JPS63125973A - Image reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate need to provide a space for a toner recovery tank specially and to reduce the size of an image reproducing device by arranging the toner recovery tank in a photosensitive body. CONSTITUTION:Both side parts of rollers 2 and 3 which support the beltlike photosensitive body 1 are supported rotatably on both side plates 17a and 17b of a roller support member 17, and both side plates 17a and 17b have their upper parts connecting with a top plate 17c and their lower parts connecting with a bottom plate 17d and a side plate 17e which is bent upward from both sides of the bottom plate forms a hole which is sectioned rectangularly on the hole, i.e. the toner recovery tank 18. An upper opening 17f for toner reception is provided connecting with the hole. A cleaning device 9, on the other hand, is provided with a conveying device 19 equipped with a screw conveyor 19a which rotates to convey toner removed from the photosensitive body 1 in the width direction of a belt and its lower discharge opening 19a faces the toner reception opening 17f of a roller support member 17. Consequently, the space for the installation of the toner recovery tank need not be prepared specially.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention is an image reproducing device, more specifically, a device that is detachably attached to the main body of the image reproducing device and that collects toner removed from a photoreceptor by a cleaning device. The present invention relates to an image reproducing device equipped with a photoreceptor unit having a built-in toner collection tank.

(Prior Art) In an image reproducing apparatus using a photoreceptor, in order to facilitate the handling of the image reproducing apparatus such as maintenance, repair, and replacement of consumable parts, the photoreceptor drum, developer, and cleaner are integrated into a unit. A device in which the unit is detachably attached to the main body of the image reproducing apparatus is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-54392. A toner bottle for collecting toner removed from the photoreceptor by the cleaner is connected to the current ffjA device.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In a conventional image reproducing device in which a photoreceptor, a developing device, and a cleaning device are integrated into a unit, bottles for collecting toner removed by the cleaning device are lined up in the cleaning device. Since the toner bottle is arranged in the unit, a space must be prepared in the unit for installing the toner bottle, and there is a problem in making the unit smaller.

(Means for Solving the Problem) A toner collection tank for collecting toner removed from the photoreceptor by a cleaning device is built into the photoreceptor that is removably installed in the main body of the image reproducing apparatus.

(Function) There is no need to prepare a special space for installing a toner recovery tank.

(Example) The photoreceptor l is an endless belt-shaped recording medium.

This is an electrophotographic photoreceptor having an inorganic or organic photoconductive layer provided on a base film, and is stretched between two rollers 2.3. The roller 2 is a driving roller, and the roller 3 is a driven roller, each of which is supported by a roller support member to be described later, and the photoreceptors 221 to 22 are independent as a whole.
It consists of

This photoreceptor unit can be assembled into the 11 mounting unit 1-5 so that it can be worn under the skin by inserting the shafts of the rollers 2 and 3 into the two grooves 6 and 7 of the developing unit 5, which is equipped with a developing device 4 at one end. It will be done. This developing device unit 5 is also removably attached to the main body of the image reproducing apparatus. When the developing device unit 5 with the recording body unit attached is guided by an appropriate positioning means and attached to the main body of the apparatus, the photoreceptor 1 and
The static eliminator i! is placed above the upper belt. 8. Cleaning group [9. Charging device io, 1. The mutual positioning between the optical device 11 and the transfer device 1112 disposed on the lower belt side is determined accurately.

The surface of the photoreceptor 1, which rotates clockwise, is first uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by a charging bag [10], and then a light image or a light signal of an image to be reproduced is irradiated onto the exposure bag 11. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be reproduced is formed there. This electrostatic latent image is formed by toner 14 that is accommodated in the developing device 4 and conveyed by the developing roller 13.
Developed by A transfer paper 15 is placed over the developed toner image under the transfer device 12, and the toner image is transferred onto the transfer paper 15 by charging or electric field by the transfer device 12.

After the transfer, the transfer paper 15 is separated from the photoreceptor 1 and has the transferred toner image fixed thereon, and the photoreceptor 1 undergoes static electricity removal by the static eliminator 8, and the residual toner adhering to the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is removed by the cleaning device 9. removed by

The image is reproduced through these steps, and the toner removed from the photoreceptor by the cleaning device 9 is returned to a toner collection tank to be described later and discarded.

No. 21 shows an example of a photoreceptor unit 16 having a built-in toner collection tank. The rollers 2 and 3 that support the belt-shaped photoreceptor 1 are rotatably supported at both sides by both side plates 17a and 17b of a roller support member 17, and the upper parts of the both side plates 17a and 17b are connected to a top plate 17c. A hole having a rectangular cross section as a whole, that is, an hner recovery tank 18, is formed by a side plate 17e (only one of which is shown) that is bent upward from both sides of the bottom plate. ing. An upper opening 17f for receiving toner is provided so as to be continuous with this hole.

On the other hand, the cleaning device 9 includes, as shown in FIG.
A conveying device 19 including a rotating screw conveyor 19a for conveying the toner removed from the photoreceptor l in the width direction of the belt is provided, and a lower discharge port 19a of the conveying device 19 is provided.
is opposed to the toner receiving opening 17f of the roller support member 17. This opposing relationship is brought about by appropriate positioning means of the image reproducing apparatus main body when the photoreceptor unit 16 is assembled into the apparatus main body. The recovered toner sent by the toner conveying device 19 naturally falls from the end thereof, enters the receiving opening 17f from the discharge opening 19a, and is accumulated in the toner recovery tank 18. To prevent the toner that has fallen into the receiving opening 17f from partially accumulating below it,
The lower tank portion 17g is slanted. Furthermore, if the bottom +Ji17d of the tank is also inclined diagonally, partial accumulation of toner can be prevented. The toner collected in the tank 18 is appropriately removed and discarded, or is returned to the developing device and reused. Or photoreceptor belt 1
When the entire photoreceptor unit 16 is replaced due to deterioration of the photoreceptor or other reasons, the entire photoreceptor unit is discarded.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, since the toner recovery tank is disposed inside the photoreceptor, there is no need to provide a special space for the toner recovery tank, and therefore the image reproducing device can be miniaturized. play.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an image reproducing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a photoreceptor unit.
The figure is a sectional view showing an example of a toner conveying device. ■...Photoconductor, 4...Developing device, 9...Cleaning device, 16...Photoconductor unit, 18...
. . . Toner collection tank, 19. . . Toner transport device. Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A photoreceptor unit that is detachable from the main body of an image reproducing apparatus and has a built-in toner collection tank, and an electrostatic latent image that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor of the photoreceptor unit. a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image, which is separable from the photoreceptor unit and is integrated with the photoreceptor unit; and a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image with the developing device. Thereafter, a transfer device that transfers the visible image onto a transfer paper, a cleaning device that removes the toner on the photoreceptor after the transfer, and a means for conveying the toner removed by the cleaning device to the toner recovery tank. , means for positioning the photoreceptor unit with respect to the electrostatic latent image forming means.