JP2015225159A - Waste toner recovery container and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner recovery container that can efficiently recover a waste toner with a simple configuration at low cost, and achieve a reduction in size of the waster toner recovery container and in turn an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A waste toner recovery container body 22 has a protrusion part 25 protruding from a bottom part 22b. The waste toner recover container body 22 has a waste toner inflow port part 24, opening upward, protruding at the middle of an upper part 22a. The protrusion part 25 protrudes from directly below the waste toner inflow port part 24 toward the waste toner inflow port part 24 in a waste toner storage space 23.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and a waste toner collecting container installed therein.

  In the image forming apparatus, when the toner attached to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the recording paper, a part of the toner remains on the photosensitive drum after the transfer. The residual toner is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum by the cleaning unit and collected as waste toner in a waste toner collection container.

  Such a waste toner collecting container is replaced with an empty container when the toner is full or nearly full with waste toner. The timing of replacement is performed by detecting that the waste toner has reached the waste toner inflow port by an optical sensor provided around the waste toner inflow port at the top of the container.

  However, as shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner T collected in the waste toner collection container 101 accumulates in a mountain-like manner just below the waste toner inlet portion 102, and thus evenly reaches every corner in the container 101. Before reaching the waste toner inlet port 102, the optical path of the optical sensor (light projector 103, light receiver 104) is blocked, the replacement time is erroneously detected, and the housing efficiency is lowered. Increasing the storage efficiency is a serious problem since the waste toner collection container 101 must be downsized as the image forming apparatus is downsized. Further, when the waste toner collecting container 101 is reduced in size, the waste toner T floating in the container 101 adheres to the inner wall of the waste toner inlet port 102, and the attached toner is detected by the optical sensor before the waste toner T is sufficiently stored. The replacement time may be erroneously detected by blocking the optical path of (the projector 103 and the light receiver 104).

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, a flat float member is provided in a waste toner collection container so as to be floatable above the waste toner, and a light shielding protrusion extending upward is provided on the float member. The float member floats as the amount of waste toner stored increases, and the light-shielding protrusion blocks the optical path of the optical sensor, thereby preventing erroneous detection of the replacement time due to the floating toner.

  In Patent Document 2, the waste toner collection container is vibrated by a vibration mechanism so as to prevent the waste toner from being accumulated in the vicinity of the waste toner inflow portion so as to be piled up and to improve the accommodation efficiency.

  In Patent Document 3, a waste toner collection container is provided so as to be rotatable, and the posture of the waste toner collection container is changed in accordance with the amount of waste toner contained, so that the waste toner accumulated in a pile in the waste toner collection container. The waste toner is stored efficiently.

JP 62-94883 A JP 2011-350381 A JP 2011-141307 A

  However, Patent Document 1 requires a floating mechanism for the float member, Patent Document 2 requires a vibration mechanism for the waste toner collection container, and Patent Document 3 requires a rotation mechanism for the waste toner collection container. In either case, the structure is complicated and the number of constituent members increases, leading to an increase in the cost of the waste toner collecting container, and there is a limit to downsizing. This also affects the downsizing of the image forming apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waste toner recovery container that can efficiently store waste toner at a low price with a simple structure, and also to provide a waste toner recovery container and thus image molding. It is to achieve downsizing of the device.

  The waste toner collecting container according to the present invention is a container for collecting residual toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum by the cleaning unit as waste toner, and includes a waste toner collecting container main body having a waste toner storage space inside, A waste toner inlet port opening upward projects from the middle of the upper portion of the waste toner collection container main body, and the waste toner inlet port portion of the waste toner collection container main body is disposed at the bottom of the waste toner collection space. A protruding portion that protrudes toward the end protrudes directly below the waste toner inlet portion.

  According to this, the waste toner falls from the waste toner inlet port into the waste toner storage space of the waste toner collecting container main body, and collides with a raised portion directly below the waste toner inlet port. The collided waste toner is guided to the bottom of the waste toner collecting container main body while spreading laterally along the shape of the raised portion. For this reason, the waste toner stored in the waste toner storage space is efficiently stored in a state where the waste toner storage space is evenly distributed throughout the waste toner storage space without being accumulated in a piled-up state just below the waste toner inlet port. The

  In addition, since the raised portion is merely provided at the bottom of the waste toner collection container main body, there is no complicated mechanism as in Patent Documents 1 to 3, and a simple structure and an inexpensive waste toner collection container can be obtained. The waste toner collection container can be reduced in size.

  Further, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the optical sensor detects the waste toner before the waste toner reaches the specified storage amount in the waste toner storage space, and it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the replacement timing of the waste toner collection container.

  The raised portion is preferably formed in a mountain shape and has inclined surfaces on both sides.

  According to this, the waste toner that collided with the raised portion spreads smoothly in the lateral direction, and it is possible to reliably achieve uniform accommodation of the waste toner in the waste toner storage space.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the waste toner collecting container and an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet.

  According to this, since the waste toner collecting container is small, the image forming apparatus can be miniaturized.

  According to the present invention, waste toner can be efficiently stored while being a low-priced waste toner collecting container with a simple structure. Further, a compact waste toner collecting container and an image forming apparatus can be obtained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the waste toner collecting container according to the embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 is a tandem type color printer, and includes an image forming unit 3 in a box-shaped casing 2. The image forming unit 3 is a section that transfers and forms an image on the recording paper P based on image data transmitted from an external device such as a computer connected to a network. An exposure device 4 for irradiating laser light is disposed below the image forming unit 3, and a transfer belt 5 is disposed above the image forming unit 3. Below the exposure device 4, a paper storage unit 6 that stores the recording paper P is disposed, and a manual paper supply unit 7 is disposed on the side of the paper storage unit 6. A fixing unit 8 that performs a fixing process on the image transferred and formed on the recording paper P is disposed on the upper side of the transfer belt 5. Reference numeral 9 denotes a paper discharge unit that is disposed on the casing 2 and discharges the recording paper P that has been subjected to fixing processing by the fixing unit 8.

  The image forming unit 3 includes four image forming units 10 arranged in a line along the transfer belt 5. These image forming units 10 have a photosensitive drum 11. A charger 12 is disposed immediately below each photoconductor drum 11, a developing device 13 is disposed on one side of each photoconductor drum 11, and a primary transfer roller is directly above each photoconductor drum 11. 14 is disposed, and a cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning device) 15 for cleaning the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is disposed on the other side of each photosensitive drum 11.

  Each photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged at its peripheral surface by the charger 12, and each color based on image data input from the computer or the like is applied to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after charging. Corresponding laser light is irradiated from the exposure device 4, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 11. Developer is supplied to the electrostatic latent image from the developing device 13, and a yellow, magenta, cyan, or black toner image is formed on the peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 11. These toner images are respectively transferred to the transfer belt 5 by a transfer bias applied to the primary transfer roller 14.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes a secondary transfer roller disposed below the fixing unit 8 in contact with the transfer belt 5. The recording sheet P is transported through the paper transport path 17 from the paper storage unit 6 or the manual paper feed unit 7. Is sandwiched between the secondary transfer roller 16 and the transfer belt 5, and the toner image on the transfer belt 5 is transferred onto the recording paper P by the transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 16.

  The fixing unit 8 includes a heating roller 18 and a pressure roller 19. The recording paper P is sandwiched and heated by the heating roller 18 and the pressure roller 19, and a toner image transferred to the recording paper P is recorded. It is fixed on the paper P. The recording paper P after the fixing process is discharged to the paper discharge unit 9. Reference numeral 20 denotes a reversing conveyance path for reversing the recording paper P discharged from the fixing unit 8 during double-sided printing.

  A waste toner collection container 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed below each cleaning device 15. The waste toner collection container 21 is a container that collects residual toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 by the cleaning device 15 as waste toner T.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste toner collection container 21 includes a resin waste toner collection container main body 22 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a waste toner storage space 23 is provided inside the waste toner collection container main body 22. It has been. The waste toner collection container main body 22 is formed of a transparent resin, an opaque resin, or a translucent resin.

  In the middle of the upper part 22a of the waste toner collecting container main body 22, a waste toner inflow portion 24 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and projecting upward is projected. The waste toner inlet port 24 includes a first cylindrical portion 24a that is integrally projected on the upper portion 22a of the waste toner collecting container main body 22, and a second cylindrical body 24b that covers the first cylindrical portion 24a. The second cylinder 24b is formed of a transparent resin.

