JPH03221981A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent erroneous setting caused by the misoperation of an operator and to easily remove a tape stained with toner by fixing one end of the sealing tape to the opening part of a toner hopper and another end to an agitator or its rotary shaft. CONSTITUTION:The toner hopper 1, a developing roller 2, a doctor blade 3, a destatisizing brush 4, the sealing tape 5, the rotary shaft 6 and the agitator are united in one container. The hopper 1 can be replaced to other unit by the operator when the toner is consumed up. By fixing one end of the tape 5 to the agitator 7 or the rotary shaft 6, the tape 5 is automatically removed from the opening part 1a when the agitator is actuated. Thus, the erroneous setting caused by the misoperation of the operator is hardly generated and the need for the operator to treat the tape stained with the toner is eliminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a developing device applied to an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine.

(Prior Art) FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional developing device, and FIG.
The figure is a sectional view of the conventional example shown in FIG.
A developing roller 52 is provided in front of the developing unit body 50 , a thrower I portion 53 is provided on the side wall of the developing unit body 50 , and a tab portion 53 a protrudes from the slot portion 52 and faces the developing roller 51 of the developing unit body 50 . The sheet 54 sealing the opening is an agitator supported by a rotating shaft 55.

In the figure, when the operator is using the machine (unpacking) and pulls the sheet 53 using the tab portion 53a, the toner supply state is entered for the first time, and in the packaged state, the toner is applied to the developing roller 51 and various parts of the developing unit body 50. It prevented it from going crazy.

Furthermore, in a nine-sheet copying machine, it is not possible to transfer all of the I/toner from the toner image on the photoreceptor onto the transfer paper, and usually about 15 to 20% of the toner remaining after transfer is generated.

For this reason, some devices are equipped with an independent collection toner tank and collect the waste toner after cleaning into this collection toner tank.

There is also a type in which the collected toner tank is disposable and has a shape and structure that makes it easy for an operator to replace it. Furthermore, to prevent toner from scattering from the collected toner tank,
Some are equipped with a shutter mechanism that can be opened and closed.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the removal work of the sheet 1- is complicated, and the removed sheet 53 has toner attached to it, and the operator's hands and clothes may be soiled by the toner. , forgetting to remove Sheet 1-43 when using the machine, or doing the wrong removal process and causing toner to scatter.
There was a problem.

Furthermore, replacing the collected toner tank also requires a complicated work for the operator, and there is a need for easy and reliable disposal of the collected toner.

The purpose of the present invention is to easily and reliably perform 8! It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device that can supply toner during use, or can collect and dispose of toner.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The above object is to provide a developing device in which a toner hopper is integrated into a container, in which one end of a sealing tape is removably fixed to the opening of the toner hopper, and the other end of the sealing tape is fixed to the opening of the toner hopper. This can be achieved by a structure in which the agitator is fixed to an agitator or a rotating shaft of the agitator, or a structure in which a waste toner collection chamber for receiving waste toner from a cleaning unit is provided in this structure.

(Function) At startup, the seal tape is automatically wound up in the toner hopper, and the toner discharged from the cleaning unit I is discharged.
- Since the toner enters the toner collection chamber, the waste toner is disposed of and collected when the container is replaced, and in any case, the operator's work is facilitated.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a toner hopper of a roller developing unit using disposable one-component magnetic toner T, 2 is a developing roller 1, and 3 is a toner hopper on the developing roller 2. A doctor blade for forming a thin layer of toner T; 4 a static eliminating brush for eliminating static from the developing roller 2 and toner T after development; 5 an opening 1a facing the developing roller 2 with one end having a 1-ner hopper 1; A sealing tape 6 is loosely adhered to the sealing tape so that it can be peeled off from the inside. Reference numeral 6 is a rotating shaft of an agitator 7 to which the other end of the sealing tape 5 is fixed.

