JPS61200555A - Multicolor developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent toner from being mixed with a developer and to supply the toner without stopping a device by providing a supply unit with storage parts which contain toner to be supplied at equal distance from the center and rotating the unit closely to a developing unit in one body. CONSTITUTION:The developing unit body 1 is provided with developer tanks 4, developing sleeves 5, and toner supply openings 8 which are normally closed with lid bodies 7. The toner supply unit 11 in which have toner cartridges 14 loaded in four chambers 13 rotates corresponding to the unit 1 and the lid 7 of a tank 4 which faces a photosensitive body 19 is opened by a supply roller 15 to supply toner into the tank 4. Thus, the development part and toner supply part are constituted independently, so the supplied toner is never mixed with the developer and excellent images are formed; and necessary toner is easily supplied without stopping the whole system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a multicolor developing device used in a multicolor printer or facsimile machine employing an electrophotographic method.

(Prior Art) In order to develop an electrostatic image formed on a dielectric material in a specified color, a single developing unit is equipped with a number of developer tanks a...・Construction as a collection of ・has already been proposed.

In this kind of device, a developing sleeve b is disposed in each divided developer tank a, and a guide plate C that surrounds half of the developing sleeve b is installed inside the tank a. The protruding guide plate C is configured to prevent the developer from scattering from the surface of the developing sleeve 5 and to separate the toner e and the developer f. Because the separation of the developer f is incomplete, when the rotation of the development unit is changed frequently, the toner e and the developer f come into strong contact with each other in the developer tank a which is in an inactive state.1. In addition, due to vibrations during development, the toner e stored in the same developer tank a may be incorporated into the developer f, and if there is a difference in toner consumption, other Even when there is sufficient toner remaining in developer tank a, the entire system must be removed and new toner must be replenished into the insufficient developer tank a, which renders the entire system inoperable. have.

(Objective) The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and its object is to prevent the toner from being taken into the developer by separately providing a toner supply mechanism, and at the same time, to prevent the toner from being taken into the developer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new multicolor developing device that can easily replenish only the necessary toner without stopping the entire system.

(Structure) In other words, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rotatable developing device in which a plurality of developing means for accommodating developer and supplying it to an electrostatic image carrier are arranged equidistantly from the center. A toner replenishing unit, which includes a toner replenishing unit and a plurality of corresponding toner storage portions for accommodating toner to be replenished to the developing means, arranged equidistantly from the center, and rotates integrally with the developing unit in close proximity to the developing unit. ).

Therefore, details of the present invention will be explained below based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and reference numeral 1 in the figure indicates a cylindrical developing unit main body rotatably supported on a core shaft 2. Four developer tanks 4 are provided by the four radial partition walls 3...
...are formed into sections. A developing sleeve 5 driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) is disposed in each of these developer tanks 4 so as to be exposed from a part of the peripheral wall 6 of each developer tank 4. A toner replenishment port 8, which is always closed by a lid 7 that opens inward, is opened in the axial direction on the peripheral wall 6 of each developer tank 4, which is located at the rear of the developer tank 5 in the rotational direction. has been done.

On the other hand, the upper part of the developing unit main body 1 is similarly divided into four chambers 1 by radial walls 12.
A cylindrical toner supply unit 11 divided into 3...
Each of these chambers 13, . . . is configured such that a toner cartridge 14 having approximately the same cross-sectional shape can be loaded from one end. The toner replenishing unit 11 is connected to the developing unit 1 via a driving force transmission mechanism (not shown) so that the installed cartridges 14 and the corresponding developer tanks 4 are always opposed to each other. Furthermore, the lid 7 of the developer tank 4 facing the photoreceptor 19 is opened by each toner replenishing roller 15 provided in the cartridge 14, and the toner is poured into the tank 4 from there. It is configured to be able to replenish toner.

In FIG. 1, group number 9 indicates a guide portion provided around the developing sleeve 5 to prevent the developer from scattering, and 10 indicates a doctor blade.

In the embodiment described above, when the developing unit main body 1 rotates in order to develop the electrostatic image on the photoreceptor 19 with the currently designated toner, the toner replenishing unit 11 connected thereto via the driving force transmission mechanism also rotates. Then, the corresponding toner cartridge 14 is positioned above one developer tank 4 selected to face the photoreceptor 19, and the lid 7 of the developer tank 4 is opened using the toner replenishing roller 15. From there, the electrostatic image formed on the photoreceptor 19 is developed while toner is replenished into the tank 4.

Incidentally, in the above-mentioned embodiment, each cartridge 14 is provided with a toner replenishing roller 15.
In the embodiment shown below with reference to the drawings, a common toner replenishing roller 25 is provided so that a disposable toner cartridge 24 can be constructed at a lower cost.

That is, in this embodiment, a common toner replenishment roller 25 is disposed at a portion of the developer tank 4 facing the photoreceptor 19 where the toner replenishment port 8 is located, and a pair of toner replenishment rollers 25 is disposed on both sides of the toner replenishment roller 25. A toner cartridge 24 having a toner outlet 26 provided on the peripheral wall is loaded into the toner supply unit 21 disposed in the toner supply unit 21, and this outlet 26 is always kept closed by a lid 27. The lid 27 is opened by a common toner supply roller 25.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when one selected developer tank 4 rotates to a position facing the photoreceptor 19, the supply port 8
The lid 7 that closes the is opened by a common toner replenishment roller 25 disposed at that position, and the toner replenishment unit 21 that is located above this developing unit and rotates together with it also supplies the corresponding toner. The discharge port 26 of the cartridge 24 is positioned on the toner replenishing roller 25, the lid 27 is opened, and toner is replenished into the tank 4.

Further, in this embodiment, various types of toner come into contact with the common toner replenishing roller 25, but since the amount of the toner attached is extremely small, the adverse effects caused by this can be practically ignored.

Each of the toner replenishing units 11.21 described above is configured to be able to load a toner cartridge 14.24, but each chamber 13 divided by the partition wall 12 is directly configured as a toner storage chamber. It is also possible.

(Effects) As described above, according to the present invention, for a developing unit in which a plurality of developing means are arranged at equal distances from the center, a plurality of corresponding toner storage sections are arranged at equal distances from the center. Since the toner replenishment units are arranged in close proximity and rotate together, the image on the electrostatic image carrier is developed into a specified color while the corresponding developing means and toner replenishment unit are always aligned. At the same time, by configuring the developing section and toner replenishing section separately, it is possible to prevent the supplied toner from getting mixed into the developer, thereby forming a good image without background stains, etc. It is possible to replenish toner without making the system inoperable, thereby ensuring the operation of the system according to the input signal.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional apparatus.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A rotatable developing unit comprising a plurality of developing means arranged equidistantly from the center to accommodate developer and supplying the developer to the electrostatic image carrier; and a plurality of rotatable developing units containing toner to be supplied to the developing means. A multicolor developing device comprising a toner replenishing unit in which corresponding toner storage portions are arranged at equal distances from the center and rotate integrally with the developing unit in close proximity thereto.