  On the bottom 22 b of the waste toner collecting container main body 22, a raised portion 25 is integrally projected so as to be directly below the waste toner inlet port 24. The raised portion 25 is formed in a thin chevron shape and has steep inclined surfaces 25a on both sides, and the waste toner storage space 23 is divided into left and right as if the waste toner storage space 23 is divided into two equal parts. It protrudes toward the inflow port portion 24. As a result, a concave groove 22 c corresponding to the shape of the raised portion 25 is formed outside the bottom portion 22 b of the waste toner collecting container main body 22.

  Around the outer periphery of the second cylinder 24b of the waste toner inlet port 24, a light projector 26 and a light receiver 27 as detection means including an optical sensor are arranged so as to face each other on both sides of the second cylinder 24b. Since the projected light beam is blocked by the waste toner T and is not received by the light receiver 27, the waste toner T collected in the waste toner storage space 23 of the waste toner collection container main body 22 reaches the second cylinder 24b. Thus, it is detected that the waste toner storage space 23 is full or nearly full with the waste toner T, that is, it is detected that it is time to replace the waste toner collection container 21. Although not shown, the residual toner removed by the cleaning device 15 is transported to the waste toner inlet port 24 of the waste toner collection container 21 through a waste toner transport pipe having a transport screw disposed therein.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the raised portion 25 is projected from the bottom portion 22 b of the waste toner collecting container main body 22 so as to be directly below the waste toner inlet portion 24, so that the waste toner inlet portion 24 is disposed in the waste toner storage space 23. Therefore, the waste toner T dropped in the waste toner storage space 23 can be guided to collide with the raised portion 25 and spread laterally on both inclined surfaces 25a of the raised portion 25. It is possible to avoid a situation in which the deposit is biased to be piled up just below the inflow port portion 24. Accordingly, the waste toner T stored in the waste toner storage space 23 can be efficiently stored in the waste toner storage space 23 in a state where the waste toner storage space 23 is evenly distributed over the whole.

  Further, the raised portion 25 has a mountain shape, and the steep inclined surface 25a can smoothly spread the waste toner T colliding with the raised portion 25 in the lateral direction, and the waste toner T is uniformly distributed in the waste toner storage space 23. And can be accommodated securely.

  Further, as described above, the waste toner T can be efficiently stored in the waste toner storage space 23 without being piled up, so that the waste toner T can be efficiently stored in the waste toner storage space 23 before reaching the specified storage amount. In addition, the situation where the light beam projected from the light projector 26 is blocked by the waste toner T and is not received by the light receiver 27 does not occur, and the replacement timing of the waste toner collection container 21 can be appropriately performed.

  Furthermore, since it is only necessary to project the raised portion 25 on the bottom portion 22b of the waste toner collecting container main body 22, a complicated mechanism as in Patent Documents 1 to 3 is unnecessary, and the structure of the waste toner collecting container 21 is simplified. Thus, cost reduction and downsizing can be achieved, and as a result, downsizing of the image forming apparatus 1 can also be achieved.

  The present invention is useful for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and a waste toner collecting container installed in the image forming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Image forming part 11 Photosensitive drum 15 Cleaning apparatus (cleaning part)
21 Waste toner collection container 22 Waste toner collection container main body 22a Upper part 22b Bottom part 23 Waste toner storage space 24 Waste toner inlet part 25 Raised part 25a Inclined surface 26 Projector (detection means)
27 Light receiver (detection means)
P Recording paper T Waste toner

Claims (3)

A waste toner collecting container for collecting residual toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum by the cleaning unit as waste toner,
A waste toner collection container body having a waste toner storage space inside is provided,
On the upper part of the waste toner collecting container main body, a waste toner inlet port opening upward is projected,
A raised portion that protrudes toward the waste toner inflow portion in the waste toner storage space protrudes from the bottom of the waste toner collection container body so as to correspond to a position directly below the waste toner inflow portion. Waste toner collection container. The waste toner collecting container according to claim 1,
The waste toner collecting container, wherein the raised portion is formed in a mountain shape and has an inclined surface. A waste toner collecting container according to claim 1 or 2,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet.

Images