JP5768611B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  In an electrophotographic apparatus used for a copying machine, a facsimile, a laser beam printer, or the like, either a two-component system composed of toner and a carrier or a one-component system composed only of toner is used as a developer. In the two-component developer, the carrier is reused in the developing machine. However, since toner is consumed in accordance with printing, it is necessary to replenish the toner appropriately. As one method for supplying toner, there is a method in which a detachable rotary toner bottle is used, and a new toner is filled in the toner bottle and mounted on the image forming apparatus. After the toner bottle is attached, the toner is replenished by rotating the toner bottle.

  On the other hand, in the case of a one-component developer, the developer is replenished with a toner cartridge that can be attached to and detached from an image forming unit having a photosensitive drum, a developing machine, a charging unit, and the like. As for a one-component developer, there is a so-called all-in-one type cartridge in which a toner cartridge and an image forming unit are integrated. This type of cartridge is replaced when the toner runs out or when the image forming unit has reached the end of its life.

  In a full-color image forming apparatus, a plurality of toner bottles, toner cartridges, and image forming units (including the all-in-one type) are often detachably mounted as cartridges on the image forming apparatus main body. Here, when printing is performed in a state in which these cartridges are not mounted, or in an erroneous mounting state in which a cartridge of a different type or color of toner is mounted, there is a possibility that print quality may be deteriorated. For example, when different types of toner are replenished due to incorrect mounting, if the toner charging characteristics differ, the charge between the toners moves when the toners come into contact with each other, resulting in characteristics different from the original charging characteristics. There is a risk that abnormal images such as will occur. In addition, when toners of different colors are mixed, even if the amount is very small, the colors are mixed, resulting in a decrease in print quality.

  In order to prevent the cartridge from being unmounted or erroneously mounted, Japanese Patent No. 3650678 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-204353 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-160469 (Patent Document 3), or Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-142484 (Patent Document 4) has been proposed.

  The toner container of the electrophotographic apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has an engaging portion having a different shape depending on the type and color of the stored toner, and a protruding member that regulates the setting direction of the container can be attached to and detached from the toner container. It is attached. The cartridge described in Patent Document 2 distinguishes the cartridges of each color according to the angle at which the identification member is attached so that the identification member common to each color can be held in the cartridge. In either case, an identification member having a shape difference corresponding to the type of cartridge is attached to each cartridge, whereby individual cartridges are mechanically identified to prevent erroneous mounting by the user.

  However, in the mechanical identification method using the identification member having a shape difference, there is a possibility that the cartridge or the image forming apparatus main body may be damaged when the user forcibly mounts the cartridge. Further, even when the identification member is removed, the cartridge can be mounted on the image apparatus main body, and erroneous mounting can occur.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 3, a conductive plate is provided in each process unit, and the contacts of the units are connected. In addition, it is configured to recognize that the unit is mounted at a correct position by forming a conductive path by connecting the contact of the unit at the end and the contact disposed in the image forming apparatus main body. However, since the pattern of the conductive plate of each process unit is different for each unit so that it is not correctly connected when the order is changed, it is necessary to manufacture a plurality of process units having different conductive plates for each color. It is scarce. Further, when the process unit is reused, the toner to be stored is limited to the same color toner. As described above, there are problems in manufacturing cost increase and recyclability of the process unit.

  Furthermore, the printer described in Patent Document 4 is provided with an ink tank having a memory array in which individual information is recorded, so that a light emitting unit provided in the ink tank is provided according to information read by electrical connection. It is configured to detect whether it is properly installed by turning on or off. In addition, a light receiving unit that detects lighting of the light emitting unit is provided in the apparatus main body.

  As described above, even when the light emitting unit is provided in one of the ink tank (cartridge) and the apparatus (image forming apparatus) main body and the light receiving unit is provided in the other, the mounting of the cartridge can be detected. Each time the light emitting part or the light receiving part is replaced, the maintenance cost increases.

  Therefore, in view of such circumstances, the present invention can detect a cartridge mounting failure such as cartridge non-mounting or erroneous mounting at a low cost, and can prevent damage to the cartridge and the image forming apparatus main body due to cartridge mounting / dismounting. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cartridge detection mechanism for detecting a mounting failure of a cartridge attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus main body, and an optical member is provided on the cartridge, and image formation is performed on the optical member. The light from the light emitting unit provided in the apparatus main body is incident, and the light passing through the optical member is received by the light receiving unit provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and two or more cartridges are provided. A half mirror in which a front optical member provided in one cartridge of one cartridge and a rear optical member provided in the other cartridge are disposed, and at least the front optical member allows reflection and transmission of light. in configured, among the reflected light passing through the front optical member and the transmitted light, the cartridge detection, characterized in that either one of the passing light is incident to the subsequent optical member It is a mechanism.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of cartridge mounting failure from the state of light passing through an optical member provided on the cartridge. By adopting such a configuration that optically detects defective mounting, the cartridge and the image forming apparatus are less likely to be damaged even when a cartridge (particularly an irregular cartridge) is forcibly mounted. Further, since both the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are provided on the image forming apparatus main body side, it is not necessary to replace the light emitting unit or the light receiving unit when replacing the cartridge, and the maintenance cost can be suppressed. From the above, it is possible to stably detect a cartridge mounting failure at low cost and stably over a long period of time.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view illustrating a schematic configuration around an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of an identification member. (A) is a plan view of the identification member as viewed from the attachment portion side, (b) is a side view of the toner cartridge having a fitting hole, and (c) is a perspective view showing a process of attaching the identification member to the toner cartridge. is there. It is a perspective view which shows the optical path of the light which passes a half mirror. It is a side view which shows 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a list showing the mounting state of each toner cartridge, the detection state of each light receiving section, and the display pattern on the display means, and (b) is a plan view showing a display example by the display means. It is a side view which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a list showing the mounting state of each toner cartridge, the detection state of each light receiving unit, and the display pattern on the display means, (b) is a graph showing the received light intensity at each light receiving unit, and (c) is a display. It is a top view which shows the example of a display by a means. It is a side view which shows 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (a) shows the light emission state of a 1st light emission part, (b) shows the light emission state of a 2nd light emission part. (A) is a list showing the mounting state of each toner cartridge, the detection state of the light receiving part, and the display pattern on the display means, (b) is a graph showing the light emission intensity at the light emitting part and the light receiving intensity at the light receiving part, (C) is a top view which shows the example of a display by a display means. It is a side view which shows 4th Embodiment of this invention, (a) shows the state in which the light was entered into the 1st optical system, (b) shows the state in which the light was entered into the 2nd optical system. (A) is a list showing the mounting state of each toner cartridge, the detection state of each light-receiving unit, and the display pattern on the display means, (b) is a graph showing the light-receiving intensity at each light-receiving unit, and (c) is the graph. It is a top view which shows the example of a display by a display means. It is a side view which shows 5th Embodiment of this invention, (a) shows the state which entered the light into the 1st optical system, (b) shows the state which entered the light into the 2nd optical system. (A) is a list showing the mounting state of each toner cartridge, the detection state of the light receiving portion, and the display pattern on the display means, (b) is a graph showing the received light intensity at the light receiving portion, and (c) is the display means. It is a top view which shows the example of a display by. It is the table | surface which put together the number of the mirrors which form the light emission part in each embodiment, a light-receiving part, and an optical path. (A) is a plan view of the identification member as viewed from the attachment portion side, (b) is a side view of the toner cartridge having a fitting hole, and (c) is a perspective view showing a process of attaching the identification member to the toner cartridge. is there. (A) is a plan view of the identification member as viewed from the attachment portion side, (b) is a side view of the toner cartridge having a fitting hole, and (c) is a perspective view showing a process of attaching the identification member to the toner cartridge. is there. (A) is a perspective view showing the attaching process of the identification member to the side surface to the toner cartridge, and (b) is a perspective view showing the attaching process of the identifying member to the upper surface. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a detection mechanism in which an identification member is attached to the upper surface of the toner cartridge.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 including a color electrophotographic apparatus includes an exposure unit 2, an image forming unit 3, an image transfer unit 4, a paper feeding unit 5, a conveyance path 6, a fixing unit 7, and a discharge unit. 8 or the like.

