of the rotation center line CL according to the reaction force so as to provide a new waste toner storage space.

The waste toner sent thereafter is packed into a new waste toner storage space formed in this way. The waste toner conveying member 102 is provided in the direction of the rotation center line in accordance with the reaction force so that the waste toner conveying member bottom surface BS receives the waste toner reaction force again by the waste toner filling so as to provide a new waste toner storage space again. Shrink (see FIG. 6).

  Thus, according to the waste toner collecting device 100, the waste toner t is collected until the cylindrical container-shaped waste toner conveying member 102 cannot contract to provide a new waste toner storage space in the waste toner collecting container 101. Since the container 101 can be packed and accommodated, the waste toner t can be collected with a high accommodation rate.

  In the image forming apparatus A, since the waste toner accommodation rate by the toner collection device 100 is high, the replacement frequency of the waste toner collection container can be reduced, and the decrease in print productivity due to the replacement of the waste toner collection container can be suppressed.

  In the waste toner collecting apparatus 100, the waste toner conveying member 102 is a cylindrical container-shaped member formed on a bellows-like wall whose peripheral side wall can be expanded and contracted. Therefore, the waste toner conveying member bottom surface BS is separated from the waste toner packed therein. By receiving the force, the waste toner conveying member 102 can be contracted in accordance with the reaction force, but in this example, it can be more reliably contracted by the action of the relief valve V.

  That is, the relief valve V opens at the atmospheric pressure when the internal pressure of the waste toner conveying member exceeds a predetermined pressure due to a reaction force from the waste toner t in which the bottom surface BS of the cylindrical container-shaped waste toner conveying member 102 is packed. The valve is closed when the pressure inside the waste toner conveying member drops to a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the waste toner conveying member 102 can be more reliably contracted by the action of the relief valve V according to the waste toner reaction force that has been packed.

  The control unit Cont of the image forming apparatus A is a rotation driving unit so that the waste toner conveying member 102 is rotated for a predetermined time after the waste toner carrying into the waste toner collecting container 101 is stopped when the image formation is completed. The motor M is controlled. As a result, the amount of waste toner spilling from the collection port 103 can be reduced. For example, the waste toner collection device 100 can be easily replaced while suppressing waste toner spillage.

  FIG. 7 shows another example of the waste toner collecting apparatus according to the present invention. The waste toner collecting device 100 ′ in FIG. 7 employs a male screw rod 105 instead of the relief valve V in the previous device 100. The other points are the same as those of the apparatus 100. The same parts and portions as those of the device 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the device 100.

  In the apparatus 100 ′ of FIG. 7, a male screw rod 105 is disposed in the waste toner conveying member 102. The male screw rod 105 has a longitudinal center line at the same position as the transport member rotation center line. One end 105a of the male threaded rod 105 is rotatably fitted and supported on the rotation shaft 104 of the conveying member 102, and the other end 105b is conveyed while being screwed into the female screw 106 provided on the conveying member bottom wall w2. It protrudes out of the member 102 and is fixedly supported by the container 101 so as not to rotate.

As the male screw rod 105, the waste toner t is packed by the rotation of the waste toner conveying member 102, and the waste toner t is packed so that the reaction force of the packed waste toner t falls within a predetermined reaction force range. A male screw rod that drives the bottom wall w2 of the toner conveying member 102 in the direction of contraction of the waste toner conveying member is employed.

  FIG. 8 shows another example of the waste toner collecting device. 8 is provided with a coil spring 107 along the spiral groove 1021 of the waste toner conveying member 102, and a ventilation hole 104a that allows the conveying member rotating shaft 104 to communicate with the inside and outside of the conveying member. 2 is substantially the same as the collection device 100 shown in Fig. 2 etc. The spring 107 receives a reaction force from the waste toner packed in the bottom surface BS of the waste toner transport member, so that the waste toner transport member 102 contracts and is renewed. As it becomes possible to pack waste toner, it is gradually compressed to increase the elastic restoring force, and it becomes easier to pack more waste toner.

  The waste toner conveying member 102 of the waste toner collecting devices 100, 100 ′, and 100 ″ described above is a member in which a spiral groove 1021 that conveys waste toner by rotation is provided in the periphery, and therefore only in the horizontal direction shown in FIG. In addition, the waste toner can be transported both in the direction of gravity and in the middle direction thereof, for example, as shown in FIGS.

  Accordingly, the direction, size, etc. can be selected according to the arrangement space of the waste toner collecting device of the image forming apparatus A, and it is easy to design and manufacture.

