JP2017191182A - Powder replenishing apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A powder replenishing apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of detecting the amount of powder in a powder container while suppressing cost. A powder storage container 33 for storing powder and a drive motor 603 for rotating the powder storage container are provided, and the powder storage container is rotated to remove the powder in the powder storage container. In the powder replenishing device 60 that discharges and replenishes the replenishment destination 7, based on the fluctuation range, fluctuation width acquisition means for acquiring a fluctuation width of a value related to the load torque of the drive motor in one rotation cycle of the powder container. And a powder amount detecting means for detecting the amount of powder in the powder container. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder replenishing apparatus and an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a powder replenishing device for replenishing powder stored in a powder container to a powder replenishment target is known.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133867 discloses a powder supply device that rotates a toner bottle, which is a powder container, by a drive motor, and discharges toner from a toner discharge port provided at one end in the axial direction of the toner bottle. In addition, there is described a device that replenishes toner to a developing device that is a powder replenishment target. The toner replenishing device is provided with a toner reservoir that temporarily stores toner discharged from the toner outlet of the toner bottle, and the toner is replenished to the developing device via the toner reservoir. A toner detection sensor made of a piezoelectric element that detects the presence or absence of toner at a predetermined height in the toner storage portion is provided on the inner wall of the toner storage portion. The toner detection sensor detects the presence of toner when there is toner at the predetermined height, and detects the absence of toner when there is no toner at the predetermined height. If the toner detection sensor continues to detect the absence of toner even though the drive motor rotates the toner bottle to discharge the toner, the controller determines that the toner bottle is empty. Is done.

  However, there is a problem that cost increases due to the provision of the toner detection sensor.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a powder storage container that stores powder, and a drive motor that rotates the powder storage container, and rotates the powder storage container to store the powder. In a powder replenishing apparatus that discharges powder in a container and replenishes the replenishment destination, a fluctuation range acquisition unit that acquires a fluctuation range of a value related to a load torque of the drive motor in one rotation period of the powder storage container; And a powder amount detecting means for detecting the amount of powder in the powder container based on the fluctuation range.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to detect the amount of powder in the powder container while reducing the cost.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a motor current waveform in a range surrounded by a square in the graph shown in FIG. 10. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a printer according to an embodiment. Schematic which shows the structure of the process unit for producing | generating a Y toner image. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of an electric circuit of the printer. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where a toner container is installed in the toner supply device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a toner container according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a toner replenishing device and a front end side end of the toner container before the toner container is mounted. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a toner replenishing device in a state in which a toner container is mounted and a front end portion of the toner container. The graph which showed the time transition of the motor electric current value at the time of rotating a toner bottle. The graph which showed an example of the motor current waveform at the time of rotating a toner bottle. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of a powder surface of toner in a toner bottle when there is no rotation. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state of a toner powder surface in a toner bottle when rotating from a non-rotating time. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a toner bottle provided with a plate-like protrusion on an inner peripheral surface, cut in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a toner bottle provided with a plate-like protrusion on an inner peripheral surface, cut in the axial direction. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a toner supply device according to a second embodiment. The toner bottle is viewed from behind. The graph which showed an example of the motor current waveform at the time of rotating a toner bottle. FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a motor current waveform when a toner bottle vibrates due to a triangular protrusion and a guide in a range surrounded by a square in the graph shown in FIG. 17. The graph which showed the relationship between the toner amount in a toner bottle, and the fluctuation range of a motor current.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electrophotographic printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer 500), which is an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied, will be described. First, a basic configuration of the printer according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the printer according to the embodiment. The printer includes four process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K for yellow, cyan, magenta, and black (hereinafter referred to as Y, C, M, and K). These use Y, C, M, and K toners of different colors as image forming substances for forming an image, but the other configurations are the same.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a process unit 1Y for generating a Y toner image. The process unit 1Y has a photoreceptor unit 2Y and a developing device 7Y. The photoconductor unit 2Y and the developing device 7Y are configured to be detachable from the printer main body integrally as the process unit 1Y. However, the developing device 7Y can be attached to and detached from the photoreceptor unit 2Y in a state where it is detached from the printer main body. The photoreceptor unit 2Y includes a drum-shaped photoreceptor 3Y as a latent image carrier, a drum cleaning device 4Y, a charge eliminating device, a charging device 5Y, and the like. The charging device 5Y as the charging means uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 3Y, which is driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. 2 by the driving means, with the charging roller 6Y. Specifically, in FIG. 3, a charging bias is applied from a power source to a charging roller 6Y that is driven to rotate counterclockwise, and the charging roller 6Y is brought close to or in contact with the photoconductor 3Y, thereby causing the photoconductor 3Y to move. Charge uniformly. Instead of the charging roller 6Y, another charging member such as a charging brush may be used in proximity or contact. Further, a charger that uniformly charges the photosensitive member 3Y by a charger method, such as a scorotron charger, may be used. The surface of the photoreceptor 3Y uniformly charged by the charging device 5Y is exposed and scanned by a laser beam emitted from an optical writing unit 20 serving as a latent image forming unit, which will be described later, and carries an electrostatic latent image for Y.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the developing device 7Y as the developing means has a first agent storage chamber 9Y in which a first developer conveying screw 8Y as a developer conveying means is disposed. Further, it also has a second agent storage chamber 14Y in which a toner concentration sensor 10Y comprising a magnetic permeability sensor as a toner concentration detecting means, a second developer conveying screw 11Y, a developing roll 12Y, a doctor blade 13Y and the like are disposed. . Y developer, which is a two-component developer composed of a magnetic carrier and a negatively chargeable Y toner, is contained in these two agent storage chambers forming a circulation path. The first developer conveying screw 8Y is rotationally driven by a driving unit to convey the Y developer in the first agent containing chamber 9Y to the near side in FIG. The Y developer in the middle of conveyance is a portion (hereinafter referred to as “replenishment position”) facing the toner replenishing port 17Y in the first agent storage chamber 9Y by the toner concentration sensor 10Y fixed above the first developer conveyance screw 8Y. ), The toner concentration of the Y developer passing through a predetermined detection position located downstream of the developer circulation direction is detected. Then, the Y developer transported to the end of the first agent storage chamber 9Y by the first developer transport screw 8Y enters the second agent storage chamber 14Y through the communication port 18Y. The second developer transport screw 11Y in the second agent storage chamber 14Y is rotationally driven by the driving means to transport the Y developer to the back side in FIG. In this way, the developing roller 12Y is arranged in a posture parallel to the second developer conveying screw 11Y above the second developer conveying screw 11Y that conveys the Y developer in FIG. The developing roll 12Y includes a magnet roller 16Y fixedly disposed in a developing sleeve 15Y made of a non-magnetic sleeve that is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG.

