JPH10198253A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify working by completing the operations of exchanging a screen as a renewal part and supplying a releasing agent, with a single operation. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a fixing device for fixing a toner image transferred to a recording medium from the surface of a latent image carrier by heat, a container 110 for housing the releasing agent supplied to the fixing device, a fan means F for making air flow in a device main body and the screen SR arranged in the flow passage of the air passing through the fan means F. In such a case, the above-mentioned screen is freely detachably assembled in the container 110 housing the releasing agent, to obtain an exchangeable unit 100 and this unit 100 is constituted to be attachable to/ detachable from an image forming device main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and more particularly, to a color image forming apparatus, in which consumable kits such as an oil bottle and a filter kit are integrated. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having improved operability in attaching / detaching, replacing, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus,
The toner is developed by attaching toner from a developing device to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor, and after transferring this toner image onto transfer paper, the toner image is formed by applying pressure while heating in a fixing device. Has been established. Since the fixing device has a heat roller with a built-in heater,
When the fixing device is disposed close to an image carrier such as a photoconductor or an intermediate transfer body, the temperature of the image carrier such as the photoconductor or the intermediate transfer body and the temperature of the cleaning device may be increased due to heat from a heater. This causes inconveniences such as performance degradation and malfunction. In particular, if the toner for developing the latent image is softened by the heat inside the apparatus, the cleaning operation of the image carrier and the transfer of the toner after the cleaning are not performed properly, which leads to a reduction in the reliability of the entire apparatus. In order to prevent such a rise in the temperature inside the machine, air blowing means such as a fan has been conventionally used.
When the air is exhausted out of the apparatus by the air blowing means, there is a problem that ozone and toner in the apparatus are exhausted outside the apparatus and the environment is deteriorated, and when air is taken in the apparatus, dust outside the apparatus enters. It contaminates optical devices and chargers, leading to image degradation. Therefore, various screens are installed in the air flow path to clean the air. However, the screens are also clogged or deteriorated, so that cleaning and replacement are required. Also, in color copiers and color printers, when toner is fixed by a heat fixing device, the toner is generally separated from the fixing roller to prevent the paper from being entangled by the adhesive and to prevent the roller from deteriorating. Silicon-based oil is supplied to the surface of the fixing roller as a mold agent. This oil is arranged in the apparatus in a state of being stored in a bottle. At the time of replenishment, the bottle is detached and replaced, and an empty bottle is discarded. As described above, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the screen and the oil bottle are provided as separate components, and the replacement of the screen and the oil bottle has to be performed individually, which is extremely troublesome.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-190968 discloses a configuration in which an ozone removing means is integrated into a process kit and is detachable from an image forming apparatus. Although this conventional device does not supply oil to the fixing roller, the replacement operation is simplified by incorporating an ozone filter into a process kit. However, no consideration is given to the prevention of toner release to the outside of the apparatus and the dust removal filter for preventing dust inside the apparatus. JP 60
Japanese Patent Publication No. 233664 discloses a configuration including a fan for discharging air to the outside of the device, a filter adjacent to the fan, and disposing the filter upstream of the airflow of the fan. In this conventional example, the exhaust efficiency is improved by installing a filter on the upstream side of the fan. However, the oil is not supplied, and the exchangeability of the oil bottle is neither a problem nor considered. 61-87518
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-163,887 discloses a filter device in which an ozone removal filter and a dust removal filter are integrally combined and arranged in an air flow path that flows from inside to outside of a device having an ozone generation source. This conventional example integrates an ozone and dust removal filter to facilitate replacement, but does not supply oil. Therefore, the exchangeability of an oil bottle is not a problem and is not considered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the number of replacement parts for maintaining reliability and simplifying replacement work. That is, an object of the present invention is to simplify the work by allowing the work of replacing the screen, which is a replacement part, and the work of replenishing the release agent to be completed by one work. The invention of Claim 2 is Claim 1
In addition to the object described above, an object of the present invention is to simplify the operation by allowing the replacement of the ozone removing member to be performed simultaneously with the operation of supplying the release agent. A third object of the present invention is to simplify the operation, in addition to the object of the first aspect, so that the dust removing member can be replaced at the same time as the operation of supplying the release agent. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the object of the first aspect, the replacement of the ozone removing member and the dust removing member can be performed at the same time as the supply of the release agent, thereby simplifying the operation. It is another object of the present invention to dispose the dust removing member on the upstream side of the blower to prevent the blower (fan) and the ozone filter from being contaminated with toner or the like. According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the object of claim 1, when the ozone removing member or the dust removing member is significantly deteriorated, it can be taken out independently, and the component cost is lower than the replacement of the entire replacement unit. It is intended to be. The invention of claim 6 simplifies maintenance work in a color copying machine or a color printer. In particular, when the developing device moves for color change, toner may fall into the device and may be discharged outside the device. However, by adopting a dust removing member on the screen, the air in the room is kept clean. The purpose is to:

