JP4581623B2 - Liquid developing device, image forming apparatus, image forming system, and developer supply roller - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid developing device, an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, and a developer supply roller.

As an image forming apparatus, there is a printer having an image carrier for carrying a latent image and a liquid developing device for developing the latent image carried on the image carrier.
The liquid developing device includes a developer container for storing a liquid developer in which toner particles are dispersed in a carrier liquid, and a developer for supporting the liquid developer stored in the developer container. A developer carrier, and a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrier.
JP-A-11-153906

  Furthermore, the developer supply roller includes a cylindrical base material and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material. The developer supply roller holds the liquid developer in an adjacent portion of the wire and supplies the liquid developer to the developer carrier. In this case, in order for the developer supply roller to supply the liquid developer to the developer carrier, it is necessary to appropriately hold the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion in the adjacent portion of the wire. Therefore, it is necessary to disperse the toner particles in the carrier liquid so that the fluidity of the liquid developer is improved. This is because if the liquid developer has poor fluidity, the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion is not properly conveyed to the adjacent portion of the wire, and the amount of liquid developer held in the portion is small. Because there is a fear.

  However, when the amount of carrier liquid relative to the amount of toner particles is increased in order to ensure the fluidity of the liquid developer, the concentration of toner particles in the liquid developer is lowered. As a result, the developer supply roller may not be able to supply a sufficient amount of toner particles to the developer carrier.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently supply a liquid developer to a developer carrying member.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the main present invention is to provide a developer containing portion for containing a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid, and the liquid developer. A developer carrier for carrying, a cylindrical base material, and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material, and adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and adjacent portions of the wire A wire formed with a gap for allowing the carrier liquid to pass therethrough, and a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrier. A liquid developing apparatus comprising:

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid; a developer carrier for supporting the liquid developer; and a cylindrical base. A wire wound around the cylindrical substrate, wherein adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire to allow the carrier liquid to pass therethrough. And a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrying member.
According to such a liquid developing device, the carrier liquid in the liquid developer having good fluidity conveyed from the developer accommodating portion to the adjacent portion of the wire moves through the gap, so that the liquid developer Since the concentration of the toner particles inside becomes high, the liquid developer is efficiently supplied to the developer carrier.

In the liquid developing apparatus, the size of the gap may be a size that does not allow the toner particles to pass.
In such a case, since the carrier liquid in the liquid developer held in the adjacent part of the wire passes through the gap, the toner particles in the liquid developer do not pass through the gap. It is possible to increase the concentration of toner particles in the agent.

Further, in this liquid developing apparatus, the wire has a circular cross section, and has a convex portion and a concave portion on the surface thereof, and an adjacent portion of the wire is connected to the carrier liquid via the concave portion. It is good also as letting pass.
In such a case, it is possible to increase the concentration of the toner particles in the liquid developer held in the adjacent portion of the wire with an easy configuration.

Further, in this liquid developing device, the developer carrying member includes an elastic portion, and the developer supply roller is in pressure contact with the elastic portion of the developer carrying member, so that the liquid developer is developed. It is good also as supplying to an agent carrier.
In such a case, the developer supply roller can appropriately supply a liquid developer having a high toner particle concentration to the developer carrier.

In addition, the liquid developing device may include a regulating member that abuts on the surface of the developer supply roller and regulates the amount of the liquid developer on the developer supply roller.
When the regulating member is in contact with the surface of the developer supply roller, the regulating member applies pressure to the liquid developer, so that the carrier liquid in the liquid developer easily passes through the gap.

Further, in the liquid developing device, the restriction member may be configured such that a tip of the restriction member on a side in contact with the developer supply roller is from a contact position where the restriction member contacts the developer supply roller. As seen, it may be provided so as to face the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developer supply roller (that is, the regulating member performs so-called trail regulation on the developer supply roller). .
In such a case (when the regulating member performs so-called trail regulation on the developer supply roller), the regulating member applies pressure to the liquid developer held in the adjacent portion of the wire. The pressure applied to the liquid developer can facilitate the carrier liquid in the liquid developer to pass through the gap.

Further, in this liquid developing apparatus, one wire may be wound spirally around the columnar base material.
In such a case, the wire can be easily wound around the columnar base material, so that a gap can be easily formed.

In the liquid developing device, the liquid developer may be a non-Newtonian fluid.
When the liquid developer is a non-Newtonian fluid, toner particles are dispersed at a high concentration in the carrier liquid. In such a case, coupled with the formation of a gap through which the carrier liquid passes in adjacent portions of the wire, the liquid developer is more efficiently supplied to the developer carrier.

A developer containing portion for containing a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid; a developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer; A columnar substrate and a wire wound around the columnar substrate, and adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap through which the carrier liquid passes is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire. And a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrier, and the size of the gap is The size of the wire is such that toner particles do not pass through, the wire has a circular cross section, and has a convex portion and a concave portion on the surface thereof, and an adjacent portion of the wire is connected to the carrier liquid via the concave portion. Pass through The developer carrier includes an elastic portion, and the developer supply roller is in pressure contact with the elastic portion of the developer carrier to supply the liquid developer to the developer carrier, and the developer. A regulating member that abuts on the surface of the supply roller and regulates the amount of the liquid developer on the developer supplying roller, and the regulating member abuts on the developer supplying roller of the regulating member The front end of the regulating member is provided so as to face the downstream side of the rotation direction of the developer supply roller when viewed from the contact position of the regulating member that contacts the developer supply roller. A liquid developing device, wherein the liquid developer is a non-Newtonian fluid wound around the cylindrical base material in a spiral manner.
According to such a liquid developing device, the effect that the liquid developer is efficiently supplied to the developer carrying member is most effectively achieved.

