JP2022069248A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: in the case of a structure having a plurality of recycle toner containers, one conveyance path leading to both of the recycle toner containers, and a recycle toner conveyor that can switch where to convey recycle toner by the switching of rotary direction, there is a branch to sort the recycle toner conveyed from a recycler into each of the recycle toner containers; if one recycle toner container is filled up, recycle toner in the conveyance path is classified into new recycle toner conveyed from the recycler and the recycle toner remaining in the recycle toner conveyance path from the branch to the recycle toner container; and if the destination of conveyance of the recycle toner is switched in this state, the new recycle toner merges, at the branch, with the recycle toner remaining in the recycle toner conveyance path from branch to the recycle toner container, and the recycle toner in the amount exceeding the capacity of the conveyance path collects at the branch, posing a risk for the branch to be clogged with the recycle toner.SOLUTION: When a recycle toner conveyance path is switched, the driving for sending new recycle toner to the recycle toner conveyance path is stopped for a predetermined period of time. Once it is determined that no recycle toner exists in the downstream of the recycle toner conveyance path, the driving for sending new recycle toner to the recycle toner conveyance path is restarted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

The present invention relates to transport control of recovered toner in an image forming apparatus.

In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the toner remaining when the image is formed on the photoconductor drum or the intermediate transfer belt is removed by a cleaning member, and the removed toner is stored in the recovery toner container. In recent years, as the number of printable sheets per unit time has increased, the operation of such an image forming apparatus in the POD (print on demand) market where mass printing is performed is expanding. In the POD market, the image forming apparatus is frequently used, so that the collected toner container is frequently replaced. Therefore, it is important to be able to replace the recovered toner container without stopping the apparatus.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, there is a technique of having a plurality of recovered toner containers and a plurality of recovered toner transport routes, and switching to recover the recovered toner in the other recovered toner container when one of the recovered toner containers is full. Proposed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-203811

In Patent Document 1, for example, two recovery toner containers (210a and 210b), one transport path (207) connected to both recovery toner containers, and a transport destination of the recovery toner can be switched by switching the rotation direction. A configuration having a recoverable toner transport member (208) can be considered (FIG. 8 (a)).

In the case of this configuration, there is a branch portion A that distributes the recovered toner conveyed from the recovery member to each recovery toner container. At this time, when one of the recovered toner containers 210a is full (FIG. 8B), the recovered toner in the transport path is the new recovered toner 250a transported from the recovery member and the recovered toner from the branch portion A. There is recovered toner 250b remaining in the recovered toner transport path up to the container 210a.

When the transport destination of the recovered toner is switched in this state, the new recovered toner 250a and the recovered toner 250b remaining in the recovered toner transport path from the branch portion A to the recovered toner container 210a merge at the branch portion A. In this case, since the amount of recovered toner exceeding the capacity of the transport path is collected at the branch portion A, the recovered toner may be clogged at the branch portion A (FIG. 8 (c)).

An object of the present invention is to prevent the recovered toner from being clogged in the recovered toner transport path in order to solve the above problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the image forming system of the present invention forms an image consisting of a plurality of colors by forming an original image on an image carrier, transferring the original image onto a recording medium, and superimposing the original image on the image carrier. In the apparatus, the cleaning means for removing the residual toner on the image carrier, the first recovered toner container and the second recovered toner container containing the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and the cleaning means removed the toner. An area upstream of the recovered toner transport path for transporting the recovered toner, an area in the upstream of the recovered toner transport path where a certain amount of the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means can be stored, an upstream of the recovered toner transport path, and the first recovered toner. One recovery toner transport path downstream connected to both the container and the recovery toner container of the second recovery toner container, a transport means for transporting the recovery toner removed by the cleaning means, and the recovery toner in the recovery toner container. It is provided with a means for determining whether or not the recovered toner can be collected, and a means for switching the collected toner container for accommodating the collected toner when the collected toner is detected as uncollectible by the means for determining whether or not the collected toner can be collected. When it is detected by the recovered toner recovery possibility determination means that the recovered toner cannot be recovered in the recovered toner container, the transporting means for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means is stopped for a predetermined time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the recovered toner from being clogged in the recovered toner transport path.

Cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus of the intermediate transfer method Cross-sectional view of the recovered toner path The figure which shows the recovery toner container and the recovery toner transport path The figure which shows the recovery toner container storage part The figure which shows the recovery toner detection part The figure which shows the recovery toner detection part Block diagram of image forming device (A), (b), (c) are diagrams of conventional recovered toner transfer. (A), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) are diagrams of recovered toner transfer in the examples. (A) and (b) are control flow diagrams for transporting recovered toner.

Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a front sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a recovered toner path in a front sectional view.

The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem type intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus in which image forming portions 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are arranged in series on the horizontal portion of the intermediate transfer belt 31, and is transmitted from an external device. A full-color image is formed on the sheet material S by an electrophotographic method according to the image signal.

The image forming portions 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images on the photosensitive drums 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, and primary transfer them to the same image position on the intermediate transfer belt 31. ..

The intermediate transfer belt 31 is stretched and rotated by a drive roller 33, a tension roller 34, and a transfer opposed roller 32 for performing secondary transfer. On the inner peripheral surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 31, primary transfer rollers 35Y, 35M, 35C, 35K for performing primary transfer at positions facing the photosensitive drums 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K are arranged.

Around the photosensitive drum 11Y that forms a yellow toner image, there is a charger 12Y that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 11Y, and an exposure device that irradiates the photosensitive drum 11Y with image light to form a latent image on the surface. It is provided with 13Y, a developer 14Y that transfers toner to a latent image on the photosensitive drum 11Y to form a toner image, and a cleaning device 15Y that removes toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11Y after the primary transfer of the toner image. .. The configurations for forming the magenta, cyan, and black toner images are the same except that the toner colors are different.

On the other hand, the sheet material S stored in the paper feed cassettes 61, 62, 63, 64 is conveyed to the paper feed transfer path 81 by rotating any one of the paper feed rollers 71, 72, 73, 74. The resist roller 75 feeds the sheet material S to the secondary transfer portion formed by the contact between the secondary transfer roller 41 and the transfer opposing roller 32 in time with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 31.

Next, the sheet material S to which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the heat fixing device 5 by the transport belt 42, and is heat-bonded by the heat fixing device 5 to fix the toner image to the surface of the sheet material S to obtain a full-color image. Is fixed and is sent out to the output tray 65 through the output transfer path 82 and the reverse transfer transfer path 83.

Next, a recovery route of the transfer residual toner generated during image formation and the deterioration developer (hereinafter collectively referred to as recovery toner) generated in the developing unit will be described. The recovered toner generated in the yellow drum 11Y portion is scraped off by the blade 15Y, conveyed to the inner side of the apparatus by a screw (not shown), and conveyed to the vertical pipe 203 of FIG. At the same time, the deteriorated recovered toner generated in the developing 14Y portion is also conveyed to the vertical pipe 203, and magenta, cyan, and black are also conveyed to the vertical pipe 203 in the same process. Further, the recovered toner scraped by the blade 101 by the transfer cleaning unit 36 is also conveyed to the vertical pipe 202, the recovered toner discharged from each unit is merged in the main recovered toner pipe 204, and the recovered toner is collected by the recovered toner drive motor 240. The screw 205 is rotated and conveyed to the discharge pipe 201. The recovery toner drive motor 240 also serves as a drive source for the screw 206 in the discharge pipe.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the means for transporting the recovered toner to the recovered toner container storage portions 200a and 200b of FIG. 2. The recovered toner conveyed to the discharge pipe 201 is conveyed to the horizontal pipe 207 by the screw 206 in the discharge pipe. The recovered toner conveyed to the horizontal pipe 207 is conveyed in the direction of the recovered toner container storage unit 200a or 200b by the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe.

The screw 208 in the horizontal pipe is rotated by the drive motor 209 and is driven so as to be capable of forward and reverse rotation. The recovered toner conveyed in the direction of the recovery toner container storage portion 200a or 200b due to the rotation direction of the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe falls from the opening at the top of the recovery toner container storage portion 200a or 200b to collect the toner container 210a or 210b. (Hereinafter, the discharge pipe 201, the vertical pipe 202, the vertical pipe 203, and the recovery toner pipe 204 are collectively stored upstream of the recovery toner transport path, and the horizontal pipe 207 is downstream of the recovery toner transport path, upstream and downstream of the recovery toner transport path. Are collectively referred to as the recovery toner transfer path).

