JPH11109740A - Toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To always stably supply toner by making a prescribed part of the circumferential wall of a toner cartridge supplying the toner to a developing device thick and preventing the toner from being changed in quality caused by deformation by gravity or heat. SOLUTION: The toner cartridge (toner bottle) 501 is cylindrically formed and the inside surface of the circumferential wall thereof is provided with a spiral projected line for supplying the toner to a copying device body side by the rotation thereof. The projected line forms the level difference part 501a of the outside circumferential surface of the bottle 501. That means, since the bottle 501 is formed so that the circumferential wall of the part abutting on a roller 510 is made thick, it is not deformed. Then, when the bottle 510 is driven to be rotated and the level difference part 501a is passed through the oscillating end of a toner bottle hitting member 511, the bottle 501 is vibrated. Since the toner attached to the inside wall of the bottle 501 is peeled off by the vibration of the bottle 501, it is supplied without being wasted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc. using an electrophotographic system, and more particularly, to a spiral cartridge for supplying toner to a developing device. The present invention relates to a toner cartridge having a ridge on an inner surface of a peripheral wall.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like using an electrophotographic system, which is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a spiral ridge for supplying toner to a developing device. Conventionally, a toner cartridge having an inner surface is known. JP-A-7-20705
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-157, there is a method in which a vibration is applied to the toner cartridge in a toner replenishing device in order to improve toner dischargeability. The thickness of the toner cartridge container has been reduced in recent years so that this vibration is transmitted efficiently. Further, in order to save the amount of resin in the toner cartridge container, the thickness of the peripheral wall tends to be reduced.

On the other hand, a toner cartridge containing a large amount of toner has a large diameter and a long length. For this reason, a fixing device, a heater, or the like, which is a heating element of the image forming apparatus, may be close to the layout in the apparatus.

[0004]

In such a case, if the thickness of the peripheral wall of the toner cartridge is small, the heat is transmitted to the toner in the toner cartridge, and the toner sticks to the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the toner cartridge or a toner lump is formed. As a result, normal toner supply cannot be performed, the toner cannot be used up to the end, and the toner remains in the toner cartridge at the time of toner end.

Further, a large-diameter and long toner cartridge is deformed by its own weight because a large amount of toner is contained therein.
Difficult to hold horizontally. If the toner cartridge is not held horizontally, normal toner supply cannot be performed, and toner will remain in the toner cartridge at the time of toner end.

[0006] These not only waste the resources of toner, but also lead to a user's distrust that printing cannot be performed even though toner remains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge capable of always supplying toner stably by solving the above-mentioned problems and preventing deformation due to its own weight and deterioration of the toner due to heat.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner cartridge removably provided in an image forming apparatus for replenishing toner to a developing device. It is characterized in that the thickness is increased at a predetermined portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the toner cartridge according to the first aspect, wherein the toner cartridge has a cylindrical shape, and has a spiral shape for supplying the toner to the image forming apparatus main body side by rotating the inner surface of the peripheral wall. It is characterized by having a ridge.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the toner cartridge according to the first or second aspect, the thickness in the vicinity of the fixing unit including the heating element provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus is increased.

[0011] The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claims 1 to 3.
In the toner cartridge according to any one of the above, the thickness of the portion which is held by the image forming apparatus main body by the holding section provided in the image forming apparatus main body and abuts on the holding section is thickened. .

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a toner cartridge to which the present invention is applied will be described below. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration example of a copying machine as an image forming apparatus having a toner cartridge according to the present invention. Referring to FIG.
Is a document reading unit 120A, an exposing unit 120B, an image forming unit 130 for reading a document image and forming an image by a known electrophotographic method based on the document image.
It is composed of a paper feed unit 140 and the like.

A document reading unit 120A includes a light source 122 for irradiating light on a document placed on a contact glass 121 and a CC for reading a reflected light image from the document.
The reading unit 126 includes an image sensor such as D and an imaging lens, and mirrors 123, 124, and 125 for guiding the reflected light image from the document to the reading unit 126. Further, the exposure means 120B
An optical latent image is formed by performing optical writing on the photoreceptor 131 based on the image signal read by the reading unit 126. The optical deflector 127 such as a laser light source or a rotating polygon mirror (not shown), an fθ lens Scanning imaging lens system 128, mirror groups 129a, 129b, 129
c.

The image forming section 130 includes a photosensitive member 1 on a drum.
31 and a charging device 132 disposed therearound, a light irradiation unit from the exposure unit 120B, a developing device 133, a registration roller 134, a transfer / transport device 600, a photoconductor cleaning device 200, a fixing device 135, and the like. Have been. The paper supply unit 140 includes a plurality of paper supply cassettes 141, 142, and 14 containing transfer papers of various sizes.
3 are installed.

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, the photosensitive member 131 rotates in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The exposure unit 120B performs optical writing on the photoconductor 131 based on the image signal that is charged at 900 V and read by the reading unit 126, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. This electrostatic latent image is developed by the two-component developer of the developing device 133 and the photosensitive member 131
A toner image is formed thereon.

The toner image on the photosensitive member 131 is supplied to
The transfer / conveyance device 600 feeds the transfer paper fed from the nip between the photosensitive member 131 which is fed from 0 and is the transfer position via the registration roller 134 and the transfer belt 601 provided in the transfer / conveyance device 600. It is electrostatically transferred. The transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 135 by the transfer belt 601, 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.

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 transfer belt 60 after transfer of the transfer paper
1 is also cleaned by the cleaning means 605 in the transfer / transport device to remove and collect residual toner. The residual toner removed by the photoreceptor cleaning device 200 and the cleaning unit 605 passes through a collection path 400 to a collection unit 4.
01 is stored.

The developing device 133 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, and includes a developer 302 including a magnetic carrier and a toner in a developing tank 301. When the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 131 is developed by the developing rollers 307a and 307b of the developing device 133 to form a toner image, the ratio of the toner in the developing device 133, that is, the toner density decreases. Therefore, in order to suppress a decrease in image density, when the toner density in the developer 302 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, toner is supplied from the toner hopper 310 to maintain the toner density in the developer 302. Note that the toner concentration in the developer 302 is measured by a magnetic permeability sensor 304 attached to a lower case of the developing device 133.

The toner replenished from the toner hopper 310 is agitated and mixed with the carrier by the agitating member 305 in the developing device 133 and negatively charged by friction. And developer 3
02 is jumped up to the upper developing roller 307a by the paddle wheel 306, and is attracted to the developing roller 307a. The developer 302 is conveyed by a sleeve on the outer periphery of the developing roller 307a, and the excess is scraped off by the developing doctor 308. The developer 302 scraped off by the developing doctor 308 passes through the passage 312 and the stirring roller 316.
To the stirring member 305. The toner in the developer 302 conveyed to the photoconductor 131 side has a potential of about −100.
V by the bias means 340 corresponding to the electrostatic latent image of V
The toner adheres to the photoconductor 131 by a developing bias of 550V. Further, the developer 30 on the developing roller 307a after development is used.
2 moves to the lower developing roller 307b, and after performing the same development as the developing roller 307a, the developing tank 30
Returned to 1.

As described above, the toner adhered to the photosensitive member 131 is electrostatically transferred to transfer paper by the transfer / transport device 600, but about 10% of the toner becomes untransferred toner and is transferred onto the photosensitive member. Remains. The untransferred toner is scraped off from the photoconductor 131 by a cleaning blade 201 and a brush roller 202 of the photoconductor cleaning device 200.
Recovery path 400 having an opening in cleaning device 200
Through the collector 401 (FIG. 1). The developing device 133 may be a developing device using a known one-component developer.

FIG. 3 shows a toner cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a toner bottle) 501 to which the present invention is applied and a toner bottle driving device 500 for driving the same. The toner bottle 501 has a cylindrical shape, and although not shown, has a spiral ridge on an inner surface of a peripheral wall for supplying toner to the copying apparatus main body 100 by rotation thereof. The ridges appear as steps 501 a on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 501.

The toner bottle driving device 500 is located on the front side of the toner hopper 310. The toner bottle 501 rides on the toner bottle receiving table 502 and is detachably set at a predetermined position. That is, the toner bottle 501 is detachable from the copier main body 100. The toner bottle stopper 508 is opened by being pulled to the right by the stopper 507 as shown in FIG.

The toner bottle driving device 500 has a motor 503 for rotating the toner bottle 501. Gear 504 and gear 505 holding toner bottle
Of the toner bottle 501 via the
To communicate. The motor 503 is driven when a toner sensor 311 as a powder pressure sensor in the toner hopper 310 outputs a signal indicating that there is no toner.

