JP4351421B2 - Toner conveying method and toner conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a composite machine thereof, and the toner collected by the photoconductor cleaning device after being used for image formation is collected outside the cleaning device. The present invention relates to a toner conveying method and a toner conveying apparatus for conveying a toner bottle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art As a toner transport device that transports toner collected by a photoconductor cleaning device after use in image formation in an electrophotographic image forming device to a toner collection bottle, for example, the one shown in FIG. 2 is known. In this toner transport device, the toner collected by the cleaning device 1 is sent to the first toner transport pipe 3 through the toner discharge port 2 and then falls into the second toner transport pipe 5. The collected toner is further transported through the second toner transport pipe 5 and discharged into a toner recovery bottle (not shown) provided at a position indicated by reference symbol A.
[0003]
A toner transport coil 4 (screw conveyor) is provided in the second toner transport pipe 5. The toner transport coil 4 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 11 via the drive transmission gear 10, whereby the collected toner is transported through the toner transport pipe 5. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a side plate of the image forming apparatus.
[0004]
The toner conveying coil 4 includes a rotating shaft and screw blades provided on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotationally driven by the driving motor 11. However, the end of the drive transmission gear 10 is supported by a drive shaft (not shown), but the opposite end (the front side in the toner transport direction) is not supported. Yes. As described above, the free end side of the toner conveying coil 4 is rotationally driven while being rubbed against the inner surface of the toner conveying pipe 5, so that an annoying abnormal noise may be generated during toner conveyance. there were. In particular, when the toner conveying device is new and no toner is supplied into the toner conveying pipe 5, there is a problem that abnormal noise is likely to occur. Since the toner contains a lubricating component, the occurrence of abnormal noise is reduced when the toner conveying pipe 5 is full of toner.
[0005]
Therefore, conventionally, attempts have been made to use a soft rubber material, an elastomer resin, or a self-lubricating plastic material such as a polypropylene resin as a material for the toner conveying pipe 5 as a countermeasure for the reduction of the abnormal noise. However, it has been difficult to obtain a sufficient silencing effect only by changing the material of the toner transport pipe 5.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise during toner conveyance by increasing the lubricity of the contact portion between the toner conveyance coil and the toner conveyance pipe.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, toner collected by a photoconductor cleaning device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided with a toner carrying coil having a helical coil on a rotating shaft. the toner conveying device cantilevered structure into the conveying pipe, there is provided a method of conveying to the outside of the cleaning device, leave coated cloth grease the outer peripheral end of the pre-helical coil, and the helical coil outer peripheral edge A toner conveying method characterized in that toner is conveyed by rotating a toner conveying coil in a state where grease is interposed in a contact portion with an inner surface of a toner conveying pipe.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 1 is a state in which the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface on the opposite side of the toner transport surface of the spiral coil are straddled , and the toner transport surface. The toner conveying method is characterized in that the grease is applied so as not to be applied.
The invention according to claim 2 is the toner conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the grease is applied to the entire outer peripheral end of the spiral coil with a brush.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the brush carrying the grease contacts the outer peripheral end of the helical coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface opposite to the toner conveying surface of the helical coil. The grease is applied to the entire outer periphery of the spiral coil by moving the brush in accordance with the movement of the outer periphery of the spiral coil due to the rotation of the toner conveying coil in the state of being applied. The toner conveying method described.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner conveying device for conveying toner collected by a photoconductor cleaning device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to the outside of the cleaning device, wherein a helical coil is provided on a rotating shaft. in those toner conveying coil structures cantilevered toner transport pipe, the grease on the outer peripheral edge of the pre-helical coil, said grease being applied so as not to be applied to the toner transport surface, the spiral coil A toner conveying device characterized in that the grease is interposed in a contact portion between the outer peripheral end of the toner and the inner surface of the toner conveying pipe.
[0010]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the grease is applied in a state of straddling the outer peripheral end of the helical coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface opposite to the toner conveying surface of the helical coil. A toner conveying device.
The invention according to claim 5 is the toner conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the grease is applied to the entire outer peripheral end of the spiral coil by a brush.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the brush carrying the grease is brought into contact with the outer peripheral end of the helical coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface opposite to the toner conveying surface of the helical coil. 5. The grease is applied to the entire outer periphery of the spiral coil by moving the brush in accordance with the movement of the outer periphery of the spiral coil by the rotation of the toner conveying coil in a state where the toner is conveyed. The toner conveying device according to claim 1.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a toner conveying coil according to a toner conveying method and apparatus of the present invention. The basic structure of the toner conveying device is the same as that of the conventional one shown in FIG. The toner conveying coil 4 is configured by providing a rotating coil 14 with a helical coil 13 (screw blade). One end of the rotary shaft 14 is connected to a drive shaft 15 that is integral with the drive transmission gear 10. At the time of toner conveyance, the drive motor 11 rotates the toner conveyance coil 4 counterclockwise as viewed from the left side of FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral C denotes a toner conveying surface, and reference numeral D denotes an opposite surface (back surface).
[0012]
In the toner conveying method according to the present invention, as a preparatory work, a semi-solid lubricant, for example, a grease that is a high-viscosity lubricant is applied to the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13 (the top of the coil, that is, the top of the screw blade). . At the time of toner conveyance, the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13 rubs against the inner surface of the toner conveyance pipe 5, but as described above, the lubricant is interposed at the contact portion between the outer periphery of the helical coil and the inner surface of the toner conveyance pipe. By carrying out toner conveyance with the toner, no abnormal noise is generated during toner conveyance.
[0013]
The grease application operation is performed as follows, for example. The toner transport coil 4 is taken out from the toner transport pipe 5 (FIG. 2), or the toner transport pipe 5 is removed while the toner transport coil 4 is attached to the image forming apparatus (state of FIG. 1). Using the brush, the entire outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13 is continuously directed from the left side (upstream side in the toner transport direction) to the right side (downstream side in the toner transport direction) in FIG. The grease 20 is applied in the manner of one stroke. Further, when the toner transport pipe 5 is removed while the toner transport coil 4 is attached to the image forming apparatus, the toner transport coil 4 is idled and the brush carrying the grease is applied to the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13. Grease can be applied to the entire outer peripheral end of the coil 13 by moving the brush in accordance with the movement of the outer peripheral end of the helical coil 13 due to the rotation of the toner conveying coil 3 in the contact state.
[0014]
In these grease application operations, excessive grease is prevented from being applied to the toner conveying surface C of the spiral coil 13. For this purpose, it is preferable to apply the brush by contacting only the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13 or contacting the outer peripheral end of the coil 13 across the outer peripheral end of the surface D on the opposite side.
[0015]
If excessive grease is applied to the toner conveyance surface C (although there is no problem if it is very small amount), the toner may not be smoothly conveyed as a result of mixing with the toner being conveyed. On the other hand, even if excess grease is slightly applied near the outer peripheral edge of the surface D on the opposite side, under normal toner transport conditions, the toner being transported will not mix with this grease. As a result, there is no concern about problems in the toner conveyance state. Further, by applying grease 20 continuously and uniformly with a brush, the contact surface between the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil 13 and the inner surface of the toner conveying pipe is always lubricated uniformly by the grease 20. Thus, the generation of abnormal noise is reliably prevented. Furthermore, since the grease 20 has low fluidity, the grease 20 does not flow and mix with the toner being conveyed or flow out of the toner conveying device, so that an effective lubricating action is maintained for a long time.
[0016]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the lubricant is applied in advance to the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil so that grease is not applied to the toner transport surface, and the outer periphery end of the spiral coil and the inner surface of the toner transport pipe are coated. Since the toner conveying coil is rotated while the lubricant is interposed in the contact portion with the toner, the toner is conveyed, so that the lubricity of the contact portion is improved, and abnormal noise during toner conveyance can be suppressed.
[0017]
In the invention of 請 Motomeko 1, lubricity of the contact part by applying a grease to the helical coil outer peripheral end is further improved as or lubricants increases the abnormal noise prevention effect during the toner conveyance. In the present invention, since the grease is substantially not applied to the toner conveying surface of the spiral coil, there is no fear that the toner conveying state is defective due to the grease applied excessively on the toner conveying surface. . Furthermore, since the grease has low fluidity, it does not flow and mix with the toner being conveyed or flow out of the toner conveying device, so that an effective lubricating action is maintained for a long time.
[0018]
In the second and third aspects of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the grease is applied over the entire outer periphery of the spiral coil with the brush, so that the effect of preventing abnormal noise during toner conveyance is significantly enhanced.
[0019]
According to the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention, since grease is provided at the contact portion between the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and the inner surface of the toner transport pipe, the lubricity of the contact portion is improved, and abnormal noise during toner transport is accurately suppressed. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a toner conveying coil according to a toner conveying method and apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a structure of a conventional toner conveying device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning apparatus 2 Toner discharge port 3 1st toner conveyance pipe 4 Toner conveyance coil (screw conveyor)
5 Second toner transport pipe 10 Drive transmission gear 11 Drive motor 13 Helical coil 14 Rotating shaft 15 Drive shaft 20 Grease C Toner transport surface D Surface opposite to toner transport surface

Claims (6)

The toner collected by the photoconductor cleaning device of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is supported by a toner conveying device having a structure in which a toner conveying coil having a helical coil on a rotating shaft is cantilevered in a toner conveying pipe. A method of transporting outside a cleaning device,
Grease is previously applied to the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil, and the toner is transported between the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface opposite to the toner transport surface of the spiral coil. Apply it so that the grease is not applied to the surface,
A toner conveying method comprising: conveying toner by rotating a toner conveying coil in a state where the grease is interposed in a contact portion between an outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and an inner surface of a toner conveying pipe. The toner conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the grease is applied to the entire outer peripheral end of the spiral coil with a brush. The rotation of the toner conveying coil while the brush carrying the grease is in contact with the outer circumferential end of the helical coil and the outer circumferential end of the surface opposite to the toner conveying surface of the helical coil. 2. The toner conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the grease is applied over the entire outer periphery of the spiral coil by moving the brush in accordance with the movement of the outer periphery of the spiral coil due to the above. A toner conveying device for conveying toner collected by a photoreceptor cleaning device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to the outside of the cleaning device, wherein a toner conveying coil having a helical coil on a rotating shaft is disposed in a toner conveying pipe. In the structure that cantilevered
The grease is preliminarily straddled between the outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and the outer peripheral end of the surface opposite to the toner transport surface of the spiral coil, and the toner transport It is applied so that the grease is not applied to the surface,
A toner conveying apparatus, wherein the grease is interposed in a contact portion between an outer peripheral end of the spiral coil and an inner surface of a toner conveying pipe. The toner conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the grease is applied to the entire outer peripheral end of the spiral coil by a brush. The rotation of the toner conveying coil while the brush carrying the grease is in contact with the outer circumferential end of the helical coil and the outer circumferential end of the surface opposite to the toner conveying surface of the helical coil. The toner conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the grease is applied to the entire outer periphery of the spiral coil by moving the brush in accordance with the movement of the outer periphery of the spiral coil.

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