JP2022181765A - TONER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a toner storage container capable of more effectively transporting toner that has entered through a receiving port. [Solution] A second lever 82 that reciprocates around an axis 829 is inserted into an internal space 610 of a receiving section 61 of a toner storage container 50, and the second lever 82 is provided with three convex parts 101, 102, 103 that protrude downward. Shaft parts 111, 112, 113 that extend along the X-axis direction are provided on the convex parts 101, 102, 103, and rotating members 151, 152, 153 that are gear-shaped and have teeth on their circumferential surfaces are journaled on the shaft parts 111, 112, 113. Due to the reciprocating motion of the second lever 82, waste toner T that has fallen onto a bottom surface 612 through a receiving port 611 of the receiving section 61 is scraped off by the convex parts 101-103 and the rotating members 151-153. [Selected Figure] Fig. 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to a toner storage container that stores toner that is no longer used for image formation in an image forming apparatus or toner that should be used from now on.

In an image forming apparatus such as a printer that transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum or an intermediate transfer belt to a transfer medium such as a recording sheet, residual toner remaining on the image carrier is removed after the transfer. Generally, the toner is removed by a cleaner or the like, and the removed residual toner is stored in a toner storage container as waste toner.

In Patent Document 1, in a toner storage container having a waste toner receiving port, a scraping member that reciprocates about a crank shaft scrapes off waste toner that has entered through the receiving port and accumulated on the bottom surface of the container body. A configuration is disclosed in which the surface is scraped off and sent to the back side of the container body.

JP-A-7-325521

Due to the demand for downsizing of the image forming apparatus, the installation space of the toner container inside the image forming apparatus is often restricted.

FIG. 13(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a toner container 900 with limited installation space. The toner storage container 900 has a shape in which a waste toner receiving portion 902 protrudes rightward from the upper portion of a side wall 908 of a container body 901 having a larger internal space (toner storage space) than the waste toner receiving portion 902 . A space indicated by a dashed line 910 on the right side of the side wall 908 is a space for which the size of the toner storage container 900 had to be reduced due to restrictions on miniaturization of the apparatus.

In the toner storage container 900 having such a shape, waste toner T falling from the receiving port 903 provided on the upper surface of the receiving portion 902 onto the bottom surface 904 of the receiving portion 902 is prevented from accumulating on the bottom surface 904 . , the waste toner T on the bottom surface 904 must be scraped off and sent to the container main body 901 . As a scraping member for the waste toner T, it is possible to use a scraping member 905 having the same structure as the scraping member of Patent Document 1, that is, a scraping member 905 that reciprocates around a crankshaft. Since 906 narrows to some extent, scraping member 905 must be moved within it.

FIG. 13(b) is a schematic diagram showing the locus of movement of the lower end of the scraping surface 951 of the scraping member 905 with a dashed line 952. As shown in FIG. As the internal space 906 of the receiving portion 902 becomes narrower, the area of the bottom surface portion 953 (filled portion) on the bottom surface 904 that deviates from the movement locus tends to increase. The scraping surface 951 cannot scrape off the waste toner T on the bottom portion 953 , and the waste toner T remains on the bottom portion 953 .

FIG. 13(c) is a schematic plan view taken along line PP of FIG. 13(a). As shown in FIG. 13C, a scraping member 905 is positioned between side walls 911 and 912 spaced apart in the width direction. It is shown collecting on regions 957 and 958 between sidewalls 912 . In particular, a large amount of waste toner T accumulates in a region 957 beside the bottom portion 953 .

On the region 958 , even if the waste toner T accumulates a little and forms a mountain, the scraping surface 951 scrapes the waste toner T if the waste toner T crumbles and flows in the width direction and enters the movement locus of the scraping surface 951 . be done. On the other hand, on the area 957, the waste toner T accumulated on the bottom portion 953 on the side of the area 957 cannot enter the moving locus of the scraping surface 951, and is gradually piled up.

If the amount of accumulated waste toner Ta increases over a long period of time and a mountain of waste toner Ta is formed, the waste toner Ta tends to be in a solidified state as if aggregated. When the sliding resistance between the side surface 955 of the scraping member 905 moving in the direction of arrow Q and the pile of hardened waste toner Ta increases, smooth movement of the scraping member 905 is hindered and the scraping performance is reduced. There is a risk.

Further, when the height of the pile of waste toner Ta reaches the ceiling surface 907 (FIG. 13A) of the receiving portion 902, the pile of waste toner Ta becomes a bridge between the bottom surface 904 and the ceiling surface 907. FIG. New toner T entering from the receiving port 903 piles up on the pile of waste toner Ta, and the pile of waste toner Ta grows, and eventually reaches the receiving port 903, so that the receiving port 903 is partially blocked. As a result, there is a possibility that acceptance of the waste toner T may be hindered.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of energy saving, toners with a low melting temperature are often used for low-temperature fixing. Such a toner for low-temperature fixation tends to form lumps at a temperature lower than that of conventional normal toner, so that accumulated waste toner Ta tends to solidify.

Conventionally, there is no device provided with means for breaking up the waste toner accumulated on the bottom surface 904 of the receiving portion 902, and there is a demand for more effective transport of the waste toner.

Although an example of a toner storage container that stores waste toner that is no longer used for image formation in an image forming apparatus has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an image forming apparatus in which new toner in a toner replenishing bottle is supplied to a developing section through a toner hopper as toner to be used for image formation, the toner hopper has a receiving section and a container body similar to those described above. A similar problem may arise in

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present disclosure is to provide a toner storage container and an image forming apparatus that can more effectively transport toner entering through a receiving port.