[0005]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fixing device for fixing a toner image transferred from a surface of a latent image carrier to a recording medium by heat, and a fixing device for fixing the toner image to the fixing device. An image forming apparatus comprising: a storage container that stores a release agent to be blown; a blower that circulates air in the apparatus main body; and a screen that is disposed in an air flow path that passes through the blower. Is removably assembled to a storage container for storing the release agent to form a replacement unit, and the replacement unit is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the screen is an ozone filter for reducing the concentration of ozone in the air, and the screen is located at a position close to the blowing means, and is located upstream or downstream of the blowing direction of the blowing means, or on the upper or lower side. It is characterized by being arranged on both sides downstream. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the screen is an air filter for catching dust in the air, and the screen is located at a position close to the blowing means, and upstream or downstream in the blowing direction of the blowing means, or both upstream and downstream. It is characterized by being arranged in. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that screens are provided on both the upper and lower sides in the blowing direction of the blowing means, and an air filter is used as an upstream screen and an ozone filter is used as a downstream screen. The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the screen is detachable from the replacement unit main body.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices accommodating toners of different colors, and performs image formation with toners of different colors by selectively moving each developing device to a developing position. It is characterized by the following.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a multicolor image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Since the image forming apparatus performs development using toners of four colors of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, an image on the surface of a photoconductor (latent image carrier) 1 as a first image carrier is converted into a second image carrier. Image carrier 10
An image is formed by performing an operation of transferring to a T (intermediate transfer belt) for each color (total four transfers) to form a superimposed toner image, and finally transferring the superimposed image on a recording medium such as paper. Execute the process. Reference numeral 1 denotes a belt-shaped photoconductor (latent image carrier) that is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow A, and is supported endlessly by rollers 2 and 3. Charging device 4
Charges the surface of the photoreceptor 1 uniformly to a predetermined polarity. The scanning optical device 5 is charged with laser light 5D corresponding to the write information for each color from a laser light source (not shown) through optical components such as a polygon mirror 5B rotated by a motor 5A, an fθ lens 5C, and a mirror 5F. The electrostatic latent image is formed by irradiating the exposed photoconductor surface. This latent image is supplied to a black toner developing unit 7 or a rotary multicolor developing device 6.
Are developed and visualized by the cyan developing unit C, the magenta developing unit M, and the yellow developing unit Y provided in the printer. The multicolor developing device 6 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) to move a desired developing unit to a predetermined developing position (a position facing the photoconductor 1). The black toner developing unit 7 is brought into contact with and separated from the photoconductor by a cam 45 that is driven to rotate.

Reference numeral 10T denotes a belt-shaped intermediate transfer member, which is endlessly and rotatably supported by rollers 11 and 12, and rotates in the direction of arrow B. Intermediate transfer member 1
At 0T, the toner image on the photoconductor is transferred and received at a position in contact with the photoconductor 1, and this transfer process is performed by the bias unit 13.
From the application of a transfer bias. In forming a full-color image, toner images of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan are sequentially superimposed on the intermediate transfer body 10T, and then the superimposed images are collectively transferred onto a recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as paper). The transfer operation to the paper is performed by the transfer roller 14. The paper 17A is stored in a paper feeding device (paper feeding cassette).
The sheet is fed by rotation of a sheet feeding roller 18, and is conveyed through a conveying roller pair 19.
The sheet 17A sent to the transport path is timed by the pair of registration rollers 20, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer body 10T is transferred to a predetermined position on the sheet. Thereafter, when the sheet passes through the fixing device 50, the toner image is fixed, and the sheet is stacked on the sheet discharge stack 52 by the sheet discharge roller pair 51 with the image surface facing downward (in the order of pages).

In FIG. 1, an oil container 60 is provided below the fixing device 50. Part 6 of this oil container
Reference numeral 0C denotes a deeply formed oil reservoir, into which a silicone-based oil (release agent) is charged. The oil supply roller 60B, which is rotatably supported by the outer wall of the oil container 60 with a part of the outer peripheral surface exposed to the outside, is in contact with the outer periphery of the fixing roller 50A of the fixing device 50. An oil impregnated member 60 is provided between the supply roller 60B and the oil in a part 60C of the oil container.
A is extended. The fixing roller 50A is hollow and has a built-in heater. These components 60A, 60B, 6
By applying a thin film of oil to the surface of the fixing roller 50A at 0C, the toner on the surface of the sheet 17 is melted without adhering to the fixing roller 50A, and is fixed on the recording medium (sheet) 17A. Since the oil is absorbed by the paper and consumed, the operator needs to replenish the oil as appropriate.

When the superimposed image is transferred from the photoreceptor 1 to the intermediate transfer member 10T, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor is scraped off by a cleaning means (blade) 15A. On the other hand, when the superimposed image is transferred from the intermediate transfer body 10T to the sheet, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body is scraped off by the cleaning blade 16A of the cleaning device 16. The cleaning means (blade) 15A for the photoconductor always performs a cleaning operation while being in contact with the photoconductor 1;
The cleaning blade 16A of T has a contact / separation mechanism for removing residual toner in contact with the intermediate transfer member after transferring the toner image onto the sheet, and the operation timing thereof is controlled. After the cleaning process, the light from the neutralization lamp L is set to a normal residual potential on the photoconductor, and the process proceeds to the next image forming process. On the left side of the figure, the electrical equipment / control device E is housed. Above it, a fan F is provided to exhaust air to prevent the temperature inside the machine from rising excessively. On the right side of the figure, another relatively small paper feeder MF is provided. In the figure, the MF is in a folded state and is used by opening it, but the explanation is omitted because it is not directly related to the present invention. O
P is an operation panel (operation / display panel). In FIG. 1, the right side is the front (main operation surface) at the time of use. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. Door 85 on the left rear as viewed from the front, louver 8 below it
1 is provided. As will be described later, by opening the door 85 to expose the oil container and the like, oil supply and screen replacement are performed simultaneously. In the present embodiment, the louver 81 is an opening for exhausting air from inside the machine.

Next, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the structure of an oil container, and also shows an example of a method of mounting the oil impregnated member 60A. The oil container 60 has a configuration in which the lower container piece 60a is closed by an upper container piece 60b (not shown). A plurality of pins 65 are protruded at appropriate locations on the inner bottom of the lower container piece 60a, and holes 66a of a bracket 66 formed by bending a leaf spring material made of a thin plate material such as SUS having a spring property into a V shape as shown in the figure. Each pin 65 is press-fitted and fixed. A claw-shaped projection 67 is provided on the upper end edge of the bracket 66 as shown in the enlarged view, and the projection 67 is positioned by being inserted into a cut 60A-a provided in an oil-impregnated member 60A made of a material such as felt. The oil supply roller 60B shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the oil container or the case of the fixing device 50 so as to rotate with the fixing roller 50A. Also, the oil impregnated member 60A is pressed against the oil supply roller 60B by utilizing the spring property of the bracket 66, so that the oil is supplied to the surface of the fixing roller 50A. The supply of oil to the oil container 60 is performed by arranging an oil bottle described later in a storage space exposed when the door 85 is opened. Reference numeral 68 denotes a needle for breaking the seal of the attached bottle.

FIGS. 4 (a), 4 (b) and 4 (c) are perspective views showing a state where the door 85 shown in FIG. 2 is opened. The door 85 is a hollow box having an open lower surface, and one end of the door 85 is a rotating shaft 85a.
It is supported so that it can be opened and closed freely. Reference numeral 86 denotes a latch claw for maintaining a closed state by detachably engaging with a locked portion of the apparatus main body. Reference numeral 87 denotes an elastic body fixed to the inner bottom surface of the door 85. The elastic body 87 is a means for preventing a later-described replacement unit 100 from floating. The door 85 is a means for opening and closing an opening 82 provided on the upper part of the left cover 80 of the apparatus main body. The exchange unit 100 can be set in the opening 82 in a detachable manner. When the replacement unit 100 is completely housed in the opening 82, a part thereof (the upper part of the oil bottle 110) is dimensioned so as to protrude above the upper surface 80 a of the left cover 80. A finger hook 100a for hooking a finger at the time of insertion / extraction of is provided.

FIG. 4 (b) shows the X near the door 85 shown in FIG.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X, and FIG. The air sent from the fan F fixed inside the apparatus main body (inside the louver 81) is discharged outside the apparatus from the louver 81 provided on the left cover 80 of the image forming apparatus main body. Note that the fan may be used to suck outside air from outside the machine, and in that case, the louver 81 becomes an opening for suction. A screen SR is located between the louver 81 and the fan F, and the screen SR
00 is detachably attached to a screen supporting portion 115 extending downward from the oil bottle 110 of FIG. The replacement unit 100 of this embodiment has a plastic oil bottle (storage container) 110 and a screen support 115 extending downward from the lower edge of the oil bottle. The oil bottle 110 has a rectangular shape at one end and a semicircular shape at the other end, as shown in the drawing, so as to prevent missetting in the opening 82. Since the upper surface of the bottle 110 is flat, the bottle 110 does not fall even if it is placed upside down. The main portion of the bottle 110 is a space in which oil is stored, and an oil discharge portion 111 which is a cylindrical hole is formed on the bottom surface of the space. The inner bottom surface of the bottle 110 is inclined downward toward the discharge unit 111. The opening at the tip end of the cylindrical discharge portion 111 is closed by a seal 112. When the replacement unit 100 is fitted into the opening 82, the seal 112 descends onto the needle 68 of the oil container 60. , And the oil in the bottle starts flowing out into the oil container 60.

In this example, an ozone filter 120 is used as the screen SR, and the ozone filter 120 has a filter body 120b supported by a frame 120a. As the ozone filter 110, a filter made of paper and coated with activated carbon that adsorbs ozone is used relatively inexpensively and is well known. Screen SR
Is supported by two holders 115a that elastically expand and contract.
The screen SR can be easily attached and detached by expanding the 5a. In other words, when the screen (ozone filter or air filter) is significantly contaminated, or when the oil is significantly consumed, only the screen is detached from the replacement unit 100 and can be individually replaced. The notch 115b provided in the holder 115a is a space for inserting a finger at the time of attachment and detachment to perform an operation.

FIG. 5 (a) is a perspective view of a state in which a replacement unit of another embodiment is turned upside down, and FIG. 5 (b) is a front view of a mounted state. This exchange unit 100 has a screen S
Since two Rs are mounted, the support portion 115
Are provided. One of the two screens SR is an ozone filter 120 and the other is an air filter 130. The main material of the air filter 130 is a fibrous substance, and has an action of catching fine dust and powder. The two screens SR mounted on each support portion 115 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the fan F is located in this gap. Both the ozone filter 120 and the air filter 130 as the screen SR may be provided in the replacement unit, or only one of them may be provided. Further, it is possible to arbitrarily select which filter is arranged on the upstream side or the downstream side of the fan F. The replacement unit 100 is also used for the oil bottle 11.
Since the upper surface of the seal 112 is flat, it does not easily fall down even if it is placed on a floor or the like in the opposite direction, and even if the seal 112 is broken, oil does not flow out.

