JP7163788B2 - Toner supply device and image forming apparatus provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device for replenishing toner to a developing device, and an image forming apparatus having the same.

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet includes an image carrier that carries a toner image to be transferred onto the sheet, a developing device that supplies toner to the image carrier, and a toner supply device that supplies toner to the developing device. and are known.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001 discloses a toner replenishing device that includes a toner container that stores toner to be replenished to a developing device. This toner container includes a moving wall that moves while conveying the toner toward the toner outlet, and an agitating member. In this technology, the toner above the toner discharge port is stirred by the stirring member, and the toner can be stably discharged from the toner discharge port. A detection sensor detects that the amount of toner stored in the toner container has decreased as the toner is replenished to the developing device, and the moving wall is moved according to the output signal of the detection sensor.

JP 2015-127789 A

Toner accommodated in a toner container changes in properties such as cohesiveness and fluidity depending on the environment such as temperature and humidity. If the properties of the toner change, the behavior of the toner when stirred by the stirring member will change, and there is a possibility that the detection result of the toner by the detection sensor will vary. For this reason, there is a possibility that the accuracy of determination of the toner decrease state based on the output signal of the detection sensor will deteriorate. As a result, there is a possibility that the appropriate movement of the moving wall in accordance with the state of decrease of toner in the toner container will be impaired, making it impossible to appropriately supply toner to the developing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device capable of realizing suitable replenishment of toner to a developing device, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same. is to provide

A toner replenishing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a toner container detachably attached to a developing device and containing toner to be replenished to the developing device; a detection sensor arranged to face the toner container and outputting a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of the toner in the toner container; and a determination unit that determines. The toner container includes a container body having an inner peripheral surface defining a cylindrical inner space extending in a first direction, and a toner outlet opening communicating with the inner space, through which the toner is discharged. and a conveying surface disposed in the inner space and defining, together with the inner peripheral surface of the container body, an accommodating space in which the toner is accommodated, the toner in the accommodating space toward the toner outlet. a moving wall that moves in the first direction in the internal space while being conveyed; and a rotating body that is provided in the accommodation space near the toner outlet and is rotatable around an axis along the first direction. and an agitating paddle attached to the rotating body for agitating the toner in the accommodation space as the rotating body rotates. The determination unit detects the detection signal output from the detection sensor in a detection target time period excluding a time period in which the stirring paddle passes through the detection area during one cycle in which the rotating body rotates once. Based on this, the state of decrease of the toner in the storage space is determined.

According to this toner replenishing device, the toner contained in the container body of the toner container is discharged from the toner discharge port to replenish the developing device. A rotating body is provided in the vicinity of the toner outlet in the housing space of the container body, and a stirring paddle is attached to the rotating body. Since the toner around the toner discharge port is stirred by the stirring paddle, the toner can be stably discharged from the toner discharge port. The determination unit determines the state of toner decrease in the housing space of the container main body as the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port. This determination unit determines the toner decrease state based on the detection signal output during the detection target time period from the detection sensor arranged to face the detection area of the container body. The detection target time zone is a time zone excluding the time zone during which the stirring paddle passes through the detection area during one cycle of one rotation of the rotating body.

It is assumed that the properties of the toner change depending on the environment such as temperature and humidity, and the behavior of the toner changes when it is stirred by the stirring paddle. Even in such a case, the period during which the stirring paddle passes through the detection area is excluded from the detection target time period. It can be determined with high precision. Therefore, it is possible to move the moving wall appropriately according to the state of toner decrease. Therefore, suitable replenishment of toner from the toner container to the developing device is realized.

The toner replenishing device may further include a moving wall control section for controlling movement of the moving wall. The determination unit outputs a first determination signal when determining that the amount of toner decrease in the accommodation space has reached a predetermined decrease reference value based on the detection signal output from the detection sensor. is output, and a second determination signal is output when it is determined that the toner decrease amount has not reached the decrease reference value. The moving wall control unit moves the moving wall when the first determination signal is output from the determination unit, and does not move the moving wall when the second determination signal is output from the determination unit. .

In this aspect, when the determination unit outputs the first determination signal when the toner decrease amount in the accommodation space of the container body reaches the decrease reference value, the moving wall control unit moves the moving wall. On the other hand, when the determination unit outputs the second determination signal when the toner decrease amount has not reached the decrease reference value, the moving wall control unit does not move the moving wall. As a result, it is possible to move the moving wall appropriately according to the state of toner decrease.

In the above toner replenishing device, the toner is magnetic toner containing a magnetic material, and the detection sensor detects a magnetic field in the accommodation space and indicates that the strength of the magnetic field is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The magnetic sensor outputs, as the detection signal, a pulse signal including a first signal component and a second signal component indicating that the strength of the magnetic field is less than the predetermined value. The determination unit outputs the first determination signal when the number of outputs of the second signal component in the detection signal output from the detection sensor in the detection target time zone is equal to or greater than a first threshold. and outputting the second determination signal when the number of outputs of the second signal component is less than the first threshold.

In this aspect, the determination unit outputs the first determination signal or the second determination signal indicating the determination result of the toner decrease state, using the number of outputs of the second signal component output from the detection sensor in the detection target time zone as an index. can do.

In the toner replenishing device described above, the determination unit determines that, in the detection signal output from the detection sensor in the detection target time zone after the output of the first determination signal, the number of times the second signal component is output is the first If it is equal to or greater than a second threshold, which indicates a value greater than the threshold, it is determined that the toner in the storage space is in an empty state, and a third determination signal indicating the determination result is output.

In this aspect, the determination unit can determine the empty state of toner in the accommodation space of the container body, using the output count of the second signal component output from the detection sensor in the detection target time zone as an index.

In the above toner replenishing device, the toner container is attached at a position spaced apart from the stirring paddle by a predetermined distance in the direction of rotation of the rotating body, and a detection piece made of a non-magnetic material that can be detected by the detection sensor. further includes The detection sensor outputs a specific signal when detecting the detection piece. Then, the determination unit sets the timing at which the specific signal is output from the detection sensor as the start point of the detection target time period.

A detection sensor made of a magnetic sensor has the characteristic that when a detection piece made of a non-magnetic material passes through a detection area, the voltage level rises sharply after the voltage level becomes 0 V (zero volt). there is Due to this characteristic, when the detection piece passes through the detection area, a unique signal specific to the detection piece is output from the detection sensor. By setting the output timing of this specific signal as the starting point of the detection target time zone, it is possible to accurately grasp the passage time zone of the stirring paddles with respect to the detection area, and to accurately set the detection target time zone. Therefore, the determination unit can determine with high accuracy the state of toner decrease in the accommodation space of the container body based on the detection signal output from the detection sensor during the detection target time period.

In the above toner replenishing device, the toner container is attached to the rotating body, and as the rotating body rotates, the toner container is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the housing space in the container main body, and the inner peripheral surface of the toner container is slidably contacted. A cleaning member for cleaning is further included. The cleaning member is made of a flexible film member extending along the rotation direction of the rotor.

In this aspect, the cleaning member can clean the specific area on the inner peripheral surface of the container body corresponding to the detection area where the detection sensor is arranged to face. This makes it possible to prevent the detection accuracy of the detection sensor from deteriorating as much as possible.

An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises an image carrier that carries a toner image, a developing device that supplies toner to the image carrier, and the above toner supply device that supplies toner to the developing device. And prepare.

This image forming apparatus includes a toner replenishing device capable of suitably replenishing toner to the developing device. Therefore, the toner can be appropriately supplied from the developing device to the image carrier. As a result, the image forming apparatus can form an appropriate image on the sheet.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing device and an image forming apparatus capable of realizing suitable replenishment of toner to the developing device.

1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the housing of the image forming apparatus is opened; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus; FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of a developing device provided in the image forming apparatus; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining how toner is replenished to the developing device; 3 is a perspective view of a developing device; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner container provided in the toner supply device; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a toner container; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a toner container; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the toner container; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the toner container of FIG. 8 as seen from the cross-sectional line XI-XI; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the toner container showing a ratchet mechanism; FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet mechanism. It is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet mechanism. It is a perspective view of a ratchet mechanism. It is a perspective view of a ratchet mechanism. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the developer container in FIG. 8 as seen from the cross-sectional line XVII-XVII; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rotating body of the toner container; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the toner replenishing device; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how toner in a toner container is reduced; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining output signals of a container sensor under the first environment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an output signal of a container sensor under a second environment; FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the control operation of the toner replenishing device; FIG.

A toner replenishing device and an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a so-called monochrome printer, but in other embodiments, the image forming apparatus 1 may be a color printer, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine having these functions, or a toner image. Other devices for forming into sheets are also possible. The directional terms such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left" and "right" used in the following description are merely for clarity of explanation. However, the principle of the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited in any way.

[Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus]
The image forming apparatus 1 includes a housing 101 that accommodates various devices for forming an image on a sheet P. As shown in FIG. The housing 101 includes a top wall 102 that defines the top surface of the housing 101, a bottom wall 103 (FIG. 3) that defines the bottom surface of the housing 101, and a body rear wall 105 between the top wall 102 and the bottom wall 103. ( FIG. 3 ) and a front body wall 104 positioned forward of the rear body wall 105 . The housing 101 has a body internal space 107 in which various devices are arranged. A sheet conveying path PP along which the sheet P is conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction extends in the main body internal space 107 of the housing 101 . The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an opening/closing cover 100C attached to the housing 101 so as to be freely opened and closed.

The opening/closing cover 100C is composed of a front wall upper portion 104B, which is the upper portion of the main body front wall 104, and an upper wall front portion 102B, which is the front portion of the upper wall 102. As shown in FIG. Further, the opening/closing cover 100C can be opened and closed in the vertical direction around hinge shafts (not shown) arranged on a pair of arm portions 108 arranged at both ends in the left-right direction (FIG. 2). When the opening/closing cover 100C is opened, the upper part of the main body internal space 107 is opened to the outside. On the other hand, in the closed state of the opening/closing cover 200C, the upper part of the body internal space 107 is closed.

