JP2018146880A - Waste powder storage apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste powder storge apparatus which can efficiently store waste powder.SOLUTION: A detection unit 60 includes a wall 61 surrounding a space 66 with an open top, and detects waste powder 31 flowing into the space 66, to detect the amount of waste powder. The detection unit 60 is arranged upstream in a conveyance direction DR of a downstream end of a conveyance unit 80 in the conveyance direction DR of the waste powder. The detection unit 60 includes a blocking unit 70 which is arranged in at least one of the side close to the conveyance unit 80 with respect to the space 66 and the upstream in the conveyance direction DR with respect to the space 66, to prevent the waste powder 31 from flowing into the space 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a waste powder container and an image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus includes an image carrier such as a photoreceptor and an intermediate transfer belt. In the process of forming or transferring the toner image on the image carrier and the process of transferring the toner image from the image carrier to the recording medium, the toner that has not been used for image formation is discharged as waste toner. A waste toner storage device for storing waste toner is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-68806 (Patent Document 1) discloses a waste powder recovery apparatus that drops waste powder from a plurality of outlets and stores it in a recovery container. A configuration is disclosed in which the agitating / conveying member is disposed substantially at the center, and conveys the waste powder toward the detection means and conveys the waste powder in the reverse direction in the vicinity of the detection means.

JP 2013-68806 A

  In image forming apparatuses, downsizing of the apparatus is being promoted in order to minimize installation space. In an image forming apparatus, even in a waste powder storage device that recovers and stores waste toner or waste developer discharged from each discharge port of development, photoconductor and transfer, the maximum recovery amount in a limited space is achieved. It has been demanded.

  In the present disclosure, a waste powder storage device that can efficiently store waste powder such as waste toner and waste developer, and an image forming apparatus including the waste powder storage device are provided.

  According to the present disclosure, there is provided a waste powder container that can be attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. The waste powder container includes a container, a detection unit, and a transport unit. The container is formed with an inlet through which waste powder flows from the apparatus main body. The detection part has the wall in a container surrounding the space open | released upwards. The detection unit detects the amount of waste powder in the container by detecting waste powder flowing into the space. The transport unit transports the waste powder that has flowed into the container from the inlet. The detection unit is disposed upstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the transport unit in the transport direction of the waste powder. The detection unit has a shielding unit that suppresses the inflow of waste powder into the space. The shielding unit is provided on at least one of the side closer to the transport unit with respect to the space and the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the space.

  In the above waste powder container, the wall has a proximal wall portion closer to the transport portion than the space, and an upstream wall portion upstream of the space in the transport direction. The shielding part is formed so that at least one of the proximal wall part and the upstream wall part protrudes upward from the upper edge of the other part of the wall.

  In the waste powder container, the wall has a connecting portion connected to the proximal wall portion. The proximal wall portion and the connecting portion have the same protruding height and protrude upward from the upper edge of the other portion.

  The waste powder container further includes a shielding plate disposed opposite to the upstream wall and disposed above the upper edge of the other part of the wall.

  In the above waste powder container, the shielding part is formed by a shielding plate disposed on at least one of the side closer to the conveying part than the wall and the upstream side in the conveying direction from the wall. The shielding plate overlaps with the upper edge of the wall in the vertical direction.

  In the waste powder container, the transport unit includes a rotation shaft and a spiral blade provided around the rotation shaft. A conveyance part conveys waste powder in a conveyance direction, when a rotating shaft and a spiral blade | wing rotate integrally. The transport unit includes a superimposing unit whose position in the transport direction overlaps the detection unit, and an upstream unit upstream of the superimposing unit in the transport direction. The outer diameter of the spiral blade in the overlapping portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the spiral blade in the upstream portion.

  In the above waste powder container, the transport unit has a downstream part downstream in the transport direction from the overlapping part. The outer diameter of the spiral blade in the overlapping portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the spiral blade in the downstream portion.

  In the above-described waste powder container, the transport unit has a leveling unit that is disposed downstream of the detection unit in the transport direction and smoothes the waste powder in the container.

  In the waste powder container, the transport unit rotates in a direction in which the lowermost part of the spiral blade is away from the detection unit and the uppermost part of the spiral blade is closer to the detection unit.

  In the waste powder container, the interval between the spiral blades adjacent to each other in the transport direction is larger in the overlapping portion than in the upstream portion.

  In the above waste powder container, the container has a ceiling part that covers the upper part of the conveying part. In the area from the downstream end of the conveyance unit to the detection unit in the conveyance direction, the height of the ceiling is smaller than the other areas.

  According to the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium and the waste powder container according to any one of the above aspects is provided.

