JP2925419B2 - Toner collecting device and image forming apparatus provided with the toner collecting 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 toner collecting apparatus and an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

[0002]

FIG. 6 shows a conventional waste toner collecting container. The waste toner removed by the cleaning device (not shown) is conveyed to a waste toner discharge port 111 by a conveying member 110 such as a screw and discharged. Then, it falls into the waste toner collecting container 100 placed below the discharge port,
Will be stored.

Here, as a method of detecting a full waste toner,
The lid 101 of the waste toner collecting container is formed of a transparent member, and optical detection means 1 such as a light emitting / receiving element placed on both sides of the lid.
02, 103, both side walls 101b, 10b of the lid 101;
A method is known in which when the amount of waste toner increases due to transmission through 1c and the detection light from the detection element is blocked, the state is determined to be full.

[0004]

However, in the above method, due to limitations of the apparatus, if the distance between the opening 101a and the side walls 101b and 101c is not sufficient as in the case of the lid for the waste toner collecting container in FIG. When the toner drops, the side walls 101b and 101c may become dirty due to scattering, and erroneous detection may occur before being full.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above problems.

That is, the present invention relates to a toner collecting device applied to an image forming apparatus, wherein a toner conveying means for conveying the toner removed from the image carrier, and a toner container for receiving the toner conveyed by the toner conveying means. A light-transmissive member provided on a side wall of the toner storage container, a toner scattering control member having an opening provided on the inner side of the toner storage container with respect to the light-transmitting member, and A light emitting means provided on one outside, and a light receiving means provided on the other outside of the toner container so as to receive light emitted from the light emitting means and passing through the light transmitting member and the opening. And a toner collection device having:

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, an image carrier, cleaning means for removing toner from the image carrier, and removal from the image carrier by the cleaning means. A toner transporting unit that transports the transferred toner, a toner container that receives the toner transported by the toner transporting unit, a light-transmitting member provided on a side wall of the toner container, and a light-transmitting member. The toner scattering control member having an opening, provided inside the toner storage container, a light emitting unit provided outside one of the toner storage containers, and a light emitting unit that emits light from the light emitting unit, A light receiving unit provided outside the other side of the toner container so as to receive the light passing through the opening.

[0008]

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

The embodiment described below comprises a container main body for accommodating waste toner and a lid of the container having an opening at one end, and the waste toner on the image carrier, which has been cleaned by a cleaning device, is removed. A waste toner collection container that is discharged from a waste toner discharge port of the cleaning device and collected from the opening; and a detection unit that optically detects a waste toner amount from both sides of the collection container lid, In the container lid, at least the side wall of the optical path portion of the detection means is formed of a transparent member, and a scattering prevention plate having an opening in the optical path portion is provided between the opening of the recovery container lid and the side wall. And a waste toner collecting container used in the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Explaining with reference to the drawings, the waste toner on the image carrier (photosensitive drum) is once collected in the cleaning device by the cleaning unit 110 (FIG. 4), and then discharged from the discharge port 12 by the waste toner screw 11. . The waste toner T discharged from the discharge port 12 is transferred to the lid 2 of the waste toner collecting container 1.
And fall into the container 1 through the opening 2a.

On the other hand, a light emitting element 3 and a light receiving element 4 as optical detecting means are provided on both sides of the collection container lid 2 to detect the fullness of the waste toner in the waste toner collection container 1. Then, both side walls 2b, 2
c, when the amount of waste toner T becomes larger than the line L (detector optical path) in the figure, a signal notifying that the waste toner T is full is sent to the image forming apparatus main body M. ing. In the container lid 2, at least a portion through which the detection light L of the detection means is transmitted is formed of a transparent member.

The waste toner collecting container 1 has an opening 2a for collecting the waste toner T and side walls 2b and 2c of the container lid 2.
And the collection container is made smaller. Therefore, in this embodiment, the opening 2a and the side wall 2b,
2c and an opening 6 at a position corresponding to the optical path of the detection light.
A scattering prevention plates 5a and 5b having a and 6b are provided.
As a result, most of the scattered toner T 'is
Since it adheres to the side walls 2a and 2b, it is possible to prevent the scattering toner from adhering to the side walls 2a and 2b.

(Other Embodiments) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a second embodiment and a third embodiment of the present invention. In the following description of the present embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description is used.

