JPS5811983A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the titled device from being contaminated by tonor splashing by arranging the air absorbing port of an air absorber close to a developer feeding inlet of a supplementary developer storage part so as to immediately absorb and discharge the splashed developer. CONSTITUTION:Air absorbing ports 531, 541 are formed along the upper longitudinal sides of air absorbing ducts 53, 54 and both the ducts 53, 54 are connected to an air absorbing fan 56 through a square pipe duct 55. At the time of operation of a developing device 4, the air absorbing fan 56 is also driven and the tonor to be leaked and dispersed from the gap between the developing part 41 and a drum 1 to the outside of the device is immediatedly absorbed from the openings 531, 541 under absorbing status opened along the gap part between the developing part and the drum into the ducts 53, 54. Consequently the device can be prevented from being contaminated by tonor splashing.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention forms an electrostatic or potential latent image on an image carrier.

The latent image is developed with a powder developer C (hereinafter simply referred to as toner) such as a component/separation toner developer or a two-component toner developer consisting of toner powder and carrier powder.

Direct method in which the developed image is fixed directly on the image carrier surface)
, transfer method or indirect method in which the developed image is transferred to the surface of the transfer material and fixed), toner scattering problems that often occur when replenishing toner to the toner storage section in image forming apparatuses that obtain copies. The purpose is to prevent

FIG. 1 shows a very schematic configuration of an example of a transfer type image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 1 denotes a drum-shaped image bearing member which is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow a around a shaft 2. photoreceptors in electronics, insulators in electrostatic recording, etc. Hereinafter, this will be simply referred to as a drum.

6 to 6 were sequentially arranged around the drum in the rotational direction of the drum. Latent image forming device, 'J)4. image device, transfer device,
It is a cleaning device.

Thus, during the rotation process of the drum 1, an ll#vtm image is formed on that surface by the device 6. Then, the latent image surface is
4 and developed with toner. The toner developed image is then transferred to the surface of the transfer paper P which is synchronously conveyed from the paper feeding device 7 between the device 5 and the drum 1 while passing through the device 5 . The transfer paper P on which the image has been transferred is then separated from the drum surface, introduced into a fixing device housing 9 by a conveying device 8, subjected to image constant rotation by the device 9, and discharged to a tray 10 outside the machine as a copy.

On the other hand, after the transfer and separation, the surface of the drum is cleaned by a cleaning device 6 to remove contaminants such as residual transferred images.
It is used repeatedly for the next copy.

The developing device 4 includes a drum 1 such as a developing roller 42 (FIG. 2).
A developer section 41 that incorporates a developer applying member to the surface, a developer stirring member, etc., and a replenishment toner storage section 43 that sequentially supplies developer to the developer section 41 (in the case of a two-component developer) (stores toner). Hereinafter, this toner storage section 43 will be referred to as a hopper.

That is, the toner in the developing unit 41 is gradually consumed and decreased, and in the case of a two-component developer, the developer concentration (ratio of toner to carrier) decreases due to consumption of toner.
To compensate for this, the toner on the hopper 46 side is transferred to the developing unit 411.
The toner is sequentially supplied to I11, and the amount of toner or developer concentration in the developing unit 41 is made constant. The developing device of this example connects the developing device section 41 and the bottom of the hopper 46 through a tube 44 into which a rotating screw conveyor 45 is inserted. The toner in the hopper 46 is transferred to the developing unit 41 by rotating it at appropriate times based on the signal from the device C (omitted in the diagram).
It is designed to automatically supply one after another.

On the other hand, since the toner in the fuser 43 also decreases due to the successive supply to the developing unit 41, it is replenished at a timely manner.

Generally, the hopper 46 also has a toner current residual sound detection device C.
(omitted in the figure), and when the amount of toner remaining in the hopper reaches a predetermined lower limit, an indicator such as a lamp is activated to warn the operator that toner needs to be refilled. I will be replenishing Sitner. If there is no warning device, check the amount of toner in the hopper from time to time and replenish it.

Generally, to replenish the hopper 46 with toner, a method is adopted in which a packaging bag or container containing replenishment toner is opened, and the toner inside the bag or container is poured into the hopper 43 through the hopper opening 46. ing.

However, toner is a fine powder on the order of several microns and is easily scattered by the slightest wind or impact.