An image carrier for carrying a latent image and a liquid developing device for developing a latent image carried on the image carrier, the carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid A developer containing portion for containing a liquid developer, a developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer, a cylindrical base material, and a cylindrical base material wound around the cylindrical base material A wire, wherein adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire to allow the carrier liquid to pass through, and is accommodated in the developer accommodating portion. An image forming apparatus comprising: a liquid developing device having a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer to the developer carrying member.
According to such an image forming apparatus, the carrier liquid in the liquid developer having good fluidity conveyed from the developer accommodating portion to the adjacent portion of the wire moves through the gap, so that the liquid developer Since the concentration of the toner particles inside becomes high, the liquid developer is efficiently supplied to the developer carrier.

A computer, and an image forming apparatus connectable to the computer, an image carrier for carrying a latent image, and a liquid developing device for developing the latent image carried on the image carrier A developer container for accommodating a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid; and a developer carrier for supporting the liquid developer; A cylindrical substrate and a wire wound around the cylindrical substrate, wherein adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and there is a gap through which the carrier liquid passes through the adjacent portion of the wire An image including a wire and a liquid developing device having a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrier. Molding Image forming system, characterized in that, equipped with a.
According to such an image forming system, the carrier liquid in the liquid developer having good fluidity conveyed from the developer accommodating portion to the adjacent part of the wire moves through the gap, so that the liquid developer Since the concentration of the toner particles inside becomes high, the liquid developer is efficiently supplied to the developer carrier.

Further, a developer for supplying the liquid developer contained in a developer containing portion containing a carrier liquid and a liquid developer having toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid to a developer carrying member. A supply roller, a cylindrical base material, and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material, wherein adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and the carrier liquid is applied to the adjacent portion of the wire. And a wire formed with a gap for allowing the developer to pass therethrough.
According to such a developer supply roller, the carrier liquid in the liquid developer having good fluidity conveyed from the developer accommodating portion to the adjacent portion of the wire moves through the gap, so that the liquid developing Since the concentration of the toner particles in the developer becomes high, the liquid developer is efficiently supplied to the developer carrier.

=== Overview of Image Forming Apparatus ===
Next, a configuration example and an operation example will be described using a laser beam printer (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) 10 as an example of the image forming apparatus with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating main components constituting the printer 10. In FIG. 1, the vertical direction is indicated by arrows. For example, the developing units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K are arranged in the lower part of the printer 10, and the intermediate transfer member 70 is arranged in the upper part of the printer 10. Is arranged.

<Configuration of Printer 10>
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes four developing units 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K, an intermediate transfer member 70, a secondary transfer unit 80, and a fixing unit (not shown). The display unit includes a liquid crystal panel that serves as an informing means for the user, and a control unit 100 (FIG. 2) that controls these units and operates as a printer.

  The developing units 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K have a function of developing a latent image with a yellow (Y) developer, a magenta (M) developer, a cyan (C) developer, and a black (K) developer, respectively. ing. Since the developing units 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K have the same configuration, the developing unit 15Y will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the developing unit 15Y includes a charging unit 30Y, an exposure unit 40Y, a yellow developing unit 50Y, a primary transfer unit 60Y, and a charge eliminating unit 73Y along the rotation direction of a photoconductor 20Y as an example of an image carrier. And a photoreceptor cleaning unit 75Y.

  The photoreceptor 20Y has a cylindrical base material and a photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is rotatable about a central axis. In the present embodiment, as shown by an arrow in FIG. Rotate clockwise. The charging unit 30Y is a device for charging the photoconductor 20Y, and the exposure unit 40Y is a device for forming a latent image on the photoconductor 20Y charged by irradiating a laser. The exposure unit 40Y has a semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror, an F-θ lens, and the like, and charges the modulated laser based on an image signal input from a host computer (not shown) such as a personal computer or a word processor. Irradiation is performed on the photoconductor 20Y.

  The yellow developing unit 50Y is a device for developing a latent image formed on the photoreceptor 20Y using a yellow (Y) developer. Details of the yellow developing unit 50Y will be described later.

  The primary transfer unit 60Y is a device for transferring the yellow developer image formed on the photoreceptor 20Y to the intermediate transfer body 70. When the four color developers are sequentially transferred by the primary transfer units 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, a full color developer image is formed on the intermediate transfer member 70. The intermediate transfer member 70 is an endless belt stretched around a plurality of support rollers, and is driven to rotate while contacting the photoreceptors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K. The secondary transfer unit 80 is a device for transferring a single color developer image or a full color developer image formed on the intermediate transfer body 70 to a medium such as paper, film, or cloth.

