JP4111724B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention realizes good image formation even when the storage condition of the developer changes, and even when the temperature of the developer containing means and the image forming apparatus in which the quality of the developer is prevented can be prevented. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including various apparatus units to be obtained.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photoreceptor is developed to form a toner image, and the toner image is transferred and fixed on a recording medium to form an image. ing. Usually, since the toner image is fixed on the recording medium by pressure and heat fixing, it is necessary to pressurize and heat the fixing means for fixing the toner image to the recording medium. In recent image forming apparatuses, in order to reduce the power consumption used in the image forming apparatus, toner that reduces the heating amount of the fixing unit and enables low-temperature fixing of the toner image is used. .
[0003]
The above toner has a low glass transition point and a low softening point in order to achieve low-temperature fixing. Such a toner is weak in heat history, and when the toner is stored under a high temperature condition, the toner is agglomerated (blocking) and the fluidity of the toner is lowered. When such toner is used in an image forming apparatus, poor toner replenishment or toner scattering is caused, and good image formation cannot be performed. Therefore, it is necessary to store the toner under a low temperature condition that does not cause toner blocking.
Here, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-341647 discloses a toner container having a heat insulating property using an organic foam material as a heat insulating material.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when the toner storing means for storing the toner capable of fixing at low temperature is being transported in the car and stored in the car, or when the toner storing means is stored in the room by the user, the heat insulating property is reduced. Even if it has, it may not be stored under low temperature conditions. In particular, in a car in summer, the temperature inside the car may reach 60 ° C., and a developer placed under such a condition causes a significant deterioration in developer quality. When toner having deteriorated quality is supplied to the image forming apparatus, there is a problem that the image quality of the image formed by the image forming apparatus is deteriorated and good image formation cannot be performed.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and the object thereof is to use an environment change such as a temperature rise during toner storage even when a toner capable of realizing low-temperature fixing is used. Another object of the present invention is to provide a developer container that prevents toner quality deterioration, and an image forming apparatus that can realize good image formation even when the temperature inside the image forming apparatus rises.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Of the present invention Each apparatus unit such as a laser beam irradiation device, a developing unit, a process unit, a cleaning unit including a waste developer collecting unit, and an image forming apparatus including a main body that accommodates the device unit includes the device unit, the unit exterior The material and the cabinet of the main body are formed of a material containing a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, and the device unit, the unit exterior material, and the body cabinet are melted and molded again to form the device unit and the unit exterior material. And a structure that can be reused as a cabinet of the main body .
[0012]
According to the above configuration, since the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is used for the constituent members, the heat absorption amount of each member can be reduced even if the temperature in the image forming apparatus rises during image formation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the performance of the members inside the apparatus from being deteriorated due to the fixing of the scattered developer, and a good image forming operation can be performed. That is, since a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is used for the developing unit and the process unit, the heat absorption amount of the developing unit and the process unit can be reduced even if the temperature in the image forming apparatus rises during image formation. it can. In addition, the scattered developer can be prevented from deteriorating the performance of the developing unit and the process unit, and a good image forming operation can be performed.
Moreover, the pigment which has infrared reflectivity is used for the laser beam irradiation apparatus (for example, exterior material) which is a structural member. As a result, even if the temperature in the image forming apparatus rises during image formation, the exterior material of the laser light irradiation apparatus reflects infrared rays to reduce the amount of heat absorption, thereby reducing the temperature rise of the laser light irradiation apparatus. be able to. For this reason, the function of the laser beam irradiation apparatus such as a laser beam irradiation failure is not deteriorated due to the temperature rise, so that the image forming operation can be suitably performed.
In addition, since a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is used for the cleaning unit (for example, the waste developer collecting means), infrared rays are generated on the surface of the waste developer collecting means even if the temperature in the image forming apparatus rises during image formation. Is reflected. As a result, the temperature rise of the waste developer collecting unit is suppressed, and the developer conveyed into the waste developer collecting unit can be prevented from solidifying due to the temperature rise. It can be carried out.
Further, since the synthetic resin material as the constituent member is inexpensive and can be easily recycled, the cost can be reduced. Further, since the synthetic resin (plastic) material is excellent in moldability and colorability, it can be suitably used as a material for forming various apparatus units of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.
For example, the synthetic resin material may be one or a mixture of two or more of the group consisting of polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polystyrene resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, styrene acrylic resin, polyester resin, epoxy polyurethane resin, and polyimide resin. is there.
