JPH068603Y2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Purpose of Invention] "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, for example, an electronic copying apparatus using powder toner. Specifically, it relates to the reproduction of the recovered toner remaining on the photoconductor after the transfer.

"Prior Art" In a one-component or two-component development electronic copying apparatus using powder toner, nearly half of the toner consumed from inside the developing apparatus remains on the surface of the photosensitive drum after transfer if the conditions are bad. The residual toner such as untransferred toner, untransferred fog toner, and adhered toner outside the image area is collected by the cleaning device. At present, most of the collected toner is discarded.

Basically, the recovered toner can be regenerated, and especially the one-component toner has almost the same characteristics as the new toner.

A major reason why the reproduction is not carried out is that foreign substances are mixed in, especially the paper dust discharged from the transfer paper has a great influence, and when the recovered residual toner is used again for development, white stripes and the like occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which solves the problems of the above-mentioned conventional example and which can reuse the collected toner and which can be performed without using a new space.

[Constitution of device]

"Means for Solving Problems" The present invention relates to a developing means for supplying a developer onto an image carrier, a developer accommodating means for accommodating an unused developer for supplying to the developing means, and an image. And a filter for removing foreign matter in the process of transporting the recovered developer recovered from the carrier to the developing unit again, and agitating the unused developer and the recovered developer to supply them to the developing unit. An image forming apparatus that reuses the collected developer, wherein the developer accommodating means and the filter are provided inside the image carrier, and the unused developer and the collected developer are rotated by rotating the image carrier. The image forming apparatus is characterized by stirring.

[Embodiment] The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a photosensitive drum embodying the present invention.

A photosensitive drum 1 serving as an image carrier has a hollow cylindrical shape, and is provided with a cylindrical rotating shaft 2 outward from the center of both end plates 1a and 1b. A cylindrical pipe 3 is fixed in the center between the end plate 1a and a partition plate 1c fixed to the cylindrical portion 1d of the photosensitive drum. A mesh filter 6 as a toner regenerating device is fixed to the partition plate 1c side of the pipe 3. A cylindrical pipe 7 is fixed at the center between the partition plate 1c and the end plate 1b, and the pipe 7 has a radial hole 7 around its periphery.
A large number of a are provided, and a space between the partition plate 1c between the cylindrical portion 1d and the pipe 7 and the end plate 1b serves as a storage hopper 8 for new toner. The end plate 1b is provided with a new toner supply port 8a, and a lid 8b is screwed into it. The pipe 7 is a mixing device for the new toner and the recovered toner.

3 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. Reference numeral 11 denotes a cleaning device, a cleaning blade 12 for scraping off the toner on the photosensitive drum 1, and a collecting roller 1.
3. Scraper 18 for collecting the toner on the collecting roller 13
Then, the residual toner on the photosensitive drum 1 is collected and stored in the casing 11a of the cleaning device. The flexible pipe 19 having one end connected to the casing 11a so as to communicate with the photosensitive drum 1 from the casing 11a at the delivery end of the screw 14 arranged in the casing 11a of the cleaning device is not attached to the rotary shaft 2 on the end plate 1a side. They are connected by the illustrated rotary joint. The screw 5 is inserted through the pipe 19, the rotary shaft 2, and the pipe 3.

The screw 5 is driven by a driving device (not shown) in the cleaning device 11. Then, the screws in the pipes 19 and 3 may be divided, and a screw may be provided in the pipe 3 so that the linear shaft is axially sealed and protrudes toward the outside to be driven. As described above, there is provided a device for feeding the collected toner from the cleaning device to the reproducing device in the image carrier.

The sending device from the mixing device of the new toner and the regenerated toner in the photosensitive drum 1 of the image carrier to the developing device is connected to the rotary shaft 2 on the end plate 1b side by a rotary joint (not shown) so that one end thereof communicates with the rotary shaft 2. The hopper 10 of the developing device 15 at the other end
A flexible pipe 20 connected to communicate with
And the pipe 20, the rotating shaft 2, and the screw 9 housed in the pipe 7 and having one end fixed to the fixed pipe 20 or the rotating shaft 2 and the pipe 7. Reference numeral 16 is a magnet roller for supplying toner to the outer circumference of the photosensitive drum 1, and 17 is a screw for sending toner in the hopper 10 in the axial direction of the magnet roller 16.

Next, the action will be described. The toner cleaned by the cleaning blade 12 is collected by the collecting roller 13 and the scraper 18, conveyed by the screw 14, conveyed through the pipe 19, the rotary shaft 2, and the pipe 3 by the screw 5 and introduced into the photosensitive drum 1. The pipe 5 is conveyed by the screw 5 toward the mesh filter 6. The thrust force applied by the screw 5 causes the collected toner 21 to pass through the aggregated coarse toner, foreign matter such as paper powder, and is guided to the pipe 7 on the opposite side of the mesh filter 6. During rotation of the photosensitive drum 1, a screw 9 rotates in the pipe 7 relative to the pipe 7 or the flexible pipe 20.

The new toner 22 in the hopper 8 in the photosensitive drum is agitated by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1, an appropriate amount is introduced into the pipe 7 through the hole 7a, and is agitated and mixed with the regenerated toner 23 that has passed through the mesh filter 6 while being screwed. As a result, it is conveyed through the pipe 20 and returned to the developing device 15. The mixed toner 24 is conveyed in the developing hopper 10 by the screw 17, sucked and attached to the magnet roller 16 and reused. Recycled toner 23 having substantially the same characteristics as new toner 22 by removing foreign matter such as coarse toner and paper dust
By mixing the new toner 22 into the developing device 15, the mixed toner 24 having a uniform quality can be always supplied to the developing device 15. Further, since the inside of the photosensitive drum 1 is used as the toner hopper 8, the hopper 10 on the developing device 15 side can be made small, which is effective for downsizing and simplification.

[Effect of device]

As described below, according to the present invention, coarse powder of collected developer,
It is possible to stir the collected developer and the unused developer by simply rotating the image carrier to remove foreign matter such as paper dust to make a recycled developer, so that it is not necessary to install a stirrer and always mix uniform physical properties. The collected developer can be reused while supplying the developer to the developing device, and the collected developer can be used without impairing the image quality. Since the unused developer is stored in the image carrier and the filter is housed in the image carrier, the space is not particularly required, and the image forming apparatus is downsized as compared with the conventional one, which is advantageous in cost reduction.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side view showing a partial sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a top view of a figure. 3 ... pipe, 6 ... mesh filter, 7 ... pipe, 8 ... storage hopper.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A developing means for supplying a developer onto an image carrier, a developer accommodating means for accommodating an unused developer to be supplied to the developing means, and a recovery and development recovered from the image carrier. And a filter for removing foreign matter in the process of conveying the developer to the developing device again, and agitating the unused developer and the recovered developer to supply them to the developing device and reuse the recovered developer. In the image forming apparatus, the developer accommodating means and the filter are provided in the image carrier, and the unused developer and the collected developer are agitated by rotating the image carrier. Image forming apparatus.