JPS61137177A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To utilize efficiently a developing device by closing supplying and replenishing apertures with sealing and replenishing rollers to prevent the leakage of a developer and housing the developer within the range where the developer is not affected by the magnetism of a magnet roller to make uniform the disposition. CONSTITUTION:Prescribed amts. of a starter, replenishing developer, etc. are housed in a starter housing tank 14 and a replenishing developer housing tank 18 and the apertures 15, 19 are held closed by the sealing roller 16 and the replenishing roller 20 and therefore the leakage of the developer to the outside is obviated even if a cartridge is tilted. The developer is housed in the range where the developer is not affected by the magnetism of the roller 13 and therefore even if the developer deviates in the axial direction, the deviation is eliminated and the developer is returned to the uniform state when the cartridge is lightly oscillated in the axial direction prior to loading. The uneven development is thus prevented. The roller 16 is operated to open the aperture 15 for supply at the start of operation. The operator is thus required merely to push an operation switch and the operation is made easy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a developing device used in a copying process such as electrophotography.

Prior art and its problems In recent years, in order to make electrophotographic copying machines maintenance-free, a cartridge system has been adopted in which the photoreceptor drum, developing device, cleaning device, etc. are housed in a box, and when the developer is consumed, the cartridge is removed. A replacement item is provided.

On the other hand, when applying a two-component development method using a developer made of a mixture of toner and carrier to the cartridge method, replenishment of developer such as toner is carried out in advance in the developer storage tank. At the same time, it is necessary to arrange a starter such as a carrier around the developing section, that is, the developing sleeve containing the magnetic roller.

However, if the starter is stored in the developing section in advance, if the cartridge is inadvertently tilted during transportation, storage, or installation into a copying machine, the starter may fall outside through the gap between the developing sleeve and the photoreceptor drum. It has the problem of leakage. In addition, the starter housed around the developing sleeve is subject to a restraining force due to the magnetic force of the magnetic roller. Such non-uniformity cannot be eliminated by shaking and shaking, and there is also the problem that uneven development occurs at the beginning of use.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is conceivable to supply the starter to the developing section when the starter is installed in the copying machine, but this is time-consuming and does not make sense as a cartridge system.

Means for Solving the Problems Therefore, in the developing device according to the present invention, the starter supply opening of the starter storage tank located at the upper part of the developing section is sealed with a sealing member, and the replenishment developer storage tank is refilled. When the driving means for rotationally driving the replenishment roller etc. provided in the starter storage opening is activated, the sealing member is activated at the beginning of the operation to open the starter supply opening, and the starter is stored in the starter storage tank in advance. The present invention is characterized in that the starter is supplied to the developing section.

EXAMPLE Below, an example of the developing device according to the present invention is attached.
Please explain with reference to the drawing.

[Description of Configuration] This developing device (10) includes a photosensitive drum (1), a charging charger (2), and a blade type cleaning device (3).
It is also housed in a box body (5) to form a cartridge, and is removable from the main body of the copying machine (not shown).

The photosensitive drum (1) is rotationally driven in a clockwise direction,
After being given a predetermined charge by the charger (2), (
Image exposure is performed in the A) section, and the developing area (developed by the single-roll main developing device (10)) and toner image are transferred to the copy paper in the (C) section. The residual toner after the transfer is removed by a cleaning device (3), and the residual charge is erased by being irradiated with an eraser light at a portion (D).

This developing device (10) includes a developing section (11) housing a developing sleeve (12) with a built-in magnetic roller (13), a starter developer storage tank section (14), and a replenishment developer storage tank section (18). ), and the box body (5) has a support shaft (
The compression spring (7) is attached so that it can rotate freely around the
It is biased counterclockwise at . Due to this biasing force, rollers (not shown) provided at both ends coaxial with the developing sleeve (12) come into contact with both ends of the photoreceptor drum (1), and the developing sleeve (12) is brought into contact with the photoreceptor drum (1). Positioning is being attempted. Further, the upper part of the photosensitive drum (1) communicating with the inside of the developing device (10) is sealed with a sealing plate (4).

A seal roller (16) for sealing a supply opening (15) located above the developing section (11) is installed in the starter storage tank section (14), and a starter is stored in advance. As shown in FIG. 2, the seal roller (I6) has a slit (16a) communicating in the radial direction, and until the start of operation, the slit (16a) is located laterally and the supply opening (
15) Seal. At the beginning of operation, this seal roller (16) is driven by a drive means (25) i, which will be described later.
° rotated so that the slit (16a) is in the feed opening (15)
to open. As a result, the starter sealed within the tank section (14) is supplied to the developing section (11).

Note that, as the starter, a carrier or a mixture of these carriers and toner is used. Further, as the carrier, a mixture of a ferrite carrier and a binder type carrier can also be used.

The developer section (11) is located inside the replenishment developer storage tank section (18).
Place the replenishment roller (
20) is installed, and replenishment developer is stored in advance. The replenishment roller (20) is made by winding and fixing a porous material (20b) around the outer periphery of a sleeve (20a), and the porous material (20b) is wound and fixed in the tank part (18) based on rotation in the counterclockwise direction.
20b) through the replenishment opening (
19) to replenish the developer present in the developing section (11). Note that magnetic toner or the like is used as the replenishing developer.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive means (25) can be attached to and detached from the main drive side member (26) connected to the main motor (not shown) of the copying machine main body by moving in the axial direction. The driven side member (27) is installed in the box (5) to form a clutch, and the gears (2) fixed coaxially with the driven side member (27) are connected to the support shaft (17) of the seal roller (16). ) and the gear (31) fixed to the support shaft (2I) of the replenishment roller (20), and the intermediate gear (29) is fixed to the box (5). A stopper (34) is screwed onto the intermediate threaded portion (32a) of the support shaft (32), is urged outwardly by a coil spring (33), and is fixed to the end of the support shaft (21). It is planned to stop the removal.

The intermediate gear (29) meshes with the gear (30) before starting operation, and is disengaged from the gear (31).

The intermediate gears (two) are the clutches (26).

When rotational force is transmitted from (27) through gear (28), it rotates clockwise, and together with gear (30), seal roller (16) also rotates clockwise. Intermediate gear (2
9) is threadedly engaged with the support shaft (32),
When the seal roller (16) is rotated 90 degrees by moving to the right in FIG. 15) is opened at the slit (], 6a), it disengages from the gear (30) and immediately engages the other gear (31), rotating the supply roller (20) counterclockwise. . Further, the movement of the intermediate gear (29) is prevented by the retaining ring (34), and thereafter the coil spring (33)
) is maintained in mesh with the gear (30) by magnetic force, and only the replenishment roller (20) is driven to rotate when the non-developing device (10) is in operation.

Note that the support shaft (Ia) of the photoreceptor drum (1) and the support shaft (13a) of the magnetic roller (13) are also connected to the main motor via a clutch (not shown), but the clutch is well known and a description thereof will be omitted. do.

[Explanation of operating procedures and effects] A cartridge consisting of the following two components (j) It is kept as a spare item and is used for copying when using a new copying machine or when the previous cartridge wears out (usually when the toner is empty). It is installed in a predetermined position on the machine body.The installation is done by pushing the cartridge in the axial direction of each support shaft (17), (21)-7=, etc., and the clutch (2
6), (27), photosensitive drum (I), magnetic roller (
13) is connected, and the developing sleeve (
12) and the power supply to the charging charger (2) are automatically connected.

In this case, a predetermined amount of starter and replenishment developer are stored in each tank (14) and (+8), and each opening (
15) and (] 9) are closed by a seal roller (16) and a replenishment roller (20), and the developer will not leak to the outside even if the cartridge is tilted. In addition, each developer is stored in a range that is not affected by the magnetic force of the magnetic roller (13), so even if it is offset in the axial direction, by gently shaking it in the axial direction before installation, the offset can be removed and the developer can be made uniform. can be returned to the state.

On the other hand, a new cartridge is first pre-activated.

At this time, the rotational force is transmitted from the clutches (26) and (27) to the gear (30) via the gears (28) and (29), which rotates the seal roller (16) by 90 degrees as described above and slits ( 16a) opens the supply opening (15);
The starter in the tank section (14) is supplied to the developing section (11). Most of the starter supplied to the developing section (II) is conveyed counterclockwise along the outer peripheral surface of the developing sleeve (12) based on the clockwise rotation of the magnetic roller (13) at the same time as the supply. Thereafter, the gear (29) meshes with the gear (31) and the replenishment roller (20) is continuously driven to rotate counterclockwise, and the replenishment developer is supplied to the replenishment opening (
19) to the developing section (11). This replenishment developer is mixed and stirred with the starter based on the rotation of the magnetic roller (13), and is conveyed on the outer peripheral surface of the developing sleeve (I2).

This makes it ready for development, and the preliminary operation is completed.

Therefore, the operator only needs to turn on the operating switch at the beginning of use, and no special operation is required to supply the starter to the developing section (II).

The developing operation is similar to that of a normal magnetic brush type, and the amount of developer conveyed to the developing area (B) is regulated by a brush height regulating plate (22). Further, the replenishment roller (20) is rotated during the developing operation or as needed, and replenishes the developer from the tank section (18) to the developing section (11).

As is clear from the explanation in Section 2, "Effects of Compromise", according to the present invention, the supply opening of the starter stored in the starter storage tank is sealed on the side of the sealed part, so that there is no accidental damage to the starter. Even if you tilt it, it will not leak outside. In addition, the magnetic force of the magnetic roller does not reach this starter, and by shaking the wood developing device a little, you can remove unevenness and level the starter uniformly in the axial direction of the developing sleeve, which can prevent uneven development. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of

Moreover, since a means is provided for supplying the starter in the starter storage tank to the developing section by activating the sealing member to open the supply opening at the beginning of operation, the operator can simply press the activation switch at the beginning of operation. All you have to do is turn it on, eliminating the hassle of two operations.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cartridge incorporating an embodiment of the developing device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a perspective view and a sectional view of the J driving means. (10)...Development Device, (11)...Developing section, (1
2)...Developing sleeve, (13)...Magnetic roller, (
I4) Starter storage tank section, (15)... Supply opening, (16)... Seal roller, (16a)... Notch, (18)... Replenishment developer storage tank section, (19)...
・・Replenishment opening, (20) ・・Replenishment roller, (25)・
... Drive means, (29) ... Intermediate gear, (30), (
31)...Gear, (32)...Spindle, (32a)...
・Threaded part, (33)・Coil spring, (34)・Retaining ring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A replenishment developer storage tank having an opening for replenishing developer; and a replenishment developer storage tank provided at the developer replenishment opening, which is rotatably driven to supply the replenishment developer in the replenishment developer storage tank. a replenishment roller that replenishes the developer present in the developing section; a starter storage tank located above the developing section and having a starter supply opening; and a sealing member that seals the starter supply opening. a drive means for rotationally driving the replenishment roller, etc.; when the drive means is operated, the sealing member is operated at the beginning of operation to open the starter supply opening, and the starter in the starter storage tank is opened; A developing device comprising: a means for supplying the liquid to a developing section;