JP5232822B2 - Driving device and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving device and an image forming apparatus including the driving device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or printer, a developing device that visualizes an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier is provided (see Patent Document 1). . The developing device is provided with a driving device that drives a container containing toner and discharges the toner from the container. (See Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-183568 A JP-A-9-106160

  However, since the drive device of the conventional image forming apparatus is manufactured and mounted for each model of the image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, there is a disadvantage that the number of parts managed in the manufacturing factory is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a drive device that can be used in common even if the types of image forming apparatuses are different.

  The present invention adopts the following configuration as means for solving the above-described problems.

  A first invention is a drive device for driving a plurality of containers that are mounted in an image forming apparatus and that contains toner, and that extends in the arrangement direction of the containers and a container drive unit provided for each container. And a configuration in which the container drive unit is engaged with the container drive unit so as to be movable in the arrangement direction of the containers.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the engagement substrate is an RFID substrate including an RF tag for identifying the container.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the container drive unit is used in common with a motor that generates power to be transmitted to the container, and another container drive unit, and is connected to the container. A configuration is adopted in which a coupling and a transmission gear mechanism for transmitting the power of the motor to the coupling at a reduction ratio corresponding to the container to be connected are employed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a plurality of containers that store toner and supply toner to the developing device, and a driving device that drives the container. A configuration in which the drive device described in any one of the inventions is provided is adopted.

  According to the present invention, a container drive unit is provided for each container, and the container drive unit is engaged with an engagement substrate extending in the container arrangement direction so as to be movable in the container arrangement direction. . For this reason, even when the arrangement interval of the container is changed by changing the model of the image forming apparatus and changing the container size, the driving of the present invention can be easily performed by sliding the container driving unit with respect to the engagement substrate. The apparatus can be mounted on the image forming apparatus.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a copying machine to which a driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a perspective view containing the drive device in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the state which removed the container from the drive device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container drive unit provided in a drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a container drive unit used for a container that stores black toner. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container drive unit provided in a drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a container drive unit used in a container that stores color toner. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the drive device in one Embodiment of this invention was mounted in the other copying machine. It is a front view of the state which removed the container from the drive device shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a copying machine to which a driving device according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each member is appropriately changed in order to make each member a recognizable size. In the following description, a copying machine will be described as an example of an image forming apparatus to which the driving device of the present invention is applied.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a color copier P having an electrophotographic system. This copier P is based on an image reading unit 1 that reads an image of a document and read image data, as in a known copier. And a printing unit 2 that performs printing on recording paper (recording medium).

  The image reading unit 1 irradiates an image of a document with light and receives reflected light to read the image of the document as image data. The image reading unit 1 receives light returned from the light source device or the document that irradiates the document with light. It includes a light receiving sensor that receives light and converts it into image data.

  The printing unit 2 includes a belt unit 6, an image forming unit 7, a paper feed cassette 8, a paper feed tray 9, a secondary transfer unit 10, a fixing unit 11, a paper discharge tray 12, and a conveyance path 13. It has.

  The belt unit 6 transfers the toner image formed in the image forming unit 7 and conveys the transferred toner image. The belt unit 6 includes an intermediate transfer belt 61 to which the toner image is transferred from the image forming unit 7, and an intermediate transfer belt 61. A transfer roller 61 is provided, and a driving roller 62 that drives the transfer belt 61 endlessly, a driven roller 63, and a tension roller 64 are provided.

The intermediate transfer belt 61 is stretched around a driving roller 62, a driven roller 63, and a tension roller 64.
The drive roller 62 is connected to a drive unit having a drive source such as a motor, and rotates while applying a grip force to the intermediate transfer belt 61.
The driven roller 63 is driven to rotate following the rotational drive of the drive roller 62.
The tension roller 64 is a kind of driven roller that is driven to rotate by the rotational driving of the driving roller 62, and has a spring mechanism to apply tension to the intermediate transfer belt 61.
Further, the belt unit 6 is provided with a cleaning unit (not shown) so that the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 is removed.

  The image forming unit 7 is provided corresponding to each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK), and forms a toner image of each color. These image forming units 7 are arranged along the intermediate transfer belt 61.

  Each image forming unit 7 includes a photoreceptor 71, a charger 72, a laser scanning unit 73, a developing device 74, a primary transfer roller 75, a cleaning device 76, a static elimination device (not shown), and the like.

