JP2020197702A5

JP2020197702A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2020197702A5
Application number: JP2020076005A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2020-04-22
Publication date: 2023-04-24

Description

本発明は、トナー像を担持する像担持体を備える画像形成装置に設けられる転写手段であって、前記転写手段は、移動可能であって、前記像担持体と接触する無端状のベルトと、前記ベルトに当接し、前記ベルトに残留したトナーを回収するための回収部材と、前記ベルトの内周面によって構成される領域内に配置された収容容器であって、前記回収部材によって回収されたトナーが流入する流入口を備える収容容器と、回転することによって、前記流入口から前記収容容器に向けて搬送されたトナーを前記収容容器内において搬送する１つの搬送部材と、を備え、前記搬送部材は前記搬送部材の回転軸線方向に関して螺旋状に設けられる搬送部を有し、前記収容容器は、前記流入口から流入したトナーを支持する底面と、前記底面と対向する上面と、を有し、前記ベルトの移動方向及び前記ベルトの幅方向と直交する方向から前記収容容器を水平面に投影して見た際に、前記移動方向に関して前記収容容器を三等分したときの真ん中の領域と、前記幅方向に関して前記収容容器を三等分したときの真ん中の領域とが重なる領域に前記収容容器の中央領域が形成されており、前記搬送部材は、前記流入口から前記中央領域に向かってトナーを搬送することを特徴とする。 The present invention relates to a transfer means provided in an image forming apparatus having an image carrier that carries a toner image, the transfer means being a movable endless belt that contacts the image carrier . a collecting member that contacts the belt and collects the toner remaining on the belt; and a storage container that is arranged in a region defined by an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and the toner is collected by the collecting member. a storage container provided with an inlet into which the collected toner flows; and a conveying member that rotates to transport the toner, which has been transported from the inlet toward the storage container, within the storage container. and wherein the conveying member has a conveying portion that is spirally provided with respect to the rotation axis direction of the conveying member, and the container has a bottom surface that supports the toner that has flowed in from the inlet and a bottom surface that faces the bottom surface. and an upper surface that divides the container into three equal parts with respect to the movement direction when the container is projected onto a horizontal plane from a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the belt and the width direction of the belt. A central region of the container is formed in a region where a middle region of the container overlaps a middle region when the container is divided into three equal parts in the width direction. The toner is conveyed toward the central area .

Claims

A transfer means provided in an image forming apparatus having an image carrier that carries a toner image,
The transfer means is
an endless belt movable and in contact with the image bearing member ;
a collecting member that contacts the belt and collects toner remaining on the belt;
A storage container disposed within a region defined by the inner peripheral surface of the belt, the storage container having an inlet into which the toner collected by the collecting member flows; a conveying member for conveying the toner conveyed from the entrance toward the container within the container;
The conveying member has a conveying portion that is spirally provided with respect to the rotation axis direction of the conveying member,
the container has a bottom surface supporting the toner flowing in from the inlet and an upper surface facing the bottom surface;
When the storage container is projected onto a horizontal plane in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the belt and the width direction of the belt , the center region when the storage container is divided into three equal parts in the moving direction; A central region of the container is formed in a region overlapping with a middle region when the container is divided into three equal parts in the width direction, and the conveying member conveys toner from the inlet toward the central region. A transfer means characterized by conveying .

a first image carrier that carries a toner image;
A transfer means provided in an image forming apparatus comprising a second image carrier that carries a toner image and is provided at a position different from that of the first image carrier,
The transfer means is
an endless belt movable and in contact with the first image carrier and the second image carrier;
A transfer member provided in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt and extending in an extending direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the belt, for transferring a toner image from the first image carrier toward the belt. a first transfer member, which is a member ;
a second transfer member that is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt and extends in the extension direction for transferring the toner image from the second image bearing member to the belt;
a collecting member that contacts the belt and collects toner remaining on the belt;
a container having an inlet into which the toner collected by the collecting member flows;
A conveying member that rotates to convey the toner conveyed from the inflow port toward the containing container within the containing container, the conveying member having a conveying portion spirally provided with respect to the rotation axis direction. comprising a member and
With respect to the moving direction of the belt, the first transfer member is arranged upstream of the second transfer member and downstream of the collection member,
When the container is projected onto a horizontal plane in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction and the extension direction, a position where an imaginary line related to the rotation axis direction intersects the container, and a position of the inlet. and an end portion of the conveying portion provided on the opposite side of the inlet with respect to the direction of the rotation axis is arranged in the vicinity of the midpoint of the straight line connecting the
The transfer unit, wherein the rotation axis direction is a direction orthogonal to neither the moving direction nor the extending direction.

