Image forming apparatus and developer storage container used for the image forming apparatus

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an agent storage container used for the image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, or a multifunction device having at least two of these functions, the developer used for the visual image processing is consumed and consumed as the visual image processing is performed. If the amount exceeds a predetermined level, replenishment is required. For example, in the case of a two-component developer, the amount of toner decreases with time, and the concentration of toner in the developer in the developing apparatus decreases, and as a result, a desired image density cannot be obtained. Therefore, in order to suppress the decrease in image density, when the toner concentration in the developer becomes less than a predetermined value, the toner is replenished to the developing device to maintain the toner concentration in the developer in a stable state. It is equipped with a toner replenishment device for that purpose.

Further, the image forming apparatus is provided with a cleaning apparatus for removing the toner remaining on the photoconductor after the transfer of the visible image. Toner that was not finally used for image formation remains even at other image forming sites such as a transfer device, an intermediate transfer body, and a transfer device that send a transfer material having a transferred visible image to a fixing device. A cleaning device is also provided for residual toner. The residual toner collected by cleaning increases as the image forming process is repeated, and eventually becomes full in the cleaning device and interferes with the cleaning process. Therefore, the residual toner must be appropriately removed. A recovery toner storage device is provided.

It is also required to reuse the removed toner, and a mechanism for transferring the toner collected in the cleaning device to the toner replenishing device or the developing device has also been proposed.

Regarding toner replenishment from the toner replenishment device to the developing device, toner transfer from the cleaning device to the recovery toner storage device, or the toner replenishing device or the developing device, 1. Connect these devices with a pipe and distribute them in the pipe. A method of transferring toner from a toner replenishment device or cleaning device to a developing device or a recovered toner storage device using the provided coil screw, 2. A method of using paddles or buckets of various shapes instead of screws, 3. Gravity A method of using it to naturally drop toner and guide it toward a toner storage device, 4. a method of transferring toner by the air pressure of an air supply means, 5. a method of transferring toner by pressure using a uniaxial eccentric screw pump, or A toner transfer method that combines this with a trace amount of air supply means for fluidizing the toner is known.

In the first method, the coil screw or the like needs to be arranged very close to the developing device or the recovered toner storage device, and is preferably linear transfer or a large radius of curvature to ensure reliable rotation of the coil screw. There is a problem that it is necessary to secure a transfer path with considerable restrictions such as curved transfer in. That is, it causes restrictions on the layout and limits the degree of freedom in device design, and in some cases, it may cause the device to become complicated and large in size. Further, there are many problems such as that it is difficult to increase the capacity because the installation position of the toner storage portion is limited, and that the toner cannot be arranged in a position where it is easy to replace the toner. This problem also exists in the second and third methods.

Further, in the first and second methods, since the transfer member is required in the entire area of the transfer path, the device cost increases in proportion to the distance when the transfer path is lengthened, and the stress on the toner is further increased. It is also a problem to put it away.

On the other hand, the 4th and 5th methods do not have the above layout restrictions, so the device can be downsized, the capacity of the toner storage unit can be increased by effectively utilizing the space, and the toner replenishment device and the recovery toner transfer device can be operated. There are many advantages such as the fact that it can be placed in an easy position, the stress on the toner does not increase even if the transfer path is lengthened, and the cost increase is small.

It is also known that a container using a flexible material as a toner storage container can be used in combination with the fourth and fifth toner transfer methods. The flexible toner storage container has advantages such as reduction of environmental load by resource saving, reduction of toner container cost, reduction of toner container collection cost and reduction of storage space due to volume reduction. Furthermore, by pointing the discharge port downward, it is easy to attach and detach by simply inserting the container from top to bottom and removing it by pulling it out. Furthermore, since the transfer pipe diameter can be reduced, the discharge port is small and toner leaks during attachment and detachment. It also has the advantage of being less dirty.

By the way, in a color image forming apparatus, the amount of recovered toner increases significantly due to the use of multicolored toner, which requires a large space for the recovered toner container, which causes a problem of increasing the size of the machine. There is. The above-mentioned toner reuse also causes deterioration in image quality due to color mixing and deterioration of the recovered toner, so it is difficult to realize it particularly with a color image forming apparatus that requires high image quality. However, reducing the capacity of the recovered toner container has a problem that the frequency of replacement work increases and the non-operating time increases at the same time.

<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-107918</text></patcit>

Therefore, a method has been proposed in which the recovered toner is transferred to a recovered toner storage space provided in advance in the toner storage container, and the recovered toner is recovered together with the container recovery after the toner container is used. Further, in order to reduce the space, as described in Patent Document 1 and the like, the partition wall between the collected toner storage space and the fresh toner storage space is a movable member, and the space vacated by using the fresh toner is collected. A method that can be used as a storage space is also known.

In the method of Patent Document 1, the recovered toner moves the movable member by gravity, and therefore the storage portion of the recovered toner is located above the fresh toner. Therefore, the introduction part of the recovered toner is also limited to the upper part. However, when the above-mentioned flexible toner storage container and the fourth and fifth toner transfer methods are adopted as the fresh toner container, the toner storage container has a vertically long structure and has a downward toner discharge port at the bottom. There is a problem that the attachment / detachment part with the main body is held at two places, which are far apart from each other at the upper part and the lower part and have different directions, and the attachment / detachment operation is not a one-touch operation and takes time and effort.

