JPS63135975A - Toner supplying controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent picture density from being lowered due to the lowering of density in a developing agent, by providing a means which displays necessity to refill toner on a console at the time of detecting the exhaustion of the toner, and a means which sets a non-operating state compulsorily when the prescribed number of sheets of images are formed counting from the detection of the exhaustion of the toner. CONSTITUTION:When a toner residual quantity detecting sensor 28 detects a fact that the residual quantity of the toner arrives at a level less than a prescribed level, the detecting signal is fetched in a CPU 32 or a RAM 34 via an input interface 38. And the CPU 32 outputs the signal via an output interface 40, and displays it on a display panel 44. Furthermore, the CPU 32, after receiving a toner exhaustion signal from the toner residual quantity detecting sensor 28, counts the number of copied sheets, and when it arrives at the prescribed number, for example 100 sheets, outputs the signal via the output interface 40, and stops the driving of a copying machine driving motor 46. In such way, a copying machine is not driven even when a copy button is depressed, and it is possible to prevent copying density from being lowered due to the lowering of the density in the developing agent.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner supply control device that supplies toner to a developing device of a copying machine, printer, or the like.

In a conventional copying machine or printer, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an original is formed on a photoreceptor or dielectric, and this is developed with a developer called toner. There are two types of developers: liquid developers and dry developers, but currently, dry developers are becoming mainstream due to their copy quality and ease of handling. There are two types of dry developers: two-component developers consisting of toner and carrier, and one-component developers consisting only of toner, but current copying machines use one-component carrier. Although there are some, most models use a two-component developer.

The toner in the dry two-component developer is a consumable that is consumed as the number of copies increases, and needs to be replenished each time. Development work fI! It can be determined that the copy density has become lighter. When the copy density becomes lighter, the operator adjusts the copy density by increasing the amount of toner m supplied into the developing device.

To supply the toner contained in the toner supply container into the developing device, a toner supply roll is generally provided at the bottom of the toner supply container, and this toner supply roll is rotated at a low speed to supply the toner into the development device. supplying. When the amount of toner remaining in the toner supply container becomes low, it becomes necessary to replenish toner with a toner cartridge, etc., but a toner remaining M detection sensor is installed in the toner supply container to detect the need for toner replenishment. is generally provided. As the toner remaining amount detection sensor, a sensor using ultrasonic waves or a sensor using a piezoelectric element has been put into practical use.

When the toner level in the toner supply container falls below a predetermined level and the toner residue detection sensor detects that the toner is empty, conventionally, when the copier is on standby, a message saying "Toner empty" is displayed on the display panel of the copier console. However, by looking at this display, the operator can know the necessity of toner replenishment, and replenishes the toner contained in the toner cartridge or the like into the toner supply container.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the conventional toner supply control Xl device as described above only displays the necessity of toner supply on the display panel only when the copying machine is on standby, and does not display the need for toner supply while the copying machine is in operation. The need for toner replenishment is not displayed on the display panel, and even if the need for toner replenishment is displayed on the display panel while the copier is on standby, pressing the copy button will not restart the copier. It was controlled so that it could be activated and copies could be made.

Since the copying machine was designed so that the need for toner replenishment was not displayed on the display panel while it was in operation, for example, when making copies of documents with an automatic document feeder and sorter, the operator had to replenish toner. Since it is not possible to know the necessity of toner, it is not possible to replenish toner at an appropriate time, resulting in a decrease in copy density.

Furthermore, even if the need to replenish toner was displayed on the display panel during standby mode, the control method was such that copies could actually be made by pressing the copy button, so neglecting to replenish toner could result in a drop in copy density. There was a problem with this.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a toner supply control device that can prevent a decrease in image density due to insufficient developer density. be.

In order to solve the problems of the prior art described above, the present invention has a toner supply capacity that supplies toner to a developing device, as shown in FIG. In an image forming apparatus equipped with a remaining toner amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of toner in a supply container, when the remaining toner amount detecting means detects that the toner is empty, a toner replenishment type is displayed on a console of the image forming apparatus. A toner supply control device is provided, characterized in that it is provided with a display means and an image formation prohibition means for forcibly putting an image forming apparatus into a non-operating state when a predetermined number of images are formed based on toner empty detection.

Operation When the toner remaining amount detecting means detects that the toner supply container is empty, the display means displays, for example, [Toner empty]. This display is performed both when the image forming apparatus is on standby and when it is in operation. Furthermore, when a predetermined number of images, for example 100 images, have been formed based on the toner empty detection, the image forming apparatus is forcibly controlled to be inactive by the image formation inhibiting means. As a result, the image forming apparatus cannot be operated unless toner is replenished, and a decrease in image density can be prevented.

Friend-凰-3 Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 10 is developed by magnetic brush f! i! It is developed and visualized by f12. The magnetic brush developing device 12 includes a housing 14 that rotatably supports a developing roll 16, a developer conveyor 18, and a mixer 20. The developing roll 16 has a structure in which a non-magnetic sleeve is rotated around a fixed magnet, and the layer thickness of the developer on the developing roll 16 is regulated to a predetermined thickness by a trimmer 22.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a toner storage container, which is configured such that toner stored in a toner cartridge or the like can be supplied into the toner storage container 24 at any time. A toner supply roll 26 is provided at the lower end of the toner storage container 24, and by rotating this toner supply roll 26 at a low speed, the required M toner is supplied into the housing 14 of the developing device.
The mixer 20 properly stirs and mixes the toner and carrier. Reference numeral 28 denotes a remaining toner amount detecting sensor using ultrasonic waves or a piezoelectric element, etc., which detects when the remaining amount of toner in the toner supply container 24 becomes less than a certain level and inputs it to the aIIlt11 circuit 30.

The control circuit 30 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer as shown in FIG.
It is configured by connecting two.

When the remaining toner Ln detection sensor 28 detects that the amount of toner remaining in the toner supply containers 24 has fallen below a predetermined level, this detection signal is taken into the CPU 32 or RAM 34 via the input interface 38.
The CPtJ 32 outputs a signal via the output interface 40, and displays on the display panel 44, for example, "Toner Required 1." When the copying machine is in standby, this display is changed to "Copy Required". [
[Remove toner] will be displayed alternately, and if the copier is in operation, [Restart copy] will be displayed.
By alternately displaying the words ``please remove toner'' and ``need to replenish toner'', it is possible to strongly remind the operator of the need to replenish toner.

Roughly, after receiving the toner empty signal from the toner residue detection sensor 28, the CPLI 32 counts the number of copies, and when it reaches a predetermined number, for example 100, outputs a signal via the output interface 40 to drive the copying machine. Stop driving the motor 46. As a result, even if the operator presses the copy button, the copying machine cannot be driven, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in copy density due to a decrease in developer concentration.

The operation described above will be further explained with reference to the 7[-1-] chart in FIG. First, in step 101, it is determined whether the remaining amount of toner in the toner supply container 24 is below a predetermined level. That is, when the toner empty signal from the toner remaining amount detection sensor 28 is not input, the remaining toner is above a predetermined level, and when the signal is input, the remaining toner is below the predetermined level. to decide. If the remaining amount of toner is below a predetermined level, the toner supply container 2
It is necessary to replenish toner during step 4, so step 10
Proceed to step 2 and display [Toner Refill] on the display panel of the console.

Next, the process proceeds to step 103, where it is determined whether or not the number N of copies per toner empty detection copy is 100 or more, and if it is 100 or more, the process proceeds to step 104, where the copying machine drive motor is forcibly stopped. Control is performed so that copies cannot be made unless toner is replenished into the toner supply container 24. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in copy density due to a decrease in developer concentration.

Since the RAM 34 stores the cumulative number of copies after toner empty detection, the number of copies after toner empty detection is 100.
Even if you stop the -H copy operation with less than 1 sheet and restart the copying machine later, Wl, 8! 1 after the toner empty is detected at 1 sheet.
The driving Tanabata 46 can be controlled to stop when the number of sheets reaches zero.

As described in detail above, the present invention includes a display means for displaying the number of toner supplies on the console of the image forming apparatus when the toner remaining m detecting means detects that the toner is empty. Since an image formation inhibiting means is provided that forcibly puts the image forming apparatus into a non-operating state when a predetermined number of images are detected, it is possible to prevent a decrease in image density due to a decrease in developer agIim. This effect is achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a developing device to which the toner supply control device of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 3 is an example of a control circuit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. 10... Photosensitive drum, 12... Current A-mount d, 16
...Development 1]-le, 18...Developer transport 1 call, 20...Mixer, 22...Trimmer,
24... Toner supply container, 26... Toner supply roll, 28... Toner remaining M detection sensor, 30... Control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An image forming apparatus including a toner supply container that supplies toner to a developing device, and a remaining toner amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the toner supply container, comprising: a method for detecting the remaining amount of toner; When the toner empty is detected by the means,
A display means for displaying the need for toner replenishment on the console of the image forming apparatus, and an image formation inhibiting means for forcibly putting the image forming apparatus into a non-operating state when a predetermined number of images have been formed based on detection of empty toner. A toner supply control device characterized by: