JPH08211713A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To load a cartridge in a normal position and to prevent the soiling of an internal mechanism, etc., by setting the opening part of a stopper member for restraining the cartridge in a developer supplying position in the same height as a cartridge guiding member. CONSTITUTION: The stopper member 30 for restraining the toner cartridge 28 in the developer supplying position inside a device main body is provided and the developer passing opening part 31 provided in the stopper 30 is set in the same height as the cartridge guiding member 26. When the outer frame 28b of a new cartridge 28 is inserted along the guiding members 25 and 26, at the time of exchanging the toner cartridge 28 of a cartridge loading part 23 located in the upper part of a toner supplying chamber 22, the top end 28a of the cartridge 28 pushes toner remaining on the guiding member 26 into the inner part, to drop the toner in a developer receiver 29 provided in the stopper member 30 through the opening part 31. Thus, the cartridge can be loaded in the normal position without being obstructed by the toner remaining in the loading part and the soiling of the surface of a photoreceptor, etc., can be prevented as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrier with a developer, a developer cartridge for supplying the developer to the developing device, and The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a cartridge guide member that guides a cartridge from the outside of the developing device to the inside of the apparatus main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a two-component system is used as a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image after an electrostatic latent image is formed on a latent image carrier of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine or a printer. In the case of using the above developer, the toner is replenished to the developer as the toner concentration in the developer decreases. Further, it is necessary to replenish the toner even when the one-component developer is used. In an image forming apparatus that performs such replenishment using a cartridge containing toner, a guide member for guiding the cartridge from the outside to the inside of the apparatus main body is provided, and the old cartridge and the new cartridge are taken in and out through the guide member to replace the cartridge. The configuration is adopted. In that case, at the position where the new cartridge is loaded and the cartridge comes into contact with the positioning stopper member for setting the cartridge at the predetermined position, the new developer cannot be loaded at the regular position due to the obstruction by the residual developer, and There is a problem that the residual developer is scattered or dropped outside the apparatus main body and the surroundings are contaminated with the developer, or the scattered developer adheres to the surface of the photoconductor to adversely affect the image quality.

On the other hand, an opening is formed in the rear wall of the toner cartridge supporting housing, and a bag having a volume equal to or larger than the volume of the toner cartridge is attached to the opening to prevent toner spillage due to toner blowing up. This has already been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-1226).
No. 73). However, this proposal requires a relatively large space and is not effective for the developer sandwiched between the cartridge and the rear wall of the supporting housing.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned inconveniences in an image forming apparatus using a developer replenishing cartridge, that is, the residual developer in the loading section causes the new developing cartridge to retain the residual development. Being able to be loaded in the normal position without being disturbed by the developer and preventing the developer from contaminating the surface of the photoconductor or other mechanism or scattering to the outside. It is an issue.

[0005]

A stopper member for locking the cartridge at the developer supply position inside the main assembly of the apparatus is provided, and the stopper member has the same opening as the cartridge guide member for allowing the developer to pass therethrough. Solved by having at height.

Further, according to the present invention, in order to conveniently solve the above-mentioned problems, a developer receiving member for receiving the developer pushed by the developer cartridge and passing through the opening of the stopper member is provided in the stopper member. It is suggested that it is detachably attached.

[0007]

When the toner cartridge is loaded into the cartridge loading portion for replenishing the toner to the developing device, the residual toner between the cartridge tip and the stopper member is pushed by the cartridge tip and passes through the opening of the stopper member.
All goes into the developer receiver.

[0008]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to examples in which a two-component type developer comprising a carrier and a toner is used as a developer, but the present invention is an image forming apparatus using a one-component type developer containing no carrier. Needless to say, it is applicable to.

In FIG. 1, a document sent by the automatic document feeder 1 is a lighting lamp 2 having a reflecting plate 2a,
The image is projected onto the photoconductor belt 6 via the mirror 3, the imaging lens 4, and the second mirror 5. For this reason, the main charger 7
An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor belt 6 that is uniformly charged by, and the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor belt 6 is developed by the developing unit 8 to form a toner image. This toner image is transferred to the transfer paper sent from the paper feeding device 9 through the registration roller pair 24 by the electric field of the transfer charger unit 10 of the transfer separation unit unit 19. The transfer paper on which the toner image is transferred is separated from the photoconductor belt 6 by the separation charger unit 11 of the transfer separation unit unit 19, and
The leading edge of the transfer sheet is guided by the guide claw 12 to the transport belt 13 of the transfer separation unit section 19, and while being sucked toward the transport belt 13 side by the air suction section 14, is sent to the fixing section 15 located above, and the fixing section 15 is fixed. The transfer paper on which the toner image has been fixed is discharged onto the copy tray 16. The toner remaining on the photosensitive belt 6 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 17 to enable the next image formation.

