JPH0486775A - Toner replenishment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a toner replenishment device comply with even a high-speed image forming device by rotating a replenishment roller provided near a toner supply port and opposing the part of a magnet on the inside circumference side of the replenishment roller, where magnetic poles having the same polarity are adjacent, to toner in a toner housing part. CONSTITUTION:The replenishment roller 24 is provided under the toner supply port 22 through small gap with the side wall 23 of the toner housing part 21. Then, the roller 24 is rotated and simultaneously the magnet 25 that two pairs of magnetic poles having the same polarity are adjacent through a proper interval is provided on the inside circumference side of the roller 24 so as to turn it. Therefore, when developer 1 is supplied to the roller 24, it is napped on the replenishment roller by the magnetic action of the magnet 25 and guided in the housing part 21 under the state of a magnetic brush in accordance with the rotation of the replenishment roller. Besides, it is mixed with the toner 12 and the toner is fetched in the developer by carrier in the developer. Thus, the toner replenishment device is made to comply with even the high-speed image forming device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner to a developing device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and particularly relates to a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner to a developing device used in an image forming device such as a copying machine or a printer. The present invention is used as a toner replenishing device for replenishing toner to a two-component developing type developing device that does not use a toner or a carrier.

[Prior art and its problems] Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers, in addition to developing devices using a single-component developing method that uses only toner, there are also developing devices that use a two-component developing method that uses toner and a carrier. A developing device was used.

Even in a two-component development type developing device that uses toner and carrier, toner is consumed during development and the amount of toner in the developing device decreases, so a toner replenishing device is installed in this developing device. I had to replenish toner.

Conventionally, various types of toner replenishing devices have been used to replenish toner to the developing device.

However, when toner is replenished to the developing device as described above, the toner tends to aggregate, and the aggregated toner is sometimes supplied to the developing device in the form of lumps from the toner replenishing device.

If the toner aggregates and is supplied to the developing device in the form of a lump, the supplied toner will not be sufficiently mixed with the carrier in the developing device, and the toner will not be sufficiently charged by contact with the carrier. This practice was no longer carried out, resulting in problems such as a decrease in the amount of charge on the toner, an excessively high image density, background fogging, and toner scattering.

Therefore, in conventional toner replenishing devices, in order to prevent the toner from agglomerating and replenishing to the developing device in the form of lumps, a brush or the like is used to pass the toner through a large number of fine holes provided in a screen member to the developing device. It was known that the fuel was dispersed and resupplied.

However, when the toner is dispersed by such mechanical action and supplied to the developing device, problems arise such as mechanical stress being applied to the toner and the toner deteriorating.

On the other hand, if the agitation conditions are increased in order to sufficiently mix the toner supplied in the form of agglomerated lumps with the carrier in the developing device, the normally replenished toner may become excessive. Problems such as charging and deterioration of the developer due to strong stirring arose.

In addition, in recent years, as the speed of the image forming apparatuses mentioned above has increased, consideration has been given to using toner with small particle diameters in order to form high-definition images. .

For this reason, it has become necessary to charge the replenished toner even more quickly in the above-mentioned developing device. The toner was not mixed well with the carrier, and it was difficult to accelerate the charging of the toner.

Furthermore, when toner with a small particle size is used to form a high-definition image as described above, the toner becomes more likely to aggregate and the contact with the carrier becomes poor, resulting in the toner having a small particle size. Problems arose, such as the toner being often supplied to the developing device in the form of agglomerated lumps, and the chargeability of the toner further decreasing.

Furthermore, conventionally, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 51-346, a replenishment roller having a magnetic roller inside is provided at a toner supply port for supplying toner stored in a toner storage portion, and this replenishment roller At the same time, the replenishment roller and the magnet roller are rotated in opposite directions to form a magnetic brush of developer on the replenishment roller, and the toner stored in the toner storage section is taken into this magnetic brush. There was also a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner to the developing device in this state.

If the toner is taken into the developer magnetic brush formed on the replenishment roller and the toner is replenished into the developing device, the toner is mixed with the carrier and then replenished. , it was possible to speed up the charging start-up of the toner to some extent.

However, even when such a toner replenishment device is used, the toner is not properly mixed with the carrier and is not sufficiently replenished, and as mentioned above, the speed of the system is increasing and high-definition image formation is not possible. Therefore, in those using toner with a small particle size, problems still exist in terms of the amount of toner replenishment and the amount of charge.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention solves the various problems described above when replenishing toner from a toner replenishment device to a two-component development type developing device that uses toner and carrier as the developer. The problem is to solve the problem.

In other words, this invention prevents toner from agglomerating even if the toner has a small particle size when replenishing toner from a toner replenishing device to a two-component developing type developing device that uses toner and carrier as the developer. This ensures that the toner is not replenished into the developing device in a well-dispersed state, without being replenished into the developing device in a clump state, and without applying mechanical stress to the toner and degrading the toner. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to enable the supplied toner to be mixed well with the carrier, to speed up the charge build-up of the toner, and to be compatible with high-speed image forming apparatuses.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a two-component development type developing device using toner and a carrier as a developer, which is housed in a toner storage section. In a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner, a replenishment roller is provided near a toner supply port that supplies toner stored in the toner storage section, and this replenishment roller is rotated, and the inner peripheral side of this replenishment roller is A magnet provided with magnetic poles of the same polarity adjacent to each other is housed in the magnet, and a portion of the magnet where the magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent is positioned in a position facing the toner contained in the toner storage portion. In addition, a developer supplying means for supplying developer to the replenishment roller G was also provided.

[Function] In the toner replenishing device according to the present invention, the replenishment roller provided near the toner supply port for supplying the toner stored in the toner storage portion as described above is rotated, and the replenishment roller is rotated. The developer is supplied to the supply roller by a developer supply means.

When the developer is supplied to the replenishment roller in this way, the developer is made to stand up on the replenishment roller by the magnetic force of the magnet installed on the inner circumference of the replenishment roller, and as the replenishment roller rotates. The developer is guided into the toner storage unit in the form of a magnetic brush, the toner stored in the toner storage unit and the developer are mixed, and the toner is taken into the developer by the carrier in the developer. become.

In particular, when the developer guided into the toner container in the state of a magnetic brush as described above reaches a portion of the magnet where magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent to each other, due to the action of the repulsive magnetic field caused by the magnetic poles of the same polarity, The developer is agitated, and the toner accommodated in the toner storage portion is taken in more efficiently by the thus agitated carrier of the developer.

After the toner stored in the toner storage section is taken into the developer by the disturbed developer carrier, this developer is guided out of the toner storage section as the replenishment roller rotates, and the toner is removed. The developer is returned to the developing device in the state in which it is taken in, and the developing device is replenished with toner.

In this way, the toner is efficiently captured by the carrier in the developer, and the captured toner is sufficiently mixed with the carrier and replenished into the developing device. becomes quickly charged.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, in a two-component developing type developing device (10) using a developer (1) in which toner (1a) and carrier are mixed,
A toner replenishing device (
20).

Then, using this developing device (10), the image carrier (2
), when the toner in the developing device (10) is consumed and reduced, the toner (1a) is added to the developing device f (10) by the toner replenishing device (20).
I decided to replenish the amount.

Here, in the above-mentioned developing device (10), as shown in the figure, this developing device! After the developer (1) in which the toner (1a) and carrier are mixed is stirred by the stirring member (11) provided in the (10), the developer (1) is transferred to the conveying member (12). feeding, this conveying member (12
) to apply the developer (1) inside the magnetic roller (
13) is supplied to the surface of the developing roller (14) provided with the developing roller (14).

As the developing roller (14) to which the developer (1) is supplied in this manner rotates, the developer (1) supplied to the developing roller (14) is transferred to a roller provided inside the developing roller (14). A magnetic brush is formed by the magnetic force of the magnet roller (13) and then conveyed to the image carrier (2), and while the developer (1) is being conveyed to the image carrier (2), the developer The height regulating plate (15) provided at a required distance from the roller (14) regulates the height of the magnetic brush caused by the developer (1), and
2) The amount of developer (1) transported is adjusted.

Then, the height of the magnetic brush is adjusted by the height regulating plate (15>), and the developing roller (14) transfers the developer (1) that has been conveyed to the image carrier 2) side to the image carrier 2). (
The toner (1a) was brought into contact with the surface of the image carrier (2) in the development area facing the image carrier (2), and the toner (1a) was supplied to the electrostatic latent image portion formed on the surface of the image carrier (2).

On the other hand, in the toner replenishment bag f (20) for replenishing the toner (1a) to the developing device (10), the toner (1a) is stored in the toner storage portion (21), and
Below the toner supply port (22) that supplies the toner (1a) from the toner storage portion (21) into the developing device (10),
A replenishment roller (24) is provided so as to be slightly spaced from the side wall (23) of the toner accommodating portion (21), and this replenishment roller (24) is rotated, and S1 pole, S2 pole, and N1 pole are provided. A magnet (25) in which two pairs of magnetic poles of the same polarity consisting of N2 and N2 poles are provided adjacent to each other with an appropriate interval is provided on the inner peripheral side of this replenishment roller (24), and this magnet (25) can be rotated on the inner peripheral side of the replenishment roller rough 24).

At this time, between the S1 pole and the S2 pole, the angle θl is set so that the developer (1) can be conveyed along with the rotation of the replenishment roller (24), while N 1N! , between the N2 poles is the replenishment roller (24
) was set at an angle θ2 at which the developer (1) would not be conveyed with the rotation of the cylinder.

Also, as mentioned above, attach the magnet (25>) to the replenishment roller (
24) so that it can rotate on the inner circumferential side, in this embodiment, the magnet (25) is rotated as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and (B). The means for rotating the magnet (25) are not particularly limited to these.

Here, in the one shown in FIG. 5(A), an angle plate (26) is attached to the shaft (25a) of the magnet (25), and a solenoid (27) is attached to this angle plate (26).
) is attached, and a toner concentration sensor (28) is attached to this solenoid (27).
), and the signal from the toner concentration sensor (28) causes the solenoid (27
) to expand and contract the rod (27a), and by the expansion and contraction of this rod (27a), the angle plate (26)
The magnet (25) is rotated through the.

Moreover, in the one shown in FIG. 5(B), the angle plate (26) attached to the shaft (25a) of the magnet (25)
) is applied to the eccentric cam (3) by a biasing means (29) such as a spring
0) and transmits a signal from the toner concentration sensor 28) to this eccentric cam (30).
30) is rotated, and the magnet (25) is rotated via the angle plate (26) which is pressed against the eccentric cam (30).

When the toner (la) is supplied to the developing device (10) by the toner supply device (20), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnet (25)
The part where the S1 pole and the 82 pole adjacent to each other are located on the side of the toner (1a) stored in the toner storage part (21), while the part where the N pole and the N2 pole are adjacent to each other is Above S1 [! and the S2 pole are located on the side of the developing device (10) opposite to the adjacent portions.

In addition, as the developer supply means (31) for supplying the developer (1) to the replenishment roller (24) provided below the toner supply port (22) as described above, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned The height regulating plate (
15) from the vicinity of this replenishment roller (2).
4), and install the height regulating plate (15) as described above.
The developer (1) removed from the surface of the developing roller (14) by the replenishing roller (
24) It was made to be conveyed to the side.

Then, the developer (1) transported in this way is transferred to the replenishment roller (24) by the magnetic force of the N1 pole of the magnet (25) provided on the inner peripheral side of the replenishment roller (24).
24) It was made to replenish from above.

Further, in this embodiment, in the toner storage section (21), a regulating member (32) is attached to the outer surface of the side wall (23) on the side where the developer (1) is supplied.
24) through a slight gap d1, and this regulating member (32) allows the toner storage portion (
21) In addition to regulating the amount of developer (1) introduced into the interior, a toner storage section (21) is provided on the inner surface of this side wall (23).
An elastic sealing material (33) is provided to prevent the toner (la) contained therein from flowing out.

On the other hand, a replenishment roller (
The magnetic body (34) was attached to the circumferential surface of the magnetic body (24) with a slight gap d2 therebetween.