When the toner bottle 501 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle 501 is discharged from the opening 509 of the toner bottle 501, and passes through the toner supply port 320 connecting the opening 509 and the toner hopper 310.
To fall. When the toner end of the toner bottle 501 is detected, the toner sensor 311 continuously outputs the toner absence signal a plurality of times.
For example, when the image is output 150 times continuously, at that time, a message to replace the toner bottle is displayed on an operation unit (not shown) of the copying machine main body 100.

When the toner bottle 501 is rotated and the stepped portion 501a passes through the swinging end of the toner bottle knocking member 511, the toner bottle is vibrated. Due to this vibration, the toner attached to the inner wall of the toner bottle 501 is peeled off, and the toner can be supplied without being wasted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the length of the toner bottle 501 is increased so that a large amount of toner is contained therein, and the weight of the toner bottle is also increased. The toner bottle 501 is
In FIG. 3, a gear 505 and a central roller 5 as a holding portion are provided.
10 keeps it horizontal. Since the weight of the portion on the bottom side of the roller 510 and the left side in FIG. 3 is also supported by the roller 510, if the strength of the contact portion of the roller 510 is weak, the portion on the bottom side of the roller 510 is lowered. Deform. However, in the toner bottle 501 to which the present invention is applied, since the peripheral wall of the contact portion of the roller 510 is thickened, the toner bottle 501 is not deformed.

In FIG. 4, the toner bottle 501 is shown in FIG.
A fixing device 135 having a heating element therein is located on the near side of the document reading unit 120A and the exposing unit 120B shown in FIG. Under an environment of about 50 ° C. or more, the toner has a low fluidity, and a toner lump is formed.
Because toner sticks to the inner wall of 01,
Normal toner supply is not possible. However, in the toner bottle 501 to which the present invention is applied, the thickness of the toner bottle container in the portion B is made thicker than the portions other than the portion B so that the heat of the fixing device 135 is hardly transmitted into the toner bottle 501. The thickness of the toner bottle 501 may be increased in the vicinity of another heating element provided in the copying machine main body 100, for example, a heating element for controlling humidity.

As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral wall of the toner bottle 501 can be made thicker by increasing the thickness on the inner side of the peripheral wall and integrally with the toner bottle 501 as shown in FIG. There is a type that increases the thickness, a type that increases the thickness inside and outside the peripheral wall, and a type that winds a member that is not integral with the toner bottle 501 around the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 501. As a material of the member wound around the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 501, a material having heat insulating properties is preferable. The toner bottle to which the present invention is applied can be used in well-known image forming apparatuses such as a printer and a facsimile in addition to a copying machine.

[0029]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall of the toner cartridge at a predetermined portion, it is possible to further reduce the thickness at other portions. It is possible to save the resin for molding the toner, to effectively use resources, and to provide an inexpensive toner cartridge.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the toner cartridge is formed in a cylindrical shape and the spiral ridge is provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall, the toner can be discharged to the outside by being driven to rotate. Further, it is possible to provide a toner cartridge in which the strength is improved at the ridge portion.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the thickness near the fixing means including the heating element is increased, the influence of the toner stored inside by the heating element is avoided, and the adhesion of the toner to the inner wall is prevented. Prevents deterioration of the toner due to heat, such as formation of a toner mass, enables stable toner replenishment at all times, replenishes the toner to the end, and distrusts the user that image formation is not possible even though toner remains. A toner cartridge that does not cause a feeling can be provided.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the thickness of the portion in contact with the holding portion for holding the toner cartridge is increased, so that the holding portion is not deformed due to its own weight including the toner even when the capacity is large. It is possible to provide a toner cartridge that can always supply toner stably, can supply toner to the end, and does not cause a user's distrust that an image cannot be formed even though toner remains.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus including a toner cartridge to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a developing device in which toner is supplied by a toner cartridge to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a toner cartridge to which the present invention is applied and a driving device thereof.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an installation mode of a toner cartridge to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 100 Copier as image forming apparatus 133 Developing device 135 Fixing means 501 Toner cartridge 510 Holding unit

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

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A toner cartridge detachably provided in an image forming apparatus and for supplying toner to a developing device, wherein a peripheral wall of the toner cartridge is thickened at a predetermined portion. 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said toner cartridge has a cylindrical shape and has a spiral ridge on an inner surface of said peripheral wall for supplying toner to said image forming apparatus main body by rotation thereof. Characteristic toner cartridge. 3. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the thickness near the fixing means including a heating element provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus is increased. 4. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is held by the image forming apparatus main body by a holding section provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and a portion of the toner cartridge which comes into contact with the holding section. A toner cartridge having a thicker wall.