  The neutralization unit 73Y is a device that removes residual charges on the photoreceptor 20Y after the developer image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body 70 by the primary transfer unit 60Y. The photosensitive member cleaning unit 75Y has a rubber photosensitive member cleaning blade 76Y that is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive member 20Y. After the developer image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer member 70 by the primary transfer unit 60Y, the photosensitive member cleaning unit 75Y is photosensitive. This is a device for scraping and removing the developer remaining on the body 20Y by the photoreceptor cleaning blade 76Y.

  A fixing unit (not shown) is a device for fusing a single color developer image or a full color developer image transferred onto a medium onto a medium such as paper to form a permanent image. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 100 includes a main controller 101 and a unit controller 102. An image signal and a control signal are input to the main controller 101, and in response to a command based on the image signal and the control signal. A unit controller 102 controls each of the units and forms an image.

<Operation of Printer 10>
Next, the operation of the printer 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to other components. First, when an image signal and a control signal from a host computer (not shown) are input to the main controller 101 of the printer 10 via the interface (I / F) 112, the unit controller 102 based on a command from the main controller 101. Under the control, the photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K, the developing rollers (described later) provided in the developing units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K, the intermediate transfer body 70, and the like rotate. The photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K are sequentially charged by the charging units 30Y, 30M, 30C, and 30K at the charging positions while rotating.

  The charged regions of the photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K reach the exposure position as the photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K rotate, and are exposed to yellow Y and magenta by the exposure units 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K. A latent image corresponding to the image information of M, cyan C, and black K is formed in the area. The latent images formed on the photoreceptors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K reach the development position as the photoreceptors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K rotate, and are developed by the development units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K. . As a result, developer images are formed on the photoreceptors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K.

  The developer images formed on the photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K reach the primary transfer position as the photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K rotate, and are transferred by the primary transfer units 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. Then, it is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 70. At this time, a primary transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the developer is applied to the primary transfer units 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. As a result, the four color developer images formed on the respective photoconductors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K are transferred to overlap with the intermediate transfer member 70, and a full color developer image is formed on the intermediate transfer member 70. Is done.

  The full color developer image formed on the intermediate transfer member 70 reaches the secondary transfer position as the intermediate transfer member 70 rotates, and is transferred to the medium by the secondary transfer unit 80. The medium is transported from a paper feed tray (not shown) to the secondary transfer unit 80 via various rollers (the arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the transport direction of the medium). When performing the transfer operation, the secondary transfer unit 80 is pressed against the intermediate transfer body 70 and a secondary transfer voltage is applied.

  The full color developer image transferred to the medium is heated and pressed by the fixing unit and fused to the medium. Thereby, a full color image is formed on the medium. On the other hand, the photoreceptors 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K are neutralized by the neutralization units 73Y, 73M, 73C, and 73K after passing the primary transfer position, and are further supported by the photoreceptor cleaning units 75Y, 75M, 75C, and 75K. The developer adhering to the surface is scraped off by the photoconductor cleaning blades 76Y, 76M, 76C, and 76K to prepare for charging to form the next latent image. The developer that has been scraped off is collected in a remaining developer collecting section provided in the photoreceptor cleaning units 75Y, 75M, 75C, and 75K.

=== Overview of Control Unit ===
Next, the configuration of the control unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The main controller 101 of the control unit 100 is connected to a host computer via an interface 112 and includes an image memory 113 for storing image signals input from the host computer.

  The unit controller 102 includes units (charging units 30Y, 30M, 30C, and 30K, exposure units 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K, developing units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K, primary transfer units 60Y, 60M, and 60C, and the like. 60K, static elimination units 73Y, 73M, 73C, 73K, photoconductor cleaning units 75Y, 75M, 75C, 75K, secondary transfer unit 80, fixing unit, display unit), and signals from sensors included in these , Each unit is controlled based on a signal input from the main controller 101 while detecting the state of each unit.

=== Overview of Development Unit ===
Next, configuration examples and operation examples of the developing units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K as examples of the liquid developing device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing main components of the developing unit. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the particle size of the toner particles in the developer D and the distribution degree of the toner particles. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the wire 554 is wound around the columnar base material 552. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a groove 556 is formed on the surface of the developer supply roller 550. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state where a gap 557 is formed in an adjacent portion of the wire 554. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing trail (trailing) regulation of the regulation blade 560. In FIG. 3, the vertical direction is indicated by arrows as in FIG. 1. For example, the developing roller 510 is above the scooping roller 540. Further, in order to clearly show a state in which the wire 554 is wound around the columnar base material 552, in FIG. 5, for convenience, the wire 554 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the actual wire 554 is shown.

  The printer 10 includes, as developing units, a black developing unit 50K containing black (K) developer, a magenta developing unit 50M containing magenta (M) developer, and a cyan developing unit 50C containing cyan (C) developer. , And a yellow developing unit 50Y containing yellow (Y) developer is provided. Since the configuration and operation of each developing unit are the same, the configuration and operation of the yellow developing unit 50Y will be described below.

