JP3554662B2 - Toner supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser printer, and a facsimile, and is a new proposal for replenishing toner from a toner container to a toner hopper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The conventional toner near-end determination method using only the toner end sensor integrates the number of times that the toner detection sensor in the hopper detects “no toner”, and when the total reaches a predetermined number of times, the toner becomes near-end. It is determined that it has become. However, if "toner presence" is detected several times consecutively, the integrated number is cleared.
[0003]
For example, the presence / absence of toner is detected every time one copy is made, and the toner near end is determined when the toner absence reaches a total of 150 times. However, if the presence of toner is detected twice consecutively in the middle, the accumulated number of toner absence is cleared. After the toner near end is detected, the machine is stopped as a toner end when 50 sheets are copied so that the toner density is not excessively reduced in order to prevent a trouble of the image forming system when the toner near end is used.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described determination method, the state after the toner amount in the hopper has become equal to or less than a certain level is determined, and if the toner amount has not recovered, it is determined that the end is near-end. Therefore, a certain amount of time (and therefore a certain number of copies) is required for “between a certain level or less and the time of near end determination”, and the image to be copied before the determination is made The remaining toner amount in the hopper at the time of the near end determination greatly differs depending on the area ratio. Also, when an error occurs in which “toner present” is detected twice consecutively (due to a lump of toner formed in the toner container) when the total number of toner exhausted approaches 150, There is a danger that the toner may run out, even though it must be set to "near end" soon.
[0005]
Therefore, when the toner container (toner bottle, toner cartridge) is empty and the toner hopper is in a state where the toner is still enough, it is notified that the toner container is empty. If it is prepared, the toner container can be replaced, and even if it is not at hand, the preparation of a new toner container can be prompted. As a result, the time from when the toner container is emptied to when the toner is exhausted (the toner in the hopper runs out) can be effectively used, and a situation in which printing cannot be performed due to lack of toner hardly occurs.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to propose a toner replenishing apparatus that can replace a toner container or prepare for a new toner container well before the toner end in the hopper.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, there is provided a toner container which is disposed so as to be replaceable in a horizontal and horizontal direction and discharges toner from an end face by a rotation operation, a toner hopper which receives toner supply from the container, and a toner hopper which is disposed in the toner hopper. A toner detection sensor, wherein the toner supply sensor supplies toner from the toner container to the toner hopper based on the detection result of the toner detection sensor. In the case where the ratio becomes constant from a state in which the toner is detected out of the toner container, the problem is solved by determining that there is no toner in the toner container.
[0008]
A toner container that is horizontally and horizontally exchangeable and discharges toner from an end face by a rotation operation, a toner hopper that receives toner supply from the container, and a toner detection sensor that is disposed in the toner hopper; In a toner replenishing device configured to replenish toner from a toner container to a toner hopper based on a detection result of a sensor, the number of times the toner detection sensor detects the number of times of execution of a predetermined image formation, and the number of toners transferred from the toner container to the toner hopper. The above problem can also be solved by certifying that there is no toner in the toner container when the ratio becomes constant from a state of change based on the ratio of the number of replenishment operations.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The details of the present invention will be described based on the example shown in the drawings. 1 and 2 schematically show a schematic configuration of a main part of a toner supply device according to the present invention.
[0010]
The toner replenishing device disposed adjacent to the developing device, only a part of which is shown, includes a toner container 1, a toner hopper 2, and a toner detection sensor 3 exposed in the toner hopper. . Then, based on the detection result of the toner detection sensor 3, toner is supplied from the toner container 1 to the toner hopper 2 attached to the developing device. The toner detection sensor 3 sends the toner presence / absence data to the MPU, and displays "Toner container empty", "Toner near end", "Toner end", "Replace toner bottle", etc., as necessary. Is made.
[0011]
In this embodiment, the presence / absence of toner is detected each time one sheet is copied, and when the toner detection sensor 3 detects “no toner” twice in succession, the toner container rotation motor 4 is rotated for 1.1 seconds. Then, the toner supply operation was performed once. A4: The copy operation is continued at an image area ratio of 6% in the horizontal direction, and the number of toner presence / absence detections, that is, the ratio (B / A) of the number (B) of the number of copies detected (No toner) to the number of copies (A) is I checked what it would look like. As a result, the frequency of detecting "no toner" increased as the amount of toner in the toner container decreased. At this time, a piezoelectric toner detection sensor is used as the toner detection sensor, and cleaning is performed with a mylar (Du Pont) film attached to the agitator. For this reason, when sampling is performed while the Mylar film is in contact, it is detected that “toner is present”, so that B / A hardly becomes 1.
[0012]
FIG. 3 shows a change in the frequency (B / A) of detecting "no toner" over time (solid line in the figure). The value of B / A increased as the amount of residual toner in the toner container (dotted line) decreased, and B / A became substantially constant after the toner container became empty (about 2 g of dead toner). In this embodiment, when B / A ≧ 0.78, the toner container was empty. In the present embodiment, the above-described condition setting is performed. However, since the characteristics change depending on the size of the machine, the CPM, and the like, and the appropriate setting condition changes, it is naturally possible to set the condition under other conditions. It is.
[0013]
When the amount of toner in the toner container is large, a large amount of toner is replenished into the hopper by one replenishing operation, but when the amount of toner in the toner container becomes small, it is replenished by one replenishing operation. The toner amount gradually decreases, and when the toner runs out, the toner is not replenished. Therefore, when the amount of toner in the toner container decreases when the toner consumption amount is substantially constant, it is determined that “toner is present” is not achieved in one toner supply, or “toner is absent” is detected after “toner is present”. The number of copies required before copying is reduced. When the toner in the toner container runs out and is not replenished, then B / A becomes substantially constant.
[0014]
In this manner, as the amount of toner in the toner container decreases, the amount of toner to be replenished in one replenishing operation decreases. For example, it is possible to detect that the toner container has been emptied when the toner is sufficiently left in the toner hopper, and to prompt the user to "replace the toner container / prepare a new toner container" long before the toner ends. be able to.
[0015]
Further, the same toner replenishing operation is performed by the toner replenishing device having the same configuration as in the above example, and the number of toner presence / absence detections, that is, the ratio of the number of toner replenishment operations (S) to the number of copies (A) (S / A) I also checked what would happen. As a result, as the amount of toner in the toner container decreases, the frequency of toner supply operation to the toner hopper increases.
[0016]
FIG. 4 shows the change in the frequency of the toner supply operation to the toner hopper over time (solid line in the figure). As the amount of residual toner in the toner container decreases, the value of S / A increases (as compared with the solid line and the dotted line), and after becoming empty (about 2 g of dead toner), S / A becomes almost constant. Since the time for rotating the toner container rotation motor is longer than the time for taking one copy, the S / A is approximately 0.4 at the maximum in the case of A4 width. Regarding this check, since the characteristics change depending on the size of the machine, the CPM, and the like, and the appropriate setting conditions change, it is naturally possible to set under different conditions.
[0017]
As described above, as the amount of toner in the toner container decreases, the amount of toner to be replenished in one replenishing operation decreases. Then, the toner container can be detected as empty when the toner is sufficiently left in the toner hopper, and the user can perform "Replace toner container / prepare new toner container" long before the toner end. Can be encouraged.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is determined that there is no toner in the toner container separate from the hopper based on the change over time of the detection result of the toner detection sensor disposed in the toner hopper. Without this, it is possible to notify "Replace toner container / prepare new toner container" long before the toner end in the toner hopper, that is, in the developing device, thereby avoiding printing defects due to insufficient toner. Can be surely done.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a main configuration of a toner supply device according to the present invention, excluding a toner container.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a main configuration at another angle corresponding to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing a change in the frequency of detecting “no toner” in the toner hopper over time.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a change in the frequency of toner supply operation to the toner hopper over time.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toner container 2 Toner hopper 3 Toner detection sensor 4 Motor

Claims (2)

A toner container that is disposed so as to be replaceable horizontally and horizontally and that discharges toner from an end face by a rotation operation, a toner hopper that receives toner supply from the container, and a toner detection sensor that is disposed in the toner hopper; In a toner replenishing device configured to replenish toner from a toner container to a toner hopper based on a detection result of a sensor,
Based on the ratio of the number of times the toner detection sensor detects the absence of toner in the number of times of execution of the predetermined image formation, when the ratio changes to a constant state, it is determined that there is no toner in the toner container. Characteristic toner supply device. A toner container that is disposed so as to be replaceable horizontally and horizontally and that discharges toner from an end face by a rotation operation, a toner hopper that receives toner supply from the container, and a toner detection sensor that is disposed in the toner hopper; In a toner replenishing device configured to replenish toner from a toner container to a toner hopper based on a detection result of a sensor,
Based on the ratio between the number of times the toner detection sensor detects the number of times of execution of the predetermined image formation and the number of toner replenishment operations from the toner container to the toner hopper, if the ratio changes to a constant state, the toner container A toner replenishing device, which is configured to recognize no toner.

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