At the center of the upper wall 102, a paper discharge section 102A is arranged. The paper discharge section 102A is formed of an inclined surface that slopes downward from the front portion to the rear portion of the upper wall 102 . A sheet P on which an image has been formed in an image forming section 120, which will be described later, is discharged to the paper discharge section 102A. In addition, a manual feed tray 104A is arranged in the center of the main body front wall 104 in the vertical direction. The manual feed tray 104A is rotatable up and down with its lower end as a fulcrum (arrow DT in FIG. 3).

Referring to FIG. 3 , image forming apparatus 1 includes sheet conveying section 10 , image forming section 120 , and fixing device 130 . The sheet conveying section 10 is a mechanism for conveying the sheet S from the cassette 110 to the sheet discharging section 102A via the image forming section 120 and the fixing device 130 . The sheet conveying unit 10 includes a pickup roller 112, a first sheet feeding roller 113, a second sheet feeding roller 114, a conveying roller 115, and a pair of registration rollers 116, which are arranged on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the image forming unit 120. , a conveying roller pair 133 and a discharge roller pair 134 arranged downstream of the fixing device 130 in the sheet conveying direction.

The cassette 110 accommodates sheets P inside. Cassette 110 includes lift plate 111 . The lift plate 111 is inclined so as to push up the leading edge of the sheet P. As shown in FIG. The cassette 110 can be drawn forward with respect to the housing 101 .

The pickup roller 112 is arranged on the leading edge of the sheet P pushed up by the lift plate 111 . As the pickup roller 112 rotates, the sheet P is pulled out from the cassette 110 .

The first paper feed roller 113 is arranged downstream of the pickup roller 112 and feeds the sheet P further downstream. The second paper feed roller 114 is arranged inside (rear side) of the fulcrum of the manual feed tray 104A and pulls the sheet P on the manual feed tray 104A into the housing 101 .

The transport roller 115 is arranged downstream of the first paper feed roller 113 and the second paper feed roller 114 in the sheet transport direction. The transport roller 115 transports the sheet P sent out by the first paper feed roller 113 and the second paper feed roller 114 further downstream.

The registration roller pair 116 has a function of correcting oblique conveyance of the sheet P. FIG. Thereby, the position of the image formed on the sheet P is adjusted. The registration roller pair 116 supplies the sheet P to the image forming section 120 in accordance with the timing of image formation by the image forming section 120 .

After the fixing process by the fixing device 130 , the sheet P is conveyed upward by the pair of conveying rollers 133 and finally discharged from the housing 101 by the pair of discharge rollers 134 . The sheets P ejected from the housing 101 are stacked on the paper ejection section 102A.

The image forming section 120 includes a photosensitive drum 121 (image carrier), a charger 122 , an exposure device 123 , a developing device 20 , a toner supply device 3 , a transfer roller 126 and a cleaning device 127 .

Photoreceptor drum 121 has a cylindrical shape. The photosensitive drum 121 has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and carries a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the surface. A predetermined voltage is applied to the charger 122 to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 substantially uniformly.

The exposure device 123 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 charged by the charger 122 with laser light. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 121 .

The developing device 20 supplies toner to the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed. The toner supply device 3 supplies toner to the developing device 20 . When the developing device 20 supplies toner to the photoreceptor drum 121, the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 121 is developed (visualized). As a result, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 .

The transfer roller 126 is arranged below the photoreceptor drum 121 so as to face the photoreceptor drum 121 across the sheet conveying path PP. The transfer roller 126 forms a transfer nip portion with the photosensitive drum 121 to transfer the toner image onto the sheet P. As shown in FIG.

The cleaning device 127 removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 121 after the toner image is transferred onto the sheet P. FIG.

The fixing device 130 is arranged downstream of the image forming section 120 in the sheet conveying direction, and fixes the toner image on the sheet P. As shown in FIG. The fixing device 130 includes a heating roller 131 that melts the toner on the sheet P and a pressure roller 132 that brings the sheet P into close contact with the heating roller 131 .

[About the developing device]
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the developing device 20. As shown in FIG. The developing device 20 includes a developing housing 210 having a box-like shape elongated in one direction (the axial direction of the developing roller 21, the lateral direction). The developer housing 210 has a reservoir space 220 . The storage space 220 is provided with the developing roller 21 , the first stirring screw 23 and the second stirring screw 24 , and the toner supply port 25 . In this embodiment, a one-component development method is applied, and the storage space 220 is filled with magnetic toner containing a magnetic material. The toner is agitated and conveyed in the storage space 220, and sequentially supplied from the developing roller 21 to the photosensitive drum 121 in order to develop the electrostatic latent image.

The developing roller 21 has a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing housing 210 and has a sleeve portion that is driven to rotate on its outer periphery. The storage space 220 of the developer housing 210 is covered with a top plate (not shown) and divided into a first transport path 221 and a second transport path 222 which are elongated in the left-right direction by a partition plate 22 extending in the left-right direction. there is The partition plate 22 is shorter than the width of the developing housing 210 in the left-right direction. A dual communication passage 224 is provided. Thereby, a circulation path is formed in the storage space 220 to reach the first transport path 221 , the second communication path 224 , the second transport path 222 and the first communication path 223 . Toner is conveyed counterclockwise in FIG. 4 through the circulation path.

The toner supply port 25 is an opening that opens in the top plate of the developing housing 210 and is arranged above and near the left end of the first transport path 221 . The toner replenishing port 25 is arranged facing the circulation path and has a function of receiving replenished toner replenished from the toner discharge port 377 (FIG. 4) of the toner container 30 in the toner replenishing device 3 into the storage space 220 .

The first stirring screw 23 is arranged in the first conveying path 221 . The first stirring screw 23 includes a first rotating shaft 23a and a first helical blade 23b spirally protruding from the circumference of the first rotating shaft 23a. The first stirring screw 23 conveys the toner in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 4 by being rotationally driven around the first rotating shaft 23a (arrow r2). The first stirring screw 23 conveys the toner so that the toner supply port 25 passes through the position facing the first conveying path 221 . Thus, the first stirring screw 23 has a function of mixing and transporting new toner flowing from the toner supply port 25 and toner transported from the second transport path 222 side to the first transport path 221 . A first paddle 23c is arranged downstream of the first stirring screw 23 in the toner conveying direction (D1 direction). The first paddle 23c rotates together with the first rotating shaft 23a, and transfers the toner from the first conveying path 221 to the second conveying path 222 in the direction of arrow D4 in FIG.

The second stirring screw 24 is arranged on the second conveying path 222 . The second stirring screw 24 includes a second rotating shaft 24a and a second helical blade 24b spirally protruding from the circumference of the second rotating shaft 24a. The second stirring screw 24 is rotationally driven around the second rotating shaft 24a (arrow r1) to supply the toner to the developing roller 21 while conveying the toner in the direction of the arrow D2 in FIG. A second paddle 24c is arranged downstream of the second stirring screw 24 in the toner conveying direction (D2 direction). The second paddle 24c rotates together with the second rotary shaft 24a, and transfers the toner from the second conveying path 222 to the first conveying path 221 in the direction of arrow D3 in FIG.

The toner supply device 3 includes a toner container 30 arranged above the toner supply port 25 of the development housing 210 . The toner container 30 has a toner outlet 377 (FIG. 4). The toner discharge port 377 is arranged at the bottom of the toner container 30 corresponding to the toner supply port 25 of the developing device 20 . The toner dropped from the toner discharge port 377 is replenished to the developing device 20 from the toner replenishment port 25 . Details of the toner replenishing device 3 will be described later.

Next, the flow of toner newly supplied from the toner supply port 25 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the toner supply port 25 provided in the developing device 20 and the toner discharge port 377 provided in the toner container 30. As shown in FIG.

The replenishment toner T2 replenished from the toner discharge port 377 of the toner container 30 falls into the first conveying path 221, is mixed with the existing toner T1, and is conveyed by the first stirring screw 23 in the direction of the arrow D1. At this time, the toners T1 and T2 are stirred and charged.

The first stirring screw 23 is provided with a restraining paddle 28 that partially restrains the toner conveying performance downstream of the toner supply port 25 in the toner conveying direction. In this embodiment, the restraining paddle 28 is a plate-like member arranged between adjacent first spiral blades 23b of the first stirring screw 23 . As the restraining paddle 28 rotates around the first rotating shaft 23a, the toner conveyed from the upstream side of the restraining paddle 28 begins to stagnate. The remaining toner accumulates up to a position immediately upstream of the suppression paddle 28 where the toner supply port 25 faces the first conveying path 221 . As a result, a toner retention portion 29 is formed near the inlet of the toner supply port 25 . A first spiral blade 23b is arranged in a region facing the toner supply port 25 (FIG. 4).

When the replenishment toner T2 is replenished from the toner replenishment port 25 and the amount of toner in the storage space 220 increases, the toner residing in the retention portion 29 closes (seales) the toner replenishment port 25, and more toner is replenished. suppress Further, the first spiral blade 23b pushes up the toner in the storage space 220 around the toner supply port 25 by being rotated. As a result, the effect of sealing the toner supply port 25 by the retention portion 29 is increased. After that, when the toner in the storage space 220 is consumed by the developing roller 21 and the toner remaining in the retention portion 29 is reduced, the toner blocking the toner supply port 25 is reduced, and the space between the retention portion 29 and the toner supply port 25 is reduced. A gap occurs. As a result, the replenishment toner T2 flows into the storage space 220 from the toner replenishment port 25 again. As described above, in this embodiment, a volumetric replenishment type toner replenishment method is adopted in which the received amount of replenished toner is adjusted as the amount of toner retained in the retention portion 29 decreases. Therefore, toner can be supplied to the developing device 20 without necessarily providing a sensor for detecting the amount of toner in the developing housing 210 of the developing device 20 .

[Attaching the toner container to the developing device]
The toner container 30 of the toner replenishing device 3 is detachably attached to the developing device 20 inside the housing 101 . 6 and 7 are perspective views of the developing device 20 and the toner container 30, respectively, according to this embodiment.

The toner container 30 includes a lid portion 31, a container body 37, a cover 39, and a container shutter 30S (FIG. 7).

The container main body 37 is a main body portion of the toner container 30 and accommodates toner therein. The lid portion 31 closes the left end portion of the container body 37 . The cover 39 is attached to the right end of the container body 37 .

The container shutter 30S is slidably supported with respect to the container body 37. As shown in FIG. The container shutter 30S has a function of sealing and opening the toner discharge port 377 of the container body 37. As shown in FIG. The container shutter 30S has a shutter main body 30S1, a shutter lock portion 30S2, and a lock release portion 30S3. The shutter main body 30S1 is a main body portion of the container shutter 30S and has a function of sealing and opening the toner discharge port 377. As shown in FIG. The shutter main body 30S1 is slidably supported with respect to the container main body 37. As shown in FIG. The shutter lock portion 30S2 is swingably supported with respect to the shutter main body 30S1. The shutter lock portion 30S2 has a function of permitting and restricting the sliding movement of the shutter body 30S1 with respect to the container body 37. As shown in FIG. The unlocking portion 30S3 is a projecting piece provided on the shutter locking portion 30S2. When the unlocking portion 30S3 is pressed, the lock piece (not shown) provided in the shutter lock portion 30S2 is released from the engagement portion formed in the container body 37, thereby allowing the shutter body 30S1 to slide.

Referring to FIG. 2, when opening/closing cover 100C of housing 101 is opened upward, container mounting portion 109 provided in developing housing 210 of developing device 20 is exposed to the outside of housing 101 . Referring to FIG. 6, developer housing 210 includes a pair of housing left wall 210L and housing right wall 210R. The container mounting portion 109 is formed between the housing left wall 210L and the housing right wall 210R. In this embodiment, the toner container 30 is attached to the container attachment portion 109 obliquely from above (see arrow DC in FIG. 6). At this time, the cover 39 of the toner container 30 is arranged on the housing right wall 210R side, and the lid portion 31 of the toner container 30 is arranged on the housing left wall 210L side. The development housing 210 has a left guide groove 201L and a right guide groove 201R (FIG. 6).

The left guide groove 201L and the right guide groove 201R are groove portions formed in the housing left wall 210L and the housing right wall 210R, respectively. The left guide groove 201</b>L and the right guide groove 201</b>R guide the mounting of the toner container 30 to the container mounting portion 109 . Therefore, the inlet sides of the left guide groove 201L and the right guide groove 201R are formed to extend along the mounting direction of the toner container 30 (the arrow DC direction in FIG. 6). On the other hand, the far sides of the left guide groove 201L and the right guide groove 201R are formed in a sector shape so as to allow the rotation of the first guide portion 312 (FIG. 7) and the second guide portion 391 (FIG. 7). .

Further, referring to FIG. 6, the developing device 20 includes a first transmission gear 211, a second transmission gear 212, and a third transmission gear 213. As shown in FIG. Further, the toner replenishing device 3 includes a container driving section 40 including a moving wall driving section 41 and a rotating body driving section 42, details of which will be described later. The first transmission gear 211, the second transmission gear 212 and the third transmission gear 213 are gears rotatably supported on the housing right wall 210R. The first transmission gear 211 is connected to the second transmission gear 212 . Also, the first transmission gear 211 is connected to the developing roller 21, the first stirring screw 23 and the second stirring screw 24 via a group of gears (not shown). When the developing device 20 is attached to the housing 101, the moving wall driving motor M1 of the moving wall driving section 41 is connected to the third transmission gear 213, and the rotating body driving motor M2 of the rotating body driving section 42 is activated. It is connected to the first transmission gear 211 .

The moving wall drive motor M<b>1 rotates the shaft 33 of the toner container 30 via the third transmission gear 213 to move the moving wall 32 of the toner container 30 . That is, the third transmission gear 213 engages with a shaft driving gear 382 of the moving wall driving section 41, which will be described later, and transmits the driving force of the moving wall driving motor M1 to the shaft driving gear 382. As shown in FIG. The rotating body drive motor M2 rotates the rotating body 35 of the toner container 30 via the first transmission gear 211 and the second transmission gear 212 . Further, the rotating body drive motor M2 rotates the developing roller 21, the first stirring screw 23 and the second stirring screw 24 of the developing device 20 via the first transmission gear 211. As shown in FIG.

Further, the development housing 200 includes a lock release button 202, the toner supply port 25 (developer supply port) described above, a release protrusion 206, a pair of container shutter fixing portions 207, and a pair of shutter springs 208 (attached). and a housing shutter 210S.

The lock release button 202 is a push button slidably supported on the housing right wall 210R. The lock release button 202 has a function of locking the orientation of the toner container 30 mounted in the container mounting portion 109 or a function of releasing the lock. The unlock button 202 has a lock engaging piece 202S. The lock engaging piece 202S is a claw portion formed so as to protrude toward the container mounting portion 109 on the front side portion of the housing right wall 210R. Further, the developing device 20 includes a lock biasing spring (not shown). The lock biasing spring is a coil spring disposed inside the housing right wall 210R and biasing the lock release button 202 forward. The lock engaging piece 202S has a function of locking the attitude of the toner container 30 mounted on the container mounting portion 109. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the lock release button 202 is pressed against the biasing force of the lock biasing spring, the lock engaging piece 202S is separated from the toner container 30, and the locking function for the toner container 30 is released.

The toner supply port 25 described above is an opening having a substantially rectangular shape in the top plate of the developing housing 200 (FIG. 6). The toner supply port 25 communicates with the inside of the development housing 200 . Further, the toner supply port 25 is arranged to face the toner container 30 attached to the container attachment portion 109 . The toner discharged from the toner discharge port 377 of the toner container 30 flows into the developing housing 200 from the toner supply port 25 .

The release protrusion 206 is a protrusion protruding from the top plate of the developing housing 200 adjacent to the rear of the toner supply port 25 . The unlocking protrusion 206 has a function of pressing the unlocking portion 30S3 (FIG. 7) of the container shutter 30S of the toner container 30 when the toner container 30 is attached to the container attachment portion 109. FIG. In other words, the release protrusion 206 allows the container shutter 30S to slide.

The pair of container shutter fixing portions 207 are protrusions projecting from the top plate of the developing housing 200 so as to sandwich the release protrusion 206 in the left-right direction. In a cross-sectional view that intersects the left-right direction, the container shutter fixing portion 207 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape. A wedge-shaped notch is formed in the front side surface of the container shutter fixing portion 207 . When the toner container 30 is attached to the container attachment portion 109, a part of the container shutter 30S of the toner container 30 is engaged with the notch. As a result, the container shutter fixing section 207 fixes the container shutter 30S and restricts the movement (rotation) of the container shutter 30S.

The pair of shutter springs 208 is a pair of spring members arranged outside the pair of container shutter fixing portions 207 in the left-right direction. The shutter spring 208 is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction. Rear ends of the pair of shutter springs 208 are engaged with the top plate of the developing housing 200 respectively. Further, front ends of the pair of shutter springs 208 are engaged with both left and right ends of the housing shutter 210S.

The housing shutter 210S is supported by the development housing 200 so as to be slidable relative to the toner supply port 25. As shown in FIG. The housing shutter 210S closes or opens the toner supply port 25. As shown in FIG.

The aforementioned pair of shutter springs 208 bias the housing shutter 210S in the direction in which the housing shutter 210S seals the toner supply port 25. As shown in FIG. When the toner container 30 is removed from the developing device 20, the housing shutter 210S is biased by the pair of shutter springs 208 to seal the toner supply port 25. As shown in FIG.

Also, when the toner container 30 is attached to the container attachment portion 109 , the housing shutter 210</b>S can press the container body 37 of the toner container 30 . Therefore, the shutter spring 208 urges the toner container 30 attached to the container attachment portion 109 through the housing shutter 210S in the direction in which the housing shutter 210S closes the toner supply port 25 .

[About the toner supply device]
Next, the toner supply device 3 will be described. The toner supply device 3 is a device that supplies toner to the developing device 20 . The toner replenishing device 3 includes the already-described toner container 30 arranged above the toner replenishing port 25 of the developing housing 210 . 8 to 11 in addition to FIG. 7, the toner container 30 will be described. 8 and 9 are plan views of the toner container 30. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the toner container 30. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the toner container 30 of FIG. 8 as seen from the cross-sectional line XI-XI.

The toner container 30 has a cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction (first direction, arrow DA direction in FIG. 11). The toner container 30 accommodates replenishment toner therein. The toner container 30 includes the lid portion 31 , the container body 37 , the cover 39 , the moving wall 32 , the shaft 33 , the pressing member 34 , the rotating body 35 , the rotating body driving gear 381 , and the shaft driving gear 382 . , a ratchet gear 383 and a ratchet shaft 384 .

The lid portion 31 is fixed to the container body 37 and seals the opening of the container body 37 . The lid portion 31 rotatably supports a second shaft end portion 332 ( FIG. 11 ) of the shaft 33 . The lid portion 31 includes a first guide portion 312 . The first guide portion 312 is a protrusion formed to extend vertically on the left side surface (outer surface portion) of the lid portion 31 . The first guide portion 312 has a function of guiding the toner container 30 to be attached to the developing device 20 .

The container main body 37 is a main body portion of the toner container 30 having a cylindrical shape. The container body 37 includes a right wall 375 (FIG. 11) and a projecting wall 376 (see FIG. 12 below). The container main body 37 has an inner peripheral surface 37K defining an inner space 37H that extends cylindrically along the first direction DA, and a toner discharge port 377 that is opened so as to communicate with the inner space 37H and discharges toner. have The right wall 375 is a wall portion that is arranged on one end side (right end side) of the container body 37 in the first direction DA and closes the internal space 37H of the container body 37 . The internal space 37H is defined by the inner peripheral surface 37K formed by the container body 37, the right wall 375 and the lid portion 31. As shown in FIG. A storage space 37S is defined between the right wall 375 and the moving wall 32 in the internal space 37H. The storage space 37S is a space in the internal space 37H of the toner container 30 in which toner is stored.