<Configuration of development unit 50Y>
The yellow developing unit 50Y includes a developing roller 510 as an example of a developer carrier, a developer container (hereinafter also referred to as a container) 530, a developer pumping roller (hereinafter also referred to as a pumping roller) 540, and a developing unit. An agent supply roller (hereinafter also referred to as a supply roller) 550, a restriction blade 560 as an example of a restriction member, and a developing roller cleaning unit 570 are provided.

  The storage unit 530 stores a developer D for developing the latent image formed on the photoconductor 20Y. The developer D accommodated in the accommodating portion 530 is a low-concentration (about 1 to 2 wt%) and low-viscosity, generally used conventionally, carrier with Isopar (trademark: exon) as a carrier, and is volatile at room temperature. It is not a volatile liquid developer having the property, but a non-volatile liquid developer D having a high concentration and high viscosity and having a non-volatile property at room temperature. That is, the liquid developer D according to this embodiment is a resin or pigment having a particle size of about 0.1 to 5 μm as shown in FIG. 4 in a non-volatile and insulating low-viscosity carrier liquid made of paraffin oil or the like. The developer D has a high viscosity (about 100 to 10000 mPa · s) by dispersing toner particles made of, etc. at a high concentration (about 5 to 40 wt%). In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis indicates the particle size (μm) of the toner particles in the developer D, and the vertical axis indicates the degree of distribution of the toner particles. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the degree of distribution of toner particles in the vicinity of an average particle diameter of 3 μm is large.

  The liquid developer D according to the present embodiment is a so-called non-Newtonian fluid. That is, as a result of dispersing the toner particles at a high concentration in the carrier liquid which is a Newtonian fluid, the liquid developer D becomes a fluid having non-Newtonian properties.

  The pumping roller 540 pumps up the developer D stored in the storage unit 530 and conveys it to the supply roller 550. The lower part of the draw-up roller 540 is immersed in the developer D accommodated in the accommodating portion 530, and is separated from the supply roller 550 with a width of about 1 mm.

  Further, the pumping roller 540 can rotate around its central axis, and the central axis is below the rotational central axis of the supply roller 550. The pumping roller 540 rotates in the same direction (clockwise in FIG. 3) as the rotation direction of the supply roller 550 (clockwise in FIG. 3). The pumping roller 540 has a function of pumping up the developer D stored in the storage unit 530 and transporting it to the supply roller 550, and a function of stirring the developer D in order to maintain the developer D in an appropriate state. It also has.

  The supply roller 550 supplies the developer D conveyed by the pumping roller 540 from the storage unit 530 to the developing roller 510. The supply roller 550 has a columnar base material 552 and one (one) wire 554.

  The columnar substrate 552 is a member made of aluminum and has a diameter of about 25 mm. The wire 554 is a member made of SUS304, and has a circular cross section as shown in FIG. The diameter r of the cross section, that is, the wire diameter of the wire 554 is about 100 μm. The wire 554 has a convex portion 554f (FIG. 7) and a concave portion 554g (FIG. 7) on its surface, and the surface has a ten-point average roughness Rz (conforming to JIS B 0601-1994) of about 0.00. 5 μm.

  Moreover, the wire 554 is wound around the columnar base material 552 on a spiral as shown in FIG. The wire 554 is wound so that adjacent portions of the wire 554 (for example, a portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6) come into contact with each other. That is, the wire 554 is wound around the columnar base material 552 by so-called tight winding. Note that the wire 554 is fixed to the columnar substrate 552 only at both ends of the wire 554. That is, the end portion 555 (FIG. 5) of the wire 554 is joined to the fixed position 552a (FIG. 5) on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical base material 552, which is located at the longitudinal end of the cylindrical base material 552, by soldering. Has been. Therefore, the wire 554 is appropriately positioned with respect to the columnar base material 552 by the joining force by the solder and the frictional force with the columnar base material 552.

  As described above, since the supply roller 550 includes the columnar base material 552 and the wire 554 wound around the columnar base material 552, the surface of the supply roller 550 has a surface as shown in FIG. , A groove 556 (a portion surrounded by the adjacent portion of the wire 554 and the dotted line in FIG. 6) is formed. The groove 556 serves to hold the developer D. In the present embodiment, the maximum width w of the groove 556 is equal to the diameter r of the wire 554 and is about 100 μm, and the maximum depth d of the groove 556 is the diameter r of the cross section of the wire 554. It is equal to 1/2 and is about 50 μm. Further, since the cross section of the wire 554 is circular, a space 558 is formed between the adjacent portion of the wire 554 and the surface of the columnar substrate 552 as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the wire 554 is wound around the columnar base material 552 so that adjacent portions of the wire 554 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the wire 554 is in contact with the adjacent portion of the wire 554. Part (hereinafter also referred to as a wire contact part) is formed. On the other hand, since the wire 554 includes a convex portion 554f and a concave portion 554g, as shown in FIG. 7, a gap 557 is also formed in an adjacent portion of the wire 554 (for example, a portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6). Has been. As described above, adjacent portions of the wire 554 include a wire contact portion and a portion where the gap 557 is formed.

  The gap 557 connects the groove 556 and the space 558. The size (width H) of the gap 557 is such a size that toner particles do not pass through. In the present embodiment, the gap 557 has a value substantially equal to the ten-point average roughness Rz of the wire 554, that is, about 0. It is 5 μm. Here, the size that the toner particles do not pass means the size that the toner fine particles aggregate (hereinafter also referred to as aggregated toner) and the toner coarse particles do not pass.

