JPH08314193A - Solid toner, its manufacture, developing device and electrophotographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To eliminate the need for any toner cartridge and to prevent printing density irregularity from occurring. CONSTITUTION: This solid toner is constituted of powder toner 38, the powder toner is shaped to be a previously set shape so as to be a solid state, and is packed by a packing material 41. In this case, since the the solid toner 34 taken out from the material 41 is supplied inside an image drum cartridge, the toner cartridge need not be attached to the image drum cartridge. Consequently, the image drum cartridge can be miniaturized, and a cost can be lowered. The package of the toner 34 can be simplified, so that the cost of the toner 34 can be lowered.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solid toner, its manufacturing method, a developing device and an electrophotographic printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electrophotographic printer, the surface of a photosensitive drum is uniformly and evenly charged by a charger and exposed by an exposure device to form an electrostatic latent image. There is. Then, the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by a developing device, and the toner image is transferred to a print medium by a transfer device and fixed by a fixing device.

Further, a toner cartridge is provided in the developing device, and powder toner contained in the toner cartridge is used as a developer. 2 is a plan view of the toner cartridge in the conventional developing device, FIG. 3 is a front view of the toner cartridge in the conventional developing device, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the toner cartridge in the conventional developing device.

Conventionally, the toner cartridge 10 of the developing device is used.
In FIG. 1, the powder toner 11 having a particle diameter of 7 [μm] is housed in the inner cylinder 14 sealed by the lid 13 with the lever. The lever lid 13 includes a gear 1
5, and a stirring rod 16 for stirring (stirring) the powder toner 11 by rotating the gear 15. The inner cylinder 14 is covered with an outer cylinder 17.

In order to supply the powder toner 11 to the outside of the toner cartridge 10, a hole 18 is formed on the side surface of the outer cylinder 17, and a position corresponding to the hole 18 on the side surface of the inner cylinder 14. A hole 20 is formed in the hole. When the toner cartridge 10 is unused,
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the holes 18 and 20 are not aligned, but when the toner cartridge 10 is attached to an image drum cartridge (not shown) and the gear 15 is rotated, the holes 18 and 20 are aligned, and the toner cartridge is replaced. The powder toner 11 in 10 is dropped into the image drum cartridge by gravity and the force of the stirring rod 16.

Next, a conventional image drum cartridge will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 is a plan view of a conventional image drum cartridge, FIG. 6 is a front view of the conventional image drum cartridge, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the conventional image drum cartridge.

In the figure, reference numeral 21 is a case of an image drum cartridge, and the toner cartridge 10 is mounted above the case 21. The powder toner 11 (FIG. 4) dropped from the toner cartridge 10 is
It is agitated by the agitating plate 22 and sent to the developing roller 24 via the sponge roller 23. A blade 25 is disposed in contact with the developing roller 24, and the layer thickness of the powder toner 11 on the surface of the developing roller 24 is regulated by the blade 25.

A negative voltage is applied to the developing roller 24, so that the sponge roller 23 and the developing roller 24
The friction between the blade 25 and the blade 25 charges the powder toner 11 to a negative polarity. In addition, in the case 21,
A photosensitive drum 27, a cleaning roller 28, and a charge roller 29 are also arranged.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional image drum cartridge, if the powder toner 11 leaks to the outside of the toner cartridge 10, the surroundings become dirty, so it is necessary to completely seal the toner cartridge 10. It is troublesome to handle. Further, when the powder toner 11 is deformed or the external additive is dropped from the surface of the powder toner 11 by receiving a mechanical force from the blade 25 and the developing roller 24, the powder toner 11 is less likely to be charged. turn into.

Therefore, when the new powder toner 11 is replenished in the image drum cartridge in which the old powder toner 11 remains, the print density unevenness occurs unless the powder toner 11 is sufficiently stirred. Furthermore, since the powder toner 11 is powdery, it has a large volume, and the amount that can be accommodated in the image drum cartridge is limited. Normally, 300 [cc] of the powder toner 11 can be accommodated.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional developing device, does not require a toner cartridge, does not cause uneven printing density, and increases the amount of toner that can be accommodated in the image drum cartridge. An object of the present invention is to provide a solid toner, a manufacturing method thereof, a developing device, and an electrophotographic printer that can be used.

[0012]

Therefore, in the solid toner of the present invention, it is made of powder toner and is adjusted to a preset shape to be solid and packaged with a packaging material. In the method for producing a solid toner of the present invention,
The powder toner is stirred while atomizing a volatile liquid and spraying it, applying a set pressure, shaping it by non-compression, and sealing it with an airtight packaging material.

In another method for producing a solid toner according to the present invention, the powder toner is put into a compression device, and the powder toner in the compression device is applied with a set pressure for a set time and compressed. Shape it and wrap it with packaging material.
In the developing device of the present invention, the developing roller is rotatably arranged and supplies the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and the developing roller is rotatably arranged in contact with the developing roller. A sponge roller for supplying, a solid toner which is made of powdery toner, is shaped into a solid state, is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and a biasing means for biasing the solid toner toward the sponge roller. Have.

In the electrophotographic printer of the present invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum, the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to a print medium. , Has become established. A developing roller rotatably arranged to supply the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and a sponge roller rotatably arranged to face the developing roller and supply the powder toner to the developing roller. A solid toner which is made of powder toner, is shaped into a solid state and is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and an urging means for urging the solid toner toward the sponge roller.

[0015]

According to the present invention, as described above, the solid toner is made of powdery toner, is adjusted to a preset shape to be solid, and is packaged by the packaging material. In this case, when the packaging material is opened, and the solid toner is taken out from the packaging material and supplied into the image drum cartridge, the solid toner is returned to the powder toner by the stirring plate in the image drum cartridge.

In the method for producing a solid toner of the present invention, the powder toner is agitated while atomizing and spraying a volatile liquid, and a preset pressure is applied to the powder toner so that the toner is shaped by non-compression and is airtight. Seal with packaging. In this case, when the packaging material is opened and the solid toner is taken out from the packaging material and supplied into the image drum cartridge, the liquid is volatilized and the solid toner is returned to the powder toner by the stirring plate in the image drum cartridge.

In another method for producing a solid toner according to the present invention, the powder toner is put in a compression device, and the powder toner in the compression device is applied with a set pressure for a set time and then compressed. Shape it and wrap it with packaging material.
In this case, when the packaging material is opened and the solid toner is taken out from the packaging material and rotatably supported in the image drum cartridge, the solid toner is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and the powder toner is scraped off from the solid toner by frictional force. Then, the powder toner is sent to the developing roller via the sponge roller.

In the developing device of the present invention, the developing roller is rotatably provided, supplies the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and is rotatably provided in contact with the developing roller. A solid toner that is made up of a sponge roller that supplies body toner and a powder toner, is shaped and solidified, and is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and a biasing member that biases the solid toner toward the sponge roller. And means.

In this case, the solid toner is pressed against the sponge roller. Therefore, as the sponge roller rotates, the powder toner is scraped off from the solid toner by the frictional force, and the powder toner is sent to the developing roller via the sponge roller. In the electrophotographic printer of the present invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum,
The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image, and the toner image is transferred and fixed on a print medium.

A developing roller rotatably arranged to supply the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and rotatably arranged to face the developing roller, supply the powder toner to the developing roller. It has a sponge roller, a solid toner which is made of powder toner, is shaped into a solid state and is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and an urging means for urging the solid toner toward the sponge roller. .

In this case, the solid toner is pressed against the sponge roller. Therefore, as the sponge roller rotates, the powder toner is scraped off from the solid toner by friction, and the powder toner is sent to the developing roller via the sponge roller and adhered to the photosensitive drum.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a solid toner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 37 is a container, and a volatile liquid, for example, ethanol 39 is atomized and sprayed onto the powder toner 38 contained in the container 37, and the powder toner 38 is stirred by a stirring device 40.

Next, with almost no pressure applied, for example, a pressure of 10 [g / cm ² ] or less is applied to adjust the shape of the powder toner 38 by non-compression to form the solid toner 34. The shape of the solid toner 34 is adjusted according to the shape of the accommodation space in the image drum cartridge (not shown), and in the present embodiment, it is cylindrical. In this case, the ethanol 39 mixes in the powder toner 38 to retain the shape of the solid toner 34.

Thereafter, the solid toner 34 is surrounded and hermetically sealed by a packaging material 41 made of airtight plastic or aluminum so that the volatile liquid does not evaporate. 8 is a plan view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a front view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
1 is a side view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a plan view of a cover of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
2 is a side view of the cover of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 31 is a case of the image drum cartridge, and the stirring plate 22,
Sponge roller 23, developing roller 24, photoconductor drum 2
7, a cleaning roller 28 and a charge roller 29 are rotatably arranged. Further, a blade 25 is arranged in contact with the developing roller 24. The upper side of the case 31 is covered with a cover 32, and the cover 3
An opening / closing lid 33 is provided on the opening 2 to be openable and closable. Then, by opening the opening / closing lid 33, the solid toner 34 in a solid state can be supplied into the case 31. Reference numeral 35 is a regulation plate formed to project on the back surface of the cover 32 and regulating the movement of the solid toner 34. In the regulation plate 35, the solid toner 34 is the powder toner 3
Sponge roller 23 in the state of a lump until it returns to 8 (FIG. 1)
To be supplied to.

When printing is performed by the image drum cartridge having the above-mentioned structure, the opening / closing lid 33 of the image drum cartridge is opened, the packaging material 41 is opened, the solid toner 34 is taken out, and the solid toner 34 is inserted and set in the case 31 of the image drum cartridge. The opening / closing lid 33 is closed. Next, a power source (not shown) of the electrophotographic printer is turned on, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, the stirring plate 22 is rotated, and the solid toner 34 is crushed by the force of the stirring plate 22. At this time, the ethanol 39 starts to evaporate, and the solid toner 34 turns into powder and returns to the powder toner 38.

Then, the powder toner 38 is supplied to the developing roller 24 via the sponge roller 23, and at this time, the layer thickness of the powder toner 38 on the surface of the developing roller 24 is regulated by the blade 25. Further, a negative voltage is applied to the developing roller 24, and the developing roller 2
4, the powder toner 38 is charged to a negative polarity by the friction between the blade 25 and the sponge roller 23.

On the other hand, the surface of the photosensitive drum 27 is uniformly and evenly charged by the charge roller 29 and exposed by an exposing device (not shown) to form an electrostatic latent image. Then, when the powder toner 38 of the developing roller 24 is adhered to the photosensitive drum 27, the electrostatic latent image becomes a toner image, and the toner image is transferred to a print medium by a transfer device (not shown) and is fixed (not shown). It is fixed by the container.

As described above, since the powder toner 38 is made into the solid toner 34 and the solid toner 34 is surrounded and sealed by the packaging material 41 with almost no pressure applied, the toner cartridge 10 (see FIG. 2) is not required to be attached to the image drum cartridge. Therefore, the image drum cartridge can be downsized and the cost can be reduced.

Further, since the packaging of the solid toner 34 can be simplified, the cost of the solid toner 34 can be reduced. Further, the powder toner 38 is replaced with the solid toner 3
Since the compression device is not used for setting No. 4, not only the cost can be reduced, but also the powder toner 38 is not deformed, so that the charge amount can be prevented from decreasing.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a solid toner manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a relationship diagram of pressure, volume ratio and surface hardness applied to the powder toner according to the second embodiment of the present invention. is there. In FIG. 15, the horizontal axis represents pressure and the vertical axis represents volume ratio and surface hardness.

In the figure, 38 is powder toner, 43 is a compression cylinder, and 44 is a piston. The powder toner 3
8 is a pressure P [kg / c
m ² ], and the solid toner 34 is compressed.
(Fig. 13). The compression cylinder 43 and the piston 44 form a compression device. The pressure P
Is applied to the powder toner 38 for 3 minutes, the pressure P
15 and the volume ratio before and after compression, and the relationship between the pressure P and the surface hardness are as shown in FIG. The volume ratio is shown by a solid line and the surface hardness is shown by a broken line. For example, the volume of the powder toner 38 is reduced by 30% when the pressure P of 20 [kg / cm ² ] is applied, and is 45% when the pressure P of 250 [kg / cm ² ] is applied. 〕Decrease. On the other hand, the surface hardness is 7 when a pressure P of 20 [kg / cm ² ] is applied.
It is 5 [Hv], and when a pressure P of 250 [kg / cm ² ] is applied, it becomes 450 [Hv] and linearly increases during that period. Actually, when the solid toner 34 is crushed by the force of the stirring plate 22 and returned to the powder toner 38, the usable pressure P is about 20 [kg / cm ² ].

By the way, when a pressure of about 20 [kg / cm ² ] is applied to the powder toner 38 by the compression device, the solid toner 34 can be formed by compression without using a volatile liquid. . Therefore, the cost of the solid toner 34 can be reduced. Moreover, the powder toner 38 is not deformed by applying pressure to the powder toner 38. Moreover, since the volume can be reduced by about 30% by using the solid toner 34 as the powder toner 38, not only can the case 31 accommodating the solid toner 34 be downsized, but also the solid toner 34 The usage time can be extended.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a solid toner manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 17 is a front view of the solid toner according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a third embodiment of the present invention. 19 is a side view of the solid toner in FIG. 19, FIG. 19 is a plan view of an image drum cartridge in the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 20 is a side view of the image drum cartridge in the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 22 is a first detailed view of the image drum cartridge in the third embodiment, FIG. 22 is a second detailed view of the image drum cartridge in the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 23 is a solid toner in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a contact state diagram of the solid toner and the sponge roller in the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 25 is an image in the third embodiment of the present invention. It illustrates the operation of the drum cartridge.