The upstream portion of the recovery toner transport path has an area (hereinafter, a part of the vertical pipes 202 and 203 is referred to as a buffer 260) in which a certain amount of recovery toner can be stored, and at the end of image formation, the buffer 260 upstream of the recovery toner transport path has a region. All of the recovered toner is sent to the recovered toner container. The buffer 260 may be configured individually rather than on the recovery toner transfer path. The buffer 260 upstream of the recovery toner transport path has a capacity capable of storing the recovery toner for a predetermined time until the recovery toner 250b in the downstream of the recovery toner transport path is transported to the other recovery toner container 210a.

Next, the detailed configuration of the recovered toner container storage portions 200a and 200b will be described. FIG. 4 illustrates the detailed configuration of the recovered toner container storage unit 200a. Since the recovered toner container storage unit 200a and 200b have the same configuration, the detailed configuration of the recovered toner container storage unit 200a will be described with reference to FIG.

The recovery toner container storage portion 200a is composed of an opening / closing door 211a, a protrusion 212a, a photo interrupter 213a, a push switch 214a, and an opening 215a. The photo interrupter 213a is attached at a position where the protrusion 212a shields light when the opening / closing door 211a is closed, and it is possible to detect the opening / closing of the opening / closing door 211a by reading the signal of the photo interrupter 213a. In this embodiment, it is determined that the opening / closing door 211a is closed when the Hi signal is detected from the photo interrupter 213a, and that the opening / closing door 211a is open when Low is detected.

The push switch 214a is attached to a position where the recovery toner container 210a can push the push switch 214a only when the recovery toner container 210a is correctly stored to the back. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of the recovered toner container 210a by reading the signal of the push switch 214a. In this embodiment, when the Hi signal is detected from the push switch 214a, it is determined that the recovery toner container 210a is inside the recovery toner storage unit 200a, and when Low is detected, it is determined that the recovery toner container 210a is not inside the recovery toner storage unit 200a.

The opening 215a is located above the recovery toner container storage portion 200a and is prepared for dropping the recovery toner conveyed by the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe into the recovery toner container 210a.

Next, the means for detecting the recovered toner in the recovered toner containers 210a and 210b will be described. 5 and 6 show a detailed configuration of the detection means 230a of the recovery toner container 210a. Since the detection means 230b of the recovery toner container 210b has exactly the same configuration, the recovery toner detection means 230a of the recovery toner container 210a will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 100 has a recovered toner detection unit 230a arranged so as to be sandwiched from the front and back of the recovered toner container in the upper part of the recovered toner container 210a. As shown in FIG. 6 seen from the upper part of the recovery toner container 210a, the recovery toner detection unit 230a has a light emitting unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives light, and is a collection in the recovery toner container arranged on the optical path. Detect toner. When the amount of recovered toner in the recovered toner container exceeds a predetermined amount, the recovered toner detecting unit 230a blocks the light between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the detecting portion, and the recovered toner amount reaches the detection portion. It can detect that it has come.

The timing for detecting the recovered toner by the recovered toner detection unit 230a is a timing at which the recovered toner container needs to be replaced soon and preparation for replacement is urged. The timing at which the recovered toner container is actually full and prompting for replacement can be set after the recovered toner detection unit 230a detects the recovered toner and then outputs a predetermined number of toners, and is located near the discharge port of the recovered toner container. It is also possible to arrange a similar detection means and use the detection means when the recovered toner is detected.

Further, in a configuration having no means for detecting the recovered toner, the recovery toner container is prepared to be replaced after the predetermined number of recovered toner containers are output after the new recovered toner container is installed, and the recovered toner container is full after the predetermined number of recovered toner containers are output. It can also be realized by setting the detection timing.

Next, a block diagram of the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

The CPU 300 includes a ROM 301, a RAM 302, a communication controller 303, an operation panel 304, an image forming unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K, a load control unit 306, a heat fixing device 5, a recovery toner detection unit 230a, 230b, and a recovery toner container 210a, 210b. Is connected to push switches 214a and 214b for detecting whether or not the toner is stored inside the recovered toner container storage units 200a and 200b.

