JPH04204988A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To uniformly store developer eliminated from the surface of an image carrier by providing plural partitioning wall for preventing the developer from being one-sided on a developer storing partitioning wall constituting a developer storing part. CONSTITUTION:Toner which is too much to be transferred and remains on the surface of a photosensitive drum 12 is scraped down by an elastic blade 44 on a downstream side, and is scraped up and recovered by a roller 46 for storing toner in the toner storing part 48 in a case. The toner storing part 48 is separated into plural areas by the partitioning wall 49a for storing the toner and the partitioning wall 49b for preventing the toner from being one- sided. Thus, the toner is prevented from being one-sided to scatter and fall at the time of changing an electrophotographic processing unit 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and particularly to an improvement in means for removing and recovering developer remaining on an image carrier.

(Prior Art) In image forming apparatuses such as electronic copying machines and laser printers, cleaning devices are used to remove and recover developer remaining on the surface of an image carrier after transfer.

This cleaning device has a separate structure in which a blade is pressed against the surface of the image carrier to mechanically remove the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier, and a developer storage unit that collects the removed developer. There is something like that. This applies particularly to cartridge-type image forming apparatuses.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in a cleaning device having such a structure, the structure is complicated, and especially when replacing the cartridge, the connection part connecting the developer removing means and the developer storage section is Toner drop occurs when the developer falls from the toner.
This has caused problems such as image defects and troubles with the device itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that prevents image defects due to toner dropout and troubles in the main body of the apparatus.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developing means for depositing a developer on an image carrier, and a developer deposited on the image carrier by the developing means. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer means for transferring onto a transfer material, a removing means for removing developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after transfer, and a developer collecting means for collecting and storing the developer removed by the removing means. In the image forming apparatus, the developer collecting means is attached to a developer storage partition that constitutes a storage section in which the developer is stored, and is attached to the developer storage partition, and divides the developer storage section into a plurality of areas. It is characterized by comprising a bias preventing partition wall that separates and prevents developer from shifting.

(Function) The image forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with a developer collecting means for collecting and storing the developer removed from the surface of the image carrier.
This developer recovery means includes a developer storage partition and a developer skewing prevention partition, thereby forming a developer storage section. The developer accommodating portion is divided into a plurality of areas by a developer accommodating partition wall and a developer skewing prevention partition wall, and therefore, the developer removed from the surface of the image carrier is accommodated in each area. As a result, the contained developer is
It is stored uniformly without shifting, and therefore, for example, when replacing the cartridge of an image forming device, it does not scatter or
This will prevent it from falling.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser printer as an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 in the figure indicates the main body of the laser printer device, which is configured as follows. That is, a drum-shaped photosensitive drum 12 as an image carrier is provided in the apparatus main body 1.
Around the photoreceptor drum 12, along the direction of rotation shown by the arrow, a charging device 14 made of a scorotron, an exposure section 16 as an electrostatic latent image forming means, a developing device unit 8 for developing the electrostatic latent image, Transfer device 30 consisting of a corotron. A drum cleaner device 40 and a pre-exposure device 41 are arranged in sequence. Among these, the photoreceptor drum 12, the charging device 14, the developing device 18, and the drum cleaner device 40,
A pre-exposure device 41 is integrated into an electrophotographic process unit 10 that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 1, as shown in FIG.

The developing device 18 includes a magnetic roller 2 in a case 20.
2. Contains stirring rollers 22a and 22b, a two-component developer (not shown) consisting of carrier and toner, etc., and is designed to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12 with the toner. Further, a toner replenishing device 26 for replenishing consumed toner is attached to the developing device 18.

The drum cleaner device 40 includes an elastic blade 44 in a case 42 that is in contact with the photoreceptor drum 12, and is configured to scrape off toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 12 from the photoreceptor drum 12. The scraped off toner is
A toner storage roller 46 scrapes up the toner into a toner storage section 48 inside the case.

The toner storage section 48 is shown in FIG. This toner storage section 4
8 includes a toner storage partition 49a and a toner distortion prevention partition 49b attached thereto. This toner skew prevention partition wall 49b prevents the toner storage portion 48
is separated into a plurality of areas to prevent the toner from scattering or falling due to the toner being biased to one side.

