JPH04158378A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a toner serving as the developing powder from existing at a connection section between a suction duct and a sucking means so that no toner drops when the duct and the sucking device are separated by providing a dust collecting filter in the suction duct of a developing device provided on an electrophotographic copying machine. CONSTITUTION:A toner conveying auger 88 is rotated in a developing container 81 to convey a toner (t) during developing, and the toner (t) is mixed by mixing rollers 85-87 and fed to magnet rollers 83, 84. The toner (t) is fed to the photosensitive drum 20 from the front opening section 82 of the container 81 by the rotation of the rollers 83, 84 for development, and the toner (t) scattered to the outside from the opening section 82 by the rotation of a suction fan 93 is sucked into the suction port 89a of a suction duct 89. A duct collecting filter 90 is newly provided in the duct 89 to block the scattered toner (t), and no toner (t) exists on a connection section between the duct 89 and a suction means 92 via a seal material 94.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a developing device provided in, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine.

(Prior Art) This type of developing device is provided in a main body 101 of an electrophotographic copying machine so as to be detachable in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

When the developer device 102 is inserted into the main body 101 of the electronic copying machine, the drive coupling 103 . is connected to a drive mechanism 104 on the copying machine main body 101 side.

The drive mechanism 104 includes a two-axis drive motor 105, and one shaft 106 of the drive motor 105 has a pulley 107.
, a driving coupling 103 of the developing device 102 is connected via a belt 108 and a coupling 109.

Incidentally, the developing device 102 supplies developer to the photosensitive drum from the front opening (not shown) of the developer container 110, but during this supply, a part of the developer scatters to the outside from the opening, causing damage to the main body of the copying machine. There is a risk of contaminating the inside of 101.

Therefore, the developer scattered outside from the opening of the developer container 110 is sucked by a suction device.

That is, a suction duct 111 is provided on the upper surface of the developer container 110, and a suction port 112 of the suction duct 111 faces the front opening of the developer container 110.

A main body duct 112 is connected to the discharge port at the other end of the suction duct 111, and a dust filter 113 is installed at one end inside the main body duct 112, and a suction fan 114 is installed at the other end. It is provided.

During development, the fan 114 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 105, and the developer t scattered from the opening of the developing device 110 is sucked from the suction port of the suction duct 11 and passed through the suction duct 111. after,
The dust is collected by being blocked by a dust collection filter 113 in the main body side duct 12. After the airflow passes through the dust filter 113, it is exhausted to the outside from the rear side of the main body 101 via the main body side duct 112 as shown by the arrow.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the past, the dust collection filter 113
is provided in the main body side duct 112, the dust-collected developer t is located at the connection portion between the suction duct 111 and the main body side duct 112.

Therefore, if the joint between the suction duct 111 and the main body side duct 112 separates when the developing device 102 is pulled out from the copying machine main body 101, the toner t deposited in the vicinity falls and scatters inside the main body 101 of the apparatus. It gets dirty.

In addition, when replacing the dust filter 113,
The drive mechanism 104 must be removed from 01,
There are problems with poor workability and long service times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a developing device in which the developer does not fall from the suction duct when the developing device is removed, and the dust collecting member can be easily replaced.

[Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems)] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has an opening facing the developed area, and a method for directing the developer from the opening to the developed area. a developer container equipped with a supply means;
A suction duct provided in the developer container and having one end facing the opening of the developer container, and a suction duct removably connected to the other end of the suction duct to suck the developer scattered from the opening of the developer container. The present invention is characterized in that it comprises a suction means, and a dust collection member provided inside the suction duct to collect dust from the developer sucked by the suction means.

(Function) By providing a dust collection member in the suction duct, the dust-collected developer is stored in the suction duct, and the developer is prevented from falling even if the suction duct and the suction means are separated. At the same time, the dust collection member can be pulled out together with the developing device.

(Example) The present invention will be described below with reference to an example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Figure 3 shows the internal configuration of the entire device.
Includes charging, exposure, development, transfer, peeling, cleaning, static elimination,
Image forming process configuration means 2 such as fixing is built in, and the top surface of the main body 1 includes an original placing table (on which originals are placed).
Hereinafter, a platen glass (hereinafter referred to as a platen glass) 3 is provided.

A paper feed cassette 10 and a manual paper feed table 10a are inserted into one side of the apparatus main body 1, and serve as a paper feed unit that stores sheets such as plain paper to be supplied to the image forming process configuration means 2. A tray 12 is provided on the other side of the apparatus main body 1 to eject the paper on which the image has been fixed.

The image forming process configuration means 2 has the following configuration. That is, a drum-shaped photoreceptor 20 as a developing portion is arranged approximately in the center of the apparatus main body 1, and around the photoreceptor 20, along the rotation direction,
The charging device 21, the exposure section 22a of the exposure device (optical system) 22, the developing device 23, the transfer charger 25. Peeling charger 26. Cleaning device 27. A static eliminator 28 and the like are arranged.

Furthermore, the paper feed cassette 10 is provided in the apparatus main body 1.
The paper automatically fed from
A paper transport path 31 leading to the tray 12 provided on the left side of the paper is formed. Image transfer section 30 of this paper conveyance path 31
A registration roller pair 32 is arranged on the upstream side, and a fixing device 33 consisting of a heat roller 33a and a press roller 33b and a paper ejection roller pair 34a are arranged on the downstream side.

34b is arranged. Further, a conveyor belt 35 is disposed between the peeling charger 26 and the fixing device 33.

Also, in the vicinity of the installed portion of the paper feed cassette 10, there is a pickup roller 36 that takes out the sheets one by one, and a conveyor that receives the taken out sheets via the second pickup roller 36 and sends them to the sheet conveyance path 31. Separation and conveyance means 37 consisting of a roller and a separation roller is provided.

Further, a gate 61 is provided between the fixing device 33 and the paper ejection roller 34, and when this gate 61 is rotated upward, the paper is sent to the lower conveyance path 62 for double-sided copying, and 61 rotates downward, the paper is delivered to the paper ejection roller 3.
4b and is discharged outside.

A plurality of pairs of feed rollers 63 are arranged on the conveyance path 62 at predetermined intervals. These feed rollers 63
... allows the paper to be fed into the stacking section 64. A take-out roller 6 is provided in the stack section 64.
5 is provided, and the paper is taken out one by one by this take-out roller 65.

The taken out paper is sent to the introduction side of the registration rollers 32 via the supply path 66.

Further, the exposure device 22 illuminates the document set on the platen glass 3 with an exposure lamp 41 as a light source surrounded by a reflector 40, and directs the reflected light from the document to a first reflection mirror 42, a second reflection mirror 42, and a second reflection mirror 42. It is guided to the lens 45 via the reflective mirror 43 and the third reflective mirror 44 in order, and then,
The light transmitted through the lens 45 is guided to the photoreceptor 20 via a fourth reflective mirror 46, a fifth reflective mirror 47, and a sixth reflective mirror 48 in this order.

The exposure lamp 41 and the first reflection mirror 42 surrounded by the reflector 40 are mounted on a first carriage (not shown) that is movable back and forth along the lower surface of the platen glass 3, and Mirror 43 and third
The reflective mirror 44 of the second carriage (not shown) moves in the same direction at half the speed of the first carriage.
The first and second carriages move from left to right in the state shown in FIG. 3 using the carriage shaft as a guide, thereby applying light to the original set on the platen glass 3. is scanned to expose an image corresponding to the original onto the photoreceptor 20.

Note that a document conveying device 51 is provided on the platen glass 3.

This document conveyance device 51 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers 52...
, and a conveyor belt 53 that extends between these conveyor rollers 52 .

Further, the copying machine main body 1 is placed on the upper surface of a paper feed tray 71, and a paper feed cassette 72 is provided inside the paper feed tray 71 so as to be freely insertable and removable.

The paper in the paper feed cassette 72 is taken out by the take-out roller 73 and passed through the conveyance path 74 to the registration roller 3.
It is designed to lead to the introduction side of 2.

Therefore, when copying, first, the document feeder 5
1, the original is conveyed and set on the platen glass 3, and then a copy button (not shown) is turned on. As a result, the exposure lamp 41 is turned on and the first and second carriages are moved along the platen glass 3. By this movement, the original is scanned with light, and the light reflected via the original is reflected by the first to third reflecting mirrors 42, 43, 4.
4 to the lens 45, and furthermore, this lens 4
5 to the fourth to sixth reflecting mirrors 46°47.4
The image is formed on the photoreceptor 20 via the photoreceptor 8 .

The surface of the photoreceptor 20 is charged by a charging device 21, and an electrostatic latent image of the document is formed by this image formation. This electrostatic latent image is developed by being supplied with developer by the developing device 23.

On the other hand, at this time, the paper is taken out from the paper feed cassette 10 by the pickup 36, separated one by one by the separating and conveying means 37, and sent to the registration rollers 32.

After this paper is aligned by the registration rollers 32, an image transfer section 30 between the photoreceptor 20 and the transfer charger 25
The developer image on the photoreceptor 20 is transferred thereto. The paper to which this image has been transferred is peeled off from the photoreceptor 20 by the action of the peeling charger 26, and is conveyed by the conveyor belt 35. The paper is then sent to the fixing device 33 to have the image fixed thereon, and is normally ejected to the ejection tray 12 via the gate 61 and ejection roller 34b.

Note that during double-sided copying, the gate 61 rotates upward and is sent to the conveyance path 62, conveyed by the conveyance rollers 63, and stacked in the stack section 64. and,
The paper is taken out by the take-out roller 65 and then passed through the supply path 66.
The image is sent to the registration rollers 32 in an inverted state via the .

The paper onto which this image has been transferred is sent to the fixing device 33 via the conveyance belt 31, where it is fixed and then ejected via the ejection roller 34b.

Next, the developing device 23 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

That is, 81 in the figure is a developer container, and an opening 82 is formed in the front surface of this developer container 81.

Inside the developing container 82, upper and lower magnetic rollers 8B and 84, which serve as developing rollers, are arranged to face the photosensitive drum 20 through the opening 82.

Furthermore, first to third mixing rollers 85, 86, and 87 are disposed within the developer container 81, and
A toner transport auger 88 is provided.

Inside the developer container 81, there is a 2.
Component developer t is accommodated.

On the other hand, a suction duct 89 is provided on the upper surface of the developer container 81.
is provided.

A suction port 89a at one end of the suction duct 89 faces the front opening 82 of the developer container 81.

A dust collection filter 90 as a dust collection member is provided inside the other end of the suction duct 89.

In addition, a suction means 91 is provided at the other end of the suction duct 89.
is detachably connected. This suction means 91 is composed of a main body side duct 92 and a fan 93 provided inside this main body side duct 92.

The joint between the suction duct 89 and the main body side duct 92 is inclined, and a sealing material 94 is interposed on the joint surface to prevent suction leakage of toner.

During development, the toner transport auger 88 is rotated within the developer container 81 to transport the toner t.
The mixture is mixed by mixing rollers 85 to 87 and sent to magnet rollers 83 and 84. As the magnet rollers 83 and 84 rotate, the toner t is supplied to the photosensitive drum 2o from the front opening 82 of the developer container 81 and is developed.

During this development, the suction fan 93 is rotated and the developer container 81
The toner t scattered to the outside from the opening 82 is sucked from the suction port 89a of the suction duct 89.

After this toner t flows through the suction duct 89, it is blocked by a dust collection filter 90 and collected. The airflow that has passed through the dust filter 90 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 1a of the copying machine main body 1 via the main body side duct 92.

By the way, when replacing the yield filter 90 or when performing maintenance and inspection on the developing device 23, the developing device 23 is pulled out from the copying machine main body 1.

When the developing device 23 is pulled out, the suction duct 89
However, as mentioned above, since the yield filter 90 is provided inside the suction duct 89, there is no toner t at the connection between the suction duct 89 and the main body side duct 92. Even if the suction duct 89 and the main body side duct 92 are separated, the toner t will not fall from the connecting portion.

Further, since the yield filter 90 is provided inside the suction duct 89, the yield filter 90 can be led to the outside simply by pulling out the developing device 23, and its replacement work is also facilitated.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, since the yielding member is provided inside the suction duct, there is no developer at the connection between the suction duct and the suction means, and the suction duct Even if 89 and the suction means are separated, the developer will not fall from the connecting portion.

Further, the yielding member can be pulled out together with the developing container, and its replacement work is also easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a developing device, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an electrophotographic copying machine. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway plan view of a conventional developing device. 20... Photosensitive drum (portion to be developed), 82... Opening, t... Developer, 81.82... Magnet roller (supply means), 89... Suction duct, 91... - Suction means, 81...Developing container, 90... Yield filter (dust collection member). Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A developer container having an opening facing the part to be developed, and a supply means for supplying the developer from the opening to the part to be developed; a suction duct facing the opening of the developer container; a suction means detachably connected to the other end of the suction duct for suctioning the developer scattered from the opening of the developer container; A developing device comprising: a dust collecting member that collects dust from the developer that is provided and sucked by the suction means. (2) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the developing container is detachably provided inside the image forming device.