JP2593315Y2 - Developing device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device used in an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a developing apparatus which is detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as "main body"). And a developing device of a type which is used after being replaced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A developing device mounted on a main body as a replaceable unit is widely known. Such a developing device is removed from the main body when the internal developer is emptied or deteriorated, and when the life of the developing device reaches the end of its life, when the used developing device is mistakenly reinstalled in the main body, As a result, image formation cannot be performed, and the photosensitive member is adversely affected. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether the developing device attached to the main body is new or used, for example,
There has been proposed a technique of resetting an electric switch when a new developing device is mounted on a main body to distinguish between a new and an old developing device.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, prior to discriminating between the new and old developing devices, a switch resetting operation is required, which complicates the operation and causes erroneous detection due to forgetting to reset. There was a disadvantage that it was easy.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art,
The detected member and the developing device are engaged with each other and locked , so that the detected member can be securely and easily fixed, and the detected member which is unnecessary at the time of image formation remains in the image forming apparatus and adversely affects image formation. It is a first object of the present invention to provide a developing device capable of reliably discriminating between a new and an old developing device unit without causing trouble in handling outside the image forming apparatus.
The purpose of. In the present invention, the detected member is driven by the developing device.
Provided in the image forming apparatus main body by moving
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a developing device which does not need to be provided with an indirect member when detected by a detecting section of the detecting member, and which can improve the detection accuracy and reduce the cost of the image forming apparatus. And According to the present invention, a detection member provided in an image forming apparatus main body and a movable detection target member provided in a developing device are detected in a non-contact state, and the detection member is detected by a mounting error of the developing device when the developing device is mounted. It is a third object of the present invention to provide a developing device which can prevent the detection member and the detection member from colliding with each other, resulting in detection failure and mounting failure.

[0005]

A first object of the present invention is to provide a developing device detachable from an image forming apparatus main body and capable of discriminating between new and old, a detecting member provided on the image forming apparatus main body and a developing member provided on the developing apparatus. The old and new movable detection members are used to determine whether the development device is old or new. When the detection member and the detection member determine whether the development device is old, the detection member and the development device are engaged and locked. This is achieved by the first means.
Further, the second object is that, in the developing device of the first means, the detected member is not detected by a detecting portion of the detecting member provided in the image forming apparatus main body because the detected member moves by driving the developing device. This is achieved by the second means described above. Further, the third object is that, in the developing device of the second means, the detecting member provided on the image forming apparatus main body contacts the movable detected member provided on the developing device in a non-contact state. This is achieved by a third means for performing detection.

[0006]

According to the first means, since the detected member and the developing device are engaged and locked, the detected member can be securely and easily fixed, and the detected member is not required at the time of image formation. The image forming apparatus does not remain in the image forming apparatus, adversely affects image formation, and does not cause a problem in handling outside the image forming apparatus. According to the second means, the detected member is moved by the driving of the developing device so that the detected member is not detected by the detecting portion of the detecting member provided in the image forming apparatus main body. There is no need to improve the detection accuracy and to reduce the cost of the image forming apparatus. According to the third means, since the detecting member provided on the image forming apparatus main body and the movable detected member provided on the developing device are detected in a non-contact state, the mounting of the developing device at the time of mounting the developing device is performed. It is possible to prevent a detection member and a detected member from colliding with each other due to an error or the like, resulting in detection failure and mounting failure.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a copying machine, wherein 1 is a photosensitive drum, 2 is a charging charger, 3 is a contact glass,
Is a reflecting mirror, 5 is a developing unit, 6 is a transfer charger, 7 is a separation charger, 8 is a paper feed cassette, 9 is a conveyor belt unit, 10 is a fixing unit, 11 is a cleaning unit, and 12 is a double-sided tray. In such a configuration, a known electrophotographic process is performed.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the arrangement of gears of the developing device unit 5, wherein reference numeral 20 denotes a hopper serving as a developer container;
Is a drive gear that meshes with a gear (not shown) provided coaxially with the photosensitive drum 1 to transmit the driving force of the main body,
This driving force is transmitted to the developing roller gear 22, the conveying screw gear 23, the paddle gear 24, and the elliptical plate gear 25.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the developing device unit 5, in which reference numeral 14 denotes an elliptical plate for stirring the developer, and reference numeral 17 denotes an elliptical plate 14.
A guide plate 18 for dropping the developer thereon, and a transport screw 18 for collecting the developer collected from a developing sleeve (not shown) and placing the developer on the guide plate 17. When the developing device unit 5 is mounted in the direction of arrow A, the filler 27 is in a state of blocking the light from the detecting portion of the photointerrupter 30 attached to the main body side plate 29. The filler 27 is attached to a gear-side screw portion 26 provided on the outer periphery of an elliptical plate gear 25 attached to the elliptical plate 14 so that the filler-side screw portion 28 fits therein. In the new developing device unit 5, the filler 27 is mounted on the elliptical plate gear 25 side, and is in a state of shielding the detection unit of the photo interrupter 30 from light.

