JP2000206752A - Electrophotographic recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively and easily reuse a constituting part by displaying the number of reuse times by a reproducing work with respect to an electrophotographic recording device whose constituting part is reused by removing a part deteriorated with passage of time. SOLUTION: Relating to the electrophotographic recording device that magnet rollers 24 and 27 reused twice are assembled into a processing cartridge which can be attachably and detachably exchanged, projected ribs 34 and 35 whose cross sections are made in a projected-shape so as to be ground and removed, together with the part of the surface deteriorated with time at each reprocessing are formed in parallel in the radial direction at least at one end part side surface of the magnet rollers 24 and 27.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic recording apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus for removing components aged over time and reusing components.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, copiers, facsimile machines,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known an electrophotographic recording device mounted on a printer device for transferring and recording an image based on received image data on paper, and this recording device shines light on a charged photoconductor based on image data. To form an electrostatic latent image, develop the electrostatic latent image with toner, and transfer and record the image on paper to form an image.

[0003] In this type of electrophotographic recording apparatus, used toner cartridges and the like are generally disposed of. However, in response to a request for recycling resources in recent years, even used toner cartridges can be collected, disassembled, and disassembled. After cleaning, toner is being replenished and reused, and some reusable components are regenerated and reassembled for use. The reusing (recycling) of the component parts is similarly performed in a process cartridge in which a toner tank is installed and some components necessary for image formation are assembled.

For example, a functional component such as a magnet roller that is assembled into a toner cartridge or a cleaning device and supplies toner to a developing device, or collects waste toner, has a semi-permanent magnetizing force. Can be targeted.

[0005]

However, in the case of component parts, by repeatedly executing the image forming process, for example, when a magnet roller is described below as an example, it is in a state where it is always in contact with toner, and cleaning is performed. In the device, the scraper etc. repeatedly slides and scrapes off to collect the toner on the surface, so the surface of the magnet roller has the toner stuck or damaged and can be reused as it is It is necessary to recycle after performing a regenerating operation such as polishing.

In such a functional component, the number of reproductions that can be used without impairing the function is limited, and it is necessary to clearly manage the number of reuses.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138729 proposes that a groove indicating the number of times of reproduction is formed at the end of the roller shaft by using a lathe or the like.
However, in the method proposed in this publication, the roller shaft has to be subjected to lathe processing and the like separately from the polishing of the functional portion, and a new process is added to the work, which takes time and increases the cost. There is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to display the number of reuses by a reproducing operation so that the components can be easily reused without any trouble.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, the present invention forms an electrostatic latent image by writing light on a charged photoreceptor based on image data, and forms the electrostatic latent image with toner. In an electrophotographic recording apparatus that develops and transfers and records on paper to form an image, a component that is removed and reused by removing a part that has deteriorated over time is removed together with the removed portion to indicate the number of reuses. The present invention is characterized in that one or more display means formed in a shape or a concave shape or formed by coloring are provided, and the number of reusable times of the component is displayed.

According to the present invention, by performing an operation of removing a part that has deteriorated with time when a component part is recycled, the display means is removed according to the number of reuses together with the removed part. In the case of reuse only, one display means is removed and is not left, so that the second reuse is displayed. In the case of reuse a plurality of times, two or more display means are re-used. The display means for the number of reusable times remains after being removed according to the number of times of use, and the number of times of reuse is displayed. In the case where the display means displays the number of reuses by coloring, the number of reuses is displayed by coloring the outermost portion or the like.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of an electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention.
This corresponds to the inventions described in 2 and 5. In this embodiment,
The components for image formation can be replaced together with the toner on the recording medium by attaching and detaching the process cartridge.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an electrophotographic recording apparatus mounted on a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like. Has been assembled. The electrophotographic recording device 10 includes a photosensitive drum 12, a charging unit 13, a developing unit 14, a transfer unit 15,
The cleaning unit 16 includes a cleaning unit 16, a neutralizing unit 17, a fresh toner tank 18, and a waste toner tank 19, and includes a charging unit 13, a cleaning unit 16, a neutralizing unit 17,
Fresh toner tank 18 and waste toner tank 19
Is assembled to the process cartridge 11.

After the photosensitive drum 12 is neutralized by the neutralizing LED 17 constituting the neutralizing unit 17, the photosensitive drum 12 rotates while being negatively charged by the charging unit 13, and is rotated by an optical system (not shown) mounted on the apparatus body side. The surface is scanned with a laser beam based on image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing unit 14 includes a developing roller 21 and an intermediate roller 22, and is provided with a fresh toner tank 18.
The toner supplied to the developing unit from the inside is uniformly applied on the surface of the developing roller 21 by a developing blade (no number).
The toner is supplied to the surface of the intermediate roller 22 by an electric action. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12 is developed with the toner to form a toner image. The transfer unit 15 is configured by a transfer roller 15 and transfers a toner image on the photosensitive drum 12 to a recording sheet P separately transported from a sheet cassette on the apparatus main body side to record and form an image. The recording paper P to which the toner image has been transferred is neutralized by the neutralizing brush 20, and then the fixing roller attached to the apparatus main body is heated and pressed to fix the toner image.

The cleaning unit 17 includes a rubber blade 2
3. A rubber blade 23, which is composed of a magnet roller 24 and a scraper 25, slides on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12, collects (scraps off) the toner remaining on the surface, attaches it to the magnet roller 24, and then attaches it to the magnet roller 24. And waste toner is stored in the waste toner tank 19. On the other hand, the toner supplied by the developing unit 14 from inside the fresh toner tank 18 is supplied to the agitator 2 provided in the fresh toner tank 18.
6 is rotated and fed to the side of the magnet roller 27 disposed above the developing roller 21, and the magnet roller 27 rotates and scrapes off the toner on the surface to rotate the agitator 28 adjacent to the developing roller 21. To supply fresh toner in the direction of the developing roller 21.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 29 denotes a toner end sensor for detecting the amount of toner in the fresh toner tank 18. In the electrophotographic photographing apparatus 10, consumable parts such as the magnet rollers 24 and 27 are removed and replaced together with the process cartridge 11 every time about 10K (K: 1000) image formations where toner runs out, for example. And the removed process cartridge 11
When the consumable part has reached the use limit, the consumable part is replaced by assembling a new one to the process cartridge 11 to be reused. However, for the reusable parts such as the magnet rollers 24 and 27, the recycle processing is performed. Some are reassembled and recycled after the application.

For example, the magnet roller 2 shown in FIG.
Nos. 4 and 27 are limits that do not impair the function because the toner that always comes into contact is fixed or the surface is damaged by the scraper 25 that comes into sliding contact by repeatedly executing the image forming process. The regenerated material that has been polished to remove the deteriorated portion with time is assembled into the process cartridge 11 and replaced. In the present embodiment, at least one of the reusable magnet rollers 24 and 27 is used. Convex ribs 34, 3 having a protruding cross section are provided on the side surfaces of the end so as to be polished and removed together with the aging portion of the surface each time the regeneration process is performed.
5 are formed in parallel in the normal direction, and are polished until the function is restored by removing the convex ribs 34 in the first regeneration processing, and the convex ribs 35 are removed in the second regeneration processing to maintain the function. After polishing to the limit, it can be assembled into the process cartridge 11 and reused (recycled) twice. The convex ribs 34 and 35 may be concentric circular rings having different diameters, or may be protrusions themselves.

Therefore, the magnet rollers 24, 27
Indicates the number of reuses by the number of removed convex ribs 34 and 35, and the number of reusable times in the future by the remaining number.
When 35 has been removed, it is possible to display that reproduction is impossible. As described above, in the present embodiment, for example, the remaining convex ribs are provided on the magnet rollers 24, 27 to be reused by providing the convex ribs 34, 34 that are polished and removed together with the surface that has deteriorated with time during the reproduction process. The number of reusable times and the number of reusable times can be grasped from the number of the rollers 34, 34, and the magnet rollers 24, 27 can be reused easily without any trouble.

Further, when the polishing is performed until the protruding ribs 34, 34 are removed, the function can be returned to a reusable state.
4, 27 quality can be ensured. Next, FIG. 4 is a view showing a second embodiment of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and this embodiment corresponds to the first, third, and fifth aspects of the present invention. Since the present embodiment is configured substantially in the same manner as the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations using FIGS. 1 and 2 and the characteristic portions will be described (third embodiment). Also in the form).

Referring to FIG. 4, the electrophotographic recording apparatus 10 comprises:
Instead of the convex ribs 34 and 35 of the above-described embodiment, magnet rollers 24 and 27 in which concave grooves 44 and 45 each having a depressed cross section are formed in parallel are assembled to the process cartridge 11. Can be displayed by the grooves 44 and 45 together with the number of reuses (reusable number of times) and the fact that reproduction is impossible.

As described above, also in this embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.
The magnet rollers 24, 27 whose quality has been easily ensured can be reused. Next, FIG. 5 is a view showing a third embodiment of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and this embodiment corresponds to the first, fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, the electrophotographic recording device 10 comprises
Instead of the convex ribs 34 and 35 and the concave grooves 44 and 45 of the above-described embodiment, at least one end side surface has concentric circles and different diameters so that it is polished and removed together with the aging portion of the surface for each regeneration process. Magnet rollers 24 and 27 in which the annular regions 51 and 52 are colored differently are assembled to the process cartridge 11.
Nos. 4 and 27 were polished until the function was restored by removing the annular region 51 during the first regeneration process, and polished to the limit where the function was maintained by removing the annular region 52 during the second regeneration process. After that, it can be assembled into the process cartridge 11 and reused (recycled) twice.

As described above, also in this embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.
The magnet rollers 24, 27 whose quality has been easily ensured can be reused. In the above-described embodiment, the projecting ribs 34 and 35 and the concave groove 4 are provided.
4, 45 or differently colored annular regions 51, 5
The case of displaying the number of reuses etc. by 2 will be described,
The present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the components are removed at the same time during the reproduction process. It is preferred to be erected (extended parallel to the surface (in the axial direction)).

[0022]

According to the present invention, the display means can be removed and the number of re-uses can be displayed at the same time as the regenerating operation of the component for removing the parts that have deteriorated over time. On the other hand, the number of reuses can be grasped by the number of remaining display means, and the number of reusable times in the future can be grasped by the number of display means. Therefore, the operation of displaying the number of reuses separately from the reproduction operation can be omitted, and the components can be easily reused at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of an electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and is a transparent front view showing a main part thereof.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing its components.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the components, FIG. 3A is a plan view from a direction normal to the axis, and FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of components thereof.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a third embodiment of the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to the present invention, and is a partially enlarged view of components of the electrophotographic recording apparatus viewed from an axial direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 electrophotographic recording device 11 process cartridge 12 photoreceptor drum 13 charging unit 14 developing unit 15 transfer unit 16 cleaning unit 17 static elimination unit 18 fresh toner tank 19 waste toner tank 24, 27 magnet roller (component) 25 stray bar 31, 32 , 41, 42, 51, 52 Polishing parts 33, 34 Projection shape (display means) 43, 44 Depression shape (display means)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H027 DA50 DE01 DE03 HB02 HB05 HB15 2H034 AA06 BC03 BF03 CA04 2H071 BA04 BA13 BA33 DA08 2H077 AB03 AB14 AC03 AC13 AD06 AD13 AD31 BA09 CA19 DA15 DA42 GA04

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electrophotographic method for forming an electrostatic latent image by writing light on a charged photoreceptor based on image data, developing the electrostatic latent image with toner, and transferring and recording the image on paper to form an image. An electrophotographic recording apparatus, comprising: a component for removing a part that has deteriorated with time and reusing the recording part; and a display unit for displaying the number of reuses removed together with the removed part. 2. An electrophotographic recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means is formed in a projection shape. 3. An electrophotographic recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means is formed in a concave shape. 4. An electrophotographic recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means is constituted by coloring. 5. The component according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of display means are provided for the component parts reused two or more times so as to display the number of reusable times. Electrophotographic recording device.