JPH1152702A - Electrophotographic toner supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device capable of preventing a toner lump from being sent to a developing device and stabilizing frictional charging of toner in the developing device. A toner diffusion chamber (7) is provided between a toner replenishing device (1) and a developing device (6) for storing / discharging a predetermined amount of toner fed from the toner replenishing device. Diffuse the toner in the chamber, open the toner diffusion chamber,
The toner in the toner diffusion chamber is supplied to the developing device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a toner supply device for an electrophotographic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a conventional toner supply device. In FIG. 4, a developing device 6 includes a two-component developer 5 composed of a chargeable powder toner and a magnetic powder that frictionally charges the toner.
And a developer transport member 4 for supplying and transporting the developer 5 toward the photoreceptor 9 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed.
The toner replenishing device 1 accommodates the chargeable powder toner 2 and rotates the toner feeding member 3 in accordance with the consumption of the toner in the developing device 6 to feed and replenish the toner 2 to the developing device 6.

[0003]

Incidentally, there is a case where the toner fed from the toner replenishing device 1 at the time of toner replenishment forms a toner lump. In the above-described conventional configuration, even if such a toner block exists, the toner block cannot be loosened, and the toner block is directly sent to the developing device 6. For this reason, it was not possible to sufficiently charge each particle of the toner, resulting in print quality failure due to the low charge amount toner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing device which can prevent toner chunks from being sent to a developing device and stabilize the frictional charging of toner in the developing device.

[0005]

An object of the present invention is to provide a two-component developer comprising a chargeable powder toner and a magnetic powder for frictionally charging the toner, and forming an electrostatic latent image on the two-component developer. And a developing device containing a developer conveying member for supplying and conveying the toner to the photoconductor, and containing the chargeable powder toner and feeding and supplying the toner to the developing device according to consumption of the toner in the developing device. In a toner replenishing device of an electrophotographic apparatus having a toner replenishing device, a toner diffusion device capable of storing / discharging a predetermined amount of toner fed from the toner replenishing device between the toner replenishing device and the developing device. This is achieved by providing a chamber, diffusing the toner in the toner diffusion chamber, opening the toner diffusion chamber, and supplying the toner in the toner diffusion chamber to the developing device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 3, a developing device 6 includes a two-component developer 5 including a chargeable powder toner and a magnetic powder that frictionally charges the toner, and a photoconductor 9 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developer transport member 4 for supplying and transporting the developer is accommodated therein. The toner replenishing device 1 accommodates the chargeable powder toner 2 and rotates the toner feeding member 3 according to the consumption of the toner in the developing device 6 to feed the toner 2 to the developing device 6 side. Here, in the present invention, a toner diffusion chamber 7 for temporarily storing the toner 2 fed from the toner feeding member 3 is provided between the toner feeding section (below the toner feeding member 3) of the toner replenishing device 1 and the developing device 6. Was provided.

The toner diffusion chamber 7 has, for example, a bottom portion as shown in FIG.
Opening / closing members 7a and 7b as shown in FIG. Further, inside the toner diffusion chamber 7, a toner diffusion impeller 8 rotatably supported is provided. Normally, the opening / closing members 7a and 7b of the toner diffusion chamber 7 are closed as shown in FIG. 1, and in this state, the toner 2 supplied from the toner feeding member 3 is once supplied to the toner diffusion chamber 7. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the toner 2 is sufficiently diffused and dispersed in the toner diffusion chamber 7 by rotation of the toner diffusion impeller 8 in the toner diffusion chamber 7. After the toner 2 is sufficiently dispersed, the opening and closing members 7a and 7b of the toner diffusion chamber 7 are opened as shown in FIG. As described above, prior to replenishing the toner from the toner replenishing device to the developing device, the toner is preliminarily agitated in the toner diffusion chamber.Therefore, even when a toner lump is present in the toner fed from the toner replenishing device. The toner can be loosened and sufficiently charged toner can be supplied to the developing device 6.

[0008]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the toner mass from being fed into the developing device, and to stabilize the triboelectric charging of the toner in the developing device. An apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a toner supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional toner supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toner supply device, 2 ... Toner, 3 ... Toner feeding member, 4 ... Developer conveying member, 5 ... Developer, 6 ... Developing device, 7 ... Toner diffusion chamber, 8 ... Toner diffusion impeller, 9 ...
Photoconductor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A two-component developer comprising a chargeable powder toner and a magnetic powder that frictionally charges the toner, and the two-component developer is supplied and conveyed toward a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. And a toner replenishing device that contains a chargeable powder toner and feeds out and replenishes the toner to the developing device in accordance with consumption of the toner in the developing device. In the toner replenishing device of a photographic apparatus, a toner diffusion chamber is provided between the toner replenishing device and the developing device, the toner diffusion chamber being capable of storing / discharging a predetermined amount of toner fed from the toner replenishing device. A toner replenishing device for an electrophotographic apparatus, wherein toner is diffused in the toner diffusion chamber to open the toner diffusion chamber, and the toner in the toner diffusion chamber is supplied to the developing device.