  The exposure unit 2 is located on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 1 and includes a light source that emits light and various optical systems. Specifically, the surface of the photoconductor is irradiated with light for each color separation component of the image created based on the image data obtained from the image acquisition unit (not shown) toward the photoconductor of the image forming unit 3 to be described later. To form a latent image.

  The image forming unit 3 is provided below the exposure unit 2 and includes a plurality of image forming units 31 configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus 1. Each image forming unit 31 includes a photosensitive drum 32 as an image carrier capable of carrying toner as a developer on the surface, a charging roller 33 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 32, and a photosensitive drum. The developing device 34 supplies toner to the surface of the photoconductor 32, and the photoconductor cleaning blade 35 that cleans the surface of the photoconductor drum 32. Each image forming unit 31 includes four image forming units 31 (31Y, 31C, 31M, 31Bk) corresponding to different colors of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black, which are color separation components of a color image. Since the configuration is the same except for the color of the toner, repeated description is omitted.

  The image transfer unit 4 is located immediately below the image forming unit 3. The image transfer unit 4 includes a transfer belt 43 stretched around the driving roller 4 a and the driven roller 4 b so as to be able to run around, a belt cleaning device 44 that cleans the surface of the transfer belt 43, and the transfer belt 43 with respect to the photosensitive drum 32. It is composed of a primary transfer roller 45 or the like disposed at the opposite position between which it is interposed. Each primary transfer roller 45 presses the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt 43 at each position, and a primary transfer nip is formed between each photosensitive drum 32 and each primary transfer roller 45.

  A secondary transfer roller 46 is disposed at a position facing the drive roller 4a. The secondary transfer roller 46 presses the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt 43 and forms a secondary transfer nip between the drive roller 4 a and the secondary transfer roller 46. Further, a waste toner container 47 that stores waste toner cleaned by the belt cleaning device 44 is disposed below the transfer belt 43 via a waste toner transfer hose (not shown).

  The paper feeding unit 5 is located below the image forming apparatus 1 and includes a paper tray 51 that stores the recording paper P, a paper feeding roller 52 that carries the recording paper P out of the paper tray 51, and the like.

  The transport path 6 is a transport path for transporting the recording paper P carried out from the paper feed unit 5. In addition to the pair of registration rollers 61, a pair of transport rollers (not shown) is transported to the discharge unit 8 described later. It arranges suitably in the middle.

  The fixing unit 7 is located downstream of the conveyance path of the secondary transfer nip, and includes a fixing roller 72 heated by a heating source 71, a pressure roller 73 that can press the fixing roller 72, and the like.

  The discharge unit 8 is provided on the most downstream side of the conveyance path 6 of the image forming apparatus 1 and includes a pair of discharge rollers 81 for discharging the recording paper P to the outside, and a discharge tray 82 for storing the discharged recording medium. Have.

  The basic operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

  When the image forming operation is started in the image forming apparatus 1, the photosensitive drums 32 of the respective image forming units 31Y, 31C, 31M, and 31Bk are rotationally driven clockwise by a driving device (not shown) to The surface is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 33. A laser beam for each color component of the image to be formed is irradiated from the exposure unit 2 to the surface of each charged photosensitive drum 32 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 32. At this time, the image information to be exposed on each photosensitive drum 32 is single-color image information obtained by separating a desired full-color image into color information of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. By supplying toner to each electrostatic latent image formed on each photoconductor drum 32 in this way by each developing device 34, the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a visible toner image (developer image). Turn into.

  Next, the drive roller 4a of the image transfer unit 4 is driven to rotate counterclockwise in the figure, thereby driving the transfer belt 43 in the direction indicated by the arrow D in the figure. Further, each primary transfer roller 45 is applied with a constant voltage or a constant current controlled voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner. As a result, a transfer electric field is formed in the primary transfer nip between each primary transfer roller 45 and each photosensitive drum 32. Then, the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 32 of the image forming units 31Y, 31C, 31M, and 31Bk are sequentially superimposed on the transfer belt 43 by the transfer electric field formed in the primary transfer nip. To do. Thus, a full color toner image is formed on the surface of the transfer belt 43.

  Thereafter, the residual toner adhering to the surface of each photoconductor drum 32 is removed by the photoconductor cleaning blade 35, and then the surface potential is initialized by neutralizing the surface with a static eliminator (not shown). Prepare for the next image formation.

  On the other hand, when the image forming operation is started, in the lower part of the image forming apparatus 1, the paper feeding roller 52 of the paper feeding unit 5 is driven to rotate, and the recording paper P stored in the paper tray 51 is sent out to the transport path 6. The registration roller 61 conveys the recording paper P sent to the conveyance path 6 to the secondary transfer nip at a predetermined timing. At this time, the secondary transfer roller 46 forms a transfer electric field in the secondary transfer nip by applying a transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the toner charging polarity of the toner image on the transfer belt 43. Then, the toner images on the transfer belt 43 are collectively transferred onto the recording paper P by this transfer electric field.