When the toner replenishing device (20) of this embodiment replenishes the toner (1a) to the developing device (10), the S1 provided on the magnet (2°5) as described above is used.
The part where the pole and the 82 pole are adjacent to each other is the toner storage part (21).
located on the side of the toner (1a) housed inside,
The developer (1) removed from the surface of the developing roller (14) by the height regulating plate (15) is transferred to the guide plate (31).
The developer (1) is conveyed to the replenishment roller (24) side by the magnet (25), and the conveyed developer (1) is supplied onto the rotating replenishment roller (24) by the magnetic force of the N1 pole of the magnet (25).

When the developer (1) is supplied onto the replenishment roller (24) in this way, as the replenishment roller (24) rotates, the developer (1) is transferred to the inner peripheral side of the replenishment roller (24). Due to the magnetic force of the magnet (25) provided in the toner container, a magnetic brush is formed on the replenishment roller (24) while the toner is sent to the toner storage section (21).

Next, the amount of developer (1) sent to the toner storage section (21) in this way is adjusted by the above-mentioned regulating member (32), and an appropriate amount of developer (1) is sent to the replenishment roller (24).
The toner accommodating portion (21) is guided by the toner accommodating portion (21).

When the developer (1) thus supplied to the replenishment roller (24) is guided into the toner storage section (21), this developer (1) is transferred to the toner stored in the toner storage section (21). Toner (la) was mixed with toner (la), and the toner (la) was incorporated into the developer (1) by the carrier in the developer (1).

In particular, when the developer (1) reaches the part where the 81st pole and the S2 pole of the magnet (25) are adjacent to each other as the replenishment roller (24) rotates, the repelling magnetic field caused by the magnetic poles of the same polarity causes , this developer (1) is supplied to the replenishment roller (24
), and the developer thus disturbed (
1) The carrier inside and the toner (la) inside the toner storage section (21) are sufficiently mixed, so that the toner (1a) is sufficiently incorporated into the developer (1) in a dispersed state. Ta.

After the toner (1a) is sufficiently incorporated into the developer (1) in this dispersed state, the toner (1a) is fully incorporated into the developer (1).
) as the replenishment roller (24) rotates.
) and the side wall (23) of the toner storage section (21), and is taken out from the toner storage section (21).

In addition, in this way, the developer (1) is supplied to the replenishment roller (24).
) When taking out the toner from inside the toner container (21) as the toner rotates, in this embodiment, the magnetic material (34
) and the circumferential surface of the replenishment roller (24) is made larger than the gap dl between the regulating member (32) and the circumferential surface of the replenishment roller (24), and the magnetic material (34> The developer (1) is smoothly taken out from inside the toner storage part (21) without being retained near the side wall (23) where the developer (1) is provided.

After the developer (1) that has sufficiently taken in the toner (1a) is taken out from the toner storage section (21), this developer (1) is removed as the replenishment roller (24) rotates.
When the developer (1) reaches the position of the N2 pole of the magnet (25), the repelling magnetic field acting between the N2 pole and the N pole causes the developer (1) to be pushed onto the replenishment roller (2a). It is now separated from the developing device f (10) and supplied into the developing device f (10).

When the toner (1a) stored in the toner storage section (21) is replenished into the developing device (1o) in this way, the developer (1a) in which the toner (1a) is disturbed as described above ) is thoroughly mixed with the carrier in the toner (1a
) is replenished into the developing device (1o) in a state where the toner (1a) is dispersed and incorporated into the developer (1). It is no longer possible to replenish.

In addition, since the toner (1a) is sufficiently mixed with the carrier and supplied to the developing device (10>) in a dispersed state as described above, the stirring member (11) provided in the developing device (10) is ), the replenished toner (l
a) came into good contact with the carrier and quickly reached an appropriate amount of charge.

On the other hand, toner (1a) produced by this toner replenishing device (10)
), as shown in Figure 3,
The magnet (25) provided on the inner circumferential side of the replenishment roller (24) is rotated by a required angle.
The S2 pole in 5) is located outside the toner storage section 21), and the S1 pole is made to face the magnetic body (34) provided on the side wall (23) of the toner storage section (21). On the other hand, the developer (1) conveyed by the guide plate (31) is guided between NI& and N2% in this magnet (25).

