JPH0683189A - Toner supplying and recovering device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively utilize space and to miniaturize the device by attachably/detachably inserting a toner cartridge to/from a toner recovering container. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a developing device 4 placed in periphery of an image carrier 1, the toner recovering container 11 where the toner remaining on the image carrier 1 is scraped off and recovered, a toner carrying pipe 14 connected to a lower part of the toner recovering container 11 and the developing device 4 and the toner cartridge 16 attachably/detachably inserted to/from the toner cartridge 11. Furthermore, a toner recovering chamber 18 of a recessed part formed on an outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge 16 may be provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner supply / collection device in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile or a printer which uses electrophotography.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A toner supply / collection system in a conventional image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. Around the photosensitive drum 1, a charge corotron 2, an image writing device 3, a developing device 4, transfer material conveying devices 5 and 6, a transfer corotron 7, a charge eliminating corotron 8, a cleaning brush 9 and a cleaning blade 10 are provided. A container 11 and the like are provided, and a toner cartridge 12 is detachably provided on the developing device 4.

The photoconductor drum 1 is rotated as shown by an arrow, and the photoconductor drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charge corotron 2 and then an electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier 1 by the image writing device 3. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by the developing device 4, the toner image is transferred to the transfer material conveyed from the transfer material conveying device 5 by the transfer corotron 7, and then the image carrying member is formed by the charge eliminating corotron 8. 1 facilitates separation of the transfer material, and the transfer material is sent to a fixing device (not shown) by the transfer material conveying device 6 to be fixed. On the other hand, in the photosensitive drum 1, the cleaning brush 9 and the cleaning blade 10 cause the photosensitive material drum to rotate. The image formation is performed by a series of processes of removing the residual toner on No. 1.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional toner supply / collection system, since the toner collection container 11 and the toner cartridge 12 are separated from each other, the problem that the main body of the machine becomes larger accordingly. Have Further, since the toner cartridge 12 is disposed above the developing device 4, in the case of a system in which a red developing device is provided on a black developing device such as a two-color copy, the toner cartridge 12 is installed in the developing device 4. It was not possible to place it on top. For that reason, a method of providing a toner cartridge on the front surface of the machine body is also known, but not only is the structure complicated and the cost is high, but it is necessary to open the toner cartridge to the front side when taking out the developing machine, which makes handling inconvenient. there were.

The present invention solves the above problems, and by integrating a toner cartridge and a toner recovery container, an effective use of space can be achieved and the size of the image forming apparatus can be reduced. It is an object to provide a toner supply / collection device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the toner supply / collection device of the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises:
A developing device arranged around the image carrier, a toner collecting container for scraping and collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier,
It is characterized by comprising a toner carrying pipe connected between the lower part of the toner collecting container and the developing machine, and a toner cartridge detachably inserted into the toner collecting container. Note that a toner recovery chamber having a recess may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge.

[0007]

In the present invention, the toner remaining on the image bearing member is scraped off by the cleaning blade and conveyed by the toner conveying member to the toner collecting chamber in the toner collecting container, while the toner in the toner cartridge is , Is supplied to the developing machine through the toner conveying pipe by the toner conveying auger.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a toner supply / collection device of an image forming apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view. The present invention can be applied to a photosensitive belt as well as the system using the photosensitive drum described in FIG.

In FIG. 1, a developing device 4 and a toner collecting container 1 are provided around a photosensitive drum 1 which constitutes an image bearing member.
1, a toner transport pipe 14 having a toner transport auger 13 therein is connected between the lower portion of the toner recovery container 11 and the developing device 4.

An opening 15 is provided on the front side surface of the toner collecting container 11, and the toner collecting container 1 is opened from the opening 15.
A toner cartridge 16 containing toner is removably housed in the first unit. An operation handle 17 is provided on the side surface of the toner cartridge 16, and a toner recovery chamber 18 composed of a recess is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the toner cartridge 16 in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cleaning blade 19 which is in contact with the toner collecting container 11 at an acute angle in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 1 is attached, and a sealing member 20 is provided below the cleaning blade 19. A toner conveying member 21 is attached to the bottom of the toner recovery container 11 on the side of the photosensitive drum 1. The toner conveying auger 13 and the toner conveying member 21 are extended to the bottom of the toner collecting container 11 and driven by a motor (not shown) attached to the back side of the toner collecting container 11 in FIG.

The operation of this embodiment having the above structure will be described. The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 19 and is transported by the toner transport member 21 into the toner recovery chamber 18 of the toner cartridge 16. On the other hand, the toner cartridge 16
The toner inside falls from the opening 12a and is supplied to the developing device 4 through the toner carrying pipe 14 by the toner carrying auger 13.

In the present embodiment, the residual toner is collected in the toner collecting chamber 18 formed of a recessed portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge 16, and when the toner cartridge 16 is replaced after copying a predetermined number of sheets. Discarded outside the device. Generally, the photosensitive drum 1 has a quality capable of copying 100,000 sheets with a small machine and 300,000 sheets with a large machine.
The toner recovery container 11 also needed to accommodate the corresponding residual toner. However, according to this embodiment,
Since the toner recovery chamber 18 is provided in the toner cartridge 16, it is discarded outside the copying machine every time the toner cartridge 16 is replaced. Normally, in a small-sized machine, the toner for 6,000 copies is in the toner cartridge 16, and the toner cartridge 16 is replaced after every 6,000 copies, so that the toner recovery container 11 can be made smaller by that amount.

When the collected toner is reused, the toner collecting chamber 18 and the toner carrying auger 13 are made to communicate with each other. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the toner recovery chamber 18 is formed by providing the toner cartridge 16 with the recess, but without providing the recess, the toner cartridge 16 and the toner conveying member 21 are separated from each other. The toner cartridge 1 may be formed in the space.
6 and the toner conveying auger 13 may be separated from each other and formed in the space.

[0015]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a developing device disposed around the image carrier, a toner recovery container for scraping and recovering the toner remaining on the image carrier, Since the toner transport pipe connected between the lower portion of the toner recovery container and the developing device and the toner cartridge detachably inserted into the toner recovery container are provided, the toner cartridge and the toner recovery container are integrated. By doing so, the space can be effectively used and the device can be downsized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an embodiment of a toner supply / collection device of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the toner recovery container of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a conventional toner supply / collection method.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image carrier, 4 ... Developing machine, 11 ... Toner collection container 13 ... Toner conveying auger, 14 ... Toner conveying pipe,
Reference numeral 15 ... Opening portion 16 ... Toner cartridge, 18 ... Toner recovery chamber 19 ... Cleaning blade, 21 ... Toner conveying member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A developing device arranged around an image carrier, a toner collecting container for scraping and collecting the toner remaining on the image carrier, and a space between the lower part of the toner collecting container and the developing machine. A toner supply / collection device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner transport pipe connected thereto; and a toner cartridge detachably inserted into the toner collection container. 2. The toner supply / recovery device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a toner recovery chamber having a recess is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the toner cartridge.