JP6948119B2 - Rotation detection mechanism and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rotation detection mechanism that detects the rotation of a container.

Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, a plotter, or a multifunction device having at least two of these functions, toner is supplied from a toner bottle, which is a removable toner replenishment container, to the inside of a developing device. Those with a configuration are known. Some of these toner bottles contain a developer such as toner, and discharge the developer using a positive displacement pump and supply it to the inside of the developer.

Here, the positive displacement pump is a pump that takes in gas from the outside to the inside by using the pressure generated by changing the volume of the internal space, and then discharges toner together with the taken in gas. be.

In Patent Document 1, a driving force input from the outside to a toner bottle provided with a positive displacement pump converts the toner transfer in the toner bottle by the rotational operation of the toner bottle and the rotational operation of the toner bottle into a linear motion. It discloses a configuration in which the operation of the pump and the operation of the pump are linked. In Patent Document 1, a flag that contacts the cam shape provided on the outer peripheral portion of the toner bottle is rotatably supported by the image forming apparatus main body, and a sensor detects the position of the flag that contacts the cam shape of the toner bottle. Detects the rotation position and the amount of rotation. As a result, both cost reduction and space saving are achieved.

When using such a positive displacement pump, if the amount of toner discharged from the toner bottle is not stable, the supply amount is not stable with respect to the amount of toner consumed, so an image with a high print rate is printed. When it continues, the supply amount cannot keep up with the consumption amount. As a result, image defects such as image defects may occur. The amount of toner discharged from the toner bottle changes depending on the operation timing of the positive displacement pump. Therefore, in order to stabilize the toner supply amount, the operation timing of the positive displacement pump must be adjusted every time the toner bottle is operated.

In Patent Document 1, the operation of the positive displacement pump and the rotational operation of the toner bottle are interlocked to serve as a drive source. Therefore, the operation timing of the positive displacement pump is the same if the rotation position of the toner bottle is detected and the rotation position and rotation angle at the start of rotation are adjusted each time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-031737

However, the shape of the cam provided on the outer peripheral portion of the toner bottle has individual differences depending on the conditions at the time of molding and the like. Further, when the toner bottle is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the mounting position may shift. In Patent Document 1, the contact position of the flag independently supported by the apparatus main body fluctuates due to such individual difference of the toner bottle and the deviation of the mounting position, and it is difficult to make the sensor follow this fluctuation, and the toner. It has a problem of erroneously detecting the rotation position and the amount of rotation of the bottle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rotation detection mechanism capable of accurately detecting the rotation state of a container.

The rotation detection mechanism according to the present invention regulates the position of the container by coming into contact with the rotating container, and comes into contact with the position regulating means that rotates with the rotation of the container and the cam provided in the container. The position regulating means has a displacement means that rotates and displaces when the cam rotates, and a detection means that detects the rotational state of the container by detecting the position of the displacement means that displaces. The rotation and the rotation of the displacement means are performed coaxially .

According to the present invention, the rotating state of the container can be detected with high accuracy.

It is sectional drawing explanatory view of the image forming apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the state in which the cover member of the tip of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is removed. It is a perspective explanatory view of the rotation detection mechanism which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which a part of the members of the rotation detection mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention is removed. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state which compressed the pump of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front explanatory view of the cam gear member when the pump of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is compressed. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state in which the pump of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is extended. It is a front explanatory view of the cam gear member when the pump of the toner bottle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is extended. It is a perspective explanatory view of the rotation detection mechanism which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which a part of the members of the rotation detection mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention is removed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
<Structure of image forming apparatus>
The configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the image forming apparatus 1.

The image forming apparatus 1 exemplifies a copying machine here. The image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the copying machine.

The image forming apparatus 1 conveys a sheet feeding unit 2, an image forming unit 3, a fixing unit 4, a discharging unit 5, an image reading unit 6, an intermediate discharging roller pair 7, a double-sided transport roller pair 9, and the like. It has a roller pair 10, a resist roller pair 11, and a sheet reversing device 100.

The sheet feeding unit 2 is provided below the image forming apparatus 1, and feeds the sheet S as a recording material to the transport roller pair 10. The sheet feeding section 2 includes a loading tray 21, a pickup roller 22, a separate feeding section 23, and a manual feeding section 24.

The pickup roller 22 picks up the sheet S loaded on the loading tray 21 and feeds it to the separate feeding unit 23.

The separate feeding unit 23 separates the sheets S picked up by the pickup roller 22 one by one and conveys them toward the transfer roller pair 10.

The manual feed feeding unit 24 can manually feed the sheet S from the side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the sheet S loaded on the manual feed tray 25 is separated one by one by the separate feeding unit 26 and resisted. Feed to roller vs. 11.

The image forming unit 3 as an image forming means is provided above the sheet feeding unit 2. The image forming unit 3 is a sheet S conveyed from the resist roller pair 11 by the toner replenished from the rotating toner bottle 200 based on the detection result of the rotation state of the toner bottle 200 input from the rotation detection mechanism described later. Form an image. The image forming unit 3 conveys the sheet S on which the image is formed toward the fixing unit 4. Specifically, the image forming unit 3 includes a photoconductor drum 31, a charging roller 32, a laser irradiation device 33, a developing device 34, and a transfer roller 35.

The photoconductor drum 31 is charged by the charging roller 32. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor drum 31 by the laser irradiation device 33, and a toner image is formed by the developing device 34.

The charging roller 32 uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 31.

The laser irradiation device 33 is exposed to light by irradiating the surface of the photoconductor drum 31 with laser light in accordance with image information (image information signal) such as a document transmitted from a personal computer or a scanning scanner 62 (not shown). An electrostatic latent image is formed on the body drum 31.

Toner is replenished from the toner bottle 200 (see FIG. 2) (see FIG. 2), which is not shown in FIG. A toner image is formed on the drum 31. The developing device 34 determines the rotation position of the toner bottle 200 based on the detection result by the rotation detection mechanism described later, and each time the toner bottle 200 is operated, the operation start timing and the operation end of the positive displacement pump are based on the determination result. Controls to match the timing and so on.

The transfer roller 35 abuts on the photoconductor drum 31 to form a transfer nip N, and at the same time, transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor drum 31 to the sheet S at the transfer nip N. The transfer roller 35 conveys the sheet S on which the toner image is transferred toward the fixing portion 4.

The fixing portion 4 is provided in the transport path of the sheet S on the downstream side (hereinafter, referred to as “downstream side”) of the sheet S of the image forming portion 3 in the transport direction. The fixing unit 4 applies heat and pressure to the sheet S conveyed from the transfer nip N to melt the toner of the toner image, thereby fixing the toner image to the sheet S as an image. The fixing unit 4 conveys the sheet S on which the image is fixed toward the discharge unit 5 or the intermediate discharge roller pair 7.

The discharge unit 5 is provided on the downstream side of the fixing unit 4, and discharges the sheet S conveyed from the fixing unit 4 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. The discharge unit 5 includes a discharge roller pair 51 and a discharge tray 52.

The discharge roller pair 51 discharges the sheet S from the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 to the discharge tray 52.

The discharge tray 52 loads the sheet S discharged by the discharge roller pair 51.

The image reading unit 6 is provided above the image forming apparatus 1, and includes a document placing unit 61 and a scanning scanner 62.

The document placing section 61 is capable of placing a document.

The scanning scanner 62 reads the image of the document placed on the document placing unit 61, and transmits the image information of the scanned image to the laser irradiation device 33.

The intermediate discharge roller pair 7 conveys the sheet S conveyed from the fixing unit 4 toward the sheet reversing device 100.

The transport roller pair 10 transports the sheet S fed by the sheet feeding unit 2 toward the resist roller pair 11 provided in the sheet transport path on the downstream side of the transport roller pair 10.

The resist roller pair 11 corrects the skew of the sheet S conveyed from the transfer roller pair 10, and conveys the corrected sheet S toward the transfer nip N described above.

The sheet reversing device 100 includes a reversing pass 8 and a reversing roller pair 110. The reversing roller pair 110 transports the sheet S through the reversing path 8 in the direction of the arrow d in FIG. 1, and stops rotating when the rear end of the sheet S passes through the transport path switching flapper 111 and reaches a predetermined position. Then it rotates in the reverse direction. The reversing roller pair 110 draws the sheet S into the image forming apparatus 1 in the direction of arrow e in FIG. 1 by rotating in the reverse direction, and conveys the sheet S toward the double-sided conveying roller pair 9.

The double-sided transfer roller pair 9 includes a first double-sided transfer roller pair 9a, a second double-sided transfer roller pair 9b, and a third double-sided transfer roller pair 9c, and has been conveyed from the reversing roller pair 110. The sheet S is conveyed toward the resist roller pair 11. In the sheet S transported from the double-sided transport roller pair 9 toward the resist roller pair 11, the surface on which the image is not formed is transported to the photoconductor drum 31 side.

A toner bottle 200 having a positive displacement pump is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 1 having the above configuration. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a rotation detection mechanism described later.

<Structure of toner bottle>
The configuration of the toner bottle 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view of the toner bottle, and FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which the cover member at the tip of the toner bottle is removed.

The toner bottle 200 as a developer replenishment container includes a rotary accommodating portion 200a, a cover member 201, and a toner discharging portion 202.

The rotation accommodating portion 200a has a spiral convex portion continuous to the discharge area on the inner wall accommodating the toner, and accommodates the toner by receiving a driving force from a driving source such as a motor (not shown) and rotating. The toner is conveyed toward the toner discharge unit 202.

The cover member 201 is removable and covers the toner discharging portion 202.

The toner discharge unit 202 discharges the toner conveyed from the rotary accommodating unit 200a. Specifically, the toner discharge unit 202 includes a pump unit 203, a cam gear member 204, a pump link member 205, an outer peripheral surface 209, and a cam unit 210.

The pump portion 203 has a bellows shape and can be expanded and contracted.

The cam gear member 204 rotates the rotation accommodating portion 200a when a rotational driving force is applied from the outside. Specifically, the cam gear member 204 includes a gear portion 206, a groove portion 207, and an outer peripheral surface 209.

The gear portion 206 meshes with an external gear (not shown) to transmit the rotation of the external gear to the rotation accommodating portion 200a.

The groove portion 207 engages with the shaft portion 208 of the pump link member 205 and rotates together with the rotation accommodating portion 200a.

On the outer peripheral surface 209, a cam portion 210 for detecting the rotation position or rotation angle of the toner bottle 200 is formed along the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral surface 209 rotates together with the rotation accommodating portion 200a.

The cam portion 210 includes a cam convex portion 210a having the same diameter as the cylindrical portion on which the outer peripheral surface 209 is formed, and a cam concave portion 210b having a diameter smaller than that of the cylindrical portion on which the outer peripheral surface 209 is formed.

The pump link member 205 includes a shaft portion 208 that engages with the groove portion 207 of the cam gear member 204, and causes the rotary motion of the cam gear member 204 in the arrow a direction to the arrow c direction that compresses the pump portion 203 or the pump portion 203. It is converted into a linear motion in the direction of the arrow b to be extended.

<Structure of rotation detection mechanism>
The configuration of the rotation detection mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the rotation detection mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which a part of the members of the rotation detection mechanism is removed.

The rotation detection mechanism is provided in the device main body of the image forming apparatus 1, detects the rotation state of the toner bottle 200 when replenishing toner from the toner bottle 200 mounted on the device main body, and outputs the detection result. Specifically, the rotation detection mechanism has a flag 220, a photo interrupter 223, a positioning roller 225, and a bearing portion 226.

The flag 220 as a displacement means detects the rotational state of the toner bottle 200 by contacting the outer periphery of the rotating toner bottle 200 and displacement according to the shape of the outer periphery of the contacting toner bottle 200. The flag 220 rotates coaxially with the positioning roller 225 by rotating the shaft portion 224 as a rotation axis. Specifically, the flag 220 includes a cam contact portion 221 as a contact portion and a sensor shielding portion 222 as an interlocking portion that displaces in conjunction with the displacement of the cam contact portion 221.

The cam contact portion 221 is displaced in contact with the cam portion 210 of the cam gear member 204, and rotates together with the shaft portion 224 with the shaft portion 224 as the rotation center as the cam gear member 204 rotates.

The sensor shielding portion 222 is fixed to the shaft portion 224 and is displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the cam contact portion 221 so that the sensor shielding portion 222 can pass between the light emitting portion 223a and the light receiving portion 223b of the photo interrupter 223. When the sensor shielding unit 222 is located between the light emitting unit 223a and the light receiving unit 223b, the sensor shielding unit 222 shields the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit 223a so that the light receiving unit 223b cannot receive the emitted light.

The photo interrupter 223 is provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus 1, and includes a light emitting unit 223a that emits emitted light and a light receiving unit 223b that receives the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit 223a. The photo interrupter 223 outputs a signal according to the timing at which the light receiving unit 223b receives the emitted light or the timing at which the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit 223a is blocked.

The shaft portion 224 rotatably supports the positioning roller 225 by inserting a hole provided in the tubular portion 225a of the positioning roller 225.

The positioning roller 225 as the position regulating means comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 209 of the cam gear member 204 of the toner bottle 200 that is mounted and rotates. The positioning roller 225 rotates about the shaft portion 224 as the rotation shaft portion of the flag 220 as the rotation center of the cam gear member 204 that comes into contact with the positioning roller 225.

The bearing portion 226 is provided on the main body of the image forming apparatus 1. The bearing portion 226 rotatably supports the shaft portion 224 on the main body of the image forming apparatus 1.

The positioning roller 240 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 209 of the cam gear member 204 of the toner bottle 200 that is mounted and rotates. The positioning roller 240 rotates with the rotation of the cam gear member 204 that comes into contact with the positioning roller 240.

The three positioning rollers, the positioning roller 225, the positioning roller 240, and the positioning roller (not shown), abut on the outer peripheral surface 209 of the cam gear member 204 to regulate the mounting position of the toner bottle 200.

<Operation of rotation detection mechanism>
The operation of the rotation detection mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 6 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which the pump of the toner bottle is compressed. FIG. 7 is a front explanatory view of the cam gear member when the pump of the toner bottle is compressed. FIG. 8 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which the pump of the toner bottle is extended. FIG. 9 is a front explanatory view of the cam gear member when the pump of the toner bottle is extended.

The cam gear member 204 rotates when an external gear (not shown) that meshes with the gear portion 206 rotates. As a result, the groove portion 207 rotates.

The pump link member 205 converts the rotational motion of the cam gear member 204 in the arrow a direction into a linear motion in the arrow c direction for compressing the pump portion 203 by rotating the groove portion 207 that engages with the shaft portion 208. ..

In a state where the pump portion 203 shown in FIG. 6 is compressed, the cam contact portion 221 abuts on the cam convex portion 210a and is displaced as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the sensor shielding portion 222 is ejected from the photo interrupter 223. Block the light.

Then, the cam gear member 204 further rotates when an external gear (not shown) that meshes with the gear portion 206 rotates. As a result, the groove portion 207 further rotates.

The pump link member 205 converts the rotational motion of the cam gear member 204 in the arrow a direction into a linear motion in the arrow b direction for extending the pump portion 203 by rotating the groove portion 207 that engages with the shaft portion 208. ..

In the state where the pump portion 203 shown in FIG. 8 is extended, the cam contact portion 221 abuts on the cam recess 210b and is displaced as shown in FIG. 9, whereby the sensor shielding portion 222 transmits the emitted light of the photo interrupter 223. Do not shield.

Here, even if there are individual differences in the toner bottle 200, the toner bottle 200 is deformed, or the position of the toner bottle 200 is changed with respect to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1, the rotating outer peripheral surface 209 is , Is in contact with the positioning roller 225. On the other hand, the shaft portion 224, which is the rotation axis of the flag 220, is the rotation center of the positioning roller 225. Therefore, in the cam contact portion 221 of the flag 220, there are individual differences in the toner bottle 200, the toner bottle 200 is deformed, or the position of the toner bottle 200 is changed with respect to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1. But you don't have to move.

As a result, the relative position between the flag 220 and the toner bottle 200 can be maintained, so that false detection of rotation detection of the toner bottle 200 can be prevented and the detection accuracy can be improved, and the rotation of the toner bottle 200 can be performed with high accuracy. The state can be detected.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the image forming apparatus is the same as that of FIG. 1, so the description thereof will be omitted.

<Structure of rotation detection mechanism>
The configuration of the rotation detection mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory view of the rotation detection mechanism, and FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view of a state in which a part of the members of the rotation detection mechanism is removed.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, the parts having the same configuration as those in FIGS. 3 to 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The rotation detection mechanism includes a flag 220, a photo interrupter 223, a positioning roller 225, a bearing portion 226, a torsion coil spring 231 and a spring fixing portion 232, and a spring fixing shaft 233.

The torsion coil spring 231 as an urging means abuts the shaft portion 224 and urges the shaft portion 224 to urge the positioning roller 225 to the outer peripheral surface 209 and the cam contact portion 221 of the flag 220. The cam portion 210 is urged.

The spring fixing portion 232 is supported by the toner discharging portion 202, and fixes one end of the torsion coil spring 231.

The spring fixing shaft 233 is supported by the toner discharging portion 202 and holds the torsion coil spring 231.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the torsion coil spring 231 that urges the flag 220 to the cam portion 210 is provided. As a result, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, even when the position of the toner bottle 200 changes due to vibration or deformation, the relative position between the flag 220 and the toner bottle 200 can be maintained, and the toner can be maintained. The rotation detection accuracy of the bottle can be further improved.

Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

Specifically, in the first and second embodiments described above, the shaft portion 224 of the flag 220 is inserted through the tubular portion 225a of the positioning roller 225, but the tubular portion of the positioning roller is inserted through the tubular portion of the flag. May be good. That is, the rotation detection mechanism of the present embodiment is configured such that either one of the shaft portion 224 and the cylinder portion 225a inserts the other of the shaft portion 224 and the cylinder portion 225a.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the shaft portion 224 of the flag 220 is supported by the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1, but the shaft portion 224 may be supported by the developing apparatus 34. It may be supported by a device other than 34.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the toner bottle 200 is attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus 1, but the toner bottle 200 is attached to the apparatus main body of an apparatus other than the image forming apparatus 1 such as the developing apparatus 34. It may be attached.

Further, although the rotating state of the developer replenishing container is detected in the first and second embodiments, the rotating state of the rotating container other than the developing agent replenishing container may be detected.

1 Image forming device 3 Image forming part 200 Toner bottle 200a Rotating drive part 201 Cover member 202 Toner discharge part 203 Pump part 204 Cam gear member 205 Pump link member 206 Gear part 207 Groove part 208 Shaft part 209 Outer peripheral part 210 Cam part 210a Cam convex part 210b Cam recess 220 Flag 221 Cam contact part 222 Sensor cutoff part 223 Photo interrupter 223a Light emitting part 223b Light receiving part 224 Shaft part 225 Positioning roller 225a Cylinder part 226 Bearing part 231 Torsion coil spring 232 Spring fixing part 233 Spring fixing shaft 240 Positioning roller

Claims (5)

The position of the container is regulated by coming into contact with the rotating container, and the position regulating means that rotates with the rotation of the container and the position regulating means.
Displacement means that rotates and displaces when the cam comes into contact with the cam provided in the container and rotates.
A detection means that detects the rotational state of the container by detecting the position of the displacement means that is displaced, and
Have,
The rotation of the position regulating means and the rotation of the displacement means are performed coaxially.
A rotation detection mechanism characterized by this. The position regulating means is
Rotating around the rotation shaft portion of the displacement means.
The rotation detection mechanism according to claim 1. The displacement means
A contact portion that comes into contact with the cam and an interlocking portion that displaces in conjunction with the displacement of the contact portion are provided, and the detecting means detects the position of the interlocking portion.
The rotation detection mechanism according to claim 1 or 2. It has an urging means for urging the displacement means on the outer circumference of the container.
The rotation detection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotation detection mechanism is characterized in that. The rotation detection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An image forming means for forming an image on a recording material by a developing agent replenished from a developing agent replenishing container which is the rotating container, and an image forming means.
Have,
The rotation detection mechanism
When the developer is replenished from the developer replenishment container, the rotational state of the developer replenishment container is detected.
An image forming apparatus characterized in that.

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