JPH0460669A - Developing device for dry processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the accurate and exact and exact detection of the residual amt. of toners by moving the toners on a replenishing means side to a toner detecting surface side and moving the toners on the detecting surface side to a replenishing roller side while rubbing the detecting surface with vane bodies respectively in an axial direction. CONSTITUTION:A pair of agitating means 5,6 in a container 2B move the toners axially from the right to the left in an arrow direction in parts 53a-53b, 63a-63b having relief angles and move the toners from the left to the right in parts 53c, 63c having opposite angles. Consequently, the toners stored in the space in the semicircular bottom on the agitating means 5 side are transferred to the toner replenishing roller 23 side while the toners are moved and mixed to the right and left in the axial direction. While the toners in the part where the replenishing roller 23 exists move to the detecting surface side and the toners on the detecting surface side to the replenishing roller 24 side in the agitating means 6, the agitation of the toners and the rubbing of the detecting surface 23a are executed. The residual amt. of the toners is accurately and exactly detected even if the size of the developable paper is set large.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application J] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic developing device using a -component dry developer or a two-component dry developer. The present invention relates to a dry developing device in which a toner detection sensor is disposed within a toner container to be replenished.

[Prior Art J] For example, a dry developing device using a two-component developer consisting of a carrier and a toner has been known. A toner container is connected to the main body via a toner replenishment mechanism, a toner concentration sensor is disposed within the developing device, and a toner remaining amount sensor is disposed within the toner container, and the toner is removed from the developing container by a predetermined electrophotographic development operation. A toner concentration sensor detects a change in the mixing ratio of the toner and carrier that occurs each time the toner is consumed, and the toner replenishment mechanism is driven and controlled based on the detection signal, and the toner is sequentially transferred from the toner container into the developer container. At the same time, if the toner in the toner container falls below the lower limit level due to the toner supply, a warning is displayed, and if a predetermined number of sheets are developed without further toner replenishment, the above-mentioned Many of them are configured to forcibly stop image forming operations including developing operations.

In such a device, in order to accurately detect the remaining amount, a flexible plate-shaped cleaning member is attached to the stirring rod, and the cleaning member rubs the surface of the remaining amount detection sensor while rotating the stirring rod. It is configured as possible. (Utility Model Publication No. 59-21399, etc.) "Technical problem to be solved by the invention" However,
The toner container is extended in the axial direction to accommodate the maximum width of the recording paper, so if toner is accumulated on the negative side in the longitudinal direction due to the structure of the toner cartridge when replenishing toner or due to the inclination of the machine, etc. , it is difficult to evenly disperse the toner in the longitudinal direction even when using the stirring rod,
However, as the width of recording paper increases from B-4 to A-3 in recent years, the above-mentioned drawbacks are further exacerbated.

In order to solve this problem, it is possible to arrange a plurality of toner remaining amount sensors along the longitudinal direction of the container and detect the remaining amount based on the average value of the sensor group, but if such a configuration is adopted, Inevitably, the circuit configuration becomes complicated, and malfunctions are also likely to occur.

Such a drawback occurs not only in a two-component developing system but also in a one-component developing system in the case of a dry developing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dry developing device that can accurately and reliably detect the amount of remaining toner even when the developable paper width size is set large.

[Technical Means for Solving the Problems j] The first aspect of the present invention is that a first toner stirring means configured to be able to move the toner located on the toner replenishing means toward the toner detection sensor side is provided. This feature makes it possible to prevent erroneous determination that there is no toner even though toner is present.

However, with only the above method, toner remains on the toner detection sensor side, and it is erroneously determined that there is toner even though there is no toner on the replenishing means, and the toner is shifted.

Therefore, a second toner stirring means is provided on the detection surface of the sensor, which is configured to be able to return the toner on the toner detection surface to the toner replenishing means side while rubbing the detection surface. 2.

A second invention is a more specific version of the invention, in which the detection sensor is disposed close to the longitudinal end of the toner replenishing means extending along the longitudinal direction of the container, and the detection sensor and the toner replenishing means are entirely covered. The toner located on the toner replenishing means can be moved to the sensor side, and the toner located on the sensor side can be moved to the replenishing means side by a toner moving means attached to a rotating body arranged at We propose a dry developing device.

In this case, the toner moving means is formed by one or more blades attached to the rotating body and extending in the longitudinal direction,
By deflecting the blade body at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of the rotating body, toner located on the toner replenishing means can be moved to the sensor side, and toner located on the sensor side can be moved to the replenishing means side, with a simple configuration. Furthermore, by making the detection surface of the sensor substantially coincide with the upper surface of the toner replenishing means, it is possible to further improve the toner detection accuracy.