In order to achieve the above object, a toner storage container according to the present disclosure is a toner storage container for storing toner that is no longer used for image formation in an image forming apparatus or toner that is to be used from now on, in a container body, wherein the image is A receiving portion interposed between an existing toner discharge port of the forming apparatus and the container main body for receiving the toner discharged from the toner discharge port from the receiving port, and dropping the toner onto the bottom surface of the receiving portion through the receiving port. a scraping member for scraping off the toner and sending it to the container main body; a rotating member supported by a shaft erected from the scraping member in a direction intersecting the scraping direction of the scraping member; characterized by comprising

Further, the rotating member may have a gear shape with a toothed peripheral surface.

Furthermore, the rotating member may have a circular outer periphery.

Further, the rotating member may be rotated by the frictional force with the toner that has fallen on the bottom surface of the receiving portion when the rotating member comes into contact with the toner during the scraping operation of the scraping member.

Further, the scraping member may have a protrusion projecting from an edge facing the bottom surface of the receiving section, and the tip of the protrusion may scrape off the toner that has fallen onto the bottom surface of the receiving section.

Here, in the front view of the scraping member, the tip of the convex portion may be formed in a curved shape that protrudes toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion.

Further, the shaft portion may be provided on the convex portion.

Further, in the direction toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion, the rotating member protrudes further toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion than the projecting portion, or the rotating member and the projecting portion are separated from each other. are the same distance from the bottom surface of the receiving portion.

a stirring and conveying member that stirs and conveys the toner on the bottom surface of the container body by rotating; It's good to be prepared.

Here, the motion conversion unit is a crankshaft that rotates integrally with the stirring and conveying member on a circle having a predetermined radius of rotation centering on the rotation axis of the stirring and conveying member, and the scraping member is the crankshaft. The scraping operation may be performed by the reciprocating motion associated with the rotation of the .

Further, the receiving portion may be provided so as to project laterally from the upper portion of the side wall of the container body.

Furthermore, it is also possible to have a drive section that drives the rotating member to rotate.

Here, the driving section rotates the rotating member in such a direction that a force in the same direction as the scraping direction acts on the toner when the rotating member hits the toner on the bottom surface of the receiving section. Even if you do.

Further, the toner that is no longer used for image formation may be waste toner discharged from the toner discharge port of the image forming apparatus, and the waste toner may be received from the reception port.

An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure is characterized in that the toner storage container can be attached.

With the above configuration, the toner that has entered the receiving port and has accumulated on the bottom surface of the receiving portion without being scraped off by the scraping member can be removed from the toner that has accumulated on the bottom surface of the receiving portion. When the member hits, it can be broken by the force in the direction of rotation of the rotating member, preventing the toner from accumulating on the bottom surface of the receiving portion and reaching a height that reaches the receiving port. When a fixing member that does not rotate is provided, the fixing member presses the toner from above against the bottom surface of the container main body to harden the toner accumulated on the bottom surface of the container. It is difficult to cause such things as collapse. As a result, the toner can be more effectively transported from the receiving portion to the container body.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a printer according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the toner storage container removed from the main body of the printer as viewed in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line UU shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line WW shown in FIG. 3; FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that the 2nd lever is rock|fluctuating by reciprocating motion. 5 is a plan view taken along line DD shown in FIG. 4; FIG. (a) is a schematic exploded perspective view when the scraping unit and the rotating member are seen from the direction of arrow H shown in FIG. 6, and (b) is the scraping unit and rotation from the direction of arrow Xa shown in (a). It is a schematic side view when looking at a member. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing, with a dashed line, the locus of movement of the tip of the convex portion when the scraping portion reciprocates in the scraping operation. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing how a pile of waste toner accumulated on the bottom surface of the receiving portion is broken down by a rotating member; FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the rotation member which concerns on a modification. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a driving mechanism for a rotating member according to a modified example; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a toner hopper according to a modified example; (a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining a configuration when a conventional scraping member is applied to a toner container.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a toner container and an image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described by taking as an example a case where they are applied to a color printer (hereinafter simply referred to as "printer").

(1) Configuration of Printer FIG. 1 is a schematic front view for explaining the configuration of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. In the figure, the X-axis direction corresponds to the horizontal direction when the printer 10 is viewed from the front side, and the Y-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction. A direction orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis is called a Z-axis direction (depth direction).

As shown in the figure, the printer 10 is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including an image forming unit 11, a paper feeding unit 12, a fixing unit 13, a toner container 50, and the like. It is possible to execute a print job for printing a color image on a recording sheet based on image data sent from an external terminal device (not shown) via the .

Color printing is carried out by multiple transfer and fixing of yellow, magenta, cyan and black toner images onto a recording sheet. Hereinafter, the respective reproduction colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are expressed as Y, M, C, and K.

The image forming section 11 includes image forming sections 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K, an intermediate transfer belt 21, and the like corresponding to Y to K colors, respectively.

The image forming section 20K includes a photosensitive drum 1, a charging section 2, an exposure section 3, a developing section 4, a primary transfer roller 5, a cleaner 6 for cleaning the photosensitive drum 1, and the like. A K-color toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 which is rotationally driven in the arrow A direction. The rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 1 is parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The other image forming units 20Y, 20M, and 20C have the same configuration as the image forming unit 20K, and form toner images of corresponding colors (Y, M, or C) on the photosensitive drum 1. FIG. Reference numerals for the image forming units 20Y to 20C are omitted.

The intermediate transfer belt 21 is an endless belt, stretched between a drive roller 22 and a driven roller 23, and circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure.

The paper feed unit 12 includes a paper feed cassette 31 that stores sheets S, a delivery roller 32, a transport roller pair 33, a timing roller pair 34, a secondary transfer roller 35, and the like.

The fixing unit 13 includes a fixing roller, a pressure roller, and a heater for heating the fixing roller.

With such a configuration, the printer 10 acquires image data from the external terminal when receiving an instruction to execute a print job. A light source such as a laser diode of the exposure unit 3 is driven for each of the imaging units 20Y to 20K based on the obtained image data. As a result, the light beam L is emitted from the light source of each exposure section 3, and the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed and scanned.

Prior to this exposure scanning, the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charging unit 2 in each of the image forming units 20Y to 20K, and the electrostatic latent charge is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 by the exposure scanning of the light beam L. An image is formed. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed (visualized) by a developer containing toner accommodated in the corresponding developing section 4 to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 .

The toner image on the photoreceptor drum 1 is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 by the electrostatic force acting between the photoreceptor drum 1 and the primary transfer roller 5 in each of the image forming units 20Y to 20K. At this time, the image forming operation for each color is performed with a different timing so that the toner images are superimposed and transferred to the same position on the intermediate transfer belt 21 . Residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 21 on the photosensitive drum 1 without being primarily transferred is removed from the photosensitive drum 1 by the blade 6 a of the cleaner 6 . The removed residual toner is stored in the toner storage container 50 as toner that is no longer used for image formation (waste toner).

As the intermediate transfer belt 21 circulates, the toner images of each color multiple-transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 move to a secondary transfer position 351 where the secondary transfer roller 35 contacts the intermediate transfer belt 21 .

In synchronization with the timing of the image forming operation, one recording sheet S delivered from a paper feed cassette 31 by a delivery roller 32 is fed from the paper feeding unit 12 along a transport path 37 by a pair of transport rollers 33 and a pair of timing rollers. 34 has been transported. When the recording sheet S passes between the circulating intermediate transfer belt 21 and the secondary transfer roller 35, the electrostatic force of the secondary transfer roller 35 causes each color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21 to be doubled. Secondary transfer is performed onto the recording sheet S collectively at the next transfer position 351 .

After passing through the secondary transfer position 351, the recording sheet S is conveyed to the fixing section 13. When passing through the fixing section 13, the toner image on the recording sheet S is heated and pressurized to be fixed. It is discharged via pair 36 and stored in storage tray 38 .

Residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 21 without being secondarily transferred onto the recording sheet S at the secondary transfer position 351 is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 21 by a blade 241 of a cleaner 24 arranged around the intermediate transfer belt 21 . be done. The removed residual toner is stored in the toner storage container 50 as waste toner.

The toner storage container 50 is positioned closer to the front side of the apparatus than the image forming units 20Y to 20K, the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the cleaner 24, and is detachably attached to the apparatus housing (main body) . A front cover (not shown) that can be opened and closed is arranged on the front side of the apparatus from the toner container 50 attached to the apparatus main body 28. When the user opens the front cover, the toner container 50 is removed from the user. visible.

The user opens the front cover, removes the currently attached toner storage container 50 from the device main body 28, and attaches a new empty toner storage container 50 to the device main body 28 to replace the toner storage container 50. work can be done.

(2) Overall Configuration of Toner Container FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the toner container 50 removed from the apparatus main body 28 and viewed in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line UU;

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toner container 50 includes a front plate 51, a rear plate 52, side plates 53 and 54 connected to the left and right ends, and a top plate connected to the upper and lower ends. 55 and a bottom plate 56 , and a space 59 surrounded by these plate surfaces is an internal space of the container body 58 . Of the front plate 51 to the bottom plate 56, the top plate 55 can be regarded as a ceiling wall, the bottom plate 56 as a bottom wall, and each plate other than these as a side wall.

Each of the plates from the front plate 51 to the bottom plate 56 constitutes the exterior of the toner container 50 , and the casing formed by connecting these plates becomes the container main body 58 . The container body 58 is made of resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer synthetic resin) or PS (polystyrene), but other materials may be used.

Five waste toner receiving portions 61 to 65 are provided on the upper surface of the top plate 55 and spaced apart along the X-axis direction. The waste toner receiving portion 61 has a receiving port 611 for receiving waste toner discharged from the toner discharge port 242 (FIG. 1) of the cleaner 24 . The receiving port 611 communicates with the inner space 59 of the container body 58 through the inner space 610 ( FIG. 3 ) of the waste toner receiving portion 61 . It can be said that the waste toner receiving portion 61 is interposed between the existing toner outlet 242 and the container main body 58 in the image forming apparatus.

The waste toner receiving portion 62 has a receiving port 621 for receiving waste toner discharged from a toner discharge port (not shown) of the cleaner 6 of the Y-color image forming portion 20Y. The receiving port 621 communicates with the internal space 59 of the container body 58 through the internal space 620 of the waste toner receiving portion 62 .

Similarly, waste toner receiving portions 63, 64, and 65 are receiving ports for receiving waste toner discharged from toner discharge ports (not shown) of cleaners 6 of image forming portions 20M, 20C, and 20K for M, C, and K colors. 631, 641, 651. The receiving ports 631 , 641 , 651 communicate with the internal space 59 of the container body 58 through the internal spaces 630 , 640 , 650 of the waste toner receiving portions 63 , 64 , 65 . As a result, the waste toner that has entered through the receiving ports 611 to 651 can be accommodated in the container main body 58 .

