JP2686571B2 - Toner discharging device for image forming mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner discharging device for waste toner in an image forming mechanism such as an electrophotographic copying machine or printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electrophotographic image forming mechanism,
As a toner discharging device that conveys the toner removed from the photoconductor by the cleaning device to the toner collection container,
There are one that rotates a screw formed in a spiral shape and one that rotates a coil spring.

In particular, for a small image forming mechanism, a screw cannot be used, and a method of rotating a coil spring to convey toner is used.

As shown in FIG. 5, this toner discharging device is integrally provided in a process unit main body 2 which rotatably supports the photoconductor 1, and is arranged in parallel with the rotation axis 3 of the photoconductor 1. 1, a toner discharge device main body 4 is formed in the vicinity thereof.

A toner discharge port 5 is formed at one end of the toner discharge device main body 4 projecting from the process unit main body 2, and the main body 4 is internally provided with a coil spring 6. One end of the coil spring 6 is in contact with the discharge port side wall 7, and the other end is attached to a driving body 8 for rotating the coil spring 6, and is in pressure contact with the side wall 7.

The driving body 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is rotatably supported by the toner discharge device main body 4 by a bearing 9. A flange 10 is provided on the toner discharge port 5 side of the bearing 9, a vertical groove 11 is formed on the tip end side thereof, the coil spring 6 is externally fitted, and the tip end of the coil spring 6 is inserted into the vertical groove 11. Has been done. The driven gear 12 is externally fitted and fixed to the opposite end.

The driven gear 12 is meshed with a drive gear 13 attached to the rotary shaft 3 of the photoconductor 1, and the coil spring 6 is rotated along with the rotation of the photoconductor 1 by the rotational driving of a motor (not shown). The toner removed from the body 1 is conveyed to the toner discharge port 5.

[0008]

Generally, the coil spring 6 is used.
Since it is difficult to make the length constant with precision in manufacturing, it is necessary to constantly press the coil spring 6 against the side wall 7 in order to reliably convey the toner to the toner discharge port 5 in a narrow space. .

However, the spring constant of the coil spring 6 is not low because it is necessary to convey the toner while rotating the coil spring 6 against the resistance of the toner, and the pressure contact force between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7 is high. Become.

Therefore, the rotation of the coil spring 6 causes the coil spring 6 to rub against the side wall 7 to generate an abnormal noise, and the friction causes the side wall 7 to be worn and generate heat. There is a problem that the rotational force is reduced and the toner cannot be discharged. Further, the heat may cause the toner to coagulate and be unable to be discharged.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toner discharging device of an image forming mechanism capable of reliably discharging toner.

[0012]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the means for solving the problems according to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention includes a toner discharge device main body 4 having a toner discharge port 5 formed at one end thereof, and A coil spring 6 that conveys the removed toner to the toner discharge port 5 is rotatably incorporated, and the coil spring 6 includes a driving body 8 that rotates the coil spring 6 and a side wall 7 of the discharge side toner discharge device body 4. In the toner discharging device of the image forming mechanism, which is press-fitted between the sliding member 31 and the side wall 7 of the toner discharging device main body 4, the sliding member 31 is interposed, and the sliding member 31 is made of fluorine resin. It is made of a tube and is attached to the tip of the coil spring 6.

[0013] According to claim 3, the toner discharging apparatus main body 4 in which the toner discharge opening 5 is formed at one end, negative <br/> rotation if coil for conveying the toner removed from the photosensitive member 1 to the toner discharge opening 5 freely decorated, if the coil negative, the toner discharge of the press-fit image forming mechanism between the driver 8 to the root if the coil times <br/> translocated and side walls 7 of the outlet-side toner discharging device main body 4 in the device, it if the coil are each the length and spring constant
Different transport coil springs 40a and different transport coil springs
To push the blade 40a toward the side wall 7 on the toner discharge port 5 side.
It consists energized coil spring 40b, the coil springs 40a,
40b is connected in series.

[0014]

In the means for solving the problems according to claims 1 and 2, the toner removed from the photoconductor 1 falls into the toner discharge device main body 4, and the toner is discharged by the coil spring 6 rotated by the driving body 8. It is conveyed in the direction of the exit 5. Then, the toner conveyed to the toner discharge port 5 is
The toner drops from the toner discharge port 5 and is collected in the toner collection container.

