JPH03220576A - electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect a residual toner quantity by constituting a toner stirring member of a flexible material, detecting the distortion of the toner stirring member while toner is stirred and outputting a warning signal when the distortion is smaller than a prescribed value. CONSTITUTION:When a developing device 1 is filled with the toner, a load applied to the toner stirring member 7 is large, the toner stirring member 7 is largely bent, a distance from a magnet 8 to a coil 9 is long, the electromotive voltage of this coil 9 is low, and the warning signal is not outputted from a warning device 10. The toner in the developing device 1 is gradually consumed and the load applied to the toner stirring member 7 is gradually decreased, the distortion of the toner stirring member 7 is gradually reduced, the distance from the magnet 8 to the coil 9 is reduced and the electromotive voltage of the coil 9 is boosted. When the electromotive voltage becomes higher than a prescribed value, the warning signal is outputted from the warning device 10. Thus, the warning signal can be outputted when a usable toner quantity becomes smaller than a prescribed quantity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is an electrophotographic method in which an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor is visualized using toner particles, the toner is transferred to paper, and the image is fixed by heat, pressure, etc. It is related to the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electrophotographic devices that utilize electrophotographic process technology have been put into practical use as copying machines, optical printers, and the like, and have made remarkable progress. In the electrophotographic process, an optical scanning system is used to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image data on a pre-charged photoreceptor, and this electrostatic latent image is developed using toner, transferred to paper, and fixed to form an image. This is what you get. Toner is consumed every time printing is performed, and it is necessary to periodically replenish the developing device with toner. Therefore, electrophotographic apparatuses are provided with means for detecting the remaining amount of toner.

A conventional electrophotographic apparatus will be specifically described below.

In a conventional electrophotographic device, a toner stirring member for stirring the toner is provided in a developing device that stores toner.
Further, a remaining toner amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount of toner is provided. As this toner remaining amount detection means, a combination of an ultrasonic oscillator and a piezo element is used, and the amount of ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic oscillator that enters the piezo element changes depending on the amount of remaining toner. Therefore, the remaining amount of toner is detected by utilizing the fact that the output signal of the piezo element changes depending on the remaining amount of toner.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional configuration as described above, toner blocking occurs in the developing device, and when the toner solidifies due to the forward bending of the piezo element, the amount of toner in the developing device decreases. Despite this, there are cases where the decrease in the amount of toner is not detected.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a toner stirring member that stirs the toner in the developing device made of a flexible material, and a toner stirring member that stirs the toner in the developing device. The present invention is provided with an alarm means for detecting distortion of the plate member and outputting an alarm signal when the distortion becomes less than a predetermined value.

Effect: When the toner inside the developing device is reduced by the above means, the load on the toner sensing member when sensing toner is reduced, and the distortion of the toner stirring member is reduced. When the distortion of the toner stirring member becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the alarm means outputs an alarm signal.

Embodiment An embodiment of the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 are sectional views of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively. 1 is a developing device that stores toner 2 and places the toner on photoreceptor 3; 4 is a developing roller, which is rotatably attached within the developing device 1. 5 is a doctor blade, the tip of which is the developing roller 4
close to the surface. Reference numeral 6 denotes a drive shaft for the wake-up member 7, which rotates the wake-up member 7. The reminder member 7 is made of a highly elastic and flexible material such as polypropylene. 8 is a magnet attached to the tip of the reminder member 7; 9 is a coil;
It is attached at a position where the lines of magnetic force of the magnet 8 can reach when the magnet 8 approaches the bottom surface of the developing device 1 . Reference numeral 10 denotes an alarm device, which outputs an alarm signal when the electromotive voltage of the coil 9 becomes less than a predetermined value. The alarm device 10 includes, for example, a rectifier, a comparator that compares the output voltage of the rectifier with a reference voltage, and a lamp that is turned on in response to the output signal of the comparator.

Next, the above operation will be explained. When replenishing the developing device 1 with toner, first open the top lid of the developing device 1 and replenish the toner. When the image forming operation is started after toner is replenished, the drive shaft 6 of the toner sensing means 7 rotates to sense the toner. When the developing device 1 is filled with toner, the load on the toner storage member 7 is large, and the toner storage member 7 is bent significantly. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance between the magnet 8 and the coil 9 is large, and the electromotive voltage of the coil 9 is small. In this state, the alarm device IO does not output an alarm signal. Further, as the developing roller 4 rotates, the toner adhering to the surface of the developing roller 4 is removed by the doctor blade 5.
is scraped off to form a layer of a predetermined thickness. The toner adhering to the surface of the developing roller 4 is transferred to the surface of the photoreceptor 3, and the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 3 is visualized. The toner in the developing device 1 is gradually consumed with the image forming operation. Accordingly, the load on the toner sensing member 7 gradually decreases, and the distortion of the toner sensing member 7 decreases as shown in FIG.

Then, the distance between the magnet 8 and the coil 9 becomes smaller, and the electromotive voltage of the coil 9 becomes larger. When this electromotive voltage becomes larger than a predetermined value, the alarm device 10 outputs an alarm signal.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained. The same parts as in the first embodiment are given the same numbers and the description thereof will be omitted.

A toner stirring rod 12 is a metal rod attached to the drive shaft 6, and a magnet 13 is attached to the tip of the toner stirring rod. Further, reference numerals 14 and 15 denote Hall elements, which are attached to positions corresponding to the magnets 8 and 13, respectively.

A phase difference detection circuit 16 is connected to the Hall element 14.15 and detects the phase difference between the output signals of the Hall element 14.15.

The second embodiment of the present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next.

When the area above the developing device is filled with toner, the load on the toner sensing member 7 is large, and the toner sensing member 7 is bent significantly as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the toner stirring rod 12 does not generate much distortion. Then, the phase difference between the output signals of the Hall elements 14 and 15 is large, and the phase difference detection circuit 16 does not output an alarm signal. Further, as the developing roller 4 rotates, the toner adhering to the surface of the developing roller 4 is scraped off by a doctor blade 5 so as to form a layer with a predetermined thickness. The toner adhering to the surface of the developing roller 4 is transferred to the surface of the photoreceptor 3, and the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 3 is visualized. As the image forming operation progresses, the toner in the developing device 1 is gradually consumed. Accordingly, the load on the toner sensing member 7 gradually decreases.
As shown in FIG. 4, the distortion of the toner sensing member 7 is reduced. Then, the phase difference between the output signals of the Hall elements 14 and 15 becomes smaller. When this value becomes smaller than a predetermined value, the phase difference detection circuit 16 outputs an alarm signal.

In the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention described below, even if toner blocking occurs in the developing device 1 and the toner adheres to the inner wall of the developing device 1, the toner stirring member 7 agitates the toner. The alarm device operates depending on the amount of toner, that is, the amount of toner that can be conveyed to the developing drum 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described in detail, in the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention, the toner stirring member for stirring the toner in the developing device is made of a flexible material, and the toner stirring member during toner stirring is made of a flexible material. We have installed an alarm means that detects the distortion of the member and outputs an alarm signal when the distortion becomes less than a predetermined value, so when the toner inside the developing device decreases, the load on the toner sensitization member when sensitizing the toner decreases. decreases, the distortion of the toner stirring member decreases, and when the distortion of the toner stirring member becomes less than a predetermined value, an alarm signal is output from the alarm means, and the amount of toner that can actually be used is less than the predetermined value. It is possible to output an alarm signal when the

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are cross-sectional views of a first embodiment of an electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention. l: Developing device 2: Toner 3: Photoconductor 4; Developing drum 5: Doctor blade 6: Drive shaft 7: Toner sensing member 8: Magnet 9: Coil 10: Alarm device

Claims (1)

[Claims] A photoreceptor, a developing device that accommodates toner and attaches the toner to the photoreceptor, and a toner stirring member that stirs the toner in the developing device, the toner stirring member being made of a flexible material. What is claimed is: 1. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: an alarm means for detecting distortion of a toner stirring member during toner stirring and outputting an alarm signal when the distortion becomes less than a predetermined value.