These synthetic resins are inexpensive and reusable resins, and can reduce the cost of the apparatus. Each of the above resins is excellent in moldability and colorability.
[0013]
In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics included in the constituent bases of the developing unit and the cleaning unit (for example, the waste developer collecting unit) contains the same component as the developer. It is said.
Furthermore, the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is a black organic pigment.
[0014]
According to the above configuration, since the pigment having infrared reflectivity is black, it blocks light such as direct sunlight and reflects infrared rays. Therefore, the developer in the developer accommodating means and the waste developer collecting means is used. Can be prevented from being heated.
Further, since the pigment having infrared reflectivity is a black organic pigment containing the same component as the developer used in the image forming apparatus, the used developer storage means, the development unit, the process unit, and the laser light irradiation It can be reused by being used as a part or all of the material forming various apparatus units such as an apparatus exterior material and a cleaning unit (waste developer collecting means).
In particular, the developer present inside the developer containing means and the waste developer collecting means can be used as a part of the material forming various apparatus units. Thus, the developer that has not been used in image formation can be effectively utilized without being treated as waste.
Therefore, it is possible to cope with environmental conservation such as reduction of garbage and effective use of resources.
[0015]
Further, the content of the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is in the range of 0.5 wt% to 15 wt% with respect to the constituent members.
If the content of the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is less than this, the luminous intensity of the pigment is small and the amount of heat reflection is small.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Embodiment 1
The present embodiment shows a developer container that is a developer container provided in the image forming apparatus.
1 and 2 show a developer bottle 10 and a developer cartridge 20 as developer accommodating means.
The developer bottle 10 has a cylindrical main body 11 that accommodates the developer therein and a developer supply opening 13 that is formed in the lower portion.
The developing cartridge 20 has a receiving opening (not shown) for receiving the developer from the developer bottle 10, and an open / close door 25 that normally closes the opening is openably and closably disposed.
[0018]
When a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier is used, the container of this form is used by supplying the toner contained in the developer bottle 10 to the developing cartridge 20 and stirring with the carrier contained in the developing cartridge 20. It is the composition which becomes. Of course, the developer contained in each container may be a one-component developer.
Further, the developing cartridge 44 shown in FIG. 3 is configured such that the developing bottle is integrated in the cartridge and is stirred in the cartridge 44.
The constituent substrate of the developer bottle 10, the developer cartridge 20, and the developer cartridge 44 in which the bottles are integrated is formed of a plastic material containing a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics.
[0019]
The plastic used for the constituent substrate of the developing cartridge and the developing bottle of the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that is usually used for an image forming apparatus. Plastic materials are often used as constituent members because they are inexpensive and easy to mold.
In addition, the plastic material can be reused. Therefore, it is possible to consider the conservation of the natural environment without wasting resources by melting the used developing cartridge and the developing bottle, remolding them, and recycling them.
Furthermore, since the plastic material is excellent in colorability, it can be easily colored with a small amount of pigment.
[0020]
The plastic material is not particularly limited as long as it is a synthetic resin material, but from polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polystyrene resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, styrene acrylic resin, polyester resin, epoxy polyurethane resin, polyimide resin. It is preferable that it is 1 type in the group which consists of, or a mixture of 2 or more types. More preferably, polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene resin (PE), polystyrene resin (PS), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS) are preferable.
[0021]
The color and material of the pigment are not particularly limited as long as it has infrared reflectivity, but in this embodiment, the case where an organic pigment having black infrared reflection characteristics is used is shown. In addition, by containing the same components as the color and material of the developer to be accommodated, when the constituent base material is melted and recycled, the forming material for the developing cartridge and the developing bottle is left in a state where the waste developer is left in the container. Can be reused as Therefore, in the present embodiment, a black organic pigment having infrared reflectivity is particularly used.
[0022]
The content of the pigment contained in the developing cartridge and the developing bottle of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but the content of the pigment in the developing cartridge and the developing bottle is 0.5 wt% or more and 15 wt% or less. It is preferable that
In this range, when the added pigment is less than this, the light intensity of the pigment is small and the amount of heat reflection obtained is small. On the other hand, when a pigment exceeding a predetermined amount was added, the amount of heat reflection did not increase, and no change was observed in the amount of heat reflection. Therefore, this range is used in order to secure an appropriate amount of heat reflection of the developing cartridge and the developing bottle and to reduce the heat absorption amount of the developing cartridge and the developing bottle.
[0023]
The composition of the base material (plastic) and the pigment contained in the developing cartridge of the present embodiment will be specifically described below.
For example, with respect to the developing cartridge, the base material contains 99.5% by weight or less and 85% by weight or more of ABS, and the black organic pigment having infrared reflectivity is chromofine black A-1103 (registered trademark, Daiichi Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd.). (Company) is preferably contained in an amount of 0.5 wt% to 15 wt%.
Also, the developer cartridge contains ABS as a base material in an amount of 89.5% by weight or less and 70% by weight or more, and PE or other resin in an amount of 1% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less. A-1103 may be contained in an amount of 0.5% by weight or more and 15% or less.
[0024]
As the composition of the base material and the pigment contained in the developing bottle, for example, PP is contained in the developing bottle as a base material in an amount of 99.5 wt% or less and 85 wt% or more. -1103 is preferably contained in an amount of 0.5 to 15% by weight.
In addition, PP contains 89.5% by weight or less and 70% by weight or more of PE as a base material, and PE or other resin is contained by 1% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less as a base material. Black A-1103 may be contained by 0.5 wt% or more and 15 wt% or less.
[0025]
As described above, since the pigment having infrared reflectivity is used for the developing cartridge and the developing bottle, infrared rays irradiated by direct sunlight or the like can be reflected on the surface of the developing cartridge or the developing bottle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the developer cartridge and the developer bottle from absorbing heat due to infrared irradiation, thereby preventing the temperature of the developer contained therein from rising, and as a result, the developer is blocked (blocked). Can be prevented.
[0026]
In addition, a container that contains a developer that has a thermal barrier property due to infrared reflection characteristics deteriorates the characteristics of the developer when the developer is stored even if the developer that is stored can be fixed at low temperature. Never do. As a result, since the good fluidity of the developer can be maintained, the developer can be suitably replenished from the developing cartridge or the developing bottle. In addition, when image formation is performed using the developer stored in the developer container, good image formation can be performed without causing fogging copy or scattering of the developer.
[0027]
Therefore, it is possible to avoid or reduce various heat histories when the developing cartridge or the developing bottle is stored in the vehicle during transportation or when the developing cartridge or the developing bottle is stored indoors by the user. Therefore, it is possible to provide a developer of good quality without causing deterioration of the developer quality, and to maintain stable image characteristics during image formation.
[0028]
In addition, since a plastic material is used as the base material for the developing cartridge and the developing bottle, the used developing cartridge and the developing bottle can be collected and reused. At the time of reuse, the collected developing cartridge or developing bottle may be used as a part or all of the material, and the developing cartridge or developing bottle may be melted and molded. Further, as the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics contained in the developing cartridge or the developing bottle, particularly when the same color or material as the developer contained therein is used, the developer remaining inside the developing cartridge or the developing bottle. The developer cartridge and the development bottle in which the developer remains can be reused without removing the toner.
[0029]
That is, when the pigment contained in the constituent material of the developing cartridge and the developing bottle contains the same component as the developer, the collected used developing cartridge and the developer remaining in the developing bottle are also removed from the developing cartridge and It can be reused as part of the developer bottle material. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the developer remaining in the developing cartridge or the developing bottle at the time of reuse. As described above, the developing cartridge and the developing bottle according to the present embodiment can be easily obtained by melting the developing cartridge and the developing bottle together with the remaining developer and molding again.
[0030]
Also, when the developer container (developing bottle or developing cartridge) is made of paper or metal, or is made of plastic that does not contain a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics is applied to the wall surface. Alternatively, by coating, the same actions and effects as described above can be achieved.
[0031]
As described above, when a developer capable of low-temperature fixing during image formation is contained by using a developing cartridge or a developing bottle formed of a constituent base material having a pigment having infrared reflectivity. However, it is possible to prevent the developer from being blocked when the developing cartridge or the developing bottle is stored, and to supply the developer satisfactorily. Thereby, an image formed with the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating container retains good image characteristics and image quality characteristics, and image formation can be suitably performed.
In addition, when plastic is used as the constituent substrate, it is possible to reuse the used developing cartridge and developing bottle, and it is necessary to remove the developer by washing the developing cartridge and the developing bottle at the time of reuse. There is not, and recycling can be performed simply.
[0032]
Embodiment 2
This embodiment shows a case where the material of the present invention is used in an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus 1 has a document table 2 and an operation panel (not shown) on the upper surface, and has an image reading unit 30 and an image forming unit 40 inside.
The image reading unit 30 is disposed below the document table 2 in order to read a document image on the document table 2. The document reading unit 30 reciprocates in parallel with the document table 2 and scans at a predetermined speed while maintaining a certain distance, and a CCD line as an optical lens and a photoelectric conversion element. And a CCD unit 32 having a sensor.
The document scanning bodies 31a and 31b are deflected by an exposure lamp that exposes the surface of the document image on the document table 2, a first mirror that deflects a reflected light image from the document image in a predetermined direction, and the mirror. The second and third mirrors deflect the reflected light image further in a predetermined direction.
The CCD unit 32 reduces the deflected reflected light image with an optical lens, and forms the reduced light image at a predetermined position on the CCD line sensor. The CCD line sensor sequentially photoelectrically converts the formed light image and outputs the light image as an electrical signal.
[0033]
The image forming unit 40 includes a paper feeding unit 41, a process unit 42, a laser light irradiation device (LSU) 43, a developing unit 440, a cleaning unit 45, a fixing unit 46, and a paper discharge unit 47.
The paper feed unit 41 includes paper feed trays 411, 412, 413, and 414 on which recording paper is placed, and paper feed rollers 421, 422, 423, and 424 that pull out recording paper from the paper feed trays 411, 412, 413, and 414. , Separation rollers 431, 432, 433, and 434 for separating the recording sheets one by one, and a registration roller 415.
The process unit 42 includes a photosensitive drum 421 as an image carrier and a charger 422 that uniformly charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 421.
The laser light irradiation device (LSU) 43 irradiates the photosensitive drum 421 with laser light based on the document image information read by the CCD unit 32, and thereby the electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 421. Is formed.
[0034]
The developing unit 440 is arranged to face the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 421 and supplies developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 421. The developing unit 440 includes the developing cartridge and the developing bottle described in the first embodiment, and the developing cartridge includes a developing tank (not shown) for stirring the developer. The developing tank is made of the same material as the developing cartridge. Then, the developer stirred in the developing tank is supplied to the photosensitive drum 421.
[0035]
The cleaning unit 45 includes a waste developer container and a waste developer transport pipe as waste developer collection means. The waste developer transport pipe transports the waste developer to the waste developer storage container. The cleaning unit 45 removes the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 421 and collects it in a waste developer container. The fixing unit 46 pressurizes and heats the recording paper to fix the toner image transferred to the recording paper on the recording paper. The paper discharge unit 47 includes paper discharge trays 471 and 472. Carrying The recording paper discharged through the runway is placed.
[0036]
Next, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described.
The document image placed on the document table 2 is exposed on the surface of the document image by the image reading unit 30. The reflected light image from the exposed document image is sequentially read by the document scanning bodies 31a and 31b, deflected by the mirrors of the document scanning bodies 31a and 31b, and enters the optical lens of the CCD unit 32. The reflected light image is reduced by the optical lens, and the reduced light image is formed at a predetermined position on the CCD line sensor. The formed light image is sequentially photoelectrically converted by the CCD line sensor into an electric signal, and the original image information converted into the electric signal is subjected to predetermined image processing and output to the LSU 43.
[0037]
Subsequently, the photosensitive drum 421 of the process unit 42 is rotationally driven by the image forming unit 40, and the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 421 is uniformly charged by the charger 422. The charged portion is irradiated with laser light from the LSU 43 based on the document image information, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 421. Next, a developer is supplied to the photosensitive drum 421 from the developing unit 440, and the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 421 is developed to form a toner image.
[0038]
On the other hand, the recording paper is pulled out from any of the paper feed trays 411, 412, 413, and 414 of the paper feed unit 41 by the corresponding paper feed rollers 421, 422, 423, and 424. Next, the sheets are separated and conveyed one by one by the corresponding separation rollers 431, 432, 433, and 434, and come into contact with the nip portion of the resist roller 415 in a stopped state and stand by. When the registration roller 9 rotates in synchronization with the rotation cycle of the photosensitive drum 421, the recording paper is conveyed toward the outer periphery of the photosensitive drum 421. Then, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 421 is transferred to a recording sheet and conveyed to the fixing unit 46. In the fixing unit 46, the toner image transferred onto the recording paper is fixed by thermocompression bonding, and the recording paper is discharged to the paper discharge unit 47 through a predetermined conveyance path.
[0039]
When the toner image on the photosensitive drum 421 is transferred to the recording paper, the residual toner on the photosensitive drum 421 is removed by the cleaning unit 45. Residual toner is collected in a waste developer container through a waste developer transport pipe.
By the way, various apparatus units such as the process unit 42, LSU 43, developing unit 440, and cleaning unit 45 of the image forming apparatus 1, exterior materials of the various apparatus units, a waste developer container, a waste developer transport pipe, and the like are used. The cabinet of the forming apparatus main body is formed by including a plastic material as a base material and a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, similarly to the developing cartridge and the developing bottle described in the first embodiment. Since the resin material of the plastic material as the substrate and the material, color, and content of the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics are the same as those of the developing cartridge and the developing bottle described above, detailed description thereof is omitted here.
[0040]
In the image forming apparatus 1, the developer may be scattered inside the apparatus during the image forming operation. The developer used in the image forming apparatus 1 is solidified by heat. In the image forming apparatus 1, the temperature inside the apparatus rises due to the image forming operation, so that the scattered developer is fixed inside the apparatus, and the performance of the image forming apparatus 1 may deteriorate due to the fixed developer.
[0041]
Therefore, a plastic material as a base material for members (also referred to as constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1) such as the various apparatus units, exterior materials of the various apparatus units, waste developer storage containers, waste developer transport pipes, cabinets, etc. And a material having a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, heat absorption by the constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.
As described above, the developer scattered during the operation of the apparatus is prevented from being fixed in the image forming apparatus 1, and the waste developer is disposed inside the waste developer container or the waste developer transport pipe. Solidification is prevented, and the waste developer can be suitably transported.
As a result, even when the temperature in the apparatus rises, the scattered toner adheres, so that a suitable image forming operation can be performed without degrading the performance of the image forming apparatus 1.
[0042]
Further, the LSU 43 also becomes high temperature under the influence of the temperature rise in the image forming apparatus 1. When the LSU 43 reaches a high temperature, a laser beam irradiation failure or the like occurs, and the performance of the LSU 43 decreases. Therefore, as described above, by forming the exterior material of the LSU 43 including the plastic material as the base material and the pigment having infrared reflectivity, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 causes the inside of the apparatus. Even when the temperature rises, the temperature of the LSU 43 can be prevented from rising, and good performance of the LSU 43 can be maintained.
[0043]
Further, by forming the waste developer container in the cleaning unit including a plastic material as a base material and a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, the image forming apparatus described above can be used using the waste developer container. One component can be formed. As described above, the constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment are formed by including a plastic material and a pigment having infrared reflection characteristics.
Therefore, the waste developer container can be reused by using the waste developer container that contains the waste developer as a part or all of the material forming the constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1. . Since the waste developer collected in the waste developer container has infrared reflection characteristics, when the waste developer contains the same component as the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics, the material forming the constituent member of the image forming apparatus 1 Can be used as As a result, the waste developer that has been processed as waste can be effectively utilized.
[0044]
As described above, the waste developer that has been processed as waste and the waste developer container that contains the waste developer are reused and effectively utilized. It becomes possible to consider environmental conservation such as effective use.
As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, not only the developing cartridge and the developing bottle but also the constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1 include the plastic material as the base material and the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics. Thus, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the developer and the performance deterioration of the image forming apparatus 1 due to the temperature rise.
[0045]
As another embodiment of the present invention, it may be used for a paint or coating material for painting or coating on a substrate (for example, paper, metal, plastic plate) so that the same effect can be obtained. Is possible. Further, when the pigment having infrared reflection characteristics contains the same component as the developer, the used constituent member of the image forming apparatus 1 is used as a material for forming a new constituent member of the image forming apparatus 1. ing. Therefore, the constituent members of the image forming apparatus 1 that have been conventionally treated as waste can be effectively used.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
Book The image forming apparatus of the invention can realize good image formation even when the temperature in the apparatus rises.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a developing bottle.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a developing cartridge.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another example of the developing cartridge.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Development bottle
20 Development cartridge
30 Image reader
40 Image forming unit
42 process units
43 Laser beam irradiation device
44 Developing cartridge
45 Cleaning unit
440 Development unit

Claims (1)

In an image forming apparatus provided with each apparatus unit such as a laser beam irradiation means, a developing unit, a process unit, a cleaning unit provided with a waste developer collecting means, and a main body that accommodates the apparatus unit,
The apparatus unit, the unit exterior material, and the cabinet of the main body are materials containing 0.5% by weight to 15% by weight of a black organic pigment having the same component as the developer used in the apparatus and having infrared reflection characteristics. Formed with
Said device unit, the unit outer material and the body of the cabinet, melted, the image forming apparatus characterized by can be reused equipment unit by molding again, as units exterior material and the body of the cabinet.

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