JPH10333407A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize and reduce the amount of developer remaining in a developer container when toner comes to an end by arranging at least the opening tip part of the developer container above the developer replenishing port of a developer storing part. SOLUTION: The toner replenishing port 320 is formed into a semicircular shape. A toner bottle driving device 500 is positioned so that the tip part of the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501 may be positioned above the toner replenishing part 320. The toner in the toner bottle 501 drops into the toner replenishing port 320 through the opening 509 in accordance with the rotation of the toner bottle 501. In this case, any trouble does not cause even in the case of the toner replenishing port 320 formed in the semicircular shape, because almost the toner drops into the toner replenishing port 320 from the axial position of the toner bottle 501. Then, the toner drops and heaps up on a sheet-like members on both sides of the toner replenishing port 320, then, the device is prevented from being in a toner end state although the toner still remains in the toner bottle 501.

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 printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc. using an electrophotographic system, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus of a type for supplying a developer from a developer container to a developer container. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus using a two-component developer, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
There is a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 20705. This publication discloses a developing device, a hopper that supplies an appropriate amount of toner to the developing device, and a toner bottle drive that can be driven by mounting a toner bottle and that sends toner from an opening of the mounted toner bottle to the hopper. The apparatus is described, and a device for reducing the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle at the time of toner end in the toner bottle is described. However, the configuration of a portion that transfers toner from the toner supply device to the hopper is not described in detail.

On the other hand, if the mutual positional relationship between the toner supply port of the hopper and the toner bottle opening is not proper, the toner remaining in the toner bottle at the time of so-called toner end in the toner bottle determined from the toner deficiency state in the hopper as a result. There is a problem that the amount cannot be reduced. This problem is particularly noticeable in a large-diameter, large-capacity toner bottle, and is related to the fact that the remaining toner amount in the toner bottle is not stable.

A spiral groove is formed inside the toner bottle so as to extend to the opening, and the rotation of the toner bottle sends out the internal toner toward the opening. When there is a large amount of toner in the toner bottle, a large amount of toner is discharged by one rotation of the toner bottle. Therefore, if the relationship between the hopper and the opening of the toner bottle, such as the positional relationship and the size, is not appropriate, a toner wall is formed near the toner supply port of the hopper, and the toner is smoothly discharged from the toner bottle. In spite of the shortage of toner in the hopper, a toner end display is displayed, but a phenomenon that a large amount of toner still remains in the toner bottle actually occurs.

At this time, the image forming apparatus prompts the user to replace the toner bottle together with the display of the toner end, and a function of disabling the subsequent image formation works. Therefore, it is impossible to print even though the toner remains in the toner bottle. ,
It gives users distrust. Although the above-described example describes the two-component developing method, such a situation is considered to occur in the same manner in the one-component developing method.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a developer supply port of a developer accommodating portion which receives a supply of a developer;
By defining the mutual relationship with the opening of the developer storage container on the side for supplying the developer, the amount of the developer remaining in the developer storage container at the time of the developer end corresponding to the toner end display is stabilized. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the number of images.

[0007]

The present invention has the following configuration to achieve the above object.

(1) A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for replenishing the developing device with an appropriate amount of developer, and a developer accommodating container which can be driven by being mounted on the developer accommodating port of the developer accommodating portion. In the image forming apparatus having a developer storage container driving device that sends a developer from an opening of the mounted developer storage container, at least an opening end of the developer storage container is provided on a developer supply port of the developer storage unit. (Claim 1).

(2) A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for supplying an appropriate amount of developer to the developing device, and a developer accommodating container, which can be driven by being mounted thereon. In the image forming apparatus having a developer container driving device that sends the developer from an opening of the attached developer container, the developer container driving device may be configured such that at least an opening end of the developer container has the developing end. The developer container is positioned so as to be above the developer supply port of the developer container.

(3) In the image forming apparatus described in (1) or (2), the developer replenishing port of the developer storage section is located in the axial direction of the developer storage container more than the opening of the developer storage container. The dimension in the width direction perpendicular to the direction is large (claim 3).

(4) A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for supplying an appropriate amount of developer to the developing device, and a developer accommodating container which can be driven by being mounted on the developer accommodating opening of the developer accommodating portion. In the image forming apparatus having a developer storage container driving device that sends a developer from an opening of the mounted developer storage container, a developer supply port of the developer storage unit is more than an opening of the developer storage container. The dimension in the width direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the developer container is large.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description, an image forming apparatus of a two-component developing system will be described together with specific examples. In the following examples, the hopper 310 is a developer container, the toner bottle 501 is a developer container, and the toner bottle driving device 5
Reference numeral 00 denotes a developer container driving device, an opening tip 509a of the toner bottle 501 corresponds to an opening tip of the developer container, and a toner supply port 320 of the hopper 310 corresponds to a developer supply port of the developer storage, respectively. This is an example.

