JPH0380284A - Electrophotographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To uniformly house waste toners into a recovering box so as to effectively utilize the volume of the recovering box and to reduce its size by providing a means for exciting an oscillation means for a prescribed period according to the amt. of the toners recovered into the recovering box. CONSTITUTION:Printing media are subjected to printing and the waste toners 1 are recovered into the recovering box 9 in a cleaner section 63 at every printing. The exciting means 14 excites the oscillating means 13 according to the amt. of the waste toners 1 recovered in the recovering box 9 and continues the oscillation for the prescribed period, by which the waste toners 1 deposited to a crest shape in the recovering box 9 are crushed and are moved toward a lower direction and are thereby leveled off. The waste toners 1 are oscillated and moved by applying the oscillation to the recovering box 9 in which the waste toners 1 are recovered by the printing of the printing media in such a manner, by which the housing of the waste toners 1 by the effective utilization of the volume is enabled even if the recovering box 9 is formed to a rugged shape. The reduction in the size of the device is, therefore, possible.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding an electrophotographic printing device that can vibrate a collection box according to the amount of collected toner, by uniformly storing waste toner in the collection box and effectively utilizing the capacity, The purpose is to provide an electrophotographic printing device that can be miniaturized, and the electrostatic image formed on the image forming body is developed with toner using a developing device, and the electrostatic image is inverted and adhered to a printing medium to be fixed and printed. , an electrophotographic printing apparatus that removes and collects waste toner remaining on an image forming body in a cleaner unit, the collection box being provided in the cleaner unit and collecting and accumulating the waste toner removed from the image forming body; The apparatus includes a vibration means for vibrating the collection box, and an excitation means for exciting the vibration means for a predetermined period of time according to the amount of toner collected in the collection box, and the excitation means excites the vibration means to vibrate the collection box to generate vibrations. The configuration is such that the control continues for a predetermined period of time.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic printing device used in copying machines, printers, facsimile machines, etc., and particularly relates to an electrophotographic printing device that can vibrate a collection box depending on the amount of collected toner. With the rapid spread of automation equipment, there is a demand for miniaturization of the equipment, and the same applies to electrophotographic printing equipment.

In this device, the cross-sectional shape of the waste toner collection box is desirably long because the waste toner accumulates in a mountain shape, but since the shape is limited, it is disadvantageous for miniaturization design, so it may be necessary to make it wide horizontally or If the shape is uneven in order to avoid parts, the capacity of the collection box cannot be used effectively for accumulation, and problems such as waste toner clogging the storage opening occur. Therefore, a method is desired that can sufficiently accumulate waste toner even if the shape is wide laterally or complicated.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 illustrates an internal side view of the electrophotographic printing apparatus. In the figure, 2 is a cassette mounting part, 3 is a cassette, and 4 is a cassette mounting part.
5 is a feeding roller, 5 is a conveyance path, 6 is a printer section, and 7 is a stacker.

The printer 6 includes an optical unit 60. Photosensitive drum 61° static eliminator 62. Cleaner section 63a, charger 64. Developing device 65
．． It is composed of a transfer section 66 and a fixing device 67.

A cassette 3 is set in the cassette mounting section 2, and a desired size of printing paper (hereinafter referred to as paper) 1 is placed in the cassette 3.
0 is accumulated and stored.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaner section 63a includes a plush 8. The waste toner tray is plate 80. A guide tube 81 with an open side facing the plush 8. A conveying screw 82 built into the guide tube 81. and a collection box 9a. Since the waste toner 1a to be collected is dropped and deposited from the upper storage opening 90, the collection box 9a is formed vertically and includes a sensor S1 that detects when the collected waste toner 18 has reached a predetermined amount.

Therefore, the waste toner 1a remaining on the photosensitive drum 61 is removed by the rotation of the plush 8, the waste toner receiver is dropped into the tray 80, and the waste toner 1a that has entered the guide pipe 81 from the opening is removed by the rotation of the conveying screw 82 into the collection box 9a. Upper storage port 9
0, and are collected and accumulated in the collection box 9a.

With this configuration, when the power of the apparatus is turned on, the fixing device 67 reaches a predetermined temperature and becomes ready for printing, and thereafter is controlled to a temperature range suitable for fixing.

Then, based on the print instruction signal, the paper 10 is fed out from the cassette in the direction of arrow A by rotation of the feeding roller 4.
It is conveyed along the conveyance path 5 and sent below the photosensitive drum 61 of the printer section 6 .

By this time, while the photosensitive drum 61 is rotating, the static eliminator 6
2, cleaned by the cleaner section 63a, and charged again by the charger 64.

When the sensor S2 detects the feeding of the paper 10 and print data is input, the converted optical data is sent to the photosensitive drum 61 from the optical unit 60 constituted by a laser light source or the like.
is irradiated. The electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive drum 61 is developed into a toner image by a developing device 65, and transferred to a sheet of paper 1 by a transfer section 66.
After being transferred to 0, the toner is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 67 to be fixed, and then discharged to the stacker 7. The sensor S3 detects the feeding of the paper 10, and if further printing is required, the next paper 10 is fed out.

After printing is performed in this way, the waste toner 1a is sequentially stored in the collection box 9a, and when the amount of collected toner increases and reaches a predetermined amount, it is detected by the sensor SL, and an operation panel (not shown) is activated. The message "Collection box full" appears on the display, and the collected waste toner is discarded by the operator.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

According to the conventional method described above, the cross section is vertically long and has a shape with few irregularities so that waste toner can be accumulated to fill the capacity of the waste toner collection box. However, it requires a large space at the bottom of the device. This is disadvantageous for downsizing. Therefore, there are cases where it is desired to shorten the vertical length and increase the horizontal width, and as shown in FIG. However, since the collected waste toner falls naturally and accumulates in a mountain shape, there is a space where the waste toner cannot be stored, and the problem is that it is not possible to accumulate enough waste toner to fill the groove in the collection box. There is a point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic printing apparatus that can be downsized by uniformly storing waste toner in a collection box and effectively utilizing the capacity.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the present invention.

In the figure, l is waste toner, 63 is a cleaner section, 9 is a collection box provided in the cleaner section 63 to collect and accumulate the waste toner 1 removed from the image forming body, and 13 is a vibration means for vibrating the collection box 9. The vibration in this case is vibration such as linear/curvilinear movement, jumping, rotation, etc., so that the accumulated waste toner 1 is evenly leveled with respect to the shape of the storage box 9.

Reference numeral 14 denotes an excitation means that excites the vibration means 13 for a predetermined period of time in accordance with the amount of toner collected into the collection box 9.

Therefore, the vibration means 13 is excited by the excitation means 14 to vibrate the collection box 9, and the vibration is controlled so as to continue for a predetermined period of time.

[Effect]

Printing is performed on a print medium, and each time printing is performed, the cleaner section 63
Waste toner 1 is collected in collection box 9 by 0 collection box 9
The excitation means 14 excites the vibration means 13 to vibrate according to the amount of waste toner 1 collected in the collection box 9, and continues to vibrate for a predetermined period of time. It moves in the direction and is leveled.

In this way, by applying vibration to the collection box 9 in which the waste toner 1 has been collected by printing on the printing medium and shaking the waste toner 1 to move it, even if the collection box 9 is formed into an uneven shape, the capacity can be reduced. Since the waste toner 1 can be stored by effectively utilizing the waste toner 1, the collection box 9 can be formed into an uneven shape in order to downsize the apparatus.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

In FIG. 2, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are shown surrounded by a dashed line.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a cleaner section 63b in which the present invention is applied to the electrophotographic printing apparatus described in the conventional example, and only the configuration related to the present invention is shown.

As shown in the figure, the collection box 9 has a wide cross-sectional width.
c is placed on the base 11 of the device.

The collection box 9C is urged in the direction of arrow B by a spring 12 and pressed against a cam 13a arranged at the lower right end of the collection box 9c in the figure. The cam 13a is connected to a motor and is rotated in the direction of arrow C by the drive of the motor.

The printed sheet number counter 14a counts the detection signal that the sensor S3 detects that the printed paper 10 has been sent to the stacker 7, that is, the number of printed sheets, and counts when the number N set in the sheet number setting section 14b is counted. Send out signal a. It will also be reset at that point.

The timer 13c starts counting time at the same time as the motor Ml is activated, and when it has counted the time T set in the time setting section 13d, it issues a timeout signal.

It will also be reset at that point.

Based on the countout signal a sent from the print number counter 14a, the control unit 15 instructs the drive circuit 13b to drive the motor M1, starts the timer 13c, and starts the timer L3c by counting the set time T. The drive of the old motor is stopped based on the timeout signal sent from the motor.

Since it has such a configuration and function, the operation will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 3.

■Sensor S3 sends the printed paper 1a to the stacker 7
The print number counter 14a counts the detection signal detected by the printer.

(2) After each printing, the waste toner 1a is removed from the photosensitive drum 61 by the plush 8, and sent to the collection box 9C to be accumulated therein.

■When the count reaches the set number N, the count out signal a is transmitted, and the old motor is driven to drive the cam 13a.
rotates in the direction of arrow C.

(2) When the motor starts driving, the timer 13c starts timing.

■Spring 12G at each step position by rotation of cam 13a,
: The energized collection box 9c vibrates.

- When the timer 13c counts the set time T, a tie 2 out signal is transmitted, the drive of the motor M1 is stopped, and the rotation of the cam 13a is stopped.

In this way, the waste toner 1a collected in the collection box 9c after printing a predetermined number of sheets N, which had accumulated in a mountain shape due to natural fall, is shaken by the impact and is shown as shown in FIG. As shown in , the material is flattened and collected until the sensor S1 detects the collection box groove material, and it is possible to accumulate enough to fill the capacity.

In addition, if there is a risk that the printed image in the printer section 61 will be disturbed due to the influence of vibrations caused by the cam 13a, there is a method of instructing the drive of the motor at a timing such that the rotation of the cam 13a is not performed during the U printing operation. Is it appropriate to do so?

As an example, when the print number counter 14a counts up to the set number N, the control section 15 immediately controls the drive circuit 13.
The method is such that the feeding of the next paper 10 is temporarily stopped without giving a command to the drive circuit 13b, and after printing of the paper lO that has already been fed out is completed, the drive circuit 13b is commanded to rotate the cam 13a. This can be handled by

Here, the set number of sheets N is set, for example, in units of several hundred sheets to a thousand sheets, and does not occur often, and the set time T is set in seconds, so even if the feeding of the paper lO is temporarily stopped, it will take a long time. It rarely causes any problems.

Further, FIG. 4 shows a collection box 9d having a different shape.The collection box 9d has a sloped bottom surface to avoid other mounted components not shown, and a storage opening 90 is provided at the upper left end in the figure.

Therefore, when vibration is applied in the same manner as in the above embodiment, waste toner 1
Since the waste toner 1a is deposited flatly from the lower side of the bottom surface, it is possible to more reliably accumulate waste toner 1a sufficient to fill the capacity of the collection box 9d.

Alternatively, in the case of the collection box 9b having the shape explained in FIG. 7, the capacity can be sufficiently utilized in the same manner.

In the above example, the collection box 9a is vibrated by the rotation of the cam 13a, but other vibrating means may be used.

For example, electromagnetic vibration or the like may be used. Further, since the predetermined time T corresponds to the number of vibrations, it is of course possible to count the number of rotations of the cam 13a up to a predetermined number.

The direction in which the collection box is vibrated may be any one of front and back, left and right, up and down, horizontal rotation, etc., or any of a plurality of directions, as long as the waste toner 1a accumulated in a mountain shape is evened out.

Furthermore, in the above example, the timing of starting and ending the vibration of the vibration means is based on counting the number of printed sheets and a predetermined number of vibrations, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the following method may be used. .

■Using the detection output of the sensor S1 that detects that the storage box 9a is full of waste toner 1a, it is excited when the detection output of the sensor S1 is transmitted and continues the vibration for a predetermined period (number of times). After the end of this period, if there is an output from the sensor S1, "accommodation box full" is displayed, and if the output from the sensor 51 disappears, it is assumed that the waste toner 1a has been leveled.

■By counting the cumulative amount of time the device is powered on, it is periodically excited at predetermined time intervals, and the waste toner is removed by vibration.
Equalize a.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, waste toner can be accumulated in an amount sufficient to fill the capacity of the collection box even if the collection box has a horizontally wide shape or an uneven shape, thereby reducing the size of the device. This has the effect of making it possible to design the shape of the collection box that meets the demands of the customers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the embodiment; Fig. 4 is a side view showing a different embodiment; FIG. 6 is an internal side view of the electrophotographic printing apparatus, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the components of the cleaner section, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of problems with the conventional method. In the figure, 1.1a is waste toner, 9.9a to 9d are collection boxes,
13 is a vibration means, 13a is a cam, 13b is a drive circuit, 13c is a timer 13d is a time setting section,
14 is an excitation means, 14a is a print number counter, 14b is a number setting section, 63.63a is a cleaner section,
The old one indicates a motor. 6th diagram of the structure of the tree in the Ming Dynasty Figure 3 Figure 3 Side view of the stomach 4 mothers figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] The electrostatic image formed on the image forming body is developed with toner by a developing device, and the electrostatic image is reversely attached to a printing medium, fixed and printed, and remains on the image forming body in a cleaner section (63). waste toner (1
), the electrophotographic printing apparatus includes a collection box (9) that is provided in the cleaner section (63) and that collects and accumulates the waste toner (1) removed from the image forming body.
), a vibration means (13) for vibrating the collection box (9), and a vibration means (13) for vibrating the collection box (9) in accordance with the amount of toner collected in the collection box (9).
13) for a predetermined period of time, the excitation means (14) excites the vibration means (13) to vibrate the collection box (9), and the vibration is continued for a predetermined period of time. An electrophotographic printing device characterized in that it is controlled as follows.