"Embodiments" Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example based on the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, but are merely illustrative examples. Not too much.

1 to 6 show a two-component dry developing device to be incorporated into an electrophotographic printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. , on the opening side facing the photoreceptor drum 3,
A developing roller 4 containing a mag roll (not shown) is pivotally supported, and a slit opening 11 extending parallel to the drum axis is provided on the upper surface of the developing device main body l at the right position in the figure.
Toner supply port and eggplant.

The toner supply port 11 is connected to a lid body 12 adjacent to the left bank side of the top surface.
A contact member 13 for pressing and rotating a shutter member 5 of the toner container 2, which will be described later, is protrudingly provided on the right bank side thereof.

The toner container 2 consists of an inner container 2B that functions as a toner cartridge, and two outer containers.The outer container lies in a semicircular shape on the right side of the bottom surface, and the part where the replenishment roller 23 is attached on the left side of the bottom surface has a substantially wedge shape. In addition, the replenishment roller 23 is attached by forming the bottom surface of one end in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the section into a flat shape, and attaching the toner detection sensor 24 made of a disk-shaped piezoelectric sensor to the flat surface with the detection surface facing upward. . The wedge-shaped bottom has a slit-like opening at its lower end to form a toner supply port 22, and a toner supply roller is rotated above the toner supply port 22 so that its upper surface substantially coincides with the detection surface of the sensor 24. One end of the replenishment roller 23 is provided to protrude from the side wall of the container, and a drive system 71 on the printer main body side is attached to the protrusion.
A protruding piece 231 is formed that can be fitted to the connecting portion 72 of. (
(See FIG. 5) The protrusion piece 231 is attached by forming a circular opening 28 in the upper wall surface so that the protrusion piece 64 for driving the stirring means attached to the inner container 2B side can be inserted through the opening.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner container 2B has a cross section that is roughly similar to the shape of the inner walls of the two outer containers, a semicircular shape on the right side of the bottom, and a planar shape on the left side of the bottom surface. At the same time, almost the entire area of the plane is opened except for the rib 31, and the bottom opening 3 is opened.
Part 0 is hidden with an adhesive tape 32 that can be peeled off from the outside.

That is, the adhesive tape 32 is pasted from one end of the bottom opening 30 in the longitudinal direction to the other end, and then folded back from the other end and returned to the one end side, and the return piece is attached along the wall surface of the one end side to the top side. After the inner container 2B is installed in the outer container A, the opening 30 is opened by holding the free end 32a of the tape and pulling it upward. The tape 32 is configured to be able to be pulled out while being exposed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, inside the inner container 2B, there is a scraper-shaped first stirring means 5 installed in the center of the semicircular bottom space 33 over the entire longitudinal direction. A second stirring means 6 configured in the same manner as described above is provided above the bottom opening 30 on the right side, and one end of each rotation @51 and 61 of both stirring means 5 and 6 is extended to the outer wall of the inner container 2B. set up,
Shaft gears 55 and 65, which are meshed with each other by a relay gear 54, are attached to the protruding shaft end.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the - shaft gear 65 is provided with a protrusion 64 that can engage with the connecting portion 72 of the motor drive system 71 on the printer main body side, and the gear train is connected via the protrusion 64. 6
By driving the stirring means 5-54-55, both stirring means 5.6 can be rotated in the same direction and at the same circumferential speed.

Next, the configuration of the stirring means 5, 6 will be explained. The stirring means 5.6 includes a rotating shaft 51.61 supported between both longitudinal sides of the inner container 2B, and a rotating shaft 51.61 fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 51.61. Rib member 52 that regulates the deflection angle of the flexible blade body 53.63
．． 62, and a blade body 53.63 made of a flexible strip-shaped thin layer piece stuck to the rib member 52.62, and the blade body 53 of the stirring means 5 of l has its shorter length set in the semicircle. The bottom of the shape is bent and set to a length that allows sliding, and in the longitudinal direction, it is divided into two at the center,
One of the divided blade bodies 53a is deflected from one end toward the center with a slight clearance angle in a direction retreating from the rotational direction, and the other blade body 53b is moved from the center position to a position midway on the end side. , is deflected and arranged with a slight relief angle in the direction backward with respect to the rotation direction, and conversely, 53c is deflected and arranged with a slight clearance angle in the direction of movement forward with respect to the rotation direction from the midway position to the other end. .

On the other hand, the blade body 63 of the other stirring means is also divided into two along the center in the longitudinal direction, and the divided blade body 63a is rotated in the rotating direction from the shaft end of the supply roller 23 on the driving side toward the center. The other blade body 63b is also deflected with a slight clearance angle in the direction of retraction with respect to the rotating direction, and the other blade body 63b is also arranged with a slight clearance angle in the direction of retraction with respect to the rotation direction from the center position to a position corresponding to the end of the supply roller 23. At the same time, the part 63c corresponding to the detection surface of the detection sensor 24 is deflected and arranged at a slight angle in the forward direction with respect to the rotating direction,
Further, cuts are made at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction at positions corresponding to the ribs 31 of the bottom opening 30, and the short sides thereof are set to a length that allows sliding on the detection surface and the surface of the supply roller 23 beyond the bottom opening. Set.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained step by step.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner container 2B is installed from above to the position shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the protruding piece 231 of the supply roller 23 and the protruding piece 64 of the stirring means 6 are engaged with the connecting portion 72 of the drive system 71 of the motor 7 on the printer main body side.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the tape 32 is pulled out by holding the free end 32a of the tape and pulling it upward, exposing the opening 30.

In this state, a predetermined electrophotographic development operation is performed, and a toner density sensor 24 (not shown) detects a change in the mixing ratio of toner and carrier that occurs each time the toner in the developing device body is consumed. By rotating the motor 7 based on the signal, the stirring means 5.6 and the toner supply roller 23 rotate in the direction of the arrow, thereby stirring the toner and toner detection sensor 24.
Toner is supplied into the main body of the developing device while rubbing the surface.

At this time, the pair of stirring means 5 and 6 in the inner container 2B is
As shown in the figure, a portion 53 a - 53 having a relief angle
b.

63a to 63b are portions 53c and 63c having opposite angles from the axial right to left in the direction of the arrow in the figure, respectively, and the toner moves from left to right in the figure, and as a result, on the stirring means 5 side of 1, a semicircular bottom space is formed. The toner stored in the toner 33 can be moved left and right in the axial direction and transferred to the toner replenishment roller 23 side while being mixed, and in the other stirring means 6, the toner in the portion where the replenishment roller 23 is located is transferred to the detection surface 23a side. Furthermore, since the toner on the detection surface 23a side moves toward the replenishment roller 24 side, the toner is agitated and the detection surface 23a is rubbed, so that the above-described effects of the present invention can be smoothly achieved.

``Effects'' As described above, according to the present invention, the toner on the replenishing means side is transferred to the toner detection surface side, and the toner on the detection surface side is transferred axially to the replenishment roller side while being rubbed on the detection surface by the blade. Because it is configured to be movable, it is possible to accurately and reliably detect the amount of toner remaining even when the developable paper width size is set to a large size, and the toner in the container can be detected as shown in Figure 2. It is reciprocated by the blade body,
Finally, since the toner is conveyed to the surface of the toner sensor, the inner container is sometimes installed at an axial angle, and even if the toner is stored in the toner container, the toner in the toner container is acclimatized in the axial direction of the drum and the replenishment roller This allows toner to be supplied evenly.

Further, since the sensor is mounted close to the feed roller, the toner in the container can be supplied without wasting the toner in the toner container.

It has various effects such as

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 6 show a dry developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toner container that combines an inner container and an outer container, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toner container. showing the flow,
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the inner container and outer container separated;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner container as seen from the bottom, Figures 5 and 6
The figures are a front sectional view and a plan view showing a state in which the toner container is assembled into a developing device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) Dry development comprising a toner container for appropriately replenishing toner to the developing device main body side via a toner replenishing means disposed within the container, and a toner detection sensor disposed at a predetermined location within the container. In the apparatus, a first toner stirring means is disposed on the toner replenishing means and configured to be able to move the toner toward the toner detection sensor while stirring the toner, and a first toner stirring means is configured to move the toner toward the toner detection sensor while stirring the toner; Dry type developing device consisting of a second toner agitating means configured to be able to return the toner on the toner detection surface to the toner replenishing means side again. In a dry developing device including a toner container configured to be capable of replenishing toner and having a toner detection sensor disposed at a predetermined location within the container, the longitudinal end side of a toner replenishing means in which the detection sensor extends along the longitudinal direction of the container. A toner moving means attached to a rotating body disposed close to the detection sensor and the toner replenishing means moves the toner located on the toner replenishing means toward the sensor side, and the toner located on the sensor side. 3) The toner moving means is formed of one or more blades attached to the rotating body and extending in the longitudinal direction, By deflecting the blade body at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of the rotating body, the toner located on the toner replenishing means can be moved to the sensor side, and the toner located on the sensor side can be moved to the replenishing means side. 4) The dry type developing device according to claim 2), wherein the detection surface of the sensor is substantially aligned with the upper surface of the toner replenishing means.