JPH05289509A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent toner from being excessively replenished at the time of replenishing the toner by providing an excessive replenishment preventing means. CONSTITUTION:A toner container 42 is placed on a toner replenishing tank 41, the engaging hole of a bottle slider 49 and an opening/closing cover 48 are engaged, and the engaging hole of a bottle cover 50 is engaged with the positioning pin 41b of the toner replenishing tank 41, to attain positioning. A detecting piece 50b disposed on the bottle cover is fitted into the groove of the toner replenishing tank 41, and presses the pressing member 44a of a microswitch 44, against a spring 44b, and the microswitch 44 is turned on. When the residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is a specific amount or more, a residual toner sensor 33 is turned on, a signal is outputted from a control part to an alarm device, and the inhibition of the replenishment of the toner is displayed on the panel of a copying machine. On the other hand, when the residual toner of the toner replenishing tank 41 is a specific amount or less, the residual toner sensor 33 is turned off, and the inhibition of the replenishment of the toner is not displayed on the panel of the copying machine, so that a toner replenishing action is continuously executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and more particularly to an apparatus for replenishing toner from a toner container to a toner replenishing tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional copying machine or the like, when toner is replenished to a toner replenishing tank, a toner cartridge is installed above the toner replenishing tank, and the lid of the toner replenishing tank is interlocked by the movement of the cartridge. When opened, the replenishing port of the toner replenishing tank is opened, and the toner drops from the cartridge and is replenished.

[0003]

According to the conventional toner replenishment method, when the lid of the toner replenishing tank and the cartridge move together, the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishing tank cannot be visually confirmed. Therefore, although there is residual toner in the toner replenishing tank, there is a problem in that the toner is replenished in an amount larger than the replenishable amount and overflow occurs.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which prevents excessive replenishment of toner when replenishing toner.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a toner container 42 is installed in a toner supply port 41a of a toner supply tank 41, and the toner supply port 41a is opened, as shown in FIG. In the image forming apparatus for replenishing toner, the toner replenishing tank 41 is provided with a toner remaining amount sensor 43 for detecting the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 and an installation detecting means 44 for detecting installation of the toner container 42. Excessive replenishment preventing means is provided which prohibits toner replenishment when the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or greater than a specified amount and the toner container 42 is installed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the excessive replenishment prevention means is an alarm device 51 that warns that replenishment is prohibited.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the excessive replenishment prevention means is a locking mechanism 52 that prevents the toner replenishing port 41a from opening.

[0008]

In the means for solving the problems according to the first aspect, when the toner container 42 is installed on the toner replenishing tank 41, the installation detecting means 44 operates. At this time, if the amount of toner remaining in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or greater than the specified amount, the toner remaining amount sensor 43
Is ON, and toner replenishment is prohibited by the excessive replenishment prevention means.

When the amount of toner remaining in the toner replenishing tank 41 is less than the specified amount, the toner remaining amount sensor 43 is off, the excessive replenishment preventing means does not operate, and the toner replenishing operation continues. In this replenishing operation, the toner container 42 is slid, the toner replenishing port 41a is opened, and the toner in the toner container 42 is dropped into the toner replenishing tank 41 to be replenished.

According to the second aspect, when the residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or more than the specified amount, the alarm device 51 notifies the toner replenishing is prohibited.

According to the third aspect, when the residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is more than the specified amount, the locking mechanism 52 prevents the toner replenishing port 41a from opening, and the toner cannot be replenished.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of toner supply of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a full color copying machine, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a developing device, and FIG. 4 is black development. 8 is a front view of the tank and the toner replenishing machine, FIG. 5 is a view of the toner replenishing section, FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the same, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when the cartridge is installed in the toner replenishing tank.
1 is a plan view of the same, FIG. 9 is a plan view of a cartridge, FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a positioning pin, FIG. 11 is a view showing the arrangement of installation detecting means, FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a control unit, and FIG.
3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner replenishing tank in the copying machine main body is in a toner replenishing posture.

