JP2006154208A - Image forming apparatus and agent storage container used for the image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An image forming apparatus capable of efficiently replenishing a developer and recovering a collected agent, and capable of performing various types of processing of a developer and a collection container of the collected agent by simple operations, and the image forming apparatus. An agent storage container is provided.
A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member, a developer supplying device for supplying a developer to the developing device, and a toner remaining on an image carrier after image transfer. In the image forming apparatus having the cleaning device 10 for removing the toner, excess or unnecessary developer discharged from the developing device 8 is stored in the recovery agent storage container 90 for recovering and storing the toner removed by the cleaning device 10. Store.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  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 machine, or a multifunction machine having at least two of these functions, the developer used for the visible image processing is consumed when the visible image processing is performed. If the amount exceeds the predetermined amount, replenishment is required. For example, in the case of a two-component developer, since the toner is consumed and reduced, the toner concentration in the developer in the developing device is lowered, and as a result, a desired image density cannot be obtained. Therefore, in order to suppress a decrease in image density, when the toner density in the developer becomes a predetermined value or less, the toner is supplied to the developing device to maintain the toner density in the developer in a stable state. For this purpose, a toner replenishing device is provided.

  Further, the image forming apparatus is provided with a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on the photosensitive member after transfer of the visible image. The toner that was not finally used for image formation remains in other image forming portions, such as a transport device that transfers a transfer material having a transferred visible image to a fixing device, an intermediate transfer member, or a transfer device. A cleaning device is also provided for residual toner. The residual toner collected by the cleaning increases as the image forming process is repeatedly performed, and eventually becomes full in the cleaning device and interferes with the cleaning process. Therefore, the residual toner must be removed as appropriate. A recovery agent storage device is provided.

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

  In the two-component developing device, the carrier is not consumed, but the performance deteriorates with the number of times of image formation. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the carrier at every certain number of times of image formation. As a replacement method, a method in which a dedicated service person replaces a carrier in a copier, and a method in which a developing device having a built-in carrier is replaced with a new unit are conventionally used in a printer. In this method, a predetermined amount of carrier is mixed with the replenishing toner, and the carrier is automatically replenished little by little at the same time as the replenishment of toner. Automatic replenishing methods have been implemented or proposed. By these methods, it is possible to continuously achieve a stable image without preventing deterioration of the developer and requiring periodic replacement of the carrier.

For toner replenishment from the toner replenishing device to the developing device, toner transfer from the cleaning device to the collecting agent storage device, or toner replenishing device and developing device,
1. A system in which these devices are connected by a pipe, and toner is transferred from a toner replenishing device or a cleaning device to a developing device or a collecting agent storage device by a coil screw disposed in the pipe,
2. A system that uses paddles or buckets of various shapes instead of screws,
3. A system that uses gravity to naturally drop toner and guide it toward the toner storage device.
4). A method of transferring toner by the air pressure of the air supply means,
5. Toner transfer system by pressure using a uniaxial eccentric screw pump, or a toner transfer system that combines this with a minute amount of air supply means for fluidizing the toner,
Etc. are known.

  In the first method, the coil screw or the like needs to be arranged very close to the developing device or the recovery agent storage device, and is preferably linearly transferred or has a large radius of curvature to ensure reliable rotation of the coil screw. There is a problem that it is necessary to secure a considerably restricted transfer path such as a curved line transfer. That is, layout restrictions are imposed, and the degree of freedom in designing the apparatus is limited. In some cases, the apparatus becomes complicated and large. Further, since the installation position of the toner storage unit is limited, there are many problems such as difficulty in increasing the capacity, and difficulty in arranging the toner storage unit at a position where replacement is easy. This problem also exists in the second and third methods.

  Further, since the first and second methods require a conveying member over the entire transfer path, the apparatus cost increases in proportion to the distance when the transfer path is lengthened, and the stress on the toner increases. It is also a problem.

  On the other hand, the fourth and fifth methods do not have the above layout restrictions, so that the size of the device is reduced, the capacity of the toner storage unit is increased by effectively using space, and the toner replenishing device and the collected toner transfer device are operated. There are many advantages such as the fact that the toner can be arranged at an easy position, the stress on the toner does not increase even if the transfer path is lengthened, and the cost is small.

  It is also known that a container using a flexible material as a toner container can be used in combination with the fourth and fifth toner transfer systems. The flexible toner storage container has advantages such as reduction of environmental load due to resource saving, reduction of toner container cost, reduction of toner container recovery cost and reduction of storage space due to volume reduction. Furthermore, with the discharge port facing downward, it is easy to attach and detach by simply inserting and removing the container from top to bottom, and since the transfer tube diameter can be reduced, the discharge port is small and toner leaks at the time of desorption. There is also an advantage of less dirt.

  By the way, in the color image forming apparatus, the amount of collected toner is greatly increased due to the use of multi-colored toner, and as a result, a large space is required for the waste toner container. Yes. The above-described toner reuse is also difficult to realize in a color image forming apparatus that particularly requires high image quality because the image quality is deteriorated due to the color mixture or quality change of the collected toner. Further, reducing the capacity of the waste toner container has a problem that the non-operating time increases at the same time as the replacement work frequency increases.

JP-A-5-107918

  Therefore, a method has been proposed in which waste toner is transferred to a waste toner storage space provided in advance in the toner storage container, and the waste toner is recovered together with the container recovery after the toner container is used. In order to further reduce the space, as described in Patent Document 1, etc., the partition wall of the waste toner storage space and the fresh toner storage space is a movable member. A system that can be used as a storage space is also known.

  In the method of Patent Document 1, the collected toner moves the movable member by gravity, and therefore, the collected toner storage unit is located above the fresh toner. Therefore, the introduction part of the collected toner is also limited to the upper part. However, when the flexible toner storage container and the fourth and fifth toner transfer systems are employed as the fresh toner container, the toner storage container has a vertically long structure and has a downward toner discharge port at the bottom. The attachment / detachment portion with the main body is provided at two locations that are far apart at the upper and lower portions and in different directions, and there is a problem that the attaching / detaching operation is not a one-touch operation but takes time and effort.