As shown in FIG. 11, the right wall 375 of the container body 37 on the side opposite to the first direction DA is open. When the lid portion 31 is fixed to the opening, the lid portion 31 blocks the internal space 37H of the container body 37 . The outer peripheral edge of the lid portion 31 is ultrasonically welded to the container body 37 .

12, the projecting wall 376 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface 37L of the container body 37 that projects to the right from the right wall 375. As shown in FIG. A cover 39 is attached to the projecting wall 376 . The cover 39 has a function of exposing a part of the rotating body driving gear 381 and the shaft driving gear 382 in the circumferential direction to the outside, and covering other circumferential parts of the rotating body driving gear 381 and the shaft driving gear 382. . The cover 39 includes the aforementioned second guide portion 391 (see FIG. 11), a container engaging portion 392, and a gear opening 39K (see FIG. 7).

The second guide portion 391 is a projection that protrudes rightward along the up-down direction on the right side surface of the cover 39 . The second guide portion 391 has a function of guiding the toner container 30 to be attached to the developing device 20 together with the first guide portion 312 of the lid portion 31 . The container engaging portion 392 is a protrusion projecting from the right side surface of the cover 39 at a distance from the second guide portion 391 . The lock engaging piece 202S of the lock release button 202 can be engaged with the container engaging portion 392 .

The gear opening 39K is an opening formed by opening the lower surface of the cover 39 in a semicircular shape. When the cover 39 is attached to the container main body 37, part of the gear teeth of the rotor driving gear 381 and the shaft driving gear 382 are exposed to the outside of the toner container 30 through the gear opening 39K. As a result, when the toner container 30 is attached to the developing housing 210 of the developing device 20, the rotating body driving gear 381 and the shaft driving gear 382 engage with the second transmission gear 212 and the third transmission gear 213 (FIG. 6), respectively. combined.

Further, the container main body 37 includes the toner outlet 377 described above and a main body bearing portion 37J (FIG. 11). The toner discharge port 377 is opened in the lower surface portion of the right end portion (one end portion in the first direction DA) of the container main body 37 so as to communicate with the internal space 37H. In other words, the toner outlet 377 is arranged adjacent to the right wall 375 in the first direction DA. The toner discharge port 377 has a rectangular shape with a predetermined length along the first direction DA and a predetermined width along the arc shape of the lower surface of the container body 37 . In this embodiment, the toner discharge port 377 is opened at a position shifted rearward and upward in the circumferential direction from the lower end portion of the lower surface portion of the container body 37 . The toner discharge port 377 allows the toner to be discharged toward the developing device 20 from the storage space 37S.

The main body bearing portion 37J (FIG. 11) is a bearing formed on the right wall 375. As shown in FIG. The shaft 33 is inserted through the main body bearing portion 37J. At this time, the right end side (first shaft end portion 331 ) of the shaft 33 protrudes outside the container body 37 .

The shaft 33 is arranged to extend in the first direction DA in the internal space 37H. The shaft 33 is rotatably supported by the right wall 375 of the container body 37 and the lid portion 31 . Shaft 33 includes a first shaft end 331 , a second shaft end 332 , a male helix 333 and a moving wall stop 334 .

Referring to FIG. 11, the first shaft end portion 331 is the tip portion of the shaft 33 that penetrates the main body bearing portion 37J and protrudes to the right. A pair of D surfaces are formed on the peripheral surface of the first shaft end portion 331 (see FIG. 12). The first shaft end portion 331 is engaged with a ratchet shaft 384 that constitutes a ratchet mechanism RC, which will be described later. As a result, the shaft 33 and the ratchet shaft 384 can rotate integrally. The second shaft end 332 is the left end of the shaft 33 . The second shaft end portion 332 is pivotally supported in the shaft hole formed in the lid portion 31 as described above.

The male spiral portion 333 is a screw portion spirally formed along the first direction DA on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 33 in the internal space 37H. In this embodiment, the male spiral portion 333 is arranged from a region of the shaft 33 adjacent to the cover portion 31 to a region upstream of the toner outlet 377 in the first direction DA, as shown in FIG.

The moving wall stopping portion 334 is arranged continuously downstream of the male spiral portion 333 in the first direction DA. The moving wall stopping portion 334 is a region of only the shaft portion where the male spiral portion 333 is partially missing in the shaft 33 inside the internal space 37H. The moving wall stopping portion 334 is located above the toner discharge port 377 and upstream of the toner discharge port 377 in the first direction DA.

The moving wall 32 is arranged within the interior space 37 . The moving wall 32 is inserted through the shaft 33 and rotates in the first rotation direction R1 (see FIG. 11) around the axis extending in the first direction DA, thereby moving along the shaft 33 in the first direction DA. Moving. As a result, the moving wall 32 conveys the toner in the internal space 37</b>H toward the toner discharge port 377 . In this embodiment, the moving wall 32 receives driving force from the pressing member 34 as the shaft 33 rotates. The pressing member 34 is arranged upstream of the moving wall 32 in the first direction DA. The pressing member 34 is a cylindrical member that allows the shaft 33 to be inserted thereinto, and has a function of pressing the moving wall 32 in the first direction DA. A female spiral portion 34J is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the pressing member 34 . By engaging the male spiral portion 333 of the shaft 33 and the female spiral portion 34J of the pressing member 34, the pressing member 34 moves the moving wall 32 toward the toner discharge port 377 in the first direction DA.

The moving wall 32 defines one end face (left end face) of the accommodation space 37S in the first direction DA in the internal space 37H. A right wall 375 defines the other end face (right end face) of the housing space 37S in the first direction DA. Further, the moving wall 32 moves from the initial position on the one end side in the first direction DA while conveying the toner in the storage space 37S toward the toner discharge port 377 from the start of use of the toner container 30 to the end of use of the toner container 30 . It moves in the first direction DA within the internal space 37H to the final position on the other end side. The initial position of the moving wall 32 is located on the right side of the lid portion 31 (downstream side in the first direction DA), and the final position is located right on the left side of the toner outlet 377 (upstream side in the first direction DA).

The moving wall 32 includes a wall plate 321 , a seal member 322 and a wall body portion 323 . In other words, in this embodiment, the moving wall 32 is composed of three plate-like members. The peripheral portions of the wall plate 321, the sealing member 322, and the wall main body portion 323 are formed to have similar shapes to each other. That is, the lower end of the moving wall 32 has an arc shape projecting downward, the upper end of the moving wall 32 has a horizontal flat portion, and both sides of the moving wall 32 have the arc shape and the flat portion. consists of a slant connecting the

The wall plate 321 is arranged on the most downstream side of the moving wall 32 in the first direction DA. The wall plate 321 is molded by resin molding. A right side surface of the wall plate 321 constitutes a transport surface 320S. The conveying surface 320S defines, together with the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37, an accommodation space 37S in which toner is accommodated. Further, the transport surface 320S presses and transports the toner in the accommodation space 37S as the moving wall 32 moves. The seal member 322 is disposed at a central portion of the moving wall 32 in the first direction DA and sandwiched between the wall plate 321 and the wall body portion 323 . The seal member 322 is made of urethane material having a predetermined thickness in the first direction DA. An outer peripheral portion of the seal member 322 constitutes an outer peripheral surface 32K of the moving wall 32 (see FIG. 11). The outer peripheral surface 32K is arranged in contact with the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37 and is compressed and deformed. The wall body portion 323 is arranged on the first direction DA upstream side of the wall plate 321 and the seal member 322 , that is, on the most first direction DA upstream side of the moving wall 32 . The wall body portion 323 is formed by resin molding.

When the wall plate 321, the sealing member 322, and the wall main body portion 323 are integrated, the outer peripheral portion of the sealing member 322 is arranged radially outermost. As a result, the outer peripheral portion of the seal member 322 (the outer peripheral surface 32K of the moving wall 32) is compressed and deformed by the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37. As shown in FIG. As a result, the toner in the accommodation space 37S flows out from between the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37 and the outer peripheral surface 32K of the moving wall 32 toward the upstream side in the moving direction (first direction DA) of the moving wall 32. is prevented.

Further, when the seal member 322 is sandwiched between the wall plate 321 and the wall main body portion 323, the peripheral portion of the seal member 322 through which the shaft 33 is inserted is crushed, so that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 33 extends in the entire circumferential direction. A shaft seal portion is formed so as to be in close contact over the entire length. The shaft seal portion is arranged upstream in the first direction DA from the female spiral portion 34J of the pressing member 34 (see FIG. 11). Therefore, the shaft seal portion comes into contact with the male spiral portion 333 of the shaft 33 before the female spiral portion 34J, and cleans the toner adhering to the male spiral portion 333 . Further, since the shaft seal portion has a ring shape so as to surround the shaft 33 , it is in close contact with the shaft 33 over the entire circumferential direction of the shaft 33 . Therefore, the toner in the accommodation space 37</b>S is prevented from flowing out to the upstream side in the moving direction (first direction DA) of the moving wall 32 through the bearing portion of the moving wall 32 .

12 to 16 in addition to FIGS. 10 and 11, the ratchet mechanism RC provided in the toner container 30 will be described. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the toner container 30. FIG. 13 and 14 are exploded perspective views of the ratchet mechanism RC of the toner container 30. FIG. 15 and 16 are perspective views of the ratchet mechanism RC of the toner container 30. FIG. In this embodiment, the shaft drive gear 382 , the ratchet gear 383 and the ratchet shaft 384 have a ratchet mechanism RC that transmits rotational driving force to the shaft 33 . The ratchet mechanism RC forms part of the moving wall drive 41 (FIG. 6) of the container drive 40 .

The shaft drive gear 382 forms part of the moving wall drive section 41 . The shaft driving gear 382 is connected to the first shaft end 331 of the shaft 33 and transmits the driving force of the moving wall driving motor M1 (FIG. 6) to the shaft 33 . The shaft drive gear 382 is arranged coaxially with the shaft 33 . The shaft drive gear 382 is connected to the moving wall drive motor M1 through the third transmission gear 213 . The shaft driving gear 382 can rotate the shaft 33 by being rotated by the driving force generated by the moving wall driving motor M1. As shown in FIG. 11, the right end of the shaft 33 is arranged to pass through the rotating body 35 . The shaft drive gear 382 is connected (fixed) to the first shaft end portion 331 of the shaft 33 via a ratchet gear 383 and a ratchet shaft 384 .

13 and 14, the shaft drive gear 382 has a cylindrical portion 382S and a disk-shaped gear portion 382T connected to the cylindrical portion 382S. Gear teeth (not shown) are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the gear portion 382T. A shaft portion 384T of the ratchet shaft 384 can be inserted into the cylindrical portion 382S. The cylindrical portion 382S has an engaging portion 382A extending in the axial direction of the ratchet shaft 384 (the axial direction of the shaft 33).

The ratchet gear 383 has a cylindrical shape through which the shaft portion 384T of the ratchet shaft 384 can be inserted. The ratchet gear 383 is arranged axially between the shaft 33 and the shaft drive gear 382 and is rotatable about the axis of the shaft 33 . The ratchet gear 383 has an engaging portion 383A extending in the axial direction of the ratchet shaft 384 and an inclined portion 383B facing the engaging portion 383A in the circumferential direction. The ratchet gear 383 is arranged axially opposite to the engaging portion 383A and the inclined portion 383B, and faces the engaging portion 383C extending in the axial direction of the ratchet shaft 384 and the engaging portion 383C in the circumferential direction. and an inclined portion 383D.

Furthermore, the ratchet shaft 384 is arranged axially between the shaft drive gear 382 and the shaft 33 and is rotatable together with the shaft 33 . The ratchet shaft 384 has a base end portion 384S and a shaft portion 384T. The base end portion 384S is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The cylindrical interior of the base end portion 384S has a pair of D-face shapes. The first shaft end portion 331 (see FIG. 12) of the shaft 33 is inserted and engaged inside the base end portion 384S. As a result, the shaft 33 and the ratchet shaft 384 can rotate integrally. The shaft portion 384T extends axially from the base end portion 384S. The outer diameter of the shaft portion 384T is smaller than the outer diameter of the base end portion 384S. An engaging portion 384A extending in the axial direction of the ratchet shaft 384 and an inclined portion 384B facing the engaging portion 384A in the circumferential direction are provided at the end portion of the base end portion 384S on the shaft portion 384T side. .

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , after the ratchet gear 383 is fitted onto the ratchet shaft 384 , the cylindrical portion 382 S of the shaft drive gear 382 is fitted onto the ratchet shaft 384 . As a result, in the circumferential direction around the ratchet shaft 384, the engaging portion 382A is arranged to face the engaging portion 383C, and the engaging portion 384A is arranged to face the engaging portion 383A. When the shaft drive gear 382 is rotated in the first rotation direction DG1 (see FIG. 15), the engaging portion 382A moves along the inclined portion 383D and axially presses the ratchet gear 383 toward the base end portion 384S. Eventually, the engaging portion 382A comes into contact with the engaging portion 383C and presses the engaging portion 383C in the first rotation direction DG1. Also, the engaging portion 383A contacts the engaging portion 384A and presses the engaging portion 384A in the first rotation direction DG1. As a result, the shaft 33 connected to the ratchet shaft 384 rotates in the first rotation direction R1 (see FIG. 11). That is, the pressing member 34 and the moving wall 32 move in the first direction DA. The first rotation direction DG1 of the shaft drive gear 382 and the first rotation direction R1 of the shaft 33 are the same.

On the other hand, when the shaft drive gear 382 is rotated in the second rotation direction DG2 (see FIG. 16) opposite to the first rotation direction DG1, the engaging portion 382A is spaced apart from the engaging portion 383C in the circumferential direction. be. Also, the engaging portion 382B of the second container gear 382 presses the engaging portion 383E of the ratchet gear 383 in the second rotation direction DG2. As a result, the ratchet gear 383 rotates in the second rotation direction DG2. At this time, since the ratchet shaft 384 does not press the ratchet gear 383 toward the shaft portion 384T, the engagement between the ratchet gear 383 and the ratchet shaft 384 (engagement portion 384A) is released, and the ratchet gear 383 moves to the second position. It idles in the direction of rotation DG2. As a result, the torque in the second rotation direction DG2 is not transmitted to the ratchet shaft 384, and as a result, the shaft 33 does not rotate in the second rotation direction R2 (see FIG. 11). That is, the pressing member 34 and the moving wall 32 are prevented from moving in the first direction DA as the shaft drive gear 382 rotates in the second rotation direction DG2. Further, since the shaft 33 does not rotate in the second rotation direction R2, the pressing member 34 does not move relative to the moving wall 32 upstream in the first direction DA. Therefore, even if the user accidentally rotates the shaft drive gear 382 in the second rotation direction R2 when the toner container 30 is detached from the developing device 20, the moving wall 32 is positioned on the upstream side in the first direction DA. is prevented from moving to

Thus, in this embodiment, the ratchet mechanism RC composed of the shaft drive gear 382, the ratchet gear 383, and the ratchet shaft 384 transmits the rotational driving force of the shaft drive gear 382 in the first rotation direction DG1 to the shaft 33. At the same time, transmission of the rotational driving force of the shaft driving gear 382 in the second rotational direction DG2 to the shaft 33 is restricted.

Next, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18 in addition to FIGS. 10 and 11, the rotating body 35 provided in the toner container 30 will be described. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the toner container 30 of FIG. 8 as seen from the cross-sectional line XVII--XVII. 18 is a perspective view of the rotor 35. FIG.

The rotating body 35 is provided near the toner discharge port 377 in the accommodation space 37S of the container main body 37, and is configured to be rotatable around the axis along the first direction DA. In this embodiment, the rotating body 35 rotates around the shaft 33 extending in the first direction DA within the housing space 37S. The rotating body 35 is arranged along the right wall 375 above the toner discharge port 377 . The rotating body 35 includes a plate portion 35A, a stirring paddle 35B, a rotating body bearing portion 35C, a first supporting protrusion 35D, and a second supporting protrusion 35E.

The plate portion 35A is a plate-like member having a notch portion 35AA formed by cutting a part of the outer peripheral end of a disk-like member in an arc shape, and is rotatable around the shaft 33 . The plate portion 35A is inserted through the first shaft end portion 331 of the shaft 33 and is retained on the shaft 33 by a pair of retaining members 35F.

The stirring paddle 35B is a paddle attached to the plate portion 35A. The stirring paddle 35B is attached to the plate 35A so as to extend from the plate portion 35A toward the upstream side in the first direction DA, that is, toward the moving wall 32. As shown in FIG. The stirring paddle 35B revolves around the shaft 33 above the toner outlet 377 as the plate portion 35A rotates. Thereby, the stirring paddle 35B stirs the toner in the accommodation space 37S. Since the toner around the toner discharge port 377 is stirred by the stirring paddle 35B, the toner can be stably discharged from the toner discharge port 377. FIG.

The rotor bearing portion 35C is a cylindrical portion extending rightward from the plate portion 35A, and accommodates the shaft 33 therein. Further, the tip portion of the rotating body receiving portion 35C can be engaged with the rotating body driving gear 381 .

The first supporting projecting piece 35D is a projecting piece that extends from the plate portion 35A toward the upstream side in the first direction DA, that is, toward the moving wall 32. As shown in FIG. The first support protrusion 35D is arranged in the plate portion 35A so as to be spaced apart from the stirring paddle 35B in the rotational direction RR of the rotating body 35. As shown in FIG. A cleaning member 361 is attached to the first support protrusion 35D. The cleaning member 361 is made of a flexible film member extending along the rotation direction RR of the rotor 35 . The cleaning member 361 is made of an electrically insulating material (eg, polyethylene terephthalate, PET). The cleaning member 361 revolves around the shaft 33 above the toner discharge port 377 as the rotating body 35 (plate portion 35A) rotates. The cleaning member 361 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container main body 37 when the rotor 35 rotates, and scrapes off the toner adhering to the specific area 37K1 (see FIG. 9) of the inner peripheral surface 37K to clean it. In the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container main body 37, the specific area 37K1 to be cleaned by the cleaning member 361 is an area facing the container sensor 3S (detection sensor), which will be described later. A specific area 37K1 on the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37 corresponding to the detection area 37L1 facing the container sensor 3S can be cleaned by the cleaning member 361. FIG. As a result, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the detection accuracy of the container sensor 3S as much as possible. The cleaning member 361 also has a function of sending out the toner in the accommodation space 37</b>S from the toner discharge port 377 .

The second support projecting piece 35E is a projecting piece that extends from the plate portion 35A toward the upstream side in the first direction DA, that is, toward the moving wall 32. As shown in FIG. The second support protrusion 35E is arranged in the plate portion 35A so as to be spaced from the stirring paddle 35B and the first support protrusion 35D in the rotation direction RR of the rotating body 35. As shown in FIG. The second support projecting piece 35E revolves around the shaft 33 above the toner discharge port 377 and the specific area 37K1 as the plate portion 35A rotates. A detection piece 362 is attached to the outer surface of the second support protrusion 35E. The detection piece 362 can be detected by the container sensor 3S, and is made of a non-magnetic material (diamagnetic material) such as copper. Although details will be described later, the detection piece 362 is used when detecting attachment of the toner container 30 to the developing device 20 .