When pouring toner into the hopper mentioned above, the toner scatters outside the hopper and equipment around the hopper.

This can cause toner contamination of the worker's little fingers, clothing, indoor air, etc.

In addition, as a toner replenishment means that does not cause such toner scattering, a special sealing opening of a case or container in which replenishing toner is sealed is airtightly layered over the hopper opening. Pull the opening string. Some devices employ a method in which the toner in the case and container falls into the hopper by opening the bag by cutting it open using a blade or the like provided on the hopper mouth side. However, this requires a special structure for the refill toner case and container, resulting in high cost. In order to widely adopt this method, it is necessary to standardize the shape and structure of the toner hopper and container for refilling and the toner hopper mouth for all models. It is only used in some models in which the toner case and the toner hopper are designed in a relational manner.

The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned toner scattering problem when toner is poured into the toner hopper 46 and refilled as a general method.
The air suction port of the air suction device is located near the toner inlet 46 of No. 6 to immediately suck and remove the scattered toner floating air generated near the toner inlet when toner is introduced.

A detailed explanation will be given below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

In the toner hopper 43 shown in the figure, 47 is a lid for a toner inlet 46 that is opened and closed around a shaft 48.

The hopper 43 is normally kept closed to prevent moisture and dirt from entering the hopper 43.

49 is in the toner input slot 46 part of the hopper 46.

The front side of the lid 47 excluding the side on the opening/closing shaft 48 side.

The left and right sides are enclosed, and the top is the toner inlet 4.
A flat U-shaped hollow air suction duct is fixed and protrudes upward from the opening surface of 6 by a dimension approximately corresponding to the wall thickness of the lid 47, and the opening surface of the toner inlet 46 of the duct 49 is a U-shaped flat air suction duct. An elongated air suction port 50 is formed along the toner input opening side in the inner wall portion of the portion that projects upwardly.

When the lid 47 is closed, the bulge 47 just falls into the upwardly projecting U-shaped frame of the duct, and the sealing material 51 attached to the side wall of the lid 47 closes each air suction port 50. When the lid 47 is flipped open, the air suction port 50 faces the toner inlet 46 and is exposed (FIG. 4).

The duct 49 communicates with an air suction fan device 52 (FIG. 2) having a built-in toner filter.

Also, close the poor 47 with υrl (and close the air suction fan device 52
A switch MS1 is provided that closes the drive circuit of the device and opens the same circuit when the lid 47 is closed.

Since the lid 47 is normally closed, the drive circuit of the air suction fan device 52 is kept open and the device 51 is inactive. When opened, the drive circuit of the device 52 is closed, causing the air suction fan of the v device 51 to rotate, and the air near the toner input chamber 46 to be sucked by the air suction port 5o of the duct 49.

Therefore, when toner is introduced into the hopper 43, the toner input hole 4
The toner dust generated near 6 and trying to scatter to the outside is immediately carried by the air flow sucked by the air suction port 50 into the duct 4.
The toner is sucked into the toner 9 and removed, effectively eliminating toner stain problems caused by scattered toner.

Also, when the lid 47 is opened, the hopper 46
Since the air suction fan device 52 operates simultaneously with the opening of the lid 47, the scattered toner that comes out from inside is immediately suctioned away, thereby preventing toner staining problems caused by the scattered toner.

The scattered toner sucked into the duct 49 subsequently flows into the air suction fan device 52 and is captured by the cocoon filter, and only clean air containing no toner is exhausted from the device 52.

The air suction fan group [52 may be equipped with a dedicated one, but it is used to collect dust from leaked toner from the gap between the developing unit 41 and the drum 1 1 from the heated air or ozone-containing air inside the image forming apparatus. It is also possible to use an air suction fan device provided for the purpose of exhausting air, suctioning and transporting the transfer paper P, etc., and this is more advantageous in terms of making the device more compact.

As an example, a configuration example using an air suction fan device for collecting dust from toner leaking from the gap between the developing unit 41 and the drum 1 will be described.

In Figures 1 and 2, 56 and 54 are flat air suction ducts that are installed in a double-walled manner on the outer surface of both longitudinal side walls of the container box of the developing unit 41, and air is drawn along the upper longitudinal sides of both ducts. Suction opening 5
6□・541 is formed.

