JPH01303479A - Process unit for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the scattering of toner by providing a toner solidification agent chamber and a sealing member which seals a communicating part between the toner solidification agent chamber and a developing device or between said chamber and a cleaning device inside a process unit which can be attached to and detached from an image forming device main body. CONSTITUTION:The toner solidification agent chambers 24j and 24k are respectively formed above a toner chamber 24a and a developer chamber 24b in the developing device 24 and they respectively communicate with the toner chamber 24a and the developer chamber 24b through opening parts. In the beginning, the respective opening parts are covered with one sealing member 24n and one of edge parts of the member 24n is wound to a take-up shaft 24m disposed on the side of the developer chamber 24b. By rotating the take-up shaft 24m, the sealing member 24n is taken up by said shaft 24m and the respective opening parts of the toner solidification agent chambers 24j and 24k are opened. Thus, the inside toner can be prevented from being scattered to a periphery in case of replacing the process unit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a process unit used in a small and lightweight image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine.

(Prior art) Recently, in image forming devices such as electrophotographic copying machines, photoreceptors, developing devices, etc., which deteriorate or wear out with use, are integrated into a process unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the machine. A system configured as follows has been developed. Usually, such a process unit is removed from the copying machine main body when the toner in the developing device is completely consumed, and a new process unit is installed in the copying machine main body and used. A process unit that has been removed from the copying machine main body after the toner has been completely consumed is disposed of, but when removing the process unit from the copying machine main body or transporting the process unit for disposal, There is a risk that the toner remaining inside may scatter to the outside and contaminate the surrounding area. If the housing is damaged when the process unit is disposed of, the toner inside will inevitably scatter.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-71658 discloses a waste toner processing device in which a molten toner substance is disposed in a waste toner box.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) If the configuration disclosed in the publication is used in the process unit, it is possible to prevent waste toner from scattering from the waste toner box. However, in a recycling method in which the toner once collected by the cleaning device is sent to the developing device again for use, as disclosed in the publication, a molten toner substance is provided in the waste toner. cannot be adopted. Furthermore, the configuration disclosed in the publication cannot prevent toner remaining in the developing device from scattering.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to: - Even in a recycling system in which the collected toner is sent to a developing device and used, it is difficult to remove the toner from the device main body. Another object of the present invention is to provide a process unit of an image forming apparatus that can reliably prevent toner from scattering around the surrounding area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process unit for an image forming apparatus that automatically prevents toner from scattering when disposed of.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a process unit for an image forming apparatus, which is removably attached to an image forming apparatus main body and has a developing device and a cleaning device inside. A toner solidifying agent chamber disposed in at least one of the chambers to communicate with the inside thereof and containing a toner solidifying agent therein, and a communicating portion between the toner solidifying agent chamber and the developing device or the cleaning device are sealed. a sealing material disposed therein, and means for opening a portion sealed by the sealing material in order to feed the toner solidifying agent in the toner solidifying agent chamber into a developing device or a cleaning device; This achieves the above objective.

Further, the present invention is removable from the main body of the image forming apparatus,
A process unit of an image forming apparatus having a developing device and a cleaning device inside, wherein at least one of the developing device and the cleaning device is disposed to communicate with the inside thereof, and a toner solidifying agent is housed inside. The toner solidifying agent chamber and the communication part between the toner solidifying agent chamber and the developing device or the cleaning device are sealed, and the toner solidifying agent inside is manually operated to seal the toner solidifying agent chamber inside the developing device or the cleaning device. a sealing material whose sealed portion is opened for feeding;
This achieves the above objective.

(Example) The present invention will be described below with reference to an example of an electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the interior of the electrophotographic copying machine.

In this electrophotographic copying machine, a process unit 20 of the present invention is mounted on a copying machine main body 10.

The copying machine main body 10 has a transfer paper conveyance path 1 that connects and cuts within the main body.
1, and a transfer device 12 and a separation device 13 are disposed below the center of the transfer paper conveyance path 11.

The process unit 20 includes a photoreceptor drum 22 disposed within a housing 21, and by moving the entire process unit 20 relative to the copying machine main body 10 in the axial direction of the photoreceptor drum 22, the process unit 20
is attached to and detached from the copying machine main body 10. When the process unit 20 is installed in the copying machine main body 10, the photosensitive drum 22 faces the transfer device 12 of the copying machine main body 10 with the transfer paper conveyance path 11 in between.

Inside the housing 21 of the process unit 20, there is a charging device 23 located above the photoreceptor drum 22, and a developing device @ located upstream of the photoreceptor drum 22 in the transfer paper conveyance direction.
A cleaning device 25 is provided, which is located on the downstream side in the general feeding direction of the transfer sheet 24 and the photosensitive drum 22 in the general feeding direction.

The image of the original on the original mounting table 15 is then illuminated by the light source 14 disposed at the upper part of the copying machine main body 10, and the process unit 2
By exposing the photoreceptor drum 22 charged by the charging device 23 in 0, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor drum 22, and the electrostatic latent image is converted into toner by the developing device 24. Developed.

The toner image on the photoreceptor drum 22 is transferred by the transfer device 12 to a transfer paper that is conveyed in the main body 10 of the copying machine, and after the transfer paper is separated from the photoreceptor drum 22 by the separation device 13. The toner image formed on the transfer paper is fixed by a fixing device 16 provided in the main body 10 of the copying machine. Toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 22 is removed by a cleaning device 2.
It is cleaned in step 5.

The toner collected by the cleaning device 25 is fed to the developing device 24 by a toner conveying device, which will be described later.

The developing device 24 disposed within the process unit 20 is
As shown in FIG. 1, it has a toner chamber 24a containing toner in the upper part, and a developer chamber 24b located on the side of the toner chamber 24a on the side where the photoreceptor drum 22 is disposed. The l~
A predetermined amount of toner is stored in the Luna-2 ria.
A predetermined amount of developer consisting of carrier and toner is contained in the developer chamber 24b.

The lower portions of the toner chamber 24a and the developer chamber 24b are open downward, and the toner hopper 24g below each
and communicates with the developing device 24h. Each opening is initially covered with a sealing material 24c. The sealing material 24c
is loosely attached to the periphery of each opening to seal each opening, but by pulling the sealing material 24c in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG. is opened, and the toner in the toner chamber 24a falls into the toner hopper 24g, and the developer in the developer chamber 24b falls into the developing device 24h.

A first general feed roller 24d (spiral container 24d) is disposed within the toner hopper 24g, and a supply roller 24e is disposed between the toner hopper 24g and the developing device 24h. Furthermore, a mixing roller 24f is disposed within the developing device 24h below the developer chamber 24b. The toner dropped into the toner hopper 24g from the toner chamber 24a is stirred by a conveying roller 24d (spiral conveyor 24d), and then supplied into the mixing chamber 24h by a supply roller 24e. The toner supplied into the developing device 24h is mixed with the developer that has fallen from the developer chamber 24b within the developing device 24h, and is triboelectrically charged.

A developing sleeve 24i is disposed within the developing device 24h so as to face the photosensitive drum 22, and the developing device 24h
The toner frictionally charged in the developing sleeve 24i
The photoreceptor drum 22 is transported to the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 22.

A toner concentration sensor 24x is attached to the developing device 24h. The toner concentration sensor 24x is connected to the developing device 24h.
When the toner concentration within the developing device 24h is below a predetermined value, the toner supply roller 2
4e to replenish toner into the developing device 24h.

Above the toner chamber 24a in the developing device 24 and above the developer chamber 24b are toner solidifying agent chambers 24j and 24.
k are formed respectively. The toner solidifying agent chamber 24j
and 24 include a toner chamber 24a and a developer chamber 24a.
b through openings, but each opening is initially covered with -24n sheets of sealing material.

A toner solidifying agent that softens and solidifies the toner by contacting the toner is housed in the toner solidifying characters 24j and 24 covered with the sealing material 24n. The toner solidifying agent used includes powdered vinyl chloride powder, liquid toluene, silicone oil, vinyl acetate, and the like.

A sealing material 24n covering each opening of the toner solidifying agent chambers 243 and 24 is loosely attached to the periphery of each opening to cover each opening, and its negative side edge is attached to the developer chamber 24b.
The winding shaft 24m is wound around a winding shaft 24m arranged on the side of the winding shaft 24m. Then, by rotating the winding shaft 24m,
The sealing material 24n is wound around the winding shaft 24m, and the openings in the toner solidifying agent chambers 24j and 24 are opened.

As a result, the toner solidifying agent contained in each of the toner solidifying agent chambers 24j and 24 passes through the toner chamber 24a and the developer chamber 24b and falls into the toner hopper 24g and the developing device 24h.

The cleaning device 25, which is disposed opposite to the developing device 24 with the photoconductor drum 22 in between, includes a cleaning blade 25a that slides on the outer circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 22 and scrapes off toner remaining on the outer circumferential surface. . The toner scraped off by the cleaning blade 25a falls into the toner collection chamber 25b below the cleaning blade 25a. A spiral conveyor 25c that rotates along the bottom surface of the toner collection chamber 25b is disposed within the toner collection chamber 25b.

A toner solidifying agent chamber 25d is provided on the opposite side of the toner recovery chamber 25b from the side where the photoreceptor drum 22 is provided.

A 1-toner solidifying agent similar to the above-mentioned toner solidifying agent is housed in the toner solidifying side chamber 25d. The toner solidifying agent chamber 25d communicates with the lower part of the toner collection chamber 25b through openings 25e arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the spiral conveyor 25c, and each opening 25e Each is covered with a sealing material 25f (see FIG. 3). The sealing material 25f is loosely attached to the periphery of each opening that communicates the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d and the toner recovery chamber 25b with the toner solidifying agent stored in the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d. It covers the opening 25e. Each sealing material 25f extends so that one side extends along the upper surface of the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d while covering each opening 25e, and its negative side edge extends toward the photosensitive drum 25 of the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d. It is wound around a winding shaft 25g disposed on the side opposite to the side on which it is disposed. Then, the winding shaft 2
5g is rotated, the sealing material 25f is wound around the winding shaft 25g, and each opening 25e that communicates the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d and the toner recovery chamber 25b is opened. As a result, the toner solidifying agent in the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d is fed into the toner collecting chamber 25b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the spiral conditioner 25c disposed in the toner recovery chamber 25b
The end of the photosensitive drum 22 in the drawing direction from the copying machine main body 10 extends beyond the end of the photoreceptor drum 22, and one end of the toner conveying device 27 is attached to that end. The other end of the toner conveying device 27 is connected to an end extending from the toner hopper 24g of a conveying roller 24d (spiral conveyor 24d) disposed within the toner hopper 24g of the developing device 24. . The toner transported by the toner transport device 27 is transported by the transport roller 24d.
At this end of the spiral conveyor 24d, the toner is transported into the toner hopper 24g.

Photosensitive drum 22 disposed within the process unit 20
, the developing device 24 and the cleaning device 25 are driven by the power of the copying machine main body 10 when the process unit 20 is mounted on the copying machine main body 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the copying machine main body 10 includes a drive shaft 16b for rotating the photosensitive drum 22, to which the rotation of the drive shaft 16a of the main motor is transmitted via gears, and a developing device 2.
A drive shaft 16c for driving 4 is provided. At the tip of the drive shaft 16b for driving the photosensitive drum 22 provided in the copying machine main body 10, there is a half body 16d of a dog clutch.
is attached to the drive shaft 16c for driving the developing device 24, and a half-break 16f of a dog clutch is also attached to the tip of the drive shaft 16c for driving the developing device 24.

On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 22 of the process unit 20 has
The other clutch half 22a that engages with the dog clutch 16d is attached, and the developing device 24 is equipped with a clutch half-off 24p that meshes with the dog clutch half-off 16f. A half clutch 22a attached to the photosensitive drum 22 meshes with a gear attached to a spiral conveyor 25c of the cleaning aa 25. The rotation of the dog clutch half body 24p attached to the developing device 24 is caused by the rotation of the developing sleeve 24 through a gear.
i and mixing roller 24f, respectively. Further, rotation of the supply roller 24e and the conveyance roller 24d is transmitted from another drive source such as a motor (not shown) through a dog clutch. The dog clutch half 22a attached to the photosensitive drum 22 and the dog clutch half 24ρ attached to the developing device are the dog clutch halves of the copying machine main body 10, respectively, when the process unit 20 is installed in the copying machine main body 10. It engages with bodies L6d and 16f, and power is transmitted.

Further, the drive shaft 1 of the main motor in the copying machine main body 10
6a is connected to the dog clutch half body 16i via a solenoid 16h, and the rotation of the drive shaft 16a is transmitted to the dog clutch half body 16i by turning on the solenoid 16h. The other clutch half 24r that engages with the dog clutch half 16i is attached to one end of the winding shaft 24m disposed in the developing device 24 of the process unit 20, and the process unit 20 is connected to the copying machine main body 10. When attached to the clutch, the double dog clutch halves 16i and 24f engage with each other.

Further, a drive shaft 16b for driving the photosensitive drum 22 in the copying machine main body 10 is connected to a half-closed dog clutch 16m via a gear and a solenoid 16k. The rotation of the drive shaft 16b is transmitted to the half-off dog clutch 16m by turning on the solenoid 16k.

The other single clutch 25h that engages with the dog clutch 16m is attached to one end of the winding shaft 25g in the cleaning device 25 in the process unit h20, and when the process unit 20 is installed in the copying machine main body 10, both clutches are engaged. The half-off dog clutches 16m and 25h engage with each other.

In an electrophotographic copying machine having such a configuration, the process unit 20 is mounted on the copying machine body 0, and the rotation of the drive shaft 16a of the main motor in the copying machine body 10 is controlled by the photosensitive drum 22 of the process unit 20 and the developing device. It is used as a state that can be transmitted to 24. At this time, the solenoids 16h and 16 are in an off state, and the winding shafts 24m and 25g of the process unit 20 are not rotated. Then, the sealing material 24c of the developing device 24 is pulled in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG. Make the person fall into the vessel within 24 hours. Then, when the electrophotographic copying machine is driven, a copy image is formed by a normal electrophotographic process.

When the copied image is formed, the toner supply roller 24e is driven to supply toner into the developing device 24h, and the toner concentration in the developing device 24h is maintained at a predetermined value.

Furthermore, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 22 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 25a of the cleaning device 25. (The toner is scraped off in the toner collection chamber 25.
Toner conveying device 2 on spiral conveyor 25c in b
7, and the toner conveying device 27 transfers the toner to the developing device 24.
The toner hopper of 24g is refluxed.

Such an operation is repeated each time a copy is made, and the developing device 25
When the toner in the toner stirring chamber 24g is consumed, the toner concentration sensor 24x detects that the toner in the developing device 24h is below a predetermined value, and drives the toner supply roller 24e to develop the toner in the toner stirring chamber 24g. 24h. However, if the toner in the toner hopper 24g is completely consumed and the toner concentration in the developing device 24h does not reach the predetermined value even by driving the toner supply roller 24e,
A predetermined lamp is turned on to notify that the process unit 20 has reached the end of its life.

In this state, the solenoids 16h and 16k of the copying machine main body 10 are turned on, and the copying machine main body 1
The rotation of the drive shaft 16a of the main motor 0 is transmitted to the winding shaft 24m in the developing device 24 via the dog clutches 16i and 24r, and the rotation of the drive shaft 16a of the dog clutch 1
It is transmitted to the winding shaft 25g in the cleaning device 25 via 6m and 25h. As a result, the developing device 24
The inner winding shaft 24m is rotated in the direction shown by arrow B in FIG. Chambers 24j and 24k are opened. As a result, each toner solidifying agent chamber 24j and 24k becomes the toner chamber 2.
4a and the developer chamber 24h, and the toner solidifying agent in each of the toner solidifying agent chambers 24j and 24 is fed into the toner hopper 24g and the developing device 24h. At the same time, the winding shaft 25g in the cleaning device 25 is rotated in the direction shown by arrow C in FIG.
A sealing agent 25f that closes the toner solidifying agent chamber 25d in 5.
is wound around the winding shaft 25g to form the toner solidifying agent chamber 25.
d is released. Then, the toner solidifying agent chamber in the toner solidifying side chamber 25d is fed into the toner collecting chamber 25b.

