JP2016218271A - Waste developer container, toner cartridge, image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste developer container which can efficiently store a more waste developer.SOLUTION: A waste toner container 24 which includes a storage port 24a for storing waste toner in a container, and a first conveyance screw 291 and a second conveyance screw 292 for conveying the waste toner in a prescribed direction in the container, and is attached to an image formation apparatus 1 comprises: a first storage part 241 which is provided with the first conveyance screw 291 and stores the waste toner entering from a storage port 24a; and a second storage part 242 which is provided with a second conveyance screw 292. Portions of the first storage part 241 and the second storage part 242 communicate to each other. The second storage part 242 is provided on the upper side than the first storage part 241 in the horizontal surface placement state of the image formation apparatus 1 attached with the waste toner container 24. The waste toner container includes a partition member 30 for partitioning the first storage part 241 from the second storage part 242.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste developer container, a toner cartridge including a waste developer container, and an image forming apparatus in a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a composite machine including the waste developer container.

  In an image forming apparatus in a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a complex machine thereof, the developer remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor after the transfer operation and the developer remaining on the intermediate transfer belt after the intermediate transfer are cleaned. After being scraped off by the member, it is conveyed by a screw or the like and stored in a waste developer container.

  By the way, when the waste developer is accommodated in the waste developer container, it is desirable that the waste developer is accommodated in every corner of the container so that the accommodation space inside the container can be utilized to the maximum extent. For this reason, invention of the waste developer container which conveys the waste developer inside a container by the conveyance member provided inside the waste developer container, and accommodates the waste developer without deviation has already been made.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 4845655), as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in the waste toner collection box 100, the eccentric cam 102 is rotated by the rotation of the cam shaft 101, and the stirring plate 103 is moved. It moves in the direction of arrows M1 to M4 in FIG. As a result, the waste toner stored therein is conveyed in the directions of the arrows in FIG. 9 by the respective conveyance units (respective lattice portions in FIG. 9) provided on the stirring plate 103, and sequentially into the areas N1 to N4. Waste toner can be filled.

  In the waste toner collection box of Patent Document 1, waste toner can be stored in each of the areas N1 to N4, and the bias of the stored waste toner can be eliminated. However, in the method of storing waste toner in each area as the stirring plate rotates, the force for compressing the stored waste toner does not work. For this reason, there is a possibility that the waste toner cannot be efficiently stored due to the gap between the waste toners.

  Under such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a waste developer container that can efficiently accommodate more waste developer.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an accommodation port for accommodating a waste developer in a container, a first conveyance screw and a second conveyance screw for conveying the waste developer in a predetermined direction in the container. A waste developer container that is mounted on the image forming apparatus and that includes the first transport screw and that stores the waste developer that enters from the storage port. And a second accommodating portion provided with the second conveying screw, the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion are in communication with each other, and the waste developer container is mounted. In the horizontal surface mounting state of the image forming apparatus, the second housing portion is provided above the first housing portion, and has a partition member that partitions the first housing portion and the second housing portion. And

  In the waste developer container of the present invention, the waste developer can be transported in a predetermined direction while being compressed by the respective transport screws provided inside, so that the waste developer can be efficiently put into the container without a gap. Can be accommodated. Further, by providing a partition member between the first storage portion and the second storage portion, it is possible to prevent the waste developer from spontaneously falling from the second storage portion to the first storage portion, in a direction different from the transport direction. The waste developer can be prevented from flowing out.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating waste toner conveyance. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a waste toner conveyance tube. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a small-capacity toner cartridge. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a small capacity toner cartridge as viewed from the side. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional waste toner container. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional waste toner container.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same or it corresponds, The duplication description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  In the monochrome image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, a process unit 2 is detachably provided. The process unit 2 includes a photosensitive drum 10, which is a drum-like rotating body capable of carrying toner as a developer on the surface thereof, a charging roller 11 that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, and a photosensitive member. The developing device 12 supplies toner to the surface of the drum 10 and a cleaning blade 13 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 10.

  A toner cartridge 22 is provided adjacent to the developing device 12. In the toner cartridge 22, a toner supply container 23 as a developer supply container that stores toner to be supplied to the developing device 12 and a waste toner container 24 as a waste developer container that stores waste toner are integrated. Provided. The toner cartridge 22 is detachably attached to the process unit 2. The toner cartridge 22 is provided so as to be detachable from the image forming apparatus 1 integrally with the process unit 2.

  An exposure unit 3 is disposed below the process unit 2. The exposure unit 3 is configured to emit laser light based on the image data.

  A transfer roller 14 for transferring an image on the surface of the photoconductive drum 10 is disposed at a position where the photoconductive drum 10 abuts. A transfer nip is formed by the contact portion between the transfer roller 14 and the photosensitive drum 10. A predetermined direct voltage (DC) and / or alternating voltage (AC) is applied to the transfer roller 14.

  A paper feed unit 4 is located below the image forming apparatus 1, and a paper feed cassette 15 that stores paper P as a recording medium and a paper feed roller that carries the paper P from the paper feed cassette 15 to the transport path 5. It consists of 16 mag. A registration roller 17 is disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper supply roller 16.

  The fixing unit 6 includes a fixing roller 18 that is heated by a heating source, a pressure roller 19 that can press the fixing roller 18, and the like.

  A paper discharge unit 7 is provided at the end of the conveyance path 5. The paper discharge unit 7 includes a pair of paper discharge rollers 20 for discharging the paper P to the outside and a paper discharge tray 21 for stocking the discharged paper P.

  The process unit 2, the exposure unit 3, the fixing unit 6, and the like are image forming units for forming an image on the paper P.

  The basic operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

  When the image forming operation is started, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is charged by the charging roller 11. Then, a laser beam is irradiated from the exposure unit 3 based on the image data, and the potential of the irradiated portion is lowered to form an electrostatic latent image. The photosensitive drum 10 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed is supplied with toner from the developing device 12 to the surface portion, and is visualized as a toner image (developer image). The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 10 after the transfer is removed by the cleaning blade 13 and stored in a waste toner container described later.

  On the other hand, when the image forming operation is started, the paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 15 is moved to the transport path 5 by rotating the paper feed roller 16 of the paper feed unit 4 in the lower part of the image forming apparatus 1. Sent out.

  The sheet P sent to the conveyance path 5 is timed by the registration roller 17 and conveyed to the nip portion between the transfer roller 14 and the photosensitive drum 10 at a timing facing the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, and the toner image. Is transcribed.

  The sheet P on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 6 and heated and pressed by the heated fixing roller 18 and the pressure roller 19, and the toner image is fixed on the sheet P. Then, the sheet P on which the toner image is fixed is separated from the fixing roller 18, conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers, and discharged to a discharge tray 21 by a discharge roller 20.

  Here, a process until the waste toner as the waste developer remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is accommodated in the waste toner container 24 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning blade 13 contacts the rotating photosensitive drum 10 and scrapes off the transfer residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. The scraped residual toner is transported in the direction of the arrow in the drawing by the flexible screw 25 inside the waste toner transport pipe 26 and is stored in the waste toner container 24 as waste toner.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the waste toner conveying tube 26 has a substantially right angle between one end 26 a provided on the photosensitive drum 10 side, the other end 26 b provided on the waste toner container 24 side, and both ends thereof. 2 curved surface portions 26c.

  By making the waste toner conveying tube 26 U-shaped with two curved surface portions 26c, a waste toner conveying path is provided outside the axial end of the photosensitive drum 10, so that the photosensitive drum 10 and the like The waste toner can be conveyed to the waste toner container 24 while avoiding each member.

  The flexible screw 25 is composed of a flexible member such as elastomer rubber. Accordingly, the flexible screw 25 can be provided along the curved surface portion 26c of the above-described waste toner conveyance tube 26, and the waste toner inside the waste toner conveyance tube 26 can be conveyed by one flexible screw 25. Instead of the flexible screw 25, a coil for conveying waste toner may be used.

  The waste toner is transported in the direction of the arrow B1 in the waste toner transport pipe 26 and is transported to the other end 26b. Then, the waste toner is conveyed from the other end 26b in the direction of the arrow B2, and stored in a waste toner container 24 provided at the end.

  Next, the configuration of the toner cartridge will be described. The toner cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to accommodate a larger amount of toner and waste toner after use by increasing the capacity. In the following description, first, the configuration of a toner cartridge having a smaller capacity than that of the embodiment (hereinafter referred to as a small capacity toner cartridge) will be described, and then the toner cartridge of this embodiment will be described.

  The small-capacity toner cartridge 22 shown in FIG. 4 is integrally provided with a toner supply container 23 disposed above and a waste toner container 24 disposed below the toner supply container 23.

  The toner replenishing container 23 has an agitating / conveying paddle 27 and a toner replenishing screw 28 as a supply member provided in the vicinity of the outlet 23a. The agitation transport paddle 27 can transport the toner inside the toner supply container 23 toward the toner supply screw 28 while stirring the toner. The toner replenishing screw 28 conveys the toner to an outlet 23a provided at one end in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface by conveying the toner in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG.

  The toner replenishing container 23 is connected to the developing device 12 at the outlet 23a, and the toner conveyed to the outlet 23a side by the toner replenishing screw 28 is conveyed in the direction of arrow C and is replenished to the developing device 12. .

  The waste toner container 24 is provided with a conveying screw 29. The waste toner that has been transported through the waste toner transport pipe 26 (see FIG. 3) is stored into the waste toner container 24 through the storage port 24a. The waste toner accommodated in the waste toner container 24 is conveyed in the direction of arrow D by the conveyance screw 29 as shown in FIG.

  In contrast to the small-capacity toner cartridge described above, the toner cartridge of this embodiment has a larger capacity of the toner supply container 23 and the waste toner container 24 so that more toner can be accommodated.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the toner replenishing container 23 has a large capacity, has two toner storage portions on the left and right sides thereof, and is provided with stirring transport paddles 271 and 272, respectively.

  In addition, the waste toner container 24 includes a first storage portion 241 in which the first transport screw 291 is provided and a second storage portion 242 in which the second transport screw 292 is provided. A partition member 30 is provided between the first housing part 241 and the second housing part 242, and divides the two housing parts.

  In a state where the image forming apparatus 1 is mounted on the horizontal plane, the second storage unit 242 is provided above the first storage unit 241. A bottom surface 242a of the second storage portion 242 is provided continuously to the horizontal bottom surface 241a of the first storage portion 241. The bottom surface 242a of the second housing portion 242 is inclined from the first housing portion 241 side toward the opposite side, and is continuous with the bottom surface 241a of the first housing portion 241 at the lower end thereof.

  The partition member 30 is provided between the first storage unit 241 and the second storage unit 242, and prevents waste toner stored in the second storage unit 242 from spontaneously falling to the first storage unit 241 side. ing.

  The first storage unit 241 has a storage port 24a for storing the waste toner conveyed above. The second accommodating portion 242 has a wider space above the first accommodating portion 241.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the waste toner container 24 as viewed from above. The 1st conveyance screw 291 and the 2nd conveyance screw 292 are provided in parallel with the horizontal direction of a figure, and partition member 30 is provided between them. The first accommodating portion 241 and the second accommodating portion 242 are partially communicated by the first communicating hole 31 and the second communicating hole 32 that are provided at two positions on the left and right in FIG. In other portions, the partition member 30 is provided over the entire length of the waste toner container 24 in the left-right direction in the figure. A flexible sheet member 33 is provided on the shaft portion of the portion of the first conveying screw 291 facing the first through-hole 31.

  The first transport screw 291 transports waste toner in the direction of arrow B3. The second transport screw 292 transports the waste toner in the direction of the arrow B5 opposite to the first transport screw 291.

  The first through hole 31 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first transport screw 291 and on the upstream side in the transport direction of the second transport screw 292. The second communication hole 32 is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction of the first transport screw 291 and on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second transport screw 292.

  The waste toner that has been transported in the direction of arrow B2 and entered the waste toner container 24 from the storage port 24a is first stored in the first storage unit 241 and transported in the direction of arrow B3 by the first transport screw 291 to be first. It is carried to a position facing the communication hole 31.

  Then, the sheet member 33 provided at a position facing the first series of through holes 31 is rotated by the rotation of the first conveying screw 291, and waste toner is moved in the direction of the arrow B 4 on the first series of through holes 31 side. invite. Then, the waste toner guided in the direction of the arrow B4 and passing through the first through hole 31 moves from the first storage unit 241 to the second storage unit 242.

  The waste toner conveyed to the second storage unit 242 is transported in the direction of the arrow B5 by the second transport screw 292.

  The first transport screw 291 and the second transport screw 292 have a plurality of blade portions 29a in the transport direction, and the outer diameter of the blade portion 29a is larger on the upstream side in each transport direction than on the downstream side. As a result, the upstream conveyance amount can be increased to reduce the downstream conveyance amount, and waste toner can be collected at the center in the conveyance direction.

  Thus, by adjusting the size of the outer diameter of the blade portion 29a of each conveyance screw, the distribution of waste toner in the conveyance direction can be adjusted. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the outer diameter of the blade portion 29 a is changed in the middle of the transport direction, but the outer diameter of the blade portion 29 a is gradually increased from the upstream side toward the downstream side, or It can also be made smaller.

  Moreover, the conveyance direction of the blade | wing part 29a is reverse to the 1st conveyance screw 291 on the boundary in which the sheet | seat member 33 is provided. As a result, the waste toner is conveyed to the sheet member 33 side and efficiently guided from the first storage unit 241 to the second storage unit 242 side.

  Part of the waste toner conveyed downstream by the second conveyance screw 292 moves in the direction of arrow B6 through the second communication hole 32 and is returned to the first storage unit 241 again.

  As described above, the waste toner container 24 of the present embodiment is provided so that the waste toner is transported therein by the first transport screw 291 and the second transport screw 292. Thereby, the waste toner can be conveyed to every corner of the waste toner container 24.

  The waste toner container 24 is desirably provided with a capacity as large as possible in order to reduce the number of replacements. However, since the capacity of the image forming apparatus 1 is limited, the waste toner container 24 tends to have a complicated shape. However, the waste toner can be conveyed to every corner of each accommodating portion by providing a conveying screw in each accommodating portion as in this embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the first storage unit 241 and the second storage unit 242 are provided with different heights. However, by providing the partition member 30 between them, waste toner is supplied from the second storage unit 242 to the first storage unit 242. The natural fall to the one accommodating part 241 side is prevented. Accordingly, the waste toner is prevented from flowing out into the first storage unit 241 before the waste toner is sufficiently stored in the second storage unit 242, and the driving torque of the first transport screw 291 is prevented from increasing.

  Each conveying screw can compress the waste toner while conveying it by applying a force in the conveying direction to the waste toner, so that a large amount of waste toner can be accommodated in the waste toner container 24.

  Further, by providing two communication holes in the first storage unit 241 and the second storage unit 242, the waste toner circulates in the waste toner container 24 in the directions of arrows B3 to B6 in FIG. In the present embodiment, waste toner is stored retroactively from the downstream side in the transport direction of the second storage unit 242 to the upstream side of the first storage unit 241. For this reason, the waste toner is sequentially accumulated upstream in the transport direction against the transport direction, which causes an increase in driving torque of the first transport screw 291 and the second transport screw 292. Therefore, by providing the second communication hole 32, it is possible to circulate the waste toner inside the waste toner container 24 and reduce the increase in the driving torque of the transport screw.

  By providing the second communication hole 32 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second transport screw 292, the waste toner can be sufficiently compressed in the second storage portion 242. In other words, if the second communication hole 32 is provided on the upstream side of the second conveying screw 292, it is not conveyed to the back side of the second accommodating portion 242 (downstream in the conveying direction) and is returned to the first accommodating portion 241. The toner increases, and the waste toner is prevented from being compressed in the second storage unit 242. Therefore, the second communication hole 32 is provided on the downstream side so as not to prevent the waste toner from being compressed in the second storage portion 242.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge 22 as viewed from the side. In particular, the second communication hole 32 of the present embodiment is provided only in a part above the partition member 30 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the waste toner is not conveyed from the second communication hole 32 to the first storage unit 241 until the height of the waste toner stored in the second storage unit 242 exceeds a certain level. Accordingly, by providing the second communication hole 32, it is possible to prevent the waste toner from being compressed as much as possible.

  Further, the first transport screw 291 and the second transport screw 292 are provided so as to rotate in conjunction with the toner supply screw 28 shown in FIG. As a result, only when the toner replenishing screw 28 replenishes toner to the developing device 12, the first transport screw 291 and the second transport screw 292 are driven to transport the toner inside the waste toner container 24. Thereby, the drive of the 1st conveyance screw 291 and the 2nd conveyance screw 292 is minimized, and the load added to the 1st conveyance screw 291 and the 2nd conveyance screw 292 by drive is minimized.

  The sheet member 33 is a flexible sheet-shaped member that can guide the waste toner in the direction of the arrow B4. For example, Mylar (registered trademark) is used.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the monochrome image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but may be a color image forming apparatus, a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof.

  In the above-described embodiment, the waste toner container for storing the transfer residual toner on the photosensitive drum 10 is used. However, in the intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus, the waste toner container for storing the transfer residual toner on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt is provided. Also good.

  The waste toner container of this embodiment has a configuration including two storage units and two transport screws, but may be configured to have three or more each.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 22 Toner cartridge 23 Toner supply container (developer supply container)
24 Waste toner container (waste developer container)
24a storage port 241 first storage unit 242 second storage unit 28 toner supply screw (supply member)
291 1st conveyance screw 292 2nd conveyance screw 29a Blade | wing part 30 Partition member 31 1st through-hole (communication hole)
32 Second communication hole (communication hole)

Japanese Patent No. 4845655

Claims (9)

A storage port for storing the waste developer in the container, and a first transport screw and a second transport screw for transporting the waste developer in a predetermined direction in the container, and attached to the image forming apparatus A waste developer container,
The first conveying screw is provided, and includes a first accommodating portion in which waste developer entering from the accommodating port is accommodated, and a second accommodating portion in which the second conveying screw is provided,
The first housing part and the second housing part are in communication with each other,
In the horizontal surface mounting state of the image forming apparatus equipped with the waste developer container, the second storage portion is provided above the first storage portion,
A waste developer container comprising a partition member that partitions the first storage portion and the second storage portion. The first conveying screw and the second conveying screw, and the partition members provided between them are arranged in parallel,
The waste developer container according to claim 1, wherein transport directions of the waste developer of the first transport screw and the second transport screw are opposite directions.   The upstream side of the first transport screw in the transport direction, the downstream side of the transport direction of the second transport screw, and the downstream side of the transport direction of the first transport screw, the upstream side of the transport direction of the second transport screw The waste developer container according to claim 1, further comprising a communication hole through which the first storage portion and the second storage portion communicate with each other. A flexible sheet member is provided at a position facing the communication hole,
The waste developer container according to claim 3, wherein the sheet member guides the waste developer from the first storage portion to the second storage portion, or from the second storage portion to the first storage portion. The first transport screw and the second transport screw are provided with a plurality of rotating blade portions across the transport direction of the waste developer,
5. The outer diameter of the blade portion of the first conveying screw, the second conveying screw, or both of the first conveying screw and the both changes at the middle of the conveying direction of the waste developer. The waste developer container as described. The first transport screw and the second transport screw are provided with a plurality of rotating blade portions across the transport direction of the waste developer,
6. Any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an outer diameter of the blade portion of the first conveying screw or the second conveying screw or both decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the waste developer. The waste developer container according to claim 1.   A toner cartridge in which a developer supply container for containing a developer to be supplied to the developing device and the waste developer container according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are integrally provided. The developer supply container has a supply member for supplying the developer to the developing device,
The toner cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the first conveying screw, the second conveying screw, or both are interlocked with the supply member.   An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; and the waste developer container according to claim 1.

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