(1) Outline of Image Forming Apparatus A copying machine adopting a two-component developing system as an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. The copier main body 100 reads a document image, and based on an image signal of the read document image, forms an image by a known electrophotographic method.
The exposure unit 120B includes an exposure unit 120B, an image forming unit 130, and a paper feeding unit 140.

An original reading section 120A is provided with a light source 1 for irradiating light on an original placed on the contact glass 121.
22, an image sensor 126 such as a CCD for reading the reflected light image from the document, and a reading means 126 comprising an image forming lens; and mirrors 123, 124, 125 for guiding the reflected light image from the document to the reading means 126. It consists of.

The exposure means 120B includes a reading means 126.
Optical writing on the photosensitive member 131 based on the image signal read by the
Optical deflector 1 such as a laser light source and a rotating polygon mirror not shown
27, a scanning imaging lens system 1 including an fθ lens and the like
28, and a mirror group 129a, 129b, 129c.

The image forming section 130 includes a drum-shaped photosensitive member 1.
31 and a charging device 132 disposed therearound, a light irradiating section on the photoconductor irradiated with light from the exposure means 120B, a developing device 133, a registration roller 134, a transfer / transport device 6
00, a photoconductor cleaning device 200, a fixing device 135, and the like. Also, the paper feeding unit 14
At 0, a plurality of paper feed cassettes 141, 142, 143 accommodating transfer papers of various sizes are installed.

(2) Image forming operation In FIG. 1, when the image forming operation is started, the original image is read by the reading means 126 of the original reading section 120A, and the photosensitive member 131 rotates in the direction of arrow A in the figure. The exposure unit 120 is charged to about −900 V by the charging unit 132 and is read based on the image signal read by the reading unit 126.
B performs optical writing on the photoconductor 131, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. This electrostatic latent image is developed by a developer of the developing device 133 (a one-component developer can be used, but in this example, a two-component developer), and a toner image is formed on the photoconductor 131.

The toner image on the photosensitive member 131 is supplied to
From the transfer belt (the transfer belt 601 of the transfer / conveyance device 600 and the photosensitive member 1)
The transfer / conveyance device 600 electrostatically transfers the transfer paper fed to the nip portion (the nip portion 31).

The transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 135 by the transfer belt 601 of the transfer / conveyance device 600, and the toner image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing device 135. The transfer sheet after fixing is discharged to a discharge tray 150 outside the apparatus via a discharge roller 136. On the other hand, the photoconductor 131 after the transfer of the toner image is cleaned by the photoconductor cleaning device 200, and the residual toner is removed and collected.

The movement of the toner used in the image forming process of the copying machine shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The developing device 133 uses a two-component developer as described above, and includes a developer 302 including a magnetic carrier and a toner in a developing tank 301. Photoconductor 131
The upper electrostatic latent image is transferred to the developing roller 307a of the developing device 133,
When a toner image is formed by developing at 307b, the ratio of toner (toner density) in the developing device decreases.

In order to suppress a decrease in image density, when the toner concentration in the developer falls below a predetermined level, toner is supplied from the hopper 310 to maintain the toner concentration in the developer. The toner concentration in the developer is measured by a magnetic permeability sensor 304 attached to a lower case of the developing device. New toner is conveyed from the toner bottle 501 to the hopper 310 by rotation of an auger 314 which is a coil-shaped linear rotation conveyance member from a toner bottle driving device 500 described later.

The toner supplied from the hopper 310 is
The carrier is stirred and mixed with the carrier by the stirring member 305 in the developing device 133, and is negatively triboelectrically charged. Then, the developer 302 including the carrier and the toner is jumped up by the paddle wheel 306 to the upper developing roller 307a,
Attach to the developing roller 307a. And the developing roller 3
The developer is conveyed by a sleeve around the outer periphery 07a, the surplus is scraped off by a developing doctor 308, and a part is distributed to the distribution plate 31.
2, the other part falls to the near side in the developing tank 301 via the screw 316, and the other part falls to the far side in the developing tank 301.

The toner in the developer conveyed to the photosensitive member 131 adheres to the photosensitive member 131 by a developing bias (about -550 V) corresponding to the electrostatic latent image (potential: about -100 V). Further, the developer after the development is applied to the lower developing roller 307b.
Through the developing tank 301.

The toner adhering to the photosensitive member 131 is electrostatically transferred to transfer paper by the transfer / conveyance device 600 as described above, but about 10% of the toner becomes untransferred toner and remains on the photosensitive member 131. Remains. The untransferred toner is scraped off from the photoconductor 131 by the cleaning blade 201 and the brush roller 202 of the photoconductor cleaning device 200, and the residual toner is guided to the collection tank 401 via the transport path 400. The transfer belt 601 after transfer of the transfer paper is also cleaned by a cleaning unit 605 in the transfer and transfer device 600, and the collected residual toner is collected in the collection tank 401 via the transfer path 400. A power supply 340 applies a developing bias between the developing rollers 307 a and 307 b and the photoconductor 131.

(3) Description Corresponding to Claims The toner bottle driving device will be described with reference to FIG.
The toner bottle driving device 500 is located on the near side of the developing device 133 in FIG. 3, in other words, on the near side of the toner hopper 310. The toner bottle 501 is provided with a toner bottle holder 5 that forms a part of the toner bottle driving device 500.
02, and is set to be detachably positioned at a predetermined position. When the toner bottle 501 is set at a predetermined position on the toner bottle receiving table 502, the toner bottle stopper 508 is gripped by the stopper 507,
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the toner bottle is pulled out to the right in the drawing, and the opening 509 of the toner bottle is opened.

The toner bottle driving device 500 is provided with a motor 503 for rotating the toner bottle 501. Rotation of motor 503 The gear 520 that meshes with a worm provided on the shaft of the motor is rotated. Since the gear 504 is provided coaxially with the gear 520, the gear 504 rotates simultaneously with the rotation of the gear 520. The gear 504 meshes with a gear 505 holding the toner bottle 501. With such a configuration, the rotation of the motor 503 is
Is transmitted to

The motor 503 is driven when a toner sensor (powder pressure sensor) 311 attached to the hopper 310 outputs a signal indicating "no toner". Since a spiral groove is formed inside the toner bottle 501 from the back side toward the opening 509, when the toner bottle 501 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle is discharged from the opening 509 and falls into the hopper 310. . As described above, the auger 314 is provided in the hopper 310 and rotates, and the toner is carried to the portion of the hopper 310 (see FIG. 2) of the developing device 133 by the rotating auger 314.

When the toner sensor (powder pressure sensor) 311 continuously outputs the "no toner" signal a plurality of times, for example, 150 times continuously, the control means that has input this output outputs the signal to the display unit of the operation unit of the copying machine main body. A message "Please replace the toner bottle" is displayed, and a so-called toner end is displayed.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 320 denotes a toner supply port provided on the hopper 310 side connecting the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501 and the hopper 310, and has a semicircular shape. The tip of the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501 has a circular cut shape. The tip of the opening 509 is located above the toner supply port 320. The toner bottle driving device 500 positions the toner bottle 501 so that the tip of the opening 509 is positioned above the toner supply port 320.

FIG. 4 shows, as shown in FIG. 3, the toner bottle 500 in a state where the toner bottle 501 is positioned and set in the toner bottle driving device 500 when viewed from directly above in the direction of arrow R, It is the figure which took out only the supply opening 320 and was shown typically. In FIG. 4, when the reference numeral 320 a is a shape line inside the semicircular toner supply port 320, the toner supply port 320 in the width direction WW orthogonal to the axis OO of the toner bottle 501 is provided.
Is formed to be larger than the diameter of the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501.

Further, the opening end 509a of the toner bottle 501 is located on the toner supply port 320, and
The center of the toner supply port 320 coincides with the center of the toner bottle 501. Therefore, by adjusting the positions of the toner supply port 320 and the opening tip 509 a in the axial direction of the toner bottle, the opening tip 509 a can be positioned above the toner supply port 320. In the vertical relationship, in order to ensure smooth rotation of the toner bottle 501, the toner supply port 320 and the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501 are not in contact with each other, and a gap is provided therebetween.