The end portion is provided at a position closer to the intermediate point than a position where the imaginary line and the container intersect with respect to the direction of the rotation axis, and the position of the inlet with respect to the direction of the rotation axis. 3. The transfer means according to claim 2, wherein the transfer means is provided at a position closer to the intermediate point than the transfer means.

a driving rotator on which the belt is stretched and rotated by receiving a driving force from a driving source to move the belt; and a driving connecting member for transmitting the rotational force of the driving rotator; 2. The conveying member is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the driving rotating body by engagement between a gear provided at the end on the inlet side and the driving connecting member. 4. The transfer means according to any one of items 1 to 3.

a plurality of transfer members including a first transfer member and a second transfer member, wherein the first transfer member is arranged on the most upstream side of the plurality of transfer members with respect to the moving direction; 5. A transfer means according to claim 4, wherein said inlet is arranged between said first transfer member and said driving rotator.

6. The transfer means according to claim 5, wherein the inflow port is arranged at a position closer to the drive rotor than the first transfer member with respect to the movement direction.

7. The transfer means according to claim 5, wherein the second transfer member is arranged on the most downstream side among the plurality of transfer members with respect to the movement direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second transfer member is arranged on the upstream side of the transfer member arranged on the most downstream side among the plurality of transfer members with respect to the moving direction. means of transcription.

9. The end portion of the conveying member on the side opposite to the inlet side with respect to the rotation axis direction is supported by a support portion provided on the bottom surface of the container. or the transfer means according to item 1.

10. The transfer according to claim 9, wherein the conveying member has a region in which the conveying portion is not provided between the end portion of the conveying portion and the support portion with respect to the rotation axis direction. means.

11. The transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein the storage container is arranged so as to be substantially horizontal with respect to the bottom surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus.

a first biasing member that biases the first transfer member toward the belt; and a second biasing member that biases the second transfer member toward the belt;
It is characterized by not having means for separating the first transfer member and the second transfer member from the belt against the biasing forces of the first biasing member and the second biasing member. 6. The transfer means according to claim 5 .

The storage container has grooves along the extending directions of the first transfer member and the second transfer member, respectively, at positions facing the first transfer member and the second transfer member. 13. The transfer means according to claim 12, further comprising grooves retracted in a direction away from positions where said first transfer member and said second transfer member are provided.

The storage container includes an upper member provided on the transfer member side;
and a lower member provided on the bottom side of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, and
3. The transfer means according to claim 2 , wherein the conveying member is provided inside a frame of the storage container formed by bonding the upper member and the lower member.

15. The transfer means according to claim 14, wherein the lower member is provided with guide portions for guiding both sides of a position where the conveying member is provided inside the container.

15. The transfer means according to claim 14, wherein radial ribs are provided on the lower member in the inside of the storage container, starting from near the end of the conveying section.

15. The transfer means according to claim 14, wherein a columnar member that connects the upper member and the lower member is provided near an end of the conveying section inside the container.

A transfer means according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
The belt is an intermediate transfer belt, and the toner image carried on the image carrier is primarily transferred from the image carrier to the intermediate transfer belt and then secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to a transfer material. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

A transfer means according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
The image forming method, wherein the belt is a conveying belt that conveys a transfer material, and the toner images carried on the image carrier are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the transfer material conveyed by the conveying belt. Device.

A transfer means provided in an image forming apparatus having an image carrier that carries a toner image,
The transfer means is
an endless belt movable and in contact with the image bearing member;
a collecting member that contacts the belt and collects toner remaining on the belt;
a storage container disposed within a region defined by the inner peripheral surface of the belt, the storage container including an inlet into which the toner collected by the collecting member flows;
a conveying member that rotates to convey the toner from the inlet in the storage container;
The conveying member has a conveying portion that is spirally provided with respect to the rotation axis direction of the conveying member,
the container has a bottom surface supporting the toner flowing in from the inlet and an upper surface facing the bottom surface;
When the storage container is projected onto a horizontal plane in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the belt and the width direction of the belt , the center region when the storage container is divided into three equal parts in the moving direction; A central region of the container is formed in a region overlapping with a middle region when the container is divided into three equal parts in the width direction, and the conveying member is provided on the side opposite to the inlet. transfer means, wherein the ends of the portion are located in the central region.

21. The transfer means according to claim 20, wherein said conveying member is arranged singly in said container .

21. The transfer unit according to claim 20, further comprising a second transport member for transporting the toner collected by the collecting member to the inlet when the conveying member is the first conveying member. .