JP2017116413A - Magnetic permeability sensor, member to which attached, image formation device, and method for attaching magnetic permeability sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic permeability sensor, a member to which attached, an image formation device, and a method for attaching magnetic permeability sensor, with which it is possible to reduce a space needed at attachment time and reduce an error in detection of magnetic permeability.SOLUTION: A magnetic permeability sensor 1 according to the present invention is attached to a member 2 to which to be attached that has a clamp face 20 located near a detection object 3, the magnetic permeability sensor 1 comprising: a substrate 10 having an oscillation circuit that includes a planar coil to receive magnetism from the detection object 3 and a control circuit for controlling the oscillation circuit; an insertion part 11 provided in a portion of the circumference of the substrate 10 and inserted into a part 21 to which to be inserted that is provided on the clamp face 20; and an engagement part 12 provided in a portion of the substrate 10 where the planar coil is formed or in the periphery of the portion, and engaging a part 22 which is to be engaged that is provided in the member 2 to which to be attached. When the magnetic permeability sensor 1 is attached to the member 2 to which to be attached, it partly comes in contact with a presser part 23 provided in the member 2 to which to be attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnetic permeability sensor, an attached body to which the magnetic permeability sensor is attached, an image forming apparatus, and a method of attaching the magnetic permeability sensor.

  An image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine develops an image by transferring, for example, toner contained in a toner cartridge onto paper via a photosensitive member by static electricity. The density or remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge is detected by, for example, a magnetic permeability sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a toner sensor) attached to the toner cartridge. When the developer is a two-component developer, the toner sensor detects the magnetic permeability of the developer in which the magnetic carrier and the non-magnetic toner are mixed, thereby detecting the toner concentration or remaining amount. Is detected.

The toner sensor includes a substrate having an oscillation circuit including a coil, and detects the magnetic permeability of the developer when the coil receives magnetism. Patent Document 1 discloses a toner sensor in which a coil is formed by a planar print pattern. The toner sensor according to Patent Document 1 includes a rectangular substrate, a through hole provided in a central portion of the substrate, and a coil and an electronic component arranged so as to sandwich the through hole. When the toner sensor according to Patent Document 1 is attached to a toner cartridge, first, a protrusion protruding from a flat attachment surface of the cartridge body is fitted into a through hole provided in the center of the substrate. Then, the substrate is rotated about the projection until it comes into contact with an attachment guide or the like provided on the toner cartridge. Thereby, the toner sensor is fixed to the toner cartridge. According to Patent Document 1, the coil forming portion is pressed against the mounting surface by the resin spring provided in the mounting guide, and the coil is positioned with respect to the developer.
In the present invention, receiving magnetism means an interaction between a coil and a magnetic body by a magnetic body in the vicinity of the coil. The inductance of the coil varies depending on the amount and concentration of the magnetic material.

JP 2014-235386 A

However, in the toner sensor according to Patent Document 1, it is necessary to fit the through hole and the protrusion so that the substrate is placed on the mounting surface. Therefore, a space for enabling a fitting operation is required above the mounting surface. In addition, the toner sensor according to Patent Document 1 is attached by a rotation operation based on a through hole sandwiched between a coil and an electronic component. Therefore, when the rotational operation is insufficient, the position of the coil is likely to deviate from an appropriate measurement position, and an error may occur in the magnetic permeability detection result.
Further, when the toner cartridge is attached, positioning by rotation is required, and it may be difficult to fix the toner cartridge in a place where sufficient space for rotation cannot be secured.

  The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic permeability sensor capable of reducing the space required for installation and reducing the detection error of the magnetic permeability. Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge, an image forming apparatus, and a magnetic permeability sensor mounting method.

  A magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention is a magnetic permeability sensor attached to an attachment body having an attachment surface located in the vicinity of an object to be detected, the oscillation circuit including a planar coil that receives magnetism from the object to be detected, and Formation of a substrate having a control circuit for controlling the oscillation circuit, an insertion portion provided on a part of the periphery of the substrate and inserted into an insertion portion provided on the mounting surface, and the planar coil on the substrate Provided around the portion or the forming portion, and a locking portion that locks to a locked portion provided in the mounted body, and when attached to the mounted body, It is characterized in that it abuts partly with the provided pressing part.

  The magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention is characterized in that the insertion portion is a notch.

  In the magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention, the planar coil is formed by a planar printed pattern, and the locking portion is a through hole, a depression or a protrusion provided in a central portion of the printed pattern. It is characterized by.