In this state, the photoreceptor drum 22, the developing device 24, and the cleaning device 25 are driven for a predetermined period of about 30 seconds, and the toner solidifying agent is transferred into the developing device 24, the cleaning device 25, and the cleaning device 25.
A toner conveying device 2 that conveys toner from the developing device 24 to the developing device 24.
The toner remaining inside the toner solidifying agent is brought into contact with the toner solidifying agent and softened, and is fixed inside each of the toner solidifying agents.

Thereafter, each of the solenoids 16h and 16 is turned off, and a lamp indicating that the process unit 20 should be replaced is lit. As a result, the process unit 20 is removed from the copying machine main body 10, but in this case, since the toner in the process unit 20 is fixed inside, there is no risk of the toner scattering around. The process unit 20 removed from the copying machine main body 10 is then disposed of, and a new process unit 20 is installed in the copying machine main body 10.

In the above embodiment, after the lamp indicating that the process unit 20 has reached the end of its life is turned on, the solenoids 16h and 16k of the copying machine main body 10 are automatically turned on, and the winding shafts 24m and 25g are turned on. Although the configuration is such that the solenoid 16h is rotated, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. and turn on 16k,
It is good also as a structure which rotates each winding-up shaft 24m and 25g. In such a configuration, a new switch may be provided to turn on each solenoid 16h and 16k to rotate each winding shaft 24m and 25g. A configuration may also be adopted in which a clear switch is used, and when the clear switch is turned on when a lamp indicating that the process unit has reached the end of its life, each of the solenoids 16h and 16k is turned on. Alternatively, for example, when a copying switch and a clear switch provided on the copying machine body are turned on at the same time, the solenoids 16h and 16k may be turned on to rotate the winding shafts 24m and 25g.

Furthermore, each toner solidifying agent chamber 24j, 24k, 25d
It is also possible to have a configuration in which the sealing materials 24n and 25f that close the respective sealing materials are manually peeled off. In this way, when manually peeling off each of the sealing materials 24n and 25f, the winding shafts 24m and 25
The process unit 20 is attached to the main body 10 of the copying machine. It may also be arranged so that it can be pulled from the outside while the toner solidifying agent chambers 24j, 25k, and 25d are being opened by pulling each end thereof.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the process unit of the present invention can prevent the internal toner from scattering around when replacing the process unit, so that the toner collected by the cleaning device can be transferred to the developing device. Even when reusing the toner by feeding it to another person, toner scattering can be reliably prevented without any problem.

The toner solidifying agent that solidifies the toner is fed into the developing device or cleaning device when the sealing material is peeled off using a means that opens the sealed part of the sealing material. This eliminates the need for additional operations.

4. Simple U in Figures Figure 1 is a sectional view of the process unit of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of an electrophotographic copying machine equipped with the process unit, and Figure 3 is a plan view of its main parts. 4 is a sectional view showing another example of the process unit of the present invention.

10... Copying machine main body, 20... Process unit,
22... Photosensitive drum, 24... Developing device, 24a
...Toner chamber, 24b...Developer chamber, 24j, 24
k...Toner solidifying agent chamber, 24m... Winding shaft, 24
n...Sealing material, 25...Cleaning device, 25
b... Toner collection chamber, 25d... Toner solidification agent chamber,
25f... Seal material, 25g... Winding shaft.

that's all

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A process unit of an image forming apparatus that is removably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and has a developing device and a cleaning device inside, wherein at least one of the developing device and the cleaning device has a A toner solidifying agent chamber disposed to communicate with the interior thereof and containing a toner solidifying agent therein, and a seal disposed to seal a communication portion between the toner solidifying agent chamber and the developing device or the cleaning device. A process unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a material; and means for opening a portion sealed by the sealing material in order to feed the toner solidifying agent in the toner solidifying agent chamber into a developing device or a cleaning device. 2. A process unit of an image forming apparatus which is removably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and has a developing device and a cleaning device inside, the developing device and the cleaning device having at least one of them communicating with the inside thereof. It is arranged to seal a toner solidifying agent chamber in which a toner solidifying agent is stored, and a communication portion between the toner solidifying agent chamber and the developing device or cleaning device, and the interior can be manually operated. A process unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising a sealing material whose sealed portion is opened to feed a toner solidifying agent into a developing device or a cleaning device.