JP3979444B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the collection of waste toner which is used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine and becomes unnecessary.

  Conventionally, an image carrier (for example, a photosensitive drum) that forms and supports an electrostatic latent image, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner, and a recording medium (for example, paper) are exposed to light. There is known an image forming apparatus including a transfer device that transfers a toner image on a body drum. In such an image forming apparatus, since toner remains on the photoreceptor drum after transfer, the next toner image is formed after the residual toner is cleaned and removed by a cleaner. The residual toner (waste toner) collected by the cleaner is transported by a transport auger and then dropped and stored in a recovery container (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-5-297773 (page 3)

In recent years, full-color image forming apparatuses capable of forming full-color images in addition to monochrome images have become widespread. In such a full-color image forming apparatus, the amount of waste toner discharged varies greatly depending on the usage status of the user. The amount of waste toner increases and decreases depending on whether the image to be formed is a monochrome image or a full color image, the ratio of the image to the paper (image density) is high or low, whether the number of prints is large or small, and the like. Here, considering the case of printing the same number of sheets, for example, in a general office, there are many users who mainly print monochrome character images, and the image density of the formed images is relatively low. In this case, the amount of waste toner does not increase so much. In addition, in design studios and the like, there are many users who mainly print full-color pop images and photographic images, and the image density of the formed images is relatively high. In this case, the amount of waste toner is greater than in the office. However, in any case, if the amount of printing is large, the amount of waste toner increases in accordance with the amount of printing.
Recently, this type of image forming apparatus is sometimes used for light printing. In light printing, a large amount of images including a full-color image are often printed, and in this case, the amount of waste toner is extremely large.

For this reason, the user who prints a large amount of full-color images fills up the collection container in a short time, and the exchange frequency of the collection container increases. Since image formation cannot be performed during replacement of the collection container, image formation efficiency decreases if the collection container is frequently replaced. Moreover, the cost concerning the collection | recovery container to replace | exchange will also become high. As described above, an unfavorable situation has occurred particularly for a user who intends to perform light printing.
In order to solve such a situation, it is conceivable to increase the storage capacity of the recovery container that is equipped as standard. However, a collection container that has been conventionally used is sufficient for a large number of general users, and increasing the collection capacity of the collection container for some users may increase the size of the apparatus. become.
Such a problem is not limited to a full-color image forming apparatus, and can occur in a monochrome image forming apparatus for monochrome images as well.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to collect waste toner according to the use state of the user while maintaining high versatility. It is in.

  That is, an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied includes a plurality of image forming units that are different for each color, arranged in parallel, and a main body that forms a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium, A first recovery container provided along the image forming unit and temporarily recovering waste toner discharged from the plurality of image forming units; and a first recovery container provided outside one side of the apparatus main body. And a second collection container for finally collecting the waste toner collected, and an opening / closing member provided on the other side of the apparatus main body for opening and closing the side surface of the apparatus main body.

  In such an image forming apparatus, the opening / closing member may be characterized in that the recording medium conveyance path is exposed by an opening operation. Further, in the case of further including a storage member that stores the second collection container and a post-processing mechanism that performs a predetermined post-processing on the recording medium ejected from the main body, the post-processing mechanism is attached to an upper portion of the storage member. Can be characterized. Further, the post-processing mechanism can be slidably attached to the storage member.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to collect waste toner according to the use state of the user while maintaining high versatility.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
—Embodiment 1—
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a printer main body 1 and a base 2 on which the printer main body 1 is mounted. The printer main body 1 includes waste toner and waste developer discharged from the printer main body 1. A recovery device 100 as an accommodating means for recovering waste powder such as is externally attached. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the front door 1a of the printer main body 1 is opened.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the printer main body 1. The printer main body 1 is connected to and received by an image process system 10 that forms an image corresponding to gradation data of each color and a sheet conveyance system 40 that conveys recording paper (sheets), such as a personal computer or an image reading device. An IPS (Image Processing System) 50, which is an image processing system for performing predetermined image processing on the obtained image data, is provided.