In the developer container 21 of the developing section 8, a developer consisting of a carrier and toner is accommodated, and this developer is supplied to and carried by each developing roller 20, of which the toner is on the belt photoreceptor 6. Is used for developing the electrostatic latent image of. As the development is continued, the toner in the container 21 is gradually consumed, and the toner concentration in the developer gradually decreases. In order to deal with this, a toner replenishing chamber 22 is provided in the developing section 8 and toner is supplied from here to replenish the toner. While the toner is being replenished, the toner replenishing chamber 2
The amount of toner in 2 gradually decreases. In this process, when the amount of remaining toner in the replenishing chamber 22 becomes less than a certain amount, it is detected by the piezoelectric sensor or the like in the toner replenishing chamber 22 that the remaining amount of toner is low. When the amount of toner remaining in the toner supply chamber 22 is low, the toner cartridge 28 of the cartridge loading unit 23 located above the toner supply chamber 22 is replaced with a new one.

FIG. 2 shows a new cartridge 28 being loaded. The tip 28a and the outer frame 28b of the cartridge 28 are inserted all the way along the guide members 25 and 26. At this time, if the residual toner 27 is placed on the guide member 26, the residual toner 27 may be pushed all the way in at the tip 28a.

FIG. 3 shows that the cartridge 28 pushes the residual toner 27 inwardly at the cartridge tip 28a. Reference numeral 30 denotes a stopper member, and when the tip 28a of the cartridge hits the stopper member 30, the cartridge is loaded in the proper position. At this time, if the residual toner 27 is present between the cartridge tip 28a and the stopper member 30, the cartridge tip cannot hit the stopper member 30 and the cartridge 28 is not completely loaded, or does not hit. When the toner cartridge 28 is inserted and removed many times without knowing the cause, the residual toner 27 pops out of the cartridge loading section 23 through a small gap that serves as an escape area at the moment when the cartridge is inserted into the interior of the copying machine. There is a risk that the residual toner 27 that has been polluted and that is scattered will have an adverse effect on the image.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the developer receiver 29 is attached to the stopper member 30 according to the present invention, and the stopper member 30 is provided with the developer passage opening 31. The opening 31 and the developer receiver 29 are arranged so that the residual toner 27 pressed by the tip end 28 a of the cartridge 28 drops into the developer receiver 29 through the opening 31.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the developer receiver 29 is detachably attached to the stopper member 30 with bolts, screws or the like. Therefore, the inside of the developer receiver 29 can be easily cleaned. The toner that has entered the developer receiver 29 is
Unlike the used toner, it can be put into the toner supply chamber 22 and reused.

In FIG. 5, the developer receiver 29 has the upper lid 2
The upper lid 29a is composed of two parts, 9a and a main body 29b.
Is removable from the main body 29b. by this,
The residual toner 27 in the developer receiver 29 can be easily treated. Reference numeral 32 is a toner intake port, which is a developer receiver 2
When 9 is attached to the stopper member, the stopper member 30
Is located opposite to the opening 31.

[0016]

When the cartridge is loaded, all the residual developer in the loading section is removed through the opening provided in the stopper member, so that the new cartridge is loaded in the proper position without being disturbed by the residual developer. be able to. Furthermore,
According to the proposal of the present invention, when the developer receiver for receiving the developer passing through the opening of the stopper member is detachably attached to the stopper member, the developer removed as described above is It does not pollute other mechanisms or scatter outside. The developer in the developer receiver can be reused by putting it in the toner replenishing chamber of the developing device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a toner supply chamber, a cartridge loading unit, and a cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge loading unit during loading of a cartridge.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a toner supply chamber, a cartridge loading unit, and a developer receiver.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a two-part developer receiver.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Photoreceptor Belt 8 Developing Section 22 Toner Supply Room 23 Cartridge Loading Section 28 Toner Cartridge 29 Developer Receptor 30 Stopper Member 31 Opening

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrier with a developer, a developer cartridge for supplying the developer to the developing device, and the cartridge from the outside of the developing device. In an image forming apparatus having a cartridge guide member for guiding the inside of the apparatus main body, a stopper member for locking the cartridge at a developer supply position inside the apparatus main body is provided, and the stopper member allows the developer to pass therethrough. An image forming apparatus having an opening at the same height as the cartridge guide member. 2. A developer receiver for receiving the developer pushed by the developer cartridge and passing through the opening of the stopper member is detachably attached to the stopper member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the developer received by the developer is supplied to a developing device.