The fixing device 50 includes a heat roller 52 with a built-in heater lamp, and a pressure roller 53 that is in pressure contact with the heat roller 52. When the paper P passes between these rollers 52 and 52, the toner image is transferred onto the paper P. It is designed to be fused and fixed. Heat roller 52 and pressure roller 53
is surrounded by a lower casing 54 and an upper casing 56, and has a structure that prevents heat from escaping to the outside so as to ensure a favorable temperature atmosphere necessary for fixing.

This heat roller 52 is in contact with a cleaner 58, which is in a normal state so that good fixing can be performed at all times, and a thermistor detects the surface temperature of the heat roller 52 to detect the temperature necessary for fixing. The temperature is controlled to maintain a certain temperature.

Further, a paper peeling guide 0 is disposed in the upper casing 56 and near the downstream side of the contact portion between the heat roller 52 and the pressure roller 53, and the paper P guided to the fixing device 50 is
The tip of the heat roller 52 is reliably peeled off from the heat roller 52. Note that a paper guide 66 is provided on the paper exit side of the fixing device 50, and guides the fixed paper P to the first
The paper is guided to a pair of paper discharge rollers 68.

An image transfer section 32 formed between the photosensitive drum 12 and the transfer device 30 is provided in the apparatus main body 1, and a transfer guide roller 34 is provided upstream of the image transfer section 32.
, a pair of paper guides 36, and a pair of aligning rollers 38 are provided.

At the bottom of the main body 1 of the apparatus, a paper cassette 80.degree. 81 is arranged.

Next, a printing cycle using the reversal development method using the apparatus described above will be described.

First, the photoreceptor drum 12 is charged by the charging device 14 by about -7
The surface is uniformly charged to a potential of 00V. The charged surface of the photoreceptor drum 12 is irradiated with laser light in accordance with an image signal.

The surface of the photoreceptor drum 12 irradiated with laser light is about -
The potential becomes 100V and a latent image is formed.

Magnet roller 22 housed in the developing device 18
has a magnet fixed therein, and rotates while supporting the two-component developer attracted by magnetic force on its surface. A bias voltage of about -500V is applied to the magnet roller 22, and the negatively charged toner is attached to the laser beam irradiated part of the photoreceptor drum 12 with a potential difference of about 400V, making a latent image visible. let

The photosensitive drum 12 having a toner image on its surface rotates, and the toner image is transferred onto the paper P by a transfer device 30 located downstream. The paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred is transferred to the fixing device 5.
0, where it is heated and compressed, and the toner image is fixed on the paper P.

On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 12 without being completely transferred is scraped off from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 12 by the downstream elastic blade 44, and the toner is removed from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 12 by the toner storage roller 44.
6, the toner is scraped up into the toner storage section 48 in the case,
It will be collected. The toner storage section 48 is divided into a plurality of areas by the toner storage partition wall 49a and the toner distortion prevention partition wall 49b as described above, and therefore, especially when replacing the electrophotographic process unit 10 as shown in FIG. , the toner is scattered to one side,
This will prevent it from falling.

The photoreceptor drum 12 is irradiated with a tungsten static elimination lamp serving as a pre-exposure device 41 located near the elastic blade 44, so that potential unevenness on the surface is made uniform.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developer storage partition that constitutes a developer storage section, and a developer storage partition that is attached to the developer storage partition and that allows the developer storage section to be divided into a plurality of areas. A developer recovery means is provided, which includes a developer imbalance preventing partition wall that separates the developer from occurring and prevents developer imbalance. The developer removed from the surface of the image carrier is stored in each area, and as a result, the stored developer is stored uniformly without shifting and is prevented from scattering or falling. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser printer as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electrophotographic process forming a part of the laser printer shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the unit, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of the developer storage section. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Laser printer apparatus main body, 12... Photosensitive drum, 14... Charging device, 16... Exposure part, 18...
...Development device, 30...Transfer device, 40...Drum cleaner device, 41...Pre-exposure device, 49a...Storage partition, 49b...4 partitions for preventing toner distortion b0
Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a developing means for depositing a developer on the image carrier;
A transfer means for transferring the developer attached to the image carrier by the developing means to a transfer material, a removing means for removing the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after transfer, and a developer removed by the removing means. An image forming apparatus comprising: a developer collecting means for collecting and storing a developer; 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a bias-preventing partition wall that is attached to the developer container and separates the developer storage section into a plurality of areas to prevent developer from shifting.