JPS6022172A - Toner recovering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To separate paper powder or the like and crush and recover the lump of toner by sliding a brush, which is provided spirally around a revolving shaft of an auger in a toner carrying pipe, on a mesh member. CONSTITUTION:The toner carried into a pipe 1 by the rotation of the auger 2 includes foreign matters such as paper powder and the lumps of the toner; and when the toner comes onto a mesh member 3, a brush 4 which is slided on the inside face of the pipe 1 crushes the lump of the toner, and the lump of the toner is reproduced to a fine particle. The mesh member 3 of the pipe 1 is placed above the aperture of a toner bottle 7, and only the toner which can pass through the mesh 3 is dropped from the pipe 1 and is stored into the bottle 7. Foreign matters such as the paper powder cannot pass through the mesh 3 but passes on the mesh 3 by the auger 2 and are recovered into a tank in the outside of a developing machine as they are. The lump of toner which cannot be crushed on the mesh 3 and cannot pass through the mesh 3 is recovered into the tank 6 also.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus 4 for removing foreign matter and the like from used toner and recycling the toner.

In conventional electronic copying machines and the like, the toner used for anonymous copying is normally conveyed and collected into a toner bottle and used repeatedly. Once used toner is often contaminated with foreign matter such as paper dust during the copying cycle, toner clumps formed with paper dust as cores and toner thermally melted in the bath due to mechanical impact during the conveyance path. It is easy to cause agglomerated toner lumps.

In order to perform good development, it is necessary to keep the developer in a fluid state at all times, but if foreign matter or toner lumps are mixed in the developer, it may cause problems between the trimmer blade of the trimmer part and the roll (here). Foreign matter or toner lumps such as these can block the normal flow of the developer and cause defects such as white spots on copies.Furthermore, if foreign matter is mixed in the developer, the normal charging of the toner and carrier may be interrupted. This has disadvantages in that the background is inhibited and the copy density is reduced.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, removes 11 substances in the toner on the toner conveyance path after copying, and simultaneously crushes toner lumps and regenerates good toner. Our goal is to provide the following.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a toner conveyance device comprising a pipe and an auger rotating inside the pipe for conveying the toner used for copying back to the toner bottle, and a toner extraction mechanism is provided therein.

That is, in the apparatus of the present invention, a mesh member is provided in the lower half of the toner conveying pipe facing the toner bottle, and brushes are further provided spirally in parallel to the rotating shaft of the auger that rotates within the pipe. The brush is rubbed against the inner surface of the pipe. Here, the size of the mesh attached to the pipe is larger than the toner particles and smaller than foreign objects such as paper powder, and when the toner is conveyed inside the pipe by the auger (and reaches the mesh), the toner crosses the mesh. It passes through and falls into the toner bottle.

Further, the toner mass is crushed by the rotating action of the brush that rubs against the mesh, and is turned into fine particles and passes through the mesh. Foreign matter such as paper dust and unpulverized toner lumps cannot pass through the mesh, so they are conveyed as they are through the pipe by the auger and collected in a tank provided outside the developing machine.

Example The present invention will be explained in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Fig. 1, this device is equipped with a mesh member 3 in the lower half of a part of a pipe 1 that allows reusable toner to pass through and prevents foreign matter and toner lumps from passing through. A brush 4 is spirally provided on the rotating shaft 5 in parallel with the auger 2. The brush 4 is made of flexible synthetic resin such as nylon or acrylic, and is formed longer than the distance between the rotating shaft 5 and the circumferential surface of the vibrator 1. When the brush 4 rotates, the brush 4 rubs against the inner surface of the pipe 1. Further, the pipe 1 extends to the outside of the developing machine, and a tank 6 for collecting foreign matter is provided at the end.

The toner conveyed into the pipe 1 by the rotation of the auger 2 empties the true chamber of paper powder etc. and the toner mass, and when the toner reaches the mesh member 3, the brush 4 that rubs the inner surface of the vibrator 1 crushes the toner mass, and the toner mass is regenerated into its original state of fine particles. The mesh part 3 of the pipe 1 is located above the opening of the toner bottle 7, and only the toner that can pass through the mesh 3 falls from the pipe 1 into the toner bottle 7 and is stored therein. Foreign matter such as paper dust does not pass through the mesh 3, but is moved on the mesh 3 by the auger 2 and collected as it is in a tank 6 outside the developing machine. Further, toner lumps that were not completely crushed on the mesh 3 and could not pass through the mesh 3 are similarly transported to an external tank 6 and collected.

Effects of the Invention As described above, in the present invention, a brush provided spirally on an auger rotating shaft in a toner conveying pipe is rubbed against a mesh member, and paper powder etc. mixed in toner can be removed. The foreign matter is conveyed without passing through the mesh member, and the toner mass is pulverized and re-pulverized before being stored in the toner bottle, so that the toner stored in the toner bottle can be used again for copying.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Symbols in the figure: l... Pipe: 2... Auger; 3... Mesh member: 4... 7-5 pipe; 5... Rotating shaft; 6... Tank; 7... Toner Bottle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] It consists of a pipe for conveying the used toner to the toner bottle and an auger provided on a shaft rotating within the pipe, and the pipe is located above the toner bottle and faces the upper opening of the toner bottle. Toner recycling is characterized in that a metal member is provided in the lower half of the pipe, and a brush is provided on the rotating shaft of the auger that rotates while rubbing the inner surface of the pipe in parallel with the auger in a spiral manner. Device.