First, the overall structure of the full-color copying machine according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, an original placing table 2 made of hard transparent glass is arranged at the upper end of the copying machine main body 1. There is. The original document (not shown) placed on the original document table 2 is illuminated by the lamp unit 3, and the reflected light from the original document is reflected by the mirrors 4, 5, 6, the lens unit 7, and the mirrors 8, 9. Is exposed to the photoconductor drum 10 which is rotatable in the direction of arrow B via. The lamp unit 3, the mirror 4 and the like constitute a scanner.

In the rotation region of the photosensitive drum 10, a charging charger 11 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 prior to exposure is provided, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the exposed portion.

Further, on the downstream side of the charging charger 11,
A developing device including an inter-image eraser, a black developing tank 12, a yellow developing tank 13, a magenta developing tank 14, and a cyan developing tank 15, which are not shown, a transfer belt 16, a cleaning unit 17, and a charge eliminating lamp 18 are arranged in this order. Toners of a corresponding color are stored in the developing tanks 12 to 15 of the developing device.

A transfer process unit for transferring and superimposing the toner images on the photoconductor drum 10 is arranged below the photoconductor drum 10, and the transfer process unit is pressed against the surface of the photoconductor drum 10. The transfer belt 16 as an intermediate transfer member is wound around a driving roller 19, a driven roller 20, a pair of first transfer rollers 21, and a second transfer auxiliary roller 22.

A second transfer device 23 for transferring the toner image on the transfer belt 16 to the sheet is arranged opposite to the second transfer auxiliary roller 22 with the transfer belt 16 interposed therebetween. The second transfer device 23 uses the second transfer roller 2
4 and a cleaning unit 25 for removing the toner remaining on the second transfer roller 24.

In the figure, reference numeral 26 is a paper feed cassette, 27 is a paper feed roller, 28 is a suction belt, 29 is a fixing device, and 30 is a paper discharge roller.

As shown in FIG. 3, a developing roller 31 and two agitating rollers 32 are rotatably installed in each of the developing tanks 12 to 15.

The black developer tank 12 has a toner replenishing section 3
3 and a toner replenishing device 34 that supplies toner to the toner replenishing section 33. Toner replenishing tanks 13 containing the toners of the respective colors are provided in the other color developing tanks 13 to 15.
a, 14a, 15a are attached.

The toner replenishing section 33 is in communication with the black developing tank 12 and is internally rotatably provided with two toner conveying screens 33a. Further, a toner replenishing device 34 is arranged above one side of the toner replenishing part 33 in a direction orthogonal to the toner replenishing part 33, and a toner replenishing pipe is provided between the toner replenishing device 34 and one side of the toner replenishing part 33. 35 are provided. In FIG. 3, 36 is a toner replenishing roller and 37 is a stirring member.

In the toner replenishing device 34, a toner container (cartridge) 42 is placed on the toner replenishing port 41a of the toner replenishing tank 41, and the toner replenishing port 41a is opened to replenish toner. The toner replenishment tank 41 has a toner remaining amount sensor 4 for detecting the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishment tank 41.
3 and installation detecting means 44 for detecting the installation of the cartridge 42, and the toner is replenished when the residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or more than a specified amount and the cartridge 42 is installed. A control unit S for prohibiting is provided.

The toner replenishing tank 41 is shown in FIGS.
As described above, it is communicated with the toner replenishing section 33 through the toner replenishing pipe 35 formed in the lower portion thereof. A toner supply roller 46 and a toner agitator 47 are rotatably mounted in the toner supply tank 41.

The toner supply roller 46 is arranged above the toner supply pipe 35, and a spiral body 46b is formed in the opposite direction with the supply roller shaft 46a sandwiching the toner supply pipe 35, and toner is supplied from both sides of the toner supply pipe 35. Transport. And
The toner is replenished to the toner replenishing unit 33 by being rotationally driven based on the toner replenishing signal from the control unit S. A toner supply port 41a is formed above the toner agitator 47,
An opening / closing lid 48 for opening / closing the toner supply port 41a is arranged.