<p> In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of processing a recovered developer with a simple operation and an agent storage container used for the image forming apparatus.</p>

<p> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention presents an image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer. The image forming unit, the replenishing agent storage container for storing the developer to be replenished to the developing device, the replenishing agent transporting device for transporting the developer in the replenishing agent storage container to the developing device, and the image forming unit. It has a recovery agent storage container for storing the recovery developer and a recovery agent transport device for transporting the recovery developer from the image forming unit to the recovery agent storage container, and the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container. Is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body by the same operation from the same direction.</p><p> The present invention is effective when the recovery agent transporting device transports the recovery developer by air pressure. Further, the present invention is effective when the recovery agent transport device transports the recovery developer by the discharge pressure of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump.</p><p> Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container when attached to the image forming apparatus main body are close to each other. Furthermore, in the present invention, engaging members are provided at the storage container side ends of the replenisher transfer device and the recovery agent transfer device, respectively, and the replenisher storage container is located at the maximum in the vertical direction. It is effective if the replenisher discharge port from which the engaging member is inserted / removed is provided at the lower portion and the recovery agent intake port from which the engaging member is inserted / removed is provided at the lowermost part in the vertical direction of the recovery agent storage container. Is the target.</p><p> Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention removes an image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer. A plurality of image forming units having a cleaning device, a plurality of replenishing agent storage containers for storing the developing agent to be replenished in the developing device of each image forming unit, and a developing agent in the replenishing agent storage container are conveyed to the developing device. A plurality of replenisher transport devices, a plurality of recovery agent storage containers for storing the recovery developer of the image forming unit, and a plurality of recovery agent transports for transporting the recovery developer from the image forming unit to the recovery agent storage container. It has an apparatus, and is characterized in that the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container are attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body by the same operation from the same direction.</p><p> Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention removes an image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer. A plurality of image forming units having a cleaning device, a plurality of replenishing agent storage containers for storing the developing agent to be replenished in the developing device of each image forming unit, and a developing agent in the replenishing agent storage container are conveyed to the developing device. It has a plurality of replenisher transfer devices, a recovery agent storage container for storing the recovery developer of the image forming section, and a recovery agent transfer device for transporting the recovery developer from the image forming section to the recovery agent storage container. Then, the recovery agent transporting means collectively transports the recovery developer from each image forming apparatus to one recovery agent storage container, and the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container are from the same direction. It is characterized in that it can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body by the same operation.</p><p> The present invention is effective when the recovery developer is a recovery toner from which the cleaning device has been removed. Further, the present invention is effective when the recovery developer is a surplus developer discharged from the developing apparatus.</p><p> Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the remaining amount in the replenishing agent storage container is detected and the recovery agent conveying device is operated when the remaining amount of the replenishing developing agent becomes a predetermined value or less.</p><p> Further, in order to achieve the above object, in the agent storage container used for the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the present invention stores the replenisher for accommodating the developer to be replenished to the developing device. It is characterized in that the storage portion between the container and the recovery agent storage container for storing the recovery developer of the image forming portion is flexible.</p><p> The present invention is effective when the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container are paired and supported by one rigid support member. Further, the present invention is effective when the rigid support member is a hard case for storing the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container.</p><p> Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the volume of the recovery agent storage container is reduced with respect to the maximum volume when not in use. Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container are gusset containers.</p><p> Furthermore, the present invention is effective when one of the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container is configured as an integrated container containing the other. Furthermore, in the present invention, the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container have a flexible storage portion and a highly rigid mouth portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed, and the replenisher storage container. It is effective when the mouth portion of the recovery agent storage container is detachably connected to the container.</p><p> Furthermore, in the present invention, the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container have a flexible storage portion and a highly rigid mouth portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed, and the replenisher storage container. It is effective when the mouth portion of the recovery agent storage container is integrally configured.</p>

<p> According to the configuration of the present invention, the recovered toner storage container can be easily attached and detached. In particular, by setting it downward in the vertical direction, visibility is enhanced and easier attachment / detachment can be realized. further. It is expected that the recovery toner container and the toner storage container will save resources, reduce the cost, reduce the storage volume, and reduce the recovery work of the recovery toner container, and the vacant space after the replenishment toner is used can be used as the recovery toner storage unit. Therefore, the size of the main body can be reduced.</p><p> Furthermore, by reducing the volume of the recovered toner storage container in advance, the efficiency of air bleeding can be improved and the transport efficiency of the recovered toner can be improved, and the toner storage container can be reduced by transferring the recovered toner to the recovered toner storage container. This has the effect of allowing the toner to be contained, thereby preventing the toner in the toner storage container from being cross-linked, and as a result, the remaining amount of toner can be reduced.</p><p> Furthermore, the volumetric efficiency of the toner storage container and the recovery toner container can be maximized, and the detachability can be further improved by improving the positioning accuracy of the discharge port of the toner storage container and the recovery toner container. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure the airtightness of the recovered toner transfer path and to allow users, service personnel, and the like to clearly grasp the remaining amount of replenished toner.</p>

Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a color printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus. In the image forming portion of the image forming apparatus shown here, an intermediate transfer belt 1 as an image carrier is arranged, the intermediate transfer belt 1 is wound around rollers 2 and 3, and one of the rollers is counterclockwise as a driving roller. By rotationally driving in the direction, it is driven to travel in the direction of arrow A. Further, the image forming unit is provided with the first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d facing the lower running side of the intermediate transfer belt 1. The first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d have drum-shaped photoconductors 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as image carriers, and magenta toner images and cyan toner are formed on the photoconductors. An image, a yellow toner image, and a black toner image are formed, respectively.

Since the first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d have substantially the same configuration and action of forming a toner image on the image carrier, the first image forming unit 4a Only the configuration for forming a toner image on the photoconductor 5a of the above will be described. The photoconductor 5a is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1, and at this time, the surface of the image carrier is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 6. Next, the charged surface is irradiated with the light-modulated laser beam L emitted from the laser writing unit 7. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 5a, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 8 as, for example, a magenta toner image.

