JPS646525Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a waste toner storage section.

Image forming equipment (e.g. PPC copier, laser/
A beam printer) forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, attaches toner to it, and visualizes it.
This is transferred onto plain paper. Toner that remains on the photosensitive drum without being transferred is scraped off by a cleaner, but the performance of these toners deteriorates.
Moreover, since paper dust is mixed into the toner group, it cannot be reused and is collected as waste toner.

The present invention provides a structure for effectively disposing the waste toner storage section in an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, this type of device had a waste toner storage section installed at the bottom of the cleaner section, and was configured so that the waste toner scraped off by the cleaner blade would fall and be stored. When discarding the toner, it was necessary to reach deep inside the device, which was inconvenient to operate. Further, when the storage section is attached and detached, waste toner sometimes falls onto the paper transport path, staining the paper that is subsequently printed.
In order to improve this, there is an example in which the cleaner and the waste toner storage section are separated and the waste toner is sent to the storage section fixed on the front using a screw.
In order to secure space for jam processing, the storage capacity could not be increased, and frequent removal processing was required. Furthermore, when the waste toner storage section is movably mounted, toner falls and scatters into the apparatus due to the movement of the waste toner storage section, as described above.

The present invention makes it possible to reduce the troublesome process of removing waste toner, which is a drawback of the conventional example described above, and at the same time to prevent waste toner from falling into the apparatus and scattering, thereby improving the reliability of the recording apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a toner collection mechanism including a toner transport means for transporting toner and a toner storage member for collecting the toner transported by the transport means, wherein the storage member is It is characterized in that it is rotatable about the inlet of the storage member through which toner is conveyed from the means as a rotation axis.

1 to 4 show embodiments of the present invention, in which 1 is an electrostatic photographic recording device, 2 is a photosensitive drum, 3 is a cleaner, 4 is an upper paper feed tray, 5 is a lower paper feed tray, 6a, 6
b is a paper feed door, 7 is a waste toner pipe, 8 is a waste toner storage member, 9 is an upper end support member of the waste toner storage member, 10 is a screw which is a toner conveying means for transporting waste toner, and 11 is a cleaner 3 that is exposed to light. A rubber pipe absorbs the movement of the moving waste toner pipe 7 when it is evacuated from the drum 2, 12 is an elastic material 8a, 8b, which prevents waste toner from leaking at the connection part.
Reference numeral 8c indicates a waste toner opening, a lower end supporting protrusion, and a swinging pin provided on the waste toner storage member, and 13 indicates a swinging plate provided on the paper feed left door 6a.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the waste toner storage member, in which 14 is a waste toner box, 15 is a waste toner cover made of a transparent material, which is supported by the lower end hook 14a of the waste toner box 14, and the upper part is secured by a fastener 16. and is fixed to the waste toner box 14. 17 is a waste toner bag. It is made of a plastic bag-like material and has a string 17a attached to its mouth. When the opening is placed over the lower end of the waste toner opening 8a of the waste toner box and the string 17a is tightened, the waste toner box 14
Fixed. 18 is a blocking plate, and a pin 18a fixed to this plate is inserted into a groove 14b at the upper end of the waste toner box.
By moving it along the path, the path between the waste toner port 8a and the waste toner bag 17 is opened or blocked. The waste toner cover 15 has characters 15a clearly indicating a waste toner full line and a removal process instruction.

FIG. 1 shows the normal state of the recording apparatus of the present invention, and it is assumed that paper is currently being fed from the lower paper feed table.
The waste toner storage member 8 is located in a space surrounded by the front surfaces of the upper and lower paper feed trays 4 and 5 and the left paper feed door 6a.
When all the papers on the lower paper feed tray 5 have been passed, a lower paper feed tray out warning is generated and at the same time, depending on the case, the system switches to feeding sheets on the upper paper feed tray 4. This is only possible when the sheets on the upper and lower paper feed trays are the same and an automatic switching command has been issued. The operator opens the paper feed door 6 in response to the alarm. Paper feed door 6
does not control the operation of the apparatus, and the apparatus does not stop feeding paper from the upper paper feed tray 4. When the paper feed left door 6a is opened, the swinging plate 13 moves, and force is applied to the swinging pin 8c of the waste toner storage member 8 fitted in the groove 13a. The waste toner storage member 8 is
The upper end is fixed to the main body of the apparatus by the waste toner port and the lower end is fixed to the lower end support protrusion, and since it is freely swingable around a line connecting the centers of these parts, the force acting on the swing pin 8c is fixed. swing in the direction. Since the waste toner storage member 8 is retracted from the front of the paper feed trays 4 and 5, the lower paper feed tray can be pulled out (FIG. 2).
The operator loads paper onto the lower paper feed table and returns it to its original position.
At this time, the waste toner storage member naturally comes into view of the operator. At this time, the toner stored in the waste toner bag 17 is visible through the waste toner cover 15. If the top of the toner is above the waste toner full line, waste toner removal processing is performed. First, the blocking plate 18 is moved to block the path between the waste toner port 8a and the waste toner bag 17. Remove the waste toner cover 15 from the waste toner bolt 14 by releasing the fastener 16.

Next, the string 17a is untied and the bag opening is removed from the waste toner opening 8a, and the string 17a is tied again to completely close the bag opening. The bag full of waste toner is removed from the waste toner box 14 and an empty bag is set. All you have to do is attach the waste toner cover 15, release the blocking plate 18, and close the paper feed left door 6a.
At this time, even if the blocking plate 18 is forgotten to be opened, it is better if it is automatically opened by a member fixed to the main body when the paper feed left door 6a is closed. The shielding plate 18 prevents waste toner from scattering around when the waste toner bag 17 is replaced, and is an essential member when removing waste toner while the apparatus is operating.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the swinging method of the waste toner storage section 8, in which 21 is a torsion spring. The waste toner storage section 8 is always subjected to force by the action of the torsion spring 21 so that it sticks to the back surface of the paper feed left door 6a. This allows the posture to be changed in conjunction with opening and closing of the left paper feed door 6a. In this way, the opening angle of the paper feed left door 6a is adjusted to the waste toner storage area 8.
not be limited by.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the waste toner storage section is retracted from the area required for feeding paper by changing its posture in conjunction with the opening and closing of the paper feed door. It is possible to increase the capacity of the waste toner storage section,
The number of removal operations performed by the operator is reduced.

2. The waste toner storage section is placed in an easily accessible location.

3. Since the amount of waste toner stored is checked when paper is supplied, there is no need for a waste toner full detection member. This increases the reliability of the device (despite the fact that waste toner detection is prone to malfunction).

Since the waste toner storage section swings around the central axis of the waste toner port, 1. The structure is simple. When the waste toner port moves, an extra connecting part is required between the waste toner port and the fixed member.

2. Due to the rocking, the toner powder that has accumulated in the shape of a mountain under the waste toner opening is dispersed in the surrounding area by the centrifugal force.

3. Since the waste toner port does not move, it is possible to prevent toner from falling or scattering when the waste toner port moves.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the troublesomeness of the waste toner removal process and at the same time prevent the waste toner from falling into the apparatus and scattering.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electrostatographic recording device in its normal state, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the state when paper is being supplied, Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the waste toner storage area, and Figure 4 is the waste toner storage area. A detailed view and FIG. 5 are perspective views showing another embodiment of the waste toner storage section swinging system. In the figure, 1 is an electrostatic photographic recording device, 3 is a cleaner, 4 and 5 are upper and lower paper feed trays, 6a and 6b are paper feed doors, 8 is a waste toner storage section, 8a is a waste toner port,
13 is a rocking plate, and 21 is a torsion spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A toner collection mechanism having a toner transport means for transporting toner and a toner storage member for collecting the toner transported by the transport means, wherein the storage member is configured to collect toner from the transport means. A toner collection mechanism characterized in that the toner collection mechanism is rotatable about the entrance of the storage member being transported as a rotation axis.