JPH0522941Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a toner recovery device for an electrostatographic copying machine or the like.

[Conventional technology]

For example, in electrostatographic copying machines, untransferred toner remains on the surface of the photoreceptor after the transfer process, and is removed by a cleaning device.
The toner is collected in a toner collection container installed inside the machine.

An example of this type of recovery device is one in which a toner flow port in the form of a long hole is provided on the top surface of a toner collection container, and this toner flow port is arranged so as to face a toner flow tube vertically installed on a toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side. There is.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, since the toner flow opening formed on the top surface of the toner collection container is quite large, the toner that is once stored inside the toner collection container may jump out of the container from the toner flow opening. This sometimes caused inconveniences such as the inside of the machine and the copy paper becoming dirty.

In order to prevent this, it is conceivable to make the opening area of the toner flow port as small as possible to match the size of the toner flow tube, but the following problems arise.

That is, in modern copying machines, the main body is composed of an upper unit and a lower unit, the upper unit is pivotally connected to the lower unit, and the upper unit is configured to be able to be opened and closed. However, in this type of copying machine, the cleaning device is usually installed on the upper unit side.
The container is provided on the lower unit side, and when the upper unit is closed with respect to the lower unit, the toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side is connected to the toner collection container via the toner flow tube.

In this case, the toner flow port formed on the top surface of the toner collection container is small, and if there is not enough opening area, it is difficult to smoothly insert and connect the toner flow tube, which moves in a nearly circular arc, into the toner flow port. It becomes difficult.

Furthermore, even in a normal copying machine in which a cleaning device is fixedly installed, when the toner collection container is attached to or removed from the toner flow tube of the toner discharge tube in order to replace the toner collection container, for example, the toner flow decreases. If the mouth is too small, it will be difficult to work.

The present invention has been made with the above-mentioned considerations in mind, and its purpose is to connect the toner flow tube vertically installed on the toner discharge tube of the cleaning device to the toner flow outlet of the toner collection container side without any hindrance. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner recovery device that can be inserted and can completely close a gap between a toner flow tube and a toner flow port.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the toner recovery device of the present invention has a toner flow-down port on the top surface of a toner recovery container into which a toner flow-down tube suspended from a toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side is loosely fitted, and a sealing member that closes the gap between the toner flow-down tube and the toner flow-down port is held on the toner flow-down tube so that it can move up and down in the length direction.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First, an electrophotographic copying machine equipped with a toner recovery device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a copying machine main body composed of an upper unit 2 and a lower unit 3. The upper unit 2 is configured to be able to open and close in the direction of arrow A with respect to the lower unit 3 about a pivot point 4. ing.

On the upper surface of the upper unit 2, there is provided a document mounting table 5 that moves linearly back and forth by a drive mechanism (not shown). A developing device 10, a cleaning device 11, etc. are arranged at predetermined positions.

Inside the lower unit 3, there are a transfer device 12, a separation device 13, a fixing device 14, a pair of ejection rollers 15,
A toner collection container (hereinafter referred to as a container) 16 and the like are provided.

In addition, 17 is a paper feed cassette provided at the lower side of the lower unit 3, 18 is a paper feed roller, 19 is a pair of registration rollers provided across both units 2 and 3, 20 is a copy paper guide member, and 21 is a copy paper guide member. Drive roller 21a, driven roller 21b, and these rollers 21
A copy paper conveyance path is made up of a belt 21c stretched and held between a and 21b, and 22 is a paper discharge tray.

1, 3, and 4 show a toner recovery device according to the present invention, and in the figures, 23 is a container 16.
This is a container holder for holding a container 16 such that it can be moved intermittently in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIG.

That is, a long hole 24a in the direction of arrow B is formed in the side plate 24 of the container holder 23, and a crank lever 26 having a pin member 25 at one end that engages with this long hole 24a is pivotally connected to a gear 27. gear 27
is meshed with a gear 29 fixed to a drive shaft 28 that drives the drive roller 21a.
Note that the bottom plate 30 of the container holder 23 has a long hole 30.
a, 30a are formed, and these long holes 30
By attaching the container holder 23 to the mounting base 32 with fixing members 31 and 31 inserted through the holes 30a and 30a, the container holder 23 and the container 16 can be moved in the predetermined direction.

A toner flow opening 16a is formed on the upper surface of the container 16, into which a toner flow cylinder 35, which will be described later, can be fitted loosely even during the above-mentioned movement.

Reference numeral 33 denotes a cylindrical toner discharge tube provided horizontally to the side of the cleaning device 11, and inside thereof, a transport member 34 having a collar piece 34b provided on a shaft 34a is disposed horizontally.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a rectangular toner flow down cylinder, for example, which is vertically installed near the end of the toner discharge cylinder 33, and has convex engaging bodies 36, 36 protruding from its opposing outer sides, and its lower end is It is loosely inserted into the toner flow port 16a. Therefore, the toner removed from the surface of the photoreceptor 8 by the blade (not shown) of the cleaning device 11 is transferred toward the toner flow cylinder 35 by the transport member 34, and is transferred to the container via the toner flow cylinder 35. Fall within 16.