In the figure, 38 is powder toner, 43 is a compression cylinder, and 44 is a piston. The powder toner 3
8 is a pressure P [kg / c
m ² ], and the solid toner 54 is compressed. A tubular shaft 45 is disposed so as to penetrate the powder toner 38, and a large number of fine holes (not shown) for venting air are formed in the tubular shaft 45. In this case, since the air in the powder toner 38 is discharged from the air vent hole, it is possible to reduce the volume ratio when the pressure P is applied to the powder toner 38. The tubular shaft 4
A gear 61 is formed at one end of 5.

By the way, the higher the pressure P applied to the powder toner 38, the higher the toughness of the solid toner 54, but on the other hand, the surface hardness becomes high and the solid toner 54 is easily scraped by friction and compressed. It may be difficult to remove from the cylinder 43. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressure P is set to 100 to 200 [kg / cm ² ].

For example, the pressure P is 250 [kg / cm ² ].
The powder toner 38 on the surface of the solid toner 54
Will be melted, resulting in low releasability. The formed solid toner 54 is surrounded and sealed by the packaging material 41 (FIG. 1) as in the first embodiment. Next, the image drum cartridge will be described.

In the figure, 55 is a case of the image drum cartridge, and the cover 32 is attached to the case 55. Then, the solid toner 5 is placed in the case 55.
4, sponge roller 23, developing roller 24, photosensitive drum 27, cleaning roller 28 and charge roller 2
9 are rotatably arranged. Further, a blade 25 is arranged in contact with the developing roller 24.

A tubular shaft 45 is projected at both ends of the solid toner 54, and the tubular shaft 45 is rotatably supported by a lever 66 for bearing and remaining amount detection. Therefore, a recess 66a is formed on the surface of the handle 56 that faces the tubular shaft 45. Further, the lever 66 is urged toward the tubular shaft 45 by the spring 57 as an urging means, and as a result, the solid toner 54 is pressed against the sponge roller 23.

By the way, a gear 61 formed at one end of the tubular shaft 45 and a gear 62 for reversing the rotation direction are
Further, the gear 62 and the gear 60 formed at one end of the sponge roller 23 are meshed with each other. In this case, the solid toner 54 is rotated by the rotation of the sponge roller 23. Then, as shown in FIG.
The solid toner 54 and the sponge roller 23 are rotated in opposite directions at the contact portion.

The shaft 46 of the gear 62 is rotatably supported by a lever 47. Therefore, the concave portion 4 is formed on the surface of the lever 47 facing the shaft 46.
7a is formed. Further, the lever 47 is provided with a spring 48.
Is urged toward the shaft 46 by the
2 is pressed against the gears 60 and 61. Then, in order to prevent the powder toner 38 spilled from the sponge roller 23 from leaking from the case 55, the seal member 6
5 are provided. Reference numeral 58 is a photo sensor for detecting the remaining amount of the solid toner 54.

In the image drum cartridge having the above structure, when the solid toner 54 is attached to the case 55, the packaging material 41 is opened and the solid toner 54 having the tubular shaft 45 is taken out. Here, when the tubular shaft 45 of the used solid toner 54 remains, the handle portion 56 of the lever 66 is slid and pulled out as shown in FIG. 23, and the tubular shaft 45 in contact with the sponge roller 23 is removed. Take it out.

Then, the tubular shaft 45 of the new solid toner 54 is applied to the recess 66a and set, and the handle portion 5
Put back 6 In this way, new solid toner 54
Is set and printing is performed, the solid toner 54 and the sponge roller 23 are rotated in opposite directions at the contact portion. Therefore, at the contact portion, the powder toner 38 is scraped off from the solid toner 54 by the frictional force, and the powder toner 38 is sent to the developing roller 24 via the sponge roller 23.

When the printing is repeated, the solid toner 5
The outer diameter of 4 is gradually reduced, and the sponge roller 23 and the tubular shaft 45 come into contact with each other. During this time, the spring 57 urges the solid toner 54 toward the sponge roller 23. When the solid toner 54 is consumed and the lever 66 is moved to some extent, and the handle portion 56 is also moved, the photosensor 58 detects it and sends a signal to a control unit (not shown). As a result, the control unit informs the operator of the timing for replenishing the solid toner 54.

Next, the solid toner 54 and the sponge roller 2
The rotation direction with respect to 3 will be described. In FIG. 24, the arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the sponge roller 23 and the solid toner 54, and the inequality sign and the equal sign indicate the same difference in peripheral speed between the sponge roller 23 and the solid toner 54 at the contact portion. Figure 25
When the number of teeth of the gear 61 is smaller than that of the gear 60 and the peripheral speed of the solid toner 54 at the contact portion is higher than the peripheral speed of the sponge roller 23 as shown in FIG.
4 and the sponge roller 23 can be rotated in the same direction.