  According to the waste powder container and the image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure, waste powder can be efficiently stored.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a waste powder container in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the waste powder container along the line III-III shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of a detection part and a conveyance part. It is sectional drawing of the waste powder storage apparatus which follows the VV line shown in FIG. It is a 1st figure which shows the state which the waste powder accumulated in the container. It is a 2nd figure which shows the state which the waste powder accumulated in the container. 10 is a perspective view of a detection unit and a conveyance unit in Embodiment 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The same parts and corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may not be repeated.

[Embodiment 1]
(Image forming apparatus 100)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 100 includes an apparatus main body 10 and a waste powder storage apparatus 30 that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 10.

  The apparatus main body 10 includes image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, an intermediate transfer belt 16, a support roller 17, a secondary transfer roller 18, a cassette 19, a transport roller 20, a fixing device 21, a medium discharge unit 22, and an image reading unit. 23 is included. Each of the image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K includes a photoconductor 11, a charging device 12, an exposure device 13, a developing device 14, and a primary transfer roller 15.

  The surface of the photoreceptor 11 is uniformly charged by the charging device 12. The exposure device 13 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) and exposes the surface of the photoconductor 11 based on image information from the image reading unit 23 or image information received from outside the device. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 11. As the developing device 14 develops the electrostatic latent image, a toner image corresponding to the image information is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 11 (development process).

  The toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the electric field applied from the primary transfer roller 15 in the primary transfer portion between the photoconductor 11 and the primary transfer roller 15 (primary transfer process). . The intermediate transfer belt 16 is stretched by a plurality of support rollers 17 and travels by receiving a driving force. The toner images formed by the image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 16. A secondary transfer portion is formed between the support roller 17 (intermediate transfer belt 16) and the secondary transfer roller 18.

  The conveyance roller 20 forms a recording medium conveyance path. The recording medium M accommodated in the cassette 19 is sent out to the secondary transfer section through this recording medium conveyance path. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred onto the recording medium M by the electric field applied from the secondary transfer roller 18 in the secondary transfer portion (secondary transfer process). The toner image on the recording medium M is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 21 and fixed on the recording medium M. Thereafter, the recording medium M is discharged to the medium discharge unit 22.

  In the above development process, a two-component developer containing toner and carrier is used. The developing device 14 converts the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image by reversal development with charged toner particles. By using the toner for developing the electrostatic latent image, the toner concentration in the developer gradually decreases. Further, the carrier deteriorates due to long-term use. Therefore, toner and new carrier are appropriately supplied to the developing device 14. At this time, since the total amount of developer in the developing device 14 increases, the deteriorated carrier is discharged from the developing device 14 as waste developer.

  In the primary transfer process described above, a part of the toner is not directly used for image formation but is removed from the photoconductor 11 by the cleaning blade and discharged as waste toner. In the secondary transfer process, a part of the toner is not directly used for image formation but is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the cleaning blade and discharged as waste toner.

  The waste developer discharged in the development process and the waste toner discharged in the primary transfer process and the secondary transfer process are transported to the waste powder container 30 via a transport path (not shown), and the waste powder It is collected by the storage device 30. In this specification, the waste powder is a generic term for either or both of a waste developer and waste toner.

  The waste powder storage device 30 is arranged on the front side of the image forming apparatus 100, that is, on the side where an operator who uses the image forming apparatus 100 normally stands. The waste powder container 30 is configured to be attachable to the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 100 and to be removable from the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 100.

(Waste powder container 30)
The configuration of the waste powder container 30 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the waste powder container 30 in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the waste powder container 30 along the line III-III shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows the waste powder container 30 as seen from the back side. FIG. 3 is a cross section of the waste powder container 30 taken along the line III-III shown in FIG. 2, and the cross section of the waste powder container 30 viewed from the front side of the waste powder container 30 is shown in FIG. It is shown in the figure.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste powder container 30 includes a container 40. The container 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The container 40 constitutes an outer shell of the waste powder storage device 30 and stores the waste powder therein.

  The container 40 includes a ceiling portion 41, a bottom surface portion 42, a front surface portion 43, a back surface portion 44, and side surface portions 45 and 46. In a state where the waste powder container 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 100, the ceiling portion 41 constitutes the outer surface above the container 40, and the bottom portion 42 constitutes the outer surface below the container 40. The front portion 43, the back portion 44, and the side portions 45 and 46 constitute the side surface of the container 40. The front part 43 is arranged facing the front. The back surface portion 44 is arranged facing the back surface opposite to the front surface. The side part 45 is arranged facing rightward. The side part 46 is arranged facing left.

  In the following description, the vertical direction of the waste powder storage device 30 refers to the vertical direction in a state where the waste powder storage device 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10. In the cross section viewed from the front side shown in FIG. 3, the vertical direction in the figure corresponds to the vertical direction of the waste powder container 30. The left-right direction of the waste powder storage device 30 refers to the left-right direction in a state where the waste powder storage device 30 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10. In the cross section viewed from the front side shown in FIG. 3, the left-right direction in the figure corresponds to the left-right direction of the waste powder container 30.

  In the container 40, inflow ports 51 to 53 are formed. At the inflow ports 51 to 53, the internal space and the external space of the container 40 communicate with each other. Waste developer discharged from the developing device 14 included in the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 100 flows into the container 40 from the inlet 51. The waste toner removed from the photoconductor 11 included in the apparatus main body 10 flows into the container 40 from the inflow port 52. The waste toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 included in the apparatus main body 10 flows into the container 40 from the inflow port 53.

  The inflow ports 51 and 52 are formed at positions closer to the side surface portion 45 of the pair of side surface portions 45 and 46. The inflow port 53 is formed at a position closer to the side surface portion 46 of the pair of side surface portions 45 and 46.

  The waste powder storage device 30 includes a detection unit 60. A portion near the upper edge of the detection unit 60 is disposed in the container 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the detection unit 60 protrudes from the container 40 to the outside.

  The waste powder container 30 includes a transport unit 80. Most of the transport unit 80 is disposed in the container 40.

(Conveying unit 80)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the detection unit 60 and the conveyance unit 80. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport unit 80 includes a rotation shaft 81 and a spiral blade 82 provided around the rotation shaft 81. The spiral blade 82 is provided to be inclined with respect to the direction in which the rotation shaft 81 extends (the left-right direction in FIG. 3 or the left-right direction of the waste powder container 30), and has a spiral shape as a whole. doing. The transport unit 80 transports the waste powder that has flowed into the container 40 from the inflow ports 51 and 52 by the rotation shaft 81 and the spiral blade 82 rotating together.

  One end portion of the rotation shaft 81 protrudes from the side surface portion 45 to the outside of the container 40, and this one end portion constitutes the container outer end portion 81A. A drive gear 89 is fixed to the rotation shaft 81 in the vicinity of the container outer end 81A. The other end portion 81 </ b> B of the rotating shaft 81 is supported by the side surface portion 46. The container outer end portion 81A and the other end portion 81B have substantially the same vertical position. The rotating shaft 81 is disposed substantially horizontally.

  When a rotational driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown) to the driving gear 89, the rotating shaft 81 rotates and the spiral blade 82 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 81. Along with the rotation of the spiral blade 82, waste powder that has flowed into the container 40 from the inlets 51 and 52 is conveyed. The conveying direction DR of the waste powder is indicated by a white arrow in FIG. In FIG. 3, the waste powder conveyance direction DR is a direction from the right side to the left side in the drawing, that is, a direction from the side surface 45 to the side surface 46 of the container 40. The right side in FIG. 3 is the upstream side in the transport direction DR, and the left side in FIG. 3 is the downstream side in the transport direction DR.

  The transport unit 80 has an upstream end 83 and a downstream end 87 in the transport direction DR of waste powder. The detection unit 60 is arranged so that the portion between the upstream end 83 and the downstream end 87 of the transport unit 80 overlaps the position in the transport direction DR. The detection unit 60 is disposed downstream of the upstream end 83 of the transport unit 80 in the transport direction DR and upstream of the downstream end 87 of the transport unit 80 in the transport direction DR.

  The transport unit 80 includes an overlapping unit 85 between the upstream end 83 and the downstream end 87. As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the position of the superimposition unit 85 in the transport direction DR (left and right direction in the figure) overlaps the detection unit 60. The transport unit 80 has an upstream part 84 upstream of the superimposition part 85 in the transport direction DR and a downstream part 86 downstream of the superposition part 85 in the transport direction DR. The upstream part 84 is a part of the transport part 80 between the upstream end 83 and the overlapping part 85, and the downstream part 86 is a part of the transport part 80 between the overlapping part 85 and the downstream end 87.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the spiral blade 82 has an outer diameter R <b> 1 at the upstream portion 84, an outer diameter R <b> 2 at the overlapping portion 85, and an outer diameter R <b> 3 at the downstream portion 86. Yes. The outer diameter R2 of the spiral blade 82 in the overlapping portion 85 is smaller than the outer diameter R1 of the spiral blade 82 in the upstream portion 84. The outer diameter R2 of the spiral blade 82 in the overlapping portion 85 is smaller than the outer diameter R3 of the spiral blade 82 in the downstream portion 86. The outer diameter of the spiral blade 82 is reduced at the overlapping portion 85.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the upstream portion 84, the spiral blades 82 are adjacent to each other with a spacing P1. The interval between the spiral blades 82 adjacent in the transport direction DR in the upstream portion 84 is the interval P1. In the overlapping portion 85, the spiral blades 82 are adjacent to each other with an interval P2. The interval between the spiral blades 82 adjacent to each other in the transport direction DR in the superimposing unit 85 is the interval P2. The interval between the spiral blades 82 adjacent to each other in the transport direction DR is larger in the overlapping portion 85 than in the upstream portion 84. The spiral blades 82 are arranged relatively densely in the upstream portion 84 and are arranged relatively sparsely in the overlapping portion 85.

  The transport unit 80 has a leveling unit 90 downstream of the downstream end 87 in the transport direction DR. The leveling unit 90 is provided downstream of the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR (left side in FIG. 3). The leveling portion 90 has a plurality of blade portions 91 extending along the transport direction DR. The leveling unit 90 has a function of leveling the waste powder in the container 40 by rotating with the rotation of the rotary shaft 81. The blade portion 91 extends along the transport direction DR and does not have a function of transporting waste powder in the transport direction DR.

  The transport unit 80 has a reverse transport unit 88 downstream of the leveling unit 90 in the transport direction DR (left side in FIG. 3). The reverse conveyance unit 88 has a spiral blade provided around the rotation shaft 81. The winding direction of the spiral blade of the reverse conveyance unit 88 is opposite to the winding direction of the spiral blade 82 between the upstream end 83 and the downstream end 87. As a result, the waste powder that has flowed into the container 40 from the inflow port 53 (FIGS. 1 and 2) with the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 is opposite to the conveying direction DR, that is, from the side surface 46 of the container 40 to the side surface. It is conveyed in the direction toward the unit 45.

  The waste powder that has flowed into the container 40 from the inflow ports 51 and 52 is conveyed in the direction from the side surface 45 to the side surface 46 in the left-right direction by the rotation of the spiral blade 82. The waste powder that has flowed into the container 40 from the inlet 53 is conveyed in the direction from the side surface portion 46 to the side surface portion 45 in the left-right direction by the rotation of the spiral blade of the reverse conveying portion 88.

  The ceiling part 41 of the container 40 covers the upper part of the transport part 80 and the detection part 60. In the region extending from the downstream end 87 of the conveyance unit 80 to the detection unit 60 in the conveyance direction DR, the height of the ceiling portion 41 is smaller than the other regions. The ceiling part 41 has a low ceiling part 47. The height of the low ceiling portion 47, that is, the distance between the low ceiling portion 47 and the bottom surface portion 42 in the vertical direction is the height H2 shown in FIG. The other area | region which does not comprise the low ceiling part 47 among the ceiling parts 41 has the height H1 shown in FIG. The height H2 is smaller than the height H1.

(Detector 60)
As shown in FIG. 4, the detection unit 60 has a joint 69 joined to the container 40. The detection unit 60 is attached to the container 40 by bonding the bonding unit 69 to the container 40. Of the detection unit 60, a portion above the joining portion 69 is disposed in the container 40. A portion of the detection unit 60 that is lower than the joint 69 protrudes outside the container 40 (see also FIG. 2).

  The detection unit 60 has a wall 61. The wall 61 is disposed in the container 40. The wall 61 surrounds the four sides of the space 66 from the side. The space 66 is opened upward at the opening 67. The detection unit 60 has a shape with an upper opening.

  The wall 61 includes a proximal wall portion 62 on the side close to the conveyance portion 80 with respect to the space 66, a distal wall portion 63 on the side away from the conveyance portion 80 with respect to the space 66, and a conveyance direction DR with respect to the space 66. The upstream wall 64 on the upstream side and the downstream wall 65 on the downstream side in the transport direction DR with respect to the space 66.

  The distal wall 63 has an upper edge 63E. The proximal wall part 62 has a proximal wall extension part 72 that protrudes above the upper edge 63E of the distal wall part 63. The upstream wall portion 64 has an upstream wall extending portion 74 that projects upward from the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63. The downstream wall portion 65 has a downstream wall extending portion 75 protruding upward from the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63. The downstream wall extending portion 75 is formed such that only a part of the downstream wall portion 65 protrudes upward from the upper edge 63E.

  The downstream wall 65 has an upper edge 65E1 that forms the upper edge of the downstream wall extension 75, and an upper edge 65E2 that forms the upper edge of the downstream wall 65 that does not constitute the downstream wall extension 75. ing. The upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall portion 65 is connected to the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63. The proximal wall extension portion 72, the upstream wall extension portion 74, and the downstream wall extension portion 75 protrude upward from the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63 and the upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall portion 65. ing. The proximal wall extension part 72, the upstream wall extension part 74, and the downstream wall extension part 75 protrude upward from the opening 67.