  A part of the Y developer conveyed by the second developer conveying screw 11Y is pumped up to the surface of the developing sleeve 15Y by the magnetic force generated by the magnet roller 16Y. Then, after the layer thickness is regulated by a doctor blade 13Y disposed so as to maintain a predetermined gap from the surface of the developing sleeve 15Y, the layer is conveyed to a developing region facing the photosensitive member 3Y, and is transferred onto the photosensitive member 3Y. Y toner is adhered to the electrostatic latent image for Y. This adhesion forms a Y toner image on the photoreceptor 3Y. The Y developer that has consumed Y toner by the development is returned to the second developer conveying screw 11Y as the developing sleeve 15Y rotates. Then, the Y developer transported to the end of the second agent storage chamber 14Y by the second developer transport screw 11Y returns to the first agent storage chamber 9Y through the communication port 19Y. In this way, the Y developer is circulated and conveyed in the developing unit.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a part of the electric circuit of the printer. The detection result of the toner concentration of the Y developer by the toner concentration sensor 10Y is sent to the control unit 100 as an electric signal. The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 as a calculation means, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 as a storage unit, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, and the like. Various arithmetic processes and control programs can be executed. The control unit 100 stores data of the Y target voltage Vtref, which is the target value of the output voltage from the toner density sensor 10Y, in the RAM 102. Further, data of target voltages Vtref for C, M, and K, which are target values of output voltages from the toner density sensors 10C, 10M, and 10K mounted in the other developing devices 7C, 7M, and 7K, are also stored. Yes.

  For the developing device 7Y for Y, the value of the output voltage from the toner density sensor 10Y is compared with the target voltage Vtref for Y, and an amount of Y toner corresponding to the comparison result is supplied from the toner supply port 17Y. The drive mechanism 180Y of the toner supply device 60 for Y is controlled. Specifically, the drive mechanism 180 is divided into a container side drive mechanism 181a (see FIG. 5) and a sub hopper side drive mechanism 181b (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. And the control part 100 controls the drive of the drive motor 603Y (refer FIG. 8) provided in the container side drive mechanism part 181a, and the drive motor provided in the sub hopper side drive mechanism part. For example, the power supply unit 120Y that supplies current to the drive motor 603Y is controlled to rotate the drive motor 603Y. Note that the value of the motor current flowing through the drive motor 603Y is measured by the control unit 100 as needed. Further, the container side drive mechanism 181a and the sub hopper side drive mechanism 181b are independently driven. With this control, an appropriate amount of Y toner is supplied in the first agent storage chamber 9Y to the Y developer whose Y toner density has decreased due to consumption of Y toner during development. For this reason, the toner concentration of the Y developer in the second agent storage chamber 14Y is maintained within the target toner concentration range. The same applies to the developers in the developing devices 7C, 7M, and 7K for other colors.

  In FIG. 2 described above, the Y toner image formed on the photoreceptor 3Y is intermediately transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 41 which is an intermediate transfer body. The drum cleaning device 4Y of the photoreceptor unit 2Y removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 3Y after the intermediate transfer process. As a result, the surface of the photoreceptor 3Y that has been subjected to the cleaning process is neutralized by the neutralization device. By this charge removal, the surface of the photoreceptor 3Y is initialized and prepared for the next image formation. Similarly, in the process units 1C, 1M, and 1K for other colors, C toner images, M toner images, and K toner images are formed on the photoreceptors 3C, 3M, and 3K, and the intermediate transfer belt 41 is subjected to intermediate transfer. Is done.

  An optical writing unit 20 is disposed below the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K in FIG. The optical writing unit 20 emits a laser beam L based on image information (pixel information) acquired by the control unit 100 from an externally connected computer or the like to each of the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K. , 3C, 3M, 3K. As a result, electrostatic latent images for Y, C, M, and K are formed on the photoreceptors 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K, respectively. The optical writing unit 20 deflects the laser light L emitted from the light source by the polygon mirror 21 that is rotationally driven by a motor, and passes through the photoreceptors 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K via a plurality of optical lenses and mirrors. Is irradiated. Instead of such a configuration, an LED array may be used.

  A first paper feed cassette 22 and a second paper feed cassette 23 are disposed below the optical writing unit 20 so as to overlap in the vertical direction. In each of these paper feed cassettes, a plurality of recording papers P, which are recording materials, are stored in a bundle of recording papers, and the top recording paper P includes a first paper feed roller. 22a and the second paper feed roller 23a are in contact with each other. When the first paper feed roller 22a is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 2 by the driving means, the uppermost recording paper P in the first paper feed cassette 22 extends vertically on the right side of the cassette in FIG. The paper is discharged toward the paper feed path 24 arranged to exist. Further, when the second paper feeding roller 23 a is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 2 by the driving means, the uppermost recording paper P in the second paper feeding cassette 23 is discharged toward the paper feeding path 24.

  A plurality of transport roller pairs 25 are arranged in the paper feed path 24, and the recording paper P fed into the paper feed path 24 is sandwiched between the rollers of the transport roller pair 25 while being fed. 2 is conveyed from the lower side to the upper side in FIG. A registration roller pair 26 is disposed at the end of the paper feed path 24. The registration roller pair 26 temporarily stops the rotation of both rollers as soon as the recording paper P sent from the conveyance roller pair 25 is sandwiched between the rollers. Then, the recording paper P is sent out toward a secondary transfer nip described later at an appropriate timing.

  Above each of the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K in FIG. 2, a transfer unit 40 that endlessly moves counterclockwise in FIG. 2 while stretching the intermediate transfer belt 41 is disposed. In addition to the intermediate transfer belt 41, the transfer unit 40 includes a belt cleaning unit, four primary transfer rollers 45Y, 45C, 45M, and 45K, a secondary transfer backup roller 46, a drive roller 47, and a tension roller 49. The intermediate transfer belt 41 is endlessly moved counterclockwise in FIG. 2 by the rotation of the driving roller 47 while being stretched around these rollers. The four primary transfer rollers 45Y, 45C, 45M, and 45K sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 41 that moves endlessly between the photoreceptors 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K to form primary transfer nips. A transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of the toner (in this embodiment, a positive polarity) is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 41. As the endless movement of the intermediate transfer belt 41 passes through the primary transfer nips for Y, C, M, and K in sequence, the intermediate transfer belt 41 is placed on the outer surface of the photoreceptor 3Y, 3C, 3M, 3K. The color toner images are primarily transferred so as to overlap each other. As a result, a four-color superimposed toner image (hereinafter referred to as “four-color toner image”) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 41.

  The secondary transfer backup roller 46 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 41 with the secondary transfer roller 50 disposed outside the loop of the intermediate transfer belt 41 to form a secondary transfer nip. The registration roller pair 26 described above feeds the recording paper P sandwiched between the rollers toward the secondary transfer nip at a timing at which the recording paper P can be synchronized with the four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 41. The four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 41 is affected by the secondary transfer electric field formed between the secondary transfer roller 50 to which the secondary transfer bias is applied and the secondary transfer backup roller 46, and the influence of the nip pressure. Then, the secondary transfer is batch-transferred onto the recording paper P in the secondary transfer nip. Then, combined with the white color of the recording paper P, a full color toner image is obtained. Transfer residual toner that has not been transferred to the recording paper P adheres to the intermediate transfer belt 41 after passing through the secondary transfer nip. This is cleaned by a belt cleaning unit. In the belt cleaning unit, a cleaning member such as a cleaning blade is brought into contact with the front surface of the intermediate transfer belt 41, whereby the transfer residual toner on the belt is scraped off and removed.

  A fixing device 80 as a fixing unit is disposed above the secondary transfer nip in the drawing. The fixing device 80 includes a pressure heating roller 81 that includes a heat source such as a halogen lamp, and a fixing belt unit 82. The fixing belt unit 82 includes a fixing roller 84, a heating roller 83 containing a heat source such as a halogen lamp, a tension roller 85, a driving roller 86, a temperature sensor, and the like. Then, the endless fixing belt 84 is endlessly moved in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 while being stretched by the heating roller 83, the tension roller 85, and the driving roller 86. In the process of endless movement, the fixing belt 84 is heated from the back side by the heating roller 83. A pressure heating roller 81 that is driven to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 is in contact with the surface of the fixing belt 84 that is heated in this manner. Thus, a fixing nip where the pressure heating roller 81 and the fixing belt 84 abut is formed. A temperature sensor is disposed outside the loop of the fixing belt 84 so as to face the front surface of the fixing belt 84 with a predetermined gap, and the surface temperature of the fixing belt 84 immediately before entering the fixing nip. Is detected. This detection result is sent to the fixing power supply circuit. The fixing power supply circuit is included in the heating roller 83 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor.

  On / off control of power supply to the heat source and the heat source included in the pressure heating roller 81 is performed. As a result, the surface temperature of the fixing belt 84 is maintained at about 140 [° C.]. The recording paper P that has passed through the secondary transfer nip is separated from the intermediate transfer belt 41 and then fed into the fixing device 80. Then, in the process of being conveyed from the lower side to the upper side in the figure while being sandwiched between the fixing nips in the fixing device 80, the full-color toner image is applied to the recording paper P by being heated or pressed by the fixing belt 84. To settle. The recording sheet P subjected to the fixing process in this manner is discharged outside the apparatus after passing between the rollers of the discharge roller pair 87. A stack unit 88 is formed on the top surface of the printer body, and the recording paper P discharged to the outside by the discharge roller pair 87 is sequentially stacked on the stack unit 88.

  Above the transfer unit 40, toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K, which are four toner storage containers for storing Y toner, C toner, M toner, and K toner, are disposed in the toner bottle storage section. Yes. The color toners in the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K are appropriately supplied by the toner replenishing device 60 to the developing devices 7Y, 7C, 7M, and 7K of the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K, respectively. The toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K are detachable from the printer main body independently of the process units 1Y, 1C, 1M, and 1K.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the toner concentration sensor 10Y has a toner concentration in the developer immediately before entering the second agent storage chamber 14Y as the supply region in the first agent storage chamber 9Y as the non-supply region. Is detected. The toner supply port 17Y is provided at a position for supplying toner to the developer immediately after entering the first agent storage chamber 9Y from the second agent storage chamber 14Y. That is, in the first agent storage chamber 9Y, the toner concentration sensor 10Y detects the toner concentration of the developer at a position downstream of the toner supply port 17Y.

  Next, the toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where the toner container 32Y is installed in the toner replenishing device 60Y. The toner in the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K installed in the container mounting portion 70 is provided for each toner color according to the toner consumption in the developing devices 7Y, 7C, 7M, and 7K of the respective colors. The developing devices 7Y, 7C, 7M, and 7K are appropriately replenished by the toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K. The four toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K and the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K have substantially the same structure except that the colors of toner used in the image forming process are different. Therefore, only the toner replenishing device 60Y and toner container 32Y corresponding to yellow will be described below, and the toner replenishing devices 60C, 60M, and 60K and toner containers 32C, 32M, and 32K corresponding to the other three colors will be described. The description will be omitted as appropriate.

  The toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K include a container mounting portion 70, transport nozzles 611Y, 611C, 611M, and 611K, transport screws 614Y, 614C, 614M, and 614K, toner dropping transport paths 64Y, 64C, 64M, and 64K, The drive mechanism is composed of 180Y, 180C, 180M, 180K, and the like. When the toner container 32Y is inserted in the direction of the arrow Q in the drawing and attached to the container mounting portion 70, the transport nozzle 611Y of the toner replenishing device 60Y is inserted from the front end side of the toner container 32Y in conjunction with the mounting operation. The inside of the toner container 32Y and the inside of the transport nozzle 611Y communicate with each other. The toner container 32Y has a cylindrical shape, such as a container tip cover 34Y fixed to the container mounting portion 70 in a non-rotating state, a toner bottle 33Y integrally formed with a container rotation gear 301Y, and the like. It is composed of The container front end cover 34Y as a holding unit rotatably holds the toner bottle 33Y while receiving the front end of the toner bottle 33Y in the rotation axis direction.

  The container mounting part 70 is comprised from the front-end | tip receiving part 73, the container receiving part 72, the insertion port formation part 71 grade | etc.,. The tip receiving portion 73 is for fixing the container tip cover 34Y of the toner container 32Y. The container receiver 72 is for receiving the toner bottle 33Y of the toner container 32Y. The insertion port forming part 71 forms an insertion port during the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y.

  When the main body cover installed on the front side of the printer (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 2) is opened, the insertion port forming portion 71 of the container mounting portion 70 is exposed. The toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K are attached and detached from the front side of the printer with the longitudinal direction of the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K set to the horizontal direction (the length of the toner container 32). An attachment / detachment operation with the direction as the attachment / detachment direction is performed. 5 is a part of the tip receiving portion 73 of the container mounting portion 70.

  The container receiving portion 72 is formed so that its length in the longitudinal direction is substantially equal to the length of the toner bottle 33Y in the longitudinal direction. Further, the tip receiving portion 73 is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction (attachment / detachment direction) of the container receiving portion 72, and the insertion port forming portion 71 is provided on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the container receiving portion 72. The container tip cover 34Y slides on the container receiving portion 72 for a while after passing through the insertion port forming portion 71 in accordance with the mounting operation of the toner container 32Y, and is then attached to the tip receiving portion 73. With the container front end cover 34Y mounted on the front end receiving portion 73, the drive mechanism 180Y configured by the drive motor 603Y, the drive gear, and the like transmits the rotational driving force to the container rotation gear 301Y, so that the toner bottle 33Y is It is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow A in FIG.