In the magenta toner image formed in this way, a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 9 arranged so as to sandwich the photoconductor 5a and the intermediate transfer belt 1, whereby the magenta toner image on the photoconductor 5a is formed. Is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 1. The transfer residual toner that is not transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 1 and remains on the photoconductor 5a is removed by the cleaning device 10.

In exactly the same manner, a cyan toner image, a yellow toner image and a black toner image are formed on the photoconductors 5b, 5c, 5d of the second to fourth image forming units 4b, 4c, 4d, respectively, and these toner images are formed. The magenta toner image is sequentially superimposed and transferred on the transferred intermediate transfer belt 1. The toner image composed of four colors formed on the intermediate transfer belt 1 in this way moves to the secondary transfer portion provided with the secondary transfer roller 11 at the right end of FIG. 1 as the belt travels.

On the other hand, a paper feeding unit 12 is provided at the lower part of the main body of the apparatus, and a recording material P made of, for example, transfer paper is fed from the paper feeding unit 12 by the paper feeding means 13 in the direction of arrow B. After the fed recording material P is abutted against the resist roller 14, it is sent to the secondary transfer unit of the intermediate transfer belt 1 at the timing when the toner image is correctly transferred to the recording material. Then, a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner on the intermediate transfer belt 1 is applied to the secondary transfer roller 11, whereby the toner image superimposed and transferred on the intermediate transfer belt 1 is transferred onto the recording material P. The recording material P to which the toner image is transferred is conveyed upward and passes through the fixing device 15, and after the toner image is fixed, it is discharged to the paper ejection portion 17 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body via the paper ejection roller 16. .. Further, after the secondary transfer, the transfer residual toner that has not been transferred to the recording material P is removed by the belt cleaning device 18 arranged so as to sandwich the roller 3 and the intermediate transfer belt 1.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a toner replenishing device for replenishing toner to the developing device 8 and a toner collecting device for recovering transfer residual toner removed by the cleaning device 10 in one image forming unit.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 is a toner storage container for storing fresh toner, and 40 is a recovery toner container for storing recovered toner. The toner storage container 20 and the recovery toner container 40 are substantially the same, and the toner storage container 20 will be described here. The toner storage container 20 includes a toner storage bag 21 for storing toner, a protective case 22 that wraps around the toner storage bag 21, and a base member 23 as a mouth portion fixed to the bottom of the toner storage bag 21. Have. The toner storage bag 21 is made of resin such as polyethylene or nylon, or is made of paper and has a thickness of about 50 to 250 μm. It is formed in the shape of a sealed bag without plastic, and a filter 24 is provided on the upper part of the bag to prevent the internal pressure of the container from rising excessively. The protective case 22 is made of a material such as rigid paper, corrugated cardboard, or plastic, and has a structure in which a part thereof engages with the base member 23.

A toner discharge port 25 is formed in the base member 23, and a seal member 26 having a notch (not shown) for inserting and removing a nozzle, which will be described later, is attached to a lower portion of the toner discharge port 25. With this configuration, the toner discharge port 25 formed in the base member 23 is normally closed by the seal member 26. The base member 23 is made of a resin such as polyethylene or nylon having high rigidity. At this time, if the toner storage bag 21 and the base member 23 are made of the same material, it is desirable from the viewpoint of recycling, and the base member 23 of the toner storage bag 21 Welding to is also easy. The recovery toner container 40 having the same configuration as the toner storage container 20 configured in this way also includes a recovery toner storage bag 41, a protective case 42, a base member 43, a filter 44, a recovery toner receiving port 45, and a seal member 46. ing.

The toner storage container 20 and the recovery toner container 40 are set in a set portion provided on the left side of the apparatus main body, for example, as shown in FIG. In this set portion, a container holder 50 in which the toner storage container 20 is set and a container holder 50 in which the recovery toner container 40 is set are provided side by side. At the bottom of each container holder 50, 60, a replenishment nozzle 51 and a recovery nozzle 61, which are inserted and removed by attaching and detaching the container, are erected, and when the container is attached, the container is inside the container via the sealing members 26, 46. Will be inserted. The replenishment nozzle 51 is formed in a double pipe having a tip 52 formed at the tip thereof so that it can be smoothly inserted into the seal member 26, a toner passage 53 inside, and an air passage 54 outside. Has been done. On the other hand, the recovery nozzle 61 has a pointed head 62 formed at its tip so that it can be smoothly inserted into the seal member 46, but only the recovery toner passage 63 is formed inside.

In the toner replenishing device, a suction type powder pump 30 is provided above the developing device 8, and the powder pump 30 shown here is a double made of an elastic member such as rubber supported by a holder 33. It has a female screw type stator 32 having a pitch spiral groove formed therein, and a male screw type rotor 31 rotatably fitted and inserted into the stator 32 and made of metal, resin, or the like. This rotor 31 is connected to the drive shaft 35 by a spring pin or the like, and is rotationally driven by the rotation of the drive shaft 35. Since the movement is eccentric movement, this pump is a uniaxial eccentric screw pump. Also called. The powder pump 30 has some spaces partitioned between the rotor 31 and the stator 32, and these spaces rotate and move in the same shape as the rotor 31 rotates. Therefore, it is a pump whose transfer amount can be controlled with high accuracy by the rotation amount of the rotor 31.

A toner transfer pipe 27 connected to the replenishment nozzle 51 described above is connected to a suction port 34 provided in the holder 33 of the powder pump. The toner transfer tube 27 uses a rubber material having an inner diameter of about 3 mm to 7 mm, which is flexible and has excellent toner resistance, such as polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, silicon, and a plastic material, such as polyethylene and nylon. As a result, the toner replenishment route can be freely distributed, and the degree of freedom in the layout of the image forming apparatus is increased, which is very effective.

