JP3420421B2 - Developer / toner supply / collection device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention supplies a developer / toner in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a laser printer, etc., particularly in an image forming apparatus for forming an image using a two-component developer, and The present invention relates to a device for collecting a developer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called two-component developer composed of charged carrier particles and charged toner particles adhering to the carrier particles in a triboelectrifying manner has been widely used as being suitable for obtaining a high quality copy image. . When development is performed using such a two-component developer, the toner component of the developer is consumed each time the development is repeated, the ratio to the carrier component decreases, and as a result, the density of the formed image decreases. Therefore, replenishment of fresh toner in an amount corresponding to the amount of consumption has been carried out, but there are various problems with carrier particles as well, and for example, when repeatedly used, the carrier particle surface is strengthened to enhance triboelectric charging characteristics. The applied coating is peeled off and deteriorates as a developer.

Therefore, the developing ability is maintained by replenishing the fresh toner and exchanging the carrier. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-107057 proposes a developing device in which a hopper for introducing a developer is disposed above a developing device and a detachable recovery container is attached below the developing device. This requires the operations of supplying the developer and recovering the developer in addition to the toner replenishment. Further, a space for accommodating the container for collecting the developer is required, and the size of the entire apparatus becomes large. Further, the developer may be scattered into the apparatus through the gap between the developing device and the recovery container, which makes the work complicated. In order to simplify the developer replacement work without causing such an increase in running cost, an increase in size of the apparatus, and contamination of the inside of the apparatus, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-29880, a developer is provided in a developing device. A developing device has been proposed which includes a supply cartridge for supply and a recovery unit for recovering the developer in the developing device in the supply cartridge. In this apparatus, the developer supply member and the recovery member are the same, but the toner replenishing member is different, and the developer supply port and the recovery port for the developing device are separately configured. In addition, JP-A-4
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 118675, a development is performed in which a mixture of toner and carrier is supplied from a cartridge loaded in a developing device to a developer accommodating portion of the developing device, and a waste developer is collected in a collecting chamber in the developer accommodating portion. A drug exchange method is disclosed. In this method, an integrated supply container for the developer and the toner is used, but a developer recovery container is separately provided, which requires a large space and the size of the apparatus becomes large.

[0004]

Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a replenishment cartridge for the developer and toner, which is space-friendly and has a simple structure for supplying and driving. This replenishment cartridge is composed of two containers that respectively store toner and two-component developer, and a cylindrical container that is concentric with the container is fitted and integrated in the central space of the container having an annular portion. Is a cartridge in which a concentric opening is provided and a convex spiral portion is attached to the inner wall of each container while being inclined in a predetermined direction. After supplying the developer / toner from this cartridge,
By collecting the deteriorated developer in the developer or toner container, it is possible to serve also as the collecting container.

However, in the toner / developer supply and developer recovery device using this integrated replenishment cartridge, the supply path and the recovery path are formed separately from each other and have a complicated structure. .

Therefore, the present invention is provided with an integrated container which forms a space for collecting the developer while supplying the developer and the toner, respectively, and further, while suppressing the possibility of scattering of the developer, it is simple. An object of the present invention is to provide a supply / recovery device capable of supplying / recovering a developer / toner with various configurations.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a developer / toner supply / collection device for accommodating a developer and a toner in different storage parts, and at least one of the storage parts has a circumferential inner wall. And the developing container ejected from each opening formed on the end face on the same side of each storage unit by placing the integrated container horizontally and rotating it about the axis line. The solution is achieved by a single transport section for transporting the agent / toner to the developing device and for transporting the developer from the developing device to the integrated container. It is more effective if the conveying member provided in the conveying unit is a single rotating member capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions and is configured to perform supply / collection by switching the rotation of the rotating member.

Further, it is preferable that the receiving member on which the integrated container is mounted is formed integrally with the carrying section. Furthermore, it is preferable that the driving of the transport unit is stopped when neither toner supply, developer supply nor developer recovery is performed.

[0009]

The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a conceptual view from the front of a developing device in which the supply / collection device according to the present invention is mounted, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view thereof. In both figures, the developing device 1 is a two-component developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor (not shown),
The developer agitated and conveyed by the two agitating screws 4 and 5 is supplied to the developing roller 2 by the paddle 3 to visualize the electrostatic latent image.

Toner is supplied to the developing device, the developer is supplied, and the developer is collected. The integral-type bottle 6 used for performing these is obtained by fitting a cylindrical container 8 for storing toner, which is concentric with the container, into a central space of a container 7 for storing developer having an annular portion. Then, a spiral convex portion is formed on the inner wall of the toner storage container 8, and a conveying force can be applied to the stored toner by rotation by a driving device (not shown). Each time the toner concentration in the developing device 1 is lowered and a toner replenishment signal is issued, the bottle is rotated by the drive device (not shown), and the conveying force of the spiral convex portion accompanying the rotation causes the bottle to rotate in the toner storage container 8. Toner is
It is discharged to the transporting section 10 through the receiving section 9 attached so as to cover the end of the bottle, and is sent to the developing device 1 by the rotation of the supply screw 11. The transport unit 10 and the developing device 1 are connected to each other through a single opening. Although not shown in the drawing, a rake wall having a shape matching the flow of toner by the spiral portion is formed in the stepped region of the toner storage container 8 so that the toner to be sent can be smoothly moved to the opening. Preferred for. On the other hand, the developer in the developer accommodating container 7 is rotated by the bottle 6 so that
The sheet is discharged to the transport unit 10 and sent to the developing device 1 by the supply screw 11. As can be seen in FIG. 1, since the lower area of the developer accommodating container 7 is closed by the receiving portion, it is necessary to form a shape for lifting the developer in the container in the container. Although not shown, for example, a plurality of ribs are provided on the inner peripheral wall, or the inside of the container is divided into a honeycomb shape, so that the developer can be lifted. In addition to the screw, a rotating member such as a paddle or a coil can be used as the conveying means.

By repeating the toner supply, all the toner in the toner container 8 is discharged, and the deteriorated developer is collected in the empty toner container 8 after the discharge is completed. In the recovery stage, the recovery screw 12 of the transport unit 10 rotates to extract the developer circulating in the developing device 1 and guide it to the toner storage container 8.

When the toner is not supplied to the developing device 1, the developer is not supplied, and the developer is not recovered, the supply screw 11 and the recovery screw 12 of the transport unit 10 are stopped rotating. By this stop, the developer agitated and conveyed in the developing device by the conveying screws 4 and 5 is
The transport circulation in the developing device is repeated without entering 0.

When the supply of the developer, the replenishment of the toner, and the recovery of the developer are completed, for example, a developer recovery completion signal is issued, which is displayed on the operation panel, and the integrated bottle 6 is replaced by the user or a service person. .

FIG. 3 shows a delivery and transport section 25 in which the casing of the transport section 10 and the receiving section 9 are integrated. Conventionally,
The mechanism for supplying the developer and toner to the developing unit is made up of many members, but if many parts are assembled, the toner and developer leak from the gap created by a slight misalignment and Scattered inside the forming device, and the inside of the device was soiled. Integrated delivery / conveyance unit 25 shown in FIG.
4, by connecting the developing device 1 and the integrated bottle 6 as shown in FIG. 4, not only the number of assembly parts is reduced and the assembly of the apparatus is simplified, but also the scattering of the developer and toner is prevented. It will be possible.

FIG. 5 corresponds to FIG. 2 and shows a supply / collection device having another structure. The developing roller 2, the paddle 3, the conveying screws 4, 5 arranged in the developing device 1 and the developer storage container 7 having an annular portion which is the basic configuration of the integral bottle 6, and the stepped cylindrical container for storing toner. Container 8 and container 8
The spiral convex portion formed on the inner wall of is the same as that of the first example, and the same reference numerals are given to the respective members. However, only a supply / recovery screw 21 capable of rotating in the normal and reverse directions is provided in the transport unit 20 for supplying toner from the integrated bottle 6 to the developing device 1, supplying developer, and collecting developer to the integrated bottle 6. There is. At the time of supplying the developer and replenishing the toner, the screw 21 rotates so as to generate a conveying force in the arrow pointing left in FIG. 5, but when the developer is collected in the integrated bottle 6, the screw 21 is rotated. By reversing, a conveying force along the rightward arrow is generated to convey the deteriorated developer from the developing device 1 to the integrated bottle 6. When the supply of the developer, the replenishment of the toner and the recovery of the developer are completed, the integrated bottle 6 is replaced by the user or a service person, as in the above example.

6 to 8 exemplify a structure of the integral type bottle different from the above. FIG. 6 shows a developer storage container 7 '.
The toner container 8'and the toner container 8'are each formed in a semi-cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical bottle formed by assembling the respective containers with each other is shown. A spiral protrusion is formed on the inner circumferential wall of each container, and further, as described with reference to FIG. 1,
A rake wall having a shape matching the flow of the contents by the spiral portion is also formed in the step region, but the illustration is omitted for simplification of the drawing. Further, FIG. 7 shows a bottle configured such that it does not open over the entire end surface of the developer accommodating container 7 ″ but has only a part of the opening 30. Inside the developer accommodating container 7 ″, a shape for lifting the developer, for example, a plurality of ribs is provided, like the container 7 in FIG. Although the internal structure of the toner storage container 8 ″ is not shown, it is the same as the container 8 of FIG. 1, and has a spiral convex portion and a rake wall. In the bottle of FIG. 8, the opening of the toner storage container 8 ′ ″ is located inside the developer storage container 7 ′ ″. With such a configuration, the discharged toner once drops into the developer storage container 7 ′ ″ and is then sent to the transport section, so that the toner scattering is further suppressed.

[0017]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the developer and the toner are accommodated in different accommodating portions, respectively, and at least one accommodating portion has a circumferential inner wall formed with a spiral convex portion. By horizontally placing the integrated container and rotating it about the axis, the developer / toner discharged from each opening formed on the end face on the same side of each storage unit is conveyed to the developing device and is also developed. Since it is composed of a single transport unit that transports the developer from the container to the integrated container, the structure is simplified while realizing space saving, and the developer supply path and the recovery path are the same. By forming the members with a common route, dropping and lifting of the developer can be suppressed, and scattering of the developer can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the carrying member provided in the carrying section is a single rotating member capable of rotating in the normal and reverse directions, and the supply and the recovery are performed by switching the rotation of the rotating member. Since it is configured, the control of the supply operation and the recovery operation becomes clear, and the number of components can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the receiving member to which the integrated container is mounted is formed integrally with the transport section, toner scattering between the receiving section and the transport section is prevented. It is possible, the number of parts can be reduced, and the assembly is easy.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the driving of the conveying unit is stopped when neither the toner supply, the developer supply, nor the developer recovery is performed. It becomes unnecessary to dispose a shutter or the like at the connecting portion with the portion, and the configuration is simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front end view of a developing device including a developer / toner supply / collection device according to the present invention.

2 is a plan end view corresponding to FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a shape of a delivery and transport unit in which a casing and a receiving unit of the transport unit are integrated.

FIG. 4 is a front end view showing a state of a developing unit and a cartridge, which are connected by the transfer / conveyance unit of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front end view showing a developer / toner supply / collection device according to another configuration.

6A and 6B are views showing another configuration of the integrated bottle, wherein FIG. 6A is a perspective view and FIG. 6B is a partial sectional view.

7A and 7B are views showing still another integral type bottle, in which FIG. 7A is a perspective view and FIG. 7B is a partial sectional view.

FIG. 8 is a view showing still another integral-type bottle, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a partial sectional view.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 developer 2 developing roller 3 paddles 6 integrated bottles 9 Receiver 10 Transport section

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-118675 (JP, A) JP-A-6-19307 (JP, A) Actually open 4-85454 (JP, U) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/08 112 G03G 15/08 507

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An integrated container in which a developer and a toner are accommodated in different accommodating portions, and a spiral convex portion is formed on a circumferential inner wall of at least one accommodating portion, and the integral container is placed horizontally and an axis line is provided. By rotating around, the developer / toner discharged from each opening formed on the end surface on the same side of each storage portion is conveyed to the developing device, and the developer is also conveyed from the developing device to the integrated container. A developer / toner supply / collection device consisting of a single transport section. 2. The transport member provided in the transport unit is a single rotating member capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions, and supply and recovery are performed by switching the rotation of the rotating member.
The supply / recovery device described in. 3. The supply / recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving member to which the integrated container is mounted is formed integrally with the transport unit. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the driving of the transport unit is stopped when neither toner supply, developer supply nor developer recovery is performed. Supply / collection device.