  The magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention includes a case that covers an arrangement region of the oscillation circuit and the control circuit.

  An attached body according to the present invention is an attached body to which the magnetic permeability sensor according to any one of the above is attached, and is provided on an attachment surface located in the vicinity of the detected object, the attachment surface, A to-be-inserted portion into which the insertion portion is inserted, a to-be-engaged portion to be engaged with the engaging portion, and a pressing portion that abuts a part of the magnetic permeability sensor and suppresses the movement in the thickness direction of the substrate; It is characterized by providing.

  In the mounted body according to the present invention, the inserted portion is a column protruding vertically from the flat mounting surface, and the pressing portion is a plate member protruding from the protruding end of the column or from the mounting surface. A flat plate-like elastic member extending in parallel to the mounting surface from the protruding end, and the locked portion is a protrusion, a recess or a through hole provided on the mounting surface or the pressing portion. It is characterized by that.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus that includes a toner cartridge and a magnetic permeability sensor that detects a magnetic permeability of a developer contained in the toner cartridge, wherein the magnetic permeability sensor includes the developer. An oscillation circuit including a planar coil that receives magnetism from the substrate, a substrate having a control circuit for controlling the oscillation circuit, an insertion portion provided at a part of the periphery of the substrate, and a formation portion of the planar coil on the substrate Or a locking portion provided around the forming portion, wherein the toner cartridge or the image forming apparatus main body is provided on a mounting surface located in the vicinity of the developer, and the mounting surface is provided with the insertion portion. A plugged portion into which is inserted, a locked portion that is locked to the locking portion, and a pressing portion that is in contact with a part of the magnetic permeability sensor and suppresses movement in the thickness direction of the substrate. Characterized by

  A method for attaching a magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention is an attachment method for attaching a magnetic permeability sensor to an attached body having an attachment surface located in the vicinity of an object to be detected, which is provided on a peripheral edge of a substrate of the magnetic permeability sensor. The insertion part which is a notch formed in a part of the peripheral edge is inserted into a cylindrical insertion part protruding vertically from the flat mounting surface, and a part of the magnetic permeability sensor is A formed part provided on a body to be mounted and brought into contact with a flat plate-shaped pressing portion that is parallel to and opposed to the mounting surface, and on which a planar coil that receives magnetism from the object to be detected is formed, or the The locking portion provided around the formation portion is locked to the locked portion provided in the attached body.

  In the magnetic sensor mounting method according to the present invention, the substrate is rotated in parallel with the mounting surface about the position of the inserted portion in a state where the inserting portion is inserted into the inserted portion. It is characterized by making it.

  A magnetic permeability sensor according to the present invention includes a rectangular substrate, a pair of planar coils formed on one or both sides of the substrate with a substantially identical printed pattern, with the central portions of the printed pattern overlapping each other, and the substrate A circuit component which is arranged on one side and forms an oscillation circuit in cooperation with the planar coil, a control circuit which controls the oscillation circuit, a notch formed on one side of the substrate, and the printed pattern on the substrate And a through-hole provided in the central portion of the.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the space required when attaching the magnetic permeability sensor, and to reduce the magnetic permeability detection error.

It is an external view which shows an example of a magnetic permeability sensor. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attachment structure provided in a toner cartridge. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for attaching a toner sensor to a toner cartridge. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for attaching a toner sensor to a toner cartridge by a rotation operation. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a toner sensor according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for attaching a toner sensor according to a second embodiment to a toner cartridge. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attachment structure provided in a toner cartridge according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for attaching a toner sensor to a toner cartridge according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a toner sensor and a mounting structure according to Embodiment 4. FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the magnetic permeability sensor 1. 1A and 1C show a plan view of the magnetic permeability sensor 1, and FIG. 1B shows a side view of the magnetic permeability sensor 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic permeability sensor 1 includes a flat rectangular substrate 10, and a first coil 13 a, a second coil 13 b, a circuit component 14, an electronic chip 15, and a connector 16 disposed on the substrate 10. The first coil 13a, the circuit component 14, the electronic chip 15 and the connector 16 are disposed on one surface of the substrate 10, and the second coil 13b is disposed on the opposite surface. Here, the surface on which the first coil 13a and the like are disposed is the upper surface of the substrate 10, and the opposite surface is the lower surface. In the present embodiment, the substrate 10 is a rectangular substrate in plan view as shown in FIG. 1, but the shape of the substrate 10 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be, for example, a square shape. Further, the shape of the substrate 10 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be, for example, a circular shape or a triangular shape.

The first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are planar coils that receive magnetism from the object to be detected, and are formed on the substrate 10 by a planar print pattern. Specifically, the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are formed by printing a copper foil pattern on the substrate 10 in a rectangular spiral shape. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, in the present embodiment, the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are coaxially formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate 10 by a substantially identical printed pattern. In other words, the central portions of the print patterns overlap each other in plan view. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are collectively referred to as a coil 13 as appropriate.
In the present embodiment, the printed pattern of the coil 13 is a rectangular spiral, but the coil 13 may be formed to have a certain length, for example, a circular spiral, an elliptical spiral, It may be a printed pattern such as a zigzag.

  The circuit component 14 is a circuit element including a capacitor, a resistor, and the like connected to the coil 13. The first coil 13a, the second coil 13b, and the circuit component 14 cooperate to form an LC oscillation circuit for each of the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b. The electronic chip 15 is a microcomputer connected to the circuit component 14, and controls the circuit operation of the oscillation circuit to execute a magnetic permeability detection process. The connector 16 is provided near one short side of the substrate 10. An external terminal is connected to the connector 16, and the magnetic permeability detection result is transmitted to the outside via the connector 16. Further, the magnetic permeability sensor 1 is connected to a power source via the connector 16.

The substrate 10 has a notch 11 and a through hole 12.
The notch 11 is formed in a part of the periphery of the substrate 10. Specifically, the notch 11 is formed in a U-shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 10 at the center of the short side opposite to the one short side of the substrate 10 on which the connector 16 is provided. In the following description, one end of the substrate 10 related to the short side provided with the notch 11 is described as the tip of the substrate 10.

  The through hole 12 is a hole having a circular cross section penetrating the substrate 10. The through-hole 12 is formed at a position where the coil 13 is formed on the substrate 10, more specifically, at the center of the planar print pattern related to the coil 13 and does not interfere with the print pattern of the coil 13. Yes. As shown in FIG. 1B, the through hole 12 is provided at a position away from the U-shaped bottom portion of the notch 11 by a predetermined interval R1. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the through hole 12 is provided at a position away from the long side of the substrate 10 by a predetermined interval R2.

The processing operation of permeability detection by the permeability sensor 1 will be briefly described. The magnetic permeability sensor 1 is disposed in the vicinity of an object to be detected including a magnetic body so that the formation surfaces of the coils 13 face each other. When the magnetic permeability of the object to be detected changes, the inductance of the coil 13 also changes according to the change in the magnetic permeability. As a result, the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit including the coil 13 changes. Here, the closer the coil 13 is to the magnetic body, the stronger the influence of the magnetic field is. Therefore, the coil 13 closer to the object to be detected has a higher inductance compared to the other coils 13 due to the change in the permeability of the object to be detected. The amount of change is large. Therefore, a difference occurs in the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit relating to each of the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b according to the change in the magnetic permeability. The magnetic permeability sensor 1 detects the magnetic permeability of the object to be detected based on the difference between the oscillation frequencies.
In the present embodiment, the magnetic permeability sensor 1 has been described as detecting the magnetic permeability based on the difference in inductance between the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b. However, the magnetic permeability sensor 1 detects the magnetic permeability. Any magnetic permeability sensor may be used, and the processing content relating to the magnetic permeability detection is not limited to the above.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attachment structure provided in the toner cartridge 2. 2A is a side sectional view of the mounting structure, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the mounting structure. The toner cartridge 2 contains a developer 3 that is an object to be detected. A flat surface indicated by reference numeral 20 in FIG. 2 is an attachment surface to which the magnetic permeability sensor 1 is attached. The mounting surface 20 is a flat outer surface of the developing tank in which the developer 3 is accommodated, and is located in the vicinity of the developer 3. In FIG. 2B, the mounting surface 20 is shown as a solid rectangular frame for convenience of explanation, but the rectangular frame does not limit the formation range of the mounting surface 20, and the mounting surface 20 is the outer surface of the developing tank. Any predetermined flat portion may be used. In the following description, it is assumed that the magnetic permeability sensor 1 is the toner sensor 1 attached to the toner cartridge 2. The mounting structure includes a cylinder 21, a protrusion 22, and a pressing plate 23. Hereinafter, the surface direction of the mounting surface 20 is an upward direction, and the opposite direction is a downward direction.
Although the mounting surface 20 is described as being flat in the present embodiment, the mounting surface 20 may not be flat as long as the toner sensor 1 can be mounted.

  The cylinder 21 protrudes vertically from the flat mounting surface 20. The diameter of the cylinder 21 is substantially the same as the U-shaped width of the notch 11, and the cylinder 21 can be loosely fitted into the notch 11. The height of the cylinder 21 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10.

  The holding plate 23 is a flat elastic member that extends in parallel to the mounting surface 20 from the protruding end of the column 21. Specifically, the pressing plate 23 is a rectangular plate material in plan view, and is fixed to the protruding end of the column 21 on one end side in the longitudinal direction, and faces the mounting surface 20 in parallel. Thereby, the pressing plate 23 is supported by the column 21. Since the height of the cylinder 21 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10, the distance between the lower surface of the pressing plate 23 and the mounting surface 20 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10. In addition, as shown to FIG. 2A, the edge of the pressing plate 23 on the opposite side to the said one end side is chamfered diagonally with respect to the up-down direction.

  The protrusion 22 is provided on the mounting surface 20. The protrusion 22 is hemispherical, and the diameter of the hemisphere is substantially the same as the diameter of the through hole 12, and the protrusion 22 can be fitted into the through hole 12. The protrusion 22 is provided on the mounting surface 20 at a position facing the pressing plate 23. The distance R3 from the protrusion 22 to the cylinder 21 shown in FIG. 2A is substantially the same as the distance R1 from the through hole 12 to the U-shaped bottom of the notch 11 shown in FIG. 1B.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a procedure for attaching the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2. 3A is a side cross-sectional view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure before mounting, FIG. 3B is during mounting, and FIG. Based on FIG. 3, a method of attaching the toner sensor 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when attaching the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2, first, an operation of inserting the notch 11 provided at the tip of the substrate 10 into the cylinder 21 is performed. Specifically, the toner sensor 1 is placed on the mounting surface 20 and the tip of the toner sensor 1 is directed to the cylinder 21. Then, the toner sensor 1 is slid so that the lower surface of the substrate 10 is along the attachment surface 20, and the tip of the substrate 10 is inserted between the pressing plate 23 and the attachment surface 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the tip of the substrate 10 is inserted between the holding plate 23 and the mounting surface 20, the protrusions 22 formed on the mounting surface 20 and the lower surface of the substrate 10 come into contact with each other. It is pushed up. When the substrate 10 is pushed up, a part of the upper surface of the substrate 10 comes into contact with the pressing plate 23. Since the pressing plate 23 is an elastic member, the pressing plate 23 bends upward by coming into contact with a part of the substrate 10. Specifically, the pressing plate 23 is curved upward and presses the substrate 10 downward, that is, toward the mounting surface 20 by an elastic force.

  As shown in FIG. 3C, when the notch 11 is further inserted into the cylinder 21, the cylinder 21 is loosely fitted into the notch 11 and hits the U-shaped bottom of the notch 11. At this time, the positions of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 overlap each other, and the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted. The cylinder 21 is loosely fitted into the notch 11 and the through hole 12 is fitted into the protrusion 22, whereby the substrate 10 is engaged with the mounting structure at two locations, and the toner sensor 1 is locked to the toner cartridge 2. . As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, the toner sensor 1 is in the locked state when the positions of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are matched. Further, as described above, the through hole 12 is provided in the portion of the substrate 10 where the coil 13 is formed, and the protrusion 22 is provided on the mounting surface 20. Therefore, the coil 13 can be positioned with respect to the mounting surface 20 by fitting the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22. Therefore, for example, the coil 13 can be positioned at the optimum position with respect to the location where the developer 3 is accommodated by setting the location where the protrusion 22 is provided on the outer surface of the developing tank suitable for receiving magnetism from the developer 3. it can.

  When the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted, the substrate 10 is not pushed up by the protrusion 22, and the lower surface of the substrate 10 contacts the mounting surface 20. Further, the pressing plate 23 that is an elastic member presses the substrate 10 against the mounting surface 20 by an elastic force. Accordingly, the movement of the toner sensor 1 in the thickness direction of the substrate 10 is suppressed by the pressing plate 23. When removing the toner sensor 1 from the toner cartridge 2, it is necessary to push up the pressing plate 23 and release the fitting of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22. In other words, the holding state of the toner sensor 1 and the toner cartridge 2 is held by the pressing plate 23, and the toner sensor 1 is fixed to the mounting position of the toner cartridge 2.

  In the above description, it has been described that when the notch 11 is inserted into the cylinder 21, the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted. However, when the notch 11 is inserted into the cylinder 21, the positions of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are determined. It may not fit. In this embodiment, therefore, the positions of the through holes 12 and the protrusions 22 are obtained by inserting the notch 11 into the cylinder 21 and rotating the toner sensor 1 around the cylinder 21 with the cylinder 21 loosely fitted into the notch 11. Can be combined. Hereinafter, a procedure for fitting the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 by rotating the toner sensor 1 and attaching the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a procedure for attaching the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2 by a rotating operation. 4A shows a plan view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure in a state where the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are not fitted, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted. Although the coil 13 and the like are not shown in the drawing, the coil 13 and the like are actually formed on the substrate 10. A method of rotating and fixing the toner sensor 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the notch 11 is inserted into the cylinder 21, the positions of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 do not overlap and may not fit each other. In this case, the positions of the through holes 12 and the protrusions 22 can be adjusted by rotating the toner sensor 1 on the surface of the mounting surface 20. Specifically, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4A, the toner sensor 1 is rotated in parallel with the mounting surface 20 around the cylinder 21. Since the interval R1 between the notch 11 and the through-hole 12 and the interval R3 between the cylinder 21 and the protrusion 22 are substantially the same (see FIGS. 1B and 2A), the positions of the through-hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are adjusted by the above-described rotation operation. Can be matched. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the positions of the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 overlap, the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted. Thus, the toner sensor 1 is fixed at the attachment position.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the notch 11 is inserted into the cylinder 21, the toner sensor 1 is locked by fitting the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22, and the holding plate 23 that presses the toner sensor 1 is engaged. The toner sensor 1 is attached to the toner cartridge 2 by holding the stopped state. Since attachment is possible by an insertion operation (slide operation) or a rotation operation along the attachment surface 20, the attachment operation can be simplified. Further, since the through-hole 12 is provided in a portion where the coil 13 is formed on the substrate 10, the position of the coil 13 with respect to the toner cartridge 2 is not easily displaced.

  In the present embodiment, the U-shaped notch 11 is provided at the tip of the substrate 10 and the corresponding column 21 is provided in the mounting structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The notch 11 may be in any shape that allows the circular column 21 to be loosely fitted. For example, the notch 11 may have a V shape, a concave shape, or the like. The part corresponding to the notch 11 on the attachment structure side may be a shape that can be loosely fitted into the notch 11. For example, when the shape of the notch 11 is U-shaped, a triangular prism, a quadrangular prism, or the like may be provided instead of the cylinder 21.

  In the present embodiment, the through hole 12 is provided at the center of the printed pattern related to the coil 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the through holes 12 may be provided at the four corners of a rectangular spiral print pattern, and four protrusions 22 may be provided on the mounting surface 20 correspondingly. That is, the through-holes 12 are only required to be provided on the periphery of the formation portion of the coil 13 on the substrate 10, and the position, the number, and the like of the through-holes 12 are not particularly limited within the range.

  In the present embodiment, the substrate 10 is provided with the through holes 12 and the mounting surface 20 is provided with the protrusions 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shape of the portion corresponding to the protrusion 22 is not limited to the through hole, and may be a depression. Further, for example, a protrusion may be provided on the lower surface of the substrate 10 and a corresponding recess may be provided on the mounting surface 20. Further, since the protrusion 22 according to the mounting structure only needs to be able to be fitted into the through hole 12, the protrusion 22 may be provided on the lower surface of the pressing plate 23 that contacts a part of the substrate 10. Further, the shape of the protrusion 22 is not limited to a hemispherical shape, and may be a conical shape, for example. As described above, the configuration for locking the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2 may include various forms.

In this embodiment, the attachment structure is provided in the toner cartridge 2 and the toner sensor 1 is attached to the toner cartridge 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the toner sensor 1 may be attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus instead of the toner cartridge 2. In this case, a mounting structure such as a cylinder 21 and a protrusion 22 is provided at a predetermined position of the main body of the image forming apparatus close to the developing tank of the toner cartridge 2. Thus, the toner sensor 1 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, and the magnetic permeability of the developer 3 is detected. That is, the attached body to which the toner sensor 1 is attached may be the image forming apparatus main body.
In the present embodiment, when the toner sensor is attached to a predetermined portion of the image forming apparatus main body, the toner sensor can be fixed by sliding or rotating operation, so that the space around the attachment surface 20 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the toner sensor 1 is configured such that the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the single substrate 10, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the toner sensor 1 may have a stacked structure in which a plurality of substrates 10, 10, 10... Are stacked, and coils 13, 13, 13. Thus, the number of substrates 10 is not limited to one, and the number of coils 13 is not limited to two.