As shown in FIG. 3, inside the container body 58 are a stirring and conveying member 70 for stirring and conveying waste toner accumulated on the bottom surface 560 of the container body 58, and a waste toner adhering to the bottom surface 612 (FIG. 4) of the receiving portion 61. A scraping portion 80 for scraping the waste toner and a waste toner stacking portion 90 for detecting the full state of the waste toner are provided.

The stirring and conveying member 70 is arranged above the bottom surface 560 and includes a shaft body 71 elongated in the X-axis direction, a screw member 72 provided on the shaft body 71, and stirring members 73, 74, 75, and 76. The screw member 72 is provided around the shaft 71 along the rotation axis of the shaft 71 . Each of the stirring members 73 to 76 is fixed so as to protrude from the shaft 71 in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the shaft 71 .

One end 711 of the shaft 71 protrudes outside the container body 58 via a bearing 712 provided on the side plate 53, and a gear 713 is attached to the protruding portion. The other end 716 of shaft 71 is supported by a bearing 714 provided on side plate 54 .

A crankshaft 715 is provided between the stirring member 76 and the other end 716 of the shaft 71 in the X-axis direction. The crankshaft 715 is a shaft that rotates integrally with the agitating and conveying member 70 on a circle having a predetermined radius of rotation about the rotation axis of the shaft body 71 .

In such a configuration, when the gear 713 shown in FIG. The member 70 rotates, that is, the screw member 72 , the stirring members 73 to 76 and the crankshaft 715 rotate in the same direction as the gear 713 integrally with the shaft body 71 . The drive motor 19 is rotationally driven, for example, during execution of a print job.

By the rotation of the screw member 72 , among the waste toner T accumulated on the bottom surface 560 of the container main body 58 , the waste toner T existing on the side closer to the gear 713 than the waste toner stacking section 90 moves in the direction toward the waste toner stacking section 90 . be transported. Further, the rotation of the stirring members 73 to 76 prevents the waste toner T accumulated on the bottom surface 560 of the container main body 58 from being stirred and clumped or solidified.

The waste toner stacking unit 90 receives part of the liquid surface of the waste toner T from the upper end opening 92 of the cylindrical storage unit 91 when the amount of the waste toner T stored in the container body 58 reaches a predetermined amount. are stored in the storage portion 91. When the volume of the waste toner T in the container 91 reaches or exceeds a certain level, a known optical detection sensor (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 28 side detects it, and the toner container 50 is filled with waste toner T. Full detection is performed.

(3) Configuration of Scraping Portion The scraping portion 80 is connected to a first lever 81 made of a long flat plate connected to the crankshaft 715 and to the first lever 81. It has a second lever 82 (scraping member) which consists of an elongated flat plate extending into the interior space 610 between the laterally spaced side walls 615, 616 to form a reciprocating slider-crank mechanism. ing. The first lever 81 and the second lever 82 are made of resin such as PC (polycarbonate) or PS, but other materials may be used.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line WW shown in FIG. Here, in FIG. 4 , the X-axis direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) is the thickness direction of the plate-like first lever 81 and the second lever 82 , and the inner surface (substantially flat surface) of the side plate 54 and the main portion of the first lever 81 are aligned. The surface 810 and the main surface 820 of the second lever 82 are substantially parallel. Pins 541 and 542 are arranged on the inner surface of the side plate 54 so as to protrude in the X-axis direction, that is, toward the internal space 59 of the container body 58 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the receiving portion 61 of the toner storage container 50 protrudes laterally (here, in the direction of the arrow Z) from the upper portion of the side wall 52 of the container body 58, which has a larger waste toner storage space (internal space). have a shape.

A receiving port 611 of the receiving portion 61 is provided on an upper surface 619 of the receiving portion 61, and a bottom surface (receiving portion bottom surface) 612 of the receiving portion 61 is provided directly below the receiving port 611. The receiving portion bottom surface 612 is It is an inclined surface that inclines toward the bottom surface 560 of the container body 58 . Hereinafter, the receiving portion bottom surface 612 is abbreviated as the bottom surface 612 .

The waste toner T that has entered the internal space 610 of the receiving portion 61 through the receiving port 611 falls onto the bottom surface 612 by its own weight. Since the bottom surface 612 is inclined toward the bottom surface 560 of the container main body 58, all of the waste toner T that has fallen onto the bottom surface 612 through the receiving port 611 on the inclined bottom surface 612 is carried by its own weight. If the waste toner T rolls and falls onto the bottom surface 560 of the container body 58 , the waste toner T does not accumulate on the bottom surface 612 , but in reality, the waste toner T may gradually accumulate while adhering to the bottom surface 612 .

Therefore, a scraping unit 80 is provided for forcibly scraping off the waste toner T adhering to the bottom surface 612 and sending it to the bottom surface 560 of the container body 58 .

One longitudinal end (lower end) 811 of the first lever 81 of the scraping portion 80 is rotatably connected to a crankshaft 715 . A circular hole 813 penetrating in the thickness direction is provided in the other end (upper end) 812 of the first lever 81 in the longitudinal direction. A pin 829 projecting in the X-axis direction is fitted in the portion (base end portion) 821 so as to be rotatable in the arrow N direction.

A long hole 815 penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the substantially central portion of the first lever 81 in the longitudinal direction, and a pin 541 erected on the side plate 54 is fitted in the long hole 815 . . Similarly, a long hole 825 penetrating in the thickness direction is also formed in the substantially central portion of the second lever 82 in the longitudinal direction, and a pin 542 erected on the side plate 54 is fitted in the long hole 825. It is crowded.

The other longitudinal end (tip) 822 of the second lever 82 enters the space 610 between the receiving opening 611 and the bottom surface 612 located directly below it. The tip 822 of the second lever 82 is provided with three projections 101 , 102 and 103 , and the projections 101 , 102 and 103 are provided with corresponding rotating members 151 , 152 and 153 . The structures of the projections 101-103 and the rotating members 151-153 will be described later.

When the crankshaft 715 rotates integrally with the agitating/conveying member 70, the first lever 81 connected to the crankshaft 715 swings vertically within a range in which it can move in the longitudinal direction of the long hole 815 with respect to the pin 541. At the same time, the second lever 82 , which is rotatably connected to the first lever 81 , also swings in the left-right direction within a range in which it can move in the longitudinal direction of the long hole 825 with respect to the pin 542 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing how the second lever 82 swings by reciprocating motion.

As shown in the figure, the second lever 82 moves from the first position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line to the second position indicated by the solid line through the intermediate position indicated by the dashed line and the second position indicated by the solid line while the crankshaft 715 rotates once. While descending in the direction of arrow 831 toward 612, it moves in the direction of arrow 832 (scraping direction) on the bottom surface 612, then ascends in the direction of arrow 833, and returns to the first position indicated by the dashed line. Perform one reciprocating motion.

During this one reciprocation, when the second lever 82 moves on the bottom surface 612 in the direction of the arrow 832, which is the scraping direction, the waste toner T that has fallen onto the bottom surface 612 is removed by the projections 101 to 103 and the rotating members 151 to 153. , and is dropped along the slope of the bottom surface 612 and sent to the bottom surface 560 of the container body 58 .

The dimensions of each member of the scraping portion 80, such as the first lever 81, the second lever 82, the long holes 815, 825, etc. It is decided. In this sense, the crankshaft 715 constitutes a motion converting portion that converts the rotating motion of the stirring and conveying member 70 into the reciprocating slider movement of the scraping member (second lever 82) during scraping. Note that the motion conversion unit is not limited to the configuration using the crankshaft as long as the scraping member can reciprocate, and other configurations may be used.

6 is a plan view taken along the line DD shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7(a) shows the projections 101 to 103 and rotating members 151 to 153 viewed from the direction of arrow H shown in FIG. 7B is a schematic exploded perspective view of FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of the convex portion 101 and the rotating member 151 as seen from the direction of the arrow Xa shown in FIG. 7A.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A and 7B, the second lever 82 has three protrusions 101 protruding downward (in the direction toward the bottom surface 612) from an edge 100 facing the bottom surface 612. , 102 and 103 are spaced apart from each other in the Z-axis direction.

The lower ends (tips) 121, 122, and 123 of the projections 101 to 103 are formed in a downwardly curved curved shape, here an arc shape, when viewed from the direction of the arrow Xa from the front. The shapes of the tips 121 to 123 of the projections 101 to 103 are not limited to curved shapes, and the contour shapes of the tips may be U-shaped, V-shaped, or rectangular, for example.

Shafts 111 , 112 , 113 are erected along the X-axis direction on side surfaces 131 , 132 , 133 of the projections 101 , 102 , 103 . Here, the side surfaces 131 to 133 can be said to be surfaces facing the side wall 616 .

The standing positions of the shafts 111-113 on the side surfaces 131-133 are equal to the positions corresponding to the centers of the arc-shaped tips 121-123 of the projections 101-103. The protrusions 101 to 103 and the shafts 111 to 113 may be integrally molded with resin or metal, or the shafts may be attached to the protrusions by adhesion, welding, or the like. Also, the shaft portions 111 to 113 may have elasticity such that they bend when a certain amount of force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The side surfaces 131 to 133 of the convex portions 101 to 103 are parallel to the YZ plane (vertical plane), and the shaft portions 111 to 113 intersect the scraping direction (direction of arrow 832 shown in FIG. 5). In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), they stand in a direction (90°) orthogonal to the side surfaces 131-133.

Incidentally, the shaft portions 111 to 113 are not limited to being provided on the convex portions 101 to 103, and can be provided, for example, in a region above the edge 100. FIG. Further, the angle of the axial direction of the shaft portions 111 to 113 with respect to the scraping direction is not limited to 90°, and any angle that allows the rotating members 151 to 153 to be described later to effectively break up the pile of waste toner T can be used. , less than 90°, for example in the range of 60° to 90°.

Rotating members (rotating bodies) 151 to 153 are gear-shaped with teeth on their peripheral surfaces. , 112, 113 fit. The diameters of the through holes 161, 162, 163 are slightly larger than the diameters of the shafts 111, 112, 113, so that the rotary members 151-153 are rotatably supported by the shafts 111-113. . The rotating members 151 to 153 have the same size, the same shape, and are made of the same material such as ABS or iron, but they may differ from each other in shape, size, and material. Here, the rotating members 151 to 153 and the circular arcs of the circular arc-shaped tips 121 to 123 of the projections 101 to 103 form concentric circles.

The outer diameter of the rotating member 151 , that is, the diameter of the addendum circle 157 ( FIG. 7B ) centered on the shaft portion 111 and passing through the addendum 156 of each tooth 155 of the rotating member 151 is the diameter of the tip 121 of the convex portion 101 . It is slightly larger than the diameter of the arc. This diameter difference is, for example, about 0.5 to 1 mm. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rotating member 151 comes into contact with the bottom surface 612, the tip 121 of the projection 101 is slightly lifted from the bottom surface 612. As shown in FIG. That is, in the direction toward the bottom surface 612, the rotating member 151 projects slightly toward the bottom surface 612 than the projecting portion 101 (the rotating member 151 extends closer to the bottom surface 612 than the projecting portion 101). close).