  The proximal wall 62 has an upper edge 62E. The upstream wall portion 64 has an upper edge 64E. The upper edge 62E of the proximal wall 62 forms the upper edge of the proximal wall extension 72. The upper edge 64E of the upstream wall portion 64 forms the upper edge of the upstream wall extending portion 74. The upper edge 62E that is the upper edge of the proximal wall extension 72, the upper edge 64E that is the upper edge of the upstream wall extension 74, and the upper edge 65E1 that is the upper edge of the downstream wall extension 75 are: Connected to each other. The upstream wall extending portion 74 and the downstream wall extending portion 75 constitute a connecting portion connected to the proximal wall extending portion 72 of the proximal wall portion 62. The proximal wall extension portion 72, the upstream wall extension portion 74, and the downstream wall extension portion 75 have the same protruding height, and are above the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63 and a part of the downstream wall portion 65. Projecting upward from the edge 65E2.

  By providing the proximal wall extension part 72, the height of the wall 61 closer to the transport part 80 with respect to the space 66 surrounded by the wall 61 is increased. By providing the upstream wall extending portion 74, the height of the wall 61 on the upstream side in the transport direction DR with respect to the space 66 is increased. By providing the downstream wall extending part 75, the height of a part of the wall 61 on the side close to the transport part 80 among the walls 61 on the downstream side in the transport direction DR with respect to the space 66 is increased. Yes.

  The waste powder flowing into the container 40 falls to the bottom surface portion 42 and accumulates on the bottom surface portion 42. In the vicinity of the detection unit 60, when the waste powder that accumulates from the bottom surface part 42 accumulates beyond the upper edge of the wall 61, the waste powder flows into the space 66 of the detection unit 60. Due to the height of the wall 61 being increased by the proximal wall extending portion 72, the upstream wall extending portion 74, and the downstream wall extending portion 75, the inflow of the waste powder 31 into the space 66 is suppressed. Yes. The time from when the waste powder starts to flow into the container 40 to when the waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 is longer. In the first embodiment, the proximal wall extending part 72, the upstream wall extending part 74, and the downstream wall extending part 75 constitute a shielding part 70 that suppresses the inflow of the waste powder 31 into the space 66. .

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the waste powder container 30 taken along the line V-V shown in FIG. 3 passes through the detector 60, and FIG. 5 shows a space 66 inside the detector 60 and a part of the wall 61 surrounding the space 66. The detection unit 60 and the conveyance unit 80 include an axis serving as a rotation center of the conveyance unit 80, an opening 67 of the detection unit 60, or an upper edge 63E of the distal wall 63 and a part of an upper edge 65E2 of the downstream wall 65. Are arranged so that their vertical positions are substantially equal.

  The conveyance unit 80 is disposed to face the outer peripheral surface of the proximal wall unit 62. The spiral blade 82 of the transport unit 80 has an uppermost part 82U whose uppermost position is at the uppermost position and a lowermost part 82L whose uppermost position is at the lowermost position. The detection unit 60 is arranged such that the opening 67 is positioned above the lowermost part 82 </ b> L of the spiral blade 82. The upper edge 62E of the proximal wall portion 62, the upper edge 65E1 of the downstream wall portion 65, and the upper edge 64E of the upstream wall portion 64 (not shown in FIG. 5) protrude above the uppermost portion 82U of the spiral blade 82. Yes.

  The arrows shown in FIG. 5 indicate the rotation direction of the transport unit 80. The conveyance unit 80 rotates in a direction in which the lowermost part 82L of the spiral blade 82 illustrated in FIG. 5 is separated from the detection unit 60 and the uppermost part 82U of the spiral blade 82 is closer to the detection unit 60.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the waste powder container 30 further includes an upstream shielding plate 79. The upstream shielding plate 79 is disposed so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the upstream wall 64 in the detection unit 60. The upstream shielding plate 79 is fixed to the low ceiling portion 47 and supported so as to be suspended from the low ceiling portion 47. Accordingly, the upstream shielding plate 79 is disposed above the upper edge 63E of the distal wall 63 of the detection unit 60 and the upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall 65.

(Operation of waste powder container 30)
The operation of the waste powder container 30 having the above configuration will be described below. FIG. 6 is a first diagram showing a state in which the waste powder 31 is deposited in the container 40. In the following description of the operation, the behavior of the waste powder 31 flowing in from the inlets 51 and 52 close to the side surface portion 45 in the container 40 among the inlets 51 to 53 formed in the container 40 will be described. The amount of the waste powder flowing in from the inflow port 53 is smaller than that of the waste powder 31 flowing in from the inflow ports 51 and 52, and therefore illustration and description thereof are omitted.

  The waste powder 31 flowing in from the inflow ports 51 and 52 falls to the bottom surface portion 42 and gradually accumulates on the top surface of the bottom surface portion 42. When the accumulated waste powder 31 reaches the lowermost part 82L (FIG. 5) of the spiral blade 82 of the transport unit 80, the waste powder 31 is transported from upstream to downstream in the transport direction DR by the rotation of the spiral blade 82. Is done. As shown in FIG. 6, the waste powder 31 passes through the detection unit 60 and is transported downstream in the transport direction DR.

  Since the opening 67 of the detection unit 60 is positioned above the lowermost part 82L of the spiral blade 82, the waste powder 31 conveyed through the detection unit 60 flows into the space 66 inside the detection unit 60. , Has been suppressed. Since the height of the wall 61 of the detection unit 60 is higher on the side closer to the conveyance unit 80 with respect to the space 66 and on the upstream side in the conveyance direction DR with respect to the space 66, the waste powder 31 into the space 66 is increased. Inflow is more effectively suppressed.

  FIG. 7 is a second view showing a state where the waste powder 31 is accumulated in the container 40. When the waste powder 31 reaches the downstream end 87 of the transport unit 80, the driving force for transporting the waste powder 31 in the transport direction DR does not act on the waste powder 31. Therefore, the waste powder 31 accumulates in the container 4 on the downstream side in the transport direction DR from the downstream end 87. More specifically, a crest of waste powder 31 is formed in the vicinity of the downstream end 87 with the position where the position in the transport direction DR overlaps the leveling portion 90 as the top.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 60 is disposed at a position closer to the side surface portion 45 of the pair of side surface portions 45, 46 in the left-right direction. As a result, a sufficient space is secured for the waste powder 31 to accumulate and form a mountain on the downstream side of the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR. The leveling portion 90 breaks and spreads the piles of the waste powder 31 so that the height of the top of the pile of the waste powder 31 is lowered, and the pile of the waste powder 31 is trapezoidal when viewed from the front side. Is formed.

  As the accommodation amount of the waste powder 31 in the container 40 increases, the volume of the crest of the waste powder 31 increases, and the crest of the waste powder 31 approaches the detection unit 60 from the downstream side in the transport direction DR. When the bottom or middle part of the mountain of the waste powder 31 reaches the upper edge of the wall 61 of the detection unit 60, the waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 from the opening 67 beyond the wall 61. The detection unit 60 detects the amount of the waste powder 31 in the container 40 by detecting the waste powder 31 flowing into this space. The detection unit 60 detects that the waste powder 31 in the container 40 is full.

  The detection unit 60 includes, for example, an optical sensor that emits light from the light projecting unit toward the light receiving unit. The optical path from the light projecting unit to the light receiving unit passes through the space 66. When the light sensor detects that the light traveling from the light projecting unit to the light receiving unit is blocked, it can be detected that the waste powder 31 has flowed into the space 66.

(Action / Effect)
It is as follows when the characteristic structure and effect of this Embodiment are described collectively.

  As shown in FIG. 4, among the walls 61 of the detection unit 60, the proximal wall portion 62 and the upstream wall portion 64 are an upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63 and an upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall portion 65. Rather than projecting upward.

  When the waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 when the transport unit 80 transports the waste powder 31 from upstream to downstream in the transport direction DR, the waste powder 31 is still downstream of the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR. There is a possibility that the detection unit 60 may erroneously detect that a predetermined amount or more of the waste powder 31 is stored in the container 40 even though there is an empty space in which no is stored. In this case, it is recognized that the waste powder storage device 30 needs to be replaced in a state where there is an empty space in the container 40, and there is a possibility that the waste powder 31 cannot be stored in the container 40 any more. is there.

  By the proximal wall extending portion 72 of the proximal wall portion 62 and the upstream wall extending portion 74 of the upstream wall portion 64 functioning as the shielding portion 70 that suppresses the inflow of the waste powder 31 into the space 66, The flow path of the waste powder 31 in the vicinity of the detection unit 60 is regulated. Thereby, the event that the waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 when the transport unit 80 transports the waste powder 31 from the upstream to the downstream in the transport direction DR is suppressed. Therefore, the erroneous detection that the amount of the waste powder 31 in the container 40 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value is suppressed.