  This will be described more specifically. As shown in FIG. 4, the particle size of the toner particles is distributed in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm. Here, toner fine particles having a smaller particle diameter (for example, toner particles having a particle diameter smaller than 0.5 μm) tend to agglomerate, and as a result of aggregation, agglomerated toner having a diameter of 0.5 μm or more is obtained. It can be present in developer D. Therefore, the aggregated toner cannot pass through the gap 557 having a size of 0.5 μm and remains in the groove 556. Further, toner coarse particles having a larger particle diameter (for example, toner particles having a particle diameter larger than 0.5 μm) cannot pass through the gap 557 and remain in the groove 556.

  On the other hand, the carrier liquid can pass through the gap 557. That is, the adjacent portion of the wire 554 allows the carrier liquid to pass through the gap 557 (recess 554g). Since the carrier liquid in the developer D held in the groove 556 passes through the gap 557, the aggregated toner and the toner coarse particles in the developer D remain in the groove 556 without passing through the gap 557. The concentration of the toner particles in the developer D held in the groove 556 is higher than the concentration of the toner particles in the developer D in the storage portion 530.

  Further, in order to appropriately transfer (supply) the developer D on the supply roller 550 to the development roller 510, the surface of the supply roller 550 is in pressure contact with a later-described elastic layer of the development roller 510. Yes. Further, the supply roller 550 is rotatable around its central axis, and the central axis is below the rotation central axis of the developing roller 510. Further, the supply roller 550 rotates in a direction (clockwise in FIG. 3) opposite to the rotation direction of the developing roller 510 (counterclockwise in FIG. 3).

  The regulating blade 560 abuts the surface of the supply roller 550 along the longitudinal direction of the supply roller 550 (cylindrical base material 552), and regulates the amount of the developer D on the supply roller 550. That is, the regulating blade 560 plays a role of scraping off excess developer on the supply roller 550 and measuring the developer D on the supply roller 550 supplied to the development roller 510. The restriction blade 560 is made of urethane rubber as an elastic body having elasticity, and is supported by a restriction blade support member 562 made of metal such as iron. The rubber hardness of the regulating blade 560 is about 77 degrees according to JIS-A.

  Further, the end of the regulating blade 560 opposite to the side supported by the regulating blade support member 562, that is, the tip is not in contact with the supply roller 550, and a portion separated from the tip by a predetermined distance is provided. The developing roller 510 is in contact with a width. That is, the regulating blade 560 is not in contact with the supply roller 550 at the edge, but is in contact with the belly. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the regulation blade 560 is viewed from a contact position where the tip of the regulation blade 560 that contacts the supply roller 550 contacts the supply roller 550. The supply roller 550 is provided so as to face the downstream side in the rotation direction, and performs so-called trail (trailing) regulation. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the trail (trailing) angle is about 15 degrees. Further, the regulation blade 560 is arranged so that the fixed position 552a is located outside the contact portion of the regulation blade 560 with the supply roller 550 in the longitudinal direction of the supply roller 550 (columnar base material 552). Yes.

  The developing roller 510 carries the developer D and conveys it to the developing position facing the photoconductor 20Y in order to develop the latent image carried on the photoconductor 20Y with the developer D. The developing roller 510 is provided with an elastic layer as an example of an elastic portion having conductivity on the outer peripheral portion of an inner core made of metal such as iron, and has a diameter of about 20 mm. The elastic body layer has a two-layer structure. As the inner layer, urethane rubber having a rubber hardness of about 30 degrees JIS-A and a thickness of about 5 mm is used, and as the surface layer (outer layer), the rubber hardness is JIS. A urethane rubber having a thickness of about 30 μm at about 85 ° A is provided. The developing roller 510 is in pressure contact with each of the supply roller 550 and the photoreceptor 20Y in a state of being elastically deformed with the surface layer serving as a pressure contact portion.

  Further, the developing roller 510 can rotate around its central axis, and the central axis is below the rotational central axis of the photoconductor 20Y. Further, the developing roller 510 rotates in a direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) opposite to the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 20Y (clockwise in FIG. 3). When developing the latent image formed on the photoconductor 20Y, an electric field is formed between the developing roller 510 and the photoconductor 20Y.

  The developing roller cleaning unit 570 has a rubber developing roller cleaning blade 571 in contact with the surface of the developing roller 510, and the developer D remaining on the developing roller 510 after development is performed at the developing position. Is scraped off by the developing roller cleaning blade 571 and removed.

<Operation of Development Unit 50Y>
In the yellow developing unit 50 </ b> Y configured as described above, the scooping roller 540 rotates around its central axis, thereby scooping up the developer D stored in the storage unit 530 and transporting it to the supply roller 550.

