KR20000041731A - Ink transmission system for wet electrophotography type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An ink transmission system for a wet electrophotography type printer is provided to recover waste developing solution via an ink supply cartridge. CONSTITUTION: In a development mode, a developing solution(D) in a circulation tank(110) is sprayed to a developing unit(20) via a spray unit(120) and an image is developed to be corresponding to a static latent image formed on a photosensitive medium(10). Herein, a concentration sensor(111) and a level sensor(112) installed in the circulation tank sense the concentration and residual amount of the developing solution in the circulation tank. If the concentration of the developing solution is less than or exceeding an allowable range, condensed ink or carrier of needed amount are supplied to the circulation tank via a first supply passage(143) and a second supply passage(147). If the developing solution in the circulation tank is polluted, the polluted waste developing solution is recovered to a disposal tank(115) via a recovery passage(117).

Description

Ink delivery system for wet electrophotographic printers

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer, and more particularly, to an ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer having a structure in which a waste developer can be recovered through an ink supply cartridge.

In general, a wet electrophotographic printing machine forms a latent electrosatic image by scanning a laser beam through a laser scanning unit (LSU) on a photosensitive medium, and then a toner and a carrier are mixed between the photosensitive medium and a developing roller. It is a device for developing a photosensitive medium by spraying a developing solution and transferring it to printing paper.

This wet electrophotographic printing machine, as shown in FIG. 1, has a developing unit 20 for forming an image corresponding to an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive medium 10, and a carrier remaining on the photosensitive medium 10 after development. Ink delivery for supplying a drying unit 30 for drying the film, a developer having a predetermined concentration and a predetermined capacity to the developing unit 20, and resupplying the carrier recovered by the drying unit 30 so as to be suitable for development. System 40. 1 shows a wet electrophotographic color printer, in which only a developing unit 20 corresponding to a black (K) developer is shown, and a phenomenon corresponding to other color yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) The unit is omitted.

The developer is an ink obtained by mixing a concentrated ink containing powdery toner provided in the ink cartridge 41 and a liquid carrier provided in the carrier cartridge 43 or the condensation tank 39 in a predetermined ratio.

The ink delivery system 40 includes an ink cartridge 41 in which concentrated ink is stored, a carrier cartridge 43 in which a carrier is stored, a circulation tank 44 in which a developer is stored, and a developer in the circulation tank 44. (D) an injection unit 47 and a waste tank 49 for spraying the developing gap 21 between the developing roller 21 of the developing unit 20 and the photosensitive medium 10 at a position corresponding thereto. do. The ink cartridge 41 includes a stirrer 42 to prevent the concentrated ink contained therein from being precipitated, and is a consumable part that is replaced when the concentrated ink is consumed. In addition, the carrier cartridge 43 is a consumable part that is replaced when the carrier accommodated therein is consumed.

The circulation tank 44 is installed under the developing unit 20, and supplies the developing solution to the developing unit 20 through the injection unit 47, and re-contains the remaining developer after contributing to development. The developer is continuously supplied to the developing gap G. Inside the circulation tank 44, a concentration sensor 45 for detecting the concentration of the developer is accommodated, and a level sensor 46 for sensing the capacity of the developer.

The waste tank 49 is for recovering the waste developer in the circulation tank 44, and is located below the circulation tank 44 and is connected to the circulation tank 44 through the waste developer recovery path 48. . In addition, the waste developing solution recovery path 48 is provided with a valve which is controlled and opened and closed by a pollution detection sensor (not shown), so that the waste developing solution is recovered to the waste tank 49 by its own weight when the valve is opened. do. As such, the system having the waste tank 49 has an advantage that the waste developer in the circulation tank 44 can be recovered regardless of the development operation.

The drying unit 30 has a drying roller 31 for absorbing the carrier remaining in the photosensitive medium 10, and a liquid carrier absorbed by heating the drying roller 31 while being in contact with and rotating in the drying roller 31. A regeneration roller 33 for converting the vapor into a vapor state, and a condenser 35 for condensing the carrier in the vapor state. In the liquid condensed through the condenser 35, the carrier is stored in the condensation tank 39 and is supplied to the circulation tank 44.

As described above, the ink delivery system for the conventional wet electrophotographic printing machine configured must replace the entire ink cartridge when the concentrated ink is consumed. At this time, the price of the ink cartridge is increased by replacing the functional parts such as the agitator included in the ink cartridge. In addition, when the waste tank 49 is located below the circulation tank 44 and has a structure for collecting waste developer by its own weight, when the waste developer in the waste tank 49 becomes a predetermined amount or more, In order to replace the waste tank 49, the user has to lift the developing unit 20 of the printer body, and there is a problem of causing contamination of the printer body when replacing.

The present invention has been made in order to overcome the problems described above, employing an ink tank and a carrier tank containing a functional part therein, and by supplying a refill ink / carrier cartridge to supply the concentrated ink and the carrier and In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer that is capable of collecting waste developer in a waste tank using a hollow refill cartridge after supply.

1 is a schematic view showing an ink delivery system for a conventional wet electrophotographic printer.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10 ... photosensitive medium 20 ... developing unit 30 ... drying unit

100,100 '... Ink delivery system 110 ... Circulation tank 111 ... Concentration sensor

Level sensor 115 Waste tank 117 Waste recovery path

120 ... Injector 141 ... Ink Tank 142 ... Agitator

143 ... first supply path 145 ... carrier tank 147 ... second supply path

150,150 '... refill cartridge 151 ... supply port 153 ... inlet

Supply / Inlet 160,160 '... Refill Cartridge Mounting Unit

161,161 '... Movable Plate 162,162' ... Inlet for Concentrated Ink Replacement Path

163,163 '... Inlet of carrier replenishment path 165 ...

167 ... fixed plate 168,168 '...

173 ... Enrichment ink enrichment path 173 ... Carrier supplementation path

181 Waste collection means 181 Waste discharge route

185 Waste pump discharge pump

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a liquid electrophotographic printer ink delivery system for supplying a developer with a predetermined concentration, which is a mixture of a toner and a liquid carrier, connected to the developing unit, A circulation tank for supplying a developer; An ink tank and a carrier tank installed in the main body of the printer and storing the concentrated ink and the carrier of a predetermined color supplied to the circulation tank, respectively; A refill cartridge for replenishing spent ink / carrier in the ink tank and carrier tank through a concentrated ink / carrier refilling path; A refill cartridge mounting unit detachably mounted to the refill cartridge so that the concentrated ink or carrier supplied from the mounted refill cartridge is supplied to the corresponding ink tank or the carrier tank; A waste tank for collecting the waste developer in the circulation tank; And a waste developer collecting means for draining the waste developer in the waste tank to a hollow refill cartridge mounted in the refill cartridge mounting unit.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail an ink supply system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic view showing an ink supply system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the ink supply system 100 for a wet electrophotographic printer supplies a developer with a predetermined concentration and a predetermined capacity to the developing unit 20 so as to be suitable for development, and contributes to the developing and then to the drying / condensing unit 30. Recover the dried / condensed carrier by

The ink delivery system 100 includes a circulation tank 110 and an ink tank 141 in which a concentrated ink and a carrier of a predetermined color supplied to the circulation tank 110 are stored so as to supply the developer to the developing unit 20. ) And the refill cartridge 150 for replenishing the spent concentrated ink / carrier in the ink tank 141 and the carrier tank 145 through the carrier tank 145 and the concentrated ink and the carrier refilling paths 171 and 173. And a refill cartridge mounting unit 160 to which the refill cartridge 150 is detachably mounted, a waste tank 115 for collecting the waste developer in the circulation tank 110, and a waste in the waste tank 115. It comprises a waste developer solution means for draining the developer to the hollow refill cartridge 150 mounted in the refill cartridge mounting unit 160. In addition, the ink delivery system 100 is an injection unit 120 for injecting the developer (D) in the circulation tank 110 in the developing gap (G) of the developing unit 20, and the developing unit (20) ), The circulation tank 110, the ink tank 141, the carrier tank 145, the refill cartridge 150, and includes a plurality of paths connecting the waste tank (115).

The circulation tank 110 is installed below the developing unit 20, and supplies the developing solution D to the developing unit 20 through the injection unit 120, and contributes to development, and remains a developing solution D. ), The developer is continuously supplied to the developing gap (G) during development.

In order to detect the concentration of the developer contained in the circulation tank 110, a concentration sensor 111 is installed inside the circulation tank 110, and a level sensor 112 is installed to detect the capacity of the developer. The injection part 120 includes an injection path 121 for supplying a developer, a pump 123 installed at the injection path 121 to pump the developer, and the developing gap G of the injection path 121. It is comprised in the nozzle 125 which is installed in the stage and injects a developing solution into the developing gap G.

The ink tank 141 is installed in the printer main body, and the concentrated ink to be supplied to the circulation tank 110 is stored. The concentrated ink contained in the ink tank 141 is supplied to the circulation tank 110 through the first supply path 143 and is supplied with the concentrated ink from the refill cartridge 150 through the enrichment ink replenishment path 171. . In this ink tank 141, a functional component such as a stirrer 142 for stirring the concentrated ink contained therein is provided.

The carrier tank 145 is fixedly disposed in the printer main body, and the carrier to be supplied to the circulation tank 110 is stored. The carrier stored in the carrier tank 145 is consumed while being supplied to the circulation tank 110 through the second supply path 147, the consumption of which is supplied from the refill cartridge 150 through the carrier replenishment path 173. Is replenished by a carrier.

Valves are provided on the first and second supply paths 143 and 147, and concentrated ink and carrier are supplied from the ink tank 141 and the carrier tank 145 by their own weight as the valve is opened and closed. do. Here, the carrier, which is dried and condensed through the drying unit 30 and recovered to the condensation tank 39, is supplied to the carrier tank 145 through the carrier supplementary path 173.

The refill cartridge 150 is a refill ink cartridge for replenishing the spent concentrated ink in the ink tank 141 through the concentrated ink replenishment path 171, and in the carrier tank 145 through a carrier replenishment path 173. It is divided into a refilled carrier cartridge that supplements the used carrier. The refilled ink cartridge may be provided separately for each color such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K) to correspond to the color printer. In this case, the refill ink cartridge 150 and the refill cartridge mounting unit 160 are further provided with a color selection means (not shown) for selecting a color and connecting the enrichment ink replenishment path 171 of the corresponding color.

The refill cartridge 150 is detachably installed with respect to the refill cartridge mounting unit 160, and does not include a functional part such as an agitator, and is mounted on the printer main body only when ink or a carrier is filled. . The refill cartridge 150 has a supply port 151 for supplying the concentrated ink / carrier accommodated therein to the ink / carrier tanks 141 and 145, and an inlet port 153 through which the waste developer is introduced.

The refill cartridge mounting unit 160 allows the concentrated ink or carrier supplied from the mounted refill cartridge 150 to be supplied to the corresponding ink tank or the carrier tank. To this end, the refill cartridge mounting unit 160 includes a movable plate 161 on which the injection holes 162 and 163 of the concentrated ink and the carrier replenishment paths 171 and 173 are movable, and the movable plate ( And a fixed plate 167 having a driving source 165 for driving the 161 and a waste developer outlet 168 connecting the inlet 151 of the refill cartridge 150 and the waste developer collecting means 180. As shown, the movable plate 161 is rotatably installed around a center and has a rotating plate structure in which gears are formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof. The driving source 165 is installed to be engaged with the gear of the movable plate 161, and is rotatably driven to drive the movable plate 161 to the supply port 151 of the refill cartridge 150 and the movable plate 161. The inlets 162 and 163 of the concentrated ink and the carrier replenishment paths 171 and 173 are connected. In addition, the movable plate 161 may have a sliding structure (160 ′ in FIG. 3) slidably installed such that the injection holes 162 and 163 are selectively engaged with the supply holes 151 of the refill cartridge 150. have. The fixing plate 167 is for connecting the inlet 153 of the refill cartridge 150 with the waste developer collecting means 180, and has a waste developer outlet 168.

The waste tank 115 is installed below the circulation tank 110 and is connected to the circulation tank 110 through a waste developing solution recovery path 117. In addition, the waste developing solution recovery path 117 is provided with a valve which is controlled and opened by a contamination detection sensor (not shown) or the like, and the waste developing solution is recovered by self-weight upon opening the valve.

The waste developer collecting means 180 is disposed on the waste developer discharge path 181 connecting the waste developer outlet 168 and the waste tank 115 and the waste developer discharge path 181 to the waste tank. And a waste developer discharge pump 183 for supplying the waste developer in the 115 to the refill cartridge 150.

Hereinafter, an operation of the ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

In the developing mode, the developing solution D in the circulation tank 110 is injected into the developing unit 20 through the injection unit 120 to develop an image so as to correspond to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium 10. . At this time, the concentration sensor 111 and the level sensor 112 installed in the circulation tank 110 detects the concentration and remaining amount of the developing solution D in the circulation tank 110. When the concentration of the developer solution in the circulation tank 110 is detected to be below or above the allowable range by the concentration sensor 111, the first and second supply paths 143 and 147 of the required amount of the concentrated ink and carrier are detected. Supply to the circulation tank 110 through each. When the developer in the circulation tank 110 is contaminated, the contaminated waste developer is recovered to the waste tank 115 through the waste developer recovery path 117.

On the other hand, when the ink tank 141 and the carrier tank 145 is empty, the refill cartridge 150 corresponding to the color or carrier is mounted on the refill cartridge mounting unit 160. Subsequently, when the supply port 151 of the refill cartridge 150 is connected to the injection holes 162 and 163 of the movable plate 161, the ink / carrier in the refill cartridge 150 is refilled cartridge enrichment ink / carrier refill. It is delivered to the ink tank / carrier tank 141, 145 through the path (171) (173). Here, the concentrated ink / carrier discharge in the refill cartridge 150 may be filled with compressed gas in the refill cartridge 150 or by a predetermined supply structure (not shown).

Thereafter, the waste developer in the waste tank 115 is discharged through the waste developer discharge path 181, the waste developer outlet 168, and the inlet 153 of the refill cartridge by the operation of the waste developer discharge pump 183. The hollow refill cartridge 150 is delivered into the interior. Therefore, the waste developer in the waste tank 115 may be emptied by recovering the refill cartridge 150.

The ink supply system 100 'for a wet electrophotographic printer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Here, the members having the same reference numerals as in the drawings shown in FIG. 2 are members having substantially the same functions, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, the refill cartridge 150 ′ and the refill cartridge mounting unit 160 ′ have changed features. That is, the refill cartridge 150 ′ supplies a concentrated ink / carrier accommodated therein and has a single supply / inlet 155 through which waste developer is introduced. The refill cartridge mounting unit 160 'includes a movable plate 161' movably installed and a driving source (not shown) for driving the movable plate 161 '.

The movable plate 161 'is driven by the drive source, and the supply / inlet 155 of the refill cartridge 150' is supplied to the concentrated ink / carrier replenishment path 171 (173) when the concentrated ink / carrier is refilled. It is connected to the inlet 162 ′, 163 ′, and when the waste developer is collected, it is connected to the waste developer waste developer 168 ′. In this case, the driving source may be adopted, and the movable plate 161 'may be slidably driven by installing a rack and pinion between the movable plate 161' or by installing a lead screw. In addition, the movable plate can be rotationally driven using a gear structure as described with reference to FIG. 2.

In this way, when the structure is configured, a single supply / inlet 155 is formed in the refill cartridge, and the movable plate 161 'is operated by dividing and driving the concentrated plate / 161 into a concentrated ink / carrier and a waste developer. There is an advantage that can be made.

As described above, the ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer according to the present invention configured employs an ink tank and a carrier tank containing a functional part therein, and mounts a refill cartridge in a refill cartridge mounting unit installed outside the main body of the printer. By using it, a user can easily supply a concentrated ink / carrier. In this case, the cartridge can be reduced in price by not replacing the above-mentioned functional part.

In addition, by collecting the waste developer in the waste tank by using a hollow refill cartridge after supply, there is an advantage that a separate configuration for removing the waste developer is unnecessary.

Claims (4)

In the ink delivery system for a wet electrophotographic printer, which is capable of supplying a developer having a predetermined density by mixing a toner and a liquid carrier to a developing unit, A circulation tank connected to the developing unit and supplying a developing solution; An ink tank and a carrier tank installed in the main body of the printer and storing the concentrated ink and the carrier of a predetermined color supplied to the circulation tank, respectively; A refill cartridge for replenishing spent ink / carrier in the ink tank and carrier tank through a concentrated ink / carrier refilling path; A refill cartridge mounting unit detachably mounted to the refill cartridge so that the concentrated ink or carrier supplied from the mounted refill cartridge is supplied to the corresponding ink tank or the carrier tank; A waste tank for collecting the waste developer in the circulation tank; And a waste developer collecting means for draining the waste developer in the waste tank to a hollow refill cartridge mounted in the refill cartridge mounting unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the refill cartridge, It has a supply port for supplying the concentrated ink / carrier accommodated therein, and an inlet port for waste developer solution, The refill cartridge mounting unit, A movable plate on which an injection hole of a concentrated ink / carrier replenishment path connected to the ink tank and the carrier tank is movable; A driving source for driving the movable plate to connect the supply port of the refill cartridge with the injection port of the enrichment ink / carrier replenishment path installed in the movable plate; And a fixed plate having a waste developer outlet for connecting the inlet of the refill cartridge to the waste developer solution. The method of claim 1, wherein the refill cartridge, It supplies the concentrated ink / carrier housed inside, and has a single feed / inlet through which waste developer is introduced. The refill cartridge mounting unit, A movable plate on which an inlet of the enrichment ink / carrier replenishment path connected to the ink tank and the carrier tank and a waste developer outlet for connecting the supply / inlet of the refill cartridge and the waste developer solution are movable; And a driving source connecting the supply / inlet port of the refill cartridge with the inlet port of the concentrated ink / carrier replenishment path or the waste developer discharge port by driving the movable plate. Ink delivery system. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the waste developing solution collection means, A waste developer discharge path connecting the waste developer discharge port and the waste tank; And a waste developer discharge pump installed on the waste developer discharge path to supply waste developer in the waste tank to the refill cartridge.