The air pump 70 connected to the air passage 54 of the toner replenishment nozzle 51 via the tube 55 is a diaphragm type air pump, and the diaphragm 71 is a vessel-shaped member made of rubber or flexible plastic or the like at the lower part in the drawing. Is in close contact with the partition plate 72 in a state where the air is shut off, and is driven in the vertical direction by an eccentric shaft 74 whose upper portion is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 73. By this operation, air is sucked in and out inside the diaphragm. The partition plate 72 has two holes, one is a suction hole 75 and the other is a discharge hole 76, each of which is provided with a flexible valve member, a suction valve 77, and a discharge valve 78. With such a configuration, the motor 73 is energized and rotated to suck air from the suction port 79 and discharge air from the discharge port 80. A solenoid valve 81 for switching the air supply destination is provided between the air pump 70 and the replenishment nozzle 51. That is, passage C and passage D can be selected by turning on / off the solenoid valve 81, and when the passage D is selected, when the air pump 70 is operated, air is tonered through the tube 55 and the replenishment nozzle 51. It is supplied in the storage container 20.

In the developing apparatus 8, a developer in which toner and carriers are mixed is stored, and the developing agent is circulated while being agitated by two transfer screws 82 and 83. The agitated developer is pumped up by the magnetic force on the developing roller 84 facing the photoconductor 5, and after the height on the developing roller 84 is regulated by the doctor blade 85, it is used for development. At this time, the toner is consumed, and the consumed amount of toner is replenished from the toner storage container 20 by the toner replenishing device having the above configuration. When the powder pump 30 is operated, the toner replenishing device generates a suction force at the suction port 34 formed in the holder 33, and from the inside of the toner storage bag 21 for storing the powder toner via the nozzle 51 and the toner transfer pipe 27. Since the toner passage connecting to the powder pump 30 is hermetically sealed, the suction force generated by the operation of the powder pump 30 is applied to the toner near the nozzle in the toner storage bag 21 via the toner transfer pipe 27 and the nozzle 51. It is transmitted and the toner is transferred to the developing device 8.

Further, in the toner storage container 20 after sucking the toner in the vicinity of the nozzle 51 by the powder pump 30, a cross-linking phenomenon may occur in which a cavity is formed in the portion of the toner that is no longer replenished. When this toner cross-linking occurs, the amount of toner replenished may become unstable or the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 20 may become extremely large. However, by supplying air to the inside of the toner storage container 20, air is supplied. The toner is agitated and fluidized to prevent the above-mentioned toner cross-linking phenomenon, or the cross-linked toner is broken by the supplied air, and as a result, the amount of toner replenished is stabilized and the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container 20 is reduced. I'm doing it for you. A breathable filter 24 is provided above the toner storage container 20 to reduce the pressure inside the toner storage container 20 from rising due to the air supplied from the air pump 70. The solenoid valve 81 is provided in the middle of the tube 55 connecting the air pump 70 and the nozzle 51, and the arrow D direction in the figure is opened only when air is supplied into the toner storage container 20, and the other parts are closed. There is. This is to prevent the toner transfer amount from being reduced due to suction of air from the air pump 70 when the powder pump 30 is operated. Therefore, the air supply to the toner storage container 20 is controlled so as not to overlap with the operation of the powder pump 30.

As described above, by operating the powder pump 30, toner is supplied to the developing device 8 via the toner transfer tube 27, but this operation is performed as necessary by the output of the toner concentration sensor in the developing device (not shown). A toner replenishment signal is transmitted, and the powder pump 30 is driven for a required time according to the sensor output.

By the way, as described above, the toner remaining on the photoconductor 5 after transfer is cleaned and removed by the cleaning device 10. The cleaning device 10 shown here has a cleaning brush 86 in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 5, and the transfer residual toner is wiped off by the cleaning brush 86 by rotating the cleaning brush 86 counterclockwise. The residual toner wiped off by the cleaning brush 86 may fall on the recovery transport screw 87 or adhere to the brush. The residual toner adhering to the cleaning brush 86 is electrostatically transferred to the recovery roller 88 rotating counterclockwise, and is scraped off by the blade 89 and dropped onto the recovery transport screw 87.

Thus, the cleaned transfer residual toner is dropped onto the recovery transfer screw 87, and is sent to the recovery toner container 40 described above by the recovery toner transfer device and stored there. The recovery toner transfer device has a discharge type powder pump 90, and the powder pump 90 is a female screw type stator having a double pitch spiral groove formed from an elastic member such as rubber supported by a holder 93. It has a 92 and a male screw type rotor 91 that is rotatably fitted and inserted into the stator 92 and is made of metal, resin, or the like. The rotor 91 is connected to the drive shaft 95 by a spring pin or the like, and is rotationally driven by the rotation of the drive shaft 95. This discharge type powder pump 90 has almost the same configuration as the suction type powder pump 30, but since it is a discharge type, there must be toner at the inlet portion thereof, so the cleaning device 10 and the air pump 70 are used. The recovered toner, which is operated synchronously or is transported by the recovery transport screw 87, is operated after an appropriate amount is stored in the passage 98 above the powder pump 90. Further, the powder pump 90 is connected to the air pump 70 via a tube 96, and supplies air to the toner at the discharge port 94 to promote fluidization. The discharge port 94 of the powder pump 90 and the nozzle 61 described above are connected by a recovery tube 97.

The recovery toner transfer device operates the cleaning device 10 and the air pump 70 in synchronization with each other, or when the toner in the passage 98 is stored to some extent, the powder pump 90 and the air pump 70 are operated, and the rotor 91 rotates to discharge the toner. Exhale from exit 94. At this time, air is supplied from the air pump 70 to the vicinity of the discharge port 94 and mixed with the toner discharged from the powder pump 90. The mixture of toner and air can be vigorously and smoothly transferred into the recovery toner container 40 through the recovery tube 97 and the nozzle 61 by the discharge pressure of the powder pump 90. In this way, the recovered toner container 40 is filled with the recovered toner according to the image formation amount, and the larger the recovered toner amount, the more hinders the transfer of the recovered toner to be transferred into the toner container. By optimizing the mixing ratio of the mixture of toner and air, the toner inside can be pushed away and transferred into the container. In addition, the recovery toner container 40 is also provided with a breathable filter 44, which discharges only air from the air-fuel mixture to the outside of the container and prevents the recovery toner from being transferred due to an excessive pressure rise inside the container. ..

In the image forming apparatus configured in this way, the toner storage container 20 and the recovery toner container 40 can use the same container, and further, the toner storage container 20 and the recovery toner container 40 can be attached and detached by pushing them from the top to the bottom. It is a very simple and same operation that you can set it just by pulling it up and take it out. Therefore, similarly to the toner storage container 20, the detachability of the recovery toner container 40 is improved, and the user or the service person can easily understand and replace the toner container 40 quickly.

Furthermore, used toner containers 20 and 40 may be taken back from the user to the manufacturer and reused or reused as raw materials, but when reused, toner bottles made of conventional rigid members, etc. may be reused. Cleaning is performed to remove the adhered toner and residual toner inside. This is because the residual toner in the toner container after being used in a harsh environment such as high temperature and high humidity has deteriorated and cannot be reused. However, since toner has high adhesiveness, it consumes a lot of energy for cleaning work, so that the cost at the time of regeneration and the environmental load are very high. Further, the reuse as a raw material also requires cleaning of the adhered toner, so that the cost and the environmental load are high as described above. Reusing as heat by burning after crushing the container is the least costly, but it is not efficient in terms of effective use of resources.

For the toner storage container 20 and the recovery toner container 40 of the present embodiment, the toner storage bags 21,41 are taken out from the protective cases 22,42 and collected, and the new toner storage bags 21,41 are set in the protective cases 22,42. Can be easily reused. At this time, the protective case and the mouth are reused. The toner storage bag part is reused as heat as above, but since this part saves much resources compared to the above-mentioned hard bottle, it can be reused at a cost lower than the new cost and environmental load. It will be possible.

Furthermore, since the toner storage bags 21, 41 are flexible, the volume can be reduced and the product can be folded further, which makes it easy to handle during transportation and storage, reduces the storage space, and reduces the collection and distribution cost. It is possible.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the toner replenishment device and the toner recovery device. The toner replenishment device of FIG. 3 is composed of a toner storage container 120, a toner transfer pipe 127, and a powder pump 130, but the difference from the toner replenishment device of FIG. 2 is that air is not supplied to the toner storage container 120. Moreover, since the toner storage bag 121 is not provided with an air filter, the area from the toner storage container 120 to the powder pump 130 via the toner transfer path is almost completely sealed. Therefore, the toner is sucked and discharged by the powder pump 130, and the volume of the toner storage bag 121 is reduced (crushed) by the volume of the discharged toner, which is an automatic volume reduction method.

The toner storage container 120 is composed of a bag-shaped flexible toner storage bag 121 for storing toner and a base member 123 connected to the lowermost portion thereof. A suction nozzle 151 is inserted into the base member 123, and reference numeral 126 is a cylindrical shutter that stops toner outflow when the nozzle is not inserted. Further, in the toner storage container 120, ring-shaped sealing materials 122 for maintaining airtightness are arranged on both sides of the nozzle 151 or the shutter 126. A powder pump 130 similar to that shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the nozzle 151 via a toner transfer pipe 127. That is, it is connected to a powder pump 130 having a rotor 131, a stator 132, a holder 133, a suction port 134, and a drive shaft 135.

The portion from the nozzle 151 to the developing apparatus 8 is fixed to the apparatus main body, and the toner storage container 120 is replaced with a new one every time the toner inside is consumed and exhausted. Since the nozzle 151 is attached and detached each time it is replaced, the airtightness between the base member 123 and the nozzle 151 is very important in order to prevent dirt and air leakage during attachment and detachment. The toner storage bag 121 is made of the same sheet as the sheet constituting the toner storage bag 21 of FIG. Further, since the configuration of the image forming unit is the same as that in FIG. 2, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

To open and close the shutter 126, after the toner storage container 120 is set in the holder 150, the nozzle 151 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 3, and the shutter 126 is moved by the nozzle 151 from the inside to the outside (right direction) of the base member 123. ), And the state shown in the figure. Further, when the toner storage container 120 is taken out from the holder 150, the nozzle 151 moves to the left opposite to the arrow E, and the shutter 126 is urged to the left by the spring 128 and the shutter push-back member 129. The shutter 126 fits in the position where it fits into the two sealing materials 122 provided in the base member 123 (at the same position as the unused toner storage container), and due to the close contact between the shutter 126 and the two sealing materials 122, It is possible to prevent a small amount of toner remaining in the toner storage bag 121 from leaking to the outside. Here, although the means for moving the nozzle 151 in the left-right direction is not shown, conventionally known moving means such as a lever (manual), a motor, and a solenoid may be used. Reference numeral 155 in the figure is a spring as a means for urging the nozzle 151 to the left, and is provided as an auxiliary means for the moving means. Further, the sealing material 122 is formed of a rubber material or the like that is lightly pressed against the shutter 126. The base member 123 is a hard member such as resin and is provided with a toner discharge port, and is adhered or adhered to the toner storage bag 121.

Since the above shutter opening / closing method does not obstruct the flow path of the toner and retracts the shutter 126 to the outside of the base member, it is not necessary to provide a retracting space for the shutter 126 in the base member 123, and the base member 123 is extremely. It can be made compact. Further, since the toner is arranged orthogonal to the flow path (pressure) of the toner, the shutter is not pushed out and is stable even when the pressure inside the container rises due to the atmospheric pressure or the like.

The recovered toner transfer device is composed of a recovered toner container 140, a transfer tube 197, and an air pump 170, and transports the recovered toner by the air force of the air pump 170 instead of the powder pump. Like the toner storage container 120, the recovery toner container 140 is composed of a recovery toner storage bag 141 and a base member 143. When the recovery toner container 140 is attached, the nozzle 161 is inserted into and removed from the base member 143, and at the same time, the shutter is released. The operation of opening and closing the 146 is the same as that of the toner storage container 120.

The air pump 170 is a diaphragm type air pump having the same configuration as the air pump 70 of FIG. The diaphragm 171 is a vessel-shaped member made of rubber or flexible plastic, and the lower part in the figure is in close contact with the partition plate 172 with air blocked, and the upper part is an eccentric shaft 174 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 173. Driven up and down by. By this operation, air is sucked in and out inside the diaphragm. The partition plate 172 has two holes, one is a suction hole 175 and the other is a discharge hole 176, each of which is provided with a flexible valve member, a suction valve 177, and a discharge valve 178. With such a configuration, the motor 173 is energized and rotated to suck air from the suction port 179 and discharge air from the discharge port 180.

The toner collected by the cleaning device 10 is transferred to the passage 198 by the screw 87 in the cleaning device 10, is sucked from the suction port 179 by the operation of the air pump 170, and is collected from the discharge port 180 as a mixture of air and toner in the recovery tube 197. , Blown into the recovered toner container 140 via the nose 161. In this example, the cleaning device 10 and the air pump 170 are operated in synchronization, but by providing a toner storage section of sufficient size between the two, that is, in the passage 198, the air pump 170 is operated when the toner is accumulated to some extent in the toner storage section. It is possible to save power and prevent deterioration of air pump parts by making it operate intermittently. Since air is supplied into the recovery toner container 140, the recovery toner container 140 is provided with a filter 144 for preventing an increase in internal pressure.

4 to 6 are block diagrams showing another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovered toner container of the present invention. The toner storage container 220 and the recovery toner container 240 shown here store the flexible toner storage bag 221 and the flexible recovery toner storage bag 241 in one protective case 222. The base member 223 of the toner storage bag 221, the base member 243 of the flexible recovery toner storage bag 241 and the toner replenishing device (not shown) are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. In the unused state, as shown in FIG. 4, the toner storage bag 221 is filled with toner T1 for replenishment, and the inside of the recovered toner storage bag 231 is set in an empty volume-reduced state. At this time, it is desirable to set the volume ratio (volume reduction rate) to the maximum volume of the recovered toner storage bag 241 to be 50% or less. The smaller the volume reduction rate, the more effective it is because the combined volume of the initial toner storage container 220 and the recovered toner container 240 can be significantly reduced.

When the toner T1 in the toner storage bag 221 is used and the remaining amount of toner is reduced due to the image formation, the recovered toner T2 is gradually stored in the recovered toner storage bag 241 and the state as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. .. The recovered toner T2 is transferred as an air-fuel mixture with air by the above-mentioned recovered toner transfer device, and is stored inside while inflating the recovered toner storage bag 241. At this time, the toner storage bag 221 is crushed to some extent, and the crushed air escapes from the filter 224 to the outside. FIG. 6 shows a state in which all the toner T1 in the toner storage bag 221 is replenished to the developing device 8. As described above, the recovery toner T2 is transferred into the recovery toner storage bag 241 to further expand the recovery toner storage bag 241, and the toner storage bag 221 is almost completely reduced in volume. In this example, the space vacated by the exhaustion of the replenishing toner can be used as a storage unit for the recovered toner, and the device can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the recovery rate returned as the recovered toner is about 10%, the recovered toner container can be automatically replaced by replacing the toner storage container 220.

7 to 9 are block diagrams showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovered toner container of the present invention. The toner storage container 320 and the recovery toner container 340 shown here are composed of a flexible toner storage bag 321 and a flexible recovery toner storage bag 341, and base members 323 and 343, respectively. The flexible toner storage bag 321 and the recovery toner storage bag 341 are connected to each other at the top position, but the protective case as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is not used. The base member 323 and the base member 343 in FIGS. 7 to 9 are the same as those in FIG. 3, and are shown in the direction of arrow E in FIG. The toner replenishment device (not shown) is also an automatic volume reduction method as in Fig. 3. Therefore, the toner storage container 320 and the recovery toner container 340 are supported by a holder (not shown).

FIG. 7 shows an unused state, and as in FIG. 4, the toner storage bag 321 is filled with toner T1 for replenishment, and the inside of the recovered toner storage bag 341 is empty and the volume is reduced. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, when the remaining amount of the replenishing toner decreases with the image formation, the collected toner T2 is stored in the collected toner storage bag 341, and the remaining amount of the replenishing toner T1 is almost exhausted, the state shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. The situation is almost the same as in Fig. 6.

Further, in this example, since the toner replenishment device is an automatic volume reduction method, the volume of the toner storage bag 321 is reduced according to the replenishment operation as described above, but at the same time, the recovered toner T2 is transferred and the recovered toner storage bag 341 is inflated. It also has the effect of reducing the volume of the toner storage bag 321 and can be expected to reduce the volume of the toner storage bag 321 more reliably. In this example as well, as in the above embodiment, the space vacated by the lack of the replenishing toner T1 can be used as a storage portion for the recovered toner T2, and the device can be miniaturized. Furthermore, since a protective case is not used, a resource-saving toner storage container can be realized. Furthermore, the reliable volume reduction of the toner storage bag 321 also has the effect of reducing the remaining amount of toner.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the base member 323 of the toner storage container 320 and the base member 343 of the recovery toner container 340 have engaging portions 323a and 343a, and the two base members 323 and 343 can be easily attached and detached. .. As a result, the detachability, assembling property, recyclability, etc. of the toner storage container 320 and the recovered toner container 340 are improved.

11 to 13 are block diagrams showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovered toner container of the present invention. The toner storage container 420 and the recovery toner container 440 shown here are composed of a flexible toner storage bag 421, a flexible recovery toner storage bag 441 containing the flexible toner storage bag 421, and base members 423 and 443, respectively. The base member 423 of FIGS. 11 to 13 is the same as that of FIG. 3, but both are integrally formed. FIG. 11 shows a view seen from the direction of arrow E in FIG. 3, and the toner replenishing device (not shown) is also an automatic volume reduction method as in FIG.

Filters 424 and 444 are provided in the toner storage bag 421 and the recovery toner storage bag 441, respectively, so that they are discharged to the outside when the internal air pressure rises. FIG. 12 is a cross section according to the FF line of FIG. 11 and shows an unused state. The toner storage bag 421 is filled with toner T1, and the space 480 between the recovered toner storage bag 441 and the toner storage bag 421 is small. It is empty. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the volume of the toner storage bag 421 is reduced because the recovered toner T2 and air are stored in the space 480 at the same time as the remaining amount of the replenishing toner decreases with the image formation. If the toner storage bag 421 is not provided with the filter 424, the volume is reduced by the suction force of the powder pump as described above, but in this case, the volume of the recovered toner T2 and air is reduced, not by the suction force of the powder pump. The volume of the toner storage bag 421 is reduced by increasing the volume of the space 480 by transferring it into the space 480. Further, when the supply of the recovered toner T2 and the air-fuel mixture into the space 480 is excessive, the toner storage bag 421 is excessively crushed and the internal pressure rises. Therefore, a filter 424 is provided to remove the toner storage bag 421. .. As a result, reliable toner replenishment and recovery toner storage can be realized. This example is a more compact and low-cost container because the toner storage container 420 and the recovery toner container 440 are composed of a double-structured bag container.

The base member 423 has a function of opening and closing the discharge port of the toner T1 and a function of opening and closing the introduction port of the recovery toner T2, whereby the toner storage container 420 and the recovery toner container 440 can be attached and detached at low cost. Gender is improved.

14 and 15 are explanatory views showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovered toner container according to the present invention. The toner storage container and the recovery toner container shown here have the same configuration as those shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, and the flexible toner storage bag 321 and the flexible recovery toner storage bag 341 integrated with the flexible toner storage bag 341 have their respective caps. It is composed of members 323 and 343.

A transparent member is used for the toner storage bag 321 of this example, and an opaque member is used for the recovery toner storage bag 341. The transparent member of the toner storage bag 321 may be a natural color film made of a resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon, and the opaque member of the recovered toner storage bag 341 may be a resin film colored by printing or the like. Generally, the remaining amount of the replenishment toner T1 is likely to fluctuate greatly due to blocking or the like, so it is necessary to visually check the amount of the remaining toner. Therefore, no visual confirmation is required. Therefore, by color-coding as described above, it is possible to solve the problem that the user or the service person confuses the remaining amount of the replenished toner with the amount of the recovered toner.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a means for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container or the recovered toner container. The toner storage container 120 shown here is the same as that used in FIG. The toner remaining amount detection sensor is an optical type and includes a light emitting element 110 and a light receiving element 111. Depending on the amount of light received by the light receiving element 111 when the light from the light emitting element 110 is received by the light receiving element 111 through the toner storage bag 121 of the toner storage container 120, the presence or absence of toner in the E portion near the upper part of the base member 123 in the toner storage bag 121 Can be detected. The toner storage bag 121 is a transparent member. Further, even when the toner remaining amount detection sensor of this example is not used, it is possible to predict the toner remaining amount from the driving rotation amount of the powder pump 130, the number of pixels of the document, etc. When the toner transfer amount fluctuates, the actual value may differ, and the toner remaining amount can be detected more accurately by using the toner remaining amount detection sensor.

By detecting the remaining amount of toner, the recovered toner can be transferred according to the detected remaining amount of toner. This is effective when the recovered toner collected from a plurality of cleaning devices is stored in one recovered toner container as shown in FIG. 18 described later.

FIG. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of a color printer having a toner replenishment device and a recovery toner transfer device. The magenta, cyan, yellow, and black image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d are the same as those in FIG. Have the same code.

The toner storage container 220 and the recovery toner container 240 shown here are those shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. That is, one protective case 222 provided with a toner storage bag 221 and a recovery toner storage bag 241 is used. The toner in the toner storage bags 221a to 221d is supplied to the developing devices 8a to 8d of each color as needed by the powder pumps 230a to 230d for each color. Further, the recovered toner of each color collected from the cleaning devices 10a to 10d of each color is transferred to the recovery toner storage bags 241a to 241d by the discharge powder pumps 290a to 290d for each color.

In this example, when all the toner in the toner storage container 220 is used and becomes a toner end and is taken out from the apparatus main body, the recovery toner storage bag 241 stored in the protective case 222 is also collected at the same time. Therefore, the recovered toner can be recovered by piggybacking on the replacement of the toner storage container 220, and the amount of recovered toner is expected to be about 10% of the amount of toner filled when all colors are new, so that the recovered toner storage bag 241 is surely full. It is an advantage that all four colors of recovered toner can be recovered without being completely recovered.

FIG. 18 is an overall configuration diagram of a color printer having a toner replenishment device and a recovery toner transfer device. The magenta, cyan, yellow, and black image formation units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d are the same as those in FIG. Have the same code.

The toner storage container 220 shown here uses only one protective case 222 with a toner storage bag 221 and a recovery toner storage bag 241 for any one color, and the other three colors are toner storage without a recovery toner storage bag. Containers 220b to 220d are used. In the example shown in the figure, magenta is used, but as will be described later, a black toner storage container that is frequently used is most preferable.

The toner stored in the toner storage container of each color is replenished to the developing devices 8a to 8d of each color as needed by the powder pumps 230a to 230d for each color. Further, the recovered toners of each color collected from the cleaning devices 10a to 10d of each color are collectively collected in the recovered toner storage unit 102 via the passages 98a to 98d and the screw 101. After that, it is transferred to the recovery toner storage bag 241 by the powder pump 290.

Since the color printer configured in this way has one toner storage container provided with the toner storage bag 221 and the recovery toner storage bag 241, a compact and low-cost recovery toner transfer device can be realized. Further, in the case of this example, since the ratio of the recovered toner amount of each color may be biased, it is possible to detect the remaining amount of toner by using the toner remaining amount detecting means as described above and estimate the recovered toner storage space. It will be effective.

Further, in the color image forming apparatus, in consideration of the fact that many users frequently use black, the toner storage container for black often has a larger capacity than other colors. Therefore, it is particularly effective to include the collected toner storage bag 241 in the black toner storage container 220, which is frequently used, because the empty space after using the replenished toner is larger than that of other colors.

19 to 22 show the recovered toner storage bag of the present invention and the gusset container used as the toner storage bag. 19 and 20 are referred to as a two-way gusset container, and FIG. 19 shows a state in which the contents are contained and inflated, and FIG. 20 shows a folded state during bag making. The numbers of each part are the same as those of the collected toner storage bag shown in Fig. 2. Two sides 21b and 21c are folded inward. The gusset container is excellent in that it has good volumetric efficiency because the inflated state has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in the figure.

21 and 22 are referred to as a three-way gusset container, and FIG. 21 shows a state in which the contents are contained and inflated, and FIG. 22 shows a folded state during bag making. The numbers of each part are the same as those of the recovered toner container shown in Fig. 3. Not only is it volumetrically efficient, but it also has the advantage that the height does not increase even when folded because the side surfaces 121b, 121c and the top surface 121d are folded inward. In other words, when the volume is automatically reduced in the device, it is necessary to provide a space in advance for the height increase when the volume is reduced and folded in the 2-way gusset (J in Fig. 19). The Gazette does not increase in height, so it does not require wasted space. As a result, the size of the machine body can be reduced, the toner capacity can be increased, and the like.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can also be used as a container for recovering the developer that overflows due to overflow or the like by supplying the developer to the developing device. For example, the recovered toner and the recovered developer may be collected in the recovered toner storage unit 102 of FIG. 18 and transported to the recovery container. Further, dirt or the like of toner or the like collected from the intermediate transfer belt 1 by the belt cleaning device 18 may also be conveyed to the recovery toner storage unit 102 of FIG. 18 by a powder pump or the like and sent to the collection container.

<figref num="1">It is the schematic which shows the whole structure of the color printer as the image forming apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the toner replenishment device and the toner recovery device of an image-drawing unit.</figref><figref num="3">It is sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of the toner replenishment device and the toner recovery device of an image-drawing unit.</figref><figref num="4">An explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a toner storage container and a recovery toner container according to the present invention shows an unused state.</figref><figref num="5">It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in use of FIG.</figref><figref num="6">It is explanatory drawing which shows the toner end state of FIG.</figref><figref num="7">An explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovered toner container according to the present invention shows an unused state.</figref><figref num="8">It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in use of FIG.</figref><figref num="9">It is explanatory drawing which shows the toner end state of FIG.</figref><figref num="10">It is a perspective view which shows the base member of the toner storage container and the recovery toner container of FIG.</figref><figref num="11">It is explanatory drawing which shows still another Embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovery toner container which concerns on this invention.</figref><figref num="12">It is explanatory drawing which shows the unused state of the container of FIG.</figref><figref num="13">It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in use of the container of FIG.</figref><figref num="14">It is explanatory drawing which shows still another Embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovery toner container which concerns on this invention.</figref><figref num="15">It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of the toner end of the container of FIG.</figref><figref num="16">It is explanatory drawing which shows the toner remaining amount detecting means of the toner storage container.</figref><figref num="17">It is sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the toner replenishment device and the toner recovery device of the whole color printer.</figref><figref num="18">It is sectional drawing which shows another Embodiment of the toner replenishment device and the toner recovery device of the whole color printer.</figref><figref num="19">It is a perspective explanatory view at the time of storage which shows an example of a storage bag.</figref><figref num="20">It is a perspective explanatory view which shows the folding time of the storage bag of FIG.</figref><figref num="21">It is a perspective explanatory view at the time of storage which shows another example of a storage bag.</figref><figref num="22">It is a perspective explanatory view which shows the folding time of the storage bag of FIG.</figref>

Code description

8 Developer 10 Cleaning device 20,120,220,320,420 Toner storage container 21,121,221,321,421 Toner storage bag 30,130,230 Powder pump (suction type) 40,140,240,340,440 Recovery toner container 41,141,241,341,441 Recovery toner storage bag 70 Air pump 90 Powder pump (discharge type)