JPH03220575A - Developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the mistake of mixing up toner in a different color by allowing the color of a toner container and a toner cartridge loaded thereon to be the same as that of toner to be used. CONSTITUTION:The toner cartridge 28 and the toner cartridge 31 are formed of a material in a color the same as the toner 32 to be used. Plural image forming units 33 are prepared corresponding to the number of the colors of the toner 32. Consequently, a desired image forming unit 33 is mounted on a main body 1 corresponding to the toner 32. When the toner 32 is replenished, the color of the toner 32 to be replenished is allowed to correspond to that of the toner cartridge 28 or the same one of the toner cartridge 31, whereby the toner 32 in a different color is prevented from being mixed up. Thus, the mistake of mixing up toner in a different color can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier based on electrophotography.

2. Description of the Related Art This type of developing device includes a toner container for storing toner;
The toner container has a developing roller rotatably attached to an opening formed at the bottom of the toner container, and the toner adhering to the rotating developing roller is attracted to the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by dielectric action. . Furthermore, electrophotographic devices such as color printers or color copying machines that have a plurality of built-in developing devices corresponding to toner colors have also become widespread. Further, an electrophotographic apparatus has also been devised which is equipped with a plurality of developing devices corresponding to the colors of toner and is capable of performing color printing by attaching a selected developing device to the main body in a replaceable manner.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The outer casings of conventional developing devices are all the same color even though the colors of toners used are different. Therefore, a mistake may occur in which the developing device is replenished with toner of a different color from the toner color to be used.

The mixed toner is of no use, and the user is forced to take out the toner and dispose of it, as well as cleaning the toner container of the developing device, which is a cumbersome task.

Means for Solving the Problems In a developing device in which a developing roller facing an image carrier is rotatably attached to a toner container in which toner is stored,
At least one of the toner container and the toner cartridge attached to the toner container is made to have the same color as the toner to be used.

When replenishing active toner, by matching the color of the toner to be replenished with the color of a toner container or toner cartridge of the same color, it is possible to prevent mistakes in which toners of different colors are mixed together.

Example An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

1 is the main body of the electrophotographic apparatus, and a paper tray 3 is removably attached to an opening 2 formed at the rear end of the main body 1, and a paper tray 4 is rotatably and detachably held at the top. There is. The main body 1 also includes paper 7 in paper cassettes 5 and 6,
A paper conveyance path 9 for conveying the sheets 7 and 8 is provided, and a paper discharge path 10 for discharging the sheets 7 and 8 toward the paper receiver 4 is connected to the end of this paper conveyance path 9. A switching member 1 is provided at the connection portion between the paper ejection path 10 and the paper ejection path 10 to switch the ejection path of the sheets 7 and 8 toward the paper ejection path 10 or the paper receiver 3.
1 is rotatably provided. Further, the paper transport path 9 includes the uppermost sheets 7 and 8 of the paper feed cassettes 5 and 6.
a transfer unit 15 that transfers the developed image on the image carrier 14 onto the sheets 7 and 8;
, 8, and a fixing section 17 that pinches the sheets 7 and 8 that have passed through the transfer section 15 and fixes the transferred images on the sheets 7 and 8, sequentially from upstream to downstream. Arranged. Further, a support body 18 is detachably attached to a frame (not shown) provided inside the main body l, and the image carrier 14 is rotatably held on this support body 18. A charging section 19 that applies an electric charge to the image carrier 14, a static eliminating section 20 that exposes the image carrier 14 to make the charge uniform on its outer periphery, and a cleaning section 21.
and a developing device 22 are arranged and attached around the image carrier 14. Furthermore, on both sides of the upper part of this support body 18, a holding part 2 holding a self-scanning type exposure part 23 having a large number of light emitting elements (not shown) arranged in a straight line is provided.
4 is formed. Further, the main body 1 is formed with a holding section 26 that selectively holds the deflection scanning type exposure section 25 by utilizing the dead space above the paper feed cassette 5.

When the deflection scanning type exposure section 25 is attached to the holding section 26, a mirror 27 that reflects the deflected beam light is attached to the upper part of the image carrier 14 so as to face it.

The developing device 22 includes a toner container 28 that is integrally formed with the support body 18 and has an open top surface, and this toner container 28.
The blade 30 is attached to the toner container 28 and has its tip close to the developing roller 29, and the toner cartridge 31 is fitted into the toner container 28. The toner container 28 and the toner cartridge 31 are made of a material having the same color as the toner 32 used. The developing device 22 in this embodiment can be attached to the support body 18 together with other process kits such as the image carrier 14, the charging section 19, the exposure section 20, the cleaning section 21, the exposure section 23, etc. A forming unit 33 is configured, and this image forming unit 33 is configured to store toner 3 to be used.
A plurality of pieces are prepared corresponding to the number of colors in 2. Therefore, a desired image forming unit 33 is attached to the main body 1 depending on the toner 38 to be used.

In such a configuration, the image carrier 14 is charged by the charging section 19 every cycle during rotation, and the charged portion is scanned with a light beam from the exposure section 23, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed.
This electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing device 22. On the other hand, sheets 7 and 8 of the paper feed cassette 5°6 are loaded onto the paper feed roller 12.
or 13, between the image carrier 14 and the transfer section 15, whereby the developed image on the image carrier 14 is transferred to the sheets 7, 8 by the transfer section 15, and then the developed image on the image carrier 14 is transferred to the sheets 7, 8 by the transfer section 15.
8 is fixed by the fixing unit 17 and discharged onto the paper tray 3 or the paper tray 4 depending on the state of the switching member 11.

When replenishing the toner 32, use the toner container 28 or toner cartridge 31 of the same color as the toner 32 to be replenished.
By making the toner 32 of a different color correspond to the color of
It is possible to prevent mistakes such as mixing. In addition,
The same purpose can be achieved by making a part of the toner container 28 or the toner cartridge 31 the same color as the toner 32.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a developing device in which a developing roller facing an image bearing member is rotatably attached to a toner container in which toner is stored, in which the developing roller is rotatably attached to the toner container or the toner container. Since at least part of the toner cartridge is made to have the same color as the toner to be used, when replenishing toner, the color of the toner to be replenished is made to correspond to the color of the toner container or toner cartridge of the same color. This has the advantage of being able to prevent mistakes in which toners of different colors are mixed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is a longitudinal side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 14... Image carrier, 28... Toner container, 29... Developing roller, 31... Toner cartridge, 32...
toner

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a developing device in which a developing roller facing an image carrier is rotatably attached to a toner container in which toner is stored,
A developing device characterized in that at least one of the toner container and a toner cartridge attached to the toner container has the same color as the toner to be used.