Here, the reason why the toner supply port 320 has a semicircular shape is to prevent the toner in the hopper 310 from leaking to the outside when the toner bottle driving device 500 is removed from the main body during maintenance or the like. This is because it is convenient to provide a shutter mechanism (not shown) so that the toner supply port 320 can be freely opened and closed. That is, in FIG. 4, if the center of the circle of the toner supply port 320 is indicated by a symbol P, a semicircular shutter plate slightly larger than the toner supply port 320 is rotatable around the point P. Then, when this shutter plate is overlaid on the toner supply port 320,
The toner supply port 320 can be easily closed, and can be opened by rotating the toner supply port 320 by 180 degrees from the closed position.

As the toner bottle 501 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle 501 falls from the opening 509 to the toner supply port 320. In this case, there is no problem even if the toner supply port 320 has a semicircular shape as in this example, because most of the toner falling from the toner bottle 501 to the toner supply port 320 is on the axis of the toner bottle 501. This is because they fall from the position.

The toner supply port 320 in the width direction WW
Is smaller than the diameter of the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501, even if the both central axes are aligned, the toner is placed on the plate members on both sides of the toner supply port 320 in the width direction WW. Falls and accumulates to form a toner wall, so that toner supply to the toner supply port 320 is not performed, and the toner bottle 501 is in a toner end state even though there is still toner.

Further, as shown in FIG.
01 and the toner supply port 320 are displaced in the direction of the axis OO.
If the opening 501 is not located above the
Is shifted to the left side of the toner supply port 320, a part of the toner discharged from the toner bottle 501 does not directly fall from the toner supply port 320a to the hopper 310, and the toner wall is located on the left side of the toner supply port 320. Make Tw. If such a toner wall Tw is present, the dischargeability of the toner from the toner bottle 501 deteriorates, and the toner supply port 3
It is difficult for the toner to reach the toner bottle 20, and eventually the toner bottle 501 is in a toner-end state even though there is still toner.

However, if it is configured as in this example, FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, the condition that the toner discharged from the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501 drops into the toner supply port 320 without forming a toner wall around the toner supply port 320 can be adjusted. Toner bottle 5
It is possible to eliminate the display of the toner end even though the toner is still in the area 01, and it is also possible to prevent the toner from scattering due to the toner wall. In addition,
As described above, the shape of the toner supply port is preferably a semicircle in consideration of the convenience of the configuration of the shutter mechanism, but is not limited to this example, and is particularly limited to a rectangle and other shapes. Not something.

[0037]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, at least the front end of the opening of the developer accommodating container is located above the developer supplying port of the developer accommodating section. Walls are avoided, and good discharge of the developer from the developer storage container becomes possible. Therefore, the amount of the developer remaining in the developer storage container at the time of the toner end can be stably reduced.

According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, since the width of the developer supply port of the developer accommodating portion in the width direction is larger than that of the opening of the developer accommodating container, toner is provided on both sides of the developer supply port. It is possible to eliminate waste toner which does not accumulate and is not consumed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a peripheral portion of a photoconductor and a developing device of the copying machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view illustrating details of a toner bottle and a hopper.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a toner bottle and a toner supply port.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state where toner is supplied from a toner bottle to a toner supply port.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a toner wall formed around a toner supply port, which is a problem in the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

310 A hopper (as a developer container) 320 A toner supply port (as a developer supply port of the developer container) 501 A toner bottle (as a developer container) 500 A toner (as a developer container driving device) Bottle drive 509a Opening tip (as opening tip of developer container)

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiro Sugiyama 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Ricoh Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for replenishing the developing device with an appropriate amount of developer, and a developer accommodating container mounted thereon for driving; In an image forming apparatus having a developer storage container driving device that sends out a developer from an opening of a mounted developer storage container, at least an opening end of the developer storage container is above a developer supply port of the developer storage unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for supplying an appropriate amount of developer to the developing device, and a developer accommodating container, which can be driven by being mounted thereon. In an image forming apparatus having a developer container driving device that sends a developer from an opening of a mounted developer container, the developer container driving device may be configured such that at least an opening end of the developer container is the developer. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the developer container is positioned so as to be located on a developer supply port of a container. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply port of the developer storage section is located in the axial direction of the developer storage container rather than the opening of the developer storage container. An image forming apparatus having a large dimension in a width direction orthogonal to the image forming apparatus. 4. A developing device, a developer accommodating portion for supplying an appropriate amount of developer to the developing device, and a developer accommodating container which can be driven by being mounted thereon. In an image forming apparatus having a developer storage container driving device that sends a developer from an opening of a mounted developer storage container, a developer supply port of the developer storage unit is more than the opening of the developer storage container. An image forming apparatus, wherein a size in a width direction orthogonal to an axial direction of a developer container is large.