In FIG. 5B, screens SR (120, 130) are arranged facing both sides (suction side and exhaust side) of the blowing means (fan F) fixed to the main body of the apparatus. In the case of using such two screens, when the air filter 130 is disposed on the right side, which is the suction side of the fan, and the ozone filter 120 is disposed on the left side, which is the exhaust side, dust is generated on the fan and the ozone filter. This is advantageous because contamination of the fan can be prevented and clogging of the ozone filter can be prevented. As described above, according to the present invention, the screen, which is a replacement part, and the container for the release agent are integrated to be detachable from the apparatus main body, so that the screen replacement operation and the replenishment operation of the release agent are performed once. Work is completed, and the work is simplified. Further, when the replacement unit of the present invention is applied to a color copying machine or a color printer, maintenance work on these devices can be simplified, and the rotary developing device as shown in FIG. By adopting the dust removing member, it is possible to prevent the toner dropped into the apparatus from being discharged outside when the apparatus is moved for replacement, and to keep the indoor air clean.

[0016]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
Since the screen, which is a replacement part, and the container for the release agent are integrated, the operation of replacing the screen and the operation of replenishing the release agent can be completed in a single operation, thereby simplifying the operation.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above effects, the operation of replacing the ozone removing member and the operation of replenishing the release agent can be performed at the same time, thereby simplifying the operation. According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the work of replacing the dust removing member and the work of replenishing the release agent can be performed at the same time, and the work is simplified. According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the work of replacing the ozone removing member and the dust removing member and the work of replenishing the release agent can be performed at the same time, and the work can be simplified. . Further, by arranging the dust removing member on the upstream side of the blowing means, it is possible to prevent the blowing means (fan) and the ozone filter from being contaminated with toner or the like, thereby improving reliability.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, when the ozone removing member or the dust removing member is significantly deteriorated, the screen can be independently taken out from the replacement unit, so that the entire replacement unit is replaced. The burden of parts cost for the user can be reduced as compared with the case of performing the operation. According to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the effect of claim 1, maintenance work in a color copying machine or a color printer can be simplified, and further, when the developing device moves for color change, The use of the dust removing member can prevent the dropped toner from being discharged to the outside of the apparatus, and can keep the air in the room clean.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an example of an oil container.

4 (a), (b) and (c) are a main part configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus, a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 2, and an exploded perspective view of a replacement unit.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are a bottom perspective view and a front view of a replacement unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 photoreceptor, 2 and 3 rollers, 4 charging device, 5 scanning optical device, 6 multicolor developing device, 7 black toner developing unit, 10T intermediate transfer member, 11 and 12 rollers, 60
Oil container, 60A oil impregnated member, 60B supply roller, 60C oil reservoir, 68 needles, 80 cover,
81 louver, 82 opening, 85 door, 100 exchange unit, 110 oil bottle (storage container for release agent), SR screen, 115 support, 120 ozone filter, 130 air filter,

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A fixing device for fixing a toner image transferred from a surface of a latent image carrier to a recording medium by heat, a storage container for storing a release agent to be supplied to the fixing device, and a flow of air inside the device main body. An image forming apparatus comprising: a blowing means for causing the air to flow, and a screen disposed in an air flow path passing through the blowing means, wherein the screen is detachably attached to a storage container for storing the release agent. An image forming apparatus comprising: a replacement unit; and the replacement unit is configured to be detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus. 2. The screen is an ozone filter for reducing the concentration of ozone in the air. The screen is located at a position close to the blower, and is located upstream or downstream in the blow direction of the blower, or on both the upstream and downstream sides. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is disposed in the image forming apparatus. 3. The screen is an air filter for catching dust in the air, and the screen is arranged at a position close to the blowing means and upstream or downstream in the blowing direction of the blowing means, or both upstream and downstream. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein screens are provided on both sides of the blower in the blowing direction, and an air filter is used as an upstream screen and an ozone filter is used as a downstream screen. The image forming apparatus as described in the above. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen is detachable from the replacement unit main body. 6. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of developing devices containing toners of different colors; and selectively forming each developing device to a developing position to form an image with toners of different colors. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: