JP3581570B2 - Waste toner treatment device in image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waste toner processing device in an image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a large-sized image forming apparatus, original information is formed as a toner image on a photosensitive drum, and this toner image is transferred to a transfer material.Toner remaining on the photosensitive drum without being transferred to the transfer material is collected. And stored in the waste toner box.
[0003]
Incidentally, the waste toner box is not disposed near the photosensitive drum, but is disposed in a cover at the lower rear portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus, which has a relatively large space, and the waste toner is discharged by a dedicated waste toner pipe or the like. Often transported to boxes. Therefore, the state of accumulation of the waste toner and the like is checked by a serviceman at the time of maintenance or the like, and the waste toner box is replaced if necessary.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, in the case of a large-sized image forming apparatus, a dedicated operator or the like often uses it, and since there are many copy volumes and the like, it is desired that the waste toner can be easily checked.
[0005]
However, in a conventional image forming apparatus, since a waste toner box is disposed on the back of the image forming apparatus main body, it is difficult to check the waste toner including work, and in a medium-sized / small image forming apparatus, Even if the waste toner box is disposed inside the front door or has a member for closing the waste toner discharge port, there is a problem that it is difficult to reliably set the waste toner box because it is troublesome to attach and detach the waste toner box.
[0006]
In a large-sized image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, waste toner is conveyed to a waste toner box 116 provided on the rear surface of the apparatus main body by a conveying screw 151 provided in a waste toner pipe 114 and discharged. However, since a waste toner box 116 is provided on the back of the apparatus main body and maintenance is performed by a service person, a mechanism for actively preventing the waste toner transported by the transport screw 151 from leaking to the outside is not provided. There was also a problem.
[0007]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object a waste toner processing in an image forming apparatus that can easily check and replace a waste toner box without causing contamination due to toner leakage. It is to provide a device.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a waste toner pipe for transporting untransferred waste toner removed from an image carrier, a waste toner box for storing waste toner transported by the waste toner pipe, and a waste toner box. An image forming apparatus comprising: a shutter for opening and closing a waste toner discharge port to a waste toner box provided on an end side of a toner pipe ; In the waste toner processing unit of the device, the waste toner box moves in the direction away from the waste toner pipe by moving the shutter in the closing direction due to the operation of disconnecting the waste toner box from the waste toner pipe to remove the waste toner box. characterized by being configured to.
[0011]
Therefore, according to the present invention, in order to remove the waste toner box, the shutter is moved in the closing direction due to the operation of releasing the connection state between the waste toner box and the waste toner pipe, so that the waste toner box moves away from the waste toner pipe. The shutter is closed in conjunction with the removal operation of the waste toner box, and the waste toner box is moved away from the waste toner pipe by moving the shutter in the closing direction. The check and replacement of the waste toner can be easily performed without inducing.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus provided with a waste toner processing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a platen glass on which a document 101 is placed; It is an optical unit for projecting upward.
[0014]
Around the photosensitive drum 103, a developing device 104 for visualizing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 103 as a toner image, transfers the toner image to a transfer material and electrostatically attracts the photosensitive drum 103. transfer and separation charger 105 having a separating portion for peeling the transfer material, extinguish the residual latent image on the cleaning device 106, a photosensitive drum 103 for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 103 without being transferred to the transfer material pre-exposure charger 107 for, such as a blank unit for regulating the electrostatic latent image region is arranged.
[0015]
Further, reference numeral 108 denotes a transport device for transporting a transfer material to which the toner image has been transferred from the photosensitive drum 103 to the fixing device 109. Reference numeral 110 denotes a reversing paper discharging device. Paper feeder for discharging the transfer material discharged from the printer to a paper output tray 111 outside the apparatus by a paper discharge roller 112, or re-feeding the transfer material of the photosensitive drum 103 when making double-sided or multiple copies It is controlled whether the transfer material is conveyed to 113.
[0016]
Reference numeral 114 denotes a paper feed cassette for loading and stocking the transfer material, 115 denotes a waste toner pipe for transporting waste toner discharged from the cleaning device 106, and 116 denotes transport by the waste toner pipe 115. This is a waste toner box for storing the used waste toner.
[0017]
Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus having the above configuration will be described.
[0018]
When the user presses a copy start button (not shown), the transfer material is fed one by one from the paper feed cassette 114 to the registration roller 119 via the vertical path transport unit 118 by the paper feed device 117.
[0019]
Next, the optical unit 102 starts scanning to project the information of the document 101 onto the photosensitive drum 103, and the registration roller 119 starts to convey the transfer material in synchronization with the scanning.
[0020]
On the other hand, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to information on the document 101 is formed on the photosensitive drum 103, and the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 104 and visualized as a toner image. Then, the toner image is transferred to a transfer material by the transfer / separation charger 105, and the transfer material having received the transfer of the toner image is separated from the photosensitive drum 103 and is conveyed to the fixing device 109 by the conveyance device 108. After the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 109, in the case of one-sided copying, the image is conveyed to the paper discharge roller 112 by the reverse paper discharge device 110 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 111 outside the machine. .
[0021]
In the case of double-sided or multiple copying, the transfer material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 109 is sent to the re-feeding device 113 by the reversing sheet discharging device 110, and is again conveyed to the photosensitive drum 103 by the toner. The image is transferred, and is discharged to a discharge tray 111 outside the apparatus via a conveyance device 108, a fixing device 109, a reverse discharge device 110, and a discharge roller 112.
[0022]
The waste toner on the photosensitive drum 103 removed by the cleaning device 106 in the series of operations described above is conveyed by the waste toner pipe 115 and collected and stored in the waste toner box 116.
[0023]
Here, the positional relationship among the photosensitive drum 103, the developing device 104, the cleaning device 106, the waste toner pipe 115, and the waste toner box 116 is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus as viewed obliquely from the rear side.
[0024]
FIG. 3 shows the details of the configuration of the end portion of the waste toner pipe 115 (the side connected to the waste toner box 116 and discharging the waste toner into the waste toner box 116). A conveying screw for conveying the waste toner in the waste toner pipe 115. The waste toner conveyed by the waste toner screw 1 weighs itself in an arrow A direction from an opening 115-1 formed in the waste toner pipe 115. It falls and is discharged into the waste toner box 116.
[0025]
Reference numeral 2 denotes a shutter member for closing the opening 115-1, which is constantly urged by a spring 3 in the direction of arrow B (the direction for closing the opening 115-1).
[0026]
Reference numeral 5 denotes a stopper member for restricting the movement of the shutter member 2 in the direction of arrow B, and a key portion 5-1 is formed at an end thereof. Reference numeral 7 denotes a fixed member, which is rotatably held about the shaft 6 and is urged by an elastic member 8 in the direction of arrow C.
[0027]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the waste toner pipe 115 and the waste toner box 116 are set. The waste toner box 116 is fitted to the set sheet metal 10 and the positioning sheet metal 11 arranged inside the image forming apparatus main body. Is set at a predetermined position. That is, a concave portion 116-2 is formed on both side surfaces of the waste toner box 116 in the length direction, and a convex portion 116-1 is formed on an upper portion thereof. Further, a convex portion 10-1 is formed at an opposite position of the set sheet metal 10. Therefore, the waste toner box 116 is set at a predetermined position by fitting the convex portion 116-1 and the concave portion 116-2 of the waste toner box 116 to the positioning plate 111 and the convex portion 10-1 of the set plate 10, respectively. However, at this time, the tip of the waste toner pipe 115 is smoothly guided to the circular hole 116-3 opened to the waste toner box 116.
[0028]
Here, the operation when the tip of the waste toner pipe 115 is set or reset in the waste toner box 116 will be described with reference to the partial sectional views of FIGS.
[0029]
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the waste toner box 116 is set in the direction of arrow BB. At this time, the lever 9 rotatably supported by a shaft 116-4 formed on a part of the waste toner box 116 is moved. As shown in FIG. 6, while moving the fixing member 7 in the direction of arrow CC against the urging force of the elastic member 8, and rotating in the direction of arrow C about the axis 116-4, in the direction of arrow BB. Move.
[0030]
FIG. 7 shows a state where the waste toner box 116 is set at the tip of the waste toner pipe 115. At this time, the key portion 9-1 formed at the end of the lever 9 and the key portion 5-1 provided at the end of the stopper member 5 engage with each other in the direction of arrow B of the waste toner box 116. Is prevented from moving.
[0031]
Further, when the waste toner box 116 is set in the direction of the arrow BB, the flange portion 2-1 of the shutter member 2 provided in the waste toner pipe 115 is formed around the circular hole 116-3 of the waste toner box 116. Abuts on the flange portion 116-5 formed in the direction shown in FIG. Then, the opening 115-1 of the waste toner pipe 115 is exposed, and the waste toner conveyed by the waste toner conveying screw 1 is discharged from the opening 115-1 into the waste toner box 116 and accumulated.
[0032]
The procedure and operation for resetting the waste toner box 116 in the direction of arrow B are the reverse of the above, and the connection between the lever 9 and the stopper member 5 can be easily performed by the user rotating the lever 9 in the direction of arrow CC. And the waste toner box 116 can be reset. At this time, the shutter member 2 is closed by the urging force of the spring 3, and the waste toner box 116 moves in the reset direction by the moving force of the shutter member 2 in the closing direction.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in order to remove the waste toner box, the shutter is moved in the closing direction due to the operation of disconnecting the waste toner pipe from the waste toner pipe. Since the shutter is configured to move away from the waste toner pipe, the shutter closes in conjunction with the removal operation of the waste toner box, and the shutter moves in the closing direction to move the waste toner box away from the waste toner pipe. Therefore, the effect that the check and replacement of the waste toner can be easily performed without causing the contamination due to the toner leakage can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus including a waste toner processing device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus provided with the waste toner processing device according to the present invention as viewed obliquely from the back side.
FIG. 3 is a cutaway side view showing a configuration of a tip portion of the waste toner pipe.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a waste toner pipe and a waste toner box are set.
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing an operation when the tip of the waste toner pipe is set or reset in a waste toner box.
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation when the tip of the waste toner pipe is set or reset in the waste toner box.
FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing an operation when the tip of the waste toner pipe is set or reset in the waste toner box.
FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional waste toner processing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Waste toner screw 2 Shutter member 3 Spring 5 Stopper member 5-1 Key part (connecting member)
9 Lever 103 Photosensitive drum (image carrier)
115 Waste toner pipe 115-1 Key (connecting member)
116 Waste Toner Box

Claims (1)

A waste toner pipe for transporting untransferred waste toner removed from the image carrier, a waste toner box for storing waste toner transported by the waste toner pipe, and a waste toner pipe provided at an end of the waste toner pipe; A shutter for opening and closing a waste toner discharge port to a toner box, and a mechanism for interlocking a detachable operation of the waste toner box with respect to the image forming apparatus and an opening / closing operation of the shutter ;
It is characterized in that the waste toner box is moved in a direction away from the waste toner pipe by moving the shutter in the closing direction in accordance with an operation for releasing the connection state between the waste toner box and the waste toner pipe to remove the waste toner box. Waste toner treatment device for an image forming apparatus.

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