  The image processing system 10 includes four image forming units 11Y, 11M, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) that are arranged in parallel at regular intervals in the horizontal direction. 11C, 11K, a transfer unit (intermediate transfer mechanism) 20 for transferring the color toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of these image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K onto the intermediate transfer belt 21, and an image forming unit. ROS (Raster Output System) 30 which is an optical system unit for irradiating laser beams to 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is provided. The transfer unit 20 and the intermediate transfer belt 21 constitute an intermediate transfer unit. Further, the printer main body 1 includes a fixing device 29 that fixes the toner image on the recording paper secondarily transferred by the transfer unit 20 to the recording paper using heat and pressure. Further, toner cartridges 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K for supplying toner of each color to the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are provided above the transfer unit 20.

  The transfer unit 20 includes a drive roll 22 that drives an intermediate transfer belt 21 that is an intermediate transfer member, a tension roll 23 that applies a constant tension to the intermediate transfer belt 21, and a secondary transfer of the superimposed toner images of each color onto a recording sheet. For this purpose, a backup roll 24 and a belt cleaner 25 for removing residual toner and the like existing on the intermediate transfer belt 21 are provided. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is stretched between the drive roll 22, the tension roll 23, and the backup roll 24 with a constant tension, and is rotated by a dedicated motor (not shown) excellent in constant speed. The drive roll 22 is circulated at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow. As the intermediate transfer belt 21, for example, a belt whose resistance is adjusted with a belt material (rubber or resin) that does not cause charge-up is used. The belt cleaner 25 includes a cleaning brush 25a and a cleaning blade 25b disposed in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21. Residual toner and paper dust are transferred from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 after the secondary transfer process of the toner image is completed. , Talc and the like are removed to prepare for the next image forming process. Under the belt cleaner 25, residual toner (waste toner), paper powder, and the like removed by the cleaning brush 25 a and the cleaning blade 25 b are placed on the belt cleaner 25 along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. An auger 25c that conveys to the outside is provided.

  The ROS 30 includes a polygon mirror 31 that deflects and scans laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) emitted from the laser diode, in addition to a laser diode and a modulator (not shown). In the example shown in FIG. 2, since the ROS 30 is provided below the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, there is a risk of contamination due to dropping of toner or the like. Therefore, the ROS 30 is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped frame 32 for sealing each constituent member, and a glass window 33 through which laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) passes. Is provided above the frame 32 to enhance the shielding effect together with the scanning exposure.

  The sheet conveying system 40 includes a sheet feeding device 41 that stacks and supplies recording sheets on which images are recorded, a nudger roll 42 that picks up and supplies recording sheets from the sheet feeding device 41, and a recording that is supplied from the nudger roll 42. A feed roll 43 that separates and conveys the sheets one by one and a conveyance path 44 that conveys the recording sheets separated one by one by the feed roll 43 toward the image transfer unit are provided. In addition, a registration roll 45 that conveys the recording sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 44 in a timely manner toward the secondary transfer position, and is pressed against the backup roll 24 via the recording sheet provided at the secondary transfer position. Then, a secondary transfer roll 46 for secondary transfer of the image onto the recording paper is provided. Further, a discharge roll 47 for discharging the recording paper on which the image is fixed by the fixing device 29 to the outside of the printer main body 1 and a discharge tray 48 for stacking the recording paper discharged by the discharge roll 47 are provided. In addition, a double-sided transport unit 49 is provided that enables double-sided recording by reversing the recording paper on which the image is fixed by the fixing device 29.

  Next, the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K in the image process system 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K. Here, the yellow (Y) image forming unit 11Y and the magenta (M) image forming unit 11M are illustrated. It is shown. The other image forming units 11C and 11K are configured in substantially the same manner.

  The image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are charged by a photosensitive drum 12 as an image carrier for supporting a toner image, a charger 13 that charges the photosensitive drum 12 using a charging roll 13a, and a charger 13. , A developing device 14 for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 12 by a developing roller 14a by laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) from the ROS 30, an intermediate transfer A primary transfer roll 15 is provided to face the photosensitive drum 12 with the belt 21 interposed therebetween, and transfers the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 12 onto the intermediate transfer belt 21. On the photosensitive drum 12 after the primary transfer, A drum cleaner 16 for removing the remaining toner is provided.

