JP2019124850A - Waste toner recovery container and image formation apparatus with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a waste toner recovery container capable of suppressing a dead space from being formed with a simple constitution, and an image formation apparatus with the same.SOLUTION: A waste toner recovery container 40 comprises: a first receiving opening 41a and a second receiving opening 42a which receive waste toner T; a first storage part 46a and a second storage part 46b which store the waste toner T received from the first receiving opening 41a and second receiving opening 42a; and a partition wall 47 which partitions the first storage part 46a from the second storage part 46b. The waste toner recovery container 40 can be loaded in a main body of an image formation apparatus 100 by 180-degree rotation around a center O40 of the waste toner recovery container 40. The second receiving opening 42a is provided at a position point-symmetrical with the first receiving opening 41a with respect to the center O40 of the waste toner recovery container 40. The partition wall 47 has an inclined part 47a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste toner collection container and an image forming apparatus provided with the same, and more particularly to a waste toner collection container that is detachable from an image forming apparatus main body and an image forming apparatus provided with the same.

  In an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, etc., a powder developer is mainly used, and an electrostatic latent formed on a photosensitive drum (image carrier) using a developing device Generally, a process of visualizing an image and transferring the visible image (toner image) directly or through an intermediate transfer member (image carrier) onto a recording medium is followed by a fixing process. The toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier is removed by a cleaning device, discharged to the outside of the cleaning device by a discharge mechanism such as a toner discharge screw, and stored in a waste toner collection container.

  The top surface of the waste toner recovery container is provided with a receiving port for receiving the waste toner. The waste toner received from the receiving port is accumulated in the waste toner collecting container while maintaining the repose angle.

  An image forming apparatus provided with a waste toner recovery container is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1.

JP, 2005-242274, A

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional waste toner recovery container, the waste toner received from the receiving port is accumulated in a conical shape while maintaining the repose angle, and therefore, the dead space at the upper position far from the receiving port in the waste toner recovery container An area where toner is not filled is generated. Therefore, there is a problem that the volume of the waste toner recovery container can not be used effectively.

  In order to solve this problem, it is also known to provide a rotary screw in the waste toner collecting container for axially conveying the waste toner to make the top surface height of the waste toner uniform. However, in this configuration, a drive mechanism for driving the rotary screw is required, which complicates the structure of the image forming apparatus main body and increases the cost.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waste toner recovery container which can suppress generation of a dead space with a simple configuration and the use thereof. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the waste toner recovery container according to the first configuration of the present invention is removable with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. The waste toner recovery container has a first surface which is an upper surface or a lower surface in a state of being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, and a second surface disposed on the opposite side to the first surface, and the first surface and the second surface. First and second receiving ports provided respectively for receiving waste toner discharged from the image carrier provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and waste toner received from the first and second receiving ports A first storage unit and a second storage unit for storing, and a partition wall provided from the first surface to the second surface and partitioning the first storage unit and the second storage unit. The waste toner recovery container can be mounted on the image forming apparatus main body by rotating 180 degrees around the center of the waste toner recovery container. The first receiving port is provided at a portion on one side of the first surface with respect to the rotational direction of the waste toner collecting container, and the second receiving port is a first receiving port with respect to the center of the waste toner collecting container. It is provided in a point symmetrical position. The partition wall has an inclined portion which inclines from one side of the first surface to the other side of the second surface as going from the first surface side to the second surface side.

  According to the waste toner recovery container of the first configuration of the present invention, the partition wall partitioning the first storage portion and the second storage portion is one of the first surfaces as going from the first surface side to the second surface side It has an inclined portion which inclines from the side to the other side of the second surface. As a result, when the waste toner is received from the first receiving port, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a dead space (a region where the waste toner is not filled) in the first accommodation portion. Further, when the waste toner collecting container is rotated 180 degrees and mounted on the image forming apparatus main body to receive the waste toner from the second receiving port, generation of a dead space in the second containing portion can be suppressed. . Therefore, the volume of the waste toner recovery container can be effectively utilized.