When a print job is input to the CPU 300 via the host computer 305 or the operation panel 304, the image forming unit 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K, the load control unit 306, and the heat fixing device 5 are subjected to the program stored in the ROM 301. Give instructions to. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the image forming portions 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K form toner images on the photosensitive drums 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, and a color toner image or a monochrome toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 31. Is transferred, and the color toner image is transferred to paper.

The load control unit 306 controls the motors that are the power source under the control of the CPU 300, transports the sheet material from the paper feed cassette, and rotates the photosensitive drum of each color, the intermediate transfer belt, and the like.

The heat fixing device 5 fixes the toner image on the surface of the sheet material S by pressure-fixing the color toner image or the monochrome toner image transferred to the sheet material in the image processing unit.

The drive motor 209 discharges the recovered toner to any of the recovered toner containers in the image forming apparatus 100 by rotating in the forward and reverse directions.

The recovered toner detection unit 230a and the recovered toner detection unit 230b detect the recovered toner in the recovered toner container, and the push switches 214a and 214b are the recovered toner container storage units 200a and 200b of the recovered toner containers 210a and 210b, respectively. Determine if it is inserted inside. The operation panel 304 has a display unit, and the display unit notifies the user of the operating status of the image forming apparatus 100 and the status of consumables, and also accepts an input operation by the user. The communication controller 303 communicates between the image forming apparatus 100 and the host computer 305 under the control of the CPU.

[Example 1]
In the image forming apparatus 100 having a structure including a conventional recovery toner transport path, two recovery toner containers, and a toner transport path connecting two recovery toner containers, a case of recovery toner clogging will be described with reference to FIG. When the recovered toner container 210b detects that the recovered toner cannot be recovered when the recovered toners 250a and 250b are being sent from the recovered toner transport path to the toner container 210b (FIG. 8A), the drive motor 209 is once stopped. (FIG. 8B), the drive motor 209 switches the forward and reverse of the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe to drive the screw 208, and conveys the recovery toner 250b in the direction of the recovery toner container 210a. At this time, the amount of the recovered toner 250a and the recovered toner 250b sent from the upstream of the recovered toner transport path exceeds the capacity of the recovered toner transport path at the branch portion A between the upstream of the recovered toner transport path and the downstream of the recovered toner transport path. The recovered toner may collect and the recovered toners 250a and 250b may be clogged (FIG. 8 (c)).

The state of the recovered toner at each time point in the transport control of the recovered toner in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the recovered toner container 210b is matched because the recovered toner cannot be recovered, the drive motor 209 is stopped once (FIG. 9 (b)). Next, the drive of the recovery toner screw motor is stopped, and the newly sent recovery toner 250c is stored in the buffer 260 upstream of the recovery toner transfer path (FIG. 9 (c)). Next, the drive motor 209 switches the forward and reverse of the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe to drive the driver, and conveys the recovery toner 250b in the direction of the recovery toner container 210a. Next, the recovered toner 250b in the downstream of the recovered toner transport path is transported to the recovered toner container 210a (FIG. 9 (d)). After the recovered toner 250b is conveyed to the recovered toner container 210a, the recovery toner screw motor 240 is restarted (FIG. 9E). Then, the recovered toners 250a and c are transported to the recovered toner container 210a (FIG. 9 (f)). By this operation, all the recovered toner 250b downstream of the recovered toner transport path is transported to the recovered toner container 210a, and then the recovered toner 250a is started to be transported. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recovered toners 250a and 250b from being clogged at the branch portion A.

Next, the transfer control flow of the recovered toner will be described with reference to FIG. When the image forming apparatus 100 is in the printing operation (YES in step S500), the CPU 300 determines whether the recovered toner container cannot recover the recovered toner (step S501). When the recovered toner container 210b cannot recover the recovered toner (YES in step S501), it is determined whether the other recovered toner container 210a can recover the recovered toner (step S502). When the other recovered toner container 210a is not unrecoverable (YES in step S502), the drive motor 209 switches the forward / reverse rotation of the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe to switch the recovered toner container to be used (step S503).

Next, when the drive of the recovery toner screw motor is stopped (step S504) and a predetermined time T has elapsed until the recovery toner 250b located downstream of the recovery toner transport path is transported to the other recovery toner container 210a (step). YES in S505), the drive stop of the recovery toner screw motor 240 is released (step S506), and the recovery toner 250a is conveyed to the recovery toner container 210a. When both the recovered toner containers (210a and 210b) are matched because the recovered toner cannot be recovered, the printing operation is stopped (step S507), and the user is notified that the recovered toner cannot be recovered (step S508).