Both ducts 56 and 54 are connected to an air suction fan device 56 via a square pipe duct 55.

Therefore, when the developing device 4 is in operation, the air suction fan device 5
6 is also driven, and the toner that is about to leak out of the developing unit 41 and the drum 1 from the gap between the developing unit 41 and the drum 1 is transferred to both 41@
An opening 5 in an air suction state that is open along the gap 1
Air is immediately sucked into the ducts 53 and 54 from 3□ and 54□ to prevent it from scattering outside the device, enters the suction fan device M56, and is captured by the DI filter in the device, producing clean air that does not contain toner. Exhausted.

Therefore, the air suction duct 49 on the toner hopper 43 side mentioned above
The ducts 53 and 54 on the side of the developing unit 41 serve as the zero rotational motion sources.
The duct 49 of the toner hopper 43111 is communicated with the square pipe duct 55 in a configuration that utilizes the air suction fan device 56 for driving. Also, the duct connecting part and the developing device 41
A narrow slit cut 57 is provided in the square pipe duct portion between the side ducts 53 and 54 in the duct transverse direction. When the lid 47 is opened, it rotates downward and enters the square pipe duct 55 through the slit notch 57 to close the duct 55 (see FIG. 4). ), when the lid 47 is closed, it is lifted upward and rotated to escape outside the duct 55 (Fig. 6).
A small window hole 60 is formed in the bottom wall of the duct 55 in the area where the shutter inlet/outlet syslit notch 57 described above is formed to attach and hold the related shutter plate 58 via the arm member 59.

The micro switch MS2 is placed below the window hole 60, and the actuator Ms21 is passed through the window hole 60 into the duct 55.
Place it by rushing inside. The microswitch 182 is a switch that intervenes in a sub-in electrical circuit 62 that is provided separately from the regular electrical circuit 61 for the air suction fan unit [56].
Due to the opening of the hopper lid 47 in relation to the shirt flap plate 58, the shirt flap plate 58 enters into the duct 55 and the duct 5
5 is blocked, the actuator MS21 is pushed by the lower side of the shutter plate 58, and the switch is turned on, thereby turning on the sub-energizing circuit 6.
2 is closed.

That is, in general, when an image forming device is opened to replenish toner into the hopper 46 or to inspect or repair the device, a safety switch such as a door switch is activated. As a result, the drive circuits of each part of the device are cut off, and the regular energization circuit 61 of the air suction fan device 56 is also kept in an open state and kept inoperative. Sub energizing circuit 6 above
2 is a circuit that can energize the air suction fan device 56 even if the regular energization circuit 61 is open as described above.

Therefore, when copying is executed, -147 of the toner hopper 46 is closed (FIG. 6). Since the door and door of the outer box of the image forming apparatus are closed, the air suction fan device 56 is normally connected to the energized circuit. 61 makes it an i-tai. In this case, shirt plate 5
8 escapes to the outside of the square pipe duct 55, so the developing device 4
The air in the air suction ducts 53 and 54 on the first side is suctioned by the device 56 through the rectangular pipe duct 55 without any trouble, and the leaked and scattered toner in the gap between the developing unit 41 and the drum 1 is removed. be done.

On the other hand, the inside of the duct 49 on the toner hopper 43 side is also in an air suction state, but since the air suction opening 50 of the duct 49 is closed by the sealing material 51 on the side of the lid 47 due to the closing of the cover 47, no outside air is sucked in. .

Only the ducts 56 and 54 of the developing device 411411 are in operation.

Next, when the door or lid of the exterior box of the image forming apparatus is opened to replenish toner to the toner hopper 46, a safety switch such as a door switch is activated to form an image, including the air suction fan device 56, as described above. However, when the lid 47 of the toner hopper 46 is opened, the shutter plate 58 enters the rectangular pipe duct 55 and closes the middle of the duct. Actuator MS2 of switch MS2
When i is pressed, the sub-energizing circuit 6 of the air suction fan device 56
2 is closed. That is, the shift device 56 is thereby brought into a driving state. In this case, the communicating portion of the duct 49 on the toner hopper 43 side and the portion between the ducts 56 and 54 on the developing unit 41 side of the rectangular pipe duct 55 are closed by the shutter plate 58.

The ducts 56 and 54 on the developing device 41 side are not in the air suction state, and only the duct 49 on the toner hopper 43 side is not in the air suction state, and the air from the opening 50 of the duct 49 to the vicinity of the opening of the toner hopper 46 is not in the air suction state. Air is sucked in.

Therefore, toner dust that is generated near the hopper 46 and tends to scatter to the outside when toner is introduced into the hopper 46 is immediately carried by the above-mentioned suction air flow and enters the duct 49, thereby preventing contamination problems caused by toner scattering.

In this example, the suction pressure loss due to the formation of the entrance/exit slit opening 57 of the shirt flap plate 58 to the rectangular pipe duct 55 and the entry window hole 60 of the actuator MS21 of the micro switch 1viS2 can be reduced by making the shirt flap plate 58 thinner. The slit opening 57 is made narrow.

An elastic seal is provided in the slit opening 57. As for the microswitch hole 60, the hole 60 is covered with a stretchable and flexible elastic film, and the actuator Ms21 is shown in FIG. Centering on the toner delivery screw conveyor 45 installed horizontally at the bottom of the hopper, move 20 to 30 degrees from the vertical position shown by the solid line to the front side as shown by the two-dot chain line.
It has a structure that allows it to be tilted by about 1°. That is, during toner replenishment work, by adopting the above-mentioned tilted posture, the toner inlet 46 faces toward the front, making it easier to inject toner.

There is a gap 463 between the front wall and the bottom wall of the toner hopper 46.
It has a 46□/462 double wall configuration with open spaces.

The upper sides of these double walls 46
A hole 66□ is formed on the upper surface of the duct 66, and an elastic sealing material 662 is attached to the edge of the hole, so that the sealing material 66□ and the bottom outer wall 433 of the hopper 46 are always connected. Hopper 46 that is held in a suppressed contact state
A through hole 465 is formed in the bottom outer wall 463 of the hopper 46, which coincides with the hole 661 on the duct 66 side when the hopper 46 is tilted.

That is, in this example, the lid 47 is opened to replenish toner into the hopper 46, and the entire hopper 46 is transferred to the screw conveyor 4.
5 as the axis, as shown by the two-dot chain line, the rotation of the hopper 43 will open the hole 435 in the hopper bottom wall 433.
is aligned with the hole 66□ of the air suction duct 63. Then, the duct 66 communicates with the gap 463 between the hopper double walls 461 and 46°, and the air suction opening 464 facing the opening 46 of the hopper 46 enters the air suction state. Therefore, the toner m generated in the vicinity of the hopper 46 when the toner is charged and which tends to scatter to the outside is immediately sucked into the double wall gap 463 through the air suction opening 434 and removed.

In this case as well, the air suction duct 66 and the suction fan device may be dedicated devices for the hopper 46, or the suction systems 55 and 56 for the developing unit 41 may be used as in the above example.

As described above, according to the present invention, toner scatters when replenishing toner is introduced into the toner hopper 46.

The problem of toner stains caused by this is successfully resolved.

The intended purpose is well achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a very schematic configuration diagram of an example of an image forming apparatus, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view of a toner hopper section and a developing device section. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side view of the upper part of the toner hopper with the lid closed, FIG. 4 is the same view with the lid open, and FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the hopper of another embodiment. A drum-shaped image carrier, 4 is a developing device, 41 and 46 are the developing device section and toner hopper section, 47 is a hopper lid, 49, 56, 54-
55 and 63 are air suction ducts), and 52-56 are air suction fan devices.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus using a powder developer, an air suction port of an air suction device is provided facing near the developer input port of a replenishing developer storage section to prevent scattering development that occurs when developer is input. The structure is such that the agent can be immediately removed by suction. An image forming apparatus characterized by: (2) The 9-air suction device is configured to start driving in conjunction with preparatory operations before developer injection, such as opening the lid of the replenishing developer storage section and tilting the storage section. An image forming apparatus according to claim (1). (3) As an air suction device, use an air suction device that is installed for the purpose of collecting dust from leaked developer from the developing unit, exhausting heated air and ozone inside the image forming device, suctioning and transporting copy materials, etc. It was configured to do so. Claim (1): An image forming apparatus (11).