In the figure, toner T is stored in a sealed state inside a toner hopper (2), and when an agitator 7 is rotated by a predetermined amount by a rotating shaft 6, a sealing tape 5 is wound around the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 6, and an opening is opened. The portion 1a is opened, and at the same time, 1-ner'r is supplied onto the developing roller 2.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the image forming engine using the first embodiment, in which 8 is the main body of the image forming engine, 9 is a photoreceptor cartridge, 10 is a hem 1-shaped photoreceptor, 11 is a charger, 12 is a transfer charger, 13 is a cleaning unit, and 14 is a registration roller.

In the figure, a photoconductor 10 supported in a photoconductor cartridge 9 is charged with a charger 11, and a known exposure process is performed.
After the development operation, the registration roller 14 is moved by the transfer charger 12.
The image is transferred onto the transfer paper conveyed from there. The toner T remaining after transfer on the photoreceptor 10 is then cleaned by a cleaning unit 13.

The toner hopper l, the developing roller 2. Doctor Blade 3. Static elimination brush 4. Seal tape 52 rotating shaft 6. The agitator 7 is unitized into one container, and the operator can replace the toner hopper with another unit (container) at the end of the I-Q. Similarly, when the photoreceptor 10 reaches the end of its life, the operator can replace the toner hopper with another unit (container). 9 can be replaced with other cartridges.

In this way, by fixing one end of the seal tape 5 to the agitator 7 itself or the rotating shaft 6 of the agitator 7,
Since the sealing tape 5 is automatically removed from the opening 1a by starting the agitator 7, erroneous setting I- due to an operator's operation error may occur (11). There is no need to handle it.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an agitator of the second embodiment. The sealing tape 5 is made up of a pair of rotating plates 15 with
is fixed to the opening 1a and the rotating shaft 6 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment described above, when the rotational driving force is transmitted to the agitator 7, the rotating shaft 6 rotates, and the sealing tape 5
The outer diameter of the seal tape 5 expands as the winding operation progresses, and the seal tape 5 and agitate bar 16 engage with each other, and this engagement generates a rotational driving force. This is transmitted to the agitate bar 16, and the agitation operation of the toner T by the agitator is started.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an agitator of the third embodiment. The agitator 7 of the third embodiment has a U-shaped agitator bar 17, It consists of a cylindrical sleeve 18 with a diameter larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 6,
The method of fixing the seal tape 5 is the same as in the first embodiment.

In the third embodiment described above, when the rotating shaft 6 rotates, the seal tape 5 is wound up into the sleeve 18, the outer diameter of the seal tape 5 expands, and the seal tape 5 and the sleeve 18 are engaged. This engagement causes the agitator 7 to start stirring the toner 'F.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an agitator and seal tape of the fourth embodiment. A spring] 9 having a winding force to wrap around the rotating shaft 6 is attached, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 6 causes the sealing tape 5 to be
When one end of the sealing tape 5 is peeled off from around the opening 1a of the toner hopper 1 and becomes free, the sealing tape 5 itself is attached to the spring 19.
It is wound around the rotating shaft 6 by the winding force of .

No. 2 above. Third. In the fourth embodiment, the sealing tape 5 is reliably wound around the rotating shaft 6 in the wound state, and the end of the sealing tape 5 can be reliably prevented from passing through a trajectory outside the agitator 7. It is particularly suitable for configurations that are placed in close proximity to.

Further, after the sealing tape 5 is reliably wound, the agitator 7 can start driving, and there is no need to complete the winding of the sealing tape 5 within one rotation of the agitator 7. This means that the dimensions or the shape of the seal tape 5 can be freely designed.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
It is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment, and 20 is a toner auxiliary roller, 21 is a toner receiving port 1 for collecting waste toner, and 23 and 24.
25 is a positioning protrusion provided on the outer cap 24, and 26 is disposed inside the exhaust toner collection chamber 22 and is rotated integrally with the rotation shaft 6 of the agitator 7 by a drive gear 27. The dynamically driven toner moving fin 28 is a discharge toner conveying body, and the sealing tape 5 is fixed in the same manner as in each of the above embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the discharged toner collection chamber 22;
30 is a cap made of an elastic material with a slot I provided at the toner receiving port 21; 30 is a pipe-shaped discharged toner conveying body 2;
This is a conveyance screw built into 8.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the rotation of the rotating shaft 6 causes the seal tape 5 to be wound around the rotating shaft 6 in the same way as in each of the above embodiments, and the opening 1a is opened to allow the toner T stirred by the agitator 7 to flow. The toner T reaches the toner replenishing roller 20 from the opening 1a, and the toner replenishing roller 20 guides the toner T to the developing roller 2.

In FIG. 10, 31 indicates the state of the transfer paper being fed horizontally, and 32 indicates the state of the transfer paper being fed vertically. An example of the positional relationship is shown.

For example, the width of the state 32 of the transfer paper fed vertically is the open L1 portion 1a.
It is close to the width of .

In FIG. 11, the cleaning unit 13 of FIG.
The waste toner is transported to the waste toner collection chamber 22 by the transport screw 30 of the waste toner transport body 28 and stored in the waste toner collection chamber 22 .

In the fifth embodiment described above, the waste toner is also collected when the cartridge-type container (developing unit) is replaced, so there is no need for the troublesome operation of collecting waste toner, and there is no risk of malfunction due to operational errors. do not have. Moreover, the replenishment of toner T and the phase of collected discharged toner are carried out by the rotating shaft 6, which simplifies the structure, makes it compact, and is advantageous in terms of cost. Further, even though toner remains, the toner end state does not occur, and the 1-toner T in the developing unit can be reliably used up, and a predetermined amount of toner T is replenished.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the sixth embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the guide rail portion of the main body in which the developing unit I. The basic configuration of the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the fifth embodiment, and 33 is a guide rail formed in the main body 34 that houses the developing units 1 to 1, and 35 is a guide rail near the guide rail 33. A confirmation groove 36 is provided next to the positioning protrusion 25 provided on the cap 24 constituting the discharge 1 to the fuel collection chamber 22, and a plurality of confirmation grooves 37 are formed on the side wall of the main body 34. Positioning hole 38 is the discharge toner conveying body 2
8 driving means.

In the sixth embodiment described above, the positioning protrusion 25 is for correctly positioning the developing unit 1 when setting it.
It engages with the guide rail 33 on the main body 34 side, and the developing unit
-1 rotates along the guide rail 33 as it is inserted.

The shape of the guide rail 33 is designed to improve the operability of the developing unit (1), for example, in order to reduce toner falling from the toner replenishment port (not shown). The decision is made taking into account the location, etc. The confirmation groove 35 engages with the confirmation protrusion 36,
This is provided to visually confirm the suitability or non-conformity of the set.

FIG. 15 is a side view showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of main parts of the seventh embodiment. The shapes are different, and the unit loading section 42 is further provided with a slide case 43 in the form of a drawer.

FIG. 16 shows the rear cap 24 three-dimensionally.
Only the positioning protrusion 55 protrudes to the outside, that is, to the circumferential portion. In this example, there are three confirmation protrusions 36, but when the confirmation groove 35 cannot be aligned, the developing unit 1 cannot fall into the slide case 43, so the slide case 4
3 cannot be closed.

In this embodiment, toner loading is completed when the slide case 43 is pushed into the loading section 42 after loading the cartridge in the drawn-out state as shown.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram not showing the positioning hole 37 portion,
When inserting the developing unit 1, the position of the discharge toner conveyor 28 is changed to a plurality of locations to change the combination, and it is determined in which of the positioning holes 37 the discharge toner conveyor 28 is fixed (at the time of introduction). Therefore, a suitable developing unit (cartridge) 1 can be easily selected.

With the above configuration, the developing unit l-1 and the main body 34 are compatible.
Non-conformance is determined by tying the positions of the discharger 1 to the toner conveyor 28, and is also provided in combination with the unevenness 25, 35, 36 for confirming compatibility when the developing unit 1 is set in the main body 34. In the case of non-conformity, the number of work steps required for redoing can be reduced, and furthermore, it is possible to prevent problems such as forcibly moving the developing unit 1 into the cellar l-1° and destroying the apparatus.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing the eighth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing the usage state of the eighth embodiment. The basic configuration of the eighth embodiment is the same as that of the fifth embodiment. It belongs to
44 is a toner moving fin that can be elastically deformed and folded;
45 is a spring that constantly presses the cap 23, which is a partition wall, to the left; 47 is a handle provided on the lid body 46.

In FIG. 18, the lid body 46 integrally has a handle 47, and an agitator 7 integrally supported by the rotating shaft 6 agitates and discharges the toner T.

The toner T is held in a cylindrical space formed by the partition wall 23, but the partition wall 23 is movable on the rotating shaft 6.
The position shown in FIG. 17 is determined by the boss portion of the toner moving fin 44 and the spring 45, and in this position the spring 45 is in a compressed state. The toner moving fins 44 are elastically deformed and folded for storage. With the above configuration, in the toner full state shown in FIG. 18, the partition wall 2
3 is pressed by the toner 'F in the direction of compressing the spring 45 (to the right), and the discharged toner collection chamber 22
The space is compact.

In FIG. 19, the waste toner conveying body 28 is replenished with the width of the slit in the direction of the arrow, and conveys waste toner to the waste toner collection chamber 22. Toner moving fin ■ 44 As toner is replenished, the partition wall 23 moves to the left in the figure by the springing force (pressing force) of the spring 45, thereby enlarging the storage space of the discharged toner collection chamber 22.

With the above configuration, the space occupied by the waste toner storage space is reduced in the storage state, thereby substantially increasing the toner capacity.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically wind up the sealing tape covering the opening of the toner hopper, and the waste toner enters the toner collection chamber and is disposed of together with the container.・
It is possible to provide a developing device that can be collected and that can reliably and easily supply toner and dispose of the collected toner.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of a developing device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming engine using the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the agitator of the second embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the agitator of the third embodiment.
7 is a sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the agitator and seal tape of the fourth embodiment, FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 11 is an exploded perspective view of the fifth embodiment, FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the waste toner collection chamber, and FIG.
13 is an exploded perspective view of the sixth embodiment, FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the guide rail portion, and FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Side view, No. 16
The figure is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the seventh embodiment, Figure 17 is a configuration diagram of the positioning hole portion, Figure 18 is a sectional view of the eighth embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 19 is the use of the eighth embodiment. Cross section of state, 2nd
0 is a perspective view of a conventional developing device, and FIG. 21 is a sectional view of the developing device shown in FIG. 20. ■...I Nahotsuba, 1a...Opening, 2...
Developing roller, 5... Seal tape, 6... Rotating shaft,
7... Agitator, 13... Cleaning unit, 15... Rotating plate, 16.17... Agitate bar, 18... Sleeve, 19... Spring, 22... Exhausted toner collection chamber, 23... Cap (bulkhead), 25...
・Positioning protrusion, 267 44... Toner moving fin, 28... Toner discharging body, 33... Guide rail, 35... Confirmation groove, 3G
...Confirmation protrusion, 37...Positioning hole, 43...
Slide case, 45...spring. 8 Figure 10 Figure 2 Figure 16 Figure 9 Figure 8 Figure 7 Figure 4 6 Figure 9 Figure 4

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a developing device in which a toner hopper is integrated into a container, one end of the sealing tape is removably fixed to the opening of the toner hopper, and the other end of the sealing tape is fixed to an agitator or a rotating shaft of the agitator. A developing device characterized by: (2) In claim (1), the seal tape is provided so that it can be wound between the rotation shaft of the agitator and the agitator, and the rotational driving force is transmitted from the rotation shaft of the agitator to the agitator when the winding is completed. A developing device characterized by: (3) The developing device according to claim (1), wherein the container is provided with a waste toner collection chamber for receiving waste toner from the cleaning unit. (4) The developing device according to claim (1), wherein the container is provided with a guide means for setting the container. (5) The developing device according to claim (3), characterized in that the partition wall between the container and the waste toner collection chamber is movably provided.