Note that the size relationship of the outer diameter is not limited to the above. For example, the diameter of the arc of the tip 121 of the convex portion 101 and the outer diameter of the rotating member 151 may be the same, or the outer diameter of the rotating member 151 may be smaller than the diameter of the arc of the tip 121 of the convex portion 101 . It's good to be. In other words, the rotating member 151 and the convex portion 101 may have the same distance from the bottom surface 612 , or the convex portion 101 may protrude closer to the bottom surface 612 than the rotating member 151 .

Any size relationship may be used as long as the projecting portion 101 can scrape off the waste toner T and the rotating member 151 can efficiently break up the waste toner T pile. For example, if the rotating member 151 mainly breaks up the pile of waste toner T, and the convex portion 101 scrapes (or breaks down) the waste toner T, the pile of waste toner T is mainly transported. In the case of a configuration in which this is likely to occur, it is conceivable to increase the size of the rotating member 151, and in the case of a configuration in which it takes time for the pile of waste toner T to grow large, to increase the transportability of the waste toner T by increasing the size of the convex portion 101. . This is the same for the convex portions 102 and 103 and the rotating members 152 and 153 as well.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing, by dashed lines, the movement trajectories of the tips 121 to 123 and the ends 822 of the projections 101 to 103 when the projections 101 to 103 reciprocate by the scraping operation. 153 are omitted from the illustration.

During the scraping operation, the tips 121 to 123 of the projections 101 to 103 move along the movement trajectory in the scraping direction indicated by the arrow G (corresponding to the arrow 832 shown in FIG. 5). Of the toner T, the waste toner T that has entered the range of the moving trajectory of the projections 101 to 103 is scraped off and sent to the container main body 58 .

On the other hand, as described in the section "Problems to be Solved by the Invention" above, in the region 253 (corresponding to the bottom portion 953 in FIG. , the waste toner T may remain attached. Even if the waste toner T accumulates on the region 253, if the top of the waste toner T falls within the locus of movement of the projection, it will be scraped off by the projection. No loading occurs.

The waste toner T on the bottom surface 612 is gradually conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of arrow G (scraping direction) on the bottom surface 612 by being scraped off by the convex portions 101 to 103 . Therefore, when the waste toner T scraped off in the region 259 enters the region 253 adjacent to the downstream side in the direction of the arrow G, the waste toner T accumulated on the region 253 at that time enters the region 253 from the region 259. It is divided into those that move downstream from the region 253 by being pushed by the waste toner T that has arrived and those that move in the X-axis direction (corresponding to the width direction in FIG. 13C).

When the waste toner T moves little by little in the X-axis direction on the area 253, it eventually reaches the area 255 between the second lever 82 and the side wall 616 on the bottom surface 612 shown in FIG. Moreover, part of the waste toner T that hits the lower ends 122 , 122 of the convex portions 102 , 103 may escape in the X-axis direction and reach the area 255 . Furthermore, the waste toner T entering from the receiving port 611 may accumulate on the area 255 or may accumulate on areas 258 adjacent to the area 255 between the second lever 82 and the side wall 616 . The waste toner T accumulated in the areas 255 and 258 in this manner is crushed by the rotating members 151 to 153 positioned in the space between the second lever 82 and the side wall 616 before it piles up or solidifies into a large mountain. and stirred.

(4) Agitation of Waste Toner by Rotating Member FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams showing how the rotating member 152 crushes the heap of waste toner T accumulated on the area 255 of the bottom surface 612 . .

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the rotary member 152 descends in the direction of arrow I toward the region 255 of the bottom surface 612, and when the teeth 155 of the rotary member 152 hit the pile of waste toner T, the state shown in FIG. 9(b) is reached. As shown, the rotating member 152 rotates about the shaft portion 112 in the arrow J direction due to the frictional force with the waste toner T while sliding in the arrow G direction (scraping direction).

The tip 156 of the tooth 155 of the rotating member 152 bites into the pile of the waste toner T, and while breaking the pile of the waste toner T, the rotating member 152 rotates in the direction of the arrow J to move the pile of the waste toner T. While the force that tries to press down from above is dispersed in the rotational direction, the rotational force Pf acts on the waste toner T, so that part of the waste toner T is moved upstream of the rotating member 152 in the scraping direction (see FIG. right side) to scatter (stir) the pile of waste toner T to break it down.

When the scattered waste toner T enters the locus of movement of the projections 101-103, it is scraped off by the projections 101-103. The other rotating members 151 and 153 agitate the waste toner T on the bottom surface 612 by rotating in the same manner as the rotating member 152 .

As a result, even if the waste toner T tries to accumulate on the bottom surface 612 of the receiving portion 61 and cannot be scraped off by the projections 101 to 103, it is agitated by the rotary members 151 to 153. It is possible to prevent troubles in conveying the waste toner caused by the gradual increase in the size of the T peak or the sticking of the T peak.