  In the present embodiment, the first coil 13a and the second coil 13b are formed on both surfaces of the substrate 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first coil 13a or the second coil 13b may be formed on one surface of the substrate 10, and the second coil 13b or the first coil 13a may be further formed on the upper surface of the formation portion of the coil 13 with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. . Thus, the structure formed in the single side | surface of the board | substrate 10 may be sufficient as the 1st coil 13a and the 2nd coil 13b.

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, a mode in which the toner sensor 1 includes a case 217 that covers an arrangement area of the oscillation circuit and the control circuit on the upper surface of the substrate 10 will be described. In addition, about the content which overlaps with Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the toner sensor 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A shows a plan view of the toner sensor 1. FIG. 5B shows a side sectional view of the toner sensor 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the toner sensor 1 according to the second embodiment includes an oscillation circuit including a coil 13 and a circuit component 14 disposed on a substrate 10, and a control circuit including an electronic chip 15 that controls the oscillation circuit. And a case 217 for covering the above. The case 217 is a rectangular parallelepiped box with one surface opened, and the opening surface has a rectangular shape corresponding to the upper surface of the substrate 10. Specifically, the short side of the opening surface is substantially the same length as the short side of the substrate 10. The long side of the opening surface is slightly shorter than the long side of the substrate 10, and the case 217 can cover the oscillation circuit having the coil 13 and the circuit component 14 disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 10 and the control circuit having the electronic chip 15. It has become. The case 217 covers the upper surface of the substrate 10 with the opening face down, thereby protecting the oscillation circuit and the control circuit provided on the substrate 10.
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the case 217 is a box, but the case 217 may have a shape that can cover the arrangement area of the oscillation circuit and the control circuit on the substrate 10, and may be, for example, a semi-cylindrical shape. May be.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for attaching the toner sensor 1 according to the second embodiment to the toner cartridge 2. 6A shows a side view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure before mounting, and FIG. 6B shows the mounting structure after mounting. In FIG. 6, the circuit component 14, the electronic chip 15 and the like are not shown for the sake of brevity. In the present embodiment, the height of the column 21 is substantially the same as the total of the thickness of the substrate 10 and the height of the case 217. As in the first embodiment, the cylinder 21 is loosely fitted in the notch 11 and the through-hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are fitted after the attachment, but the holding plate 23 is not a part of the upper surface of the substrate 10 but a part of the upper surface of the case 217. Abuts against the part. By applying downward elastic force to the upper surface of the case 217 by the pressing plate 23, the movement of the toner sensor 1 in the thickness direction of the substrate 10 is suppressed and the toner sensor 1 is fixed to the toner cartridge 2.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the toner sensor 1 includes the case 217 that covers the oscillation circuit and the control circuit. As a result, the oscillation circuit and the control circuit included in the substrate 10 can be protected.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first embodiment, the pressing plate 23 has been described as extending from the protruding end of the column 21. In the present embodiment, a side wall plate 324 protrudes perpendicularly from the mounting surface 20, and a mode in which the pressing plate 23 extends in parallel to the mounting surface 20 from the protruding end of the side wall plate 324 will be described. In addition, about the content which overlaps with Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attachment structure provided in the toner cartridge 2 according to the third embodiment. 7A shows a side view of the mounting structure, and FIG. 7B shows a plan view of the mounting structure.
The mounting structure according to the present embodiment includes a column 21, a protrusion 22, and a pressing plate 23 as in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the pressing plate 23 is not supported by the column 21 but is supported by the side wall plate 324 that protrudes vertically from the mounting surface 20.

  The side wall plate 324 is a flat rectangular plate material, and the flat plate surface projects vertically so as to be orthogonal to the mounting surface 20. The height (projection width) of the side wall plate 324 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10. The upper side of the side wall plate 324 that is the protruding end has substantially the same length as one side of the presser plate 23, and the presser plate 23 extends from the side wall plate 324 so that the one side and the upper side are continuous. The side wall plate 324 is formed so that the interval R4 from the protrusion 22 to the side wall plate 324 shown in FIG. 7B and the interval R2 from the through hole 12 to the long side of the substrate 10 shown in FIG. 1A are substantially the same.