37 is a toner flow cylinder 35 and a toner flow port 16a.
This seal member closes the gap G between the cover member 38 and the elastic member 39 attached to the lower surface of the cover member 38. The lid member 38 and the elastic member 39 have rectangular openings 38a, 3 that are approximately equal in outer diameter to the toner flow cylinder 35.
9a is formed.

Further, mutually parallel engaging portions 40, 40 are erected upward from opposing sides of the opening 38a of the lid member 38. The engaging portions 40, 40 each include a convex engaging body 3 formed on the outer side of the toner flow cylinder 35.
6, 36 and a long hole 40a into which it is loosely fitted;
40a is formed. Therefore, the convex engaging body 3
6 and 36 and the elongated holes 40a and 40a, and the seal member 37 is fitted onto the toner flow cylinder 35, the seal member 37 extends in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the toner flow cylinder 35. ) can move up and down within a certain range regulated by the elongated holes 40a, 40a.

Note that even if the container 16 moves in the direction B, the seal member 37 keeps the toner flow tube 35 and the toner flow port 16a
Needless to say, it is possible to sufficiently close the gap G between the two.

In the toner recovery device configured as described above, the sealing member 37 is attached to the toner flow tube 35 vertically installed on the toner discharge tube 33 of the cleaning device 11 on the upper unit 2 side within a certain range up and down in the length direction of the toner flow tube 35. On the other hand, the upper surface of the container 16 provided on the lower unit 3 side is formed with a wide toner flow opening 16a into which the toner flow cylinder 35 is loosely fitted. 2 is rotated in the closing direction about the pivot point 4 with respect to the lower unit 3, the toner flow cylinder 35 approaches the container 16 in a circular arc, and its lower end is connected to the toner flow opening 16a of the container 16. can be inserted without any problem. When the lower end portion is inserted to a predetermined position, the seal member 37 completely closes the gap G between the toner flow tube 35 and the toner flow port 16a. In this case, the lower surface of the elastic member 39 is set to lightly contact the upper surface of the container 16.

For example, when the upper unit 2 is rotated in the opening direction for inspection or the like, the seal member 37 moves upward together with the cleaning device 11 on the upper unit 2 side, the toner discharge tube 33, and the toner flow tube 35, and the fourth The state is as shown by the virtual line in the figure.

In the above-described embodiment, the toner flow cylinder 35 connects to or separates from the container 16 in an arc as the upper unit 2 rotates, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also applicable to a device in which a cleaning device, a toner discharge tube, and a toner flow tube connected thereto are fixedly provided, and a container is detachably connected to the toner flow tube. can do.

That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a wide toner flow port 4 is provided on the upper surface of the toner flow tube 41 on the side of the cleaning device 11 that is fixedly provided.
The container 42 in which the toner flow tube 2a is formed is lifted up from below the toner flow tube 41, and the toner flow tube 41 is inserted into the toner flow port 42a. In the figure, the virtual line indicates the container 42.
The upper surface of the container 42 and the upper surface of the sealing member 37, which are once lifted upward when the container 42 is inserted into and removed from the toner flow cylinder 41, are shown.

In any of the above embodiments, the sealing member 37 is composed of the lid member 38 and the elastic material 39, but the elastic material 39 may be omitted.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, the toner recovery device according to the present invention has a toner flow port provided on the upper surface of the toner recovery container into which the toner flow tube vertically installed in the toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side is loosely fitted, and Since the sealing member for closing the gap between the toner flow tube and the toner flow port is held in the toner flow tube so as to be movable up and down in the length direction thereof, the seal member is vertically installed on the toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side. The toner flow tube can be inserted into the toner flow port on the toner collection container side without any hindrance, and the gap between the toner flow tube and the toner flow port can be completely closed. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the toner in the toner collection container from scattering to the outside.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a toner recovery device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an electrostatographic copying machine equipped with the toner recovery device, and FIG. 3 is a main part of the toner recovery device. FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining the operation, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Cleaning device, 16, 42... Toner collection container, 16a, 42a... Toner flow port, 33... Toner discharge tube, 35, 41... Toner flow tube, 37... Seal member, G... Gap .

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A toner flow port is provided on the top surface of the toner collection container into which a toner flow tube installed vertically in a toner discharge tube on the cleaning device side is loosely fitted, and a seal is provided to close a gap between the toner flow tube and the toner flow hole. A toner recovery device characterized in that a member is held in the toner flow cylinder so as to be movable up and down in the length direction thereof.