JP2011128552A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of lessening frequency of exchanging a waste toner container by a user with simple constitution without causing upsizing of the image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt 5; a cleaning member 6 which removes waste toner on the intermediate transfer belt 5; a waste toner conveyance path 36 which is provided all over the area in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 5, and through which the removed waste toner is conveyed in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt; a first aperture 38 which is provided at the end on a downstream side in a waste toner-conveying direction of the waste toner conveyance path 36; and a first waste toner container 42 which is connected to the first aperture 38 to collect the waste toner from the first aperture 38 and is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus body. The image forming apparatus includes: a second aperture 37 which is provided on a more upstream side in the waste toner-conveying direction than the first aperture 38 of the waste toner conveyance path 36; and a second waste toner container 41 which is connected to the second aperture 37. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile that forms an image by electrophotography.

  Some conventional image forming apparatuses include a replaceable waste toner container for collecting waste toner generated during image formation (Patent Document 1). FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional color image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 8, the conventional color image forming apparatus has a plurality of process cartridges 7 (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d). The toner images formed on the photosensitive drums of the plurality of process cartridges 7 are primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 5. The primary transferred toner image is secondarily transferred to a transfer material in the secondary transfer unit 15.

  In such an image forming apparatus, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 5 after the secondary transfer is scraped off by the cleaning blade 31 in the cleaning device 23 and removed from the intermediate transfer belt 5. The scraped waste toner is conveyed to the front side of the main body (in the direction of the arrow X) by the screw 35 in the cleaning device 23 and is collected in the waste toner container 46 through the waste toner collection duct 43. The waste toner container 46 is installed on the front side of the main body so that the user can replace it.

  When the waste toner in the waste toner container 46 is almost full, the detection sensor is activated, the display unit displays that the replacement of the waste toner container is necessary, and stops the image forming operation. When the user replaces the waste toner container 46 with a new one and the detection sensor (not shown) does not detect that the waste toner is full, the image forming operation is resumed.

  According to this configuration, the user can easily replace the waste toner container 46 from the front side of the main body. Further, when the user replaces the waste toner container 46, it is not necessary to provide a space for storing waste toner for the life of the main body in the main body, and the image forming apparatus can be downsized.

JP 2003-156946 A

  However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the waste toner container 46 is installed in a limited space accessible to the user from the front side of the main body. For this reason, the size of the waste toner container 46 is limited, and the user frequently replaces the waste toner container 46, which is troublesome.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce the frequency with which a user replaces a waste toner container with a simple configuration without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an intermediate transfer belt for transferring a toner image to a transfer material, and remains on the intermediate transfer belt without being transferred to the transfer material. A cleaning member that removes waste toner, a waste toner conveyance path that is provided across the entire intermediate transfer belt width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and in which the waste toner removed by the cleaning member is conveyed in the intermediate transfer belt width direction; An image forming apparatus that is connected to the first opening provided at the downstream end of the waste toner conveyance direction in the waste toner conveyance direction, and collects the waste toner from the first opening. And a first waste toner container detachably attached to the main body. A second opening provided upstream of the first opening of the waste toner conveyance path in the waste toner conveyance direction. And having a part, and a second waste toner container that communicates with said second opening.

  According to the present invention, the frequency with which the user replaces the waste toner container can be reduced with a simple configuration without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate transfer unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an intermediate transfer unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a mounted state of a waste toner container according to the present embodiment. (B) It is sectional drawing which shows the mounting state of the waste toner container which concerns on this embodiment. (A) It is a perspective view which shows the exchange state of the waste toner container which concerns on this embodiment. (B) It is sectional drawing which shows the exchange state of the waste toner container which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a connecting portion between the cleaner device and the waste toner container according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of waste toner collection according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view of the conventional image forming apparatus.

  An embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of image forming apparatus 100)
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes four process cartridges 7 (7a to 7d) that are arranged in parallel at an angle β with respect to the horizontal direction. The process cartridge 7 includes one electrophotographic photosensitive drum 1 (1a to 1d).

  Around the photosensitive drum 1, a cleaning member 6 (6a to 6d), a charging roller 2 (2a to 2d), and a developing unit 4 (4a to 4d) are arranged in order according to the rotation direction. The photosensitive drum 1, the cleaning member 6, the charging roller 2, and the developing unit 4 are integrated into a process cartridge to constitute a process cartridge 7.

  The image forming apparatus 100 includes a scanner unit 3 and an intermediate transfer belt 5. The intermediate transfer belt 5 is stretched around a driving roller 10, a tension roller 11, and a secondary transfer counter roller 33. A primary transfer roller 12 (12a to 12d) is disposed inside the intermediate transfer belt 5 so as to face the photosensitive drums 1 (1a to 1d).

  The surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 2. The charged photosensitive drum 1 is irradiated with a laser beam based on image information by the scanner unit 3, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing unit 4 using toner that is a developer, and becomes a toner image. The toner images are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 1 by rotating each photosensitive drum 1 in the direction of arrow Q, rotating the intermediate transfer belt 5 in the direction of arrow R, and applying a positive bias to the primary transfer roller 12. Primary transfer is performed on the belt 5. Then, the four-color toner images are conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 15 in a state where the intermediate transfer belt 5 is overlaid. The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the primary transfer is removed by the cleaning member 6. The removed toner is collected in a removed toner chamber in the photoreceptor unit 26 (26a to 26d).

  In synchronization with the image forming operation, the transfer material S is transported to the secondary transfer unit 15 by transport means including the feeding device 13 and the registration roller pair 17. The feeding device 13 includes a feeding cassette 24, a feeding roller 8, and a conveyance roller pair 16.

  The feeding cassette 24 can be pulled out in the front direction of the main body (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1). After the user pulls out the feeding cassette 24 and removes it from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the transfer material supply is completed by setting the transfer material S in the feeding cassette 24 and inserting it into the main body of the apparatus. The transfer material S stored in the feeding cassette 24 is separated and fed one by one by the feeding roller 8 and the separation pad 9 (friction piece separation method).

  The transfer material S conveyed from the feeding device 13 is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 15 by a conveyance roller pair 16 and a registration roller pair 17. By applying a positive bias to the secondary transfer roller 18 in the secondary transfer unit 15, the four color toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 5 are secondarily transferred to the transferred transfer material S.

  The transfer material S that has been secondarily transferred is heated and pressurized by a fixing unit (fixing means) 14 to fix the toner image. The fixing unit 14 includes a fixing belt 14a and a pressure roller 14b. The transfer material S on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to a discharge tray 20 by a discharge roller pair 19.

(Cleaning device 23)
Next, the cleaning device 23 for the intermediate transfer belt 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer unit 101 includes an intermediate transfer belt unit 25 and a cleaning device 23. The unit 25 includes an intermediate transfer belt 5, a driving roller 10, a tension roller 11, four primary transfer rollers 12 (12 a to 12 d), and a secondary transfer counter roller 33.

  The cleaning device 23 includes a cleaning blade (cleaning member) 31, a cleaning blade support plate 32, a blade pressure spring 34, and a screw (toner conveying member) 35. The cleaning blade support plate 32 holds the posture of the cleaning blade 31. The blade pressure spring 34 presses the cleaning blade 31 against the intermediate transfer belt 5 over the entire area in the transfer material width direction (the entire area in the intermediate transfer belt width direction). Here, the transfer material width direction (intermediate transfer belt width direction) is a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 5.

  Transfer residual toner (waste toner) remaining on the intermediate transfer belt after the secondary transfer is scraped off by the cleaning blade 31. The scraped waste toner slides down the upper slopes of the cleaning blade 31 and the cleaning blade support plate 32 and reaches the waste toner conveyance path 36. The waste toner that has reached the waste toner conveyance path 36 is conveyed by the screw 35 from the back side of the main body to the front side of the main body (in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 3A) as shown in FIG. The waste toner conveyance path 36 is provided over the entire area of the intermediate transfer belt 5 in the transfer material width direction (intermediate transfer belt width direction).