The toner remaining amount sensor 43 is composed of a magnetic permeability sensor or the like mounted on the side wall of the toner replenishing tank 41 on the side of the toner supply roller 46. It detects whether it is the height to cover.

The cartridge 42 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, it is tubular and has an opening 42a formed at one end thereof. The toner replenishing tank 41 is provided around the opening 42a.
A bottle slider 49 that engages with the opening / closing lid 48 and slides is integrally formed.

The bottle slider 49 has the opening 42.
It is detachably fitted onto the bottle lid 50 that closes a. Further, the bottle slider 49 is formed with an engagement hole 49a for engaging with a protrusion (not shown) of the opening / closing lid 48.

The bottle lid 50 has a toner replenishing tank 41.
A pair of engaging holes 50a for engaging the pair of positioning pins 41b formed on the upper surface of the cartridge and positioning the cartridge 42 on the toner replenishing tank 41 are formed.

The installation detecting means 44, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, has the positioning pin 41 on the upper surface of the toner replenishing tank 41.
The micro switch is formed in the lower part of the groove 41c formed between b, and the micro switch pressing member 44a is provided on the upper part of the micro switch 44. The pressing member 44a is biased by a spring 44b in a direction to turn off the micro switch 44.

The micro switch 44 is used for mounting the cartridge 42 on the bottle lid 5 of the cartridge 42.
The detection piece 50b arranged between the engaging holes 50a on the lower surface of 0 fits into the groove 41c of the toner replenishing tank 41, and the pressing member 4 is pressed.
Turns on when 4a is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control section S controls the main body 1 of the copying machine.
When the toner amount exceeds a specified amount, the toner remaining amount sensor 43 is turned on, the cartridge 42 is placed on the toner replenishing tank 41, and the micro switch 44 is turned on. It has a function of preventing excessive replenishment by outputting a signal to the alarm device 51 to display an indication of prohibition of toner replenishment, and a function of turning on the toner replenishment lamp L when the amount of toner is less than a prescribed amount.

In the above structure, color copying is performed by the following operation procedure. When the charging charger 11 uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 10, the first scanning is performed by the scanner, and the reflected light from the document is positioned between the charging charger 11 and the interimage eraser through a color separation filter (not shown). The surface of the photosensitive drum is subjected to slit exposure to form a blue electrostatic latent image on the exposed portion. Next, the inter-image eraser erases the portion corresponding to the non-image area of the electrostatic latent image, and the yellow toner is supplied from the yellow developing tank 13 to the electrostatic latent image of the image area which is not erased.
Toner images of the same color are formed.

Next, the toner image moves in the direction of arrow C and a high voltage of negative DC is applied to the first transfer roller 21, so that a part of the toner image is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 and is transferred to the transfer belt 16. Transcribed. At this time, a part of the toner that does not contribute to the transfer remains on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, but the cleaning unit 17 scrapes off the residual toner. Then, the static elimination lamp 18 eliminates the residual charges on the surface of the photosensitive drum.

Upon completion of the above steps, the charging charger 1
1 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum again, and the reflected light from the original obtained by the second scanning is slit-exposed to form a green electrostatic latent image. Similarly, the non-image area is erased by the inter-image eraser, magenta toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image from the magenta developing tank 14, and toner images of the same color are formed. Then, this toner image is transferred to the transfer belt 16 and the images are superimposed.

After that, when the same processing as described above is performed, the charging charger 11 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 uniformly again, and in the same manner, cyan toner is supplied from the cyan developing tank 15 to the photosensitive drum 10. Toner images of the same color are formed. Then, this toner image is transferred to the transfer belt 16, and final image superposition is performed. After that, the second transfer roller 24, which has been non-contact until now, is pressed against the transfer belt 16, and a negative voltage higher than the transfer belt surface potential is applied, so that the toner image on the transfer belt 16 on which the images are superimposed is copied onto the copy sheet. Transcribed.

The copy paper on which the toner image has been transferred is then transported to the fixing device 29 by the suction transport unit 28,
After the toner is fixed here, the toner is discharged outside the apparatus by the discharge roller 30.