  In the present embodiment, a two-component developing method using a so-called two-component developer (hereinafter referred to as a developer) having toner and carrier in the developing device 14 is employed. The developing unit 14 is provided with a pair of augers 14b and 14c that are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12 and stir and convey the developer in opposite directions. This developing unit 14 is a trickle system in which toner containing a carrier is newly supplied into the developing unit 14 at a predetermined timing, and the developer remaining as a result in the developing unit 14 is discharged to the outside as waste developer. By adopting it, it is possible to remove carriers that have deteriorated with long-term use. For example, new developer is supplied from the upstream side of the auger 14b in the developer transport direction, and the discarded developer is discharged from the downstream side of the auger 14c in the developer transport direction. The drum cleaner 16 is provided with a cleaning blade 16 a disposed in contact with the photosensitive drum 12. Residual toner removed by the cleaning blade 16 a is disposed in the drum cleaner 16 along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12. An auger 16b that conveys the drum cleaner 16 to the outside is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum 12, the charger 13 and the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are integrated into a process cartridge 60 shown in FIG. Only the process cartridge 60 can be removed from 1 and only the process cartridge 60 can be attached to the printer main body 1, and can be replaced by the user. Each process cartridge 60 is equipped with a nonvolatile memory unit 61. For example, the process cartridge 60 is mounted on the nonvolatile memory unit 61 in predetermined image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K such as the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 12, the high voltage application time, and the number of prints. Each cartridge usage history information is stored. A discharge pipe 62 that houses an auger 16b (not shown, see FIG. 3) of the drum cleaner 16 is disposed on the side of the nonvolatile memory unit 61. A waste toner discharge port 62a is formed below the end of the discharge pipe 62 (upper side in the drawing), and a cap 63 having an opening 63a formed on the side is rotated at the end of the discharge pipe 62. It is attached as possible. The cap 63 is provided with a torsion spring 64 that is wound around and fixed to the discharge pipe 62. When the process cartridge 60 is attached to the printer main body 1, the cap 63 rotates to open the opening 62 a of the discharge pipe 62. And the opening 63a of the cap 63, the waste toner can be discharged to the outside.

Further, in the printer main body 1 shown in FIG. 2, a recovery bottle (built-in recovery container) 70 indicated by a broken line in the drawing is usually attached. 5A and 5B show the collection bottle 70. FIG. The collection bottle 70 has openings 71 to 79 for taking in waste toner and waste developer that are no longer needed. Among these, the openings 71 to 74 are collected by the drum cleaner 16 (both see FIG. 4) attached to the process cartridge 60 constituting each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 1). Waste toner or the like conveyed by the auger 16b (see FIG. 3) is carried in. Further, the waste developer conveyed by the auger 14c (both see FIG. 3) from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 1) is carried into the openings 76 to 79. Further, waste toner or the like collected by the belt cleaner 25 and conveyed by the auger 25c (both shown in FIG. 2) is carried into the opening 75. Each opening 71 to 79 is attached with a sponge for preventing external leakage of waste toner and waste developer to be carried in.
In addition, a paddle (not shown) is attached inside the collection bottle 70 along the longitudinal direction. The paddle is rotationally driven via a gear and a coupling (both not shown) attached to the end side surface of the collection bottle 70 on the opening 71 side. The collection bottle 70 has a capacity capable of accommodating waste powder discharged corresponding to about 10,000 prints under general use conditions.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing the collection device 100. The recovery device 100 shown in FIG. 6 finally stores the primary recovery unit 110 attached to the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1) instead of the recovery bottle 70 described above, and the waste powder recovered by the primary recovery unit 110. And a transport unit (transport mechanism) 150 that transports the waste powder between the primary recovery unit 110 and the secondary recovery unit 130.

  FIG. 7 is a front view of the primary recovery unit 110, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where four process cartridges 60 are mounted on the primary recovery unit 110. The primary recovery unit 110 has a hollow primary recovery container (temporary recovery container, first recovery container) 110a. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the primary collection container 110 a is formed with openings 111 to 119 for taking in unnecessary waste toner and waste developer. Here, the openings 111 to 114 are collected and discharged by the drum cleaner 16 (see FIG. 4) attached to the process cartridge 60 constituting each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (see FIG. 2). Waste toner or the like conveyed by an auger 16b (see FIG. 3) is carried in. That is, the openings 111 to 114 have a function as a waste toner carry-in port. In addition, in the openings 116 to 119, waste developer conveyed by the auger 14c (both see FIG. 3) as a discharge mechanism from the developing device 14 of each image forming unit 11Y, 11M, 11C, 11K (see FIG. 2). It is brought in. That is, the openings 116 to 119 function as a waste developer carry-in port. Further, waste toner or the like collected by the belt cleaner 25 (see FIG. 2) and conveyed by the auger 25c (see FIG. 2) as a discharge mechanism is carried into the opening 115. That is, the opening 115 has a function as a waste toner carry-in port. Further, the openings 111 to 119 have a function as dropping means for dropping waste toner or waste developer into the primary collection container 110a. In addition, each opening 111-119 is attached with the sponge for leak prevention in which the cut | notch of the predetermined shape was put.

  When the recovery bottle 70 shown in FIG. 5 and the primary recovery container 110a shown in FIG. 7 are compared, the openings 71 to 74 of the recovery bottle 70 are at the same positions as the openings 111 to 114 of the primary recovery container 110a, and the opening 75 of the recovery bottle 70 is The openings 76 to 79 of the recovery bottle 70 are formed at the same positions as the openings 115 of the primary recovery container 110a and the same positions as the openings 116 to 119 of the primary recovery container 110a, respectively. Moreover, the external shape of the collection | recovery bottle 70 and the primary collection | recovery container 110a is also the same. Therefore, the recovery bottle 70 or the primary recovery container 110a can be selectively attached to the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1).

A coil auger 120 as a conveying member is disposed along the longitudinal direction at the inner bottom of the primary recovery container 110a. The coil auger 120 is made of hard steel wire, and has an outer diameter of φ16, a wire diameter of φ1, and a pitch of 5 mm. One end of the coil auger 120 is connected to a gear 121 disposed outside the primary collection container 110a, and the other end extends further to the outside from the discharge port 122 provided on the lower side portion of the primary collection container 110a. Specifically, it extends to the downstream end of the transport pipe 151 of the transport unit 150. A gear 121 for driving the coil auger 120 is engaged with a gear 123 formed integrally with the coupling 124, and is driven by a driving device 160 provided on the main body side. As a result, the coil auger 120 can transport the waste toner and the waste developer carried into the primary recovery container 110a toward the transport pipe 151 side. As is apparent from the drawing, the transport pipe 151 is bent, but the coil auger 120 has flexibility, so that the waste toner and the waste developer are sufficiently transported even in the bent transport pipe 151. Is possible.
A coupling (not shown) provided in the collection bottle 70 shown in FIG. 5 is also driven by the driving device 160 when the collection bottle 70 is mounted on the printer main body 1.

  Further, four openings 125 to 128 are provided in parallel in the primary recovery container 110a. These openings 125 to 128 are for cleaning the glass window 33 (see FIG. 2) through which the laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) passes. FIG. 6 shows a state in which these openings 125 to 128 are hidden by a plate 129 for attachment to the printer main body 1.

Moreover, the secondary collection | recovery part 130 has the housing | casing cover 131 shown in FIG. 6, The secondary collection container (external collection container, 2nd collection container shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10) is contained in the inside. ) 132 is housed. Here, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the secondary recovery container 132 and the transport unit 150, FIG. 10 (a) is a side view thereof, and FIG. 10 (b) is a front view thereof.
The secondary collection container 132 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a handle 133 is formed on the upper side thereof. In addition, a circular opening 134 for carrying waste powder is formed on the upper surface of the secondary collection container 132. On the other hand, a mounting portion 152 for attaching and detaching the secondary recovery container 132 is provided at the end of the transport pipe 151 of the transport unit 150. The secondary collection container 132 has a capacity capable of accommodating waste powder discharged corresponding to about 50,000 prints under general use conditions. That is, the storage capacity of the secondary recovery container 132 is about five times that of the recovery bottle 70 (see FIG. 5).

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the secondary collection container 132 is removed from the mounting portion 152. The mounting portion 152 is attached to a lower portion of the transport path of the mounting portion main body 153 with a transport path 153a for freely dropping the waste powder transported by the transport pipe 151, and the shaft 154a is the center. A swingable shutter 154 and a torsion spring 155 wound around a shaft 154 a of the shutter 154 and biasing the shutter 154 toward the mounting portion main body 153 are provided. Further, a step 153b is formed in an oblique direction on a side surface orthogonal to the shaft 154a of the shutter 154 of the conveyance path 153a, and the shutter 154 is swung to a position where it abuts on the step 153b by a biasing force of the torsion spring 155 in a normal state. It moves to close the conveyance path 153a.

  FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the shutter 154. The shutter 154 includes a flat plate portion 154b to which shafts 154a are attached to both side surfaces of one end portion, and a lever portion 154c that protrudes with an inclination in a direction away from the flat plate portion 154b from the shaft 154a side of the flat plate portion 154b. Yes. Thereby, a U-shaped dent is formed between the flat plate portion 154b and the lever portion 154c. With such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 11, in the state where the conveyance path 153 is closed by the shutter 154, the flat plate portion 154b is hidden in the mounting portion main body 153, whereas the lever portion 154c is external. Will be exposed.

  When the secondary collection container 132 is attached to the attachment unit 152, the opening 134 of the secondary collection container 132 is moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. Then, the wall surface 134a of the opening 134 abuts against the lever portion 154c of the shutter 154, and the shutter 154 is swung in the direction to open the transport path 153a against the urging force of the torsion spring 155, whereby the transport path 153a. Is released. At this time, since there is an opening 134 below the conveyance path 153a, the waste powder dropped from the conveyance path 153a is collected in the secondary collection container 132.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the secondary collection container 132 is mounted on the mounting unit 152. In this state, the lever portion 154c of the shutter 154 and the wall surface 134a of the opening 134 of the secondary collection container 132 are in contact with each other. Further, the flat plate portion 154b of the shutter 154 enters the opening 134 of the secondary collection container 132, and the waste powder is stably carried into the secondary collection container 132. Further, the upper end portion 134 b of the opening 134 of the secondary recovery container 132 and the mounting portion 152 come into contact with each other, so that the secondary recovery container 132 is stably suspended by the mounting portion 152. By doing in this way, when the secondary collection container 132 is attached to the mounting portion 152, the waste powder can be carried into the secondary collection container 132, and the secondary collection container 132 is removed from the mounting portion 152. In some cases, waste powder can be prevented from leaking outside. A cover 156 shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the transport pipe 151. The cover 156 is attached to the printer main body 1 (see FIG. 1).

  In this embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 10B and FIG. 13, the secondary collection container 132 is attached to the mounting portion 152 in a state where it is inclined by a predetermined angle. By disposing the secondary collection container 132 in this way, the waste powder falling in the secondary collection container 132 slides down the inner side wall of the secondary collection container 132. It is possible to suppress scattering.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. A color material reflected light image of a document read by a document reading device (not shown) and color material image data formed by a personal computer (not shown) are, for example, R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Each 8-bit reflectance data is input to the IPS 50. In the IPS 50, image processing such as shading correction, position shift correction, brightness / color space correction, gamma correction, frame deletion, color editing, moving editing, and other image editing is performed on the input reflectance data. . The image data that has been subjected to image processing is converted into four color material gradation data of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), and is output to the ROS 30.

  In the ROS 30, laser light (LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, LB-K) emitted from a laser diode (not shown) is changed to f-θ according to the input color material gradation data. The light is emitted to the polygon mirror 31 through a lens (not shown). In the polygon mirror 31, the incident laser light is modulated in accordance with gradation data of each color, deflected and scanned, and image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K through an imaging lens and a plurality of mirrors (not shown). The photosensitive drum 12 is irradiated. On the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, the charged surface is subjected to scanning exposure to form an electrostatic latent image. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) in each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K. Is done.

  The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are sequentially transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 21 that is an intermediate transfer member. At this time, the black image forming unit 11K that forms a black toner image is provided on the most downstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the black toner image is finally transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 21. The

  On the other hand, in the sheet conveyance system 40, the nudger roll 42 rotates in accordance with the timing of image formation, and recording paper of a predetermined size is supplied from the paper feeding device 41. The recording sheets separated one by one by the feed roll 43 are transferred to the registration roll 45 through the conveyance path 44 and are temporarily stopped. Thereafter, the registration roll 45 rotates in accordance with the movement timing of the intermediate transfer belt 21 on which the toner image is formed, and the recording paper is conveyed to the secondary transfer position formed by the backup roll 24 and the secondary transfer roll 46. . On the recording paper transported from the bottom to the top at the secondary transfer position, the toner images onto which the four colors are transferred and transferred are sequentially secondary transferred in the sub-scanning direction using a pressing force and a predetermined electric field. The The recording sheet on which the toner image has been secondarily transferred is subjected to a fixing process by heat and pressure by the fixing device 29 and then discharged to a discharge tray 48 provided on the upper portion of the printer main body 1 by a discharge roll 47. Note that the recording sheet can be reversed by the duplex conveying unit 49 by a switching gate (not shown) without being discharged to the discharge tray 48 as it is. After the reversed recording sheet is conveyed to the registration roll 45, an image can be formed on both sides of the recording sheet by forming an image on the other unprinted side by the same flow as described above. Become.

Next, the waste powder collecting operation when the collecting device 100 (primary collecting unit 110) is attached to the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
Waste developer including toner and carrier conveyed by the auger 14c from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the primary recovery container 110a through the openings 116-119. The waste toner conveyed by the auger 16b from the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the primary collection container 110a through the openings 111 to 114. Further, waste toner including paper dust, talc and the like conveyed from the belt cleaner 25 by the auger 25c is carried into the primary collection container 110a through the opening 115. The waste powder containing waste developer, waste toner and the like carried into the primary recovery container 110a is transported through the transport pipe 151 by the coil auger 120 and finally recovered into the secondary recovery container 132.

Further, the operation of collecting waste powder when the collection bottle 70 is attached to the printer main body 1 instead of the collection apparatus 100 will be described.
Waste developer including toner and carrier conveyed by the auger 14c from the developing device 14 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the openings 76 to 79. The waste toner conveyed by the auger 16b from the drum cleaner 16 of each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the openings 71 to 74. Further, waste toner including paper dust, talc and the like conveyed from the belt cleaner 25 by the auger 25 c is carried into the collection bottle 70 through the opening 75. The waste powder containing waste developer, waste toner and the like carried into the collection bottle 70 is stirred by a paddle (not shown) and leveled to a substantially uniform height.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to select whether to mount the collection bottle 70 that can be built in the printer main body 1 or to mount the collection device 100 that can be attached to the printer main body 1. Therefore, for example, to a general user or a user who demands space saving, the printer main body 1 equipped with the collection bottle 70 having a small waste powder storage capacity can be provided as a color printer. On the other hand, for example, for a user who wants to use for light printing or a user who has many color prints, an image forming apparatus equipped with the collection device 100 having a large waste powder storage capacity can be provided. That is, it is possible to provide a color printer that meets the needs of the user based on the same printer body 1.

  In this embodiment, the tandem color image forming apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be similarly applied to a 4-cycle color image forming apparatus. The present invention can be similarly applied not only to a color image forming apparatus but also to a monochrome image forming apparatus. In this embodiment, an example of collecting waste powder including waste toner and waste developer has been described. However, for example, when waste toner is collected in an image forming apparatus using a one-component developer. Can be applied similarly.

—Embodiment 2—
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. However, the printer main body 1 is placed on the paper supply device 3 instead of the base 2 and the image is fixed after fixing. A post-processing device (post-processing mechanism) 4 for performing predetermined post-processing on the recording paper and a paper transport device 5 for delivering the recorded recording paper between the printer main body 1 and the post-processing device 4 are attached. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the printer main body 1 and the paper supply device 3 are collectively referred to as a main body.

  The paper supply device 3 is supplied from a second paper feeding device 81 that loads and supplies recording paper, a nudger roll 82 that picks up and supplies recording paper from the second paper feeding device 81, and a nudger roll 82. It has a feed roll 83 that separates and feeds recording sheets one by one. The paper supply device 3 is further provided below the second paper supply device 81, and the recording paper is supplied from the third paper supply device 91 and the third paper supply device 91 that stacks and supplies the recording paper. A nudger roll 92 that is picked up and supplied, and a feed roll 93 that separates and conveys the recording paper supplied from the nudger roll 92 one by one. The feed roll 83 also functions as a transport roll that transports the recording paper supplied from the third paper feeder 91. Further, on the left side surface of the paper supply device 3, a door 3a for removing a recording paper that has jammed during conveyance is provided. A door 1b is also provided on the left side surface of the printer body 1 for removing recording paper that has jammed during conveyance. That is, a plurality of doors 1 b and 3 a are provided on the left side surface of the main body 3.

  The post-processing device 4 is arranged on the right side of the printer main body 1 and above the secondary recovery unit 130 of the recovery device 100. The post-processing device 4 includes a transport roll 4a that transports the recording paper fed from the paper transport device 5, a post-processing unit 4b that post-processes the recording paper, and a transport roll 4c that transports the post-processed recording paper and recording paper bundle. And a discharge tray 4d for discharging recording sheets and recording sheet bundles. Here, post-processing performed by the post-processing unit 4b includes, for example, an alignment process in which a plurality of recording sheets are stacked and aligned, a punching process in which holes are formed in a recording sheet or recording sheet bundle, and a recording sheet or recording sheet bundle is folded in half. Alternatively, there are a folding process for folding in three, a stapling process for stapling a bundle of recording sheets, a stamp process for pressing a predetermined stamp on a recording sheet or recording sheet bundle, and the like.