  In this embodiment, the cylinder 21 protrudes from the mounting surface 20 as in the first embodiment, but does not support the pressing plate 23 and is provided in the vicinity of the side wall plate 324 and the pressing plate 23. Specifically, the cylinder 21 has a position where the interval R5 from the cylinder 21 to the protrusion 22 shown in FIG. 7A is substantially the same as the interval R1 from the U-shaped bottom of the notch 11 to the through hole 12 shown in FIG. 1B. Is provided. The side wall plate 324 is provided so that a straight line connecting the center of the circle related to the cylinder 21 and the protrusion 22 in a plan view is substantially parallel to the flat plate surface of the side wall plate 324.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a procedure for attaching the toner sensor 1 to the toner cartridge 2 according to the third embodiment. 8A shows a plan view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure after the mounting, FIG. 8C shows a side view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure after the mounting. In addition, although the coil 13 etc. are formed in the board | substrate 10 similarly to Embodiment 1, illustration of the coil 13 etc. is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. Based on FIG. 8, a method of attaching the toner sensor 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the toner sensor 1 is attached to the toner cartridge 2, first, the notch 11 is inserted into the cylinder 21, and the cylinder 21 is loosely fitted into the notch 11. Next, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 8A, the toner sensor 1 is rotated around the cylinder 21 in a state where the notch 11 is in contact with the cylinder 21. When the toner sensor 1 is rotated, the distance R4 from the protrusion 22 to the side wall plate 324 and the distance R2 from the through hole 12 to the long side of the substrate 10 are substantially the same (see FIGS. 1A and 7B). 10 long side edge contacts the side wall plate 324 (see FIG. 8B). Further, since the interval R5 from the cylinder 21 to the protrusion 22 and the interval R1 from the U-shaped bottom of the notch 11 to the through hole 12 are substantially the same (see FIGS. 1B and 7A), the through hole 12 and the protrusion 22 are provided. (See FIG. 8C). In this case, since the height of the side wall plate 324 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10, the lower surface of the pressing plate 23 and the upper surface of the substrate 10 come into contact with each other. Since the downward elastic force is applied to the upper surface of the substrate 10 by the pressing plate 23, the movement of the toner sensor 1 in the thickness direction is suppressed and the toner sensor 1 is fixed to the toner cartridge 2.

  As in the second embodiment, the toner sensor 1 may be configured to include the case 217 in this embodiment. In this case, the height dimension of the side wall plate 324 is substantially the same as the dimension obtained by combining the height of the case 217 and the thickness of the substrate 10. As a result, the pressing plate 23 can press the toner sensor 1 against the mounting surface 20.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the side wall plate 324 protrudes perpendicularly from the mounting surface 20, but the side wall plate 324 only needs to be able to support the pressing plate 23, and the side wall plate 324 is relative to the mounting surface 20. It does not have to be vertical.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the pressing plate 23 does not extend from the protruding end of the column 21, but extends from the protruding end of the side wall plate 324 that protrudes perpendicularly from the mounting surface 20. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment, even if the column 21 and the pressing plate 23 are not connected, the same effect as the first embodiment is obtained.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the toner sensor 1 and the mounting structure according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view before the toner sensor 1 is attached to the attachment structure provided in the toner cartridge 2 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 9, the coil 13 and the like are not shown. In the present embodiment, a mode in which the toner sensor 1 can be inserted with a configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the notch 11 is not provided at the tip of the substrate 10, and instead, the tip of the substrate 10 has a rectangular convex portion 411 at the center in the short direction. Is provided.

  Further, in the mounting structure on the toner cartridge 2 side, a support plate 425 that supports the pressing plate 23 is provided instead of the column 21. In addition, the support plate 425 is provided with an insertion hole 426 corresponding to the convex portion 411 of the substrate 10. The insertion hole 426 is a rectangular hole when viewed from the side, and has a shape into which the convex portion 411 can be inserted. Specifically, the vertical width (height) of the insertion hole 426 is substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10. The width of the insertion hole 426 in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the width of the convex portion 411 in the short direction of the substrate 10.

  In the present embodiment, when the toner sensor 1 is attached to the toner cartridge 2, the toner sensor 1 is placed on the attachment surface 20 as shown in FIG. 9, and the tip of the substrate 10 faces the support plate 425. Then, as indicated by an arrow in the figure, the tip of the substrate 10 is inserted between the mounting surface 20 and the holding plate 23. In this case, the convex portion 411 of the substrate 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 426 of the support plate 425. When the convex portion 411 is inserted into the insertion hole 426, the through hole 12 of the substrate 10 is fitted with the protrusion 22 (not shown in FIG. 9) on the mounting surface 20, and the substrate 10 is pressed by the pressing plate 23, and the toner sensor. 1 is completed.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the insertion portion on the toner sensor 1 side provided at the tip of the substrate 10 is not a concave shape like the notch 11 but a convex shape like the convex portion 411. Also, the toner sensor 1 can be attached to the toner cartridge 2 by the insertion operation. Correspondingly, the inserted portion on the mounting structure side provided on the mounting surface 20 may not be the column 21.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the meanings described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

