JPH0486776A - Method for detecting residual quantity of toner in two-component developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To precisely detect the residual quantity of toner by forcibly shifting the count value of toner consumption to a first set value when a toner replenishing action over a prescribed time is executed after a toner consumption frequency becomes over a second set value. CONSTITUTION:A consumption count level N2 being an empty state such an extent that the toner does not drop from a toner container when it fills up the toner container in the case that the toner is replenished by a toner cartridge is set between the toner consumption frequency N1 until a developing device is forcibly stopped after the residual quantity of the toner in the toner container becomes at a prescribed level or under by a ordinary consumption level and a consumption count level N3 that alarm display is executed. In the case that the count value of the toner consumption frequency is between N1 > N2, the ordinary detecting action of the residual quantity is executed. On the other hand, when the count value becomes <= N2, it is forcibly shifted to the first set value N3 and the alarm display is executed. Thus, the residual quantity of the toner is precisely detected even in the case that the continuous replenishing action of the toner for solid black printing or the other is executed when the residual quantity of the toner becomes near the depleted state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a method for detecting the remaining amount of toner in a developing device using a two-component developing subsystem incorporated into an image forming machine such as a printer or a copying machine, and more specifically Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for detecting the remaining amount of toner in a two-component developing device that performs development while sequentially replenishing toner from the toner container side to the developing device main body side.

"Prior Art" A developing device using a two-component developer consisting of, for example, a carrier and a toner has been known, and in this type of developing device, toner is supplied to a developing container containing the developer at a predetermined mixing ratio. The toner containers are connected via a mechanism, and a toner concentration sensor is disposed inside the developer container to measure the mixing ratio of the toner and carrier that occurs each time the toner is consumed from the developer container by a predetermined electrophotographic development operation. The change is detected by a toner concentration sensor, and the toner replenishing mechanism is driven and controlled based on the detection signal to sequentially supply toner from the toner container into the developer container. Therefore, if the toner in the container falls below the empty level due to toner replenishment, a warning will be displayed, and if development is performed without further toner replenishment, the developer container side will become insufficient in density. Image forming operations including developing operations are forcibly stopped to prevent image deterioration due to insufficient density.

Preferably, the empty level and forced stop timing are determined based on detection signals from a toner remaining amount sensor and a concentration sensor. The smaller the amount of toner in the container, the less accurate the detection accuracy of the toner concentration sensor that detects it becomes, and malfunctions are also likely to occur due to uneven distribution of toner.

Therefore, in conventional devices, a predetermined level higher than the empty level is set on the toner container side, and when the remaining amount of toner in the toner container falls below the predetermined level, the number of toner replenishments or the number of sheets to be developed is counted. ,
When the count value exceeds a predetermined count, a warning is displayed and the forcible stop is performed, and if toner is replenished during the count, the count is cleared.

"Technical problem to be solved by the invention" However, the above technology is based on the premise that there is a correlation between the number of toner replenishments or the number of developed sheets and the amount of toner consumption, and in cases such as solid black printing, continuous replenishment mode is used. 1
A large amount of toner is consumed during the replenishment operation, and even though there is still a count left, it is empty or dark 1.
The degree of deterioration occurs, resulting in poor development.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting the remaining amount of toner in a developing device, which makes it possible to easily recognize even when solid black printing is performed and to detect the remaining amount more accurately.

[Technical Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method that is implemented after the amount of toner remaining in the toner container connected to the main body of the developing device falls below a predetermined level. Counts the number of toner replenishments, number of developed sheets, and other toner consumption times.
The count value is a predetermined set value (hereinafter referred to as the first set value)
In a method for detecting the amount of remaining toner in a two-component developing device, in which a warning display, forced stop of development, or other user recognition action is taken when the amount exceeds the predetermined level, a second setting value is set between the predetermined level and the first set value. After the toner consumption count exceeds a second set value, the toner consumption count value is forcibly changed to the first setting when a toner replenishment operation that exceeds a predetermined time is performed one or more times. We propose a method for detecting the amount of remaining toner, which is characterized by shifting the amount of toner.

The second setting value is not particularly limited as long as it is within the range, but more preferably, when the second setting value is reached, the toner container is full of toner when the toner cartridge is replenished with toner. It is best to set it to an empty state so that it does not spill.

``Operation'' When there is enough toner in the toner container, there is no particular problem in entering continuous replenishment mode such as solid black printing, but if you enter continuous printing mode near the warning display, the remaining amount of toner is actually displayed as a warning. There are cases where the toner consumption count has not yet reached the warning display point even though it is below the display point, and poor development is likely to occur due to poor toner concentration.

Therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, the number of toner consumptions Nl (initial between the consumption count level (referred to as the first setting value) N3 that displays a warning,
The consumption count level (referred to as the second set value) at which the toner container is full and empty to the extent that it does not spill when toner is replenished with a toner cartridge is set as N2, and the number of toner consumptions (remaining allowable consumption) is set as N2. The count value of
If it is between l>N2 1 Perform the normal remaining amount detection operation,
On the other hand, when the count value becomes equal to or less than N2, the count value is forcibly shifted to a first set value N3 and a warning is displayed.

In this case, the second set value N2 is within a range in which the toner container does not become full of toner even if toner is replenished by the toner cartridge at that time, so there is no particular problem.

"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.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the main parts around the developing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
A sleeve 2 containing a mag roll (not shown) is rotatably supported, and a toner container 2 is attached above the developer container 1 via a partition plate 5.

A slit opening 6a is provided on the bottom side of the tapered guide recess 6 formed at an arbitrary location on the partition plate 5, and a toner replenishing roller 7 covered with sponge is rotatably attached to the opening 6a. A DC motor 8 whose rotation can be controlled based on a signal from the CPU 12 is connected to the roller 7 .

On the other hand, the developer container 1 has a rotatable stirring member 9 attached to its substantially central portion, and stirs and mixes the toner supplied from the supply roller 7.

Further, the developer container 1 is provided with a toner concentration sensor 10 that detects the mixing ratio of carrier and toner as a change in magnetic permeability, and the toner container 2 is provided with a toner remaining amount sensor 11 that detects the remaining amount of toner as a piezoelectric change. A signal is sent to the CPU 12 on the machine control side.

The CPU 12 on the machine control side detects the remaining amount of toner and the toner density based on both of the detection signals, and transmits the control signal to the CPU 13 on the image processing apparatus side at an appropriate time.

The CPU 13 on the image processing apparatus side is provided with a display panel 14 for displaying a warning, a nonvolatile memory 15 for storing the number of sheets to be developed after the toner minimum level is reached, a control panel 16, and the like. In addition, the CPU 13 has an initial value Nl.
(e.g. 600 sheets), warning display value N3' (e.g. 300 sheets), warning display value N3' (e.g. 300 sheets)
sheets) and a shift value N2 (for example, 500 sheets) are set. Note that the count value in the nonvolatile memory 15 is reset by replenishing the toner container 2 with toner.

Next, a procedure for detecting the amount of remaining toner based on this configuration will be explained with reference to a flowchart based on FIG.

f CP on the machine control side as shown in (A)
In U, the signal from the toner remaining amount sensor is compared with, for example, a reference voltage corresponding to the toner lower limit level on the CPU side, and if it is higher than the lower limit level, the toner LOW flag and toner continuous replenishment mode flag are turned OFF.5TEP 1 )
, on the other hand, if it drops below the lower limit level, the toner is LOW.
Turn on the 7 lag and 5TEP2): Send these signals to the image CPU side.

On the other hand, toner concentration detection is performed by comparing the signal from the toner concentration sensor 10 with a reference voltage corresponding to the toner concentration lower limit level on the CPU 12 side, for example, as shown in FIG. After turning ON, set the timer (5TEP3), then keep the toner continuous replenishment mode flag OFF until the time-up does not occur (STEP4), and if the toner concentration reaches the lower limit level or more before the time-up, turn the replenishment motor OFF.
After FF t, clear the timer (5TEP5) and repeat the above operations. (STEP6) If the toner concentration is still below the lower limit level even after the time has elapsed, it is determined that continuous replenishment is in progress, and the continuous replenishment mode flag is set. ON, these signals are sent to the image CPU side. (,5TEP7) On the other hand, as shown in (C) on the image CPU side that received the signal, the toner is low.
When the flag is ON, the counter value N is subtracted from the initial value Nl for each number of sheets to be developed (5TEPII), and when the counter value N is greater than the warning display value N3 and the toner one continuous replenishment mode flag is not ON ( STEP12
) returns to the above (STEPll) again and subtracts the counter value N, and when it becomes less than the warning display value N3, a warning is displayed (STEP13), and if toner is not replenished during that time, the counter value further increases. When it is updated and becomes N=O, a machine stop instruction is issued. (STEP 14) On the other hand, when the counter value N is lower than the warning display value N3 and the toner continuous replenishment mode flag is turned on, the counter value N is the shift value N2.
If it is larger (STEP15), repeat the above (STEPI
Return to step I) and subtract the counter value N.
becomes less than the shift value N2 (STEP 1
6) The counter value N is forcibly lowered to N3 and a warning is displayed, and if toner is not replenished during that time, the counter value is further updated and when N=0, a machine stop instruction is issued. What is served is as described above. (STEP 14) Therefore, according to this embodiment, the effects of the present invention can be smoothly achieved.

"Effects" As described above, according to the present invention, even when solid black printing or other continuous toner replenishment operations are performed when the remaining amount of toner approaches the empty state, a warning can be displayed with high accuracy. This makes it possible to provide a method for detecting the amount of remaining toner in a developing device that enables more accurate detection of the amount of remaining toner.
It has various effects such as

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a basic operational diagram of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of main parts around the developing device and the connection state of circuit blocks according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure thereof. It is a diagram. Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] When the remaining amount of toner in a toner container connected to the main body of the developing device falls below a predetermined level, the number of times of toner replenishment, number of developed sheets, and other toner consumption times are counted, and the number of toner consumptions is counted. In a method for detecting the amount of remaining toner in a two-component developing device, the toner remaining amount detection method in a two-component developing device is configured to display a warning, forcibly stop development, or take other user recognition actions when the count value exceeds a predetermined set value (hereinafter referred to as the first set value). A second set value is set between the level and the first set value, and after the number of times of toner consumption exceeds the second set value, a toner replenishment operation that exceeds a predetermined time is performed one or more times. When the toner consumption count value is forced to the first
Toner remaining amount detection method characterized by shifting to a set value of