  The paper transport device 5 is a unit that is provided on the upper side of the printer main body 1 and is detachable from the printer main body 1 and the post-processing device 4. The paper transport device 5 includes a carry-in roll 5 a for carrying in the recording paper sent from the printer main body 1, a transport roll 5 b for carrying the recording paper, and a carry-out roll 5 c for carrying out the recording paper toward the post-processing device 4. Have.

  In this image forming apparatus, a rail 130 a parallel to the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is attached to the upper surface of a housing cover (storage member) 131 that stores the secondary collection container 132, and the lower surface of the post-processing device 4. A rail 4e is attached to the rail 130a so as to be slidable with respect to the rail 130a. The rail 130a and the rail 4e constitute a slide mechanism. The post-processing device 4 can be separated from the printer main body 1 by the slide mechanism as shown in FIG. With this configuration, the secondary recovery container 132 in the secondary recovery unit 130 can be easily replaced. That is, when exchanging the secondary recovery container 132, the post-processing device 4 is moved to remove the filled secondary recovery container 132 from the upper part of the secondary recovery unit 130, and a new secondary recovery container 132. Can be attached.

  In the present embodiment, since the post-processing device 4 and the secondary recovery unit 130 are mounted on the right side of the printer main body 1, the right side of the printer main body 1, that is, the reverse of the post-processing device 4 and the secondary recovery unit 130. There is no hindrance when opening and closing the door 1b and the door 3a provided on the side. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the secondary recovery unit 130 is disposed in a space below the post-processing device 4 that is disposed at a relatively high position in order to improve user workability (operability). Therefore, you can make effective use of space.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows a printer main body. It is a figure which shows the structure of an image forming unit. It is a figure which shows a process cartridge. (a) (b) is a figure which shows a collection | recovery bottle. It is a figure which shows a collection | recovery apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the primary collection | recovery part from the front. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore four process cartridges to the primary collection | recovery part. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of a secondary collection container and a conveyance part. (a) is a side view of a secondary collection container and a conveyance part, (b) is the front view. It is a figure which shows the state which removed the secondary collection container from the mounting part. It is a perspective view which shows the shutter provided in a mounting part. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the secondary collection container to the mounting part. 3 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating replacement | exchange operation | movement of a secondary collection container.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer main body, 1a ... Front door, 1b ... Door, 2 ... Base, 3 ... Paper supply device, 3a ... Door, 4 ... Post-processing device, 4b ... Post-processing part, 5 ... Paper conveyance device, 10 ... Image Process system, 11Y ... yellow image forming unit, 11M ... magenta image forming unit, 11C ... cyan image forming unit, 11K ... black image forming unit, 12 ... photosensitive drum, 13 ... charger, 14 ... developer, 15 ... primary Transfer roll, 16 ... drum cleaner, 20 ... transfer unit, 25 ... belt cleaner, 30 ... ROS, 40 ... sheet conveying system, 50 ... IPS, 60 ... process cartridge, 70 ... collection bottle, 100 ... collection device, 110 ... primary Collection part, 110a ... primary collection container, 111-119 ... opening, 120 ... coil auger, 130 ... secondary collection part, 132 ... secondary collection container, 150 Conveyance section, 151 ... conveying pipe, 152 ... mounting portion

Claims (2)

A plurality of image forming units different for each color are arranged in parallel, and an apparatus main body that forms a toner image formed by the plurality of image forming units on a recording medium;
A first collection container provided along the plurality of image forming units and temporarily collecting waste toner discharged from the plurality of image formation units;
A second collection container that is provided outside one side of the apparatus main body and that finally collects the waste toner collected in the first collection container;
An opening / closing member provided on the other side of the device body, for opening and closing a side surface of the device body;
A storage member for storing the second collection container;
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a post-processing mechanism that is attached to an upper portion of the storage member and performs a predetermined post-processing on the recording medium ejected from the apparatus main body . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the post-processing mechanism is slidably attached to the storage member.

Images