  The photosensitive member 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an electrostatic latent image and a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image are formed on the peripheral surface thereof. The charger 72 is disposed to face the photoconductor 71 and charges the peripheral surface of the photoconductor 71. The laser scanning unit 73 scans the circumferential surface of the charged photoreceptor 71 with laser light emitted based on the image data in the print format.

  The developing device 74 develops a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor 71 by supplying toner to the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor 71. The developing device 74 is configured so that toner is supplied from the container 101Y, the container 101M, the container 101C, and the container 101BK driven by the driving device 100A that characterizes the present invention. The drive device 100A is disposed on the back side of the container 101Y, the container 101M, the container 101C, and the container 101BK in FIG. 1, and details will be described later.

  The primary transfer roller 75 is disposed opposite to the photoreceptor 71 with the intermediate transfer belt 61 interposed therebetween, and primarily transfers the toner image developed on the photoreceptor 71 to the intermediate transfer belt 61. The cleaning device 76 removes toner remaining on the photoreceptor 71 after the primary transfer.

The paper feed cassette 8 can be pulled out of the apparatus main body and accommodates recording paper. The paper feed tray 9 is openable and closable with respect to the apparatus main body, and accommodates recording paper.
The secondary transfer unit 10 performs secondary transfer of the image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 61 to a storage medium. The secondary transfer unit 10 sandwiches the drive roller 62 that drives the intermediate transfer belt 61 and the intermediate transfer belt 61 therebetween. The drive roller 62 and the secondary transfer roller 10a are arranged to face each other.

The fixing unit 11 fixes the toner image secondarily transferred onto the storage medium to the recording paper, and includes a heating roller that fixes the toner image to the recording paper by applying pressure and heating.
The transport path 13 includes a pickup roller 13 a that unloads the storage paper from the paper feed cassette 8, a paper feed roller 13 b that transports the storage medium, a paper discharge roller 13 c that discharges the storage medium to the paper discharge tray 12, and the like.

  In the copying machine P having such a configuration, as described above, image data is acquired by the image reading unit 1, and printing is performed on a recording sheet based on the image data by the printing unit 2.

  Hereinafter, the driving device 100A will be described with reference to FIGS. The driving device 100A is for driving a plurality of containers 101Y, 101M, 101C, and 101BK. The container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK and a single RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) substrate 103 (engagement). Substrate).

The container 101Y is formed of a cylindrical body that stores predetermined yellow (Y) toner inside, and the spiral means provided inside is rotated by the container driving unit 102Y to rotate yellow. It is configured so that toner can be supplied to the developing device 74.
The container 101M is formed of a cylindrical body that stores predetermined magenta (M) toner therein, and a spiral means provided therein is rotated by the container drive unit 102M to rotate the magenta. It is configured so that toner can be supplied to the developing device 74.
The container 101C is formed of a cylindrical body that stores predetermined cyan (C) toner therein, and the spiral means provided inside is rotated by the container driving unit 102C, thereby rotating the cyan. It is configured so that toner can be supplied to the developing device 74.
The container 101BK is composed of a cylindrical body that stores predetermined black (BK) toner therein, and the spiral means provided therein is rotated by the container drive unit 102BK to rotate black. The developing device 74 is configured to supply toner.
Although not shown, these containers 101Y, 101M, 101C, and 101BK are provided with couplings that are joined to the couplings described later provided in the container drive units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK, respectively. In addition, an RFID tag facing a communication unit (described later) provided on the RFID substrate 103 is provided.

  Of the container drive units 102Y, 102M, 102C and 102BK, the container drive unit 102Y is for driving the container 101Y, the container drive unit 102M is for driving the container 101M, and the container drive unit 102C is for driving the container 101C. The container drive unit 102BK is for driving the container 101BK.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container drive unit 102BK. The container drive unit 102BK includes a casing 110, a motor 111, a coupling 112, a positioning boss 113, and a transmission gear mechanism 114.

  The casing 110 has a substantially cubic outer shape, and its bottom surface is configured to be detachably fixed to a frame (not shown) of the copying machine P. On the front side (the paper side in FIG. 4), the coupling 112 and the mounting protrusions 110a and 110b of the container 101BK are provided at a predetermined interval.

  The motor 111 generates power to be transmitted to the container 101BK, and is attached to the housing 110 so that a rotation output shaft (not shown) is positioned in the housing 110. The rotation output shaft is connected to a transmission gear mechanism 114 that forms a speed reduction mechanism configured by combining a plurality of gears provided in the housing 110. Therefore, the housing 110 serves as a gear case that houses the gear of the transmission gear mechanism.

  The coupling 112 is shared with the other container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C, and is connected to the container 101BK. The coupling 112 is attached to the outside of the housing 110, and the base side of the attachment is connected to the output side of the transmission gear mechanism 114. The installation position of the coupling 112 with respect to the casing 110 is such that when the container 101BK is mounted in a state where the casing 110 is attached to the frame of the copying machine P, the coupling 112 can be connected to the coupling provided in the container 101BK. It is decided to.

  The positioning boss 113 is provided on the surface side of the casing 110 where the coupling 112 is provided, using a casing of the motor 111 attached to the casing 110. The amount of protrusion of the positioning boss 113 is determined so as to slightly protrude from the surface position of the housing 110.

  The transmission gear mechanism 114 transmits the power of the motor 111 to the coupling 112 at a reduction ratio according to the container 101BK to be connected. In order to realize an appropriate reduction ratio even when connected to different containers, the transmission gear mechanism 114 is preferably configured to be able to change the reduction ratio.

Since the container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C have the same configuration, the container drive unit 102Y will be described here as an example.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container drive unit 102Y. The container drive unit 102Y includes a housing 120, a motor 121, a coupling 122, substrate mounting portions 123a and 123b, and a transmission gear mechanism 124.

  The casing 120 has a substantially cubic shape, and its bottom surface is configured to be detachably fixed to a frame (not shown) of the copying machine P. On the front side (the paper side in FIG. 5), the coupling 122 and the mounting projections 120a and 120b of the container 101Y are provided at a predetermined interval.

  The motor 121 generates power to be transmitted to the container 101 </ b> Y, and is attached to the housing 120 so that a rotation output shaft (not shown) is positioned in the housing 120. The rotation output shaft is connected to a transmission gear mechanism 124 that constitutes a speed reduction mechanism configured by combining a plurality of gears provided in the housing 120. Therefore, the housing 120 serves as a gear case that houses the gear of the transmission gear mechanism.

The coupling 122 is shared with the other container drive units 102M, 102C, and 102BK, and is connected to the container 101Y. As described above, the coupling 122 is shared with the other container drive units 102M and 102C, so that the container drive unit 102Y can be used as the other container drive units 102M and 102C.
The coupling 122 is attached to the outside of the housing 120, and the base side of the attachment is connected to the output side of the transmission gear mechanism. The installation position of the coupling 122 with respect to the housing 120 is such that when the container 101Y is mounted in a state where the housing 120 is attached to the frame of the copying machine P, the coupling 122 can be coupled to the coupling provided in the container 101Y. It is decided to.

  The board attachment portions 123a and 123b are provided on the upper surface side of the motor 121 attached to the casing 120 on the surface side where the coupling 122 of the casing 120 is provided. And this board | substrate attaching part 123a, 123b is comprised from a pair of nail | claw member arrange | positioned maintaining the distance equal to the distance of the width direction of the RFID board | substrate 103 to the vertical direction, Out of board | substrate attaching parts 123a, 123b At least one side (in the illustrated example, the board mounting portion 123b) is made to bend in the width direction.

The transmission gear mechanism 124 transmits the power of the motor 121 to the coupling 122 at a reduction ratio according to the container 101Y to be connected. In order to realize an appropriate reduction ratio even when connected to different containers, the transmission gear mechanism 124 is preferably configured to be able to change the reduction ratio.
The container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C are engaged with the RFID substrate 103 via the substrate attachment portions 123a and 123b.

The RFID substrate 103 extends in the arrangement direction of the containers 101Y, 101M, 101C, and 101BK, and engages the container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C so that the container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C can slide in the arrangement direction. Yes.
The RFID substrate 103 is made of a strip-like electrically insulating plate, and its width is determined to be approximately equal between the substrate mounting portions 123a and 123b provided in the housing 120, and its thickness is determined by the substrate mounting. It is determined so that it can be inserted into the parts 123a and 123b. Further, an insertion hole 103a to be inserted into the positioning boss 113 provided in the housing 110 is opened in the longitudinal direction of the RFID substrate 103 (in the example of FIG. 3, the upper portion on the right end side). .
On the front side of the RFID substrate 103, communication units R (Y), R (M), R (C), and R (BK) are provided at predetermined intervals. Of these communication units R (Y), R (M), R (C), and R (BK), the communication unit R (Y) is electromagnetic (non-contact) with the RFID tag provided in the container 101Y. The communication unit R (M) is configured to be capable of electromagnetically communicating with the RFID tag provided in the container 101M, and the communication unit R (C) is provided in the container 101C. The communication unit R (BK) is configured to be able to electromagnetically communicate with the RFID tag provided in the container 101BK.
Note that the installation intervals of these communication units R (Y), R (M), R (C), and R (BK) are small containers 101Y (S), 101M (S), and 101C (S) as described later. , 101BK (S) is determined to be in a range where communication with the RFID tag provided in 101BK (S) is possible. Information from the container side obtained through the communication units R (Y), R (M), R (C), and R (BK) is input to a CPU (not shown) of the copier P and a predetermined toner is supplied. It is configured for management.

  In the driving apparatus 100A having the above configuration, the container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK are arranged in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3) according to the size of the containers 101Y, 101M, 101C, and 101BK used in the model of the copier P. ) Are fixed to the frame at predetermined intervals. Then, the RFID substrate 103 is inserted into the positioning boss 113 provided in the housing 110 with the insertion hole 103a, and the upper and lower portions of the RFID substrate 103 in the longitudinal direction of the container drive units 102Y, 102M, and 102C. Each of the board mounting portions 123a and 123b is pushed in and attached.

6 and 7 show a state in which the driving device 100A is mounted on another copier having a different container size. The containers 101Y (S), 101M (S), 101C (S), and 101BK (S) installed in this copier are formed to have a smaller outer shape than the containers 101Y, 101M, 101C, and 101BK shown in FIG. The arrangement interval is narrow.
2A and 2B, the container driving units 102Y, 102M, and 102C are slid along the RFID substrate 103, and the arrangement interval of the container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK is determined by the container 100A. 101Y (S), 101M (S), 101C (S), and 101BK (S) are set narrowly according to the arrangement interval.

  According to the driving apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK are provided for each container, and the container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK are arranged in the container arrangement direction. The extending RFID board 103 is engaged so as to be movable in the container arrangement direction. For this reason, even when the arrangement interval of the container is changed by changing the model of the copying machine and changing the container size, the container driving units 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102BK are slid with respect to the engagement substrate. The driving device 100A can be easily mounted on the copying machine.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described embodiments are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, a configuration using a black toner container having the same shape as the containers 101Y, 101M, and 101C may be employed.
In the above-described example, the image forming apparatus is a copying machine. However, the image forming apparatus may be a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having these functions.

  P: copier (image forming apparatus), 7: image forming unit, 74: developing apparatus, 100A: driving apparatus, 101Y, 101M, 101C, 101BK, 101Y (S), 101M (S), 101C ( S), 101BK (S) ... Container, 102Y, 102M, 102C, 102BK ... Container drive unit, 103 ... RFID substrate (engagement substrate), 103a ... Insertion hole, R (Y), R (M) , R (C), R (BK) ... communication unit, 110 ... housing, 111 ... motor, 112 ... coupling, 113 ... positioning boss, 114 ... transmission gear mechanism, 120 ... Enclosure, 121... Motor, 122... Coupling, 123 a, 123 b.

Claims (4)

A driving device for driving a container that is mounted in the image forming apparatus and that contains toner,
A container drive unit provided for each container;
An engagement board extending in the arrangement direction of the containers and engaging a container drive unit so as to be movable in the arrangement direction of the containers.   The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement substrate is an RFID substrate including an RF tag for identifying the container. The container drive unit is
A motor that generates power to be transmitted to the container;
A coupling that is shared with other container drive units and connected to the container;
The drive device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission gear mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the coupling at a reduction ratio according to a container to be connected. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of containers that contain toner and supply toner to a developing device; and a driving device that drives the containers.
An image forming apparatus comprising the drive device according to claim 1 as the drive device.

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