JP2002278210A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing color mixture of toner. SOLUTION: Developing devices 21 and 23 for developing electrostatic latent images of photoconductors 17 and 19 as toner images by using any of developing devices 21B, 21C, 27M and 27Y having toners of different colors, respectively, and developing device 21 , 23 and a powder transfer device 29 for supplying toner of a color corresponding to each developing device, and the powder transferring device 29 is provided with openings 41, 43, 45, and 47 of each developing device. Nozzle 3 that can be connected to
Tube 33 having 3a, 35a, 37a, 39a,
In the color printer 1 including 35, 37, and 39, and the toner is supplied to each developing device through each tube, the openings of each developing device are arranged on the same straight line, and the supply port of each passage member is The developing device is rotatably provided at a connecting position connected to the opening of each developing device and at a separated position away from the connecting position, and rotates around an axis R parallel to the same straight line M connecting the openings.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of a color image forming apparatus using toners of a plurality of colors, developing units having toners of different colors are arranged around a photoreceptor, and a toner for supplying toner to the developing units is provided. When the cartridge is built in the developing device, much space is required. The space problem can be solved by making the toner cartridge smaller,
For the user, the cartridge is frequently replaced, which is not preferable.

In order to solve these problems, a powder transferring device (toner replenishing means) using a pump or the like is provided separately from the developing device, and a toner transport tube (passage member) of the powder transferring device is connected to each developing device. To supply the toner to the developing device.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned technology, the toner transport tube is connected to each developing device, and when the toner transport tube is detached from each developing device for maintenance or the like, the toner is scattered from the toner transport tube. There is a problem that one color toner enters a developing device using another color and is mixed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing color mixture of toner.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier as a toner image by using one of developing units having toners of different colors. Replenishing means provided separately from the apparatus and replenishing toner of a color corresponding to each developing device, the replenishing device includes a passage member having a supply port connectable to an opening of each developing device, In an image forming apparatus in which toner is supplied to each developing device through each passage member, the opening of each developing device is arranged on the same straight line, and the supply port of each passage member is
The developing device is rotatably provided at a connecting position connected to the opening of each developing device and at a separated position away from the connecting position, and rotates around an axis parallel to the same straight line connecting the opening of each developing device. It is characterized by the following.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the replenishing means stores toner of a color corresponding to each developing device.
The stored toner is supplied to the developing devices through passage members connected to the corresponding developing devices. The connection and disconnection between the supply port of each passage member and the opening of each developing device is performed by rotating the supply port of each passage member about an axis parallel to the same straight line connecting the openings of each developing device. It is done by doing.

Each supply port, which can be connected to the opening of each developing unit, is rotated about an axis parallel to the same straight line connecting the openings of each developing unit, so that the opening of each developing unit is connected to the opening. It is possible to prevent the positional relationship between each passage member and the supply port portion from being shifted in the arrangement direction, and to prevent toner color mixing due to toner scattering.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the turning operation of the supply port of the passage member is interlocked with the attaching / detaching operation of the developing device to / from the developing device.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
In addition to the same operation and effect as the invention described in (1), the turning operation of the supply port of the passage member is automatically turned in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the developing device, so that the operability of the user is not impaired. , Easy maintenance.

[0011] The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
The passage member is bent when the supply port of the passage member is rotated from the connection position to the separated position.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
Or the same effect as the invention described in (2), and when the supply port of the passage member is turned to the separated position, the passage member bends and seals the passage, so that the toner remaining in the passage member Can be prevented from leaking from the supply port.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the return of the supply port portion of the passage member from the separated position to the connection position is performed by a return force for returning the bending of each passage member. It is characterized by the following.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the third aspect.
In addition to having the same effect as the invention described in the above, the return of the supply port portion of the passage member from the separated position to the connection position is performed by a return force that returns the bending of the passage member,
The return operation of the holding member can be easily performed with a simple and low-cost configuration.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a color printer to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the color printer 1 is generally
Right image forming unit 3, left image forming unit 5, left and right photoreceptors 17,
Exposure device 7 for performing optical writing on 23 and left and right photoconductors 1
Intermediate transfer belt 9 on which toner images 7 and 23 are primarily transferred
And a secondary transfer device 11 for secondarily transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 9 to transfer paper, and a paper feeding unit 13 for feeding the transfer paper
Fixing device 1 for fixing the toner image transferred to the transfer paper
5 is provided.

The right image forming device 3 includes a right photosensitive member 17, and a right charging device 19 for uniformly charging the right photosensitive member 17 around the right photosensitive member 17, and optical writing by the exposure device 7. Right developing device 2 that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on right photoreceptor 17 formed by
1 is provided. The right developing device 21 is a black developing device 21B that forms a toner image using black toner.
And a cyan developing unit 21C for forming a toner image using cyan toner.

The left image forming device 5 has the same configuration as the right image forming device 3, and includes a left photosensitive member 23, a left charging device 25, and a left developing device 27. The left developing device 27 includes a magenta developing device 27C for forming a toner image using magenta toner and a yellow developing device 27Y for forming a toner image using yellow toner. The respective developing devices 21B, 21C, and 27M are provided. , 27Y
Is detachable from the developing devices 21 and 23.

The exposure device 7 drives the LD in accordance with color image information, for example, image data obtained by converting a color image signal from a computer into an optical signal, and irradiates the polygon mirror 29 with laser light L. When the laser light deflected by the polygon mirror 29 reaches either the photoconductor 3 or the photoconductor 5, optical writing corresponding to image signals of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow is performed, and the left and right photosensitive elements are written. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the body drums 17 and 23.

In such an arrangement, in the image forming process by the color printer 1, first, the right photosensitive member 17 is uniformly charged by the right charging device 19. Next, in the exposure device 7, the LD is driven according to the image data to irradiate the polygon mirror 29 with a laser beam to form an electrostatic latent image on the right side photosensitive member 17, and this electrostatic latent image is transferred from the black developing device 21B. Is developed as a black toner image with the black toner.

The black toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 9
And the primary transfer is sequentially performed on the intermediate transfer belt 9 so that the cyan toner image, the yellow toner image, and the magenta toner image formed in the same manner are superimposed. Then, the toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 9 is transferred to the secondary transfer device 1.
By performing the secondary transfer on the transfer paper supplied from the paper supply unit 13 by 1 and fixing by the fixing device 15, a full-color image is obtained.

The color printer 1 includes developing units 21B, 21C, 27M, 27 of the left and right developing units 21, 27.
A powder transfer device 29 for supplying the toner corresponding to each color to Y is provided separately from the developing devices 21 and 23. Since the powder transfer device 29 is provided separately from the developing devices 21 and 23, compared with the case where a toner cartridge for supplying toner is directly mounted on the developing devices 21 and 23, the area around the photosensitive members 17 and Space can be reduced.

The powder transfer device 29 includes black, cyan,
A storage unit 31 that stores magenta and yellow toners,
Black tube (passage member) 33 through which black toner passes, and cyan tube 3 through which cyan toner passes
5 and a magenta tube 37 through which magenta toner passes
And a yellow tube 39 through which the yellow toner passes.

As shown in FIG. 2, the black tube 3
The third nozzle (supply port) 33a is a black developing device 21B.
The nozzle 35a of the cyan tube 35 is connected to the opening 43 of the cyan developing device 21C, the nozzle 37a of the magenta tube 37 is connected to the opening 45 of the magenta developing device 27M, The nozzle 39a of the tube 39 is connected to the opening 47 of the yellow developing device 27Y. Each nozzle is made of an elastically deformable member.

In this embodiment, the opening 4 of each developing device is used.
1, 43, 45, and 47 are arranged on the same straight line (see FIG. 5), and similarly, each nozzle 33a, 35a, 37a,
39a are also arranged on the same straight line, and are held by the holding member 49 in this state. The holding member 49 is located above the left and right developing devices 21 and 27 and the developing devices 21B, 21C, 2C.
7M and 27Y are arranged so as to intersect in the exchange direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), so that toner can easily fall.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding member 49 includes a support portion 53 through which the rotating shaft 51 is inserted, a projection portion 57 held by a hook 55 provided on the main body of the image forming apparatus. Is provided. The holding member 49 is provided for each nozzle 3
3a, 35a, 37a, and 39a are the openings 41, 4
Rotation about the rotating shaft 51 is possible between a connection position (solid line position in FIG. 4) connecting to 3, 45, 47 and a separation position (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) away from the connection position. ing.

The support portion 53 of the holding member 49 is provided with abutting portions 53a at positions corresponding to the developing devices 21B, 21C, 27M, and 27Y. When lifted in the direction C, the abutting portion 53a abuts on the developing device, whereby the holding member 49 rotates from the connection position indicated by the solid line to the separated position indicated by the two-dot chain line. When the holding member 49 rotates to the separated position, the protrusion 5
When the hook 7 is engaged with the hook, the holding member 49 is held at the separated position. As described above, since the rotating operation of the holding member 49 automatically rotates in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the developing device, without impairing the operability of the user,
Easy maintenance. In addition, a plurality of nozzles 33
Since a, 35a, 37a, and 39a are held as one unit by the holding member 49, the exchangeability of the developing device is improved.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the axis R of the rotating shaft 51 of the holding member 49 is aligned with the direction in which the openings 41, 43, 45, and 47 of each developing device are arranged, that is, each opening. Are parallel to the same straight line M connecting. Therefore, the holding member 4
9, the nozzles 33a, 3
When the rotary members 5a, 37a, and 39a are rotated, the openings 41, 43, 45, and 47 of each developing device and the nozzle 33 of each passage member are rotated.
a, 35a, 37a, and 39a do not shift in the arrangement direction (the direction of the straight line M). For this reason, it is possible to prevent toner of another color from entering the opening of the developing device (for example, black toner scattered from the nozzle 33a of the black tube 35 entering the opening 43 of the cyan developing device 21C). It is possible to prevent toner color mixture due to scattering.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, when the holding member 100 is configured to rotate around a shaft 103 provided in a direction perpendicular to the line M connecting the openings, the black tube The toner scattered from the nozzle 101 does not enter the opening 104 of the black developing device, but enters the opening 105 of the cyan developing device. The scattered toner may contaminate the inside of the apparatus.

In this embodiment, each developing device 21
When B, 21C, 27M, and 27Y are set in the developing devices 21 and 27, the holding members 49
However, when the developing device is removed in the direction of arrow C due to replacement of the developing device or the like, as described above, the holding member 49 is moved to the separated position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. And is held at the separated position by the hook 55. At this time, the rotation of the holding member 49 causes the tubes 33, 35, 37, and 39 to be twisted (bent) as shown in FIG. 6, preventing the movement of the toner in each tube and preventing the toner from scattering. At the same time, it recovers power.

In this state, when the developing device is set, when the developing device pushes the abutting portion 53a of the holding member 49 in the direction of arrow D, the locked state of the hook 55 and the projection 57 is released. And the return force of the torsion of the tube
It returns to the position shown by the solid line in FIGS. At that time, the bending of the tube returns to its original state, and the toner can be supplied again.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a copying machine that forms a color image with four color toners. However, for example, a copying machine that forms an image with two, three, or five or more color toners is used. There is no particular limitation as long as a plurality of color toners are used.

In the present embodiment, each tube 33a, 3
5a, 37a, and 39a are rotated together while being held by the holding member, but are not limited thereto, and may be independently rotated.

Although the present invention has been applied to the color printer 1, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine thereof in addition to the color printer 1. A similar effect is obtained.

[0034]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, each supply port which can be connected to the opening of each developing unit is rotated about an axis parallel to the same straight line connecting the opening of each developing unit. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the positional relationship between the opening of each developing device and the supply port of each passage member from being shifted in the arrangement direction, and to prevent toner color mixing due to toner scattering.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and the turning operation of the supply port of the passage member is automatically performed in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation of the developing device. , The maintenance can be easily performed without impairing the operability of the user.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first or second aspect of the invention are obtained, and when the supply port of the passage member is turned to the separated position, the passage member is bent. Since the passage is sealed, toner remaining in the passage member can be prevented from leaking from the supply port.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the same effect as that of the third aspect of the invention is obtained, and the return of the supply port of the passage member from the separated position to the connection position returns the bending of the passage member. By performing the operation by the return force, the return operation of the holding member can be easily performed with a simple and low-cost configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a color printer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a nozzle of a tube is connected to an opening of a developing device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a holding member at a connecting position.

FIG. 4 is a view of the holding member of FIG. 2 viewed from a direction of an arrow A, and is a view for explaining a rotation operation of the holding member.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the holding member of FIG. 2 as viewed from the direction of arrow B.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the holding member at a separated position.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a state in which a holding member according to a comparative example is at a separated position.

[Description of Signs] 1 Color printer (image forming apparatus) 17, 19 Photoconductor (image carrier) 21, 23 Developing device 21B, 21C, 27M, 27Y Developing device 29 Powder transfer device (supplying means) 33, 35, 37, 39 Tube (passage member) 33a, 35a, 37a, 39a Nozzle (supply port of passage member) 41, 43, 45, 47 Opening of developing unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier as a toner image by using one of developing devices having toners of different colors; and a developing device provided separately from the developing device and provided in each developing device. Replenishing means for replenishing toner of a corresponding color, the replenishing means having a passage member having a supply port connectable to an opening of each developing device, and supplying toner to each developing device through each passage member. In the image forming apparatus, the opening of each developing device is arranged on the same straight line, the supply port of each passage member is connected to the opening of each developing device, and the separated position is separated from the connecting position. An image forming apparatus, which is rotatably provided, and rotates about an axis parallel to the same straight line connecting the openings of the respective developing devices. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation operation of the supply port of the passage member is interlocked with the attachment / detachment operation of the developing device to / from the developing device. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the passage member is bent when the supply port of the passage member is rotated from the connection position to the separated position. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the return of the supply port of the passage member from the separated position to the connection position is performed by a return force for returning the bending of each passage member.