JPH06308830A - Developer carrying device and image forming device using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the material change of recovered toner, and to excellently remove carrier included in the recovered toner with time. CONSTITUTION:A carrying pipe 42 where a spiral fin 48 is formed on its inner wall is turned by a driving device 44c, and the recovered toner is carried toward a developing device 2. Thus, the material change caused by the welding of the toner by frictional heat by the contact of the carrying pipe and a carrying screw and the peeling of additive adhering to the surface of the toner is prevented. A knob part 5 which is attachably/detachably constituted at the end of the pipe 42 and to which a bar-like magnet 6 is attached is provided, and it is attached to the end of the pipe 42 so that the magnet 6 may be extended in the pipe 42, whereby the carrier is stuck to the magnet 6 and segregated from the recovered toner.

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, a facsimile and a printer, and a developer transporting apparatus used for the same, and more specifically to a cleaning apparatus for collecting the developer remaining on the image carrier. The present invention relates to a developer transporting device that transports the developer collected by the cleaning device to the developing device by connecting the developer transporting device to the developing device, and an image forming apparatus using the developer transporting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a developer transporting device for recycling toner as a developer collected from an image carrier by a cleaning device of this type to a developing device has a structure as shown in FIG. It has been known. That is, the developing device 101 and the cleaning device 102, which are arranged so as to face the photosensitive drum 100 as an image bearing member, are connected by a transport pipe 103 fixedly attached. Then, in the conveying pipe 103, the conveying screw 105 rotated by the driving device 104.
Is provided. In this configuration, the photosensitive drum 1
Toner 00 is supplied by the developing device 101, and the latent image on the surface thereof is visualized as a toner image. And
The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 100 is collected by the cleaning device 102 after the toner image is transferred to a transfer material (not shown). Further, the toner collected by the cleaning device 102 (hereinafter referred to as collected toner) reaches the inside of the conveying pipe 103, and the driving device 104.
Conveying screw 105 driven to rotate in a predetermined direction by
The carrier pipe 103 is carried by the developing device 101.

Conventionally, there is known a toner replenishing device which is constructed so as to send the internal toner to a replenishing port of the toner cartridge by rotating a toner cartridge having an inner surface provided with a spiral rib (for example, a toner cartridge). ,
(See JP-A-59-188678).

[0004]

However, in the configuration in which the conveying screw 105 is rotated in the conveying pipe 103 to convey the collected toner, the conveying screw 10
When 5 rotates, it may contact the inner wall surface of the carrier pipe 103 and generate frictional heat. Then, when the collected toner passes through the heat generating portion where the frictional heat is generated, the collected toner may be fused with each other to form an aggregate of the collected toner. Further, since the collected toner is repeatedly squeezed between the inner wall surface of the conveying pipe 103 and the conveying screw 105 at all times, the additive adhering to the toner surface is peeled off in order to improve the fluidity of the toner. However, the aggregation degree of the collected toner may be increased. In an image forming apparatus that recycles toner, such a change in the physical properties of the collected toner causes an abnormal image during the next image formation.

When a two-component developer consisting of toner and carrier is used as the developer, the cleaning device 1
In some cases, the toner collected by No. 02 contains a carrier, and it is difficult to remove the carrier in the conventional apparatus using the conveying screw 105. Further, conventionally, there is known one in which a mesh is provided to remove the carrier contained in the collected toner, and the collected toner and the carrier are separated by using the mesh. There is a problem in that the mesh immediately becomes clogged and the sufficient effect cannot be exhibited over time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the change in the physical properties of the recovered toner and to remove the carrier contained in the recovered toner over time. An object of the present invention is to provide a developer transporting device that can perform well and an image forming apparatus using the developer transporting device.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a transport path forming member which forms a transport path through which a developer is transported, and is rotatable. It is characterized in that a drive device for rotating the path forming member in a predetermined direction and a spiral developer feeding portion are provided inside the conveying path forming member. According to a second aspect of the invention, a developing device that visualizes the latent image formed on the image carrier as a developed image, and a developing device that transfers the developed image to a transfer material by a transfer device, and then develops the latent image on the image carrier. An image forming apparatus comprising: a cleaning device that removes residual developer; and a developer transport device that connects the developing device and the cleaning device and transports the developer collected by the cleaning device to the developing device. The developer transport device according to claim 1 is used as the developer transport device. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided the developer transport device according to the first aspect or the second aspect.
In the image forming apparatus, the magnet is provided inside the conveying path forming member of the developer conveying device according to the first aspect. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the developer transporting device or the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, the magnet is detachably attached to the transport path forming member.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the conveying path forming member is rotated in a predetermined direction by the driving device, so that the developer can be conveyed by the developer feeding portion provided in a spiral shape inside. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conveying path forming member is rotated in a predetermined direction by the driving device, so that the developer can be conveyed from the cleaning device to the developing device by the developer feeding portion provided inside in a spiral shape. In the invention of claim 3, when the developer conveyed in the conveying path forming member includes a magnetic carrier, the carrier is attracted to a magnet provided inside the conveying path forming member, and only the toner is present. Be transported. In the invention of claim 4, the magnet can be easily cleaned by removing the magnet from the transport path forming member.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electrophotographic copying machine (hereinafter referred to as a copying machine) which is an image forming apparatus will be described below. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a copying machine equipped with a developer transport device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a cleaning device side connection portion of the developer transport device in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a developing device side connection portion of the developer transport device in FIG. 1. In the following description, an example in which a two-component magnetic developer including a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier is used as the developer will be described. In the copying machine according to the present embodiment, the developing device 2 and the cleaning device 3 are opposed to the photoconductor drums 1 serving as image bearing members, respectively.
And are provided. Further, the developing device 2 and the cleaning device 3 are connected by a developer transport device 4.

In the developer transport device 4, a collected toner discharge device is attached to one side surface 3a of the cleaning device 3 and forms a transport path when the recovered toner in the cleaning device 3 is discharged to the outside of the cleaning device 3. The pipe 41, a conveying pipe 42 that forms a conveying path when the collected toner conveyed through the collected toner discharge pipe 41 is conveyed toward the developing device 2, and is attached to one side surface 2a of the developing device 2. A recovery toner transfer path is formed by the recovery toner intake pipe 43 that forms a transfer path when the recovery toner transferred through the transfer pipe 42 is taken into the developing device 2.

In the collected toner discharge pipe 41 and the collected toner intake pipe 43, the driving device 4 is provided.
Conveying screws 45a (see FIG. 2) and 45b (see FIG. 3) that rotate in a predetermined direction by 4a and 44b are provided. The ends of the conveying screws 45a and 45b extend inside the cleaning device 3 and the developing device 2, respectively. Further, at the ends of the collected toner discharge pipe 41 and the collected toner intake pipe 43, the respective pipes and the conveying pipe 4 are provided.
Connecting members 46a and 46b for connecting the two are attached, and an opening for supporting the transport pipe 42 is formed in a lower portion of the connecting member 45a and an upper portion of the connecting member 45b. A bearing 47 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is attached to the. Further, a discharge port 41a for dropping the collected toner from the cleaning device 3 into the connecting member 45a is provided on the surface of the collecting toner discharge pipe 41 inside the connecting member 45a, and a connecting member 45b of the collected toner intake pipe 43 is provided. An intake hole 43a is formed in the inner surface portion for introducing the toner collected from the transport pipe 42 into the inside.

The transfer pipe 42 is connected to the connecting member 46.
It is supported by openings provided in a and 46b via bearings 47, and is configured to rotate in a predetermined direction by a drive device 44c. Further, the carrier pipe 42
A fin 48 as a spiral developer feeding portion is provided inside. Further, the connecting member 46a of the transport pipe 42
An intake hole 4 for taking in the collected toner from the collected toner discharge pipe 41 inside a part of the surface portion inside.
9a (see FIG. 2), and a discharge hole 49b (FIG. 2) for discharging the collected toner inside the transport pipe 42 to the collected toner intake pipe 43 in a part of the surface of the transport pipe 42 inside the connecting member 46b. 3) is formed.

Next, the operation of the copying machine having the above configuration will be described. The latent image formed on the photoconductor drum 1 is supplied with toner by the developing device 2 and is visualized as a toner image. This toner image is transferred by a transfer device (not shown) to, for example, a transfer sheet (not shown) as a transfer material. At this time, not all the toner on the photoconductor drum 1 is transferred to the transfer paper, and some toner remains on the photoconductor drum 1 without being transferred. The residual toner is collected from the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning device 3.

The collected toner is conveyed from the cleaning device 3 through the inside of the collected toner discharge pipe 41 by the conveying screw 45a rotated by the driving device 44a, and from the discharge port 41a provided in the collected toner discharge pipe 41 in the connecting member 46a. It falls inside the connecting member 46a. Then, the collected toner is taken into the conveying pipe 42 through an intake hole 49a provided in the conveying pipe 42 which is rotated by the driving device 44c, and the conveying pipe 42 is rotated to be conveyed by the fin 48 toward the developing device 2 direction. To be done. The collected toner conveyed to the connecting member 46b is discharged from the discharge hole 49b provided in the conveying pipe 42, and is taken into the collected toner intake pipe 43 from the intake hole 43a. Then, the collected toner is collected by the conveying screw 45b rotated by the driving device 44b.
The toner is conveyed through the collected toner intake pipe 43, is taken into the developing device 2, and is used again for development.

According to the above-described embodiment, since the collected toner is carried in the carrying pipe 42 by the fins 48 provided on the inner wall of the carrying pipe 42, the collected toner is not transferred to the inner wall of the carrying pipe 103 as in the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. Due to frictional heat caused by contact with the conveying screw 105 provided inside the toner particles, the toner particles may be fused with each other, or the additive adhering to the surface between the conveying pipe 103 and the conveying screw 105 may be peeled off. Physical properties do not change.
In the above embodiment, the collected toner discharge pipe 4
1 and the collected toner intake pipe 43 are provided with conveying screws 45a and 45b, respectively, the collected toner discharge pipe 41 and the collected toner intake pipe 43.
By shortening the value to the necessary minimum, it is possible to suppress the change in the physical properties of the toner due to the fusion of the toner due to the frictional heat.

Incidentally, the collected toner collected from the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning device 3 may contain a carrier, and the carrier is the developing device 2.
It is desirable to remove it before transporting to. Because
When the collected toner is conveyed to a hopper or the like containing unused toner and the collected toner is supplied to the developing device together with the unused toner, it is arranged in a communication path between the hopper and the developing device. This is to prevent damage to the replenishment roller and the scraper that contacts the replenishment roller. In view of this, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a knob portion 5 having a rod-shaped magnet 6 is provided, which is detachably attached to the end of the conveying pipe 42 by, for example, a screw-in type or a one-touch type. The knob portion 5 is attached to the end portion of the conveying pipe 42 so that the toner extends into the conveying pipe 42, and the carrier is separated from the collected toner by the magnet 6. That is, the collected toner contacts the magnet 6 again and again while being transported in the transport pipe 42. At this time, the magnetic carrier contained in the collected toner is adsorbed by the magnet 6 and separated from the collected toner.

According to this embodiment, even if the recovered toner contains the carrier, the recovered toner and the carrier can be separated and only the recovered toner can be conveyed to the developing device 2. Further, since the knob portion 5 is configured to be attachable / detachable to / from the carrier pipe 42, the magnet 6 to which the carrier is attached can be easily cleaned.

[0018]

According to the invention of claim 1, the developer can be transported by the developer feeding portion by rotating the transport path forming member in the predetermined direction. Therefore, at the time of transporting the developer, the developer is transported in the transport pipe. As in the conventional device that rotates the screw to convey the developer, the conveying screw and the conveying pipe come into contact with each other to generate frictional heat, or the developer is squeezed between the conveying pipe and the conveying screw. Therefore, the developer is fused by frictional heat, and the additive on the surface of the developer is scraped off by squeezing between the carrier pipe and the carrier screw to change the physical properties. It has the effect that it can be transported. According to the invention of claim 2,
By rotating the transport path forming member in a predetermined direction, the developer can be transported from the cleaning device to the developing device by the developer feeding portion, so that the developer can be transported in the transport pipe that connects the developing device and the cleaning device at the time of transporting the developer. As in the conventional device that rotates the conveying screw to convey the developer, the conveying screw and the conveying pipe come into contact with each other to generate frictional heat, or the developer is crushed between the conveying pipe and the conveying screw. Therefore, the developer may be fused by frictional heat during transportation, or the additive on the surface of the developer may be scraped off by being squeezed between the transportation pipe and the transportation screw. This has the effect of reducing changes in the physical properties of. According to the third aspect of the invention, when the two-component magnetic developer is used, even if the magnetic carrier is contained in the collected toner conveyed through the developer conveying path forming member, Since the carrier can be adsorbed, there is an effect that the collected toner and the carrier can be reliably separated. Further, as compared with the conventional carrier removal using a mesh member, there is an effect that the carrier can be removed stably and favorably over time. According to the invention of claim 4, since the magnet can be easily removed by removing it from the conveying path forming member, there is an effect that good maintainability can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a copying machine including a developer transport device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a cleaning device side connection portion of the developer transport device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a developing device side connection portion of the developer transport device in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional developer transport device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Photoreceptor Drum 2 Developing Device 3 Cleaning Device 4 Developer Conveying Device 41 Collected Toner Discharge Pipe 42 Conveying Pipe 43 Collecting Toner Intake Pipe 44c Drive Device 48 Fin 5 Knob 6 Magnet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A drive device for rotatably constituting a conveyance path forming member for forming a conveyance path along which a developer is conveyed, and a driving device for rotating the conveyance path forming member in a predetermined direction, and A developer transporting device, wherein a spiral developer feeding portion is provided inside. 2. A developing device for visualizing a latent image formed on an image carrier as a developed image, and the developed image remaining on the image carrier after being transferred to a transfer material by a transfer device. An image forming apparatus comprising: a cleaning device that removes a developer; and a developer transport device that connects the developing device and the cleaning device and transports the developer collected by the cleaning device to the developing device. An image forming apparatus comprising the developer transport device according to claim 1 as the developer transport device. 3. The developer carrying device according to claim 1 or the image forming device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a magnet is provided inside the carrying path forming member of the developer carrying device according to claim 1. 4. The developer carrying device or the image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the magnet is configured to be detachable from the carrying path forming member.