  The recording paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 7 and is heated and pressed by the fixing roller 72 and the pressure roller 73 heated by the heating source 71 to fix the toner image on the recording paper P. Then, the recording paper P on which the toner image is fixed is separated from the fixing roller 72, conveyed by a pair of conveyance rollers (not shown), and discharged to the discharge tray 82 by the discharge roller 81 in the discharge unit 8. On the other hand, the residual toner adhering to the transfer belt 43 after the transfer is removed by the belt cleaning device 44, and transported to the waste toner container 47 and collected by a screw or a waste toner transfer hose (not shown).

  The above description is an image forming operation when a full color image is formed on the recording paper P. A single color image is formed using any one of the four image forming units 31Y, 31C, 31M, and 31Bk. Alternatively, two or three image forming units 31 can be used to form a two-color or three-color image.

  Next, the image forming unit 3 of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a schematic configuration around the image forming unit 3. Since the configuration of the four image forming units 31 is the same, the configuration will be described in detail using the image forming unit 31Y arranged on the rightmost side in FIG. 2 as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 31 (31Y) of the present embodiment is mounted with a toner cartridge 36 having a toner accommodating portion.

  The toner cartridge 36 is a three-dimensional container having a toner container therein, and is detachable from the developing device 34. When toner is consumed by image formation, a predetermined amount of toner is supplied from the toner cartridge 36 to the developing device 34 under the control of a toner supply control unit (not shown). An identification member 39 is attached to a predetermined surface of the toner cartridge 36.

  The developing device 34 stores toner supplied from the toner cartridge 36 and supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum 32 to visualize the electrostatic latent image. The developing device 34 includes an agitator 34a, a supply roller 34b, and a developing roller. 34c, a regulation blade 34d, and the like.

  The agitator 34a is a rotatable member having a plurality of stirring blades on the surface, and rotates by driving a driving means (not shown) in the toner supply unit to stir the toner. By agitating the toner in the developing device 34, the toner is prevented from aggregating and a uniform toner is supplied. The supply roller 34b is made of, for example, a conductive urethane foam material, and is disposed near the toner outlet, and supplies toner to a nip formed by contact with the developing roller 34c.

  The developing roller 34c is configured by covering a conductive cored bar with a conductive elastic body, for example, a urethane foam material, and connecting a bias current composed of, for example, a negative polarity DC power source to develop a developing bias having a predetermined potential. Applied. The developing roller 34 c is in contact with the supply roller 34 b and the photosensitive drum 32, and supplies the toner received from the supply roller 34 b to the surface of the photosensitive drum 32.

  The regulating blade 34d is made of a conductive member such as stainless steel, and contacts the developing roller 34c on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the developing roller 34c from the developing nip. By this contact, excess toner on the surface of the developing roller 34c is removed, and a charge due to friction is given to the toner passing through the contact point.

  Next, the identification member 39 attached to the toner cartridge 36 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, the identification member 39 includes a base member 40, an optical member 38 attached to the base member 40, and an attachment portion 41.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the base member 40 has a quadrangular prism shape with two opposing surfaces being square, and is made of a light transmissive material, for example, a plastic such as an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, or a polystyrene resin, or glass. An optical member 38 is mounted on any one of the four side surfaces of the base member 40 excluding the two opposing surfaces by an appropriate means. The optical member 38 is configured by a half mirror HM that transmits a predetermined amount of incident light and reflects the remaining light. The light transmissive material includes air. Therefore, the base member 40 may be formed in a hollow shape opened on a surface other than the mounting surface of the optical member 38.

  A seal S corresponding to the toner color accommodated in the toner cartridge 36 can be affixed to one of the two opposing surfaces of the base member 40. This seal S allows the user to recognize the toner color stored in the toner cartridge 36.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, the attachment portion 41 is provided on the other of the two opposing surfaces of the base member 40. The attachment portion 41 includes a columnar base portion 41a and a rib portion 41b protruding in the radial direction of the base portion 41a. In addition to being integrally formed with the base member 40, the attachment portion 41 can be a separate member attached to the base member 40 by an appropriate means.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the toner cartridge 36 is formed with a fitting hole 42 that fits the attachment portion 41. The fitting hole 42 includes a circular portion corresponding to the base portion 41a and a notch portion 42b corresponding to the rib portion 41b. The notches 42b are provided at equal intervals in a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the circular portion 42a. The number of notches 42b is the same as the number of colors of the toner cartridge 36, and in the present embodiment, a case where four portions are provided at equal intervals every 90 degrees is illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, the identification member 39 is attached to the toner cartridge 36 by fitting the attachment portion 41 into the fitting hole 42. At that time, the base portion 41a of the attachment portion 41 is fitted to the circular portion 42a of the fitting hole 42, while the rib portion 41b of the attachment portion 41 is fitted to any one of the cutout portions 42b. By appropriately selecting the fitting destination of the rib portion 41b from the four cutout portions 42b, the identification member 39 is moved to four different rotation phase angles (0 °, 90 °, 180 ° around the rotation axis O). 270 °) with respect to the toner cartridge 36. The rotational phase angle of the identification member 39 can be arbitrarily changed by removing the identification member 39 from the fitting hole 42 and changing the mating partner of the rib portion 41b to a different notch 42b.

  The rotational phase angle of the identification member 39 is determined according to the type of the toner cartridge 36, specifically, the color of the toner accommodated in each cartridge 36. For example, the rotation phase angle is set to 0 ° for black (Bk), 90 ° for cyan (C), 180 ° for magenta (M), and 270 ° for yellow (Y). When the rotational phase angle of the identification member 39 is switched between these angles, the optical member 38 changes its posture while moving around the rotation axis O of the identification member 39. At this time, the optical member 38 has rotational symmetry according to the rotational movement angle with the rotational axis O of the identification member 39 as the center. Therefore, by associating the rotational phase angle of the identification member 39 with the toner color of the toner cartridge 36, the position and posture of the optical member 38 can be switched between four modes corresponding to each color (see FIG. 6).

  The fitting hole 42 formed in the toner cartridge 36 can be used, for example, as a replenishing port for refilling the toner container with toner. This eliminates the need for a separate member for sealing the replenishing port, thereby reducing the number of components. It is preferable that an airtight seal material such as rubber or urethane foam is disposed around the fitting hole 42 and the mounting portion 41 is closely attached to the seal material to seal the inside of the toner cartridge 36. By removing the identification member 39 from the toner cartridge 36, filling the toner from the fitting hole 42, and then fitting the identification member 39 into the fitting hole 42 again, a recycled toner cartridge can be manufactured.

  At this time, if the identification members 39 are formed in the same shape, the identification members 39 can be shared by the toner cartridges 36 of the respective colors by removing the seal S. Therefore, the toner cartridge 36 can be recycled.

  Light enters the identification member 39 from a light emitting unit described later. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, when the optical member 38 is configured by a half mirror, when light enters the optical member 38, part of the light becomes reflected light, and the remaining light passes through the optical member 38. Transmitted light. When the incident angle θ of light is constant and the transmittance of the half mirror HM is 50%, the light intensity of reflected light and transmitted light is 50 for incident light with a light intensity of 100, respectively.

  Next, each embodiment of the cartridge detection mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a detection mechanism according to the present invention. The detection mechanism according to this embodiment includes two optical systems (first optical system and second optical system) each including an optical member 38, a light emitting unit LD, a light receiving unit PD, and a mirror M (reflectance 100%). System).

  Each toner cartridge 36 is detachably attached to a receiving portion (not shown) of the image forming apparatus main body. The arrangement order of the toner cartridges 36 conforms to the order of appearance of the toner colors corresponding to each rotation phase angle when the identification member 39 is rotated to increase the rotation phase angle sequentially. In this embodiment, the light emitting unit LD From the side, each color toner cartridge 36 is arranged in the order of black (Bk), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y).

  Each identification member 39 has a predetermined rotational phase angle corresponding to each color with the rotation axis O shown in FIG. 4C in a direction perpendicular to the light incident direction of the light emitting portion LD (vertical direction in the drawing). The cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y are mounted respectively.

  In the present embodiment, the first optical system (shown by a solid line) includes a first light emitting unit LD1, two optical members 38 (for example, second and third stage optical members 38C and 38M), two It is an optical system including light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 and a plurality of mirrors M1 and M2. The second optical system (shown by a broken line) includes a second light emitting unit LD2, the remaining two optical members 38 (first and fourth optical members 38Bk and 38Y), and two light receiving units PD3. , PD4 and a plurality of mirrors M3, M4.

  The first light emitting unit LD1 and the second light emitting unit LD2 are arranged at appropriate positions in the image forming apparatus main body with the light projecting directions parallel to each other. Two optical members 38C, 38M of the first optical system are arranged on the optical path of the first light emitting unit LD1, and two optical members 38Bk, 38Bk of the second optical system are arranged on the optical path of the second light emitting unit LD2. 38Y is arranged. The incident angles of light with respect to the optical member 38 in each posture are all equal, and in this embodiment, the incident angle is 45 °.

  Each of the light emitting units LD1 and LD2 includes a light source (laser diode or the like) that irradiates light with high straightness, for example, laser light. As the light emitting portions LD1 and LD2, the light source of the exposure portion 2 that exposes each photosensitive drum 32 can be used.

  The light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 are configured by a light receiving sensor including a semiconductor element having a photoelectric conversion element, such as a photodiode. Each of the light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 is mounted at an appropriate position of the image forming apparatus main body, like the light emitting portion LD. The light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 in this embodiment need only be capable of detecting the presence or absence of light reception, and do not need to detect the light reception intensity. Therefore, an inexpensive light receiving sensor can be used.

  Each of the optical members 38Bk, 38C, 38M, and 38Y provided in each identification member 39 is configured by a half mirror. The identification members 39Bk, 39C, 39M, and 39Y are desirably arranged on the same plane. Thereby, the configuration of the entire detection mechanism can be reduced in thickness, and the configuration of the optical system can be simplified.

  In the detection mechanism described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the light emitted from the first light emitting portion LD1 is incident on the optical member 38C (first front optical member) in the front stage of the first optical system. , And can be divided into two types of passing light consisting of reflected light and transmitted light. Of these, the reflected light is received by the first light receiving part PD1 after the optical path is changed by the mirror M1. On the other hand, the transmitted light is incident on the latter optical member 38M (first latter optical member) of the first optical system, and is divided into two passing lights composed of transmitted light and reflected light. Of these two types of passing light, the reflected light is received by the second light receiving unit PD2 after the optical path is changed by 90 degrees with the mirror M2. The transmitted light passes through the base member 40 of the yellow (Y) identification member 39.

  Similarly, in the second optical system, the light emitted from the second light emitting unit LD2 is incident on the optical member 38Bk (second front optical member) on the front stage of the second optical system, and the reflected light and It is divided into two passing lights composed of transmitted light. At this time, the second light emitting unit LD2 can emit light simultaneously with the first light emitting unit LD1. The reflected light is received by the third light receiving unit PD3 by changing the optical path by 90 degrees by the mirror M3. The transmitted light that has passed through the second front-stage optical member 38Bk is incident on the rear-stage optical member 38Y (second rear-stage optical member) of the second optical system, and is divided into two passing lights composed of transmitted light and reflected light. . Of these two types of passing light, the reflected light is received by the fourth light receiving part PD4 by changing the optical path by the mirror M4, and the transmitted light passes through the base member 40 of the yellow (Y) identification member 39Y.

  The light reception signals of the light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 are input to a control device (not shown). If it is detected that light is received by all the light receiving parts PD, the control device determines that all the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y are normally mounted.

  In a state where any one of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y is not mounted, or in a state where the identification member 39 of any one of the toner cartridges is detached, the light emitted from the light emitting unit LD is not mounted. Therefore, the corresponding light receiving unit PD does not detect light. Further, when a different color toner cartridge 36 is mounted due to erroneous mounting, the light is reflected in an unspecified direction by the optical member 38 of the toner cartridge that is erroneously mounted. Does not detect light reception.

  As described above, when any of the light receiving portions PD does not detect light reception, the control device determines that the toner cartridge 36 corresponding to the light receiving portion PD is in a state of poor mounting such as non-mounting or erroneous mounting.

  The determination result described above is transmitted from the control device to appropriate display means. As the display means U, for example, it is conceivable to provide four lamps for displaying the presence / absence of defective mounting for each color of black (Bk), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) (FIG. 7 ( b)). By turning on the lamps of the respective colors, for example, if they are normally mounted, and turning them off if they are not mounted correctly, the user can know which color cartridge 36 has a mounting defect. If it is determined that all the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y are normally mounted, the control device starts an image forming operation. On the other hand, if the toner cut ridge 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y of at least one of the colors is defective, the image forming apparatus 1 is forcibly stopped, and an alarm is issued to the user as necessary. To do. The configuration of the display means is arbitrary, and a liquid crystal display can be adopted in addition to using the lamp as described above.

