JPH02222984A - Toner recovering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To completely prevent toner from leaking to its surrounding by providing a joint part between a recovered toner container and a toner carrying pipe with shutters which are opened at the time of connection and are closed at the time of removal. CONSTITUTION:The joint part between the recovered toner container 32 and the toner carrying pipe 41 is provided with the shutters 50 and 414 which are opened at the time of connection and are closed at the time of removal. Used toner is carried through the toner carrying pipe 41 by a screw member 40, and is recovered into the recovered toner container 32. When an old toner cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge loading part 271 of a toner containing chamber 27, the shutter 50 on the side of the recovered toner container 32 and the shutter 414 on the toner carrying pipe 41 return to their original position because of spring force to close openings 322 and 413. Consequently, used toner can be completely prevented from leaking to a process cartridge 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] This invention converts an electrostatic latent image formed on an image forming body such as a photoreceptor drum by an electrophotographic recording method or an electrostatic recording method into a visible image using toner. The present invention relates to a device for recovering toner scraped off from an image forming body by a cleaning device after the toner image is transferred to a recording sheet.

[Conventional technology]

In image recording devices that utilize electrostatic latent images, such as electrophotographic copying machines and electrostatic recording devices (hereinafter simply referred to as copying machines), an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor drum, and this electrostatic latent image is After the latent image is visualized by a toner developing device, the toner image is transferred and fixed onto recording paper to obtain the desired recorded matter.

In this case, approximately 70% of the toner supplied from the developing device onto the photoreceptor drum is consumed for visualization.
Approximately 30% of the remaining toner will remain on the photoreceptor drum as residual toner, but at the end of the predetermined exposure process, the charge held by the residual toner will be erased by a static eliminating electrode, and then scraped by a cleaning device. The toner is dropped and collected in the toner collecting section.

The used toner accumulated in the toner collection section is
For example, the toner is directly discharged from a discharge port formed in the wall of the toner collection section into a dedicated collected toner container by the rotational driving force of a toner discharging screw member provided on the toner collection section side, or Through a continuous toner discharge system installed outside the wall, the toner can be stored in a special collection toner container inside the machine, or with a toner replenishment cartridge as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-184373. The collected toner container is configured to be transported into an integrally configured collected toner container.

Therefore, in a toner cartridge in which a collected toner container and a replenishment toner container are integrated, it is necessary to prevent the collected toner from leaking into the main body of the copying machine at least when the toner cartridge is replaced.

To counter this problem, there are technical means as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 10424/1983. This technology is based on
A shutter is installed at the mouth of the toner conveying pipe connected to the toner recovery port of the toner cartridge, and the shutter is configured to open when it hits a protrusion provided on the copying machine main body side when the toner cartridge is set, and close when the toner cartridge is removed. It had been.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-10424, when the toner cartridge is removed from the mouth of the toner conveying pipe when the toner cartridge is replaced, the mouth of the toner conveying pipe is closed by a shutter. However, the opening on the collected toner container side remained open, and this could not be said to be a sufficient measure.

This invention was made in view of these circumstances,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new toner recovery device in which both the opening of a recovered toner container and the mouth of a toner conveying pipe can be closed when replacing a toner cartridge.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a toner cartridge that integrally includes a collected toner container and a replenishment toner container, and a toner conveying pipe that transports toner collected from an image forming section into the collected toner container of the toner cartridge. In the toner recovery device, shutters are provided at the joint portions of the collected toner container and the toner transport pipe, each of which opens when the collected toner container and the toner conveying pipe are connected and which closes when the toner is separated.

[For production]

With this configuration, the present invention is capable of automatically opening and closing the shutter when loading (combining) or removing a toner cartridge, thereby reliably preventing toner from leaking into the main body of the copying machine.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a Hitotsubashi structure around a photosensitive drum of a copying machine to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 10 indicates a rail 7 provided at the lower part of the document table (not shown).
0a, 70b is a process cart lip suspended via locking protrusions 10a, 40b. The process cartridge 10 has a structure in which a photosensitive drum 11 having a structure known per se, a charging device 12, a developing device 13, and a cleaning device 14 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 11. In addition,
The transfer device is not shown here because it is provided on the copying machine main body side corresponding to the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 11.

The developing device 13 is equipped with a developing sleeve 15, a main stirring member 16, and an auxiliary stirring member 17, and a part of the developer scraped up by the main stirring member 16 passes through the gap with the doctor I8 and is used for development. adheres to the surface of the sleeve 150,
The other part of the developer used to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11 and sent to the rear through the gap with the regulation piece 19 is transferred to the partition plate 20. The liquid flows from the provided opening 21 to the auxiliary stirring member 17 via the inclined plate 22 as shown by arrow A.

A toner concentration sensor 23 for detecting magnetic permeability is provided on the flow path surface of the developer flowing in the direction of the arrow, and a control signal corresponding to the detected value is sent to the replenishment roller 23.
It is configured to output to a drive source (not shown) of No. 5.

That is, when a drive signal is output from this sensor 23,
The replenishment roller 25 provided in the toner replenishment chamber 24 starts rotating, and the toner in the replenishment chamber 24 falls into the developing section 13 from between the replenishment roller 25 and the opening end member 26 of the opening groove. Adjust the concentration to a predetermined value.

27 is a toner storage chamber formed at the right end of the process cartridge 10, and above it is a cartridge loading section 271 for setting a toner cartridge 30, which will be described later.
is provided, and a ladder chain 28 is installed inside. The ladder chain 28 is for sending new toner supplied from the toner cartridge 30 from the toner storage chamber 27 into the toner supply chamber 24 through a window 29 formed in the toner storage chamber 27.

Therefore, the cleaning blade 3 is placed in the cleaning section 14 with its tip pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11.
4 is provided, and the blade 34 is configured to scrape off toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the toner image is transferred.

Note that the cleaning blade 34 itself has a compression spring 36.
The support frame 37 is attached to the front edge side of the support frame 37, which is given a counterclockwise rotational force about the shaft 35 by the urging force of the support frame 37.

On the other hand, the left side wall 141 of the cleaning section 14 and the photoreceptor 1
A toner collecting section 38 for collecting and collecting used toner (residual toner) scraped off by the cleaning blade 34 is formed between the ram 11 and the photoreceptor. A toner guide plate 39 is provided between the toner guide plate 39 and the surface of the drum 11, but this toner guide plate 39 can also be constructed integrally with the toner collecting section 38.

Now, the used toner accumulated in the toner collecting section 38 is transferred to the collected toner container 30 incorporated in the toner cartridge 30 by a toner transporting screw member 40 and a toner conveying pipe 41 provided in the toner collecting section 38. It is configured to be transported to the side. The screw member 40 extends vertically from the inside of the toner collecting section 38 to the tip end of the toner conveying pipe 41. The toner conveying pipe 41 passes through the back side of the process cartridge 10 as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1 and is connected to the collected toner container 32. In other words, when the toner cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge loading portion 271 of the toner storage chamber 27, the toner cartridge 30 is connected, and is easily removed when being replaced.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the toner cartridge, Figures 3 and 4.
The figure shows a first example of a connecting portion between a toner cartridge and a toner conveying pipe.

The toner cartridge 30 includes a replenishment toner container 31 filled with a predetermined amount of replenishment toner, which is separated by a partition wall 33;
It is divided into a collected toner container 32 for storing used toner. An elongated rectangular replenishment opening 312 is formed in the lower surface of the circumferential wall 311 of the replenishment toner container 31 along the axial direction. The replenishment opening 312 is configured to be sealed with a flexible seal member 313 as shown in the figure after the replenishment toner container 31 is filled with replenishment toner.

This toner cartridge 30 is loaded into the cartridge loading section 271 of the toner storage chamber 27 with the outer wall 321 of the collected toner container 32 at the top. This outer wall 321 is formed with an opening 322 to which the toner conveying pipe 41 is coupled, and a shutter 50 is provided outside the opening 322. The shutter 50 is movably fitted along the groove 323 of the outer wall 321, has an inclined surface 51 on the outer surface, and is always urged in the closing direction by a spring 52.

The tip end portion 410 of the toner conveying pipe 41 includes an inclined pressing portion 411, and an opening portion 413 for discharging toner is provided on the lower surface of the tip region. This mouth portion 413 is closed by a coil spring 415 whose proximal end abuts against the collar portion 412 . Note that 416 is a blade piece attached to the tip of the screw member 40.

When loading the toner cartridge 30 into the loading section 271, the toner cartridge 30 is inserted into the opening 3 provided on the outer wall 321 of the collected toner container 32.
22 is, of course, positioned so as to match the tip 410 of the toner conveying pipe 41 facing toward the back.

In the above embodiment, the toner cartridge 30 is placed in the cartridge loading section 271 with the collected toner container 32 side at the top.
to be loaded. At the time of loading, the replenishment opening 312 of the replenishment toner container 31 is oriented directly upward after the seal member 313 is peeled off, but when the entire area of the replenishment opening 312 enters the toner storage chamber 27, it is oriented directly downward. If the cartridge is further inserted in this state, the tip 410 of the toner conveying vibrator 41
As shown in the third figure, the inclined pressing portion 411 comes into contact with the inclined surface 51 of the shutter 50, and the shutter 50 opens against the spring 52 due to the cam action of the inclined surface 51. Therefore, the tip portion 410 of the toner conveying vibrator 41 enters into the mouth portion 321 of the collected toner container 32 . In this case, the shutter 4 covering the mouth 413 of the toner conveying vibrator 41
14 hits the inner peripheral edge of the mouth 321 of the collected toner container 32 and is opened against the coil spring 415. That is, the toner conveying vibrator 41 is coupled to the collected toner container 32, and the used toner accumulated in the toner collecting section 38 of the cleaning section 14 is conveyed inside the toner conveying vibrator 41 by the screw member 40 and collected. The toner is housed in a toner container 32 .

When the toner cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge loading section 271 of the toner storage chamber 27 when replacing the toner cartridge 30, both the shutter 50 on the collected toner container 32 side and the shutter 414 on the toner conveying pipe 41 side return to their old positions due to spring action. Sections 322 and 413 are closed. Therefore, used toner is reliably prevented from leaking into the process cartridge 10.

5 and 6 show a second example of the joining portion between the toner car 1-ridge and the toner conveying vibrator, with FIG. 5 showing the joining process and FIG. 6 showing the completely joined state. In this case, the opening 41 provided at the tip of the toner conveying vibrator 41
3 is a type that is connected to the opening 322 provided on the top surface of the collected toner container 32, and is connected to the opening 4 of the toner conveying vibrator 41.
The shutter 414 that covers the toner container 32 hits the end of the collected toner container 32 and is opened against the spring 415, and the shutter 50 that covers the mouth 322 of the collected toner container 32 hits the tip edge of the toner conveying vibrator 41 and opens against the spring 52. It is now open to the public. The other configurations are the same as the first example.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third example of the present invention. In this case, the structure of the joint between the toner cartridge 30 and the toner conveying vibrator is the same as in the second example.
The replenishment toner container 31 and the collected toner container 32 are divided by a partition wall 33 that vertically divides the toner cartridge 30, and other features are common.

Although a plurality of embodiments have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and that various modifications can be made without changing the gist thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention provides a collection toner container and a replenishment toner container.
and a toner conveying vibrator that feeds toner collected from an image forming section into a toner container of the toner cartridge. Shutters that open when the toner cartridge is coupled and close when the toner cartridge is detached are provided at the coupling portions of the toner cartridges, so that when replacing the toner cartridge, both the opening of the collected toner container and the mouth of the toner conveying vibrator are closed, thereby preventing toner from leaking into the surroundings. This has the excellent effect of completely preventing the

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the structure of the peripheral portion of the photosensitive drum of a copying machine to which the present invention is applicable; FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a toner cartridge;
3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams showing a first example of a coupling portion between a toner cartridge and a toner conveying vibrator, FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams showing a second example of the present invention, and FIG. and FIG. 8 are explanatory diagrams showing a third example of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Process cartridge 11... Photosensitive drum 14... Cleaning device 30... Toner cartridge 31... Scavenging toner container 11... - Circumferential side wall 12... Supply opening 2... - Recovery toner container 21... ...Outer wall 22--Opening part 8-)Toner collecting section 0--Screw member 1-)Toner conveying pipe 10--Tip 13--Toner discharge opening 14--Shutter 15-Spring 0-・-Shutter 2-・Spring

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a toner recovery device comprising a toner cartridge integrally comprising a recovered toner container and a replenishment toner container, and a toner conveying pipe for feeding toner recovered from an image forming section to the recovered toner container of the toner cartridge, A toner recovery device characterized in that a shutter is provided at a joint portion between a toner container and a toner conveying pipe, the shutters opening when the toner container and the toner conveying pipe are joined and closing when the toner container and the toner conveying pipe are separated.