JPH117227A - Recovery toner carrying device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely recycle toner by detecting the clogging of a filter as for the recovery toner carrying device of an image forming device constituted so that the used recovery toner is separated to the toner for recycling and the waste toner by using the filter. SOLUTION: The inside of the separation case 31 of the recovery toner is divided to a separation chamber 31 communicating with a discharge path 37 and a recycling path 31b by using the mesh-like filter 32. Then, the path 37 is provided with a shutter 45 opened when the fixed quantity of toner gets on. When the recovery toner is carried, the shutter 45 is opened because the toner is accumulated on the shutter 45. Then, it is detected by a detection means 50. When an output signal from the detection means 50 is received by a control means 55, a time interval between this time and the time when the output signal is received last is compared with previously set prescribed time. When it is shorter than the prescribed time, it is judged that the filter 45 is clogged. Then, a display for calling a service man is executed by a display means 60.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for forming a toner image by electrostatically adhering toner on an image carrier such as a photoreceptor such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction machine thereof. The present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus that performs recording by transferring an image onto a sheet. More specifically, the present invention relates to a collected toner conveying device that conveys used untransferred toner collected from an image carrier in such an image forming apparatus for reuse or discarding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, in response to recent demands for effective use of resources and environmental conservation, used untransferred toner remaining on an image carrier is collected by a cleaning device. As a recycled toner, there is a recycled toner that is returned to a developing device and reused.

However, in the case of the recycle type, extra stress is applied to the collected toner by a conveying coil or the like during the conveyance of the collected toner, and the collected toner aggregates due to the stress, and the toner is aggregated and developed. It is sent into the device. Such a mass of toner scatters from the inside of the developing device arbitrarily and adheres to the background portion of the surface of the image carrier due to a small amount of charge, and as a result, black spots or the like appear on the background portion of the recorded paper. Appearing, the image quality was degraded.

Therefore, in a conventional image forming apparatus, the collected toner is separated into a recyclable toner and a waste toner formed by agglomeration of toner in the course of transportation, and the recycled toner is developed by a developing device. In some cases, the waste toner is discharged into a waste toner container while the waste toner is separated.

[0005] Some of the sorting systems include a collected toner conveying device as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In the illustrated recovery toner transport device, a toner separation chamber 4 is formed between a transport path 1 provided to be connected to a cleaning device (not shown) and a waste path 3 provided to be connected to a waste toner container 2. Then, the separation chamber 4 is vertically divided by a mesh filter 5 in the figure to form a recycle path 6 below. A powder pump 7 was connected to the recycle path 6 at the left end in the figure, and the powder pump 7 was connected to a developing device (not shown) via a toner transfer pipe 8.

At the time of image recording, the used recovered toner is sent to the separation chamber 4 through the conveyance path 1 by the conveyance coil 1a, and is filtered by the filter 5 while passing through the separation chamber 4, and recycled through the filter 5. The toner is separated into a lump of waste toner that does not pass through. Then, the recycled toner dropped into the recycling path 6 is transferred to the transport coil 6a.
And send it through the recycle path 6 into the powder pump 7,
The powder pump 7 returns the toner into the developing device through the toner transfer pipe 8. On the other hand, the waste toner
a and was discharged into the waste toner container 2 through the waste path 3.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional collected toner conveying apparatus, the filter 5 is liable to be clogged with the toner over time, and when the clogging occurs, the recyclable toner also removes the filter 5 from the toner. Instead, the toner is discharged into the waste toner container 2 together with the waste toner.

As a result, the recycling of the toner becomes insufficient, and the life of the toner is shortened. Further, since the waste toner container 2 is filled with toner relatively quickly, the waste toner
The frequency of work for disposing of the waste toner in the container 2 increases,
There was a problem that it was troublesome.

[0009]

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a used toner is separated into a recycled toner and a waste toner by a filter 32 as shown in the following embodiments, for example. In the recovery toner conveying device 30 of the image forming apparatus, which guides the recycled toner to the recycling path 31b and guides the waste toner to the disposal path 37, the shutter is provided in the disposal path 37 so as to be openable and closable, and opens when a certain amount of toner is applied. 45, and a control means 55 for detecting a time interval at which the shutter 45 opens and outputting a control signal when the time interval T ₁ · T ₂ is shorter than a predetermined time T ₀ .

