JPH0446377A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save on solidifying time and power, and to prevent scattering of toner at a time of exchange by detecting the toner quantity recovered to a bottle with a detection means, starting a solidifying means, and melting only a surface layer part of the accumulated toner inside the bottle. CONSTITUTION:The toner is carried to a bottle 12 side by a spiral 23. The surface layer of the toner 10 is solidified by feeding power to a heating element sealed in a top inner part of the bottle 12. A solenoid 19, a heating element 25, and an AC power source 27 are activated by a micro computer with the full tank detection operation of the detection sensor 13, only the toner in the surface layer is solidified, the toner inside is sealed in by the solidified surface layer, and the toner scattering at the time of bottle exchange and spilling of toner from an opening part can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine or a printer, and particularly to a toner collection bottle thereof.

In such an image forming apparatus, it is common to collect toner and developer in a toner collection bottle, and then dispose of the bottle as it is. At that time, all of the toner (developer) in the bottle is melted and solidified using heat, solvent, or the like.

This is to prevent the toner from scattering or spilling when the toner bottle is disposed of.

However, conventional methods have had problems in that it takes time to dissolve all the toner in the bottle and requires a considerable amount of electricity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can solve these problems and efficiently solidify toner.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a detection means for detecting when the amount of toner collected in a toner collection bottle reaches a predetermined value, and a detection means for detecting when the amount of toner is detected by the detection means. A solidifying means is provided that operates to solidify a surface layer portion of the toner accumulated in the toner collection bottle when it is detected that a predetermined value has been reached.

The solidifying means may be of a type that applies spray glue inside the bottle, or may be a heating element provided above the collecting bottle, or may be a heating element disposed outside the toner collecting bottle to prevent the toner collecting. It may be a dielectric heating device or a microwave heating device that emits heat-generating light toward the inside of the bottle, or a dielectric heating device or microwave heating device that includes a coil disposed above the toner collection bottle.

According to such a configuration, when the amount of toner collected in the bottle reaches a predetermined value, the detection means detects this and generates a detection output. Based on this, the solidifying means works and dissolves only the surface layer of the toner deposited inside the bottle.

1 case of “man” Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the image forming apparatus, in which 1 is a photosensitive drum, and around it are a charger 28, an exposure device 29, a developing device 2, paper feed guide plates 3a, 3b, 3c, and registration rollers. 4, a pre-transfer guide 5, a transfer charger 6, a separation charger 7, a cleaning device 8, and a conveyance guide 9 are arranged. The toner collected from the photosensitive drum 1 in the cleaning device 8 is guided to a toner collection bottle 12 through a nozzle 11, and is deposited in the bottle 12. This bottle 12 has a detection sensor 13 that generates an output when the toner 10 in the bottle reaches a predetermined value (full).
is provided. The detection sensor 13 is composed of a photo sensor, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, and is arranged outside the bottle 12. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 14 indicates an opening on the top surface of the bottle 12, into which the tip of the nozzle 11 fits. The output of the detection sensor 13 is supplied to a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer implements a solidifying means for solidifying the surface portion (surface layer) of the toner 10 in the bottle 12 based on the output of the detection sensor 13. Activate.

Although the solidifying means is not shown in FIG. 4, it is shown in FIGS.
Various solidification means 15 are disclosed in the figure. first,
The solidifying means 15 in FIG. 1 is configured to apply spray glue into the bottle 12, and 16 is a spray glue cylinder;
When the pressure part 17 is pressed, the spray glue is sprayed through the tube 18 into the bottle 12. The pressing portion 17 is driven by a solenoid 19 operated by the output of the microcomputer. When solenoid 19 is activated, bin 2
0 moves upward, and the tip of the lever 22 moves in the direction of arrow A, centering on the fulcrum 21, pushing the pressing part 22. Furthermore, the first
In the figure, 23 indicates a spiral inside the nozzle 11, and this spiral 23 functions to convey the toner (developer) to the bottle 12 side. 24 is a sponge. When solidifying the toner surface layer with spray glue as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it is more efficient than when solidifying with a heating element.
And it's safe.

Next, in FIG. 2, the surface layer of the toner 10 is solidified by supplying power from an external power source to a heating element 25, such as a nichrome wire, sealed inside the bottle 12 in the upper part. Incidentally, instead of storing the heating element 25 inside the bottle 12 in this way, a halogen lamp that emits heat-generating light to the outside is provided, and the surface layer of the toner inside the bottle 12 is solidified by the heat-generating light from the halogen lamp. You can do it like this.

In FIG. 3, a coil 26 is wound around the upper outer peripheral surface of the bottle 12, and an alternating current is supplied to the coil 26 from an alternating current power source 27. In this case, when the frequency of the alternating current is not very high, dielectric heating occurs, and when the frequency is extremely high, microwave heating occurs. Since the heating method shown in FIG. 3 directly generates heat in the toner 10 in the bottle 12, it can be said that the toner melting efficiency is very good.

Solenoid 19 and heating element 2 in FIGS. 1 to 3 above
5. The AC power source 27 is controlled to operate by the microcomputer in accordance with the full tank detection operation of the detection sensor 13 (FIG. 4). However, the solidifying means 15 using these does not work to solidify the entire toner inside the bottle 12, but only solidifies the toner on the surface portion (surface layer). By simply solidifying the surface portion (surface layer) in this way, the toner inside is confined by the solidified surface layer, thereby preventing toner from scattering or spilling from the opening when replacing the bottle.

It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the detection output of the detection sensor 13 can also be used to indicate that the collected toner is full.

As explained above, according to the present invention, only the surface portion of the toner (developer) collected in the toner collection bottle is solidified, so the solidification time and power consumption are reduced. This has the effect of reducing costs. Furthermore, by simply solidifying the surface portion (surface layer) in this way, the toner inside is trapped by the unified surface layer, which reliably prevents toner from scattering or spilling from the opening when replacing the bottle. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the main parts of another embodiment, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic diagram of the main parts of another embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus with the solidifying means removed.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion thereof. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Nozzle, 13... Detection sensor, 15... Solidifying means, 19... Solenoid, 26... Coil, 12... Toner collection bottle, 14... Opening, 16... - Spray glue cylinder, 25... Heating element, 27... AC power supply. No. 1 (2) Substituted by applicant Sanda Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) a detection means for detecting that the amount of toner collected in the toner collection bottle has reached a predetermined value; An image forming device comprising a solidifying means that operates to solidify a surface layer portion of toner accumulated in a collection bottle. (2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solidifying means is adapted to apply spray glue into the bottle. (3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solidifying means is a heating element provided above within the collection bottle. (4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solidifying means is arranged outside the toner collection bottle and emits heat-generating light toward the inside of the toner collection bottle. . (5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solidifying means is a dielectric heating device including a coil disposed above the toner collection bottle. (6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solidifying means is a microwave heating device including a coil disposed above the toner collection bottle.