  In view of the above-described conventional circumstances, the present invention can efficiently perform replenishment of a developer and recovery of a recovery agent, and can perform various types of processing on a developer and recovery agent storage container with simple operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a forming apparatus and an agent storage container used in the image forming apparatus.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image carrier, a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and a developer replenishing device that replenishes the developing device. And an image forming apparatus having a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on the image carrier after the image transfer. A recovery agent storage container for recovering and storing the toner removed by the cleaning device is provided in the developing device. It is characterized by storing the discharged surplus or unnecessary developer.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image carrier, a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and a developer supply that replenishes the developer. In the image forming apparatus having the apparatus and a cleaning device that removes toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer, a recovery agent transporting unit that transports the toner removed by the cleaning device to a recovery agent storage container is provided, A surplus or unnecessary developer recovered from the developing device is transported to a recovering agent storage container using a transport force of the recovering agent transporting means.

  In the present invention, the collecting agent conveying means has a conveying path that leads from the cleaning device to the collecting agent storage container, and a surplus or unnecessary developer collected from the developing device is joined in the middle of the conveying path. Is effective.

  Further, the present invention is effective when the recovery agent conveying means includes a uniaxial eccentric screw pump using discharge pressure and an air supply means for supplying air to the developer in the uniaxial eccentric screw pump. .

Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the recovery agent conveying means is an air pump that sucks and discharges air.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the developer replenishing device having a developer storage container and a developer transport means for transporting the developer stored in the developer storage container to the developing device, It is effective if 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.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides the toner storage container in which the developer storage container stores a replenishment toner and a carrier storage container that stores a carrier or a carrier and a toner mixture, and the toner storage container. It is effective that the carrier 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.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container are provided with an agent inlet / outlet at the bottom thereof, and the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container are mounted on the image forming apparatus main body from above. The engaging members respectively provided in the developer conveying means and the collecting and conveying means are inserted from the entrance and exit from the entrance and exit by taking out the developer storing container and the collecting agent storing container from the attaching portion. It is effective when the engaging member is removed.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a replenisher storage for storing a developer to be replenished to the developing device in the agent storage container used in the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The storage portion between the container and the recovery agent storage container for storing the recovered developer of the image forming portion is flexible.

The present invention is effective when the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container are supported by a single rigid support member as a pair.
Further, the present invention is effective when the rigid support member is a hard case for storing the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container.

Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the volume of the collection 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.

Furthermore, the present invention is effective when one of the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container is configured as an integral 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 opening portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed. It is effective that the mouth portion of the recovery agent storage container is detachably coupled.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the replenisher storage container and the recovery agent storage container have a flexible storage portion and a highly rigid opening portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed. It is effective if the mouth portion of the recovery agent storage container is integrally formed.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus, the toner and the carrier can be replenished independently without increasing the space or adding complexity to the configuration, and the excess developer can be easily collected. Can be done.

  Moreover, in the collection | recovery agent storage container, simple attachment or detachment is implement | achieved. In particular, the visibility is increased by setting it downward in the vertical direction, and simpler detachability can be realized. further. Resource saving, low cost, reduction in storage volume, and reduction in recovery agent storage container collection work can be expected for the recovery agent storage container and toner storage container. The empty space after the replenishment toner is used is used as the recovery agent storage unit. Therefore, the main body can be miniaturized.

  Further, by reducing the volume of the collecting agent storage container in advance, the air bleeding efficiency can be increased and the transport efficiency of the collected toner can be improved. By transferring the collected toner to the collecting agent storage container, the toner storing container can be reduced. This can prevent cross-linking of the toner in the toner storage container, thereby reducing the remaining amount of toner.

  Furthermore, the volumetric efficiency of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container can be ensured to the maximum, and the detachability can be further improved by improving the positioning accuracy of the discharge ports of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container. . Furthermore, it is possible to ensure the sealing property of the collected toner transfer path and to clearly grasp the remaining amount of toner to be supplied by a user, a service person, or the like.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a color printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus shown here, an intermediate transfer belt 1 as an image carrier is disposed on the upper part of the apparatus body. The intermediate transfer belt 1 is wound around rollers 2 and 3, and one of the rollers is a driving roller. Is driven in the direction of the arrow by being rotated counterclockwise. On the lower running side of the intermediate transfer belt 1, first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d are opposed to each other. The first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d have drum-shaped photoconductors 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d as image carriers, and magenta toner images and cyan toners on the photoconductors. An image, a yellow toner image, and a black toner image are formed.

  Since the first to fourth image forming units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d have substantially the same configuration and operation as those for forming a toner image on the image carrier, the first image forming unit 4a. Only the configuration for forming a toner image on the photosensitive member 5a will be described. The photosensitive member 5a is driven to rotate clockwise 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 a light-modulated laser beam L emitted from the laser writing unit 7. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 5a, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 8 as, for example, a magenta toner image. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the developing device 8 is a so-called two-component developing device, and is opposed to a developing case 80 containing a dry two-component developer having toner and a carrier, and a photoconductor 5a. The developing roller 81 is arranged and rotated, and screws 82 and 83 for stirring the developer while rotating. The toner is charged to a predetermined polarity by friction with the carrier, and in the example shown in the drawing, the toner is charged with a negative polarity. The developer containing the toner is carried on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 81 and conveyed. To the development area between. At this time, a predetermined developing bias is applied to the developing roller 81, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 5 by the toner in the developer that is conveyed to the developing region and becomes a magnetic brush shape, that is, The image is electrostatically transferred to the image portion, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as 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 disposed with the photoconductor 5a and the intermediate transfer belt 1 interposed therebetween, whereby the magenta toner image on the photoconductor 5a. Is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 1. Untransferred toner that is not transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 1 and remains on the photoreceptor 5 a 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 photoreceptors 5b, 5c, and 5d of the second to fourth image forming units 4b, 4c, and 4d, respectively. The magenta toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 1 on which the magenta toner image has been transferred. The four color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 1 in this way move to the secondary transfer portion provided with the secondary transfer roller 11 facing the rightmost roller 2 in FIG. 1 as the belt travels. .

  On the other hand, a paper feeding unit 12 is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body, and a recording material P made of transfer paper, for example, is fed in the direction of the arrow from the paper feeding unit 12 by the paper feeding means 13. The fed recording material P is abutted against the registration roller 14 and then sent to the secondary transfer portion of the intermediate transfer belt 1 at a timing at which the toner image is correctly transferred onto the recording material. 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 onto the intermediate transfer belt 1 is transferred onto the recording material P. The recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed upward and passes through the fixing device 15, and after the toner image is fixed, the recording material P is discharged to the paper discharge unit 17 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body via the paper discharge roller 16. .

