JPH0633493Y2 - Toner discharge mechanism of cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a toner discharging mechanism of a cleaning device in an electrostatographic copying machine or the like.

[Conventional technology]

The cleaning device that removes the residual toner on the photoconductor
As seen in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 60-19069, a toner discharging mechanism is provided for feeding the removed toner to the container of the collecting device. In this toner discharging mechanism, as shown in FIG. 5, a toner flow-down cylinder d communicating with the toner discharging cylinder c is provided on the lower surface of one end of a toner discharging cylinder c having a rotating shaft b having a spiral blade a. It was constructed vertically.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above toner discharging mechanism, since the toner feeding direction by the spiral blade a and the flow-down discharging direction of the toner fed by the spiral blade a are bent at right angles, the rotation axis b
When the rotation of the toner is stopped, the toner may adhere to the inner surface of the toner flow-down cylinder d as shown by the phantom line in FIG. This tendency is particularly remarkable under high temperature and high humidity conditions.

Once the toner adheres to this portion, the amount of adhered deposits gradually increases, and as the adhered toner grows, a toner discharge port (refers to the opening of the connection portion between the toner discharge cylinder and the toner flow-down cylinder. The same applies hereinafter) e. The effective cross-sectional area of
Eventually, the toner discharge port e in which the toner mass has become narrow due to the blocking phenomenon is completely blocked, and the toner cannot be sent to the collecting device side, and the toner overflows from the cleaning device and scatters to the surroundings. As a result, image defects may occur.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems of the conventional example.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a rotary shaft having a spiral blade horizontally inside the toner discharge passage formed by the spiral blade, and the toner discharge cylinder is formed on the most downstream side of the feed passage. A toner discharge port is provided on the lower surface, and a toner flow-down cylinder that bends at a right angle to the feed flow path and reaches the toner collection container is hung vertically below the toner discharge port, and further has a zigzag-shaped protruding tip portion. Provided directly above the toner discharge port is a scraper that rotates together with the rotary shaft and crushes a toner accumulation block that closes the toner discharge port at the zigzag-shaped protruding tip and drops it into the toner recovery container below. It is a thing.

[Action]

According to the above configuration, the toner feeding direction by the spiral blade and the toner flow-down discharging direction sent by the spiral blade are bent at a right angle, and the spiral blade is driven from the most upstream side to the most downstream side of the toner feeding channel. The toner that may have adhered is sent at the most downstream side of the toner feed channel, and the scraper is located at the most downstream side of the toner feed channel. Since it scrapes, pushes it down, and drops it downward, after the toner is received from the most upstream side of the toner feed flow path to the most downstream side by driving the spiral blade, the toner adheres to the inner surface of the toner flow down cylinder. Even if the effective cross-sectional area of the toner discharge port becomes smaller due to the accumulated toner particles that are accumulated on the most downstream side of the toner feeding flow path, the toner particles are scraped off by the scraper and are crushed. Runode, that toner discharge port has fully closed can be prevented.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a main part of the electrostatographic copying machine. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a drum-shaped photoconductor, around which a charging device 2, an exposure unit 3, a developing device 4, a transfer device 5, a cleaning device 6 and the like are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device 6 includes a known means (for example, a blade, a fur brush, etc.) for removing the residual toner on the photoconductor 1 and a container (first for removing the removed toner). 3) and a toner discharging mechanism 7 for feeding the toner into the paper 17).

The toner discharging mechanism 7 is configured as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, on the lower surface of one end of the toner discharge cylinder 10 on which a rotary shaft 9 having a spiral blade 8 is horizontally mounted,
A toner flow-down cylinder 11 communicating with the toner discharge cylinder 10 is vertically provided,
The toner sent by the spiral blade 8 is configured to flow down into the container of the collecting device through the toner flow-down cylinder 11.
A scraper 13 newly provided by the present invention is located above the toner discharge port (opening of the connection portion between the toner discharge cylinder 10 and the toner flow-down cylinder 11) 12. This scraper 13
Is screwed to a portion of the rotary shaft 9 located above the toner flow-down cylinder 11, and is configured to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft 9.

