JPH0588549A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the capacity of a toner hopper part small with the decrease of toner, to make the capacity of a waste toner housing part large with the increase of waste toner, and to reduce the total capacity of the toner hopper part and the waste toner housing part by composing the partition member of a member capable of deforming to the side of a toner hopper. CONSTITUTION:A toner hopper part 4 filled with the toner, and the waste toner housing part 5 for housing the waste toner, are integrally formed inside a single developing unit 100. A partition member 6 partitioning the toner hopper part 5 from the waste toner housing part 5, is constituted of the member capable of deforming to the side of the toner hopper part 4. The opening part of the partition plate 6 and the inside part of the developing unit 100, are sealed so that the toner is not leaked between the toner hopper part 4 and the waste toner housing part 5. Then, the capacity of the toner hopper part 4 is reduced with the decrease of the toner, the capacity of the waste toner housing part 5 is increased with the increase of the waste toner, and the total capacity of both housing parts 4 and 5 can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device in a copying machine, a printer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A kind of developing device used in a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, etc., is a toner hopper part in which toner to be supplied to a developing part of an image carrier is sealed, and is collected from the image carrier. The waste toner storage portion for storing the collected waste toner is integrally formed in a single developing device, and after performing 5000 to 6000 copies, the waste toner is discarded together with the collected waste toner. There is a disposable unit type developing device configured and is being put to practical use.

[0003]

By the way, as described above, the toner hopper portion in which the toner to be supplied to the developing portion of the image carrier is sealed, and the waste toner collected from the image carrier is accommodated. In the developing device in which the waste toner storage unit for the above is integrally formed in a single developing device,
Since the amount of waste toner generated by copying 0 sheets becomes an amount that cannot be neglected, the volume of the waste toner accommodating portion inevitably becomes large, and it is difficult to make it compact.

In the developing device of this type, when the rotation diameter of the agitator for stirring and replenishing the toner in the toner hopper is small, the agitator separates the toner hopper from the waste toner accommodating portion. The toner tends to remain in the toner hopper portion up to the partition member that functions as the toner partition wall, and there is a problem that dead toner that does not contribute to development increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to reduce the volume of the toner hopper portion as the toner in the developing device decreases, and to increase the waste toner and the waste toner. An object of the present invention is to provide a compact developing device capable of increasing the volume of the storage portion and reducing the total volume of the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention collects toner from a toner hopper part in which toner to be supplied to a developing part of an image carrier is enclosed, and from the image carrier. In a developing device in which a waste toner storage portion for storing the generated waste toner is integrally formed in a single developing device, a toner for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion The partition member that functions as a partition is formed of a deformable member at least on the toner hopper side.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention also relates to a toner hopper section in which toner supplied to the developing section of the image carrier is sealed, and waste toner collected from the image carrier. In the developing device, a waste toner storage portion for storing the toner is integrally formed in a single developing device, and an agitator for stirring and replenishing the toner is disposed in the toner hopper portion. A partition member that functions as a toner partition wall for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion is formed of a member that is deformable at least up to the vicinity of the agitator.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is configured such that the agitator and the waste toner collecting port of the waste toner accommodating portion are located at substantially the same height.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the toner hopper portion,
Since the toner partition wall for partitioning the waste toner storage section is formed of a deformable member at least on the toner hopper section side, the volume of the toner hopper section is reduced as the toner in the developing device is reduced, and As the amount of waste toner increases, the volume of the waste toner storage portion expands, and the total volume of these toner hopper portion and waste toner storage portion decreases.

Further, according to the present invention, since the toner partition wall for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion is formed of a member having a size that can be deformed at least near the agitator. The volume of the toner hopper is reduced as the amount of toner in the developing unit is reduced, and the volume of the waste toner storage unit is expanded to the vicinity of the agitator as the amount of waste toner is increased. And the total volume is reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, since the agitator and the waste toner collecting port of the waste toner accommodating portion are located at substantially the same height, the waste toner is small even if the rotation diameter of the agitator is small. Due to the expansion of the volume of the waste toner storage portion to the vicinity of the agitator due to the increase of the toner, the toner in the toner hopper portion between the agitator and the toner partition wall for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion, It is pushed out to the toner supply port side of the developing device.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, for the purpose of avoiding complication of the description, the illustration and disclosure of the configuration and operation of the range clearly conceivable from the description of this specification, and the above and other objects and novel features of the present invention are omitted. , Or simplify.

As shown in FIG. 1, the developing device according to the present invention comprises a developing roller 1, a blade 2 for forming a uniform thin toner layer on the developing roller 1, and a discharging brush for discharging the toner on the developing roller 1. 3, a toner hopper section in which toner supplied to the developing section of the image carrier is enclosed, 4, a waste toner storage section 5 for storing waste toner collected from the image carrier, a toner hopper section 4, and a waste. The partition member 6 functions as a toner partition wall for partitioning the toner container 5.

As the partition member 6, for example, a paper member such as a breathable sheet made by DuPont or a vinyl sheet is used. The partition member 6 in this embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 2, it is formed in a bag shape with a shallow bottom. As shown in FIG. 1, the opening of the partition plate 6 has a lower edge 7 on a part 9 of the lower case 102 of the developing device 100 and an upper edge 8 on a part of the upper case 101 of the developing device 100. 10, both side edge portions 11 and 12 have front and rear side plates 13 and 1 of the developing device 100.
4 (see FIG. 3) is bonded to each inside. The opening of the partition plate 6 and the inner portion of the developing device 100 are sealed between the toner hopper portion 4 and the waste toner storage portion 5 so that the toner does not leak.

On the other hand, an agitator 15 is arranged in the toner hopper section 4, and when the agitator 15 is rotated, the toner in the toner hopper 4 is agitated and replenished toward the toner replenishing plate 16. To be done. The toner supply plate 16 directly supplies the toner sent from the toner hopper 4 to the developing roller 1.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a waste toner recovery path will be briefly described. In FIG. 4, the untransferred toner on the image carrier (photoconductor 200) after transfer is collected in the cleaning unit 300. In the cleaning unit 300, a conveying screw 1 for conveying the waste toner collected therein to the rear portion of the cleaning unit.
7 are provided. The waste toner carried to the rear of the cleaning unit by the carrying screw 17 is dropped into the waste toner carrying pipe 18. This waste toner transport pipe 1
The reference numeral 8 reaches the developing device 100 along the rear side plate 19 of the main body of the copying machine or the like, and the waste toner conveying screw 20 is mounted inside the developing device 100. Waste toner transport pipe 18
The waste toner dropped inside is conveyed to the developing device 100 by the waste toner conveying screw 20.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the developing device 100 is provided with a waste toner collecting port 21 for collecting the waste toner, and the waste toner is conveyed from the portion A (FIG. 4) of the waste toner carrying pipe 18. The waste toner is dropped toward the toner recovery port 21. The waste toner dropped to the waste toner collecting port 21 is collected by the developing device 10.
Waste toner conveying screw 22 installed in the No. 0 (FIG. 3)
As a result, the waste toner is collected in the waste toner storage unit 5 in FIG.

In the developing device 100, the drive is directly transmitted from the main body of the developing device to the developing roller gear 23.
The waste toner carrying screw gear 27 is driven via the idle gear 24, the toner supply plate gear 30, the agitator gear 25, and the idle gear 26.

As is clear from the above, in order to make the developing device 100 compact, the volume of waste toner collected in the waste toner container 5 should be as large as possible, that is, the amount of displacement of the partition member 6 should be large. .. However, in order to increase the displacement amount of the partition member 6, the agitator 1
It is necessary to bring the position 5 of the toner replenishing plate 16 close to the crocodile and to make the rotation diameter thereof as small as possible. However, if the rotation diameter of the agitator 15 is reduced or the position is brought closer to the toner supply plate 16, the toner easily remains in the toner hopper portion 4 between the agitator 15 and the partition member 6. However, a problem occurs that the amount of dead toner that does not contribute to development increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the partition plate 6 in the developing device 100 is previously set to the agitator 1
5 is formed so that it can be deformed to a position very close to 5, and the distance between the agitator 15 and the toner hopper portion 4 and the waste toner accommodating portion 5 is set to be the shortest, and dead toner that does not contribute to development is formed in the toner hopper portion 4. Prevent a large amount of residue from remaining.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the developing device 100 in the unused state of this embodiment has a sufficient amount of unused toner filled in the toner hopper portion 4. When the developing device 100 is driven in this state, the toner in the toner hopper portion 4 is sent to the toner replenishing plate 16 while being agitated by the agitator 15, and is further transferred onto the developing roller 1 by the toner replenishing plate 16. Will be replenished.
Excessive toner replenished on the developing roller 1 is scraped off by the blade 2, whereby the developing roller 1
On top, a thin layer of toner is formed.

On the other hand, in a copying operation of a copying machine or the like, as is well known, a toner image is formed on the photoconductor 200 by the toner supplied from the developing device 100, and the toner image is transferred onto a transfer paper to perform copying. .. At the time of this transfer, the waste toner remaining on the photoconductor 200 without being transferred onto the transfer paper is collected by the cleaning unit 300 and then passed through the waste toner collection path as described above. It is collected in the storage unit 5.

By repeating a series of copying operations as described above, the toner stored in the toner hopper section 4 of the developing device 100 is consumed and the waste toner collected in the waste toner storage section 5 is consumed. The amount of gradually increases. As a result, in the unused state (FIG. 5), the volume of the waste toner accommodating portion 5 which is pushed by the toner filled in the toner hopper portion 4 and has the minimum volume is increased as the amount of collected waste toner increases. The amount of the waste toner is increased, and the partition member 6 is pushed in the direction B in FIG. 6 and begins to deform.
When the above copying operation is repeatedly executed from the state shown in FIG. 6, the toner hopper portion 4 is largely deformed in the lower half of the partition member 6 due to the increase in the amount of waste toner, as shown in FIG. And squeeze out in the direction of arrow C, agitator 15
Approach. Further, when the copying operation is repeatedly executed from the state shown in FIG. 7 to a state near the toner end as shown in FIG. 8, the partition member 6 is moved to the toner hopper section due to a further increase in the amount of waste toner. 4 is deformed all the way to the edge of the agitator 15 and comes close to the agitator 15.

[0023]

According to the present invention, since the partition member for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion is formed of a deformable member at least on the toner hopper portion side, the developing device is provided. The volume of the toner hopper section is reduced with the decrease of the toner inside, and the volume of the waste toner storage section is increased with the increase of the waste toner, so that the total volume of the toner hopper section and the waste toner storage section is reduced. , The developing device is made compact.

Further, according to the present invention, since the agitator and the waste toner collecting port of the waste toner container are located at substantially the same height, the waste toner is small even when the rotation diameter of the agitator is small. As the partition member is deformed so that the lower side of the waste toner storage unit approaches the vicinity of the agitator due to the increase in the amount of dead toner, the dead toner in the toner hopper between the agitator and the partition member is transferred to the toner supply port side of the developing device. The residual toner (dead toner) in the toner hopper can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a partition member in the developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a waste toner recovery path of the developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the developing device of the present invention in an unused state.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the developing device of the present invention during an initial operation.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing device of the present invention in use.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the developing device of the present invention in a state close to the toner end.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Developing roller 4 Toner hopper section 5 Waste toner storage section 6 Partitioning member 15 Agitator 21 Waste toner collecting port 22 Waste toner conveying screw 100 Developing device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toner hopper section in which toner supplied to a developing section of an image carrier is sealed, and a waste toner container section for accommodating waste toner collected from the image carrier. In a developing device integrally formed in one developing device, a partition member functioning as a toner partition wall for partitioning the toner hopper portion and the waste toner storage portion can be deformed at least to the toner hopper portion side. A developing device characterized by being formed of a different member. 2. A toner hopper section in which toner supplied to the developing section of the image carrier is sealed, and a waste toner container section for containing the waste toner collected from the image carrier. In a developing device which is integrally formed in one developing device and in which an agitator for stirring and replenishing toner is provided in the toner hopper portion, the toner hopper portion and the waste toner accommodating portion are separated from each other. A developing device, wherein a partitioning member that functions as a toner partition is formed of a member having a size that can be deformed at least near the agitator. 3. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the agitator and the waste toner collecting port of the waste toner container are located at substantially the same height.