  As the drive motor 603, an inner roller type DC brushless motor can be used. In this case, an encoder disk having a predetermined number of slits at predetermined angular intervals in the circumferential direction is provided fixed perpendicularly and concentrically to the output shaft so as to rotate with the rotation of the output shaft of the motor. In addition, a photo sensor, which is an optical sensor, is attached to the motor in a state where the encoder disk is sandwiched. The optical path of the photosensor is transmitted and blocked by the slits of the encoder disk, and the pulse amount output from the photosensor is measured by the control unit 100 to derive the rotation amount and rotation speed of the motor. May be.

  By rotating the toner bottle 33Y itself, the toner contained in the toner bottle 33Y is transferred from the rear end side to the front end side (from the rear end side of the bottle) by the spiral protrusion 302Y formed spirally on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33Y. It is conveyed from the left side to the right side in FIG. And it is supplied in the conveyance nozzle 611Y from the container front end cover 34Y side. A transport screw 614Y is disposed in the transport nozzle 611Y, and the transport screw 614Y rotates and transports the toner in the transport nozzle 611Y when rotation driving is input from the drive mechanism 180Y to the transport screw gear 605Y. . The downstream end in the transport direction of the transport nozzle 611Y is connected to the toner drop transport path 64Y, and the toner transported by the transport screw 614Y falls in its own weight on the toner drop transport path 64Y and is transported into the sub hopper 63Y.

  Each of the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K is replaced with a new one when it reaches the end of its life (when almost all the toner to be stored is consumed and emptied). A handle 303 is provided at the end of the toner container 32 opposite to the container tip cover 34 in the longitudinal direction. When replacing, the operator holds the handle 303 and pulls it out. The toner container 32 can be removed.

  Next, the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K and the toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K will be described in more detail. As described above, the toner containers 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32K and the toner replenishing devices 60Y, 60C, 60M, and 60K have substantially the same configuration except that the colors of the toners used are different. In the following description, the suffixes Y, C, M, and K indicating the colors of the toners to be used are omitted. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the toner container 32 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the toner replenishing device 60 before the toner container 32 is mounted and the front end side end of the toner container 32. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the toner replenishing device 60 with the toner container 32 attached and the tip of the toner container 32.

  The toner replenishing device 60 includes a transport nozzle 611 having a transport screw 614 therein. A nozzle shutter member 612 is also provided. The nozzle shutter member 612 closes the nozzle opening 610 formed in the transport nozzle 611 when the toner container 32 is not mounted before being mounted (the state shown in FIG. 7). Further, when the toner container 32 is mounted (the state shown in FIG. 8), the nozzle opening 610 is opened. In the center of the front end surface of the toner container 32, a nozzle receiving port 331 into which the transport nozzle 611 is inserted when mounted and a container shutter member 332 that closes the nozzle receiving port 331 when not mounted are provided.

  The container front end cover 34 of the toner container 32 is provided with a lock opening 339 for allowing the container lock member 609 provided on the set cover 608 of the toner replenishing device 60 to penetrate from the outside of the container toward the inside. The container tip cover 34 is also provided with an ID chip 700 that records data such as the usage status of the toner container 32. Furthermore, a color non-compatible rib 34b is provided to prevent the toner container 32 having a different toner color from being attached to the set cover 608 of another color.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the toner replenishing device 60 includes a nozzle holder 607 that fixes the transport nozzle 611 to the frame of the printer body, and a set cover 608 is fixed to the nozzle holder 607. Further, a toner dropping conveyance path 64 is fixed to the nozzle holder 607 so as to communicate with the inside of the conveyance nozzle 611 from below the conveyance nozzle 611. The toner dropping conveyance path 64 extends in the vertical direction which is the apparatus height direction. In the toner drop transport path 64, the toner transported by the transport screw 614 is dropped, so that the toner drop transport path 64 is always hollow. Then, the toner is conveyed from the toner container 32 through the toner dropping conveyance path 64 into the sub hopper 63. In addition, a coil-like swing member is provided in the toner dropping conveyance path 64. Then, by swinging the swinging member in the toner dropping conveyance path 64, the toner adhering to the inner wall surface of the toner dropping conveyance path 64 is dropped, for example, so that the toner stays in the toner dropping conveyance path 64. Suppressed.

  A drive mechanism 180 is fixed to the frame 602. The drive mechanism 180 includes a drive motor 603 and a container drive output gear 601, a worm gear 603 a that transmits the rotational drive of the drive motor 603 to the rotation shaft of the container drive output gear 601, and the like. A drive transmission gear 604 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the container drive output gear 601, and is configured to mesh with the conveying screw gear 605 fixed to the rotating shaft of the conveying screw 614. With such a configuration, the toner container 32 is rotated via the container drive output gear 601 and the container rotation gear 301 by rotating the drive motor 603. Then, the transport screw 614 is rotated via the drive transmission gear 604 and the transport screw gear 605. A clutch may be provided in a drive transmission path from the drive motor 603 to the container rotation gear 301 or a drive transmission path from the drive motor 603 to the transport screw gear 605. By providing such a clutch, it is possible to realize a configuration in which only one of the toner container 32 and the conveying screw 614 is rotated when the drive motor 603 is driven to rotate.

  Next, a process of attaching the toner container 32 to the toner supply device 60 will be described. As indicated by an arrow Q in FIG. 7, when the toner container 32 moves in the direction of the toner replenishing device 60, the nozzle tip 611 a of the transport nozzle 611 contacts the end surface on the tip side of the container shutter member 332. When the toner container 32 further moves in the direction of the toner replenishing device 60, the transport nozzle 611 presses the end surface on the front end side of the container shutter member 332. Thus, when the container shutter spring 336 contracts, the container shutter member 332 is pushed into the inner side (rear end side) of the toner container 32 and the nozzle front end side of the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the nozzle receiving port 331. At this time, the nozzle shutter cylindrical portion 612 b on the nozzle tip side of the nozzle shutter flange 612 a in the nozzle shutter member 612 is also inserted into the nozzle receiving port 331 together with the transport nozzle 611.

  When the toner container 32 further moves in the direction of the toner replenishing device 60, the surface opposite to the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface of the nozzle shutter collar 612 a comes into contact with the end surface on the front end side of the container seal member 333 and the container seal. The member 333 is crushed a little. As a result, the surface opposite to the nozzle shutter spring receiving surface of the nozzle shutter collar 612a abuts against the nozzle shutter abutment rib, so that the relative position of the nozzle shutter member 612 in the rotation axis direction with respect to the toner container 32 is fixed. Is done. When the toner container 32 further moves in the direction of the toner supply device 60, the transport nozzle 611 is further inserted into the toner container 32. At this time, the nozzle shutter member 612 that has abutted against the nozzle shutter abutment rib is pushed back toward the nozzle base with respect to the transport nozzle 611. As a result, the nozzle shutter spring 613 contracts, and the relative position of the nozzle shutter member 612 with respect to the transport nozzle 611 moves to the nozzle base side. Along with the movement of the relative position, the nozzle opening 610 covered with the nozzle shutter member 612 is exposed inside the toner bottle 33, and the inside of the toner bottle 33 and the inside of the transport nozzle 611 communicate with each other.

  In a state where the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the nozzle receiving port 331, the following force acts by the biasing force of the container shutter spring 336 and the nozzle shutter spring 613 in a contracted state. That is, the force is in the direction in which the toner container 32 is pushed back against the toner replenishing device 60 (the direction opposite to the arrow Q in the figure). However, when the toner container 32 is attached to the toner replenishing device 60, the toner container 32 resists the above-described force until the container opening member 609 of the set cover 608 is received by the lock opening 339. Then, it is moved in the direction of the toner supply device 60. Thus, the toner container 32 is positioned in the rotation axis direction with respect to the toner replenishing device 60 by the urging force of the container shutter spring 336 and the nozzle shutter spring 613 and the hook of the container lock member 609 with respect to the lock opening 339. When the toner container is positioned in the rotation axis direction, the outer peripheral surface of the tip opening forming portion 305 is slidably fitted on the inner peripheral surface of the container setting portion 615. For this reason, the toner container 32 is positioned with respect to the toner replenishing device 60 in the plane direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. Thereby, the mounting of the toner container 32 to the toner supply device 60 is completed.

  In a state where the toner container 32 is completely installed, the drive motor 603 is rotated to rotate the toner bottle 33 of the toner container 32 and the transport screw 614 in the transport nozzle 611. As the toner bottle 33 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle 33 is conveyed to the front end side of the toner bottle 33 by the spiral protrusion 302. The toner that has reached the pumping unit 304 by this conveyance is lifted above the nozzle opening 610 by the pumping unit 304 as the toner bottle 33 rotates. The toner that has been lifted above the nozzle opening 610 falls into the nozzle opening 610, whereby the toner is supplied into the transport nozzle 611. The toner supplied into the transport nozzle 611 is transported by the transport screw 614 and transported to the sub hopper 63 through the toner dropping transport path 64. In FIG. 8, the flow of toner from the toner bottle 33 to the toner dropping conveyance path 64 at this time is indicated by an arrow β in FIG. 8 indicates a position where the tip opening forming portion 305 is slidably in contact with the container setting portion 615 and the toner container 32 is positioned with respect to the toner replenishing device 60. This position is not limited to a configuration having both functions of the sliding portion and the positioning portion, and may have a configuration having either function of the sliding portion or the positioning portion.

  The nozzle receiving member 330 of the toner container 32 has a nozzle receiving port 331, a shutter support opening 335 b, and a container shutter member 332. A nozzle receiving port 331 provided at the position of the opening of the toner bottle 33 receives a transport nozzle 611 having a nozzle opening 610 that is a powder receiving port. The shutter support opening 335 b functions as a replenishing port for supplying toner, which is powder in the toner bottle 33, to the nozzle opening 610 at least partially. Further, the container shutter member 332 is supported by the nozzle receiving member 330, and is opened and closed to slide the moving nozzle 611 in the direction of the rotation axis and open / close the nozzle receiving port 331 by an operation of inserting or extracting the conveying nozzle 611 from the nozzle receiving member 330. Functions as a member. With such a configuration, the toner container 32 maintains the state in which the nozzle receiving port 331 is closed until the transport nozzle 611 is inserted, and the toner leakage in the state before being attached to the toner supply device 60. And can prevent scattering.

  When the transport nozzle 611 is inserted into the nozzle receiving port 331 and the container shutter member 332 pushed by the transport nozzle 611 slides toward the back of the container, the toner accumulated in the vicinity of the shutter support opening 335b is pushed away. For this reason, it is possible to secure a space for the conveyance nozzle 611 in the portion where the nozzle receiving port 331 is formed to enter the periphery of the shutter support opening 335b, and to reliably supply toner from the shutter support opening 335b to the nozzle receiving port 331. Yes. As described above, the toner container 32 is reliably attached to the toner replenishing device 60 when it is attached to the toner replenishing device 60 while preventing leakage and scattering of the toner stored in the toner bottle 33 in a state before the toner replenishing device 60 is attached. The toner can be discharged out of the toner bottle 33. When the toner container 32 is attached to the toner supply device 60, the container seal member 333 is crushed by the nozzle shutter collar 612a. As a result, the nozzle shutter collar 612a is brought into close contact with the container seal member 333 and toner leakage can be prevented.

[Configuration example 1]
In the toner replenishing device 60 according to this configuration example, the fluctuation amount of the load torque of the drive motor 603 when the toner bottle rotates is measured, and the toner amount detection for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 is performed. Hereinafter, a procedure for determination processing for toner amount detection and the toner bottle 33 applied to the toner replenishing device 60 will be described.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a motor current waveform when the drive motor 603 is driven. The broken line graph in the figure shows the time transition of the motor current value when the toner bottle 33 containing 500 [g] of toner is rotated by driving the drive motor 603. Further, the solid line graph in the figure shows the time transition of the motor current value when the toner bottle 33 containing 70 [g] of toner is rotated by driving the drive motor 603. As shown in FIG. 9, there are a section 1 in which the drive motor 603 starts driving and the motor current value increases, and a section 2 in which the motor current value is in a steady state. Since the motor current value of the drive motor 603 is set so as to vary according to the load torque when the drive motor 603 is driven, the torque of the drive motor 603 is measured by measuring the motor current value of the drive motor 603. Can be analogized. Further, for example, if the amount of toner contained in the toner bottle 33 is small (load torque is small), the current value rises quickly in the section 1 and the steady-state motor current value in the section 2 decreases. There are features.

  Here, as apparent from FIG. 9, the toner amount in the toner bottle 33 can be detected based on the speed of rise of the motor current value in the section 1 and the magnitude of the motor current value in the section 2. It is. However, due to the heat generation of the drive motor 603 itself and the individual difference of the drive motor 603, the speed of rise of the motor current value (rise time) in the section 1 and the absolute value of the stable motor current value in the section 2 are , Will vary. Specifically, even when the toner bottles 33 having the same weight are rotated, the coil resistance inside the drive motor changes when the temperature of the drive motor 603 is low and when the temperature of the drive motor 603 is high. Therefore, the current value necessary for rotating the drive motor 603 is changed. As a result, even when the toner bottle 33 having the same weight is rotated, a necessary motor current value is changed, and a problem that a detection error of the toner amount becomes large occurs. Note that the temperature of the drive motor 603 decreases when the usage environment is low or when the continuous rotation time of the drive motor 603 is short and the heat generation of the drive motor 603 itself is low. Conversely, the temperature of the drive motor 603 increases when the usage environment is high or when the continuous rotation time of the drive motor 603 is long and the heat generation of the drive motor 603 itself is high.

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of a motor current waveform when the toner bottle 33 is rotated. FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a motor current waveform in a range surrounded by a square in the graph shown in FIG. In the toner replenishing device 60 according to this configuration example, the fluctuation range between the maximum value and the minimum value of the motor current value that has reached the steady state is measured, and the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 is determined. For this reason, since the fluctuation of the relative motor current value of the toner bottle 33 itself is measured, even if the characteristic fluctuation of the drive motor 603 occurs, the detection error of the toner amount can be minimized.

  As shown in FIG. 10, even when the motor current waveform is in a steady state, the motor current value fluctuates in one rotation cycle of the toner bottle as shown in FIG. This variation occurs due to the deviation of the toner position in the toner bottle 33 when the toner bottle 33 is rotated. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, when the toner bottle is not rotating, the toner powder surface in the toner bottle 33 is substantially parallel to the installation surface of the image forming apparatus. When the drive motor 603 is driven from this state, the toner rises in the toner bottle rotation direction due to friction between the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 and the toner, as shown in FIG. The powder surface is tilted. Thereafter, when the toner powder surface is at a certain angle or more with respect to the installation surface, the toner powder surface returns to a state almost parallel to the installation surface as shown in FIG. As described above, as the toner bottle 33 rotates, the toner position in the toner bottle 33 is biased due to friction between the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 and the toner. Variation in (load torque of the drive motor 603) occurs.

  The fluctuation range between the maximum value and the minimum value of the motor current value in the steady state depends on the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33. That is, the fluctuation range Δt of the motor current value when the toner amount in the toner bottle 33 is small is smaller than the fluctuation range Δs of the motor current value when the toner amount is large. Therefore, when the fluctuation range of the motor current value becomes smaller than a preset threshold value, the fact that the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 has decreased is displayed on the display panel 111 or the like to notify the user. Further, when the fluctuation range of the motor current value becomes 0, the fact that there is no toner in the toner bottle 33 is displayed on the display panel 111 or the like to notify the user. As a result, even when a change in the motor current value of the drive motor 603 due to the heat generation of the drive motor 603 itself or the environment occurs, or even when a change in the motor current value due to the individual difference of the drive motor 603 occurs, The toner amount can be accurately detected.

[Configuration example 2]
By continuing to rotate the toner bottle 33, the fluidization of the toner occurs, the toner becomes like a liquid, and it may be difficult to lift the toner as the toner bottle 33 rotates. In this case, even if there is a large amount of toner in the toner bottle 33, fluctuations in the load torque of the drive motor 603 (fluctuations in the motor current value) hardly occur, and the fluctuation range of the load torque (variation width of the motor current value) is reduced. It may be difficult to detect the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the toner bottle 33 provided with plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b on the inner peripheral surface. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the toner bottle 33 provided with plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b on the inner peripheral surface. In this configuration example, as shown in FIG. 13, two plate-like protrusions 35 a and 35 b that protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 and extend in the toner bottle axial direction and face each other in the toner bottle rotation direction are provided. Provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the protruding heights of the plate-like projections 35a and 35b from the inner peripheral surface are the same in the toner bottle axial direction, and are due to the helical projections 302 formed on the inner peripheral surface. The plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b are also uneven according to the unevenness of the inner peripheral surface. Thus, even if the plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33, the toner conveyance performance from the rear end side in the axial direction of the toner bottle 33 to the front end side by the spiral protrusion 302 can be maintained. it can.

  Then, as the toner bottle 33 rotates, the toner in the toner bottle 33 is forcibly lifted by the plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b, and the toner falls from the plate-like protrusions 35a and 35b at a certain place, thereby The toner bias in the bottle 33 is generated in a pseudo manner. Thereby, even if the toner in the toner bottle 33 is fluidized like a liquid, the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 can be detected from the fluctuation range of the motor current value of the drive motor 603 in one rotation period of the toner bottle. .

  In the case where one plate-like protrusion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33, when the toner powder surface position is exactly the same as the position of the protrusion, the driving motor is rotated during one rotation period of the toner bottle. There is a possibility that the load torque fluctuation of 603 does not occur and the toner amount detection accuracy is lowered. Therefore, by providing two or more plate-like protrusions at different positions on the inner peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33 in the toner bottle rotation direction, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the toner amount detection failure as described above.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described. Here, the basic configuration of the printer according to the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the printer according to the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a toner supply device 60 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 16A is a diagram of the toner bottle 33 viewed from the rear end side in the axial direction. FIG. 16B is a diagram of the toner bottle 33 showing a state in which the toner bottle 33 is lifted, as viewed from the rear end side in the axial direction. FIG. 16C is a diagram illustrating the toner bottle 33 in a state where the toner bottle 33 has been dropped as viewed from the rear end side in the axial direction. The toner bottle 33 is supported by two guide portions 74a and 74b made of a resin material provided in the toner replenishing device 60, and the toner bottle 33 rotates while the outer peripheral surface is guided by the guide portions 74a and 74b. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a triangular protrusion 36 having a triangular cross section is provided at a position corresponding to the guide portions 74 a and 74 b on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle 33. The triangular protrusion 36 has a downstream inclined surface 36a located on the downstream side in the toner bottle rotation direction and an upstream inclined surface 36b located on the upstream side in the toner bottle rotation direction with the apex 36c interposed therebetween. The downstream inclined surface 36a is inclined with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle such that the height increases from the downstream side in the toner bottle rotation direction toward the upstream side. The upstream inclined surface 36b is inclined with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle so that the height decreases from the downstream side in the toner bottle rotation direction toward the upstream side.

  For example, when the toner bottle 33 rotates from the position shown in FIG. 16A and the downstream inclined surface 36a of the triangular protrusion 36 passes through the guide portion 74b, as shown in FIG. The bottle 33 is lifted by the height of the triangular protrusion 36. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16C, when the downstream inclined surface 36a of the triangular protrusion 36 has passed through the guide portion 74b and the apex 36c has passed through the guide portion 74b, the toner bottle 33 that has been lifted falls. The outer peripheral surface returns to the original position supported by the guide portions 74a and 74b. At this time, the toner bottle 33 and the guide portions 74a and 74b collide, and the toner bottle 33 is vibrated. When the toner bottle 33 is further rotated and the downstream inclined surface 36a of the triangular protrusion 36 passes through the guide portion 74a, the toner bottle 33 is lifted by the height of the triangular protrusion 36. Thereafter, when the downstream inclined surface 36a of the triangular protrusion 36 finishes passing through the guide portion 74b and the apex 36c passes through the guide portion 74a, the toner bottle 33 that has been lifted falls, and the outer peripheral surface is formed by the guide portions 74a and 74b. Return to the original supported position. At this time, the toner bottle 33 and the guide portions 74a and 74b collide, and the toner bottle 33 is vibrated.

  The operation of lifting and dropping the toner bottle 33 by the triangular protrusion 36 and the guide portions 74a and 74b shakes off the toner adhering to the inner wall of the toner bottle 33 by vibration, so that the toner in the toner bottle 33 is not wasted. I'm going to run out.

  FIG. 17 is a graph showing an example of a motor current waveform when the toner bottle 33 is rotated. The motor current value of the drive motor 603 by the rotation operation of the toner bottle 33 is as shown in the graph of FIG. The drive motor 603 used in this embodiment is a DC brush motor, and there is a proportional relationship between the drive torque and the motor current value. Therefore, if the motor current value is measured, the driving torque of the driving motor 603 can be grasped.

  FIG. 18 shows an enlarged view of the motor current waveform when the toner bottle 33 vibrates due to the triangular protrusion 36 and the guide portions 74a and 74b in the range A enclosed by the square of the graph shown in FIG. As the toner bottle 33 rotates, the triangular protrusion 36 passes through the guide portions 74a and 74b, and the motor current value of the drive motor 603 is shown in FIG. Fluctuate as follows. If the maximum fluctuation range of the motor current waveform at this time is S, the maximum fluctuation range S is larger when the toner amount in the toner bottle 33 is large than when the toner amount is small. Further, when the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 is large, the convergence of the amplitude fluctuation of the motor current waveform is faster than when the amount of toner is small.

  Then, as a result of extensive studies by the inventors of the present application, the maximum fluctuation range S changes depending on the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33, and as shown in FIG. 19, the amount of toner (toner weight) in the toner bottle 33 is changed. It has been found that the maximum fluctuation width S of the motor current waveform has a proportional relationship. Therefore, the slope a of the straight line indicating the relationship between the toner amount (toner weight M) in the toner bottle 33 and the maximum fluctuation range S of the motor current value, the maximum fluctuation range f of the motor current value when the toner is fully filled, and the toner A fluctuation range e of the motor current value when the bottle 33 is empty is obtained in advance. Thus, if the value of the maximum fluctuation range S of the motor current value is known, the toner amount in the toner bottle 33 at that time can be obtained from an equation (S = aM + e) representing a straight line graph shown in FIG. Since the fluctuation range S of the motor current value is small, the toner amount detection error is reduced by using the average value of the fluctuation range S for two to five rotations of the toner bottle when detecting the toner amount. preferable.

  Further, the drive torque (motor current value) of the drive motor 603 may be the same even if the amount of toner in the toner bottle 33 is the same due to deterioration of the drive motor 603 itself over time, deterioration of the drive device that transmits drive to the toner bottle 33, or the like. It can change. Therefore, each time a new toner bottle 33 is set in the toner replenishing device 60, the initial value of the fluctuation range S when the toner is fully loaded (value f in FIG. 19) is updated to maintain the toner amount measurement accuracy. Can do.

What was demonstrated above is an example, and there exists an effect peculiar for every following aspect.
(Aspect A)
A powder storage container such as a toner bottle 33 for storing powder such as toner; and a drive motor such as a drive motor 603 for rotating the powder storage container. The powder storage container is rotated to rotate the powder. In a powder replenishing device such as a toner replenishing device 60 that discharges powder in the storage container and replenishes it to a replenishment destination such as the developing device 7, the fluctuation range of the value related to the load torque of the drive motor in one rotation cycle of the powder container Fluctuation range acquisition means, such as the control unit 100, and a powder amount detection unit, such as the control unit 100, that detects the amount of powder in the powder container based on the fluctuation range.
As a result of extensive research by the inventors of the present application, the load torque of the drive motor fluctuates in one rotation cycle of the powder container, and the width of the fluctuation increases as the amount of powder in the powder container increases. It was found that the smaller the amount of powder, the smaller. The inventors have found that the amount of powder in the powder container and the fluctuation range of the load torque are in a proportional relationship.
In (Aspect A), based on the fluctuation range of the value related to the load torque of the drive motor in one rotation cycle of the powder storage container acquired by the fluctuation width acquisition means, the powder amount detection means The amount of powder can be detected. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a powder detection sensor made of a piezoelectric element or the like in order to detect the amount of powder in the powder container, so that the cost can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to detect the amount of powder in the powder container while reducing costs.
(Aspect B)
In (Aspect A), the fluctuation range acquisition unit acquires the fluctuation range after the rotational speed of the drive motor reaches a predetermined speed. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the detection accuracy of the powder amount can be increased.
(Aspect C)
In (Aspect A) or (Aspect B), the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the load torque in one rotation period of the powder container is defined as the fluctuation range. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the detection error can be suppressed to the minimum even if the characteristic variation of the drive motor occurs.
(Aspect D)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect C), a protrusion protruding from the inner peripheral surface is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the powder container. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, even if the powder in the powder container is fluidized like a liquid, the amount of powder can be detected based on the fluctuation range.
(Aspect E)
In (Aspect D), two or more protrusions are provided at different positions in the rotational direction of the powder container on the inner peripheral surface. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a powder amount detection failure.
(Aspect F)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect E), when there is no powder in the powder storage container, the powder storage container is replaced based on the detection result of the powder amount detection means. It has a display means for performing a prompting display. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the powder container.
(Aspect G)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect E), when the amount of powder in the powder storage container is less than a predetermined amount based on the detection result of the powder amount detection means, the powder storage It has a display means which performs the display which prompts replacement | exchange of a container. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the powder container.
(Aspect H)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect G), the powder storage container is provided with vibration means that vibrates by applying an impact to the powder storage container during the rotation of the powder storage container. Based on the fluctuation range when the storage container is vibrated, the powder amount detection means detects the amount of powder in the powder storage container. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the amount of powder can be detected with high accuracy.
(Aspect I)
In (Aspect H), the vibrating means contacts the outer wall surface of the powder container and supports the powder container while guiding the rotation of the powder container, and the powder container And a protrusion provided at a position corresponding to the support member on the outer wall surface of the container. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the powder attached to the inner wall of the powder storage container is shaken off by vibration, and the configuration for using up the powder in the powder storage container without waste is used. It can be used to detect the amount.
(Aspect J)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect I), when a new powder container is set, the powder amount detection means updates the initial value of the fluctuation range used for detecting the powder amount. . According to this, the powder amount detection accuracy can be maintained as described in the above embodiment.
(Aspect K)
In (Aspect J), the initial value is the fluctuation range in a state where the powder container is filled with powder. According to this, the powder amount detection accuracy can be maintained as described in the above embodiment.
(Aspect L)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect K), an average value of the plurality of fluctuation ranges acquired by the fluctuation range acquisition unit is used for powder amount detection by the powder amount detection unit. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the powder amount detection error can be reduced.
(Aspect M)
In any one of (Aspect A) to (Aspect L), there is provided current supply means for supplying a current to the drive motor, and the information on the load torque is a motor current value. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the amount of powder in the powder container can be detected from the fluctuation range of the motor current value of the drive motor in one rotation cycle of the powder container.
(Aspect N)
An image carrier such as the photoreceptor 3, a developing unit such as a developing device 7 that develops a latent image on the image carrier using a developer, a toner bottle 33 that contains a developer used in the developing unit, and the like In the image forming apparatus comprising the developer storage container and a developer supply means such as a toner supply device 60 for supplying the developer in the developer storage container to the developing means, the developer supply means is ( The powder supply device according to any one of Aspects A) to (Aspect M) is used. According to this, as explained about the above-mentioned embodiment, it is possible to detect the amount of powder in the powder container while suppressing cost.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Process unit 2 Photoconductor unit 3 Photoconductor 4 Drum cleaning apparatus 5 Charging apparatus 6 Charging roller 7 Developing apparatus 8 First developer conveyance screw 9 First agent storage chamber 10 Toner density sensor 11 Second developer conveyance screw 12 Developing roll 13 Doctor blade 14 Second agent storage chamber 15 Developing sleeve 16 Magnet roller 17 Toner supply port 18 Communication port 19 Communication port 20 Optical writing unit 21 Polygon mirror 22 First paper feed cassette 22a First paper feed roller 23 Second paper feed Cassette 23a Second paper feed roller 24 Paper feed path 25 Transport roller pair 26 Registration roller pair 32 Toner container 33 Toner bottle 34 Container tip cover 34b Color incompatible rib 35a Plate-like projection 35b Plate-like projection 36 Triangular projection 36a Downstream slope 36b Upstream slope Surface 36c Vertex 40 Transfer unit 41 Intermediate transfer belt 45 Primary transfer roller 46 Secondary transfer backup roller 47 Drive roller 49 Tension roller 50 Secondary transfer roller 60 Toner replenishing device 63 Sub hopper 64 Toner drop conveyance path 70 Container mounting portion 71 Insert port Forming unit 72 container receiving unit 73 tip receiving unit 74a guide unit 74b guide unit 80 fixing device 81 pressure heating roller 82 fixing belt unit 83 heating roller 84 fixing belt 85 tension roller 86 driving roller 87 discharge roller pair 88 stack unit 100 control Unit 101 CPU
102 RAM
103 ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 111 Display panel 120 Power supply part 180 Drive mechanism 181a Container side drive mechanism part 181b Sub hopper side drive mechanism part 301 Container rotation gear 302 Spiral protrusion 303 Handle part 304 Pumping part 305 Tip opening formation part 330 Nozzle receiving member 331 Nozzle inlet 332 Container shutter member 333 Container seal member 335b Shutter support opening 336 Container shutter spring 339 Lock opening 601 Container drive output gear 602 Frame 603 Drive motor 603a Worm gear 604 Drive transmission gear 605 Transport screw gear 607 Nozzle holder 608 Set cover 609 Container lock member 610 Nozzle opening 611 Conveying nozzle 611a Nozzle tip 612 Nozzle shutter member 612a Nozzle shutter collar 612b Nozzle shutter cylinder Part 613 nozzle shutter spring 614 screw conveyor 615 container holder 700 ID chip

JP 2014-235339 A

Claims (14)

A powder storage container for storing powder;
A drive motor for rotating the powder container,
In the powder replenishing device for rotating the powder container and discharging the powder in the powder container and replenishing the replenishment destination,
A fluctuation range obtaining means for obtaining a fluctuation range of a value related to a load torque of the drive motor in one rotation period of the powder container;
A powder replenishing device comprising powder amount detecting means for detecting the amount of powder in the powder container based on the fluctuation range. The powder supply device according to claim 1,
The powder fluctuation supply device, wherein the fluctuation width acquisition means acquires the fluctuation width after the rotation speed of the drive motor reaches a predetermined speed. The powder supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
The powder replenishing apparatus characterized in that a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the load torque in one rotation cycle of the powder container is defined as the fluctuation range. In the powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A powder replenishing device, wherein a protrusion protruding from the inner peripheral surface is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the powder container. The powder supply device according to claim 4, wherein
2. A powder replenishing device, wherein two or more of the protrusions are provided at different positions on the inner peripheral surface in the direction of rotation of the powder container. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A powder having display means for displaying a message prompting replacement of the powder container when there is no powder in the powder container based on a detection result of the powder amount detector. Body supply device. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Based on the detection result of the powder amount detection means, there is provided display means for performing a display prompting replacement of the powder storage container when the powder in the powder storage container is less than a predetermined amount. A powder replenishing device. In the powder replenishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Having vibration means for applying an impact to the powder container during vibration of the powder container and vibrating the container;
Powder supply, wherein the powder amount detection means detects the amount of powder in the powder storage container based on the fluctuation range when the powder storage container is vibrated by the vibration means. apparatus. The powder replenishing device according to claim 8,
The vibrating means is in contact with the outer wall surface of the powder container and supports the powder container while guiding the rotation of the powder container, and the vibration means on the outer wall surface of the powder container A powder replenishing device comprising a protrusion provided at a position corresponding to the support member. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A powder replenishing device, wherein when a new powder container is set, the powder amount detecting means updates an initial value of the fluctuation range used for detecting the amount of powder. The powder replenishing device according to claim 10,
The initial value is the fluctuation range when the powder container is filled with powder. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The powder replenishing apparatus, wherein an average value of the plurality of fluctuation ranges acquired by the fluctuation range acquisition unit is used for powder amount detection by the powder amount detection unit. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
Current supply means for supplying current to the drive motor;
The powder replenishing device, wherein the information on the load torque is a motor current value. An image carrier;
Developing means for developing the latent image on the image carrier using a developer;
A developer storage container for storing a developer used in the developing means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a developer replenishing unit that replenishes the developing unit with the developer in the developer storage container;
An image forming apparatus using the powder replenishing device according to claim 1 as the developer replenishing unit.

Images