Further, after the secondary transfer, the transfer residual toner that has not been transferred to the recording material P is removed by a belt cleaning device 18 disposed with the roller 3 and the intermediate transfer belt 1 interposed therebetween.
FIG. 2 shows a developer supply device that supplies toner and developer to the developing device 8 in one image forming unit, a developer recovery device that recovers excess developer, and a toner recovery device that recovers transfer residual toner removed by the cleaning device 10. It is a section lineblock diagram showing one embodiment.

Next, the developer replenishing device in this embodiment will be described.
The developer replenishing device in the present embodiment develops a toner storage container 20 that stores fresh toner to be supplied to the developing device 8, a carrier storage container 27 that stores a carrier to be supplied to the developing device 8, and an agent stored in these containers. It is comprised with the agent conveyance means conveyed to an apparatus.

  The toner storage container 20 includes a toner storage bag 21 that stores toner, a protective case 22 that wraps around the toner storage bag 21, and a cap member 23 that is fixed to the bottom of the toner storage bag 21. . The toner storage bag 21 is made of an air inflow / outflow by folding a single-layer or multi-layer sheet material having a thickness of about 50 to 250 μm made of resin such as polyethylene and nylon, or by welding or bonding four sheets. A filter 24 that allows air to pass but not toner is provided at the top of the bag, and this filter 24 prevents the internal pressure of the container from rising excessively. The protective case 22 is made of a material such as rigid paper, 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 cap member 23, and a seal member 26 having a notch (not shown) in which a nozzle described later is inserted and removed 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. 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 toner storage bag 21 is welded to the base member 23. Will also be easier.

  Set portions 50, 60, 70 to which a toner storage container 20, a carrier storage container and a collection agent storage container, which will be described later, are detachably mounted are provided at appropriate locations in the image forming apparatus main body. Reference numerals 60 and 70 denote, for example, resin holders that hold the toner storage container 20, the carrier storage container 30, and the recovery agent storage container 90. At the bottom of the holder 50 that holds the toner storage container 20, a nozzle 51 that extends in the vertical direction and is inserted into and removed from the toner storage container 20 is provided upright. The nozzle 51 has a pointed head 52 formed at its tip so that it can be smoothly inserted into the seal member 26, and is formed in a double pipe having a toner passage 53 inside and an air passage 54 outside. Yes. At the lower end of the toner passage 53, a toner conveyance pipe 27 connected to a uniaxial eccentric screw pump 40 described later as a toner conveyance path is connected. The air passage 54 is connected to an air supply tube 55 that is bent sideways and connected to air supply means described later.

  A uniaxial eccentric screw pump (hereinafter referred to as a screw pump) is disposed at the upper portion of the developing device 4. The screw pump 40 includes a female screw-shaped stator 42 formed with a double-pitch spiral groove made of an elastic member such as rubber supported by a holder 43, and is rotatably fitted in the stator 42. And an externally threaded rotor 41 made of resin or the like. The rotor 41 is connected to the drive shaft 45 by a spring pin or the like, and is driven to rotate when the drive shaft 45 is rotated. Since this motion is an eccentric motion, this pump is a uniaxial eccentric screw pump. Also called. The screw pump 40 has several spaces partitioned between the rotor 41 and the stator 42, and these spaces rotate and move in the same shape as the rotor 41 rotates. Therefore, the pump can control the conveyance amount with high accuracy by the rotation amount of the rotor 41.

  When this screw pump 40 is operated, a suction force is generated at a suction port 44 formed in the holder 43, and from the inside of the toner storage bag 21 that stores the powder toner to the screw pump 40 through the nozzle 51 and the toner transport pipe 27. Since the toner passage connecting the two is hermetically sealed, the suction force generated by the operation of the screw pump 40 is transmitted to the toner in the vicinity of the nozzles in the toner storage bag 21 via the toner conveying pipe 27 and the nozzle 51, and the toner is conveyed. It becomes possible.

  The toner conveying tube 27 connecting the nozzle 51 and the suction port 44 of the screw pump 40 has an inner diameter of about 3 mm to 7 mm, is flexible and has excellent toner resistance, such as polyurethane, nitrile, EPDM, silicon, etc. By using a plastic material such as polyethylene or nylon, it is possible to freely arrange the toner replenishment path, which is very effective because the degree of freedom in the layout of the image forming apparatus is increased.

  Furthermore, since the toner replenishing device conveys the toner by the suction force of the screw pump, the toner replenishing device can convey the toner without any trouble even when the position of the toner container 20 is lower than the developing device 4. Therefore, since the arrangement of the toner storage container 20 is not limited, the toner storage container 20 can be disposed at a position where toner replacement operation is most easily performed.

  In the toner replenishing device, the toner is fluidized by air in order to smoothly convey the toner having poor fluidity. The air is generated by operating the air supply unit 100, and the air is supplied into the toner in the toner storage bag 21 through the nozzle 51. In the air supply, after the screw pump 40 sucks the toner in the vicinity of the nozzle, a bridging phenomenon (a void is formed in the lost toner portion) occurs in the toner storage bag 21, and the toner replenishment amount becomes unstable or the toner is supplied. It is also used to prevent an excessive increase in the amount of toner remaining in the storage container. Therefore, supplying air to the inside of the toner storage bag 21 stirs and fluidizes the toner, prevents the above-described toner cross-linking phenomenon, and further collapses due to the air supplied with the cross-linked toner. As a result, the toner supply amount is stabilized and the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 20 is reduced. Note that a breathable filter 24 is provided on the upper portion of the toner storage bag 21, and serves to prevent the pressure in the toner storage bag 21 from being increased by the air supplied from the air supply unit 100.

  The air supply means 100 of the present embodiment is a diaphragm type air pump, and the diaphragm 101 is a vessel-shaped member formed of rubber, flexible plastic, or the like. The upper part is driven in the vertical direction by an eccentric shaft 104 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 103. By this operation, air is sucked into or discharged from inside the diaphragm 101. The partition plate 102 has two holes, one of which is a suction hole 105 and the other is a discharge hole 106, each of which is provided with a flexible valve member, a suction valve 107, and a discharge valve 108. With such a configuration, the motor 103 is energized and rotated, so that air is sucked from the suction port 109 and air is discharged from the discharge port 110. Between the air pump 100 and the nozzle 51, an electromagnetic valve 111 for switching the air supply destination is provided. That is, the passage for supplying air can be selected from either A or B by turning on / off the electromagnetic valve 111. When the passage B is selected, the air pump 100 is operated via the tube 55 and the nozzle 51. Thus, air is supplied into the toner container 20.

  The two-component developing device 8 performs development with a developer composed of toner and carrier. However, since the toner is consumed with development, the toner is replenished by the above-described toner replenishing device. On the other hand, since the carrier is not consumed, it is not necessary to replenish it, but it deteriorates with use over time, leading to a decrease in image quality. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the carrier is not re-mixed with the toner in advance, but is replenished independently, and the high-quality image quality is maintained by replacing the carrier by small amounts.

  In order to replenish the carrier independently, a carrier storage container 30 is provided. The carrier storage container 30 of this embodiment is different from the toner storage container 20 only in that the filter 24 is not provided, and all other configurations and materials are the same. That is, it has a carrier storage bag 31 in which a carrier is stored, a protective case 32 that wraps around the carrier storage bag 31, and a base member 33 that is fixed to the bottom of the carrier storage bag 31. A carrier discharge port 35 is formed in the base member 33, and a seal member 36 having a notch (not shown) in which the nozzle 61 is inserted and removed is attached to a lower portion of the carrier discharge port 35. .

  The nozzle 61 has a pointed head 62 formed at the tip thereof so that it can be smoothly inserted into the seal member 36, and a carrier passage 63 formed in the interior extending in the vertical direction. The carrier path 63 is directly above the toner transport pipe 27, and the carrier path 63 communicates with the toner transport pipe 27 through an inverted T-shaped joining member 28 provided in the toner transport pipe 27. Replenishment as a replenishment member for preventing toner from entering the carrier storage container 30 and replenishing the toner transport pipe 27 with a fixed amount of carrier between the carrier storage container 30 and the toner transport pipe 27 in the carrier passage 63. A roller 64 is provided. The replenishing roller 64 has a diameter large enough to completely block the carrier passage 63, and is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown), and a measuring recess 65 for receiving a fixed amount of carrier is formed on the peripheral surface thereof. Yes. A bulge into which the roller is fitted is formed in a portion of the carrier passage 63 where the supply roller 64 is provided. In addition, although the four measurement recessed parts 65 are formed for every angle 90 degrees, the number can be set arbitrarily.

  In the developer replenishing device having such a configuration, the carrier can be supplied to the developing device 8 using the toner replenishing device. This will be explained in detail. The toner is mixed with a binder resin, a wax component, a colorant, and, in some cases, a charge control agent, etc. using a mixer, and then kneaded using a kneader such as a heat roll or an extruder. A conventionally known toner such as a pulverized toner obtained by cooling, individualizing, pulverizing with a jet mill or the like, and then classification, or a toner using a polymerization method is used, and the particle size is about 4 to 10 μm. On the other hand, the carrier has a particle size of about 20 to 200 μm, and conventionally known iron powder, ferrite powder, magnetite powder, magnetic resin and other core materials such as amino resins, polyvinyl and polyvinylidene resins, polystyrene resins, and silicon resins. A material whose surface is coated with, for example, is used. The carrier is considerably heavier than the toner but has good fluidity. Further, since the light pump selectively conveys light objects by the pressure of the screw pump 40, those having a large specific gravity and those that are light but difficult to contain air are difficult to move (only air moves. ). Furthermore, since the conveyance pressure is generated in proportion to the rotation amount (space movement amount) of the pump, the generated pressure is small because the rotation amount is small particularly in a very small amount of conveyance such as toner replenishment to the developing device, The tendency becomes remarkable. As described above, the carrier is suitable for drop conveyance using gravity because of its heavy specific gravity and good fluidity, but pressure conveyance by a screw pump or the like is very difficult due to its high specific gravity. On the other hand, although the toner has a low specific gravity, many types of toners having good fluidity and poor fluidity are used, and the toner having good fluidity easily contains air and is easy to convey with pressure. However, a toner with poor fluidity does not easily contain air, and problems such as unstable conveyance amount or clogging in the conveyance path are likely to occur when pressure is conveyed.

  Therefore, the carrier can be conveyed by pressure in the toner having a low specific gravity and easily containing air, and the conveying means and path can be simplified. Moreover, it has been found by the present inventors that even a toner with poor fluidity can be stably conveyed by increasing the fluidity by mixing the carrier. Therefore, when the carrier is transported by the screw pump 40, the carrier is mixed with the toner instead of being transported alone, and the carrier can be stably supplied to the developing device 8.

  In the developer replenishing device configured as described above, when a toner replenishing command is issued, the air pump 100 is operated to supply air to the toner in the toner storage container 20 to fluidize the toner. Simultaneously or slightly before and after this, the screw pump 40 is rotationally driven, whereby the toner is supplied to the developing device 8 by the suction pressure of the pump.

  At this time, if a carrier replenishment command is also issued, the replenishment roller 64 rotates while the toner is transported, so that the carrier is mixed with the transported toner and transported onto the developing device 8 by the pressure of the screw pump 40. Then, it drops into the developing device 8 and is replenished. Therefore, even a heavy carrier can be stably supplied by supplying toner together. Since the carrier replenishment amount can be controlled by the rotation speed of the replenishment roller 64, it is convenient to drive the replenishment roller 64 with a stepping motor that can control the rotation amount.

  By replenishing the carrier during toner conveyance in this way, even a carrier having a large mass can be conveyed without any trouble by the screw pump 40, and since the conveyance system is shared with the toner, the cost is not increased and the apparatus is compact. Further, the set portions 50 and 60 of the toner storage container 20 and the carrier storage container 30 can be set at arbitrary positions that are not limited by the position of the developing device 8. Furthermore, by adding a new carrier, the charging performance of the carrier that gradually deteriorates is compensated, and the total charging performance of the total carriers in the developing device is maintained above the limit value. As a result, stable image formation can be continued without the need for regular carrier exchange (replacement) by a service person or the like as in the prior art.

Next, the collection | recovery agent conveying apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated.
Transfer residual toner or the like removed from the photosensitive member 5 by the cleaning device 10 is collected in a collection agent storage container 90 by a collection agent conveyance device including a screw pump 120. In the recovery agent conveying device, the transfer residual toner falls from the conveying screw 112 in the cleaning device 10 to the inlet portion of the screw pump 120 via the passage 113. The screw pump 120 is substantially the same as the suction type screw pump 40 described above, but is a discharge type screw pump having a rotor 121 and a stator 122. When the rotor 121 rotates, toner at the upper inlet of the screw pump is transferred to the holder 123. It is a type which discharges to the formed exit 124. In this case, air is supplied from the air pump 100 near the outlet 124 of the screw pump 120. That is, when the electromagnetic valve 111 provided in the air pump 100 selects the passage A, the air from the air pump 100 is supplied to the vicinity of the outlet 124 of the screw pump 120 and mixed with the toner discharged from the screw pump 120. This mixture of toner and air can be vigorously and smoothly conveyed through the collection agent conveyance pipe 125 and the nozzle 91 into the collection agent storage container 90 by the discharge pressure of the screw pump 120. The recovery agent transport pipe 125 can also be formed of a flexible tube, like the toner transport pipe 27.

  The recovery agent storage container 90 of the present embodiment has the same configuration and material as the toner storage container 20 described above, and wraps around the recovery agent storage bag 91 in which the recovery agent is stored and the periphery of the recovery agent storage bag 91. It has a protective case 92, a base member 93 fixed to the bottom of the recovery agent storage bag 91, and a filter 94 provided on the top. A recovery agent receiving port 95 is formed in the base member 93, and a seal member 96 having a notch (not shown) in which the nozzle 71 is inserted and removed is attached to a lower portion of the recovery agent receiving port 95. ing. The nozzle 71 provided at the bottom of the holder 70 has a pointed head 72 formed at the tip thereof so that it can be smoothly inserted into the seal member 96, and a recovery agent passage 73 is formed inside. The recovery agent transport pipe 125 is connected to the lower end of the recovery agent passage 73.

  By the way, in the developing device 8, since the total amount of developer inside the device increases due to the replenishment of the carrier, an excess developer collecting means for discharging the replenished excess carrier to the outside of the developing device is provided. The surplus developer collecting means of this embodiment is provided with a carrier discharge path 84 in the developing casing 80, and when the developer in the developing device becomes higher in level (height), the developer is discharged from the discharge path 84. Then, an overflow technique is used in which the amount of developer in the developing device is kept constant.

  The recovery agent transport pipe 125 is provided below the developing device 8, and an inverted T-shaped joining pipe 126 is provided in the middle of the collection transport pipe 125, and the discharge path 84 and the joining pipe 126 are flexible. Are connected by a simple connecting pipe 86. The connecting pipe 86 is provided with an eccentric roller 85 facing the roller 87 with the connecting pipe 86 interposed therebetween as an opening / closing means, and the opening / closing of the connecting pipe 86 can be controlled by controlling the rotation of the eccentric roller 85. . Further, the connecting pipe 86 is a pipe extending in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the surplus developer that has flowed into the discharge path 84 due to the overflow freely falls within the pipe if the connecting pipe 86 is open. It flows to the recovery agent transport pipe 125. Moreover, if the connection pipe 86 is closed by the eccentric roller 85 as shown in FIG. 2, it stays in the closed position and falls by opening.

  The transfer residual toner removed by the cleaning device 10 is conveyed to the collected agent storage container 90 by the discharge force of the screw pump 120. If the surplus developer is dropped into the recovery agent transport pipe 125 and merged in synchronism with the operation of the screw pump 120, the surplus developer from the developing device 8 is recovered by using the transfer residual toner transport. It can be conveyed into the agent storage container 90. Further, in the image forming apparatus configured as described above, the toner storage container 20, the carrier storage container 30, and the recovery agent storage container 90 can use substantially the same container, and can be attached to and detached from the set units 50, 60, and 70. However, it is the same simple operation that all containers can be set simply by pushing downward from above, and can be removed by pulling upward. Therefore, like the toner storage container 20, the detachability of the carrier storage container 30 and the recovery agent storage container 90 is also improved, and the user or serviceman can easily and easily replace the operation.

  Further, the toner storage container 20, the carrier storage container 30, and the recovery agent storage container 90 according to the present embodiment take out the storage bags 21, 31, 91 from the protective cases 22, 32, 92 and collect them, thereby collecting new storage bags 21, 31. , 91 are set in the protective cases 22, 32, 92 so that reuse can be realized easily. At this time, the protective case part and the mouth part are reused. The toner storage bag portion is reused as heat, as described above. However, since this portion is very resource-saving compared to the hard bottle described above, it can be reused at a lower cost and environmental load than the new product cost. It becomes possible.

  Furthermore, since the storage bags 21, 31, 91 are flexible, they can be reduced in volume and further folded, handling is easy during transportation and storage, storage space can be reduced, and recovery logistics costs can be reduced. Is also possible.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the developer replenishing device and the collected agent transporting device.
The developer supply device of FIG. 4 includes a toner supply device and a carrier supply device as in FIG. The toner replenishing device includes a toner storage container 220, a toner transport tube 227, and a screw pump 230. The difference from the toner replenishing device in FIG. 2 is that no air is supplied to the toner storage container 220 and toner is supplied. Since the storage bag 221 is not provided with an air filter, the portion from the toner storage container 220 to the screw pump 230 via the toner transfer path is almost completely sealed. Therefore, this is an automatic volume reduction method in which the toner is sucked and discharged by the screw pump 230 and the volume of the toner storage bag 221 is reduced (collapsed) by the volume of the discharged toner.

  The toner container 220 includes a bag-like flexible toner container 221 for storing toner and a base member 223 connected to the lowermost part thereof, and does not use a protective case. A nozzle 251 for suction is inserted into the base member 223, and a reference numeral 226 denotes a cylindrical shutter that stops toner outflow when the nozzle is not inserted. In addition, a ring-shaped sealing material 222 for maintaining airtightness is disposed in the toner storage container 220 on both sides of the nozzle 251 or the shutter 226. A screw pump 240 having the same configuration as in FIG. 2 is connected to the nozzle 251 through a toner conveyance tube 227. That is, it is connected to a screw pump 240 having a rotor 241, a stator 242, a holder 243, a suction port 244, and a drive shaft 245.

  The portion from the nozzle 251 to the developing device 8 is fixed to the apparatus main body, and the toner container 220 is replaced with a new one each time the toner inside the toner container is consumed. Since the nozzle 251 is attached / detached every time it is exchanged, sealing between the base member 223 and the nozzle 251 is very important in order to prevent dirt and toner leakage during the attachment / detachment.

  The toner storage bag 221 is made of the same sheet as the toner storage bag 21 of FIG. Also, the configuration of the image forming unit 4 is the same as that in FIG. 2, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same members and the description thereof is omitted.

  The shutter 226 is opened and closed by moving the nozzle 251 in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 4 after the toner container 220 is set in the holder 250 of the setting unit, and the shutter 226 is moved from the inside of the base member 223 to the outside by the nozzle 251. It is pushed out (to the left) and enters the state shown in the figure. Further, when taking out the toner container 220 from the holder 250, the nozzle 251 moves in the left direction opposite to the arrow C, and the shutter 226 is pushed in the right direction by the spring 228 and the shutter push-back member 229. Fits in two sealing members 222 provided in the base member 223 (at the same position as an unused toner storage container), and the toner is accommodated by the close contact between the shutter 226 and the two sealing members 222. The toner remaining in the bag 221 can be prevented from leaking outside. Here, the moving means of the nozzle 251 in the left-right direction is not shown, but conventionally known moving means such as a lever (manual), a motor, or a solenoid may be used. Reference numeral 255 in the drawing denotes a spring as a means for urging the nozzle 251 in the left direction, and is provided as an auxiliary means for the moving means. Further, the seal material 222 is formed in a O-ring shape with a pentagonal cross section, and is formed of a rubber material or the like that is lightly pressed against the shutter 226. The base member 223 is a hard member such as a resin and is provided with a toner discharge port. The base member 223 is adhered or adhered to the toner storage bag 221.

  The shutter opening / closing method described above does not interfere with the toner flow path, and because the shutter 226 is retracted out of the base member 223, there is no need to provide a retracting space for the shutter 226 in the base member 223. The member 223 can be very compact. Furthermore, since the toner is disposed perpendicular to the flow path (pressure) of the toner, it can be mentioned that the shutter is not pushed out and is stable even when the internal pressure of the container increases due to, for example, the atmospheric pressure.

  Further, the carrier supply device is different from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the carrier storage container 230 attached to the holder 260 uses a configuration in which the shutter 236 is opened and closed by inserting and removing the nozzle 261 in the same manner as the toner storage container 220. Only the other configuration is the same. Therefore, for the same member having the same configuration, 2 is added to one hundred units with respect to the reference numerals in FIG.

  The recovery agent transport device includes a recovery agent storage container 290, a transfer tube 211, and an air pump 200, and transports the recovered toner by the air force of the air pump 200 instead of the screw pump. Similar to the toner storage container 220, the recovery agent storage container 290 includes a recovery agent storage bag 291 and a base member 293. When the recovery agent storage container 290 is attached, the nozzle 271 is inserted into and removed from the base member 293. At the same time, the operation of opening and closing the shutter 296 is the same as that of the toner container 220.

  The air pump 200 is a diaphragm type air pump configured similarly to the air pump 100 of FIG. Diaphragm 201 is a container-like member formed of rubber or flexible plastic, and the lower part in the figure is in close contact with partition plate 202 with air shut off, and the upper part is attached to eccentric shaft 204 attached to the rotating shaft of motor 203. Is driven in the vertical direction. By this operation, air is sucked into or discharged from the inside of the diaphragm. The partition plate 202 has two holes, one is a suction hole 205 and the other is a discharge hole 206, each of which is provided with a flexible valve member, a suction valve 207, and a discharge valve 208. With this configuration, the motor 203 is energized and rotated, so that air is sucked from the suction port 209 and discharged from the discharge port 210.

  The toner collected by the cleaning device 10 is transferred to the passage 113 by the screw 112 in the cleaning device 10, sucked from the suction port 209 by the operation of the air pump 200, and collected from the discharge port 210 as a mixture of air and toner. The recovery agent storage container 290 is blown through the nozzle 271. Therefore, unlike the toner storage container 220 and the carrier storage container 230, the recovery agent storage container 290 is provided with a filter 294 for releasing air.

  To collect the toner, the cleaning device 10 and the air pump 200 are operated in synchronism. If a sufficiently large toner storage portion is provided between the two, that is, in the passage 113, the air pump is used when a certain amount of toner is stored in the toner storage portion. It is possible to reduce the power consumption and prevent the air pump parts from being deteriorated by performing an intermittent operation such as operating 200.

  Further, surplus developer from the developing device 8 is also fed into the transfer tube 211 via the junction member 212 and stored in the recovery agent storage container 290 together with the recovery toner. The surplus developer from the developing device 8 has the same configuration as in FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, the toner storage container 220, the carrier storage container 230, and the recovery agent storage container 290 can use substantially the same container, and the attachment and detachment to the set portions 250, 260, and 270 are all the same. It is an operation. Further, since the carrier is transported by the toner transport and the surplus developer is transported by the transport of the collected toner, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from becoming complicated and expensive.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the developer supply device and the recovery agent transport device. The apparatus shown here represents the developer replenishing device and the recovery agent conveying device of the image forming units 4a to 4d shown in FIG. Reference numerals 300a to 300d are replenishment toner containers and recovery agent storage containers for black, magenta, cyan, and yellow colors, and supply toner storage members 301a to 301d and recovery agent storage members 302a to 302d are provided in protective cases 303a to 303d, respectively. Have. The toner in the replenishment toner storage members 301a to 301d is replenished to the developing devices 8a to 8d of the respective colors as necessary by the screw pumps 340a to 340d of the image forming units 4a to 4d via the toner transport pipes 345a to 345d of the respective colors. Is done. Further, the transfer residual toner of each color collected from the cleaning devices 10a to 10d of each color is transferred to the recovery agent storage containers 302a to 302d by the respective screw pumps 320a to 320d, but the recovery agent transfer paths 330a to 330d are respectively transferred. In the middle of the operation, surplus developer discharged from the developing devices 8a to 8d is supplied, and a mixture of surplus developer and transfer residual toner is transferred to the recovery agent storage containers 302a to 302d as a recovery agent.

  Further, the developer supply device is configured such that the developer stored in one developer storage container 350 is independently joined to the toner transport pipes 345a to 345d by controlling the rotation of the replenishment rollers 360a to 360d for the respective colors. Supplied to devices 8a-8d.

  In this example, when all the replenishment toner is used and the toner end is reached and the replenishment toner container / collecting agent storage container is taken out, the amount of collected toner can be expected to be about 10% of the replenishment toner amount of all colors when new. In addition, it is an advantage that all four colors of collected toner can be reliably collected. Further, the developer can be supplied to all the developing devices 8a to 8d with one developer container 350, which is a low cost and space-saving configuration.