At the time of separating the collected toner, the shutter 4
When the waste toner rides on the shutter 5 and exceeds a certain amount, the shutter 45 is opened, and a time interval T ₁ during which the shutter 45 is opened.
The · T ₂ detected by the control unit 55, the time interval T ₁ · T ₂
Is shorter than the predetermined time T _0, it is determined that the filter 32 is clogged, and a control signal is output.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recovered toner conveying device 30 of the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, for example, a control signal is received from the control means 55 as shown in the following illustrated embodiment. A display means 60 for displaying the occurrence of clogging of the filter 32 is provided.

Then, a time interval T ₁ during which the shutter 45 is opened.
When T ₂ is shorter than the predetermined time T _{0, a} control signal is received from the control unit 55 and the display unit 60 displays the occurrence of clogging of the filter 32.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the collected toner conveying device 30 of the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, for example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. comprising a first time interval as the predetermined time T ₀ to open, characterized in that.

[0014] Then, as the predetermined time reference of the T _0, when the time interval T ₂ to open the shutter 45 is shorter than the predetermined time T _0, the control signal determines that the clogging in the filter 32 is generated by the control unit 55 Output.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the recovered toner conveying device 30 of the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, for example, as in the following embodiment shown in FIG. When the time T ₂ is shorter than the predetermined time T ₀ , when a plurality of times occur, the control means 5
5 to output a control signal.

Then, a time interval T ₂ during which the shutter 45 is opened.
There is shorter than the predetermined time T ₀ is, when repeated several times, the first time and outputs a control signal from the control means 55.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a copying machine provided with the recovered toner conveying device of the present invention.

This copying machine has a paper feeding section a at a lower side thereof,
It comprises an optical reading section b on the upper side and a recording section c between them.

In the paper feed section a, paper feed cassettes 10 each storing paper P are arranged in upper and lower three stages, each of which is detachably provided.
A paper feed roller 11 is provided for each. In addition, a plurality of pairs of transport rollers for feeding the paper P fed by the paper feed roller 11 to the recording unit c, and a guide plate for guiding the paper P to be fed to the recording unit c are provided.

The optical reading unit b includes a light source 12 and a lens 13
And optical components such as a plurality of mirrors 14. Further, a pressure plate 15 for document pressing is provided above the contact glass 22.

In the recording section c, a drum-shaped photosensitive member 16 is provided slightly to the right of the center. Around the photoreceptor 16, the charging device 17, the developing device 18,
A transfer belt device 19 and a photoconductor cleaning device 20 are provided. Further, a fixing device 21 is provided on the left side of the photoconductor cleaning device 20 in the figure. The transfer belt device 19 includes a transfer belt 19a and a belt cleaning device 19b.

At the time of copying, the original is set on the contact glass 22 by opening the pressure plate 15, the original is pressed after the pressure plate 15 is closed, and then the copy start key is pressed.
Thus, the image of the document is read by the optical reading unit b, and the photoconductor 16 is rotated. On the other hand, one of the paper feed rollers 11 is selected and rotated, the paper P is fed out from the paper feed cassette 10, and further conveyed upward by the conveyance rollers while being guided by the guide plate, and the paper P is conveyed in the recording section c. Between the registration rollers 23.

The surface of the photoconductor 16 is charged by the charging device 17 with its rotation, and the surface of the photoconductor 16 is irradiated with light from the optical reading section b to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface. Then, when passing through the position of the developing device 18, the toner is electrostatically adhered to visualize the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 16. Then, the registration roller 23 is rotated in accordance with the registration of the visible image and the registration,
The sheet P abutted against the registration roller 23 is transferred to the photosensitive member 1.
Send out to the lower side of 6. Then, the visible image on the photoreceptor 16 is transferred to the paper P by the transfer belt device 19, and after the transfer, the paper P is transported to the fixing device 21 by the transfer belt device 19, and is transferred by the fixing device 21. Fix the visual image. After fixing, the sheet is discharged onto a sheet discharge tray 25 by a sheet discharge roller 24.

On the other hand, after the image is transferred, the untransferred toner remaining on the photoreceptor 16 is removed by the photoreceptor cleaning device 20, and the residual toner on the transfer belt 19a is removed by the belt cleaning device 19b of the transfer belt device 19. I do.

By the way, the above-mentioned copying machine is provided with a collected toner conveying device 30 as shown in FIG.

The collected toner conveying device 30 is designated by the reference numeral 3 in FIG.
1 is provided. Sorting case 31
In the figure, the inside is vertically divided in the figure by a mesh-like filter 32, a separation chamber 31a in which a transfer coil 33 is rotatably formed is formed in an upper part, and a recycle path 31b in which a transfer coil 34 is rotatably formed is formed in a lower part. I do. The left end side of the separation chamber 31a in the figure is provided in communication with an intermediate conveyance path 36 in which the conveyance coil 35 is rotatably provided.
7 is provided.

The intermediate transport path 36 is connected to first and second transport paths (not shown) in the middle of the path, and communicates with the photosensitive member cleaning device 20 via the first transport path.
The belt cleaning device 19b passes through a second transport path.
Lead to.

The waste path 37 has an outlet 37 a facing downward, and the outlet 37 a is inserted into the waste toner container 39.

Further, for example, a powder pump 40 generally widely known as a mono pump is connected to the outlet on the left end side in FIG. Powder pump 40
Is connected at its tip to a toner transfer pipe 41 made of a flexible material such as soft vinyl chloride, nylon, or Teflon, and connected to the developing device 18 via the toner transfer pipe 41.

In the recovered toner conveying device 30 of the present invention, a shutter 45 for opening and closing the outlet 37a is provided at the outlet 37a of the above-described waste path 37. Shutter 4
Reference numeral 5 denotes a plate-like member which is attached to the outlet 37a so as to be rotatable around a pivot point provided at the right end in FIG. Then, it is normally urged by, for example, an urging spring (not shown), and as shown in FIG. 2A, the outlet 37a is closed. The outlet 37a is configured to be opened as shown in FIG.

Further, in the recovered toner conveying device 30,
A rectangular plate-like filler 46 is attached to the rotation fulcrum side of the shutter 45, and is provided so as to protrude from the shutter 45 to the right side in FIG. Further, above the rotation fulcrum of the shutter 45, outside the waste path 37, the opening of the shutter 45 is detected.
Is attached.

The detection means 50 is connected to the control means 55 as shown in FIG. 1, and the control means 55 is further connected to a display means 60 such as a liquid crystal display panel.

Then, in the collected toner conveying device 30,
During the above-described copying, the photoconductor 16 and the transfer belt 19a
The toner collected from above is guided to the intermediate conveyance path 36 through the first and second conveyance paths described above, and is sent to the separation chamber 31a by the conveyance coil 35 through the intermediate conveyance path 36.

Then, the collected toner sent to the separation chamber 31a passes through the filter 3 while it passes through the separation chamber 31a.
2, the toner is separated into recycled toner that passes through the filter 32 and waste toner in a lump that does not pass.

The recycled toner that has fallen into the recycling path 31b is sent into the powder pump 40 by the transport coil 34 through the recycling path 31b. And the powder pump 40
And the developing device 1 through the toner transfer pipe 41.
Return to 8.

On the other hand, the waste toner passing on the filter 32 is guided to the waste path 37 by the transport coil 33 as it is.
It rests on the shutter 45.

When a certain amount of waste toner accumulates on the shutter 45 over time, as shown in FIG.
5 is opened against the urging spring to discharge waste toner to the outlet 37a.
From the waste toner container 39.

When the shutter 45 is opened, the filler 46 is opened.
Then, the light-emitting unit (not shown) and the light-receiving unit (not shown) of the detection means 50 are blocked, whereby the detection means 50 detects that the shutter 45 has been opened, and outputs a detection signal to the control means 55.

When the filter 32 becomes clogged with the collected toner over time, the recyclable toner is also guided to the waste path 37 together with the waste toner, and the amount of toner accumulated on the shutter 45 increases. Then, the toner is discharged from the shutter 45.
The time required for a certain amount to accumulate on the top is shortened, and accordingly, the time interval between the opening of the shutter 45 and the next opening is also shortened.

Therefore, the recovered toner conveying device 3 of the present invention
At 0, the limit point is determined from an experiment, and when the time interval for opening the shutter 45 is equal to or less than a predetermined time T ₀ , the filter 3
2 is configured to determine that clogging has occurred.

In the control means 55, when the shutter 45 is opened, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, when the shutter 45 is opened (when an output signal is received from the detection means 50) in step S1. when, for detecting a time interval T ₁ of the and the last time the shutter 45 is opened (when receiving a previous output signal).

Then, the process proceeds to step S2, where the time interval T ₁ is compared with a predetermined time T ₀ to determine whether T ₁ <T ₀ .
When T ₁ <T ₀ , it is determined that the filter 32 is clogged, and a control signal is output. Then, in step S3, a serviceman call indicating occurrence of clogging is displayed on the display means 60.

The user looks at the display and calls the serviceman, and the serviceman removes the clogged filter 32,
For example, clogging is eliminated by cleaning.

By the way, in the illustrated embodiment, the time interval T ₁ during which the shutter 45 opens is compared with a predetermined time T ₀ obtained by an experiment in advance. However, for example, after the copying machine is installed (initial installation) under the user, the first time interval at which the shutter 45 opens after the copying machine is operated for the first time is a predetermined time T.
_The control unit 55 may compare the predetermined time T ₀ with the time interval at which the shutter 45 opens to detect the occurrence of clogging of the filter 32.

In this case, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, for example, when the shutter 45 is first opened after the initial installation of the copying machine in step S1a, that is, the first output signal from the detecting means 50 is output. And when
Next time you open, i.e. the time interval between when receiving the second round of the output signal, memory as a predetermined time T _0.

[0046] Then, at step S2a, when the shutter 45 is opened for the third time after, for detecting a time interval T ₂ of the output signal received from the detecting means 50. Then, at step S3a, and if not ,, T ₂ <T ₀ to determine whether T ₂ <T ₀ or by comparing the time interval T ₂ and the predetermined time T _0, returns to step S2a. When T ₂ <T ₀ , the process proceeds to the next step S4a.

In step S4a, the number of times when T ₂ <T ₀ is counted, and if the predetermined number of times has not been reached, the flow returns to step S2a again. Then, when the predetermined number of times is reached, it is determined that the filter 32 has clogged for the first time, and the process proceeds to the next step S5a. Then, at step 5a, the serviceman call indicating the occurrence of clogging is displayed on the display means 60.

[0048]

Therefore, according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, it is detected from the time interval when the shutter is opened that the filter for separating the recycled toner and the waste toner is clogged, and the detection result is obtained. The control means outputs a control signal from the control means to eliminate the clogging of the filter, thereby preventing the recycled toner from being discharged to the waste toner container together with the waste toner without passing through the filter due to the clogging. As a result, it is possible to reliably recycle the toner and to prolong its life. Further, it is possible to prevent the waste toner container from being filled with waste toner at an early stage, thereby increasing the frequency of troublesome disposal work.

According to the second aspect of the present invention,
When the clogging of the filter occurs, the fact is displayed on the display means, so that the user can quickly know the clogging of the filter and take appropriate action.

According to the third aspect of the present invention,
When the image forming apparatus is operated for the first time after the initial installation in which the filter is not contaminated with toner, the time interval at which the shutter opens for the first time is set to the predetermined time. In addition, filter clogging can be uniformly detected with high accuracy.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
When the time interval for opening the shutter occurs a plurality of times, it is determined that clogging has occurred for the first time. Therefore, it is possible to reliably detect clogging of the filter without making a mistake in the determination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a collected toner conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a shutter provided in a waste path of the collected toner transport device is closed, and FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustrating a state in which the shutter is opened.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of detecting clogging of a filter provided in the collected toner conveying device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another example of clogging detection.

FIG. 5 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a copying machine provided with the collected toner conveying device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional collected toner conveying device.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 collected toner conveying device 31b recycling path 32 filter 37 discards path 45 shutter 55 control means 60 display means T ₀ predetermined time T ₁ · T ₂ hour intervals

Claims (4)

[Claims] The collected toner used in an image forming apparatus is separated into a recycled toner and a waste toner by a filter using a filter, and the recycled toner is guided to a recycling path. A shutter that is openably and closably provided in the waste path and opens when a certain amount of toner is applied; and a control unit that detects a time interval when the shutter opens and outputs a control signal when the time interval is shorter than a predetermined time. A collected toner transport device for an image forming apparatus. 2. A display means for receiving a control signal from the control means and displaying the occurrence of clogging of the filter.
A recovery toner conveying device for the image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The collected toner conveying device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first time interval after the shutter is opened after the initial installation is the predetermined time. 4. The recovery of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a control signal is output from the control unit for the first time when a time interval when the shutter opens is shorter than the predetermined time occurs a plurality of times. Toner transport device.