<Modification>
Although the present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments, the present disclosure is of course not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the following modifications are conceivable.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the rotating members 151 to 153 as rotating bodies for breaking up piles of waste toner T are gear-shaped, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a rotatable cylindrical or columnar rotating body 159, that is, a rotating body having a circular outer circumference, can be used for the shaft portion 111 erected on the convex portion 101. FIG. In the configuration of a cylinder or column, since there are no teeth 155 on the outer periphery, it is not possible to make the tooth tip 156 bite into the pile of waste toner T to facilitate breaking it down, but it is still a rotating body. When the peripheral surface 158 of this cylindrical or columnar rotor hits the waste toner T on the bottom surface 612, it rotates in the direction of arrow J as shown in FIG. can act on the waste toner T, and the pile of the waste toner T can be broken.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, three projections 101 to 103 for scraping off the waste toner T on the bottom surface 612 of the receiving portion 61 are provided, and the rotating members 151 to 153 corresponding to each projection are used to scrape off the waste toner T. Although a configuration example in which a total of three stirring members are provided has been described, the number is not limited to this number. Depending on the configuration of the device, each of the protrusion and the rotating member can be one, or two or more of them can be provided.

(3) In the above embodiment, the rotating members 151 to 153 rotatably supported by the shafts 111 to 113 erected on the projections 101 to 103 are integrated with the projections 101 to 103 in the scraping direction. Although the configuration is such that when it hits the waste toner T on the bottom surface 612, it rotates due to the frictional force with the waste toner T, it is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a driving unit is separately provided for applying a rotational driving force to at least one of the three rotating members 151 to 153, and the driving force is used to forcibly rotationally drive the rotating member. is also possible.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a drive section for a rotating member.

As shown in the figure, the rotating member drive unit 450 has a very small motor 451 attached to the side surface 105 of the second lever 82, and a rotating shaft 452 of the motor 451 is connected to a worm shaft 453. has a worm wheel shape that meshes with the worm shaft 453 . This rotating member 553 corresponds to the rotating member 153 described above.

When the rotating shaft 452 of the motor 451 rotates, the worm shaft 453 also rotates in the same direction integrally with the rotating shaft 452, and the rotational force of the worm shaft 453 is transmitted to the rotating member 553, which is a worm wheel. It is rotationally driven in the J direction. Power is supplied to the motor 451 by allowing a lead wire (not shown) to extend along the side wall of the container body 58 so as not to affect the scraping operation. The tip of the container body 58 is exposed through a through hole (not shown) provided in the container body 58 and connected to a power source (not shown) provided in the device body 28 . Power supply from the power supply unit to the motor 451 is performed, for example, when a print job is executed, and ends when the job ends.

In the above description, one rotating member 553 is rotationally driven, but one or both of the other two rotating members 151 and 152 may also be rotationally driven. It can be realized by further extending the worm shaft 453 shown in FIG. 11 in the Z-axis direction.

Also, in the above description, the rotating member 553 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow J, but instead of this, the rotating direction of the motor 451 is changed so as to rotate in the direction of the arrow Ja (broken line) opposite to the direction of the arrow J, for example. You can set it. The arrow Ja direction corresponds to the same direction as the scraping direction of the convex portion 103 on the bottom surface 612 , that is, the direction toward the container main body 58 . Therefore, when the tooth 555 of the rotating member 553 hits the waste toner T on the bottom surface 612, a force in the same direction as the scraping direction acts on the waste toner T, and the waste toner T to which the force is applied is removed. It moves in the same direction as the projection 103 and is easily housed in the container body 58 .

It should be noted that the configuration is not limited to the one having the worm shaft and the worm wheel as described above, and any other configuration may be used as long as it is a drive section capable of rotationally driving the rotating member.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, a configuration example in which the receiving portion 61 is provided so as to project laterally from the upper portion of the side wall 52 of the container body 58 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the scraping portion 80 can be applied to a configuration in which the receiving portion 61 protrudes laterally from the midsection of the side wall 52 of the container body 58 .

(5) In the above embodiment, an example of the toner storage container 50 that stores waste toner that is no longer used for image formation has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to a toner hopper that supplies replenishment toner to the developing section 4 . Since the replenishment toner is consumed for image formation in the developing section 4, it can be said that the toner is to be used for image formation from now on.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the toner hopper 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the toner hopper 40 is arranged above the developing section 4 and has a container body 401 and a receiving section 402 extending rightward from the top of the container body 401 .

A receiving port 403 is provided on the upper surface of the receiving portion 402, and the receiving port 403 communicates with a toner discharge port 411 of the toner supply bottle 41 containing toner Tb for replenishment. This toner discharge port 411 is also an existing discharge port of the image forming apparatus.

A supply screw 404 for supplying replenishment toner Tb to the developing section 4 is provided at the bottom of the container body 401 .

The toner hopper 40 accumulates a certain amount of toner Tb in the container main body 401 by replenishing the toner Tb from the toner supply bottle 41, and when the amount of toner in the developing section 4 decreases, the toner Tb in the container main body 401 is replenished. is supplied to the developing section 4, known toner replenishment control is performed.

That is, when a sensor or the like detects that the amount of toner in the developing section 4 is less than a specified value, the supply screw 404 is driven to supply the toner Tb from the toner hopper 40 to the developing section 4. be done. When the amount of toner in the developing section 4 reaches a specified value, the driving of the supply screw 404 is stopped, thereby stopping the toner replenishment.

When a sensor other than the above detects that the amount of toner Tb in container body 401 has become less than a predetermined amount due to replenishment of toner Tb from toner hopper 40 to developing unit 4, the toner replenishing bottle is detected. A supply screw (not shown) in 41 replenishes toner Tb in toner replenishing bottle 41 to container body 401 through discharge port 411 and receiving port 403 of receiving portion 402 by the amount of toner Tb that has decreased.

A scraping unit 480 similar to the scraping unit 80 described above is applied to the toner hopper 40 having such a configuration, and the rotational driving force of the supply screw 404 is transferred to the second lever 82 through a crank shaft similar to the crank shaft 715 described above. , the toner Tb on the bottom surface 421 of the receiving portion 402 can be scraped off. This prevents the toner Tb from accumulating on the bottom surface 421 and causing a pile of the accumulated toner Tb to rise up to the receiving port 403 , which hinders receiving of the toner Tb from the toner supply bottle 41 through the receiving port 403 . can be prevented.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, an example of a toner storage container that stores waste toner that has been cleaned by the cleaners 6 and 24 as waste toner that is no longer used for image formation has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a trickle development method, specifically, a replenishment developer including toner is replenished little by little from a replenishment opening of a housing containing the developer in the developing section, and excess toner due to the replenishment is removed. In a developing method in which part of the developer contained in the toner is discharged out of the housing from an outlet of the housing, the developer discharged from the developing section is regarded as waste toner, and a toner storage container for containing the waste toner is provided. can also

(7) In the above embodiment, a configuration example in which the rotational driving force of the stirring and conveying member 70 is transmitted from the drive motor 19 on the apparatus main body 28 side via the gear 713 has been described. A configuration in which the container 50 is provided with a drive unit such as a drive motor can also be adopted.

(8) In the above embodiment, a configuration example of a color printer was described as an image forming apparatus, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, it can also be applied to printers capable of forming only monochrome images. Also, the present invention is not limited to printers, and can be applied to general image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, and MFPs (Multiple Function Peripherals).

The shape, size, material, etc. of each member such as the toner storage container 50, the scraping portion 80, the convex portions 101 to 103, and the rotating members 151 to 153 are not limited to those described above, and may be suitable according to the configuration of the apparatus. shape can be determined.

Also, the contents of the above embodiment and the above modifications may be combined as much as possible.

The present disclosure can be applied to a toner storage container that stores toner.

6, 24 Cleaner 10 Printer 20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K Image forming section 28 Device main body 40 Toner hopper 50 Toner storage container 58, 401 Container main body 61, 402 Receiving section 70 Stirring and conveying member 80, 480 Scraping section 82 Second lever (Scraping member)
100 edges of the scraping member facing the bottom surface of the receiving portion 101, 102, 103 convex portions 111, 112, 113 shaft portions 121, 122, 123 tips of the convex portions 151, 152, 153, 159, 553 rotating members 155, 555 Teeth 242, 411 Toner discharge port 403, 611 Receiving port 450 Driving unit 612 Receiving unit bottom surface 715 Crank shaft T Waste toner

Claims (15)

A toner storage container for storing toner that is no longer used for image formation in an image forming apparatus or toner that is to be used from now on in a container body,
a receiving portion interposed between an existing toner discharge port of the image forming apparatus and the container body, and receiving the toner discharged from the toner discharge port from the receiving port;
a scraping member that scrapes off toner that has fallen on the bottom surface of the receiving portion through the receiving port and sends the toner to the container main body;
a rotating member pivotally supported by a shaft erected from the scraping member in a direction intersecting the scraping direction of the scraping member;
A toner container, comprising: 2. A toner storage container according to claim 1, wherein said rotating member has a gear shape with a toothed peripheral surface. 2. A toner storage container according to claim 1, wherein said rotating member has a circular outer periphery. 4. The rotating member is rotated by a frictional force with the toner falling on the bottom surface of the receiving portion when the rotating member comes into contact with the toner falling on the bottom surface of the receiving portion during the scraping operation of the scraping member. 1. The toner container according to item 1 or 1. 2. The scraping member has a convex portion projecting from an edge facing the bottom surface of the receiving portion, and the tip of the convex portion scrapes off the toner that has fallen onto the bottom surface of the receiving portion. 5. The toner container according to any one of items 1 to 4. 6. The toner storage container according to claim 5, wherein the tip of the convex portion is curved toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion when viewed from the front of the scraping member. 7. The toner container according to claim 5, wherein the shaft portion is provided on the convex portion. In the direction toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion, the rotating member protrudes further toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion than the projecting portion, or the rotating member and the rotating member protrude toward the bottom surface of the receiving portion. 8. The toner storage container according to claim 7, wherein the distance from the bottom surface of the receiving portion is the same. an agitating and conveying member that agitates and conveys the toner on the bottom surface of the container body by a rotating operation;
a motion conversion unit that converts the rotational motion of the stirring and conveying member into movement of the scraping member in the scraping direction;
The toner storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by comprising: The motion conversion unit is a crankshaft that rotates integrally with the stirring and conveying member on a circle having a predetermined radius of rotation about the rotation axis of the stirring and conveying member,
10. A toner storage container according to claim 9, wherein said scraping member performs a scraping operation by reciprocating motion accompanying rotation of said crankshaft. The toner storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiving portion is provided so as to protrude laterally from an upper portion of the side wall of the container body. 4. The toner storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a drive section for rotating said rotating member. The driving section rotates the rotating member in a direction such that when the rotating member hits the toner on the bottom surface of the receiving section, a force in the same direction as the scraping direction acts on the toner. 13. The toner container according to claim 12. 14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the toner that is no longer used for image formation is waste toner discharged from the toner discharge port of the image forming apparatus, and the waste toner is received from the reception port. 1. The toner container according to item 1 or 1. An image forming apparatus to which the toner storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 14 can be attached.

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