  Further, it is not necessary to provide the waste toner collecting container with a rotary screw for conveying the waste toner in the axial direction to make it uniform, or to provide a drive mechanism for driving the rotary screw in the image forming apparatus main body.

  As described above, it is possible to obtain a waste toner recovery container capable of suppressing the occurrence of dead space with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of an image forming apparatus provided with a waste toner recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a waste toner collecting container and a waste toner transport pipe along a line A-A ′ of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a waste toner recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first storage portion of the waste toner collection container according to the embodiment of the present invention is filled with the waste toner. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure around a protrusion of a waste toner recovery container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure around the shutter of the waste toner collecting container according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the state where the first receiving port is opened. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure around the shutter of the waste toner collecting container according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the state where the first receiving port is closed. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure around the shutter of the waste toner recovery container according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the state where the first receiving port is opened by the engagement piece when the waste toner recovery container is mounted. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure around the shutter of the waste toner collecting container according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the first receiving port is closed by the engagement piece when the waste toner collecting container is removed. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a waste toner recovery container of a first modified example of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a waste toner recovery container of a second modified example of the present invention, showing a state in which the first recovery container and the second recovery container are separated. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a waste toner recovery container of a third modified example of the present invention.

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

  In an image forming apparatus 100 (here, a color printer) main body provided with a waste toner recovery container 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention, four image forming portions Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd are located upstream in the transport direction (FIG. Then, it is arranged in order from the right). These image forming portions Pa to Pd are provided corresponding to images of four different colors (magenta, cyan, yellow and black), and are magenta, cyan and yellow according to the respective steps of charging, exposure, development and transfer. And black images are sequentially formed.

  In the image forming portions Pa to Pd, photosensitive drums (image carriers) 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d for carrying visible images (toner images) of respective colors are disposed, and these photosensitive drums 1a are provided. The toner images formed on 1 to 1 d are sequentially moved on the intermediate transfer belt 8 (image carrier) moving adjacent to each image forming portion while being rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by a driving means (not shown) After being transferred (primary transfer), the image is transferred (secondary transfer) onto the sheet P at one time by the secondary transfer roller 9, and further fixed on the sheet P by the fixing unit 7. It is configured to be discharged.

  The sheet P to which the toner image is transferred is accommodated in the sheet cassette 16 at the lower part of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, and conveyed to the secondary transfer roller 9 through the sheet feeding roller 12a and the registration roller pair 12b. . Further, on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roller 9, a blade-like belt cleaner 19 for removing the toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 is disposed.

  Next, the image forming units Pa to Pd will be described. Around and below the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d rotatably disposed, charging devices 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d for charging the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and image information on the respective photosensitive drums 1a to 1d And developing units 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d for forming toner images on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and developer (toner) remaining on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d. Cleaning units 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are provided.

  When the image formation start is input by the user, first, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are uniformly charged by the chargers 2a to 2d, and then light is irradiated by the exposure unit 4, and each photosensitive drum 1a to 1d is An electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed thereon. The developing units 3a to 3d each include a developing roller (developer carrying member) disposed opposite to the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and toners of respective colors of magenta, cyan, yellow and black are formed by toner cartridges (not shown). The specified amount is filled. The toner is supplied onto the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d by the developing rollers of the developing units 3a to 3d, and adheres electrostatically to the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure from the exposure unit 4. A toner image is formed.

  Then, after an electric field is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 8 at a predetermined transfer voltage, the toner images of magenta, cyan, yellow and black on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 8 by the primary transfer rollers 6a to 6d. Primary transfer to the top. Thereafter, the toner remaining on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d is removed by the cleaning units 5a to 5d in preparation for formation of a new electrostatic latent image to be subsequently performed.

  The intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched around the driven roller 10, the drive roller 11, and the tension roller 20, and the intermediate transfer belt 8 starts rotating clockwise as the drive roller 11 is rotated by the drive motor (not shown). Then, the sheet P is conveyed from the registration roller pair 12 b to the secondary transfer roller 9 provided adjacent to the intermediate transfer belt 8 at a predetermined timing, and in the nip portion (secondary transfer nip portion) with the intermediate transfer belt 8. The full color image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet P. The sheet P on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 7.

  The sheet P conveyed to the fixing unit 7 is heated and pressed when passing through the nip portion (fixing nip portion) of the fixing roller pair 13 so that the toner image is fixed on the surface of the sheet P, and a predetermined full color image is obtained. It is formed. The sheet P on which the full color image is formed is distributed in the transport direction by the branch portion 14 branched in a plurality of directions, and is discharged as it is by the discharge roller pair 15 as it is. It is discharged to 17.

  Further, a waste toner collecting container 40 for collecting and storing waste toner scraped off by the cleaning units 5 a to 5 d and the belt cleaner 19 is disposed in the lower part of the image forming apparatus 100 main body. The waste toner collecting container 40 is removable from the main body of the image forming apparatus 100. Although the waste toner collecting container 40 is disposed on the lower right side of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 in FIG. 1, the waste toner collecting container 40 may be disposed at any position in the main body of the image forming apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 2, above the waste toner collection container 40, a waste toner conveyance pipe 22 (waste toner conveyance path) for conveying waste toner from the cleaning units 5a to 5d and the belt cleaner 19 to the waste toner collection container 40 is provided. It is provided. At the end of the waste toner transport pipe 22 is formed a drop portion 22 a for dropping the waste toner into the waste toner collecting container 40. Further, in the waste toner conveyance pipe 22, a waste toner conveyance member 23 composed of a screw or the like for conveying the waste toner is provided.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the waste toner recovery container 40 is configured to be capable of being attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 by rotating 180 degrees around the center O40 of the waste toner recovery container 40. Hereinafter, the structure of the waste toner recovery container 40 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste toner collecting container 40 is disposed on the opposite side to the first surface 41 and the first surface 41, which is the upper surface or the lower surface in the state of being mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 main body. A second surface 42, a pair of side surfaces 43 disposed on the back side or the front side (the back side or the front side with respect to the sheet of FIG. 1) when mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100; It is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a pair of side surfaces 44 disposed in parallel with the mounting / removing direction (the arrow XX 'direction) with respect to the main body. In addition, in FIG. 3, in order to make an understanding easy, the state which remove | eliminated the side surface 44 of paper surface front side is shown. In the figure, the arrow X direction indicates the mounting direction of the waste toner collecting container 40 to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, and the arrow X ′ direction indicates the drawing direction of the waste toner collecting container 40 to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100.

  The first surface 41 and the second surface 42 are respectively provided with a first receiving port 41 a and a second receiving port 42 a for receiving the waste toner dropped (discharged) from the falling portion 22 a of the waste toner transport pipe 22. The first receiving port 41a is provided at an end of one side (the arrow X direction) of the first surface 41 with respect to the rotational direction of the waste toner collecting container 40, and the second receiving port 42a is a waste toner collecting container It is provided at a point-symmetrical position with the first receiving port 41 a with respect to the center O 40 of 40.

  Further, the waste toner recovery container 40 includes a first accommodating portion 46a and a second accommodating portion 46b for accommodating the waste toner received from the first receiving port 41a and the second receiving port 42a, and a first accommodating portion 46a and a second receiving portion. And a partition wall 47 that separates from the housing portion 46b.

  The partition wall 47 is provided from the first surface 41 to the second surface 42. The partition wall 47 has an inclined portion 47a which is inclined toward the other side (the arrow X 'direction) as it goes from the first surface 41 side to the second surface 42 side. The inclined portion 47 a passes through the center O 40 of the waste toner recovery container 40.

  The partition wall 47 also has a first vertical portion 47b extending from the first surface 41 to one end of the inclined portion 47a, and a second vertical portion 47c extending from the second surface 42 to the other end of the inclined portion 47a. The first vertical portion 47 b is formed perpendicular to the first surface 41, and the second vertical portion 47 c is formed perpendicular to the second surface 42.

  The inclination angle α of the inclined portion 47 a with respect to the first surface 41 and the second surface 42 is equal to or greater than the repose angle of the waste toner. The inclination angle α is preferably 30 degrees or more, and is about 45 degrees here. The angle of repose of waste toner is usually about 30 degrees, but may vary in the range of about 30 degrees to about 40 degrees depending on the surrounding environment.

  By forming the inclination angle α of the inclined portion 47a to be equal to or more than the repose angle of waste toner, as shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner T received from the first receiving port 41a (or the second receiving port 42a) The container 46a (or the second container 46b) is filled without any gap. The waste toner T is hatched in order to facilitate understanding.

  The first vertical portion 47b is disposed near the first receiving port 41a. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, in the first vertical portion 47b, the distance L1 from the side surface 43a on one side (the side surface 43 on the left side in FIG. 2) to the first vertical portion 47b is the side surface 43a on the other side Of the distance L2 to the side surface 43b (the side surface 43 on the right side of FIG. 2) of the light guide 43 is equal to or less than 1/4. Similarly, the second vertical portion 47c is disposed near the second receiving port 42a. Here, the second vertical portion 47c is disposed such that the distance L3 from the side surface 43b on the other side to the second vertical portion 47c is equal to or less than 1⁄4 of the distance L2. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, when the waste toner T is received from the first receiving port 41a (or the second receiving port 42a), the waste toner T is received in the upper portion in the first containing portion 46a (or the second containing portion 46b) The resulting dead space can be made sufficiently small.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the first vertical portion 47 b has a second detection position P 1 which is detected by a waste toner detection sensor 50 described later when receiving the waste toner T from the first receiving port 41 a. It is formed to the surface 42 side (lower side of FIG. 2). Similarly, the second vertical portion 47c is closer to the first surface 41 side than a second detection position P2 detected by a waste toner detection sensor 50 described later when receiving the waste toner T from the second receiving port 42a (see FIG. 2). The upper side of the

  A hollow projecting portion 43c that protrudes outward (in the direction of the arrow X) is provided in a portion (upper end portion in FIG. 2 of the side surface 43a) of the side surface 43a on one side in the vicinity of the first surface 41. As shown in FIG. 4, when the waste toner T is received from the first receiving port 41a and the waste toner T in the first housing portion 46a is filled with a predetermined height or more, the waste toner T enters the projection 43c. Similarly, a hollow protrusion 43c that protrudes outward (in the direction of the arrow X ') is provided in a portion (lower end portion in FIG. 2 of the side surface 43b) of the other side 43b near the second surface 42. The protrusion 43 c is formed to be transparent or translucent.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a waste toner detection sensor 50 for detecting the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collection container 40. The waste toner detection sensor 50 is formed in a U-shape, and is configured of a transmission type sensor having a light emitting unit 50a provided at one end and a light receiving unit 50b provided at the other end. The waste toner detection sensor 50 is provided so as to sandwich the projection 43c in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 in a state where the waste toner collection container 40 is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 (state of FIG. 5). . When the waste toner T is filled up to the position shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner detection sensor 50 detects that the first storage portion 46a (or the second storage portion 46b) is full.

  A control unit 25 (see FIG. 1) to which a detection signal is transmitted from the waste toner detection sensor 50 is electrically connected to the waste toner detection sensor 50. The control unit 25 is electrically connected to a warning unit 26 (see FIG. 1) capable of giving a warning to the user. The warning unit 26 may be, for example, a display unit such as an operation panel, and may be configured to display a warning sentence to the user, or may be an alarm sound generator to emit a warning sound to the user. May be configured.

  When the waste toner detection sensor 50 detects that the first storage portion 46a (or the second storage portion 46b) is full, the warning unit 26 rotates the waste toner collection container 40 by 180 degrees and attaches it. Or, warn the user to replace the waste toner collecting container 40 with a new one. The operation of the warning unit 26 is controlled by the control unit 25.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first accommodation portion 46 a and the second accommodation portion 46 b are formed in a point symmetrical shape around the center O 40, and the first accommodation portion 46 a and the second accommodation portion 46 b. The volumes of are equal to one another.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first surface 41 is provided with a shutter 48 for opening and closing the first receiving port 41a and a holding member 49 for holding the shutter 48 slidably in the direction of the arrow XX '. ing. Similarly, the second surface 42 is provided with a shutter 48 for opening and closing the second receiving port 42 a and a holding member 49 for holding the shutter 48 slidably in the direction of the arrow XX ′. The shutter 48 is configured to open and close the first receiving port 41 a and the second receiving port 42 a in conjunction with the mounting operation of the waste toner collecting container 40.

  Specifically, the shutter 48 is provided with a pair of concave engaging portions 48 a. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the image forming apparatus 100 main body is provided with a pair of engagement pieces 55 respectively corresponding to the pair of engagement portions 48a. As shown in FIG. 8, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, the shutter 48 engages with the waste toner collecting container by the engagement piece 55 engaging with the engaging portion 48a. Slide in the mounting direction upstream side (arrow X 'direction) with respect to 40. Thereby, the first receiving port 41a (or the second receiving port 42a) is automatically opened in conjunction with the mounting of the waste toner recovery container 40.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, the shutter 48 engages the waste toner collecting container by the engagement piece 55 engaging with the engaging portion 48a. Slide in the removal direction upstream side (arrow X direction) with respect to 40. Thereby, the first receiving port 41 a (or the second receiving port 42 a) is automatically closed in conjunction with the removal of the waste toner collecting container 40.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the waste toner collecting container 40 is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, the first receiving port 41a is positioned immediately below the drop opening 22a of the waste toner conveying pipe 22. The first receiving port 41a is in the open state, and the second receiving port 42a is in the closed state. Further, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, both the first receiving port 41a and the second receiving port 42a are closed. In addition, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 so that the second receiving port 42a is positioned immediately below the drop opening 22a by rotating the waste toner collecting container 40 by 180 degrees, the second receiving port 42a is in the open state, and the first receiving port 41a is in the closed state.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, the waste toner T received from the first receiving port 41a (or the second receiving port 42a) is gradually accumulated in the first containing portion 46a (or the second containing portion 46b). At this time, since the inclination angle α of the inclined portion 47a is equal to or greater than the repose angle of the waste toner T, the waste toner T forms a dead space in the first housing portion 46a (or the second housing portion 46b). To deposit without.

  Then, when the waste toner T is filled up to the position shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner detection sensor 50 detects that the first storage portion 46 a (or the second storage portion 46 b) is full, and the warning portion 26 It is notified to the user.

  Thereafter, the waste toner collecting container 40 is rotated 180 degrees by a service person and mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100.

  Then, the waste toner T received from the second receiving port 42 a (or the first receiving port 41 a) is gradually deposited in the second housing portion 46 b (or the first housing portion 46 a), and the second waste toner detection sensor 50 It is detected that the container 46 b (or the first container 46 a) is full, and the warning unit 26 notifies the user. In this state, since both the first accommodating portion 46a and the second accommodating portion 46b are full, the waste toner collecting container 40 is replaced with a new one by a service person.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the partition wall 47 that divides the first housing portion 46a and the second housing portion 46b is the other side (arrow X 'as it goes from the first surface 41 side to the second surface 42 side). Direction) and has an inclined portion 47a. As a result, when the waste toner T is received from the first receiving port 41a, generation of a dead space (a region where the waste toner T is not filled) can be suppressed in the first housing portion 46a. Then, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is rotated 180 degrees and mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 to receive the waste toner T from the second receiving port 42a, a dead space is generated in the second housing portion 46b. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the volume of the waste toner recovery container 40 can be effectively used.

  In addition, it is not necessary to provide the waste toner collection container 40 with a rotary screw for conveying the waste toner T in the axial direction for homogenization, or to provide a drive mechanism for driving the rotary screw in the main body of the image forming apparatus 100.

  As described above, it is possible to obtain the waste toner recovery container 40 capable of suppressing the occurrence of dead space with a simple configuration.

  Further, as described above, the inclination angle α of the inclined portion 47 a with respect to the first surface 41 and the second surface 42 is equal to or more than the repose angle of the waste toner T. As a result, the generation of dead space in the first housing portion 46a and the second housing portion 46b can be reliably suppressed.

  Further, as described above, the partition wall 47 is provided so as to extend from the first surface 41 to one end of the inclined portion 47 a and is formed perpendicular to the first surface 41, and the second vertical portion 47 b, And a second vertical portion 47 c provided to extend from the surface 42 to the other end of the inclined portion 47 a and formed perpendicular to the second surface 42. As a result, the generation of dead space in the first housing portion 46a and the second housing portion 46b can be further suppressed.

  In addition, as described above, the first vertical portion 47b is formed to the second surface 42 side further than the first detection position P1, and the second vertical portion 47c is the first surface 41 than the second detection position P2. It is formed to the side. As a result, it is possible to easily suppress the occurrence of dead space in the first accommodation portion 46a and the second accommodation portion 46b.

  Further, as described above, the first accommodation portion 46a and the second accommodation portion 46b are formed in shapes substantially symmetrical with each other. As a result, the second receiving port 42a can be easily provided at a point-symmetrical position with respect to the first receiving port 41a with respect to the center O40, and the volumes of the first receiving portion 46a and the second receiving portion 46b are easy Can be equal to each other.

  It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and non-restrictive in every respect. The scope of the present invention is indicated not by the description of the embodiments described above but by the claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

  For example, although the above-mentioned embodiment showed an example which applied the present invention to a color printer, the present invention is not limited to this. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to various image forming apparatuses having a waste toner recovery container, such as a monochrome printer, a color copier, a monochrome copier, a digital multifunction peripheral, and a facsimile.

  In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the volumes of the first accommodation portion 46a and the second accommodation portion 46b are equal to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first accommodation portion 46a and the second accommodation portion 46b The volumes may be different from one another.

  Moreover, although the partition wall 47 was shown about the example comprised with the inclination part 47a, the 1st perpendicular | vertical part 47b, and the 2nd perpendicular | vertical part 47c in the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the waste toner recovery container 40 of the first modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. 10, the partition wall 47 may be constituted only by the inclined portion 47a extending from the first surface 41 to the second surface 42. . However, when configured in this manner, a region R indicated by bold hatching in FIG. 10 is compared to the case where the partition wall 47 is configured by the inclined portion 47a, the first vertical portion 47b, and the second vertical portion 47c (in the case of FIG. 4). The dead space generated in the first accommodation portion 46a is increased.

  Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the waste toner recovery container 40 is integrally formed, in other words, an example in which the first accommodation portion 46a and the second accommodation portion 46b are integrally formed, has been described. The invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured as a waste toner recovery container 40 of the second modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. That is, a first collection container 40a having a first receiving port 41a, a first storage portion 46a and a partition wall 47, and a second collection container 40b having a second receiving port 42a, a second storage portion 46b and a partition wall 47, May be separated and configured to be separable into the first recovery container 40a and the second recovery container 40b. According to this structure, for example, when only the first recovery container 40a is full, only the first recovery container 40a can be replaced. For this reason, when a service person comes for replacement or repair of another member, the service person can replace only the first recovery container 40a to secure the free capacity of the waste toner recovery container 40. As a result, it is possible to reduce the frequency of calling a service person to replace the waste toner collecting container 40. The first recovery container 40a and the second recovery container 40b may be provided with an engaging portion or the like that enables the first recovery container 40a and the second recovery container 40b to be connected to and separated from each other.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the waste toner recovery container 40 is illustrated as having only two storage portions (the first storage portion 46a and the second storage portion 46b), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the waste toner recovery container 40 of the third modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, three or more storage portions (here, the first storage portion 46a, the second storage portion 46b, the third storage portion The waste toner recovery container 40 may be configured to have four storage portions 46c and the fourth storage portion 46d. That is, the third housing portion 46c and the fourth housing portion 46d are provided between the first housing portion 46a and the second housing portion 46b so as to be point-symmetrical to each other with respect to the center O40. The third receiving port 43d of the third housing portion 46c is provided at a position obtained by rotating the first receiving port 41a 90 degrees around the center O40, and the fourth receiving port 43e of the fourth housing portion 46d is located at the center O40. It may be provided at a point symmetrical position with respect to the third receiving port 43d.

  In the above embodiment, an example of using a transmission type sensor as the waste toner detection sensor 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a reflection type sensor, a magnetic permeability sensor or the like may be used as the waste toner detection sensor 50. It is also good.

  Further, configurations obtained by appropriately combining the configurations of the embodiment and the modification described above are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1a to 1d Photosensitive drum (image carrier)
8 Intermediate transfer belt (image carrier)
40 waste toner recovery container 40a first recovery container 40b second recovery container 41 first surface 41a first receiving port 42 second surface 42a second receiving port 46a first storage portion 46b second storage portion 47 partition wall 47a inclined portion 47b First vertical part 47c Second vertical part 50 Waste toner detection sensor 100 Image forming device O40 Center P1 First detection position P2 Second detection position T Waste toner α Inclination angle

Claims (8)

A waste toner collection container that is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, and
A first surface which is an upper surface or a lower surface in a state of being mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, and a second surface disposed on the opposite side to the first surface;
A first receiving port and a second receiving port provided on the first surface and the second surface, respectively, for receiving waste toner discharged from an image carrier provided in the image forming apparatus main body;
First and second storage sections for storing the waste toner received from the first and second receiving ports, respectively;
A partition wall which is provided from the first surface to the second surface and which divides the first storage portion and the second storage portion;
Equipped with
The waste toner collecting container can be attached to the image forming apparatus main body by rotating 180 degrees around the center of the waste toner collecting container.
The first receiving port is provided at a portion on one side of the first surface with respect to the rotational direction of the waste toner recovery container,
The second receiving port is provided at a point-symmetrical position with respect to the first receiving port with respect to the center of the waste toner recovery container,
The partition wall has an inclined portion which is inclined from one side of the first surface to the other side of the second surface as it goes from the first surface to the second surface. container.   The waste toner collecting container according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the inclined portion with respect to the first surface and the second surface is equal to or more than an angle of repose of the waste toner.   The partition wall is provided so as to extend from the first surface to one end of the inclined portion and is formed perpendicular to the first surface, and the other of the inclined portion from the second surface The waste toner collection container according to claim 1, further comprising: a second vertical portion provided to extend to the end and formed perpendicular to the second surface. The first vertical portion extends to the second surface side from a first detection position detected by a waste toner detection sensor provided in the image forming apparatus main body when the waste toner is received from the first receiving port. Is formed,
The second vertical portion is formed up to the first surface side than a second detection position detected by the waste toner detection sensor when the waste toner is received from the second receiving port. The waste toner recovery container according to claim 3.   The waste toner recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein volumes of the first storage portion and the second storage portion are equal to each other.   6. The waste toner collecting container according to claim 5, wherein the first storage portion and the second storage portion are formed in a substantially point-symmetrical shape.   It is separable into a first recovery container having the first receiving port, the first receiving portion, and the partition wall, and a second recovery container having the second receiving port, the second receiving portion, and the partition wall. The waste toner recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein A waste toner recovery container according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A waste toner detection sensor for detecting the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collection container;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images