  When the waste powder 31 that has passed through the detection unit 60 accumulates downstream of the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR, and the pile of the deposited waste powder 31 reaches the position of the detection unit 60, the downstream side of the transport direction DR The waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 and the detection unit 60 detects the waste powder 31. Since the detection unit 60 performs detection when a predetermined amount of the waste powder 31 is accommodated in the container 40, the space in the container 40 can be used effectively without waste, and is discarded in the container 40. The powder 31 can be accommodated efficiently. Since the collection amount of the waste powder 31 in the container 40 can be increased, the replacement frequency of the waste powder container 30 can be reduced, and usability can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the proximal wall extending portion 72 of the proximal wall portion 62, the upstream wall extending portion 74 of the upstream wall portion 64, and the downstream wall extending portion 75 that is a part of the downstream wall portion 65. And protrudes upward from the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63 and the upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall portion 65 at the same protruding height. In addition to projecting upward the proximal wall portion 62 in which the waste powder 31 is most likely to enter the space 66 when the waste powder 31 is transported downstream in the transport direction DR by the transport portion 80, the proximal wall portion 62 By projecting the upstream wall portion 64 and the downstream wall portion 65 leading to the upper side, it is possible to more reliably suppress the waste powder 31 from flowing into the space 66.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the waste powder container 30 further includes an upstream shielding plate 79 disposed to face the upstream wall portion 64. The upstream shielding plate 79 is disposed above the upper edge 63E of the distal wall portion 63 and the upper edge 65E2 of a part of the downstream wall portion 65. In addition to causing the wall 61 of the detection unit 60 to protrude upward, by providing the upstream shielding plate 79, the flow path of the waste powder 31 can be more reliably regulated. Therefore, the flow of the waste powder 31 from the upstream in the transport direction DR into the space 66 can be more reliably suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter R <b> 2 of the spiral blade 82 in the overlapping portion 85 is smaller than the outer diameter R <b> 1 of the spiral blade 82 in the upstream portion 84. As a result, when the waste powder 31 transported downstream in the transport direction DR passes through the overlapping portion 85, the waste powder 31 is scattered and flows into the space 66, or the scattered waste powder 31 is erroneously detected. It is possible to suppress the situation where the

  As shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter R <b> 2 of the spiral blade 82 in the overlapping portion 85 is smaller than the outer diameter R <b> 3 of the spiral blade 82 in the downstream portion 86. In this way, the waste powder 31 that has passed through the overlapping portion 85 can be efficiently conveyed toward the downstream end 87.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport unit 80 has a leveling unit 90. By installing the leveling unit 90 downstream of the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR, it is possible to stabilize the accumulation state of the waste powder 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the transport unit 80 rotates in a direction in which the lowermost part 82 </ b> L of the spiral blade 82 is separated from the detection unit 60 and the uppermost part 82 </ b> U of the spiral blade 82 approaches the detection unit 60. As a result, when the waste powder 31 transported downstream in the transport direction DR passes through the overlapping portion 85, the waste powder 31 is scattered and flows into the space 66, or the scattered waste powder 31 is erroneously detected. It is possible to suppress the situation where the

  As shown in FIG. 3, the interval between the spiral blades 82 adjacent to each other in the transport direction DR is larger in the overlapping portion 85 than in the upstream portion 84. In this way, it is possible to suppress the waste powder 31 transported downstream in the transport direction DR from staying in the vicinity of the detection unit 60, so that the scattered waste powder 31 flows into the space 66 and is scattered. The effect of suppressing false detection can be obtained more significantly.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the region extending from the downstream end 87 of the transport unit 80 to the detection unit 60 in the transport direction DR, the height of the ceiling portion 41 is smaller than the other regions. The low ceiling portion 47 is installed above the detection unit 60 from the position of the downstream end 87 where the waste powder 31 is accumulated to form a mountain, so that the accumulated waste powder 31 is moved from the mountain to the space 66. The flow of the waste powder 31 can be controlled, and the waste powder 31 can surely flow into the detection unit 60 from the downstream in the transport direction DR.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the detection unit 60 and the conveyance unit 80 according to the second embodiment. In the detection unit 60 of the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the upper edge 61E of the wall 61 extends across the proximal wall 62, the distal wall 63, the upstream wall 64, and the downstream wall 65. The vertical position is the same. Instead of the proximal wall extension portion 72 and the upstream wall extension portion 74 of the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, a proximal shielding plate 76 is disposed on the side closer to the transport portion 80 than the wall 61. An upstream shielding plate 78 is disposed upstream of the wall 61 in the transport direction DR.

  The proximal shielding plate 76 is disposed to face the outer peripheral surface of the proximal wall portion 62. The upstream shielding plate 78 is disposed to face the outer peripheral surface of the upstream wall portion 64. The lower end of the proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 is fixed to the joint portion 69, and the upper end is disposed above the upper edge 61 </ b> E of the wall 61. The proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 are formed to protrude upward from the upper edge 61E of the wall 61. The proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 overlap the upper edge 61E of the wall 61 in the vertical direction.

  In the configuration of the second embodiment, the proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 constitute a shielding unit 70 that suppresses the inflow of the waste powder 31 into the space 66. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the waste powder 31 can be prevented from flowing into the space 66 when the transport unit 80 transports the waste powder 31 from upstream to downstream in the transport direction DR. It is possible to obtain an effect and an effect of suppressing erroneous detection of the amount of waste powder 31 contained.