At this time, one end of the coil spring 6 is a driving body 8
Is fixed to the side wall 7, and the other end is pressed against the side wall 7 in a free state, and the sliding body 31 attached to the tip of the coil spring 6 is rotated while contacting the side wall 7. Since the sliding body 31 has a small coefficient of friction, friction between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7 is reduced, and the coil spring 6 rotates smoothly.

The urging coil spring 40 according to claim 3,
b is externally fitted and fixed to the driving body 8 and is a coil spring 40a for conveyance.
Has one end externally fitted to the drive body 8 and abutted on the biasing coil spring 40b, and the other end pressed against the side wall 7.

As described above, by adding the biasing coil spring 40b, it is possible to appropriately set the force for pressing the side wall 7 and the carrying coil spring 40a into contact with each other, so that the coil spring 40a and the side wall 7 are brought into contact with each other. Friction can be reduced.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main portion of a toner discharging device showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the same coil spring, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image forming mechanism. is there.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming mechanism to which the toner discharging device of the present embodiment is applied includes a charging device 20 for charging the surface of the rotatable photoconductor 1 and an electrostatic charge on the surface of the photoconductor 1 by exposing the photoconductor 1 to light. An optical system 21 for forming a latent image, a developing device 22 for visualizing an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 1, and a toner image on the photoconductor 1 visualized on a sheet sent from a paper feeding section. A transfer device 23 for transferring, a cleaning device 24 for removing the toner remaining on the photoconductor 1, and a neutralization device (not shown) for neutralizing the charges on the photoconductor 1 are included.

These photoconductor 1 and cleaning device 24
Are integrally formed as a process unit, and are detachably attached to the image forming mechanism main body 26. A toner discharging device is arranged below the cleaning device 24. In the figure, 27 is a fixing device, 28 is a paper feed roller, 29 is a toner supply tank, and 30 is a main motor.

In the toner discharging device, a coil spring 6 for conveying the toner removed from the photoconductor 1 to the toner discharging port 5 is rotatably attached to the toner discharging device main body 4 having a toner discharging port 5 formed at one end. Interior, the coil spring 6
Is press-fitted between the driving body 8 for rotating the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7 of the discharge side toner discharge device main body 4, and the sliding body 31 is interposed at the contact portion between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7. There is.

The main body 4 of the toner discharging device is arranged in parallel with the photosensitive member 1 and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a slanting upper part cut out, one end of which is open, and the cap 32 is formed so as to cover this opening. It is attached to the process unit body 2. Then, the toner discharge port 5 is opened on the lower surface of the cap 32, and is connected to the toner recovery container from the toner discharge port 5 through the toner transport pipe. Further, a blade serving as a cleaning device 24 is fixed to the upper cutout portion of the toner discharge device body 4.

The coil spring 6 has an outer diameter of 10 mm, and one end thereof is in contact with the side wall 7 of the cap 32,
The other end is externally fitted and fixed to the driving body 8.

The sliding body 31 is a fluorine resin tube made of tetrafluoroethylene polymer and having a length of 4 mm. As shown in FIG. 2, the sliding body 31 is fitted onto the coil spring 6 by projecting only 1 mm from the tip of the coil spring 6. The sliding body 31
Contact the side wall 7.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 33 denotes a lid for opening and closing the toner discharge port 5. When the process unit main body 2 is detached from the image forming mechanism main body, the toner discharge port 5 is closed and attached by the urging force of the spring 34. Sometimes, it is pushed inward to open the toner discharge port 5. Other configurations are the same as the conventional ones, and thus detailed description will be omitted.

In the above structure, the toner image visualized by the toner on the photoconductor 1 is transferred to the sheet by the transfer device 23, and then the photoconductor 1 is cleaned by the cleaning device 24.
The toner remaining on the top is scraped off.

The toner removed from the photoconductor 1 falls into the toner discharge device main body 4 and is conveyed toward the toner discharge port 5 by the coil spring 6 rotating in association with the rotation of the photoconductor 1. . Then, the toner conveyed to the toner discharge port 5 falls from the toner discharge port 5 and is stored in the toner recovery container.

At this time, one end of the coil spring 6 is the driving body 8
Is fixed to the other end are pressed against the side wall 7 of the cap 3 2 in a free state, the sliding body 31 which is covered state to the distal end of the coil spring 6 is rotating while in contact with the side wall 7. Slider 3
Since No. 1 has a small coefficient of friction, friction between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7 is reduced, and the coil spring 6 rotates smoothly.