1 Toner sensor (permeability sensor)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Board | substrate 11 Notch 411 Protrusion part 12 Through-hole 13 Coil (plane coil)
13a 1st coil 13b 2nd coil 14 Circuit parts 15 Electronic chip 16 Connector 217 Case 2 Toner cartridge (attachment body)
20 Mounting surface 21 Cylinder (inserted part)
22 Protrusion (locked part)
23 Presser Plate 324 Side Wall Plate 425 Support Plate 426 Insertion Hole 3 Developer (Detected Object)

Claims (10)

A magnetic permeability sensor attached to an attached body having an attachment surface located in the vicinity of an object to be detected,
An oscillation circuit including a planar coil that receives magnetism from the object to be detected, and a substrate having a control circuit for controlling the oscillation circuit;
An insertion part that is provided on a part of the periphery of the substrate and is inserted into an insertion part provided on the mounting surface;
And a locking portion that is provided on the periphery of the formation portion of the planar coil on the substrate or around the formation portion, and is locked to a locked portion provided on the attached body,
A magnetic permeability sensor, wherein when attached to the attached body, a part of the pressing portion provided on the attached body comes into contact. The magnetic permeability sensor according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is a notch. The planar coil is formed by a planar print pattern,
The magnetic permeability sensor according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is a through hole, a depression, or a protrusion provided in a central portion of the print pattern. The magnetic permeability sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a case that covers a region where the oscillation circuit and the control circuit are arranged. An attached body to which the magnetic permeability sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is attached,
A mounting surface located in the vicinity of the object to be detected;
A to-be-inserted portion provided on the mounting surface and into which the insertion portion is inserted;
A locked portion to be locked to the locking portion;
An attached body, comprising: a pressing portion that is in contact with a part of the magnetic permeability sensor and suppresses movement of the substrate in the thickness direction. The inserted portion is a cylinder protruding vertically from the flat mounting surface,
The pressing portion is a flat elastic member extending in parallel to the mounting surface from the protruding end of the column or from the protruding end of the plate material protruding from the mounting surface.
The said to-be-latched part is the protrusion, the hollow, or the through-hole which was provided in the said attachment surface or the pressing part. The to-be-attached body of Claim 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner cartridge; and a magnetic permeability sensor that detects a magnetic permeability of a developer contained in the toner cartridge,
The magnetic permeability sensor
An oscillation circuit including a planar coil that receives magnetism from the developer, and a substrate having a control circuit for controlling the oscillation circuit;
An insertion portion provided at a part of the periphery of the substrate;
A part for forming the planar coil on the substrate, or a locking part provided around the part,
The toner cartridge or the image forming apparatus main body includes:
A mounting surface located in the vicinity of the developer;
A to-be-inserted portion provided on the mounting surface and into which the insertion portion is inserted;
A locked portion to be locked to the locking portion;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a pressing portion that is in contact with a part of the magnetic permeability sensor and suppresses movement of the substrate in the thickness direction. An attachment method for attaching a magnetic permeability sensor to an attached body having an attachment surface located in the vicinity of an object to be detected,
The insertion part, which is provided on the periphery of the substrate of the magnetic permeability sensor and is a notch formed in a part of the periphery, is inserted into a cylindrical insertion part protruding vertically from the flat mounting surface. ,
A part of the magnetic permeability sensor is provided on the attached body, and is brought into contact with a flat plate-like pressing portion that is opposed to the mounting surface in parallel.
An engaging portion provided on or around the forming portion on which the planar coil for receiving magnetism from the detected object is formed on the substrate is engaged with the engaging portion provided on the attached body. A method of mounting a magnetic permeability sensor characterized by stopping. The said board | substrate is rotated in parallel with respect to the said attachment surface centering on the position of the said to-be-inserted part in the state which inserted the said to-be-inserted part in the said to-be-inserted part. How to install the permeability sensor. A rectangular substrate;
A pair of planar coils formed in substantially the same shape printed pattern on one or both sides of the substrate, with the central portions of the printed patterns overlapping each other;
A circuit component that is disposed on one side of the substrate and forms an oscillation circuit in cooperation with the planar coil; and a control circuit that controls the oscillation circuit;
A notch formed on one side of the substrate;
A magnetic permeability sensor comprising: a through hole provided in a central portion of the printed pattern on the substrate.

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