  The proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 shown in FIG. 8 have a configuration in which a lower end is fixed to the flange-shaped joint portion 69 and protrudes upward, but the configuration is not limited thereto. The proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 may be configured to be suspended from the ceiling portion 41, more specifically from the low ceiling portion 47. Also in this case, the proximal shielding plate 76 and the upstream shielding plate 78 are arranged so that the upper edge 61E of the wall 61 and the vertical position overlap each other, thereby suppressing the inflow of the waste powder 31 into the space 66. Similar actions and effects can be obtained.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should 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 description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Apparatus main body, 10C, 10K, 10M, 10Y Image formation part, 30 Waste powder storage apparatus, 31 Waste powder, 40 Container, 41 Ceiling part, 42 Bottom part, 43 Front part, 44 Back part, 45, 46 Side Part, 47 low ceiling part, 51, 52, 53 inlet, 60 detection part, 61 wall, 61E, 62E, 63E, 64E, 65E1, 65E2 upper edge, 62 proximal wall part, 63 distal wall part, 64 upstream Wall part, 65 downstream wall part, 66 space, 67 opening, 69 joint part, 70 shielding part, 72 proximal wall extension part, 74 upstream wall extension part, 75 downstream wall extension part, 76 proximal shielding plate, 78, 79 Upstream shielding plate, 80 Conveying section, 81 Rotating shaft, 81A Container outer end, 81B Other end, 82 Spiral blade, 82L bottom, 82U top, 83 Upstream end, 84 Upstream section, 85 Overlap section, 86 Flow section, 87 downstream end, 88 reverse transport section, 89 drive gear, 90 smoothing section, 91 blade section, 100 image forming apparatus, DR transport direction, H1, H2 height, M recording medium, P1, P2 interval, R1 , R2, R3 Outer diameter.

Claims (12)

A waste powder storage device that can be attached to the main body of an image forming apparatus,
A container formed with an inlet through which waste powder flows from the apparatus body;
A detection unit for detecting the amount of the waste powder in the container by detecting the waste powder flowing into the space, and having a wall surrounding the open space in the container.
A transport unit that transports the waste powder that has flowed into the container from the inflow port,
The detection unit is disposed upstream of the downstream end of the transport unit in the transport direction of the waste powder, in the transport direction,
The detection unit is provided on at least one of the side closer to the conveyance unit with respect to the space and the upstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to the space, and the waste powder flows into the space. A waste powder container having a shielding part for suppressing the above. The wall has a proximal wall portion closer to the transport portion with respect to the space, and an upstream wall portion on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the space,
2. The disposal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the proximal wall portion and the upstream wall portion protrudes upward from an upper edge of another portion of the wall. Powder container. The wall has a connecting portion connected to the proximal wall;
The waste powder container according to claim 2, wherein the proximal wall portion and the connecting portion protrude at a same protruding height and above the upper edge of the other portion.   The waste powder storage device according to claim 2, further comprising a shielding plate disposed opposite to the upstream wall portion and disposed above the upper edge of the other portion.   The shielding part is disposed on at least one of a side closer to the transport part than the wall and an upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the wall, and the upper edge of the wall overlaps with a position in the vertical direction. The waste powder container according to claim 1, wherein the waste powder container is formed of a plate. The transport unit includes a rotation shaft and a spiral blade provided around the rotation shaft, and the waste powder is transported in the transport direction by the rotation of the rotation shaft and the spiral blade. And
The transport unit includes a superimposition unit in which the position in the transport direction overlaps the detection unit, and an upstream unit upstream of the superimposition unit in the transport direction,
The waste powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an outer diameter of the spiral blade in the overlapping portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the spiral blade in the upstream portion. The transport unit has a downstream part downstream in the transport direction from the superimposing unit,
The waste powder container according to claim 6, wherein an outer diameter of the spiral blade in the overlapping portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the spiral blade in the downstream portion.   The said conveyance part has a leveling part provided in the downstream of the said conveyance direction rather than the said detection part, and equalizes the said waste powder in the said container, The any one of Claims 1-7 Waste powder container. The transport unit includes a rotation shaft and a spiral blade provided around the rotation shaft, and the waste powder is transported in the transport direction by the rotation of the rotation shaft and the spiral blade. And
The waste powder according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the transport unit rotates in a direction in which a lowermost part of the spiral blade is separated from the detection unit and an uppermost part of the spiral blade is closer to the detection unit. Containment device. The transport unit includes a rotation shaft and a spiral blade provided around the rotation shaft, and the waste powder is transported in the transport direction by the rotation of the rotation shaft and the spiral blade. And
The transport unit includes a superimposition unit in which the position in the transport direction overlaps the detection unit, and an upstream unit upstream of the superimposition unit in the transport direction,
The waste powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an interval between the spiral blades adjacent to each other in the transport direction is larger in the overlapping portion than in the upstream portion. The container has a ceiling part that covers the upper part of the transport part,
The waste powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, in an area extending from the downstream end of the conveyance unit to the detection unit in the conveyance direction, a height of the ceiling portion is smaller than other regions. Body containment device. An image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium;
An image forming apparatus comprising: the waste powder container device according to claim 1.

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