JPH06186891A - Waste toner detector for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely know the time for treating waste toner in a simple constitution by arranging a detecting lever displaced by means of the increase of the capacity of the waste toner so as to intercept an optical path for forming an image. CONSTITUTION:A toner image on an image carrier C is transferred on a transfer material supplied to a transfer part where the image carrier C is opposite to a transfer electrifier 25 and the transfer material is sent to a fixing device 27 via a carrying path 26. At this time, toner remaining on the image carrier C is removed by a cleaner 20 and the toner recovered by the cleaner 20 is stored in a waste toner container 22 by a carrying screw 21. The detecting lever 23 capable of freely and vertically sliding is disposed on the waste toner container 22. Then, the lever 23 is gradually displaced upward and abutted on a microswitch 24, as the toner is stored in a container. Therefore, the fact that the container 22 is full is detected by the operation of the microswitch 24.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Object of the Invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrostatic transfer process, such as an electrostatic copying machine and a printer, and more particularly to an apparatus for detecting the amount of waste toner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a well-known image forming apparatus including a step of transferring a toner image electrostatically formed on the surface of an image carrier to a transfer material such as paper, during transfer, it is transferred to the transfer material. It is necessary to sufficiently remove the residual toner remaining on the image bearing member each time, and this is removed by an appropriate cleaning means such as a cleaning blade at the position after the transfer.

For this reason, since the removed toner gradually accumulates, it is stored in the waste toner storage container.
When it is detected that the container is full, the toner or the container is discarded.

As means for detecting the amount of toner in the waste toner container, a transparent portion is provided in this container to detect it by an external optical detection means, and a conveying screw for guiding the toner from the cleaning device to the waste toner container. A device that detects such a torque amount has been proposed.

However, the former type causes erroneous detection when the transparent window provided in the container is contaminated by the scattering of toner inside, and the latter type causes a torque amount detection mechanism. However, it was complicated and costly, and there was a practical problem.

The present invention has been made to deal with such a situation, and a part of the waste toner container is provided with a portion that bulges according to the amount of the internal toner, and this is detected, and the structure is simple. It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste toner detection device that is inexpensive in terms of cost.

[0007]

[Constitution of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to an image forming apparatus constructed so that residual toner remaining on the surface of an image carrier even after transfer is sequentially stored in a waste toner container. 2 is a waste toner detecting device in which a detection lever that is displaced by an increase in the volume of the stored waste toner is arranged so as to block at least a part of the light flux for image formation.

With this structure, the amount of waste toner can be detected reliably and inexpensively with a simple structure.

[0009]

[Explanation of Examples]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a main part of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the first optical system A, a document placed on a document table 10 is illuminated by a light source (not shown). The reflected light forms an image on the rotating cylindrical image carrier C as a light beam (A) through a mirror and a lens system (not shown).

The second optical system B includes a laser unit, a rotating polygon mirror, an fθ lens, etc., and the image-modulated laser beam (B) is guided onto the image carrier C.

With this structure, the laser unit can be connected to the output of a computer or the like to function as a latent image forming means, which can be used for forming a composite image with the image by the first optical system A, and the image front end. First optical system A, which removes unnecessary charges in non-image areas such as a portion and a sheet space, masking for erasing an image by the first optical system A in combination with a coordinate input means such as a digitizer, and a trimming function.
It becomes possible to perform an add-on function that cuts off a part of the optical path and adds information such as dates and pages that are not in the original.

In the image forming operation in the illustrated apparatus, a toner image formed on the image carrier is formed on a transfer material (not shown) which is supplied to a transfer portion where the image carrier C and the transfer charger 25 face each other. Is transferred, and the transfer material carrying the toner image is transferred to the transport path 2.
After passing through 6, the toner image reaches the fixing device 27, and the toner image is fixed on the transfer material and discharged outside the apparatus.

At this time, the residual toner remaining on the image carrier is removed by the cleaner 20 so that the image carrier is ready for the next image formation, and the toner collected by the cleaner 20 is guided outside the cleaner by the conveying screw 21. Then, the toner is accumulated in the waste toner container 22 through a conveying pipe (not shown).

A detection lever 23, which can freely slide in the vertical direction, is arranged at the upper part of the container 22 in the drawing,
As the toner is stored in the container, the lever 23 is gradually displaced upward, and in the case shown in the figure, it contacts the micro switch 24 and operates it to detect that the container 22 is full. Instead of the microswitch, a photo interrupter or the like can be used as the detecting means.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of this destruction, and the basic structure of the image forming apparatus itself is the same as that shown in FIG.
There is no difference from that shown in FIG. 3 and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

In this apparatus, when the detection lever 23 provided on the waste toner container 22 rises as the toner in the waste toner container 22 accumulates, this interrupts the optical path of the output beam (B) of the second optical system B. Configured. This makes it impossible to form an image by the optical system, and the user of the image forming apparatus notices abnormally and can perform appropriate processing such as replacement of the container 22.

With such a structure, it is possible to obtain a simple and inexpensive detection device without requiring a special accessory mechanism. Further, in the above case, although the optical path of the second optical system is blocked, it can be easily understood that it may be configured so as to block the light flux (A) of the first optical system.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion for scanning a laser beam for explaining another embodiment. The image-modulated laser beam is reflected by a polygon mirror L rotating at a high speed, and is reflected by a mirror 19. The image carrier C is scanned to form a latent image.

In such a device, it is necessary to capture a part of the laser beam by the mirror 28 and guide it to the sensor 27 in order to synchronize in the main device direction.

Therefore, by configuring the optical path from the mirror 28 to the sensor 27 to be blocked by the detection lever 23 described in FIG. 2, the abnormality of the device can be detected. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform detection without disturbing the output image and without leaving the judgment of the device operator.

FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment. The basic structure of the image forming apparatus is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. Are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In this apparatus, an elastic member 29 is provided above the waste toner container 22, and the detection lever 23 is placed on the elastic member 29. Therefore, when the toner in the container 22 becomes full, the elastic member 29 swells, so that the detection lever 23 rises and the beam (B) is interrupted, so that the abnormality can be detected. In this case, it is of course possible to configure the detection lever 23 to serve as an optical path for obtaining the synchronization signal as in the above embodiment.

With such a configuration, the waste toner container 2
Since 2 can be sealed, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering into the apparatus.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, whether or not a predetermined amount of toner is accumulated in the waste toner container is required for image formation by the lever which is displaced according to the swelling of the toner volume in the container. Since the configuration is such that the optical path is known by interruption, it is possible to know the processing time of the waste toner inexpensively and reliably with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of essential parts showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an essential part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an image forming apparatus showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A 1st optical system B 2nd optical system C Image carrier 20 Transfer charger 21 Conveying screw 22 Waste toner container 23 Detection lever 24 Micro switch 27 Sensor 28 Mirror 29 Elastic member

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus configured to sequentially store residual toner remaining on the surface of an image carrier even after transfer in a waste toner container, and an image of a detection lever that is displaced due to an increase in the volume of the stored waste toner. A waste toner detecting device arranged so as to block at least a part of a forming light beam. 2. The image forming apparatus is an apparatus using a laser scanner, and the light beam blocked by the detection lever is at least a part of the light beam for obtaining a synchronization signal in the main scanning direction of the laser scanner. The waste toner detection device according to claim 1. 3. The waste toner detection device according to claim 1, wherein the member for displacing the detection lever is an elastic member for sealing the waste toner container.