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the waste toner conveyance path 36 has a second opening 37 and a first opening 38. The opening 38 is provided at the downstream end in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt (downstream end in the waste toner conveyance direction). The opening 37 is provided upstream of the opening 38 in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt (upstream of the waste toner conveyance direction).

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a second waste toner container 41 and a first waste toner container 42. The waste toner container 41 is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body. The waste toner container 41 is connected to the opening 37 and collects the waste toner conveyed through the waste toner conveyance path 36 via the opening 37. As shown in FIG. 4B, in the image forming apparatus 100, the intermediate transfer belt 5 (image forming unit) is arranged obliquely. The waste toner container 41 is installed in a dead space surrounded by the image forming main body exterior (side surface of the image forming apparatus), the intermediate transfer belt 5 and the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus main body. For this reason, the image forming apparatus 100 does not increase in size.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the waste toner container 42 is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and is installed so that it can be replaced by the user from the front side of the main body. The waste toner container 42 is connected to the opening 38 via the duct 43 and collects the waste toner conveyed through the waste toner conveyance path 36 via the opening 38 and the duct 43. When the waste toner in the waste toner container 42 becomes full, a sensor (not shown) detects it, the image forming operation is stopped, and a message indicating that the waste toner container 42 needs to be replaced is transmitted to the user via a display unit (not shown). .

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the cleaning device 23 has a second shutter 39 that opens and closes the opening 37. When the intermediate transfer unit 101 is attached to the apparatus main body, the shutter 39 opens (the state shown in FIG. 6A). When the intermediate transfer unit 101 is moved in the direction of the arrow Z and removed from the apparatus main body, the shutter 39 is closed (FIG. 6 ( b)). The opening 38 is similarly provided with a first shutter (not shown).

(Collecting waste toner)
Next, the movement of transfer residual toner (waste toner) after secondary transfer will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, the waste toner that has reached the waste toner conveyance path 36 is conveyed by the screw 35 from the back side of the main body to the front side of the main body in the arrow Y direction. As shown in FIG. 7A, the waste toner that is upstream of the opening 37 of the waste toner transport path 36 is transported by the screw 35, and when it reaches the opening 37, it falls from the opening 37 and is discarded. Deposit in the container 41. An arrow A indicates the flow of waste toner collected in the waste toner container 41.

  The waste toner that has slipped down to the waste toner conveyance path 36 downstream from the opening 37 is conveyed to the end of the waste toner conveyance path 36 on the front side of the main body by the screw 35 and passes through the duct 43 from the opening 38. And accumulated in the waste toner container 42. An arrow B indicates the flow of waste toner collected in the waste toner container 42.

  Next, the relationship between the position of the opening 37 and the volume of the waste toner container 41 will be described. In the present embodiment, when the user is using the camera in a normal manner, the waste toner container 41 is set to be full with the product life.

L1: distance from the opening 37 to the opening 38;
L2: length in the longitudinal direction (transfer material width direction) of the intermediate transfer belt 5,
V1: Volume of the waste toner container 41,
V3: amount of waste toner per transfer material generated during normal image formation,
P: The number of transfer materials on which an image is formed before the image forming apparatus reaches the end of its life.

  Of the amount of waste toner V3 per sheet, the amount of waste toner collected in the waste toner container 41 is V3 × (L2−L1) / L2 (Expression 1). For this reason, the volume V1 of the waste toner container 41 for collecting waste toner corresponding to P main body lifetimes is V1≈V3 × (L2−L1) / L2 × P (Expression 2). In this case, the volume V2 of the waste toner container 42 and the number N of replacements in the product life are N≈L1 / L2 × V3 × P / V2 (Equation 3).

  When the position L1 of the opening 37 is set so that the above (Equation 2) is established, the replacement frequency of the waste toner container 42 is increased by the volume V1 of the waste toner container 41 when the user is performing normal use. Can be reduced.