In this way, the developer (1) conveyed by the guide plate (31) is replenished to the replenishment roller (24) by the repulsive magnetic field acting between the N1 and N2 poles of the magnet (25). As the developer (1) is exhausted, the elastic sealing material (33) provided on the inner surface side of the side wall (23) into which the developer (1) is fed, releases its elastic force and the toner storage portion (
Due to the weight of the toner (1a) contained in the toner (21), the toner (1a) is brought into pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the replenishment roller (24).

Then, from this elastic sealing material (33), the toner (1a
) is inserted into the developing device (10) from inside the toner storage section (21) through the gap between the side wall (23) and the supply roller (24).
) is no longer leaked.

In addition, on the side wall (23) on the side where the developer (1) is sent out, the developer (1)
It is suppressed to the single pole side, and this Sl pole and the magnetic body (
34), the developer (1)
is the supply roller (24) where 81 poles are located and the magnetic body (34).
) and the magnetic material (34).
) became blocked by the accumulated developer (1).

Therefore, the toner (
1a) no longer flows into the developing device (10) through the gap between the side wall (23) and the supply roller (24).

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, in the toner replenishment device according to the present invention, the replenishment roller provided at the toner supply port is rotated, and the developer is supplied to the replenishment roller by the developer supply means. Then, by the magnetic force of the magnet provided on the inner circumferential side of the replenishment roller, this developer is guided in the form of a magnetic brush on the replenishment roller into the toner container containing the toner, and the carrier in this developer The toner accommodated in the toner storage section is taken into the developer, and the developer is also disturbed in the portion where magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent to each other in the above-mentioned magnet. The agent carrier allows more toner to be incorporated in a dispersed state mixed with the carrier.

In addition, although the toner in the lower layer in the toner container tends to cause aggregation and crosslinking, the aggregation and crosslinking phenomenon of the toner no longer occurs due to the disturbance of the carrier in the portion where magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent.

Furthermore, as described above, after the toner is mixed with the developer carrier and taken into the developer in a dispersed state, the toner is replenished into the developing device in this state. The toner is now quickly charged by contact with the carrier.

As a result, when the toner replenishing device according to the present invention is used to replenish toner to the developing device, even if the toner has a small particle size, the toner does not aggregate into lumps as in the conventional method. The toner is not replenished into the developing device in a well-dispersed state, and the toner is not replenished into the developing device in a well-distributed state, without being replenished to the developing device in a well-distributed state, or the toner is not deteriorated due to mechanical stress being applied to the toner. The toner is well mixed with the carrier, and the charging of the toner becomes faster, making it compatible with high-speed image forming devices.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which a toner replenishing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which toner is replenished by the toner replenishing device of the same embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner replenishing device of the same embodiment stops toner replenishment. (B) is a diagram showing the state of magnetic lines of force and magnetic force distribution of the magnet used in the toner replenishing device of the same example, respectively, and Figures 5 (A) and (B) are diagrams of the magnet used in the toner replenishing device of the same example, respectively It is a figure showing an example of the means for rotating. (1)...Developer (la)...Toner (
2)... Image carrier (10)... Developing device (
20)...Toner replenishment device (21)...Toner storage section (24)...Replenishment roller (22)...Toner storage section (25)...Magnet (31)...Developer supply Means (guide plate) Figure 2 Figure 3 6C

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a toner replenishment device that replenishes toner contained in a toner storage section to a two-component development type developing device that uses toner and carrier as a developer, a toner that supplies the toner contained in the toner storage section. A replenishment roller is provided near the supply port, the replenishment roller is rotated, and a magnet is housed on the inner circumferential side of the replenishment roller so that magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent to each other,
A portion of the magnet where magnetic poles of the same polarity are adjacent to each other is located at a location facing the toner stored in the toner storage portion, and further provided with a developer supply means for supplying developer to the replenishment roller. Toner replenishment device.