Therefore, generation of abnormal noise and heat due to friction between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7 can be suppressed, and further, abrasion of the side wall 7 due to friction of the coil spring 6 can be prevented.

Accordingly, the decrease in the rotational force of the coil spring 6 near the toner discharge port 5 is eliminated, and the toner is not solidified due to heat generation, so that the toner is not collected and discharged near the toner discharge port 5. Can be prevented
The toner can be reliably discharged.

Further, as a method of reducing the friction between the coil spring 6 and the side wall 7, it is conceivable to process the tip of the coil spring 6 into a special shape so as to reduce the friction, but the processing requires labor and cost. However, in this embodiment, it is sufficient to cover the coil spring 6 with a fluorine resin tube.
The purpose can be achieved at low cost.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a toner discharging device showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the coil springs 40a and 40b are used.
Is composed of two types of springs having different lengths and spring constants, and the coil springs 40a and 40b are connected in series.

The outer diameter of the transfer coil spring 40a is 9.7 m.
m, wire diameter 1.2 mm, and length 124.5 mm. The biasing coil spring 40b that biases the transport coil spring 40a toward the side wall 7 on the toner discharge port 5 side has an outer diameter of 9 mm and a wire diameter of 0. Coil spring 40 for biasing with a length of 6 mm and a length of 8 mm
b has a lower spring constant than the coil spring 40a for conveyance.

The biasing coil spring 40b is externally fitted to the driving body 8 and its tip is inserted into the vertical groove 11 of the driving body 8. One end of the transfer coil spring 40 a is externally fitted to the driving body 8 and is in contact with the biasing coil spring 6.
The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

As described above, by adding the biasing coil spring 40b, it is possible to appropriately set the force for pressing the side wall 7 and the carrying coil spring 40a into contact with each other. Can reduce friction,
Therefore, generation of heat and abnormal noise and wear of the side wall 7 can be suppressed.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above-described embodiment within the scope of the present invention.

[0039]

As is apparent from the above description, according to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention, the coil spring for conveying the toner removed from the photoconductor to the toner discharge port and the side wall of the discharge side toner discharge device main body. A sliding body is interposed in the contact portion of the coil, and the sliding body is made of a fluorine resin tube and is attached to the tip of the coil spring, so that abnormal noise and heat are generated due to friction between the coil spring and the side wall. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the wear of the side wall due to the friction of the coil spring.

Therefore, the decrease in the rotational force of the coil spring near the toner discharge port is eliminated, and the toner is not solidified due to heat generation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from being accumulated and discharged near the toner discharge port. The toner can be reliably discharged.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the coil spring is a coil spring for conveyance having different lengths and spring constants, and the conveyance coil spring.
For urging the coil spring for use toward the side wall of the toner outlet.
Consists energized coil springs, each coil spring is connected in series, it is possible to appropriately set the force for pressing the side wall and the coil spring, it is possible to reduce friction between the coil spring and the side wall . Therefore, the generation of heat and abnormal noise and the abrasion of the side wall can be suppressed, and the toner can be reliably discharged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of a toner discharging device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same coil spring.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an image forming mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a toner discharging device showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional toner discharging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoconductor 4 Toner discharging device main body 5 Toner discharging port 6,40a, 40b Coil spring 7 Side wall 8 Driving body 31 Sliding body

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A toner discharge device main body having a toner discharge port formed at one end, and a coil spring for conveying the toner removed from the photoconductor to the toner discharge port are rotatably mounted inside the toner discharge device main body.
In the toner discharging device of the image forming mechanism, wherein the coil spring is press-fitted between the driving body for rotating the coil spring and the side wall of the discharge side toner discharging device main body, the coil spring and the side wall of the toner discharging device main body are provided. A toner discharging device of an image forming mechanism, wherein a sliding member is interposed at a contact portion. 2. A toner discharging device for an image forming mechanism, wherein the sliding member is made of a fluorine resin tube and is attached to a tip of a coil spring. 3. A coil spring that conveys the toner removed from the photoconductor to the toner discharge port is rotatably installed in the toner discharge device main body having a toner discharge port formed at one end.
The coil spring, the toner discharging device of the press-fit image forming mechanism between the driving member for rotating the coil spring and the side wall of the outlet-side toner discharging apparatus main body, said coil spring is different from the length and spring constant from each other Coil spring for transport
And the transfer coil spring in the direction of the side wall on the toner discharge side.
A toner discharge device for an image forming mechanism, comprising a biasing coil spring for biasing each coil spring connected in series.