Further, the waste toner conveying member 102 can be used as a replenishing toner storage space when not in use.
FIG. 11 shows an example. In the waste toner collecting apparatus 100x shown in FIG. 11A, a replenishment toner supply port 1041 is formed on the rotating shaft 104 of the waste toner transport member 102, and the replenishment previously stored in the waste toner transport member 102 is provided. As the conveying member 102 gradually contracts due to the waste toner filling, the toner (new toner) is directly supplied from the replenishing toner supply port 1041 according to the position of the developing device in the image forming apparatus or an appropriate conveying means. To the developing device 14. In order to take out the new toner smoothly, a member such as a toner stirring screw may be provided to the replenishment toner supply port 1041 or further to the back thereof.

  In the waste toner collecting device 100y shown in FIG. 11B, a replenishing toner discharge port (not shown) is provided at the end of the peripheral side wall of the waste toner conveying member 102 on the rotating shaft 104 side, and the waste toner collecting container 101 is replenished. A replenishment toner supply port 1042 for supplying toner coming out of the toner discharge port to the developing device is provided, and a replenishment toner discharge port (not shown) of the transport member 102 in the waste toner recovery container 101 and waste toner are provided. A partition 108 is provided between the collection port portions 103.

  According to the waste toner collecting device 100y, the replenishment toner discharge port (illustrated) is replenished as the replenishment toner (new toner) previously stored in the waste toner transport member 102 contracts due to the waste toner filling. The toner can be supplied from the supply toner supply port 1042 to the developing device 14 directly or via an appropriate conveying means according to the position of the developing device in the image forming apparatus. A member such as a toner stirring screw may be provided in the replenishing toner supply port 1042 or the conveying member 102 in order to smoothly take out new toner.

  Although the image forming apparatus A described above is a monochrome image forming apparatus, the present invention can also be applied to a color image forming apparatus.

  The present invention provides a waste toner collecting apparatus for collecting waste toner generated in an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image, and provides a waste toner collecting apparatus having a high waste toner accommodation rate and an image forming apparatus equipped with the waste toner collecting apparatus. It can be used for that.

A Image forming apparatus 1 Image forming unit 11 Photoconductor 12 Charger 13 Image exposure apparatus 14 Developer 15 Transfer device 151 Transfer roller 16 Toner cleaning device T Timing roller pair 17 Fixing device 18 Medium discharge roller pair 19 Discharge tray 2 Storage of storage medium Section 21 Recording medium storage cassette S Recording medium 100, 100 ', 100 ", 100x, 100y Waste toner toner collection device 101 Waste toner collection container 103 Waste toner collection port 102 Waste toner conveying member w1 End wall w2 Bottom wall BS Bottom surface W Peripheral side wall (bellows-like wall)
104 Rotating shaft V Relief valve t Waste toner 105 Male threaded rod 106 Female threaded portion 107 Coil springs 1041 and 1042 Supply toner supply port portion 108 Partition

Claims (9)

A waste toner recovery device for recovering waste toner generated in an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image, and a waste toner recovery container, and a waste toner transport that is built in the waste toner recovery container and capable of transporting the waste toner by rotation Including parts,
The waste toner collection container has a waste toner collection port,
The waste toner conveying member is a cylindrical container-shaped member in which a spiral groove for conveying the waste toner in the rotation center line direction is provided.
The waste toner collection port is formed so as to face the waste toner conveyance member at a portion near one end in the rotation center line direction of the waste toner conveyance member of the waste toner collection container,
The waste toner conveyance member conveys the waste toner carried into the waste toner collection container from the waste toner collection port through the spiral groove by being rotationally driven, and conveys the waste toner at the conveyance destination. The waste toner collecting container can be packed at the bottom surface of the end of the member, and the bottom surface of the waste toner conveying member is subjected to the waste toner reaction force due to the filling, so that a new waste toner storage space can be provided. And a waste toner collecting device characterized in that the toner can be shrunk in the direction of the rotation center line.   2. The peripheral wall of the waste toner conveying member provides a bellows-like wall that can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the rotation center line of the waste toner conveying member together with the spiral groove and a spiral flange-shaped portion along the spiral groove. Waste toner recovery device.   The waste toner collecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the waste toner conveying member includes a waste toner reaction force response shrinking unit.   The waste toner conveying member has a rotating shaft that protrudes out of the waste toner collecting container, and a driven portion that is rotationally driven by a waste toner conveying member driving portion in the image forming apparatus is provided on the rotating shaft. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 1, 2 or 3.   5. The waste toner collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical container-shaped waste toner conveying member is a member that can be used as a replenishment toner storage space when not in use.   An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image, comprising the waste toner collecting device according to claim 1, and a rotation driving unit for a waste toner conveying member of the waste toner collecting device. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste toner transport member is a transport member that transports the waste toner in a horizontal direction.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste toner conveying member is a conveying member that conveys the waste toner in a gravity direction.   A controller for a rotation drive unit of the waste toner conveying member, and the controller controls the waste toner for a predetermined time after the waste toner collection into the waste toner collecting container stops upon completion of image formation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotation driving unit is controlled so that the conveying member is rotated.