The rotating body driving gear 381 constitutes a part of the rotating body driving section 42 ( FIG. 6 ) of the container driving section 40 . The rotating body driving gear 381 transmits the driving force of the rotating body driving motor M<b>2 ( FIG. 6 ) to the rotating body 35 . The rotating body driving gear 381 is connected to the rotating body driving motor M2 via the first transmission gear 211 and the second transmission gear 212 of the developing device 20 . In this embodiment, the rotating body drive gear 381 is rotationally driven in synchronization with the developing roller 21 , the first stirring screw 23 and the second stirring screw 24 of the developing device 20 . The rotating body driving gear 381 is connected to the tip of the rotating body bearing portion 35C of the rotating body 35 penetrating the main body bearing portion 37J. As a result, the rotating body drive gear 381 and the rotating body 35 rotate integrally.

Further, the toner replenishing device 3 includes a container sensor 3S, as shown in FIG. The container sensor 3S is a detection sensor arranged to face the specific region 37K1 on the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container body 37 from the outside of the container body 37. As shown in FIG. In other words, the container sensor 3S is arranged so as to face the detection area 37L1 (see FIGS. 9, 10 and 17) corresponding to the specific area 37K1 on the outer peripheral surface 37L of the container body 37. In the inner peripheral surface 37K of the container main body 37, the specific area 37K1 is set above the toner discharge port 377 in the circumferential direction and at a height substantially equal to the axis of the shaft 33 in the vertical direction. .

The container sensor 3S can detect the toner stored in the storage space 37S of the container main body 37. FIG. In this embodiment, the toner is magnetic toner containing a magnetic material, whereas the container sensor 3S is a magnetic sensor (magnetic permeability sensor). The container sensor 3S includes a sensing element 3S1 and a conversion circuit section 3S2. The sensing element 3S1 senses the magnetic field within the housing space 37S of the container body 37 and outputs an analog signal with a voltage level corresponding to the magnetic field. The conversion circuit section 3S2 converts the analog signal output from the detection element 3S1 into a digital signal, and outputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of toner. More specifically, the conversion circuit section 3S2 includes a first signal component indicating that the strength of the magnetic field is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and a second signal component indicating that the strength of the magnetic field is less than the predetermined value. A pulse signal is output as the detection signal. The first signal component and the second signal component have different voltage levels depending on the strength of the magnetic field. Any voltage level may be set higher between the first signal component and the second signal component. In the following description, it is assumed that the voltage level of the first signal component is set higher than the voltage level of the second signal component, the first signal component is referred to as a "High signal", and the second signal component is is referred to as a "Low signal".

The container sensor 3S has a characteristic such that when the toner (magnetic toner) accommodated in the accommodation space 37S of the container body 37 is detected, the detected magnetic field increases. Therefore, when a High signal is output from the container sensor 3S (conversion circuit section 3S2), it means that toner has been detected. On the other hand, when a Low signal is output from the container sensor 3S, it means that toner is not detected.

In the toner replenishing device 3 of this embodiment, the moving operation of the moving wall 32 of the toner container 30 is controlled based on the detection signal output from the container sensor 3S, and toner replenishment control for the developing device 20 is executed. The details of toner replenishment control for the developing device 20 in the toner replenishing device 3 will be described later.

[Regarding the control system of the toner replenishing device]
Next, the control system of the toner replenishing device 3 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The toner supply device 3 includes a container driving section 40 and a control section 50 in addition to the container sensor 3S and the toner container 30 described above.

The container driving section 40 includes a moving wall driving section 41 and a rotating body driving section 42 . The moving wall driving section 41 includes a moving wall driving motor M1 and a moving wall driving circuit M11 in addition to the shaft driving gear 382 and the ratchet mechanism RC described above. The moving wall driving motor M<b>1 is a driving motor that generates driving force for rotating the shaft 33 of the toner container 30 . The driving force generated by the moving wall driving motor M1 is transmitted to the shaft 33 via the third transmission gear 213, the shaft driving gear 382 and the ratchet mechanism RC. This causes the shaft 33 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1. The moving wall 32 moves along the shaft 33 in the first direction DA as the shaft 33 rotates in the first rotation direction R1. The moving wall drive circuit M11 is a drive circuit that controls driving of the moving wall drive motor M1, and is connected to the control unit 50 so as to be capable of data communication.

The rotator drive section 42 includes a rotator drive motor M2 and a rotator drive circuit M21 in addition to the rotator drive gear 381 described above. The rotating body driving motor M2 is a driving motor that generates driving force for rotating the rotating body 35 of the toner container 30 . The driving force generated by the rotating body drive motor M2 is transmitted to the rotating body 35 via the first transmission gear 211, the second transmission gear 212, and the rotating body driving gear 381. As shown in FIG. As a result, the rotor 35 rotates around the shaft 33 . The rotator drive circuit M21 is a drive circuit that controls driving of the rotator drive motor M2, and is connected to the controller 50 so as to be capable of data communication. The driving force generated by the rotating body drive motor M2 is also transmitted to the developing roller 21, the first stirring screw 23, and the second stirring screw 24 of the developing device 20 via the first transmission gear 211. FIG. As a result, the developing roller 21, the first stirring screw 23, and the second stirring screw 24 of the developing device 20 are rotated.

The control unit 50 is a computer including a CPU, memory, etc., and controls the operation of the toner replenishing device 3 as a whole. Control unit 50 includes determination unit 51 , moving wall control unit 52 , rotating body control unit 53 , and mounting detection unit 54 .

The rotator control unit 53 is connected to the rotator drive circuit M21 so as to be capable of data communication, and transmits a control signal regarding drive control of the rotator drive motor M2 to the rotator drive circuit M21. Upon receiving the control signal transmitted from the rotating body control section 53, the rotating body driving circuit M21 controls driving of the rotating body driving motor M2 according to the control signal.

Here, when the rotating body 35 is rotated by driving the rotating body driving motor M2, the detection signal is output from the container sensor 3S. More specifically, in the container sensor 3S, the sensing element 3S1 outputs an analog signal with a voltage level corresponding to the magnetic field within the accommodation space 37S of the container body 37. FIG. Then, the conversion circuit section 3S2 converts the analog signal into a digital signal and outputs the detection signal composed of a pulse signal including a High signal and a Low signal. The output signal of this container sensor 3S will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 22. FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing how the amount of toner in the housing space 37S of the container body 37 is reduced. FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the output signal of the container sensor 3S under the first environment. FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the output signal of the container sensor 3S under the second environment. Note that the first environment is a low-temperature, low-humidity environment such as a temperature of 10° C. and a humidity of 10% RH. The second environment is a normal temperature and normal humidity environment such as a temperature of 25° C. and a humidity of 40 to 50% RH.

In the container sensor 3S, the sensing element 3S1 outputs an analog signal ASG having a voltage level corresponding to the magnetic field within the accommodation space 37S. In the container sensor 3S, the conversion circuit section 3S2 converts the analog signal ASG into a digital signal and outputs a detection signal DSG including a High signal and a Low signal. That is, the container sensor 3S makes one rotation of the rotating body 35 one cycle TWM (for example, about 4 sec), and during the one cycle TWM, at a predetermined time interval (for example, 49 msec), according to the change in the magnetic field in the accommodation space 37S. and outputs a detection signal DSG including a High signal and a Low signal.

It is assumed that the amount of decrease in the amount of toner in the accommodation space 37</b>S reaches a predetermined decrease reference value as the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 377 . In this case, as shown in FIG. 20A, the draft surface TS of the toner accommodated in the accommodation space 37S is positioned below the specific region 37K1. The detection signal DSG of the container sensor 3S in this state will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. FIG.

First, assume time zones TW1 and TW7 during which the detection piece 362 passes through the specific region 37K1 corresponding to the detection region 37L1 of the container body 37 when the rotor 35 rotates. In the example of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time slot TW1 is the time slot from time TS1 to time TS2, and the time slot TW7 is the time slot from time TS7 to time TS8. In these time periods TW1 and TW7, the container sensor 3S outputs a high signal including the specific signal PSG represented by a low signal as the detection signal DSG. The container sensor 3S, which is a magnetic sensor, outputs a specific signal PSG when detecting the detection piece 362 made of a non-magnetic material. Specifically, when the detection piece 362 passes through the specific area 37K1 corresponding to the detection area 37L1, the voltage level of the container sensor 3S once becomes 0 V (zero volt), and then the voltage level rises sharply. It has characteristics. Due to this characteristic, the container sensor 3S outputs a specific signal PSG specific to the detection piece 362 and a High signal when the detection piece 362 passes through the specific region 37K1.

Next, assume a time zone TW2 in which the area between the detection piece 362 and the stirring paddle 35B in the rotation direction RR of the rotating body 35 passes through the specific area 37K1. In the examples of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time period TW2 is the time period from time TS2 to time TS3. During this time period TW2, the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal as the detection signal DSG. When the draft surface TS of the toner accommodated in the accommodation space 37S is positioned below the specific area 37K1, no toner exists in the area between the detection piece 362 and the stirring paddle 35B on the rotor 35. FIG. As a result, the strength of the magnetic field in the accommodation space 37S becomes less than the predetermined value, so the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal.

Next, assume a time period TW3 during which the stirring paddle 35B passes through the specific region 37K1 when the rotor 35 rotates. In the examples of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time period TW3 is the time period from time TS3 to time TS4. During this time period TW3, the container sensor 3S outputs a High signal and a Low signal as the detection signal DSG. The agitating paddle 35B agitates the toner in the storage space 37S as the rotating body 35 rotates. Since the strength of the magnetic field in the storage space 37S becomes greater than or less than a predetermined value due to the agitation of the toner, the container sensor 3S outputs a High signal and a Low signal.

Next, assume a time zone TW4 in which the area (notch 35AA) between the agitating paddle 35B and the cleaning member 361 in the rotation direction RR of the rotating body 35 passes through the specific area 37K1. In the examples of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time period TW4 is the time period from time TS4 to time TS5. During this time period TW4, the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal as the detection signal DSG. When the draft surface TS of the toner accommodated in the accommodation space 37S is positioned below the specific area 37K1, no toner exists in the area between the agitating paddle 35B and the cleaning member 361 on the rotating body 35. FIG. As a result, the strength of the magnetic field in the accommodation space 37S becomes less than the predetermined value, so the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal.

Next, assume a time zone TW5 during which the cleaning member 361 passes through the specific area 37K1 when the rotor 35 rotates. In the examples of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time period TW5 is the time period from time TS5 to time TS6. During this time period TW5, the container sensor 3S outputs a High signal as the detection signal DSG. Toner adheres to the cleaning member 361 . Therefore, the container sensor 3S detects a magnetic field having a strength equal to or greater than a predetermined value caused by the toner adhering to the cleaning member 361, and outputs a High signal.

Next, assume a time zone TW6 in which the area between the cleaning member 361 and the detection piece 362 in the rotation direction RR of the rotor 35 passes through the specific area 37K1. In the examples of FIGS. 21 and 22, the time period TW6 is the time period from time TS6 to time TS7. During this time period TW6, the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal as the detection signal DSG. When the draft surface TS of the toner accommodated in the accommodation space 37S is positioned below the specific area 37K1, no toner exists in the area between the cleaning member 361 and the detection piece 362 of the rotating body 35. FIG. As a result, the strength of the magnetic field in the accommodation space 37S becomes less than the predetermined value, so the container sensor 3S outputs a Low signal.

Here, the properties of the toner, such as cohesiveness and fluidity, change depending on the environment such as temperature and humidity. When the properties of the toner change, the behavior of the toner changes when stirred by the stirring paddle 35B. Therefore, as is clear from a comparison between FIGS. 21 and 22, the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S during the time period TW3 when the stirring paddle 35B passes through the specific region 37K1 differs depending on the temperature and humidity environment. there is During one cycle TWM in which the rotating body 35 rotates once, the container sensor 3S outputs the output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zones TWW represented by other time zones TW2, TW4, TW5, TW6, and TW7 excluding the time zone TW3. There is no difference in the detection signal DSG due to the temperature and humidity environment.

Next, it is assumed that the toner reduction amount in the storage space 37S has not reached a predetermined reduction reference value. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20B, the draft surface TS of the toner accommodated in the accommodation space 37S is positioned above the specific region 37K1. In this state, the container sensor 3S detects a magnetic field having a strength equal to or greater than a predetermined value caused by the toner existing around the specific area 37K1 during one cycle TWM in which the rotating body 35 rotates once, and outputs a High signal. Output as detection signal DSG.

The detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S is used when the later-described determination unit 51 determines the state of toner decrease in the storage space 37S.

The attachment detection unit 54 detects attachment of the toner container 30 to the developing device 20 based on the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S. Specifically, when a plurality of High signals are continuously output from the container sensor 3S, for example, when three High signals are continuously output, the mounting detection unit 54 detects the developing device 20 of the toner container 30. Detects attachment to On the other hand, if the container sensor 3S does not continuously output a plurality of High signals during one cycle TWM in which the rotating body 35 rotates once, the mounting detection unit 54 notifies the developing device 20 of the toner container 30 is not attached. The attachment detector 54 may be configured to transmit message information indicating that the toner container 30 is not attached to the developing device 20 when it is determined that the toner container 30 is not attached to the developing device 20 . The user of the image forming apparatus 1 can confirm that the toner container 30 is not attached to the developing device 20 by the message information transmitted from the attachment detection section 54 .

Based on the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S, the determination unit 51 determines the state of toner decrease in the accommodation space 37S. The determination unit 51 determines the state of toner decrease in the storage space 37S based on the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW. As described above, the detection target time zone TWW is a time zone excluding the time zone TW3 during which the stirring paddle 35B passes through the specific region 37K1 during one cycle TWM in which the rotor 35 rotates once.

It is assumed that the properties of the toner change depending on the environment such as temperature and humidity, and the behavior of the toner changes when it is stirred by the stirring paddle 35B. Even in such a case, since the passage time period of the stirring paddle 35B with respect to the specific region 37K1 is excluded from the detection target time period TWW, the determination unit 51 can determine the state of toner decrease in the accommodation space 37S. , can be determined with high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to move the moving wall 32 appropriately in accordance with the state of toner decrease. Therefore, suitable replenishment of toner from the toner container 30 to the developing device 20 is realized. Details of the determination operation of the determination unit 51 will be described later.

The moving wall control unit 52 is connected to the moving wall drive circuit M11 so as to be able to communicate with the moving wall. Based on the determination result of the determination unit 51, the moving wall control unit 52 transmits a control signal regarding drive control of the moving wall drive motor M1 to the moving wall drive circuit M11. Upon receiving the control signal transmitted from the moving wall control section 52, the moving wall driving circuit M11 controls the driving of the moving wall driving motor M1 according to the control signal. Details regarding transmission of the control signal to the moving wall drive circuit M11 of the moving wall control unit 52 will be described later.

The moving wall control unit 52 controls the movement of the moving wall 32 of the toner container 30 based on the determination result of the determination unit 51, thereby performing toner replenishment, which is control related to replenishment of toner from the toner container 30 to the developing device 20. Execute control. Further, the moving wall control unit 52 controls the movement of the moving wall 32 of the toner container 30 based on the determination result of the determination unit 51, so that when the toner stored in the storage space 37S is in an empty state. Toner empty control, which is control, is executed.

Toner replenishment control and toner empty control executed by the moving wall control section 52 will be described below with reference to FIG. 23A and 23B are diagrams for explaining the control operation of the toner replenishing device 3. FIG.

<Regarding toner replenishment control>
While the first guide portion 312 of the lid portion 31 and the second guide portion 391 of the cover 39 are guided by the pair of the left guide groove 201L and the right guide groove 201R of the developing device 20, the toner container 30 is mounted on the container mounting portion 109 by the user. (see FIGS. 6 and 7). When the toner container 30 is attached to the container attachment portion 109, the container shutter 30S is moved and the toner discharge port 377 is opened. As a result, the toner discharge port 377 is arranged above the toner supply port 25 so as to face it (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a volumetric replenishment type toner replenishment system is adopted. For this reason, when the retention portion 29 ( FIG. 5 ) on the developing device 20 side seals the toner supply port 25 from below, the supplied toner does not drop from the toner container 30 .

When the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is started, the rotator control section 53 transmits a control signal to the rotator driving circuit M21. As a result, driving of the rotating body drive motor M2 is started (time T1 in FIG. 23). When the rotating body drive motor M2 is driven, the rotating body 35 of the toner container 30 rotates around the shaft 33 . Further, when the rotating body driving motor M2 is driven, the toner is supplied from the developing roller 21 of the developing device 20 to the photosensitive drum 121 .

Further, the determination unit 51 determines the state of toner decrease in the storage space 37S based on the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW during one cycle TWM in which the rotating body 35 rotates once. judge. The determination unit 51 outputs a first determination signal JS1 when it determines that the amount of toner reduction in the accommodation space 37S has reached the predetermined reduction reference value, and the amount of toner reduction has reached the reduction reference value. If it is determined that there is no such, a second determination signal JS2 is output. More specifically, the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1 when the number of times the Low signal is output in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW is equal to or greater than the first threshold value K1. . On the other hand, when the number of times the Low signal is output is less than the first threshold value K1, the determination section 51 outputs a second determination signal JS2. The determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1 or the second determination signal JS2 indicating the determination result of the toner decrease state, using the number of output of the Low signal output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW as an index. be able to.

Further, the determination unit 51 sets the timing at which the specific signal PSG specific to the detection piece 362 is output from the container sensor 3S as the start point of the detection target time zone TWW. As described above, when the detection piece 362 passes through the specific region 37K1, the specific signal PSG specific to the detection piece 362 is output from the container sensor 3S. By setting the output timing of this specific signal PSG as the starting point of the detection target time zone TWW, the passage time zone TW3 of the stirring paddle 35B with respect to the specific region 37K1 can be accurately grasped, and the detection target time zone TWW can be accurately set. becomes possible. Therefore, the determination unit 51 can determine with high accuracy the state of toner decrease in the storage space 37S based on the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW.

In the example shown in FIG. 23, the determination unit 51 outputs the second determination signal JS2 at time T2. When the determination unit 51 outputs the second determination signal JS2, the moving wall control unit 52 outputs a drive disapproval signal CS2 indicating a control signal disallowing drive control of the moving wall drive motor M1 to the moving wall motor M1. It is transmitted to the drive circuit M11. When receiving the drive disapproval signal CS2 transmitted from the moving wall control unit 52, the moving wall drive circuit M11 does not drive the moving wall drive motor M1. Therefore, the moving wall 32 does not move. That is, when the second determination signal JS2 is output from the determination unit 51, the moving wall control unit 52 does not move the moving wall 32 by transmitting the drive disapproval signal CS2.

When the rotating body drive motor M2 continues to be driven and toner continues to be supplied from the developing roller 21 of the developing device 20 to the photosensitive drum 121, the toner in the retention portion 29 on the developing device 20 side decreases. Therefore, the toner stored in the storage space 37S flows from the toner discharge port 377 into the developing device 20 through the toner supply port 25 . At this time, the rotating body 35 is rotated by driving the rotating body driving motor M2. As a result, the stirring paddle 35B provided on the rotating body 35 revolves around the shaft 33 above the toner discharge port 377, so that the toner above the toner discharge port 377 is stably stirred. As a result, the fluidity of the toner in the accommodation space 37</b>S increases, and the toner stably drops from the toner outlet 377 .

When the toner drops from the toner discharge port 377 in accordance with the reduction of the toner in the retention portion 29 on the developing device 20 side, the toner stored in the storage space 37S decreases, and the draft surface TS of the toner falls below the specific region 37K1. (time period from time T2 to time T3 in FIG. 23). In this case, in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, the number of times the Low signal is output is less than the first threshold value K1, and the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1 (Fig. 23 time T3).