According to the above configuration, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 3, even if the toner adheres and deposits on the inner surface of the toner flow-down cylinder 11 and the effective sectional area of the toner discharge port 12 becomes small, the toner deposits. When the amount increases and the accumulated toner grows above a certain level, the accumulated toner and the toner particles that have climbed on the accumulated toner are scraped off by the scraper 13 and crushed, so that the toner discharge port 12 is completely blocked. There is no end.

Further, since the presence of the scraper 13 suppresses the movement of the toner to the rear side of the scraper 13, it is possible to prevent the toner from scattering from a minute gap between the bearing 14 and the bearing insertion hole of the toner discharge cylinder 10.

As the scraper 13, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the boss portion 13a for fixing to the rotary shaft 9, the circular plate portion 13b, and the spiral blade 8 from the outer edge thereof.
According to the present invention, a cylindrical plate portion 13c protruding toward the upstream side in the toner feeding direction and having a protruding tip formed in a zigzag shape is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the shape of the scraper 13 need only be such that the adhered toner and toner lumps can be easily scraped off and crushed easily. For example, the boss portion for fixing to the rotating shaft 9 and the radial shape from the boss portion viewed from the axial center direction. It is possible to employ a scraper 13 which is composed of a plurality of linear portions protruding in the direction and a bent piece bent from the tip of each linear portion to the upstream side in the toner feeding direction by the spiral blade 8.

The rotating shaft 9 is supported by bearings 14 so as to reciprocate in the axial direction with respect to the toner discharge cylinder 10 and is urged by a compression spring 15 in the toner feeding direction by the spiral blade 8.
Both ends of the rotary shaft 9 project from the toner discharge cylinder 10, and an input gear 16 meshing with a drive gear (not shown) is fixed to the projecting end portion of the spiral blade 8 on the downstream side in the toner feeding direction, and the other end side thereof. An operation unit of a detector (not shown) such as a micro switch is provided which performs a detection operation when the rotary shaft 9 moves a certain distance or more against the biasing force of the compression spring 15. Then, when the container of the collecting device is full, the rotating shaft 9 moves against the biasing force of the compression spring 15 due to the reaction force (toner resistance) received by the spiral blade 8, and the drive gear and the input gear. 16 is disengaged, transmission of the rotational force is further interrupted, and the detector detects this and gives an alarm.

[Effect of device]

According to the present invention, the rotary shaft having the spiral blade is horizontally traversed inside, and the toner discharge passage is formed by the spiral blade. A toner discharge port is provided, and a toner flow-down cylinder that bends at a right angle to the feed flow path and reaches the toner collection container is provided below the toner discharge port, and further has a zigzag-shaped protruding tip portion, A scraper is provided just above the toner discharge port, which rotates integrally with the rotary shaft to crush the toner accumulation block that closes the toner discharge port at the zigzag-shaped protruding tip and drops it into the toner recovery container below. Therefore, after the toner is received from the most upstream side of the toner feeding flow path to the most downstream side by driving the spiral blade, the toner is deposited and deposited on the inner surface of the toner flow down cylinder and is emitted to the most downstream side of the toner feeding flow path. Also effective cross-sectional area of the toner outlet by the toner deposition mass is decreased to the toner deposition mass,
Since it is scraped off by the scraper and pushed down, it is possible to prevent the toner discharge port from being completely blocked.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main portion of a cleaning device, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a main portion of an electrostatic photocopier, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the toner discharging mechanism of the cleaning device, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the scraper. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional example. 6 ... Cleaning device, 7 ... Toner discharge mechanism, 8 ... Spiral blade, 9 ... Rotating shaft, 10 ... Toner discharge cylinder, 11 ... Toner flow-down cylinder, 12 ... Toner discharge port, 13 ... Scraper, 13c ... Cylindrical plate part ( 17) Toner collection container.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A rotary shaft having spiral blades is horizontally installed inside,
A toner discharge port is provided on the lower surface at the most downstream side of the feed flow channel of the toner discharge cylinder in which the toner feed flow channel is formed by the spiral blade, and the toner discharge port is provided below the toner discharge port at a right angle to the feed flow channel. Toner accumulation that vertically folds a toner flow-down cylinder that reaches the bent toner collection container and further has a zigzag-shaped projecting tip and rotates integrally with the rotary shaft just above the toner discharge port to close the toner discharge port. A toner discharging mechanism for a cleaning device, comprising a scraper for crushing a lump at the zigzag protruding tip and dropping it into the toner collecting container below.