Although the present embodiment has shown an image forming apparatus having two recovered toner containers, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applicable to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of recovered toner containers having more than two. It is a thing.

[Example 2]
In the first embodiment, the drive of the recovery toner screw motor is stopped for a predetermined time until the recovery toner 250b in the downstream of the recovery toner transport path is transported to the other recovery toner container 210a, but the recovery toner screw motor is stopped upstream by that amount. A large-capacity buffer 260 is required, which is costly.

Therefore, the present embodiment is characterized in that the recovery toner screw motor is decelerated in order to reduce the capacity of the buffer 260 upstream of the recovery toner transfer path.

Since steps S510 to S512 in FIG. 10B are equivalent to the processing of the first embodiment (steps S500 to S502 in FIG. 10A), the description thereof will be omitted.

The drive of the recovery toner screw motor is set to half speed (step S513), the forward / reverse rotation of the screw 208 in the horizontal pipe is switched by the drive motor 209, and the recovery toner container to be used is switched. When a predetermined time T has elapsed until the recovered toner 250b downstream of the recovered toner transport path is transported to the other recovered toner container 210a (YES in step S515), the half speed of the recovery toner screw motor 240 is released (YES). Step S516), the recovered toner 250a is conveyed to the recovered toner container 210a.

Since steps S517 to S518 of FIG. 10B are the same as the process of the first embodiment (steps S507 to S508 of FIG. 10A), the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, it is described that the speed is set to half speed, but the speed is not limited to half speed.

1 Image forming unit 100 Image forming apparatus 200a, 200b Recovery toner container storage section 201 Discharge pipe 202, 203 Vertical pipe 204 Main recovery toner pipe 205 Recovery toner screw 210a, 210b Recovery toner container 230a, 230b Recovery toner detection section 240 Recovery toner screw motor

Claims (3)

Cleaning means for removing residual toner on the image carrier,
A first recovered toner container and a second recovered toner container containing the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and a second recovered toner container.
Upstream of the recovery toner transport path for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and
An area where a certain amount of recovered toner removed by the cleaning means can be stored upstream of the recovered toner transport path.
An upstream of the recovered toner transport path, a downstream of one recovered toner transport path connected to both the recovered toner container of the first recovered toner container and the second recovered toner container, and a downstream of the recovered toner transport path.
A transport means for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and a transport means.
A means for determining whether or not the collected toner can be collected in the collected toner container, and a means for determining whether or not the collected toner can be collected.
A means for switching the recovery toner container for accommodating the recovery toner when the recovery toner is detected as unrecoverable by the recovery toner recovery possibility determination means.
Equipped with
An image forming apparatus characterized by stopping the transporting means for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means for a predetermined time when the recovered toner recoverable / non-recoverable determination means detects that the recovered toner cannot be recovered in the recovered toner container. .. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, when the recovery toner recovery possibility determination means detects that the recovery toner cannot be recovered, the time until the switching operation of the recovery toner container accommodating the recovery toner is completed is a predetermined time. An image forming apparatus characterized in that. Cleaning means for removing residual toner on the image carrier,
A first recovered toner container and a second recovered toner container containing the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and a second recovered toner container.
Upstream of the recovery toner transport path for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and
An area where a certain amount of recovered toner removed by the cleaning means can be stored upstream of the recovered toner transport path.
An upstream of the recovered toner transport path, a downstream of one recovered toner transport path connected to both the recovered toner container of the first recovered toner container and the second recovered toner container, and a downstream of the recovered toner transport path.
A transport means for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means, and a transport means.
A means for determining whether or not the collected toner can be collected in the collected toner container, and a means for determining whether or not the collected toner can be collected.
A means for switching the recovery toner container for accommodating the recovery toner when the recovery toner is detected as unrecoverable by the recovery toner recovery possibility determination means.
Equipped with
An image forming apparatus characterized by decelerating the transporting means for transporting the recovered toner removed by the cleaning means for a predetermined time when the recovered toner recovery possibility determination means detects that the recovered toner cannot be recovered in the recovered toner container. ..

Images