When the developing device unit 5 is operated by the drive gear 21, the meshed gear rotates, and the elliptical gear 25 also rotates counterclockwise in FIG.
At this time, the filler side screw portion 28 fitted into the gear side screw portion 26 moves along the screw thread with rotation, so that
The filter 27 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow B, so that the detector of the photointerrupter 30 is not shielded from light. At this time, the claw 33 protruded by the filler 27 enters the hole 32 formed on the casing side of the developing device unit 5. Here, the locking position of the claw 33 and the hole 32 is previously set to a position 34 at which the filler 27 cannot shield the photointerrupter 30 from light, and once the locking position is exceeded, the filler 27 is returned to the original position again. It is configured to be difficult.

Therefore, in the unused and used developing device unit 5, since the position of the filler 27 is different, it can be determined. That is, when the developing device unit 5 is mounted at a predetermined position of the copying machine main body, if it is new, the
Is detected by the photointerrupter 30, and if it has been used, it is not detected. Note that the casing of the developing device unit 5 is provided with a filter 2.
7 is provided with a stopper 31 for co-rotation prevention. The threaded portions of the filler 27 and the elliptical plate gear 25 are connected to the filler 2.
At the position where the photointerrupter 30 cannot shield the photointerrupter 30 from light, it is configured so as not to function as a screw.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the detected member and the developing device are engaged and locked, the detected member can be securely and easily fixed, and is unnecessary when forming an image. The detected member remains in the image forming apparatus, does not adversely affect image formation, and does not have to worry about handling outside the image forming apparatus, and can reliably identify the new and old developing device units. According to the invention of claim 2, the detected member is moved by the driving of the developing device so that it is not detected by the detecting portion of the detecting member provided in the image forming apparatus main body. Therefore, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy and reduce the cost of the image forming apparatus. According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the detection member provided in the image forming apparatus main body and the movable detection target member provided in the developing device are detected in a non-contact state, the developing device when the developing device is mounted is provided. It is possible to prevent the detection member and the detected member from colliding with each other due to the mounting error or the like, resulting in detection failure and mounting failure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a gear arrangement of the developing device.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 27 Filter (detected member) 30 Photo interrupter (sensor)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 15/08

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A developing device detachable from an image forming apparatus main body and capable of distinguishing between old and new, wherein a detecting member provided on the image forming apparatus main body and a movable detected member provided on the developing device are used for the old and new. The developing device is characterized in that when the discrimination is performed and the detected member and the detecting member determine whether the developing device is old, the detected member and the developing device are engaged and locked. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the detected member is moved by driving the developing device, so that the detected member is not detected by a detecting unit of the detecting member provided in the image forming apparatus main body. A developing device, characterized in that: 3. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the detection member provided in the image forming apparatus main body detects the movable detection target member provided in the development device in a non-contact state. A developing device, characterized in that: