JPS60192970A - Toner quantity detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable to detect the quantity of toner in a container using a cheap sensor by detecting the period of rotation of a rotary body by a magnet and a reed switch. CONSTITUTION:A magnet 8 is provided at the tip of a square plate 7 and a reed switch 9 is rotated at a position opposite to the position of installation of the magnet 8 outside a container 1. When the quantity of toner 4 is small, signals synchronous with the period of rotation of a shaft 3 are sent to the reed switch 9. When the contained quantity of toner 4 exceeds a fixed quantity (when the plate 7 comes into contact with toner 4), the magnet 8 shifts from the initial position and signals are cut off. The result is used to detect the quantity of toner 4 in the container 1. The same result is obtained whether the container 1 is a container for containing used toner or a toner box.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a toner amount detection device for detecting the amount of toner in a toner container (toner box) of a copying machine.

<Prior art> The following methods are known for detecting the amount of toner in a toner container: (a) A method of detecting by the weight of the toner amount (b) A method of detecting by the thickness (height) of the stack of toner contained in the container However, method (a) above requires high-precision analysis due to the light weight of toner, and method (b) above causes false detection due to toner stains on the sensor part, each of which has drawbacks. there were.

<Purpose of the Invention> Therefore, in the present invention, a rotating body having elasticity that rotates with the shaft for stirring the toner is provided, and the rotating body is arranged at a predetermined location in the container, and by increasing the amount of stored toner, The amount of toner is increased (
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner amount detection device configured to detect a toner amount (decrease).

<Example> The specific configuration of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows a structural diagram of a toner amount detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical container accommodating toner, and an opening 2 is provided at a location away from the center point of the upper base, and the toner enters the container 1 through the opening 2.

A shaft 3 is attached to the center of the cylindrical container 1 and extends through the container 1 in the longitudinal direction, and agitates the toner 4 contained in the container 1 by rotation.

Now, the toner 4 is sequentially stacked from the bottom of this container 1, and 5 a portion of the shaft 3 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the shaft 3 on the side near the top of the inside of the container 1. Handle 5
is provided, and a rectangular plate member 7 is placed at its tip via an elastic body (spring) 6. As the stacked amount of toner 4 increases, when the amount of toner reaches a predetermined level (height) in the container 1, the flat portion increases in amount to come into contact with the increased toner 4. It is arranged to remove powder from toner when

Therefore, the plate 7 rotates within the container 1 at a uniform speed until a certain amount of toner 4 is reached, but if the amount of toner 4 increases and the plate 7 comes into contact with the toner 4. The plate material 7 is resisted by the force exerted by the toner 4, and the physical force is propagated to the elastic body 6 and deforms, and the direction of the planar portion thereof is accordingly twisted.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a magnet 8 is provided at one end of the rectangular plate 7 (the vertex near the top of the container 1 and farthest from the shaft 3), and the magnet 8 outside the container 1 is provided with a magnet 8. When the toner 4 is low, the reed switch 9 is rotated to a location opposite to the installation position of the magnet 8 (a location opposite to a location within the rotational orbit of the magnet 8). A signal synchronized with 1 is sent.
, when the amount of toner 4 accommodated exceeds a certain amount (the plate material 7
When the magnet 8 comes into contact with the toner 4), the amount of the toner 4 in the container 1 is detected by using the fact that the magnet 8 moves away from the initial position and the signal is interrupted.

Note that the container 1 may be a container for storing used toner or a toner box. If applied to a toner box, the stirring shaft 3 can be driven by a toner supply motor or the main body (copying machine).

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, the installation structure of the rotating body that rotates with the shaft is changed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a magnet 8' was suspended by a thread 6' from a handle 5' of a stirring shaft 3' passing through the center of the container 1'. A reed switch 9' is placed outside the container 1' at a location opposite to the suspended position of the magnet 8'.
was deployed.

In this embodiment as well, when the amount of toner in the toner container 1' increases, the toner is suspended from the system 6' and the magnet 8
' can no longer maintain an appropriate distance from the reed switch 9', and the one-rotation signal is no longer transmitted.

The third embodiment utilizes the above embodiment in the toner hopper mechanism.
It is shown in the figure. In this figure, parts equivalent to those in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals, and are 10 &-1: I-toner supply spring and 11 toner supply port.

In this embodiment, when there is a large amount of toner, the magnet 8' tied to the thread 6' moves back on the upper surface of the toner and is out of the detection range of the reed switch 9'. When the toner in the container 1' decreases as the toner is replenished, the thread 6' stretches straight and the magnet 8' enters the detection area of the reed switch 9', and the rotation period of the magnet 8' is not detected. .

In each of the above embodiments, the rotation period of the rotating body is detected using a magnet and a reed switch, but this can be replaced by a non-contact type sensor such as a magnetic body and a sensor close to it, or a Hall element. be.

<Effects> As described above, according to the toner amount detection device of the present invention, the amount of toner in the container can be reliably detected using an inexpensive sensor.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a toner amount detecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a toner amount detecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a toner amount detecting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Toner amount/
FIG. 1.1'... Container, 2... Opening hole, 3.3'... Shaft. 4... Toner, 5.5'... Handle, 6... Nozune, 6'... Thread, 7... Board material, B, B' magnet, 9.9'...・Lead Sui...Nochi. Agent Patent attorney Aihiko Fukushi (and 2 others) Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A container containing toner. a shaft that rotates and agitates the toner in the container; and a rotating body that is stepped on the shaft and contacts the toner when the amount of toner stored in the container reaches a predetermined value, and the side of the stored toner is detected based on the rotation period of the rotating body. A toner amount detection device characterized by: