JPS58195873A - Detector for exchange of toner pot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the exchange of a toner pot easily and exactly by detecting the increase in the resistance of the conductive rubber by pressing in the bottom part of the toner pot and transmitting a detection signal for exchange. CONSTITUTION:When a cleaned and removed toner 12 accumulates in a toner pot 1 and the toner 12 therein attains a prescribed amt., pressurizing force is applied from the toner 12 to the conductive rubber 2 by pressing 2 provided in the bottom part of the pot 1 and the electric resistance of the rubber 2 increases sharply. Then, the resistance between electrodes 3a and 3b increases and the output of an operational amplifier 4 applied with a reference set voltage inverts to a high level to conduct a transistor 9 and to light an LED 10, whereby the exchange of the toner pot is detected easily and exactly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device that detects when to replace a toner pot that stores toner collected by a leaning device.

When the toner pot that stores the toner collected by the cleaning device becomes full of toner, the toner pot must be replaced.

In order to detect such toner pot replacement, a toner pot replacement detection device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has conventionally been used.

The toner pot replacement detection device is configured as follows.

In other words, there is a toner hole at the discharge end a1 of the cleaning device a)
The upper end b of b is fixed, and the upper end b2 of the toner pot b is fixed.
is formed into a bellows shape so that it can expand and contract. Further, on the F side of the toner pot b, a support plate d is pivotally attached to the toner pot b so as to be able to swing freely from 1 to 1F so as to be able to rebound upward by the spring force of the spring B. Furthermore, an a-contact microswitch e is disposed below the tip of the support plate d, and when one end F of the switch e is grounded, the other terminal is connected to one end of the resistor R1. Furthermore, when the other end of the resistor R is connected to the resistor R and the capacitor C, they are both connected to the input terminal of the inverter ■, and the resistor R
, the other end of the 1 J capacitor is connected to the power supply, and the other end of the 1 J capacitor is grounded. One end of the detection display light emitting diode D is connected to a power supply, and the other end of the diode D is connected to a resistor R4 and N. (PN) is grounded via a transistor Tr, and the base of the transistor l''r is connected to the output terminal f of an inverter T via a resistor R.

In the copying machine equipped with the toner pound exchange detection device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toner h adhered to the surface of the drum-shaped photoreceptor g by the developing machine f is transferred to paper by a transfer device (not shown). The toner h that is transferred but remains attached to the surface of the photoreceptor g without being transferred to the paper is removed by the cleaning device a.
10 toner hot b. When the amount of toner h collected in toner pot b increases, the second
As shown in the figure, when the toner bottle (b) falls against the spring force of the spring S, the support plate d swings in the direction F, and the microswitch θ operates, closing its contact. The H-level signal ``, which has been input to the inverter 1 so far, is switched to an L-level signal, and the output signal of the inverter 1 becomes an H-level signal, the transistor Tr becomes conductive, and the light-emitting diode D emits light. As a result, the light emitted from the light emitting diode D indicates that the toner bottle (b) should be replaced.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional toner pot replacement detection device, since the rate of increase per unit time of the toner supply meter in the toner pot b is extremely small, after the microswitch e operates, the same microswitch e may cause chattering and the reliability of detecting toner pot replacement is low. Adjustment of the operating position was complicated and difficult.

+5F=IIIJ Toner pot replacement detection device that overcomes the difficulties such as box (7); The purpose of this improvement is to easily and accurately detect toner bond replacement by using 1111 pressure conductive rubber. The purpose of this invention is to provide a device that can perform the following tasks.

An embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3 will now be described.

1 is a cleaning device (not shown in Figures 1 to 2)
This is a toner pot connected to the discharge end of a device (similar to the cleaning device a shown in the figure), and a pressurized conductive rubber 2 is stretched at the center of the bottom surface of the toner pot 1.

The pressurized conductive rubber 2 described above is made by vulcanizing and molding fine metal powder mixed with rubber, and within the pressurized conductive rubber 2, electrode plates 3as3b are arranged at a predetermined interval. It is buried in the pressurized conductive rubber 2 and the V&W pressure p.

'5: When excessive pressure is applied, the rubber 2 is elastically deformed and the fine metal powder is connected to the phase tj, and as shown in FIG. 4, the rIL air resistance between the pair of electrode plates; IJH piezoconducting conductive rubber 2 has properties that deteriorate dramatically.

In addition, one of the terminals L13a is the inverting input/terminal 4a of the operational amplifier 4 (2 is connected, and the other'1li4IIli
Plate 3b is grounded.

Furthermore, the non-inverting input terminal p4b of the operational amplifier 4 has a resistance of 6.7
In the operational amplifier 4c, the voltages of the inverting input terminal 4a and the non-inverting input terminal 7-4b are compared, and the voltage of the inverting input terminal p4a is
- [1,l I It has become.

Furthermore, the base of the transistor 9 in the operating circuit of the light emitting diode 10 is connected via the resistor 8 to the output terminal f4c of the operating node 1.

Since the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is configured as described above, when the amount of toner 12 stored in the toner bottle 1 is small, the resistance of the pressurized conductive rubber 2 is high and the reverse input Since the voltage F1 of the terminal 4a is high, no output signal is transmitted from the output terminal 7-4c of the operating valve 4 to the terminal 7-4c of the transistor 9. Therefore, no current flows through the light emitting diode 10, and the light emitting diode 10 does not emit light.

However, when the waste of toner 12 in the toner pot 1 increases and exceeds a certain value, the pressure is released and the waste is removed.
The pressure applied to is the critical pressure p. 'rt of -k・t
The resistance between the - poles 3a and 3b suddenly drops, and the voltage at the inverting input terminal 4a drops accordingly, causing an output voltage to be applied to the base of the transistor 9 from the output terminal p4c of the amplifier 1. is added, and the same transistor! The toner pot becomes conductive and the light emitting diode 10 emits light, thus detecting that the toner pot should be replaced.

Then, by using resistors 5.6 and 7 with appropriate resistance values, it is possible to freely determine the replacement toner in the toner pot 1 detected by the pressurized conductive rubber 2. can.

In addition, the toner in the toner bot 1 is converted into pressure and the pressure conductor is detected by the change in resistance of the ε rubber 2. There is no need for mechanical adjustment, which is required in conventional microswitch detection devices.

In the above embodiment, the pressure conductive coil 2 is disposed on the flat bottom surface of the toner pot 1;
IIE conductor' [1 (Rubber 2 may be provided.

In the present invention, a pressurized conductive rubber is attached to the bottom of the toner pot, and a resistance change detection circuit is installed to detect a decrease in resistance of the pressurized conductive rubber and send a toner pot replacement detection signal. The amount of toner in the toner pot is detected as a force by the pressurized conductive comb, and the resistance change detection circuit can be activated by the decrease in resistance of the comb, thereby reducing the time to replace the toner pot. It can be detected reliably with high accuracy.

Further, in the present invention, the toner 1 is mechanically changed 117.
Since the toner particles are detected by the resistance change of the pressurized conductive rubber instead of being detected as ii, the number of mechanical parts is small, the cost is low, and the performance is 1 fg, l, high.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1I'4 and FIG. 21 show the conventional toner pot replacement (
These are schematic explanatory diagrams of the Higashi'Ill device, in which Figure 1 shows a state where a small amount of toner is stored in the toner bot, Figure 2 shows a state where the toner bot is almost fully stored, and Figure 3 shows a state where the toner bot is almost fully stored. Is the toner pot replacement detection device according to the present invention? (2) A schematic explanatory view of Example 2, and FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram illustrating the relationship between pressure and resistance in the pressurized conductive rubber used in the same example. 1... Toner bot, 2... Pressurized conductive rubber, 3...
Electrode plate, 1... Oha amplifier, 5.6.7.8... Resistor, 9... Transistor, IO... Light emitting diode,
11...Resistance. Figure 1 υ tail, figure 2 leather 3, figure 4 po → EL cap

Claims (1)

[Claims] A toner pot replacement detection device comprising a pressurized conductive rubber attached to the bottom of the toner pot and a resistance change detection circuit that detects a decrease in resistance of the pressurized conductive rubber and sends out a toner pot replacement detection device. Device.