  The developer D conveyed to the supply roller 550 reaches the contact position of the regulating blade 560 by the rotation of the supply roller 550. Then, when passing through the contact position, the excess amount of the developer D is scraped off by the regulating blade 560, and the amount of the developer D supplied to the developing roller 510 is measured. That is, since the supply roller 550 is provided with the groove 556 as described above, the regulating blade 560 that contacts the developer supply roller 550 develops the developer D held on the supply roller 550 in the groove 556. The agent D will be scraped off. Further, since the dimension of the groove 556 (in other words, the diameter r of the cross section of the wire 554) is determined so that the developer amount of the developer D supplied to the developing roller 510 becomes an appropriate amount, the regulating blade When the developer 560 scrapes off the developer D on the supply roller 550, the developer D measured to an appropriate amount by the groove 556 remains in the groove 556.

  The developer D held in the groove 556 of the supply roller 550 reaches a pressure contact position with the development roller 510 by further rotation of the supply roller 550. The developer D that has reached the pressure contact position is transferred from the supply roller 550 to the development roller 510 by the action of pressure generated by the pressure contact between the supply roller 550 and the development roller 510, and the developer D is transferred onto the development roller 510. A thin film is formed.

  The developer D thin film formed on the developing roller 510 in this manner reaches the developing position (that is, the pressure contact position with the photoconductor 20Y) facing the photoconductor 20Y by the rotation of the developing roller 510, and the development The latent image formed on the photoconductor 20Y is subjected to development at a position under an electric field of a predetermined magnitude. The developer D on the developing roller 510 that has passed the developing position reaches the contact position of the developing roller cleaning blade 571 as the developing roller 510 further rotates. When passing through the contact position, the developer D attached to the surface of the developing roller 510 is scraped off by the developing roller cleaning blade 571, and the developer D thus scraped off is removed from the developing roller cleaning unit. It is collected in a residual developer collecting unit provided in 570.

=== Function of Supply Roller 550 According to the Present Embodiment ===
As described above, in the supply roller 550 according to the present embodiment, the carrier liquid is applied to the adjacent portion of the wire 554 wound around the cylindrical base material 552 (for example, the portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6). A clearance 557 for allowing passage is formed. As a result, the developer D is efficiently supplied to the developing roller 510.

  In the printer 10, a supply roller 550 including a columnar base material 552 and a wire 554 wound around the columnar base material 552 causes a developer D in which toner particles are dispersed in a carrier liquid to be developed by the developing roller 510. May be supplied to In this case, in order for the supply roller 550 to supply the developer D to the developing roller 510, the developer D stored in the storage portion 530 is appropriately inserted into the groove 556 formed by the adjacent portion of the wire 554. Must be retained. Therefore, it is necessary to disperse the toner particles in the carrier liquid so that the fluidity of the developer D is improved. This is because if the flowability of the developer D is poor, the developer D stored in the storage portion 530 is not properly conveyed to the groove 556, and the amount of the developer D held in the groove 556 may be reduced. It is.

  However, when the amount of carrier liquid is increased with respect to the amount of toner particles in order to ensure the fluidity of developer D, the concentration of toner particles in developer D is lowered. As a result, the supply roller 550 may not be able to supply a sufficient amount of toner particles to the developing roller 510.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a gap 557 for allowing the carrier liquid to pass is formed in an adjacent portion of the wire 554 (for example, a portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6). In such a case, since the fluidity is good, the carrier liquid in the developer D that is appropriately transported from the accommodating portion 530 and held in the adjacent portion (groove 556) of the wire 554 is supplied from the supply roller 550 to the developer. In the process of supplying D to the developing roller 510, it moves from the groove 556 to the space 558 through the gap 557.

  As described above, when the carrier liquid moves from the groove 556 to the space 558 through the gap 557, the amount of the carrier liquid in the developer D held in the groove 556 decreases, but the toner particles in the developer D decrease. The amount hardly decreases. Therefore, the concentration of toner particles in the developer D is increased. As a result, the supply roller 550 supplies a sufficient amount of toner particles to the developing roller 510.

  From the above, when the gap 557 for allowing the carrier liquid to pass is formed in an adjacent portion of the wire 554, the carrier liquid in the developer D having good fluidity that is appropriately transported from the housing portion 530 to the groove 556. However, since the concentration of the toner particles in the developer D increases due to the movement through the gap 557, the developer D is efficiently supplied to the developing roller 510.

=== Other Embodiments ===
The image forming apparatus and the like according to the present invention have been described above based on the above embodiment. However, the above embodiment of the present invention is for facilitating understanding of the present invention and limits the present invention. is not. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the developing units 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K (liquid developing devices) contain a developer D (liquid developer) having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid. A storage portion 530 (developer storage portion) for carrying out, a developing roller 510 (developer carrier) for carrying developer D, a cylindrical substrate 552, and the cylindrical substrate 552 wound around The adjacent portion of the wire 554 (the portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6) is in contact with each other, and a gap 557 through which the carrier liquid passes is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire 554. And a supply roller 550 (developer supply roller) for supplying the developer D accommodated in the accommodating portion 530 to the developing roller 510. It was.

  In the above embodiment, the intermediate transfer type full color laser beam printer has been described as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to the intermediate transfer type, but a full color laser beam printer, a monochrome laser beam printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine. The present invention can be applied to various image forming apparatuses.