When the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1, the moving wall control unit 52 outputs a drive permission signal CS1 indicating a control signal for permitting drive control of the moving wall drive motor M1 to the moving wall drive circuit M11. Send to Upon receiving the driving permission signal CS1 transmitted from the moving wall control unit 52, the moving wall driving circuit M11 drives the moving wall driving motor M1 according to the driving permission signal CS1. In the present embodiment, when the driving permission signal CS1 transmitted from the moving wall control section 52 is received, the moving wall drive circuit M11 receives a predetermined constant speed and a constant time TM (time from time T3 to time T4 in FIG. 23). ) to drive the moving wall drive motor M1.

The driving force generated by the moving wall driving motor M1 is transmitted to the shaft 33 via the third transmission gear 213, the shaft driving gear 382 and the ratchet mechanism RC. This causes the shaft 33 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1. As the shaft 33 rotates in the first rotation direction R1, the moving wall 32 moves along the shaft 33 in the first direction DA, and conveys the toner in the accommodation space 37S toward the toner outlet 377. As shown in FIG. In this manner, the moving wall 32 is moved based on the drive permission signal CS1 transmitted from the moving wall control section 52 in response to the first determination signal JS1 of the determining section 51. FIG. That is, when the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1, the moving wall control unit 52 moves the moving wall 32 by transmitting the drive permission signal CS1. As a result, the movement of the moving wall 32 becomes appropriate according to the amount of toner stored in the storage space 37S.

When the moving wall 32 moves in the first direction DA and conveys the toner toward the toner outlet 377, the volume of the accommodation space 37S is reduced. Therefore, the draft surface TS of the toner stored in the storage space 37S is positioned above the specific region 37K1 (time period from time T3 to time T4 in FIG. 23). In this case, in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, the number of times the Low signal is output becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value K1, and the determination unit 51 outputs the second determination signal JS2 (Fig. 23 time T5).

When the second determination signal JS2 is output from the determination unit 51, the moving wall control unit 52 transmits the drive disapproval signal CS2 to the moving wall drive circuit M11 in the same manner as described above (time T5 in FIG. 23). When the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port 377, the draft surface TS of the toner stored in the storage space 37S is positioned below the specific region 37K1 (the time period from time T5 to time T6 in FIG. 23). ). In this case, in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, the number of times the Low signal is output is less than the first threshold value K1, and the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1 (Fig. 23 time T6).

When the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1, the moving wall control unit 52 transmits the driving permission signal CS1 to the moving wall driving circuit M11 (time T6 in FIG. 23) in the same manner as described above. As a result, the moving wall driving circuit M11 drives the moving wall driving motor M1 at a predetermined constant speed for a constant time TM (time from time T6 to time T7 in FIG. 23). When the moving wall driving motor M<b>1 is driven, the moving wall 32 moves along the shaft 33 in the first direction DA to convey the toner in the accommodation space 37</b>S toward the toner discharge port 377 . As a result, the capacity of the storage space 37S is reduced, and the draft surface TS of the toner stored in the storage space 37S is positioned above the specific region 37K1 (the time period from time T6 to time T7 in FIG. 23). ). In this case, in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, the number of times the Low signal is output becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value K1, and the determination unit 51 outputs the second determination signal JS2 (Fig. 23 time T8).

<Regarding Toner Empty Control>
When the toner replenishment control described above is repeated according to the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 and the toner in the storage space 37S continues to be replenished to the developing device 20, the moving wall 32 eventually reaches the final position before the toner discharge port 377. up to.

When the moving wall 32 is located at the final position and the toner drops from the toner discharge port 377 as the amount of toner in the retention portion 29 on the developing device 20 side decreases, the draft surface of the toner stored in the storage space 37S is reached. The TS is positioned below the specific region 37K1. In this case, in the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, the number of times the Low signal is output is less than the first threshold value K1, and the determination unit 51 outputs the first determination signal JS1 (Fig. 23 time T9).

When the determination unit 571 outputs the first determination signal JS1, the moving wall control unit 52 transmits the driving permission signal CS1 to the moving wall drive circuit M11 (time T9 in FIG. 23).

When the moving wall 32 is located at the final position, the female spiral portion 34J of the pressing member 34 is positioned at the moving wall stopping portion 334, and the engagement between the male spiral portion 333 and the female spiral portion 34J is released. Therefore, transmission of the moving force from the shaft 33 to the pressing member 34 is lost. Therefore, when the moving wall 32 is located at the final position, even if the moving wall driving circuit M11 drives the moving wall driving motor M1 in response to the drive permission signal CS1, the moving wall 32 cannot move. 23 (the period from time T9 to time T10 in FIG. 23).

The determination unit 51 determines whether the toner in the accommodation space 37S is empty based on the detection signal DSG of the container sensor 3S after the first determination signal JS1 is output. In the detection signal DSG output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW, it is assumed that the number of times the Low signal is output is equal to or greater than the second threshold K2, which is greater than the first threshold K1. In this case, the determination unit 51 determines that the toner in the storage space 37S is empty, and outputs the third determination signal JS3 indicating the determination result (time T11 in FIG. 23). The determining unit 51 can determine the empty state of the toner in the storage space 37S using the number of output of the Low signal output from the container sensor 3S in the detection target time zone TWW as an index.

When the determination unit 51 outputs the third determination signal JS3, the moving wall control unit 52 transmits the drive stop signal CS3 to the moving wall drive circuit M11 (time T11 in FIG. 23). The drive stop signal CS3 is a control signal for stopping drive control of the moving wall drive motor M1.

Upon receiving the drive stop signal CS3 transmitted from the moving wall control unit 52, the moving wall drive circuit M11 stops driving the moving wall drive motor M1. When the drive stop signal CS3 is transmitted from the moving wall control unit 52, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is temporarily stopped, and the rotating body drive motor M2 is stopped (time T12 in FIG. 23).

Further, the determination unit 51 may be configured to transmit message information (toner empty information) indicating that the toner is empty in the storage space 37S when the third determination signal JS3 is output. . The user of the image forming apparatus 1 can confirm that the toner container 30 is in the toner empty state based on the toner empty information sent from the determination unit 51 .

1 image forming apparatus 120 image forming section 121 photoreceptor drum (image carrier)
20 developing device 3 toner supply device 30 toner container 32 moving wall 35 rotating body 35A plate portion 35B stirring paddle 361 cleaning member 362 detection piece 37 container main body 377 toner outlet 3S container sensor (detection sensor)
50 control unit 51 determination unit 52 moving wall control unit 53 rotating body control unit 54 attachment detection unit DSG detection signal JS1 first determination signal JS2 second determination signal JS3 third determination signal PSG specific signal TWW detection target time zone

Claims (7)

a toner container detachably attached to the developing device and containing toner to be supplied to the developing device;
a detection sensor arranged to face a detection area on the outer peripheral surface of the toner container and outputting a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of the toner in the toner container;
a determination unit that determines a state of toner decrease in the toner container based on the detection signal output from the detection sensor;
The toner container is
a container body having an inner peripheral surface defining an inner space cylindrically extending in a first direction, and a toner discharge port that is open to communicate with the inner space and discharges the toner;
a conveying surface disposed in the internal space and defining, together with the inner peripheral surface of the container body, an accommodating space in which the toner is accommodated, conveying the toner in the accommodating space toward the toner outlet; a moving wall that moves in the first direction in the internal space while
a rotating body provided in the housing space in the vicinity of the toner outlet and rotatable about an axis along the first direction;
an agitating paddle attached to the rotating body and agitating the toner in the accommodation space as the rotating body rotates;
The determination unit detects the detection signal output from the detection sensor in a detection target time period excluding a time period in which the stirring paddle passes through the detection area during one cycle in which the rotating body rotates once. a toner replenishing device that determines the state of decrease of the toner in the accommodation space based on the above. further comprising a moving wall control unit that controls movement of the moving wall,
The judging section outputs a first judgment signal when judging that the amount of toner reduction in the storage space has reached a predetermined reduction reference value based on the detection signal output from the detection sensor. and outputting a second determination signal when it is determined that the decrease amount of the toner has not reached the decrease reference value,
The moving wall control unit moves the moving wall when the first determination signal is output from the determination unit, and does not move the moving wall when the second determination signal is output from the determination unit. 2. The toner replenishing device according to claim 1. The toner is a magnetic toner containing a magnetic material,
The detection sensor detects a magnetic field within the accommodation space, and has a first signal component indicating that the strength of the magnetic field is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and indicating that the strength of the magnetic field is less than the predetermined value. A magnetic sensor that outputs a pulse signal containing a second signal component as the detection signal,
The determination unit outputs the first determination signal when the number of outputs of the second signal component in the detection signal output from the detection sensor in the detection target time period is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and 3. The toner replenishing device according to claim 2, wherein the second determination signal is output when the number of outputs of the second signal component is less than the first threshold. In the detection signal output from the detection sensor in the detection target time zone after the output of the first determination signal, the determination unit indicates that the number of outputs of the second signal component indicates a value greater than the first threshold. 4. The toner replenishing device according to claim 3, wherein if the toner is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, it is determined that the toner in the accommodation space is in an empty state, and a third determination signal indicating the determination result is output. The toner container further includes a detection piece made of a non-magnetic material that is attached to the agitating paddle at a predetermined distance in the rotation direction of the rotating body and that can be detected by the detection sensor,
The detection sensor outputs a unique signal when detecting the detection piece,
5. The toner replenishing device according to claim 3, wherein said determination unit sets the timing at which said specific signal is output from said detection sensor as a starting point of said detection target time zone. The toner container further comprises a cleaning member attached to the rotating body, which cleans the inner peripheral surface of the container body while being in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the housing space in the container body as the rotating body rotates. including
6. The toner replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning member comprises a flexible film member extending along the rotational direction of said rotating body. an image carrier that carries a toner image;
a developing device that supplies toner to the image carrier;
An image forming apparatus comprising: the toner replenishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which replenishes toner to the developing device.

Images