As described above, the solid toner 54 is rotatably supported, and the powder toner 38 is scraped off from the solid toner 54 by the sponge roller 23.
Stirrer plate 22 in the image drum cartridge (Fig. 13)
Need not be provided. Therefore, not only can the image drum cartridge be downsized, but the cost can be reduced.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in which the photosensor 58 does not detect the consumption of the solid toner 54 before the solid toner 54 is completely consumed. 26 is a front view of the solid toner in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 27 is a side view of the solid toner in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 28 is an image drum cartridge in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 29 is a side view of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 30 is a first operation explanatory view of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 14 is a second operation explanatory diagram of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment.

In the figure, 74 is a solid toner, and the solid toner 74 is manufactured by the same method as in the third embodiment. Further, 74a is a curved surface facing the sponge roller 23 and brought into contact therewith, and the curvature of the curved surface 74a is made equal to the curvature of the sponge roller 23. And 75
Is a case of the image drum cartridge, and the solid toner 74, the holder 76, the sponge roller 23, the developing roller 24, the photosensitive drum 27, the cleaning roller 28, and the charge roller 29 are rotatably disposed in the case 75. . Then, the blade 25 is disposed in contact with the developing roller 24.

A cover (not shown) is provided on the case 75, and an open / close lid for replenishing the solid toner 74 is formed on the cover. The solid toner 74 is supported by a holder 76, and a spring 77 as an urging means.
It is pressed against the sponge roller 23 by the urging force of. A curved surface 76 a is formed on the holder 76 so as to face the solid toner 74 and come into contact therewith.
The curvature of a is made equal to that of the sponge roller 23.
A sealing member 65 is provided to prevent the powder toner 38 spilled from the sponge roller 23 from leaking from the case 75.

By the way, in order to detect that the solid toner 74 is completely consumed, as shown in FIG. 28, a solid toner consumption detecting means 86 is provided in the holder 76.
The solid toner consumption detecting means 86 is fixed to the plastic disk 78 rotatably supported by the holder 76, the holder 76, and penetrates the case 75 to extend rearward (to the left in FIG. 31). High magnetic (iron) rod 7
9, a spring 77 for biasing the rod 79 and the holder 76 toward the sponge roller 23, and a coil 80 arranged at the rear end of the rod 79. A magnet 71 is arranged on the disk 78.

By disposing the solid toner consumption detecting means 86 at a plurality of positions of the holder 76, it is possible to detect the variation in the usage amount of the solid toner 74 at each position in the longitudinal direction. Next, a circuit for detecting the electromotive force of the coil 80 will be described. 32 is a block diagram of an electromotive force detection circuit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 33 is a time chart of the electromotive force detection circuit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 33, the horizontal axis represents time t,
The vertical axis shows the magnetic flux density Φ and the electromotive force e.

As shown in the figure, the electromotive force detection circuit comprises a coil 80, a full wave rectifier 81, an amplifier 82 and a comparator 83. Reference numeral 85 is a printer control unit. When the magnetic flux density Φ changes as shown in FIG. 33 as the disk 78 is rotated, an electromotive force e e = n · dΦ / dt is generated at both ends of the coil 80. However, n is the number of turns of the coil 80.

The electromotive force e is rectified by the full-wave rectifier 81, amplified by the amplifier 82, and the comparator 8
The pulse wave e _OUT is compared with the reference value by 3 and the pulse wave e _OUT is output to the printer control unit 85. Next, the operation of the image drum cartridge having the above structure will be described. First, the packaging material 41 (FIG. 1)
To remove solid toner 74 (FIG. 31), slide holder 76 away from sponge roller 23,
The solid toner 74 is sandwiched between the holder 76 and the sponge roller 23.

In this way, when new solid toner 74 is set and printing is performed, at the contact portion between the solid toner 74 and the sponge roller 23, the solid toner 74 causes the powder toner 38 (FIG. 30) to rub off due to frictional force. The powder toner 38 is scraped off and sent to the developing roller 24 via the sponge roller 23. Then, when the printing is repeated, the solid toner 74 is gradually thinned, and the sponge roller 23 and the holder 76 come into contact with each other. During this time, the spring 77 urges the solid toner 74 toward the sponge roller 23.

When the solid toner 74 is completely consumed, the disk 78 contacts the sponge roller 23 and rotates. As a result, the magnet 71 moves as the disk 78 rotates, and the magnetic flux density Φ of the rod 79 in the coil 80 changes. Then, an electromotive force e is generated in the coil 80 by self-induction. As described above, when the electromotive force e is generated, the pulse wave e _OUT is generated in the comparator 83 and output to the printer control unit 85. Therefore, the printer control unit 85 informs the operator of the time to replenish the solid toner 74.

Even if the solid toner 74 is exhausted, the powder toner 38 remaining on the sponge roller 23 and the powder toner 38 spilled on the seal member 65 do not cause immediate deterioration in print quality. . Further, in order to detect the magnetic flux density Φ, a Hall element can be used instead of the coil 80. Further, it is possible to detect a change in the strength of the magnetic field by using the magnetoresistive effect element.

As described above, since it is not necessary to dispose the tubular shaft 45 (FIG. 25) on the solid toner 74, the cost of the solid toner 74 can be reduced and the image drum cartridge can be downsized. In the third embodiment, the solid toner 54 is completely removed depending on the mounting position of the image drum cartridge, the mounting position of the photo sensor 58 (FIG. 23), the dimensional error of the lever 66, and the like.
Although the photo sensor 58 may detect the consumption before the toner is consumed, in the present embodiment, the solid toner 7
4 is not completely consumed, solid toner consumption detecting means 86
Does not detect wear.

Next, a description will be given of a fifth embodiment in which the replenishment period of the solid toner 74 can be extended. FIG. 34 is a first state diagram of the solid toner consumption detecting means in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 35 is the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 36 is a second state diagram of the solid toner consumption detecting means in the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 36 is a third state diagram of the solid toner consumption detecting means in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 37 is the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a solid toner consumption detection circuit in an example.

In this case, the solid toner 74 is manufactured by the same method as in the second and third embodiments. The curvature of the curved surface 74 a of the solid toner 74 facing the sponge roller 23 is made equal to the curvature of the sponge roller 23. In the figure, reference numeral 75 denotes a case of the image drum cartridge, in which the solid toner 74 and the holder 7 are placed.
6, the sponge roller 23, the developing roller 24, and the photosensitive drum 27 are rotatably arranged. Further, a blade 25 is arranged in contact with the developing roller 24.

The case 75 has a solid toner 74.
A hopper 105 for replenishing the hopper 1 is provided.
An opening / closing lid 103 is formed on 05. Since a plurality of solid toners 74 can be stored in the hopper 105,
The period for replenishing the solid toner 74 can be extended. Then, of the plurality of solid toners 74, the lowermost solid toner 74 is pressed against the sponge roller 23 by the biasing force of the spring 77 as a biasing means via the holder 76. The curvature of the curved surface of the holder 76 facing the solid toner 74 is made equal to the curvature of the sponge roller 23.

By the way, in order to detect that the solid toner 74 is completely consumed, the holder 76 is provided with a solid toner consumption detecting means 106. In this case, the solid toner consumption detecting means 106 are arranged at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the solid toner 74. The solid toner consumption detecting means 106 is fixed to the plastic disk 78 rotatably supported by the holder 76 and the holder 76, penetrates the case 75, and extends rearward (leftward in FIG. 34). A high-permeability (iron) rod 79, a spring 77 for urging the rod 79 and the holder 76 toward the sponge roller 23, a coil 80 arranged at the rear end of the rod 79, and further rearward of the coil 80. And a solenoid 101 for retracting the rod 79. A magnet 71 is arranged on the disk 78.

A seal member 65 is provided to prevent the powder toner 38 from leaking from the case 75. Further, in FIG. 37, reference numeral 80 is a coil, 101 is a solenoid, 110 is a control unit, 111 is a detection unit, 112 is a display panel that indicates that it is time to replenish the solid toner 74 (FIG. 34), and 113 is the solid state. A replenishment completion button for inputting that the toner 74 has been replenished, 114 is a down counter for counting the remaining number of solid toners 74 accommodated in the hopper 105, and 115 is a memory.

Next, a method of setting the solid toner 74 in the holder 76 will be described. First, the packaging material 41 (FIG. 1) is opened, and the solid toner 74 is taken out from the packaging material 41. When the solid toner 74 is replenished during printing, the holder 76 is placed in the state shown in FIG. 34, so that the opening / closing lid 103 is opened and the solid toner 74 is put in the hopper 105 in an overlapping manner.

When a power source (not shown) of the electrophotographic printer is turned on, the controller 110 confirms the presence / absence of the solid toner 74 and displays it on the display panel 112 to inform the operator that it is time to replenish the solid toner 74. FIG. 38 is a flow chart showing the operation of the electrophotographic printer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In step S1, a power source (not shown) of the electrophotographic printer is turned on. Step S2 The sponge roller 23 (FIG. 34) is rotated. Step S3 The detection unit 111 (FIG. 37) detects the electromotive force e (FIG. 33) generated in the coil 80, and the control unit 110 determines whether the disk 78 has rotated. If the disk 78 has rotated, the process proceeds to step S5, and if it has not rotated, the process proceeds to step S4.

In this case, since the disk 78 does not rotate when the solid toner 74 is not consumed, the message prompting the operator to replenish the solid toner 74 is displayed on the display panel 112.
Do not display. On the other hand, when the solid toner 74 is consumed, as shown in FIG. 35, the disk 78 rotates, the magnet 71 rotates, and the magnetic flux density Φ of the rod 79 changes. As a result, an electromotive force e is generated in the coil 80, and the control unit 110
Between the holder 76 and the sponge roller 23, the solid toner 7
It is determined that there is no 4. In step S4, preparation for printing is started or printing is continued. Step S5 The solenoid 101 is turned on and the rod 79 is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. At this time, hopper 1
When the solid toner 74 is present above the holder 76 in 05, the solid toner 74 falls between the holder 76 and the sponge roller 23. Step S6 The solenoid 101 is turned off. In step S7, the sponge roller 23 is rotated. In step S8, it is determined whether the disc 78 has rotated. If the disk 78 has rotated, the process proceeds to step S10, and if it has not rotated, the process proceeds to step S9. Step S9: Start printing preparation. Step S10 A message prompting the operator to replenish the solid toner 74 is displayed on the display panel 112. Step S11 The solenoid 101 is turned on and the rod 79
Is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 36 to wait for the solid toner 74 to be replenished. Step S12 The operator opens the opening / closing lid 103,
The solid toner 74 is placed in the hopper 105 in an overlapping manner. In step S13, the supply completion button 113 is pressed. In step S14, the solenoid 101 is turned off. In step S15, preparation for printing is started. Step S16 Printing is performed.

As described above, when the solid toner 74 is used up during printing, the controller 110 can display a message on the display panel 112 to prompt the operator to replenish the solid toner 74. Therefore, the work after turning on the power of the electrophotographic printer becomes unnecessary, and the start-up time until printing becomes possible can be shortened. It should be noted that the number of solid toners 74 thrown into the hopper 105 is stored in a memory
Alternatively, the down counter 114 can be used to count down each time the solid toner 74 is replenished. In this case, the number of solid toners 74 in the hopper 105 can always be known.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be variously modified based on the spirit of the present invention, and they are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

[0068]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the solid toner is made of powdery toner, is adjusted to a preset shape to be solid, and is packaged by the packaging material. In this case, since the solid toner taken out from the packaging material is supplied into the image drum cartridge, it is not necessary to attach the toner cartridge to the image drum cartridge. Therefore, the image drum cartridge can be downsized and the cost can be reduced.

Further, since the packaging of the solid toner can be simplified, the cost of the solid toner can be reduced. In the method for producing a solid toner of the present invention, the powder toner is stirred while atomizing and spraying a volatile liquid, a preset pressure is applied, and the shape is adjusted by non-compression.
Seal with airtight packaging.

In this case, since the toner is shaped into a solid toner by non-compression, the compression device is not required, the cost can be reduced, and the powder toner is not deformed. It is possible to prevent the deterioration. In another method for producing a solid toner according to the present invention, the powder toner is put in a compression device, the powder toner in the compression device is applied with a set pressure for a set time, and the shape is adjusted by compression. , Packaging with packaging materials.

In this case, since the volume can be reduced, not only the case of the image drum cartridge accommodating the solid toner can be downsized, but also the use time of the solid toner can be extended. In the developing device of the present invention, the developing roller is rotatably arranged and supplies the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and the developing roller is rotatably arranged in contact with the developing roller. It consists of a sponge roller to supply and powder toner,
It has a solid toner whose shape is adjusted to be solid and which is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and an urging means for urging the solid toner toward the sponge roller.

In this case, as the sponge roller rotates, the powder toner is scraped off from the solid toner by friction, so that it is not necessary to provide a stirring plate in the image drum cartridge. Therefore, not only can the image drum cartridge be downsized, but the cost can be reduced. In the electrophotographic printer of the present invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum,
The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image, and the toner image is transferred and fixed on a print medium.

A developing roller which is rotatably arranged and supplies the powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and a developing roller which is rotatably arranged so as to face the developing roller and supplies the powder toner to the developing roller. It has a sponge roller, a solid toner which is made of powder toner, is shaped into a solid state and is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and an urging means for urging the solid toner toward the sponge roller. .

In this case, since the powder toner is scraped off from the solid toner by friction as the sponge roller rotates, it is not necessary to dispose the stirring plate in the image drum cartridge. Therefore, not only can the electrophotographic printer be downsized, but the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a solid toner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a toner cartridge in a conventional developing device.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a toner cartridge in a conventional developing device.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a toner cartridge in a conventional developing device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a conventional image drum cartridge.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a conventional image drum cartridge.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a conventional image drum cartridge.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the cover of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the cover of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part of the image drum cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view showing an apparatus for producing solid toner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a relationship diagram of pressure applied to the powder toner, volume ratio and surface hardness in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view showing an apparatus for manufacturing solid toner according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a solid toner according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the solid toner according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a plan view of an image drum cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the image drum cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a first detailed view of the image drum cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a second detailed view of the image drum cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is an operation explanatory view of the solid toner urging means in the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 24 is a contact state diagram of the solid toner and the sponge roller in the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 25 is an operation explanatory view of the image drum cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a front view of a solid toner according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 27 is a side view of the solid toner according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a plan view of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a side view of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a first operation explanatory view of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a second operation explanatory diagram of the image drum cartridge according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of an electromotive force detection circuit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a time chart of the electromotive force detection circuit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a first state diagram of solid toner consumption detecting means in the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a second state diagram of solid toner consumption detecting means in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a third state diagram of the solid toner consumption detecting means according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a solid toner consumption detecting circuit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electrophotographic printer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 23 Sponge Roller 24 Developing Roller 27 Photoreceptor Drum 34, 54, 74 Solid Toner 38 Powder Toner 39 Ethanol 41 Packing Material 43 Compression Cylinder 44 Piston 45 Tubular Shaft 57, 77 Spring 74a Curved Surface 76 Holder 86, 106 Solid Toner Consumption Detection Means 105 Hopper 114 Down counter

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A solid toner comprising (a) a powder toner, (b) prepared in a preset shape to be solid, and (c) packaged with a packaging material. 2. A volatile liquid having a shape is mixed in the powder toner, and the packaging material comprises:
The solid toner according to claim 1, wherein the solid toner is formed of an airtight material for preventing the liquid from volatilizing. 3. A powdery toner is agitated while (a) atomizing a volatile liquid and spraying it, (b) applying a set pressure to adjust the shape by non-compression, and (c) having airtightness. A method for producing a solid toner, which comprises sealing with a packaging material. 4. (a) The powder toner is put in a compression device,
(B) A set pressure is applied to the powder toner in the compression device for a set time, and the shape is adjusted by compression,
(C) A method for producing a solid toner, which comprises packaging with a packaging material. 5. The compression device is 100-200 [kg
/ Cm < ² >] pressure is applied to the powder toner. 6. (a) a tubular shaft is inserted into the powder toner, (b) a large number of fine holes for air bleeding are formed in the tubular shaft, and (c) a cylindrical column by compression. The method for producing a solid toner according to claim 4, wherein the shape of the solid toner is adjusted. 7. (a) a developing roller which is rotatably disposed and supplies powder toner to a photosensitive drum; and (b) a developing roller which is rotatably disposed in contact with the developing roller and is rotatably disposed on the developing roller. Sponge roller for supplying body toner, (c) solid toner, which is made of powder toner, is shaped and solidified, and is brought into contact with the sponge roller, and (d) the solid toner is sprinkled on the sponge roller. And a biasing unit that biases the developing device toward the developing device. 8. The developing device according to claim 7, wherein the solid toner has a cylindrical shape and is rotatably disposed. 9. The solid toner is shaped to have a curved surface having a curvature equal to that of a sponge roller,
The developing device according to claim 7, wherein the curved surface is in contact with a sponge roller and is supported by a holder. 10. The developing device according to claim 8, further comprising solid toner consumption detecting means for detecting a displacement of the solid toner with respect to a sponge roller. 11. The developing device according to claim 9, further comprising: (a) a hopper that stores a plurality of the solid toners; and (b) a holder advancing / retracting unit that advances and retracts the holder. 12. A down counter for counting the number of solid toners stored in the hopper.
The developing device according to 1. 13. An electrophotographic printer which forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive drum, develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, and transfers the toner image to a printing medium to fix it. , (A) a developing roller that is rotatably arranged and supplies powder toner to the photosensitive drum, and (b) a developing roller that is rotatably arranged so as to face the developing roller, A sponge roller to be supplied; and (c) a solid toner which is formed into a solid state by adjusting the shape, and which is in contact with the sponge roller, and (d) the solid toner is applied to the sponge roller. An electrophotographic printer having a biasing means for biasing.