JPH071643Y2 - Toner drop device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a developing device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which the toner from the toner container is replenished when the toner is supplied from the toner container to the developing device. The present invention relates to a toner dropping device that promotes falling.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, an electronic copying machine, a laser beam printer, or the like is known as an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method.

The image forming apparatus using such an electrophotographic method is the fifth one.
As shown in the example of the electronic copying machine in the figure, around the photosensitive drum 10 whose surface is formed by an electrostatic photosensitive member, along the rotation direction thereof, a charging section A, an exposing section B, a developing section C, a transferring section D, The cleaning unit E and the charge eliminating unit F are arranged in a predetermined order. Then, the photosensitive member on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 uniformly charged by the charging unit A is exposed by the light having image information by the exposing unit B to form a latent image on the photosensitive member,
Toner is adhered to the latent image at the developing unit C to develop it (to form a toner image), and the toner image is transferred to the recording paper P (transferred material) conveyed in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum at the transfer unit D. After that, the fixing device G fixes the toner image on the recording paper P and discharges the paper.

As the developer used in the developing section C (developing device) of the image forming apparatus as described above, there are a one-component type toner and a two-component type developer in which the toner and the carrier are mixed at a predetermined ratio. In either case, the toner is consumed due to the developing action and must be replenished. Particularly in the case of using a two-component developer, it is essential to maintain the ratio of toner and carrier constant with high accuracy in order to perform good development. In this case, only the toner is used. A toner container for storing the toner is provided separately from the developing device, the toner concentration in the developer is measured, and the amount of toner required to maintain the toner concentration is replenished from the toner container into the developing device. .

In many cases, the toner container is a disposable cartridge type container so that the toner can be easily replenished and the toner is not spilled and contaminates the surroundings when the toner is replenished to the toner container.

[Problems of the prior art] However, if toner is not supplied due to the toner solidifying in the toner container, or in the case of a cartridge type container, the toner remaining on the inner wall surface of the toner container cannot be replaced. There was a problem of falling off and polluting the surroundings.

Therefore, a stirring member (stirring bar with blades, etc.) is installed in the toner container and the stirring member is operated (rotated) as needed (at the time of toner supply). Since the container must be integrally formed with the container, the cost of the container provided with the stirring member is high, especially for a disposable cartridge container, which causes a problem that the running cost of the apparatus also increases.

[Object of the Invention] In view of the above situation, the present invention enables reliable and complete discharge of toner with a simple structure, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the container and the running cost of the apparatus even in the cartridge type container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner dropping device that can be used.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the toner dropping device according to the present invention is a toner hopper case in a toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus using electrophotography. A toner is housed inside, is detachably attached to the toner hopper case, and is attached to the toner hopper case with its attachment position fixed.
A cylindrical toner container having a take-out opening for taking out toner at a position corresponding to the lower portion in the attached state, at least one convex portion formed on an inner peripheral surface of the toner container, and the inside of the toner container. A rotary shaft that is disposed and rotatably supported, a driving unit that drives the rotary shaft to rotate, and a rotary shaft that is attached to the rotary shaft so as to extend along the radial direction of the toner container, and has a tip on the convex portion. An elastically deformable striking member capable of colliding is provided, and the striking member is configured to give a shock to the toner container each time the striking member rotates and collides with the convex portion. By applying an impact to the toner container, the toner contained in the inside is promptly dropped from the take-out opening.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a developing device used in an electronic copying machine or the like to which an embodiment of the toner dropping device according to the present invention is applied. The developing device uses a two-component type developer in which toner and carrier are mixed in a predetermined ratio.

The developing device 1 includes a developing roll 2, a toner hopper 3, a front screw 4, a rear screw 5, a toner sensor 6, and a developer chamber 11 formed by a case of the developing device 1. Incidentally, 10 is a photosensitive drum.