  FIG. 7A shows a list of the mounting state of the toner cartridge 36, the detection result of the light receiving unit PD, and the display pattern on the display means. The column “attached state” indicates whether or not each toner cartridge 36 is correctly attached. The state where the toner cartridge 36 is correctly attached is indicated by ○, and the state where the toner cartridge 36 is not attached or incorrectly attached is indicated by ×. The “PD detection” column indicates the presence / absence of light reception at each light receiving unit PD, and indicates 1 when the light reception is detected and 0 when the light reception is not detected. The “display pattern” indicates the ON / OFF state of the lamp on the display means.

  As apparent from FIG. 7A, the detection mechanism of the present invention can determine the presence or absence of defective mounting for each individual toner cartridge, and occurs in each of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y. Any combination of whether or not there is a mounting failure can be reliably detected.

  At this time, since it is configured to optically detect the presence / absence of a mounting failure for each toner cartridge, even when a toner cartridge (particularly a non-regular toner cartridge) is forcibly mounted, it is mechanically mounted due to the difference in shape of the member Damage to the toner cartridge and the image forming apparatus main body, which is a problem in the configuration for determining the presence or absence of toner, is unlikely to occur.

  In addition, since both the light emitting unit LD and the light receiving unit PD are provided on the image forming apparatus main body side, it is not necessary to replace the light emitting unit LD and the light receiving unit PD when replacing the toner cartridge, and the maintenance cost can be suppressed. .

  Further, in each of the two optical systems, the front optical members 38C and 38Bk and the rear optical members 38M and 38Y are arranged, and the transmitted light passing through the front optical members 38C and 38Bk made of a half mirror is transmitted to the rear optical members 38C and 38Bk. Since the light is incident on the optical members 38M and 38Y, two light beams can be obtained from one light emitting unit LD and received by the light receiving unit PD in each optical system. Therefore, the number of light emitting portions LD can be reduced (halved) compared to the number of types of toner cartridges 36. Thereby, the number of light emitting parts LD of the whole detection mechanism can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved.

  In the embodiment described above, among the passing light (reflected light or transmitted light) that has passed through the optical members 38Bk, 38C, 38M, and 38Y, the reflected light is received by the light receiving portions PD1 to PD4. By changing the arrangement and number of M1 to M4, a part or all of the light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 can be configured to receive the transmitted light that has passed through the optical members 38. In this case, the reflected light of the front optical members 38Bk and 38C is incident on the rear optical members 38M and 38Y. The half mirrors constituting each optical member 38 are not limited to those having a transmittance of 50%, and those having an arbitrary transmittance can be used.

  The latter stage optical members 38M and 38Y of each optical system can also be configured by reflecting members (mirrors) that perform total reflection.

[Second Embodiment]
8 and 9 show a second embodiment of the detection mechanism according to the present invention. In the first embodiment, the light passing through each of the optical members 38Bk, 38C, 38M, and 38Y is received by one of the light receiving portions PD1 to PD4 corresponding to each. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the front optical members 38Bk and 38C and the rear optical members 38M and 38Y share a part of the light receiving part PD, and one light receiving part PD uses either one of the front optical members ( One of 38Bk and 38C) and one of the subsequent optical members (one of 38M and 38Y) are received.

  In the second embodiment, two light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 are installed. The first light receiving unit PD1 receives the reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member belonging to different optical systems, and the second light receiving unit PD2 also receives the reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member belonging to different optical systems. Light is received. Specifically, the first light receiving section PD1 includes the reflected light of the second optical system front optical member 38Bk (second front optical member) and the first optical system rear optical member 38M (first optical member). The second light receiving unit PD2 receives the reflected light from the front optical member 38C (first front optical member) of the first optical system and the rear stage of the second optical system. Each mirror 1-4 is arrange | positioned so that the reflected light of optical member 38Y (2nd back | latter stage optical member) may be received.

  Each optical member 38Bk, 38C, 38M, 38Y is formed of a half mirror. Since the transmittance of each half mirror is 50%, when the light intensity of the light emitting part LD is 100, the light intensity of the reflected light that has passed through the front optical members 38Bk, 36C is 50, and the optical members 38M, 38Y in the subsequent stages. The light intensity of the reflected light after passing through is 25.

  In this case, when the received light intensity at the first light receiving portion PD1 is considered separately, if the toner cartridges 36Bk and 36M corresponding to the front optical member 38Bk and the rear optical member 38M are normally mounted, The light receiving intensity of one light receiving part PD1 is 75 (50 + 25). If the toner cartridge 36Bk corresponding to the front optical member 38Bk is normally mounted, but if the toner cartridge 36M corresponding to the rear optical member 38M is not mounted correctly, the light receiving intensity of the first light receiving unit PD1 is 50, When the relationship of the mounting failure is reversed, the light receiving intensity of the first light receiving portion PD1 is 25. If both the toner cartridges 36Bk and 36M have a mounting failure, the light receiving intensity of the first light receiving portion PD1 becomes zero.

  Therefore, if the first light receiving part PD1 is capable of discriminating the received light intensity in four stages of 75, 50, 25, and 0, any combination of normal mounting and mounting defects occurring in the two toner cartridges 36Bk and 36M can be obtained. It becomes possible to detect. Similarly, in the second light receiving unit PD2, four levels of received light intensity of 75, 50, 25, and 0 are generated according to the combination of normal mounting and mounting failure of the two toner cartridges 36C and 36Y. Therefore, if a second light receiving unit PD2 capable of discriminating four levels of received light intensity is used, it is possible to detect any combination of normal mounting and defective mounting occurring in the two toner cartridges 36C and 36Y.

  FIG. 9A shows a list of the mounted state of each toner cartridge 36 in the second embodiment, the detection result of each light receiving unit PD, and the display pattern on the display means. As can be seen from the figure, the normal mounting and the mounting failure occurring in each of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y by recognizing which level of the light receiving intensity of each of the light receiving portions PD1 and PD2 is in four levels. It is possible to determine the mounting state of the individual toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y with respect to all combinations. By displaying the determination result on the display unit U, the user can be made aware of the mounting state of each toner cartridge.

  If it is assumed that the black (Bk) and yellow (Y) toner cartridges 36Bk and 36Y are defectively mounted and the other toner cut ridges 36C and 36M are normally mounted, the light receiving units PD1 and PD2 The received light intensity is as shown in FIG. FIG. 9C shows a display pattern on the display means U in this case (white paint indicates lighting, black paint indicates extinguishing).

  In the second embodiment, basically the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, according to the second embodiment, since the light receiving parts PD are shared between the first optical system and the second optical system, the number of light receiving parts PD is reduced compared to the first embodiment (halved). ) Can also be obtained.

  In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the arrangement and the number of mirrors M1 to M4 are changed so that one or both of the light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 pass through each optical member 38. It is also possible to receive transmitted light. In this case, the reflected light of the front optical members 38Bk and 38C is incident on the rear optical members 38M and 38Y.

  Moreover, as a half mirror which comprises each optical member 38, not only a thing with the transmittance | permeability of 50% but a thing with arbitrary transmittance | permeability can also be used. When a half mirror having a transmittance other than 50% is used, the rear optical members 38M and 38Y of the respective optical systems can be configured by reflecting members (mirrors) that perform total reflection.

  Further, in the configuration of FIG. 8, when the reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member is received by each of the two light receiving portions PD1 and PD2, the reflected light of different optical systems is received. On the other hand, by changing the arrangement and number of mirrors M, each of the two light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 may be configured to receive the reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member of the same optical system. (For example, the first light receiving portion PD1 receives the reflected light of the front optical member 38C and the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system, and the second light receiving portion PD2 receives the front optical member 38Bk of the second optical system.) And the reflected light of the latter stage optical member 38Y is received (refer Fig.10 (a) (b)).

[Third Embodiment]
10 and 11 show a third embodiment of the detection mechanism according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, the first light emitting part LD1 and the second light emitting part LD2 are caused to emit light at the same time. However, in the third embodiment, the first light emitting part LD1 of the first optical system and the second optical system. The second light emitting part LD2 is caused to emit light with a time difference.

  In the entire detection mechanism of this embodiment, one light receiving unit PD1 is installed. The first light receiving unit PD1 first receives the reflected light from the front optical member and the rear optical member belonging to one optical system (first optical system), and subsequently receives the other optical system (second optical system). Each reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member belonging to the optical system) is received. Specifically, first, the first light-receiving unit PD1 reflects each reflected light of the front optical member 38C (first front optical member) and the rear optical member 38M (first rear optical member) of the first optical system. Subsequently, the first light receiving portion PD1 is connected to the front optical member 38Bk (second front optical member) and the rear optical member 38Y (second rear optical member) of the second optical system. Each reflected light is received. Each mirror M1-M8 is arrange | positioned so that this may be implement | achieved.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10A, first, the first light emitting portion LD1 of the first optical system emits light, and the reflected light of the front optical member 38C and the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system. Is received by the light receiving unit PD1. At this time, in the light receiving unit PD1, as in the second embodiment, four levels of received light intensity of 75, 50, 25, and 0 are generated according to the combination of normal mounting and mounting failure of the two toner cartridges 36C and 36M. . Therefore, by using the light receiving unit PD1 that can discriminate these four levels of received light intensity, it is possible to detect any combination of normal mounting and defective mounting that occurs in the two toner cartridges 36C and 36M.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), the first light emitting part LD1 is turned off and the second light emitting part LD2 of the second optical system is caused to emit light, and the front optical member 38Bk of the second optical system and The reflected light of the rear optical member 38Y is received by the light receiving part PD1. As a result, any combination of normal mounting and mounting failure occurring in the remaining two toner cartridges 36Bk and 36Y can be detected. As shown in FIG. 11B, the first light emitting unit LD1 and the second light emitting unit LD2 are caused to emit light alternately and repeatedly, so that the presence / absence of a mounting defect can be determined a plurality of times, and the determination accuracy is improved. .

  FIG. 11A shows a list of the mounting states of the toner cartridges 36 in the third embodiment, the detection results of the light receiving unit PD, and the display patterns on the display means. As described above, since the detection by the first optical system and the detection by the second optical system are performed with a time difference, the detection result in the previous detection process is stored in the control device, and the later By collating with the detection result, any combination of normal mounting and defective mounting occurring in each of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y is recognized, and whether each of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y is in a good or bad state. Can be determined. By displaying the determination result on the display unit U, the user can be made aware of the mounting state of each toner cartridge.

  As an example, in FIG. 11B, light reception when cyan (C) and yellow (Y) toner cartridges 36C and 36Y have poor mounting and other toner cut ridges 36Bk and 36M are normally mounted. The received light intensity at the part PD1 is shown, and FIG. 11C shows the display pattern on the display means U in this case (white paint indicates on and black paint indicates off).

  Also in the third embodiment, basically the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained. In addition, according to the third embodiment, the first light emitting unit LD1 of the first optical system and the second light emitting unit LD2 of the second optical system are caused to emit light with a time difference. The same light receiving part PD can be shared by the system and the second optical system. Therefore, the effect that the number of light receiving parts PD can be reduced (halved) as compared with the second embodiment is also obtained.

  In the third embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the light passing through each optical member 38 can be received by the light receiving unit PD1 by changing the arrangement and the number of mirrors M1 to M8. . In this case, the reflected light of the front optical members 38Bk and 38C is incident on the rear optical members 38M and 38Y.

  Moreover, as a half mirror which comprises each optical member 38, not only a thing with the transmittance | permeability of 50% but a thing with arbitrary transmittance | permeability can also be used. When a half mirror having a transmittance other than 50% is used, the rear optical members 38M and 38Y of the respective optical systems can be configured by reflecting members (mirrors) that perform total reflection.

[Fourth Embodiment]
12 and 13 show a fourth embodiment of the detection mechanism according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the first optical system and the second optical system share the same light emitting part LD1, and the irradiation direction of light from the light emitting part LD1 is changed between the first optical system and the second optical system by the movable mirror M0. It is possible to switch between these systems.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, the movable mirror M0 is disposed outside the light path of the light emitting unit LD1 (position A) and disposed on the light path of the light emitting unit LD1 as shown in FIG. 12B. It is possible to switch between the state (position B). The switching of the movable mirror M0 can be performed, for example, by swinging the movable mirror M0 by a drive mechanism such as a motor (not shown).

  In the detection mechanism of the present embodiment, two light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 are installed. Similarly to the second embodiment, the first light receiving unit PD1 receives the reflected light of the front optical member and the rear optical member belonging to different optical systems, and the second light receiving unit PD2 also includes the front optical member belonging to different optical systems. The reflected light of the latter optical member is received. Specifically, the first light receiving unit PD1 receives the reflected light of the front optical member 38Bk of the second optical system and the reflected light of the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system, and the second light receiving unit. The mirrors M1 to M4 are arranged so that the PD 2 receives the reflected light of the front optical member 38C of the first optical system and the reflected light of the rear optical member 38Y of the second optical system.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the light emitting unit LD1 emits light with the movable mirror M0 disposed outside the light path of the light emitting unit LD1, the light of the light emitting unit LD1 is emitted from the front optical member 38C of the first optical system. The first reflected light is received by the second light receiving part PD2, and the latter reflected light is received by the first light receiving part PD1. Next, as shown in FIG. 12B, when the movable mirror M0 is arranged on the optical path of the light emitting unit LD1, and the light emitting unit LD1 emits light in this state, the light of the light emitting unit LD1 is emitted from the second optical system. The light enters the front optical member 38Bk and the rear optical member 38Y, and the former reflected light is received by the first light receiving portion PD1 and the latter reflected light is received by the second light receiving portion PD2.

  In this case, the first light receiving unit PD1 receives the reflected light of the front optical member 38Bk of the second optical system and the reflected light of the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system with a time difference. Further, the second light receiving unit PD2 receives the reflected light of the front optical member 38C of the first optical system and the reflected light of the rear optical member 38Y of the second optical system with a time difference. In this case, the first and second light receiving portions PD1 and PD2 respectively receive the reflected light of the front optical member and the reflected light of the rear optical member with a time difference. Therefore, the first and second light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 do not need to determine the light reception intensity at a plurality of stages as in the second and third embodiments, and may be anything that can detect the presence or absence of light reception. . Therefore, an inexpensive light receiving sensor can be used.

  FIG. 13 shows a list of the mounting states of the toner cartridges 36 in the fourth embodiment described above, the detection results of the light receiving unit PD, and the display patterns on the display means. As described above, since the detection of the mounting state in the first optical system and the detection of the mounting state in the second optical system are performed with a time difference by switching the movable mirror M0, the previous detection result is controlled by the control device. And by collating with subsequent detection results, it recognizes all combinations of normal mounting and defective mounting that occur in each of the four toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y, and each toner cartridge 36Bk, 36C, For 36M and 36Y, it is possible to determine whether the mounting state is good or not. By displaying the determination result on the display unit U, the user can be made aware of the mounting state of each toner cartridge.

  As an example, in FIG. 13B, light reception when cyan (C) and yellow (Y) toner cartridges 36C and 36Y have poor mounting and other toner cut ridges 36Bk and 36M are normally mounted. The received light intensities at the parts PD1 and PD2 are shown, and FIG. 13C shows the display pattern on the display means U in this case (white paint indicates on and black paint indicates off).

  Also in the fourth embodiment, basically the same effects as those of the second and third embodiments can be obtained. In addition, according to the fourth embodiment, the incident direction of the light from the light emitting unit LD1 is switched between the first optical system and the second optical system. The light emitting part LD can be shared by the second optical system. Therefore, the number of light emitting parts LD in the entire detection mechanism can be further reduced (halved) to one.

  In the fourth embodiment, the reflected light is received by the light receiving portions PD1 and PD2 among the light passing through the optical members 38Bk, 38C, 38M, and 38Y. However, the arrangement and number of the mirrors M1 to M4 are changed. As a result, the light receiving parts PD1 and PD2 can also receive the transmitted light that has passed through the optical members 38. In this case, the reflected light of the front optical members 38Bk and 38C is incident on the rear optical members 38M and 38Y.

  The half mirrors constituting each optical member 38 are not limited to those having a transmittance of 50%, and those having an arbitrary transmittance can be used.

  Further, the rear optical members 38M and 38Y of the respective optical systems can be configured by reflecting members (mirrors) that perform total reflection.

[Fifth Embodiment]
14 and 15 show a fifth embodiment of the detection mechanism according to the present invention. In this embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the irradiation direction of light from the light emitting unit LD1 is switched between the first optical system and the second optical system by the movable mirror M0, so that the first The detection of the mounting state by the optical system and the detection of the mounting state by the second optical system are performed with a time difference.

  The fifth embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that one light receiving unit PD1 is installed in the entire mechanism. Specifically, the reflected light of the front optical member 38C of the first optical system, the reflected light of the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system, the reflected light of the front optical member 38Bk of the second optical system, and the second The mirrors M1 to M8 are arranged so that the reflected light of the rear optical member 38Y of the optical system is received by one light receiving part PD1.

  As shown in FIG. 14A, when the movable mirror M0 is swung and arranged outside the optical path of the light emitting unit LD1 (position A), and the light emitting unit LD1 emits light in this state, the light of the light emitting unit LD1 is The light enters the front optical member 38C and the rear optical member 38M of the first optical system, and both reflected lights are received by the light receiving unit PD1 with a difference in received light intensity. Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, when the movable mirror M0 is arranged on the optical path of the light emitting unit LD1 (position B) and the light emitting unit LD1 emits light in this state, the light of the light emitting unit LD1 is the second light. Are incident on the front optical member 38Bk and the rear optical member 38Y, and both reflected lights are received by the same light receiving unit PD1 with a difference in received light intensity.

  At this time, in the light receiving unit PD1, the light detection intensity in four stages of 75, 50, 25, and 0 is generated according to the combination of the normal mounting and the mounting failure of the two toner cartridges 36C and 36M by the previous detection process. Similarly, in the subsequent detection step, four levels of received light intensity of 75, 50, 25, and 0 are generated according to the combination of normal mounting and mounting failure of the remaining toner cartridges 36Bk and 36Y. Accordingly, by using the light receiving unit PD1 that can detect the received light intensity at the four levels, any combination of normal mounting and defective mounting occurring in each of the toner cartridges 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y can be detected.

  FIG. 15A shows a list of the mounted state of each toner cartridge 36 in the fifth embodiment, the detection result in the light receiving unit PD, and the display pattern on the display means. As described above, since the detection of the mounting state in the first optical system and the detection of the mounting state in the second optical system are performed with a time difference by switching the movable mirror M0, the detection in the previous detection process is performed. The result is stored in the control device and collated with the detection result of the subsequent process to recognize any combination of normal mounting and mounting failure occurring in each toner cartridge 36Bk, 36C, 36M, 36Y, and to each individual toner cartridge For 36Bk, 36C, 36M, and 36Y, it is possible to determine whether the mounted state is good or bad. By displaying the determination result on the display unit U, the user can be made aware of the mounting state of each toner cartridge.

  As an example, in FIG. 15B, the light receiving unit when cyan (C) and yellow (Y) toner cartridges 36C and 36Y are defectively mounted and other toner cut ridges 36Bk and 36M are normally mounted. The received light intensity at PD1 is shown, and FIG. 15C shows the display pattern on the display means U in this case (white paint indicates lighting and black paint indicates off).

  In the fifth embodiment, basically the same operational effects as in the fourth embodiment can be obtained. In addition, according to the fifth embodiment, the first optical system and the second optical system share the same light receiving part PD, and the number of light receiving parts PD is one in the entire detection mechanism. The effect that the number of light receiving parts PD can be reduced (halved) as compared with the embodiment is also obtained.

  In the fifth embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the light passing through each optical member 38 can be received by the light receiving unit PD1 by changing the arrangement and number of the mirrors M1 to M8. . In this case, the reflected light of the front optical members 38Bk and 38C is incident on the rear optical members 38M and 38Y.

  Moreover, as a half mirror which comprises each optical member 38, the thing of arbitrary transmittance | permeability can be used not only in a thing with the transmittance | permeability of 50%. When a half mirror having a transmittance other than 50% is used, the rear optical members 38M and 38Y of the respective optical systems can be configured by reflecting members (mirrors) that perform total reflection.

  FIG. 16 shows a summary of the light emitting part LD, the light receiving part PD, the number of mirrors M forming the optical path, and the like in the first to fifth embodiments described above. In any of the embodiments, the number of light emitting units LD is less than the number of toner cartridges 36. In the second to fifth embodiments, the number of light receiving units PD is less than the number of toner cartridges 36. Therefore, as compared with a conventional detection mechanism in which a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are provided for each toner cartridge 36, the number of light emitting units LD and light receiving units PD can be reduced, thereby reducing costs.

[Other configuration examples of identification member]
In the above description, as the identification member 39, in the base member 40 having a quadrangular columnar portion whose opposing two surfaces are square, the configuration in which the optical member 38 is attached to the side surface excluding the opposing two surfaces of the quadrangular column portion is exemplified. The identification member 39 can be formed in other shapes.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (c), the identification member 39 shown in FIGS. 17 (a) to 17 (c) has a base member 40 formed in a columnar shape and within the range of 90 ° in the circumferential direction of its outer peripheral surface. And an optical member 38 attached thereto. Of the attachment portion 41 having the base portion 41a and the rib portion 41b, the base portion 41a is formed in a columnar shape that is integral with the base member 40 and has the same diameter. The fitting hole 42 provided in the toner cartridge 36 includes a circular portion 42a corresponding to the base portion 41a and four cutout portions 42b corresponding to the rib portions 41b.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 17A to 17C, the identification member 39 shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C is obtained by attaching the optical member 38 to the end face of the rib portion 41b. A fitting hole 42 corresponding to the shape of the identification member 39 is formed in the toner cartridge 36.

  In the above description, the case where the identification member 39 is attached to the side surface of the toner cartridge 36 is illustrated as shown in FIG. The attachment position of the identification member 39 with respect to the toner cartridge 36 is not limited to this, and the identification member 39 can be attached to any position as long as the rotation axis O of the identification member 39 is in a direction orthogonal to the light incident direction of the light emitting portion LD. For example, as shown in FIGS. 19B and 20, an identification member 39 can be attached to the upper surface of the toner cartridge 36.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the case where a mounting failure of the toner cartridge 36 is detected as an example of the detection mechanism has been illustrated. This detection mechanism is an all-in-one type image forming unit 31 integrated with a cartridge such as a toner bottle or an ink tank. It can be widely used as a mechanism for detecting the presence / absence of a mounting failure of the cartridge.

  Further, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the color electrophotographic apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but may be other image forming apparatuses for monochrome or the like, a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof.

1 Image forming apparatus 36 Toner cartridge (cartridge)
38 Optical member 39 Identification member 93 Discriminating means LD Light emitting portion PD Light receiving portion U Display means M0 Movable mirror

Japanese Patent No. 3650678 JP 2010-204353 A JP 09-160469 A JP 2006-142484 A

Claims (13)

A cartridge detection mechanism for detecting a mounting failure of a cartridge attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body,
An optical member provided in the cartridge, the optical member, the light is incident from the light emitting portion provided in the image forming apparatus main body, received by the light receiving section provided a transmission light having passed through the optical member in an image forming apparatus main body ,
Two or more cartridges are provided, and a front optical member provided in one of the two cartridges and a rear optical member provided in the other cartridge are arranged on the optical path, and at least the front optical member Is composed of a half mirror that allows reflection and transmission of light, and one of the reflected light and the transmitted light that has passed through the front optical member is incident on the rear optical member. Cartridge detection mechanism. Each cartridge includes an identification member that is attachable to and detachable from each cartridge and is positioned at a different rotational phase angle. Each identification member includes an optical member, and the cartridge is associated with the rotational phase angle of the identification member. The cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge detection mechanism is positioned on the cartridge. The cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the identification member attached to each cartridge has the same shape. The cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the identification members are arranged on the same plane. And either passing light passing through the front optical member, receives the transmitted light that has passed through the subsequent optical elements in the same light-receiving portion, as the light receiving unit, according to claim were used as it can determine the received light intensity of a plurality of stages 1 5. The cartridge detection mechanism according to any one of 4 above. A first optical system having a first front optical member and the first subsequent optical member of claim 1 to 5 and a second optical system having a second front optical member and the second rear stage optical member The cartridge detection mechanism according to any one of claims. The first light emitting unit is disposed in the first optical system, the second light emitting unit is disposed in the second optical system, and the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit emit light with a time difference. Item 7. The cartridge detection mechanism according to Item 6 . The first light system and the second light system share the same light emitting part, and the irradiation direction of light from the light emitting part can be switched between the first optical system and the second optical system by a movable mirror. The cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 6 . Either passing light passing through the front optical member of the optical system, and the cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 7 or 8 passing light through subsequent optical elements of the optical system, it is received by all the same light receiving section. The cartridge detection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein a toner container is provided in each cartridge. Wearing the identification member in the supply opening of the toner to the toner accommodating portion, the cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 1 0 a sealed said supply port. Each cartridge, the cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 1 0 or 1 1, further provided with an image bearing member and the developing machine. An image forming apparatus having a cartridge detection mechanism according to claim 1 2.

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