The features of these embodiments are obtained by further improving the effects described in the first embodiment.

That is, in the second embodiment, the scattering prevention plate 51
a, 51b, the upstream side of the waste toner drop is narrowed, so that the waste toner falling from the cleaning means 110 (FIG. 4) can prevent the scattering toner plates 51a, 51b from having the optical path openings 61a, 51b.
It is prevented from falling on 61b.

In the third embodiment, the scattering prevention plate 52
By sequentially narrowing the downstream side of the waste toner drop of the waste toner a and 52b, the scattered toner from the waste toner accumulation unit T1 can be opened by the optical path openings 62a and 62b of the scatter prevention plates 52a and 52b.
The effect of preventing entry from the public has been further enhanced.

It is needless to say that the second and third embodiments can be implemented alone or in combination to achieve higher effects.

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

FIG. 4 schematically shows a configuration of an image forming apparatus M to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a photosensitive drum which rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow. Reference numeral 102 denotes a corona discharger that uniformly charges the photoconductor 101. Reference numeral 103 denotes an image exposure, which is a reflected light image of a document on a document table (not shown). A developing unit 105 develops the latent image formed on the photoconductor. In addition, conventional cascade,
Developing means such as liquid development is also applicable. A recording medium 106 is conveyed to the photosensitive drum 1 by a conveying unit 107. Reference numeral 108 denotes a transfer corona discharger,
A bias voltage for transferring one toner image to the recording medium 106 is applied. Recording medium 106 after transfer
The toner image on the recording medium is fixed by the fixing unit 109.

On the other hand, the residual developer is removed from the photosensitive member 101 by the cleaning means 110. The removed developer is conveyed in one direction of the cleaning unit 110 by a conveying screw 111 provided inside the cleaning unit 110, and then conveyed to the waste toner storage container 1 described in the above embodiment by the screw mechanism 111. You. In FIG. 4, the storage container 1 is schematically illustrated.

Next, a schematic functional block diagram of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a control unit for controlling the entire apparatus, for example, a CPU such as a microprocessor;
RO storing PU control program and various data
Used as a work area for M and CPU,
A RAM for temporarily storing various data is provided.

The control section 200 receives a signal from the light receiving element 4. Then, the control unit 200, for example, based on the information and the like, the exposure 103, the charging 10
2. Control each process step such as development 105, transfer 108, fixing 109, etc., and the recording paper conveyance 107, and control the display of toner full (flashing of lamp, sounding of buzzer, etc.).

According to each of the above-described embodiments, even if the distance between the opening of the container lid and the side wall cannot be sufficiently set due to the limitations of the apparatus, it is possible to prevent the scattering toner from adhering to the side wall. This makes it possible to detect the fullness of waste toner without erroneous detection.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the occurrence of erroneous detection can be reduced and the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an image forming apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a schematic functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a conventional waste toner collecting container and a method for detecting a full state of waste toner.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a conventional waste toner collecting container and a method for detecting a full state of waste toner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner collection container 2 Collection container lid 2a Opening 2b Side wall 2c Side wall 3 Light emitting element 4 Light receiving element 5a / 5b Anti-scattering plate 6a-6b Opening 51a / 51b Anti-scattering plate 61a / 61b Opening 52a / 52b Anti-scattering plate 62a / 62b Opening 110 Cleaning means

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A toner recovery device applied to an image forming apparatus, wherein: a toner transport unit that transports toner removed from an image carrier; a toner storage container that receives the toner transported by the toner transport unit; A light-transmissive member provided on a side wall of the toner storage container; a toner scattering control member having an opening provided inside the toner storage container relative to the light-transmitting member; A light-emitting means provided on the other side, and a light-receiving means provided on the other outside of the toner container so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting means and passing through the translucent member and the opening. Having a toner collecting device. 2. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising: an image carrier; cleaning means for removing toner from the image carrier; and conveying the toner removed from the image carrier by the cleaning means. A toner container that receives the toner transported by the toner transport unit; a light-transmitting member provided on a side wall of the toner container; A toner scattering control member having an opening provided on the inside, a light emitting means provided on one outside of the toner storage container, and light emitted from the light emitting means, passing through the light transmitting member and the opening. A light receiving unit provided outside the other side of the toner storage container so as to receive the light.