  In the above embodiment, the photoconductor as the image carrier has been described as a configuration in which the photosensitive layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical conductive base material, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a so-called photosensitive belt configured by providing a photosensitive layer on the surface of a belt-like conductive substrate may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the size of the gap 557 is such a size that the toner particles do not pass through, but is not limited thereto.
However, when the size of the gap 557 does not allow toner particles to pass, the carrier liquid in the developer D held in the groove 556 passes through the gap 557 while the toner in the developer D Since the particles do not pass through the gap 557, the concentration of the toner particles in the developer D can be effectively increased. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the wire 554 has a circular cross section, and has a convex portion 554f and a concave portion 554g on its surface, and as shown in FIG. The portions adjacent to each other (for example, the portion indicated by reference numeral 554a in FIG. 6) allow the carrier liquid to pass through the recess 554g, but are not limited thereto.
However, when the carrier liquid is passed through the recess 554g, the concentration of the toner particles in the developer D held in the groove 556 can be increased with an easy configuration. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.
Alternatively, a gap 557 caused by the undulation of the wire 554 may be formed in an adjacent portion of the wire 554 by winding the wire 554 having the undulation around the columnar substrate 552.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the developing roller 510 includes an elastic layer (elastic portion), and the supply roller 550 is in pressure contact with the elastic layer of the developing roller 510 to develop. Although the agent D is supplied to the developing roller 510, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the supply roller 550 may supply the developer D to the developing roller 510 without being in pressure contact with the developing roller 510.
However, when the supply roller 550 presses the elastic layer of the developing roller 510 to supply the developer D to the supply roller 550, the supply roller 550 supplies the developer D having a high toner particle concentration. It is possible to appropriately supply the developing roller 510. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 abuts on the surface of the supply roller 550 and regulates the amount of the developer D on the supply roller 550 (regulation member 560). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the regulating member may be a member that does not contact the surface of the supply roller 550, such as an air knife.
However, when the regulating blade 560 is in contact with the surface of the supply roller 550, the regulating blade 560 exerts pressure on the developer D held in the groove 556, so that the carrier liquid in the developer D is Can easily pass through the gap 557. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the regulating blade 560 is configured such that the tip of the regulating blade 560 that contacts the supply roller 550 contacts the supply roller 550 of the regulation blade 560. When viewed from the position, the supply roller 550 is provided so as to face the downstream side in the rotation direction (that is, the restriction blade 560 performs so-called trail restriction on the supply roller 550). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the tip of the regulation blade 560 faces the upstream side in the rotation direction of the supply roller 550 when viewed from the contact position (that is, the regulation blade 560 performs so-called counter regulation on the supply roller 550. It may be good).
However, when the regulation blade 560 performs so-called trail regulation on the supply roller 550, the regulation blade 560 continues to the developer D held in the groove 556 as compared with the so-called counter regulation. Pressure. The pressure applied to the developer D can promote the carrier liquid in the developer D to pass through the gap 557. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

Furthermore, in the said embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, although the one wire 554 was wound around the cylindrical base material 552 helically, it is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of wires may be spirally wound around the columnar substrate 552.
However, in the case of one wire 554, the wire 554 can be easily wound around the columnar base material 552, and thus the gap 557 can be easily formed. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the developer D is a non-Newtonian fluid, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the developer D may be a Newtonian fluid.
However, when the developer D is a non-Newtonian fluid, toner particles are dispersed at a high concentration in the carrier liquid. In such a case, the developer D is more efficiently supplied to the developing roller 510 in combination with the formation of the gap 557 that allows the carrier liquid to pass through the adjacent portion of the wire 554. . Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable.

=== Configuration of Image Forming System etc. ===
Next, an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the image forming system. The image forming system 700 includes a computer 702, a display device 704, a printer 10, an input device 708, and a reading device 710.

  In this embodiment, the computer 702 is housed in a mini-tower type housing, but is not limited thereto. The display device 704 is generally a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a plasma display, a liquid crystal display device, or the like, but is not limited thereto. As the printer 10, the printer described above is used. In this embodiment, the input device 708 uses a keyboard 708A and a mouse 708B, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the reading device 710 uses a flexible disk drive device 710A and a CD-ROM drive device 710B, but is not limited to this. For example, an MO (Magneto Optical) disk drive device or DVD (Digital Versatile) Disk) etc. may be used.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming system shown in FIG. An internal memory 802 such as a RAM and an external memory such as a hard disk drive unit 804 are further provided in a housing in which the computer 702 is housed.

  In the above description, an example in which the printer 10 is connected to the computer 702, the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710 to configure the image forming system has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, the image forming system may include the computer 702 and the printer 10, and the image forming system may not include any of the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710.

  For example, the printer 10 may have a part of each function or mechanism of the computer 702, the display device 704, the input device 708, and the reading device 710. As an example, the printer 10 includes an image processing unit that performs image processing, a display unit that performs various displays, and a recording medium attachment / detachment unit for attaching / detaching a recording medium that records image data captured by a digital camera or the like. It is good also as a structure to have.

  The image forming system realized in this way is a system superior to the conventional system as a whole system.

1 is a diagram illustrating main components constituting an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing which showed the main components of the developing unit. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the particle size of toner particles in developer D and the degree of distribution of the toner particles. It is the figure which showed a mode that the wire 554 was wound around the cylindrical base material 552. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a groove 556 is formed on the surface of a developer supply roller 550. FIG. It is the schematic diagram which showed a mode that the clearance gap 557 was formed in the adjacent part of the wire 554. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating trail (trailing) regulation of the regulation blade 560. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of an image forming system. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming system illustrated in FIG. 9.

Explanation of symbols

10 Printer, 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K Development section,
20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K photoreceptor,
30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K charging unit,
40Y, 40M, 40C, 40K exposure unit,
50Y, 50M, 50C, 50K development unit,
60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K primary transfer unit,
70 Intermediate transfer member, 73Y, 73M, 73C, 73K
75Y, 75M, 75C, 75K photoconductor cleaning unit,
76Y, 76M, 76C, 76K photoconductor cleaning blade,
80 Secondary transfer unit,
100 control unit, 101 main controller,
102 unit controller, 112 interface, 113 image memory,
510 developing roller, 530 container, 540 pumping roller,
550 supply roller, 552 cylindrical base material, 552a fixed position, 554 wire,
554a Adjacent part, 554f convex part, 554g concave part, 555 end part,
556 groove, 557 gap, 558 space, 560 regulating blade,
562 regulating blade support member, 570 developing roller cleaning unit,
571 Development roller cleaning blade,
700 image forming system, 702 computer, 704 display device,
708 input device, 708A keyboard, 708B mouse, 710 reader,
710A flexible disk drive device,
710B CD-ROM drive, 802 internal memory, D developer

Claims (12)

A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid;
A developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer;
A cylindrical base material and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material, where adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap through which the carrier liquid passes is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire A developer supplying roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrying member.
A liquid developing apparatus comprising: The liquid developing device according to claim 1,
The liquid developing device according to claim 1, wherein the size of the gap is a size that prevents the toner particles from passing therethrough. The liquid developing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The wire has a circular cross section, and has a convex portion and a concave portion on the surface thereof,
An adjacent portion of the wire allows the carrier liquid to pass through the recess. A liquid developing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The developer carrier includes an elastic part,
The liquid developer apparatus, wherein the developer supply roller is in pressure contact with the elastic portion of the developer carrier and supplies the liquid developer to the developer carrier. The liquid developing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A liquid developing apparatus comprising a regulating member that abuts on the surface of the developer supplying roller and regulates the amount of the liquid developer on the developer supplying roller. The liquid developing device according to claim 5,
The regulating member is
The tip of the regulating member on the side in contact with the developer supply roller is
As seen from the abutting position where the regulating member abuts on the developer supply roller, the regulating member faces the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developer supply roller.
A liquid developing device characterized in that it is provided. The liquid developing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
One liquid is spirally wound around the columnar substrate, and the liquid developing apparatus is characterized in that: A liquid developing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The liquid developer is characterized in that the liquid developer is a non-Newtonian fluid. A developer accommodating portion for accommodating a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid;
A developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer;
A cylindrical base material and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material, where adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap through which the carrier liquid passes is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire A developer supplying roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrying member.
Have
The size of the gap is a size through which the toner particles do not pass,
The wire has a circular cross section, and has a convex portion and a concave portion on the surface thereof,
The adjacent part of the wire allows the carrier liquid to pass through the recess,
The developer carrier includes an elastic part,
The developer supply roller is in pressure contact with the elastic portion of the developer carrier to supply the liquid developer to the developer carrier;
A regulating member for contacting the surface of the developer supply roller to regulate the amount of liquid developer on the developer supply roller;
The regulating member is
The tip of the regulating member on the side in contact with the developer supply roller is
As seen from the abutting position where the regulating member abuts on the developer supply roller, the regulating member faces the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developer supply roller.
Provided,
One wire is spirally wound around the cylindrical base material,
The liquid developer is characterized in that the liquid developer is a non-Newtonian fluid. An image carrier for carrying a latent image, and
A liquid developing apparatus for developing a latent image carried on the image carrier, wherein the developer contains a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid. A container, a developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer, a columnar substrate, and a wire wound around the columnar substrate, and adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other; And a wire in which a gap for allowing the carrier liquid to pass is formed in an adjacent portion of the wire, and the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion is supplied to the developer carrier. A liquid supply device having a developer supply roller for
An image forming apparatus comprising: Computer, and
An image forming apparatus connectable to the computer, comprising: an image carrier for carrying a latent image; and a liquid developing device for developing the latent image carried on the image carrier, wherein the carrier liquid A developer containing portion for containing a liquid developer having toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid, a developer carrying member for carrying the liquid developer, and a columnar substrate. A wire wound around the cylindrical base material, wherein adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire to allow the carrier liquid to pass therethrough. An image forming apparatus comprising: a liquid developing device comprising: a developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the developer carrier;
An image forming system comprising: A developer supply roller for supplying the liquid developer contained in a developer containing portion containing a carrier liquid and a liquid developer having toner particles dispersed in the carrier liquid to a developer carrying member. Because
A cylindrical base material and a wire wound around the cylindrical base material, where adjacent portions of the wire are in contact with each other, and a gap through which the carrier liquid passes is formed in the adjacent portion of the wire And a developer supply roller.

Images