  In addition, when the user uses a method that generates a larger amount of waste toner than usual, the waste toner container 41 becomes full before the end of the life of the main body. In this case, the waste toner reaches the junction between the waste toner container 41 and the opening 37 of the cleaning device 23. The waste toner that can no longer fall from the opening 37 is conveyed to the opening 38 by the screw 35 and is accumulated in the waste toner container 42.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the sealing force of the sealing materials 44 and 45 between the waste toner container 41 and the opening 37 is much larger than the toner conveying force by the screw 35. For this reason, when the waste toner container 41 is full of waste toner, the waste toner does not enter between the waste toner container 41 and the opening 37 and is conveyed downstream in the transfer material width direction with less resistance. The Therefore, the waste toner container 41 does not require a transport path switching mechanism, a sensor for detecting fullness, or the like.

  In this way, a special case where the amount of waste toner generated is larger than usual can be dealt with by replacing the waste toner container 42. In some cases, the number of replacements of the waste toner container 42 is increased, and the replacement life may be shortened from the time when the waste toner container 41 becomes full. However, the replacement life is reduced in the second half of the durability, and a constant replacement frequency can be maintained in the initial stage. Furthermore, since this state is a special case where the amount of waste toner generated is larger than usual, it can be used without feeling uncomfortable for most users who are normally using it.

  The cleaning blade 31 may be a member having a function of collecting the transfer residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 5 over the entire width of the transfer material, and the material, shape, and the like are not limited. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, in order to adjust the amount of waste toner sent to the waste toner container 41, the opening area of the opening 37 can be increased or decreased. If the area of the opening 37 is reduced, a part of the waste toner carried by the screw 35 from the upstream of the waste toner conveyance path 36 falls from the opening 37 (arrow C), and the rest is an opening at the end. The toner is conveyed to the section 38 and collected in the waste toner container 42 (arrow D).

  As described above, the amount of waste toner collected in the waste toner container 41 can be adjusted, and thereby the replacement life of the waste toner container 42 can be adjusted. If the replacement life of the waste toner container 42 is set to be equivalent to that of another replacement unit, for example, a toner cartridge, the replacement waste toner container 42 can be bundled with the toner cartridge and delivered to the user. It becomes possible to reduce the frequency | count of performing maintenance of an apparatus. And it also becomes possible to obtain a cost effect in terms of packing and transportation.

  As described above, in the above configuration, the first waste toner container 41 is provided by effectively using the empty space of the image forming apparatus main body. Accordingly, the frequency with which the user replaces the second waste toner container 42 can be reduced with a simple configuration without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus.

5 ... Intermediate transfer belt, 6 ... Cleaning member, 31 ... Cleaning blade (cleaning member), 32 ... Cleaning blade support plate, 33 ... Secondary transfer counter roller, 34 ... Blade pressure spring, 35 ... Toner conveying screw, 36 ... Waste toner conveyance path 37 ... second opening 38 ... first opening 39 ... shutter 41 ... second waste toner container 42 ... first waste toner container 43 ... duct 44 ... seal 45, sealing material, 46 ... waste toner container

Claims (3)

An intermediate transfer belt for transferring a toner image to a transfer material;
A cleaning member for removing waste toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt without being transferred to the transfer material;
A waste toner conveyance path that is provided over the entire intermediate transfer belt width direction of the intermediate transfer belt and that conveys waste toner removed by the cleaning member in the intermediate transfer belt width direction;
A first opening provided at the downstream end of the waste toner transport path in the waste toner transport direction;
An image forming apparatus having a first waste toner container that is connected to the first opening and collects waste toner from the first opening and is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.
A second opening provided on the upstream side in the waste toner conveyance direction from the first opening of the waste toner conveyance path;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a second waste toner container connected to the second opening. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second waste toner container is disposed in a space surrounded by the intermediate transfer belt and a side surface and a bottom surface of the image forming apparatus main body. The intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member are detachable from the image forming apparatus main body,
A first shutter that opens the first opening when the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member are attached, and closes the first opening when the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member are attached;
A second shutter that opens the second opening when the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member are mounted, and closes the second opening when the intermediate transfer belt and the cleaning member are mounted; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus has an image forming apparatus.

Images