6 to 8 are configuration diagrams showing other embodiments of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container of the present invention.
The toner storage container 420 and the recovery agent storage container 440 shown here store the flexible toner storage bag 421 and the flexible recovery agent storage bag 441 in one protective case 422. The base member 423 of the toner storage bag 421, the base member 443 of the flexible recovery agent storage bag 441, and a toner supply device (not shown) are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. In the unused state, as shown in FIG. 6, the toner storage bag 421 is filled with the replenishing toner T1, and the collection agent storage bag 441 is set in an empty and volume-reduced state. At this time, the volume ratio (volume reduction rate) to the maximum volume of the collection agent storage bag 441 is desirably set to be 50% or less. The smaller the volume reduction rate, the more effective it is that the combined volume of the initial toner storage container 420 and the recovery agent storage container 440 can be significantly reduced.

  When the toner T1 in the toner storage bag 421 is used as the image is formed and the remaining amount of toner is reduced, the recovery agent T2 is gradually stored in the recovery agent storage bag 441, resulting in the state shown in FIG. . The recovery agent T2 is transferred by the above-described recovery agent transport device as a mixture with air, and is stored inside while the recovery agent storage bag 441 is inflated. At this time, the toner storage bag 421 is crushed to some extent, and the crushed air escapes from the filter 424 to the outside. FIG. 8 shows a state in which all the toner T1 in the toner storage bag 421 is supplied to the developing device 8. As described above, the recovery agent storage bag 441 is further expanded by the transfer of the recovery agent T2 into the recovery agent storage bag 441, and the toner storage bag 421 is almost completely reduced in volume. In this example, the space that has been replenished with the replenished toner can be used as a storage unit for the collected toner, and the apparatus can be downsized. Further, since the recovery rate of the toner returned as the recovery agent is about 10%, the recovery agent storage container can be automatically replaced by replacing the toner storage container 420.

9 to 11 are configuration diagrams showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container of the present invention.
The toner storage container 520 and the recovery agent storage container 540 shown here are composed of a flexible toner storage bag 521, a flexible recovery agent storage bag 541, and cap members 523 and 543, respectively. The flexible toner storage bag 521 and the recovery agent storage bag 541 are connected to each other at the top position, but a protective case as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is not used. Note that the base member 523 and the base member 543 in FIGS. 9 to 11 are the same as those in FIG. 4, and a view seen from the direction of arrow C in FIG. 4 is shown. The toner replenishing device (not shown) is an automatic volume reduction method as in the case of FIG. Therefore, the toner storage container 520 and the recovery agent storage container 540 are supported by a holder (not shown).

  FIG. 9 shows an unused state. Similarly to FIG. 6, the toner storage bag 521 is filled with the replenishing toner T1, and the collection agent storage bag 541 is empty and reduced in volume. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, when the remaining amount of the replenishment toner decreases with image formation, the recovered agent T2 is stored in the recovered agent storage bag 541, and the state of FIG. This is almost the same as FIG.

  In this example, since the toner replenishing device is an automatic volume reduction method, the toner storage bag 521 is reduced in volume according to the replenishment operation as described above, but at the same time, the recovery agent T2 is transferred and the recovery agent storage bag 541 is expanded. There is also an effect of reducing the volume of the toner storage bag 521, and a more reliable volume reduction of the toner storage bag 321 can be expected. In this example as well, as in the above embodiment, the empty space after the replenishment toner T1 is eliminated can be used as the storage portion for the recovery agent T2, and the apparatus can be downsized. Furthermore, since no protective case is used, a resource-saving toner storage container can be realized. Furthermore, the reliable volume reduction of the toner storage bag 321 has an effect of reducing the remaining amount of toner.

  12, the base member 523 of the toner storage container 520 and the base member 543 of the recovery agent storage container 540 have engaging portions 523a and 543a, and the two base members 523 and 543 can be easily attached and detached. It has become. This improves the detachability, assembly property, recyclability, and the like of the toner storage container 520 and the recovery agent storage container 540.

13 to 15 are configuration diagrams showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container of the present invention.
The toner storage container 620 and the recovery agent storage container 640 shown here are composed of a flexible toner storage bag 621, a flexible recovery agent storage bag 641 containing the flexible toner storage bag 621, and cap members 623 and 643, respectively. The base member 623 shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4, but the two are integrally formed. FIG. 13 shows a view as seen from the direction of arrow C in FIG. 4, and the toner replenishing device (not shown) is of an automatic volume reduction system as in FIG.

  The toner storage bag 621 and the recovery agent storage bag 641 are provided with filters 624 and 644, respectively, so that they are discharged to the outside when the internal air pressure rises. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 13 and shows an unused state. The toner storage bag 621 is filled with the toner T1, and the inside of the space 680 between the recovery agent storage bag 641 and the toner storage bag 621 is shown. Is slightly empty. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the volume of the toner storage bag 621 is reduced so that the recovery agent T2 and air are stored in the space 680 at the same time as the remaining amount of the replenishment toner decreases as the image is formed. If the toner storage bag 621 is not provided with the filter 624, the volume is reduced by the suction force of the screw pump as described above. In this case, the space 680 of the recovery agent T2 and the air is not increased by the suction force of the screw pump. As the volume of the space 680 is increased by the inward transfer, the volume of the toner storage bag 621 is reduced. In addition, when the mixture of the recovery agent T2 and the air is excessively supplied into the space 680, the toner storage bag 621 is excessively crushed and the internal pressure rises. Therefore, a filter 624 for removing the toner storage bag 621 is provided. . As a result, reliable toner replenishment and collection of the recovery agent can be realized. In this example, the toner storage container 620 and the recovery agent storage container 640 are constituted by a double-structured bag container, so that the container is more compact and low-cost.

  The base member 623 has an opening / closing function of the discharge port of the toner T1 and an opening / closing function of the introduction port of the recovery agent T2, and thus the toner storage container 620 and the recovery agent storage container 640 can be manufactured at low cost. Detachability is improved.

16 and 17 are explanatory views showing still another embodiment of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container according to the present invention.
The toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown here have the same configuration as that shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, and the flexible toner storage bag 521 and the flexible recovery agent storage bag 541 integrated therewith, respectively. It consists of base members 523 and 543.

  The toner storage bag 521 of this example uses a transparent member, and the recovery agent storage bag 541 uses an opaque member. The transparent member of the toner storage bag 521 may be a natural color film of resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene or nylon, and the opaque member of the recovery agent storage bag 541 may be a resin film colored by printing or the like. In general, the remaining amount of the replenishment toner T1 is likely to fluctuate greatly due to blocking or the like, and therefore the remaining toner amount needs to be visually confirmed. However, the collection amount of the recovery agent T2 is about 10% of the replenishment toner amount and does not vary much. Therefore, visual confirmation is unnecessary. Therefore, the color coding as described above can solve the problem that the user or the serviceman confuses the remaining amount of the replenished toner with the amount of the collected agent.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a means for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage container or the recovery agent storage container.
The toner container 320 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 333 and a light receiving element 334. The presence or absence of toner in the E portion near the upper portion of the cap member 323 in the toner storage bag 321 depending on the amount of light received when light from the light emitting element 333 is received by the light receiving element 334 through the toner storage bag 321 of the toner storage container 320 Can be detected. The toner storage bag 321 is a transparent member. Even when the remaining toner detection sensor of this example is not used, it is possible to predict the remaining toner based on the driving rotation amount of the screw pump 340, the number of pixels of the document, etc., but depending on various conditions as described above. When the toner transfer amount fluctuates, it may be different from the actual value, and the remaining toner amount can be detected more accurately by using the remaining toner amount detection sensor.

  By detecting the remaining amount of toner, the recovery agent can be transferred according to the detected remaining toner value. This is effective when the recovered agents recovered from a plurality of cleaning devices are stored in one recovered agent storage container.

19 to 22 show gusset containers used as the collecting agent storage bag and the toner storage bag of the present invention.
19 and 20 are called two-way gusset containers, and FIG. 19 shows a state where the contents are inflated, and FIG. 20 shows a folded state at the time of bag making. The number of each part is attached in common with the collection agent storage bag of FIG. The two side surfaces 21b and 21c are folded inward. The gusset container is excellent in volume efficiency because the swelled state is substantially a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in the figure.

  21 and 22 are called three-way gusset containers, and FIG. 21 shows a state where the contents are inflated, and FIG. 22 shows a folded state at the time of bag making. The number of each part is attached in common with the collection agent storage container of FIG. Of course, the volume efficiency is good, and the three sides of the side surfaces 221b, 221c and the upper surface 221d are folded inward, so that the height is hardly increased even in the folded state. That is, when automatic volume reduction is performed in the apparatus, it is necessary to provide a space (J in FIG. 19) for increasing the height when the volume is reduced and folded in the two-way gusset. Since the height does not increase in the gusset, it is excellent in that a useless space is not required. This can reduce the size of the machine body or increase the toner capacity.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a developer supply device and a recovery agent transport device showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an eccentric roller when the excess developer of FIG. 2 is dropped. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a developer supply device and a recovery agent transport device showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a developer supply device and a recovery agent transport device of the color image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an initial state of a toner storage container and a recovery agent storage container showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. 6 when in use. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a toner storage container and a recovery agent storage container at the initial stage showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. 9 when in use. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a cap member of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a cap member of a toner storage container and a recovery agent storage container showing still another embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing according to the FF line of FIG. FIG. 15 is an explanatory sectional view of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a toner storage container and a collecting agent storage container at the initial stage showing still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the toner storage container and the recovery agent storage container shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory cross-sectional view illustrating an example of detecting the amount of toner stored in a toner storage container. It is a perspective view of the two-way gusset container used for the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container of the present invention. It is a perspective view at the time of folding of the two-way gusset container shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the three-way gusset container used for the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container of the present invention. It is a perspective view at the time of folding of the three-way gusset container shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

4 Image forming unit 8 Developing device 10 Cleaning device 20, 220, 301, 420, 520 Toner storage container 30, 230, 350 Developer storage container 40, 240, 340 Uniaxial eccentric screw pump 51, 251, 451 Nozzle (for toner)
100,200 Air pump 90,290,303,440,540 Recovery agent storage container

Claims (16)

An image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, a developer replenishing device for replenishing the developer to the developer, and toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer In an image forming apparatus having a cleaning device for removing
An image forming apparatus characterized in that surplus or unnecessary developer discharged from the developing device is stored in a recovery agent storage container for recovering and storing the toner removed by the cleaning device. An image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, a developer replenishing device for replenishing the developer to the developer, and toner remaining on the image carrier after image transfer In an image forming apparatus having a cleaning device for removing
A recovery agent transporting means for transporting the toner removed by the cleaning device to a recovery agent storage container is provided, and surplus or unnecessary developer recovered from the developing device using the transport force of the recovery agent transporting means is collected in the recovery agent storage container. And an image forming apparatus.   The collection agent conveyance means has a conveyance path that leads from the cleaning device to the collection agent storage container, and a joining portion that joins surplus or unnecessary developer collected from the developing device is provided in the middle of the conveyance path. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.   The said collection | recovery agent conveyance means is equipped with the uniaxial eccentric screw pump using discharge pressure, and the air supply means which supplies air to the developer in this uniaxial eccentric screw pump, The Claim 2 or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recovery agent transport unit is an air pump that sucks and discharges air.   The developer supply device includes a developer storage container and a developer transport means for transporting the developer stored in the developer storage container to the development device, and the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container include The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus by the same operation from the same direction.   A toner storage container in which the developer storage container stores replenishment toner and a carrier storage container in which a carrier or a mixture of carrier and toner is stored are provided independently, and the toner storage container, the carrier storage container, The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the collection agent storage container is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body by the same operation from the same direction.   The developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container are provided with agent outlets at the bottom, and the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container are mounted on the mounting portion of the image forming apparatus main body from above to develop. Engagement members respectively provided in the agent transporting means and the recovery transporting means are inserted from the entrance and exit, and the engagement members are removed from the entrance and exit by taking out from the mounting portion of the developer storage container and the recovery agent storage container. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: In the agent storage container used for the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An agent storage container, wherein a replenisher storage container for storing a developer to be replenished to a developing device and a recovery agent storage container for storing a recovered developer are supported by a single rigid support member.   The agent storage container according to claim 9, wherein both the supply agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container have flexible storage portions.   The agent storage container according to claim 9, wherein the rigid support member is a hard case for storing the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container.   The agent storage container according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the volume of the recovery agent storage container is reduced with respect to a maximum volume when the recovery agent storage container is not used.   The agent storage container according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container are gusset containers.   The agent storage container according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein one of the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container is configured as an integrated container containing the other.   The replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container each have a flexible storage portion and a highly rigid mouth portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed, and the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container The agent container according to any one of claims 9 to 11, 13, or 14, wherein the mouth portion is detachably coupled.   The replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container each have a flexible storage portion and a highly rigid mouth portion in which a discharge port and an intake port are formed, and the replenishment agent storage container and the recovery agent storage container The mouth part is comprised integrally, The agent storage container as described in any one of Claims 9-11 and 13-15 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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