The developer in the developer chamber 11 is circulated in the developer chamber 11 by a front screw 4 and a rear screw 5 which are provided below the developing roll 2 and the toner hopper 3 and rotate in opposite directions synchronously with each other, and are developed. It is supplied to the roll 2. The front screw 4 and the rear screw 5 are so-called auger shafts in which a guide plate is spirally wound around a shaft with a predetermined outer diameter. By rotating, the guide plate guides the surrounding developer. Then, it is transferred in a predetermined direction while being stirred.

The toner sensor 6 detects the toner concentration of the developer attached to the developing roll 2. When the toner is consumed by the developing action and the toner concentration in the developer changes (decreases), A control device (not shown) for the entire apparatus receives a signal from the toner sensor 6 and instructs the toner hopper 3 to replenish toner, so that the toner is supplied from the toner hopper 3 into the developer chamber 11 to develop the toner in the developer chamber 11. It is configured to maintain the toner concentration of the agent at a predetermined concentration.

The toner hopper 3 is shown in FIG. 2 in a longitudinal sectional view (II-II in FIG. 1).
(Corresponding to a cross-sectional view), the toner container accommodating portion 33A is provided inside the hopper case 33 which itself forms a part of the case of the developing device 1 and is separated from the developer chamber 11.
Then, a toner transfer chamber 33B is formed below the toner container storage portion 33A, the toner container 31 is inserted in the toner container storage portion 33A, and the supply screw 32 extends in the toner transfer chamber 33B. It is installed and configured in the direction.

The toner container 31 is a disposable cartridge type, and the toner container 31 is inserted from one side end of the hopper case 33 into the hopper case.
It is placed inside the 33 and can be replaced with a new one when the built-in toner is consumed.

The supply screw 32 is similar to the front screw 4 and the rear screw 5 described above, and by rotating the toner dropped from the toner container 31 into the toner transfer chamber 33A, the lower surface of the hopper case 33 (transfer chamber 33B). The lower surface) is conveyed to a supply port 33C opened at one end. The shaft 32A is attached to one side plate 33D of the hopper case 33.
A gear 32B for rotationally driving the supply screw 32 and a sprocket 32C for transmitting a rotational force to a rotating shaft 35, which will be described later, are fitted to the projecting portion so as to project outward.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3, the toner container 31 is formed by closing both ends of a cylinder 310 having a predetermined length with end face members 311, 312, and having a predetermined width at a predetermined position on the outer periphery thereof. The opening 313 is formed continuously in the longitudinal direction. The opening 313 is sealed by a tape 314 until it is attached to the hopper case 33 so that toner inside does not spill.

A plate-like holding member for holding the toner container 31 and inserting the toner container 31 into the toner hopper 3 and rotating the end face member 311 on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the toner container 31 into the hopper case 33. The portion 311A is formed so as to project in the longitudinal direction.

On the end face member 312 on the tip side in the insertion direction into the hopper case 33, a circular recessed portion 312A having a predetermined depth and having the same center as the outer shape of the toner container 31 is formed, and an inner peripheral wall 312B of the recessed portion 312A,
A plurality of protrusions 312C having a semicircular cross section are formed at predetermined intervals in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the toner container 31.

Inserting the toner container 31 into the hopper case 33
31 from the insertion opening opened at one side end of the hopper case 33 with the opening 313 facing upward (the opening 313 is closed by the tape 314 at this time) and the end surface member 312 side facing forward. After the insertion, after the insertion is completed, the tape 314 is pulled off from the insertion opening to expose (open) the opening 313, and then the toner container 31 is rotated half a turn (180 °) to move the opening 313 downward (transport chamber 33B). End by turning to the side). Incidentally, in order to regulate the position of the opening 313 of the toner container 31 during the above rotation, a projection may be formed on the toner container 31 and the projection may be brought into contact with a stopper formed on the hopper case 33. However, in this case, the toner container 31 should be rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction of the striking rotor 36, which will be described later, so that the protrusion comes into contact with the stopper.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the state in which the toner container 31 is inserted into the hopper case 33 in this manner.

On the outer surface (the outer surface of the side surface facing the end surface member 312) of the side plate 33D on the side opposite to the side where the insertion opening of the toner container 31 of the hopper case 33 is formed, the motor 34 is provided with its rotation axis facing the hopper case 33 side. is set up. The motor 34 and the supply screw
A gear 32B fixed to 32 is meshed and coupled via gears 34A and 37, and a supply screw 32 is rotationally driven by a motor 34.

Further, a rotary shaft 35 is rotatably provided at a central position of the toner container housing portion 33A of the side plate 33D of the hopper case 33 (that is, a position corresponding to the center of the toner container 31). Outside the side plate 33D of the rotary shaft 35, a sprocket 35A is provided.
A striking rotor 36 is fixed inside D.

The striking rotor 36 is formed by fixing a hit piece 36B to the tip of a coil spring 36A having a predetermined diameter and spring constant. The hitting rotor 36 is fixed to the rotating shaft 35 at the lower end of the coil spring 36A and is located at the coil spring 36A portion. It is bendable with a predetermined force. The length is such that the hit piece 36B at the tip does not abut the inner peripheral wall 312B of the end surface member 312, but abuts the projections 312C ... (4th illustration).

Then, the sprocket 35A fixed to the rotating shaft 35 and the sprocket 32B that is non-rotatably fitted to the shaft 32A of the supply screw 32 are linked by the chain 38, and the supply screw 32 rotates and the rotating shaft 35 rotates at a predetermined rotation It is designed to rotate by a number.

Thus, in the toner hopper case 3 configured as described above, when a toner replenishment command to the developer chamber 11 is commanded from the control device (not shown), the motor 34 is rotated for a predetermined time to rotationally drive the supply screw 32. Then, the toner in the toner transport chamber 33B is transported and supplied into the developer chamber 11 from the supply port 33C. At the same time as the supply screw 32 rotates, the rotary shaft 35 rotates,
The hit piece 36B at the tip of the striking rotor 36 rotates while striking the protrusion 312C. Protrusion 312C by this striking rotor 36
The toner container 31 vibrates due to the impact of the impact, and the toner that is hardened inside or adhered to the inner wall can be dropped.

That is, in the above embodiment, the toner dropping device is constituted by the toner container 31 (the end surface member 312 having the projection 312C) and the rotating striking rotor 36.

The structure of the striking rotor 36 and the shape of the protrusion 312C are not limited to those in the above embodiment, but can be changed as appropriate. Further, the number of protrusions 312C may be any number, and the striking rotor 36 may be configured to move linearly instead of rotating.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the above structure may be used for a fixed toner container instead of a disposable cartridge type.

[Advantages of the Invention] According to the toner dropping device of the present invention, the toner can be reliably and completely discharged from the toner container with a simple structure without installing a stirring member in the toner container. As a result, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In particular, since a disposable cartridge type toner container can be manufactured at a low cost with a simple structure, it is possible to reduce the running cost of the apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a developing device adopting an embodiment of the toner dropping device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a toner hopper (corresponding to II-II sectional view of FIG. 1), and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toner container, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of electrophotography. 1 ... Developing device 31 ... Toner container 312C ... Projection (projection) 36 ... Striking rotor (striking member)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method, wherein a toner hopper case and toner are accommodated inside and detachably attached to the toner hopper case. A cylindrical toner container that is attached to the toner hopper case with its mounting position fixed, and has a take-out opening for taking out toner at a position corresponding to the lower part in the attached state; and an inner circumference of the toner container. At least one convex portion formed on the surface, a rotation shaft disposed in the toner container and rotatably supported, a driving unit that rotationally drives the rotation shaft, and a radial direction of the toner container. A hitting member which is attached to the rotating shaft so as to extend and has a tip capable of colliding with the convex portion and which is elastically deformable. A toner dropping device, which is configured to give an impact to the toner container each time it rotates and collides with the convex portion.