On the other hand, black and white copying is performed by supplying black toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 10 from the black developing tank 12 and transferring the toner image onto a copy sheet via the transfer belt 16.

As the copying is performed, the toner in the developing tank 12 is consumed and decreases, so that it is necessary to replenish the toner. To replenish the toner, the toner replenishing tank 41 in the main body 1 of the copying machine is tilted toward the front as shown in FIG. 13, the cartridge 42 is placed on the toner replenishing tank 41, and the engaging hole 49a of the bottle slider 49 is opened and closed. The lid 48 is engaged, and the positioning pin 41b of the toner replenishing tank 41 is engaged with the engagement hole 50a of the bottle lid 50 for positioning.

Then, the detection piece 5 arranged on the bottle lid 50.
0b fits into the groove 41c of the toner replenishing tank 41, presses the pressing member 44a of the micro switch 44 against the spring 44b, and the micro switch 44 is turned on. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, when the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or larger than the specified amount, the toner remaining amount sensor 33 is ON, and a signal is output from the control unit S to the alarm device 51 so that the copying machine A toner replenishment prohibition display is displayed on the panel to notify a person who wants to replenish the toner that the toner need not be replenished.

When the amount of toner remaining in the toner replenishing tank 41 is less than the specified amount, the toner remaining amount sensor 43 is off, and the toner replenishment prohibition display is not displayed on the panel of the copying machine. Take action.

In this replenishing operation, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the cartridge 42 is slid in the opening direction of the opening / closing lid 48, the opening 42a of the cartridge 42 and the toner replenishing tank 4 are inserted.
When the first toner replenishing port 41a overlaps and the seal is peeled off, the toner in the cartridge 42 drops into the toner replenishing tank 41 and is replenished.

As described above, when the cartridge 42 is placed on the toner replenishing tank 41, if the toner remaining in the toner replenishing tank 41 is equal to or more than the specified amount, the toner replenishment prohibition is displayed and the person who replenishes the toner is informed. It is possible to inform that there is no need to replenish the toner. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner from overflowing by interrupting the toner replenishment, and to prevent the stain due to the toner scattering.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

For example, as the excessive replenishment prevention means, a lock mechanism 54 may be used to prevent the cartridge 42 from sliding in the opening direction of the opening / closing lid 48 when the toner remaining amount sensor 43 is ON and the installation detecting means 44 is ON.

[0045]

As is clear from the above description, according to claims 1, 2 and 3 of the present invention, when the toner container is installed in the toner replenishing tank, if the residual toner in the toner replenishing tank is more than the specified amount, If the supply of toner can be prohibited and the overflow due to excessive supply of toner can be prevented, an excellent effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart when toner is replenished in a copying machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Overall configuration of full-color copying machine

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a developing device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a black developing tank and a toner replenishing device.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a toner supply unit

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when the cartridge is installed in the toner supply tank.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the cartridge ledge.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a positioning pin.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an arrangement of installation detection means.

FIG. 12: Block diagram of control unit

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state when the toner replenishing tank in the copying machine main body is in a toner replenishing posture.

[Explanation of symbols]

 41 Toner Replenishing Tank 41a Toner Replenishing Port 42 Toner Container 43 Toner Remaining Sensor 44 Installation Detection Means 51 Alarm Device 52 Lock Mechanism

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In an image forming apparatus in which a toner container is installed at a toner supply port of a toner supply tank and the toner supply port is opened to supply toner, the amount of residual toner in the toner supply tank is set in the toner supply tank. Toner remaining amount sensor to detect,
Installation detection means for detecting the installation of the toner container is provided, and an excessive replenishment prevention for prohibiting the replenishment of toner when the amount of residual toner in the toner replenishment tank is a specified amount or more and the toner container is installed An image forming apparatus comprising means. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the excessive replenishment prevention unit is an alarm device that warns that replenishment is prohibited. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the excessive replenishment preventing means is a locking mechanism that prevents the toner replenishing port from opening.