JPS6159464A - Toner replenishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent toner from scattering by coupling one terminal of a toner feeding means with a toner hopper and the other terminal with a toner container, and supplying toner by utilizing negative pressure. CONSTITUTION:A developing device 7 has an agitator screw 8 and a rotatable sleeve 9 internally and the toner hopper 12 is provided above the developing device 7. A toner feed source 15 such as a fan and a vacuum pump is brought under rotary control of a motor 16. When this toner feed source 15 rotates, negative pressure is produced in a pipe, so the toner in the toner container 6 is sucked and sent in the toner hopper 18 through pipes 18 and 17. The toner hopper 12 is provided with an air vent member 19, through which only air is discharged. Part of toner- mixed air sent to the pipe 17 is returned to the toner container 6 through a pipe 22 to scatter and agitate the toner in the toner container 6. improving suction efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner replenishing device for copying machines, facsimile IJs, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Conventional configuration and problems thereof Conventional toner replenishment will be explained using a copying machine as an example with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional toner replenishment state. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a copying machine, which is provided with a document table cover 2 and a toner replenishment port 3 on the upper part. 4
5 is an opening/closing lid of the toner supply port 3, and 5 is a paper feed port.

Conventionally, when replenishing toner to the toner hopper,
Toner container 6: retoner was supplied directly to toner supply port 3. Since toner is a fine particle of 10 to 30 microns, even if you replenish the toner in small quantities quietly, it will float in the toner hopper and leak out from the toner replenishment port 3, contaminating the copying machine body 1. had.

Therefore, in recent years, a technique has been proposed in which a toner cartridge is used, and the toner cartridge is mounted in a toner hopper and rotated to replenish toner with an opening provided in the toner cartridge facing downward. However, when the toner cartridge is removed, the toner adhering to the vicinity of the opening falls out, resulting in the contamination of nearby devices with the toner.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device that can prevent toner staining with a simple configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a developing device and a toner hopper for optionally replenishing toner into the developing device, and a toner replenishment system for replenishing toner from a toner container into the toner hopper. The apparatus includes a first pipe connected to the toner hopper and a second pipe connected to the toner container.
and a third pipe connected to the first pipe and the toner container, a toner feeding means is provided, and the negative pressure from the feeding means is used to pump the toner inside the toner container. It is designed to replenish toner.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the toner replenishing device of the present invention. In the figure, 7 is a developing device, and a rotatable sleeve is provided with a developer stirring screw 8 and a magnet inside. 9, and the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 is developed with the developer 10 conveyed by the sleeve 9. Reference numeral 12 denotes a replenishment roller 14 provided at the upper part of the developing device 7 and toner 13 disposed in an opening at the lower part.
This is a toner hopper that supplies toner to the developing device 7. A portion of the replenishment roller 14 is D-cut, and its rotation is arbitrarily controlled by detecting the concentration of the developer to cause the toner to fall. Reference numeral 15 denotes a toner supply source such as a fan or a vacuum pump, whose rotation is controlled by a motor 16 .

17 is a first pipe connected to the toner supply source 15;
8 is a second pipe. The first pipe 17 is removably fitted into the toner supply port of the toner hopper 12 5.
The second pipe 18 is connected to the toner container 6 through a porous ventilation member 19 made of sponge, plastic, etc.

In the toner replenishing device configured as described above, when the toner supply source 15 rotates, negative pressure is created in the pipe, so the toner in the toner hopper is sucked and sent into the toner hopper 12 through the pipes 18 and 17. . Here, the toner hopper 12 is provided with a ventilation member 19, which allows only the air to escape to the outside, so there is no increase in pressure, and toner leakage can be prevented. Then, when the toner in the toner hopper 12 has settled down, if the ventilation member 19 is lightly hit, the adhered toner will fall, so even if the ventilation member 19 is removed, toner scattering will not occur.

Therefore, when replenishing toner, it is possible to prevent toner from staining equipment or adhering to hands due to toner scattering, and toner can be replenished smoothly.

Further, a third pipe 22 extends from the middle of the first pipe 17, which is connected to a ventilation member 19 which is arranged to fit into the toner supply port of the toner hopper 12, and is connected to the toner container 6. It is. The toner in the toner container 6 is
The toner in the toner container 6 is suspended by returning a part of the toner mixed air sent to the first pipe 17 to the toner container 6. The suction efficiency can be increased by stirring. Since the toner container 6 is usually made of plastic, it deforms inward when negative pressure is generated by suction, but such deformation can be prevented by providing a bypass pipe and circulating air as described above. becomes possible.

FIG. 3 shows that instead of directly feeding toner to the toner hopper, a storage container 2o for temporarily storing the toner supplied to the toner supply port of the toner hopper 12 is removably fitted and disposed in this storage container. The structure is such that two pipes 7 are connected. The storage container 2o is provided with a ventilation member 19 similar to that described above and an opening/closing plate 21 at the bottom, and by opening/closing the opening/closing plate 21 with an external lever (not shown), the toner is dropped into the toner honorer 12. With this configuration, the same effects as described above can be obtained, and since the toner in the toner hopper 12 has settled down and is normally replenished, toner can be replenished even during copying operation. can do.

Effects of the Invention As detailed above, according to the present invention, one end of the toner feeding means is connected to a toner hopper, the other end is connected to a toner container, and toner is replenished using negative pressure. Therefore, toner scattering can be prevented, and toner staining around the device can be prevented. By feeding the toner to a storage container and replenishing the toner hopper from the storage container, toner can be replenished even during copying operations. Furthermore, by connecting the third pipe to the toner container from the middle of the first pipe, the toner can be fed without floating and stirring, which has many effects such as increasing the toner feeding efficiency. can get.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a reservoir illustrating a conventional toner replenishment state, FIG. 2 U is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the toner replenishing device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view showing an example. 6...Toner container, 7...Developer, 12
...Toner hopper, 13...Toner,
15... Toner supply source, 17... First pipe, 18... Second pipe, 19... Ventilation member, 20... Storage container, 21... Opening/closing plate, 22... Third pipe.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a toner replenishing device that includes a developing device and a toner hopper that arbitrarily replenishes toner into the developing device, and replenishes toner from a toner container into the toner hopper, a first a toner feeding means comprising a pipe, a second pipe connected to the toner container, and a third pipe connected to the first pipe and the toner container; A toner replenishing device characterized in that it is configured to replenish toner in a toner container using negative pressure generated by the toner replenishing device. (2) A storage container for storing toner is connected to the first pipe of the toner feeding means, and the storage container is fitted and disposed in a toner supply port of a toner hopper. The toner replenishing device according to scope 1.