JP5110734B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a conduit for performing image forming processing on a sheet and discharging toner remaining in the image forming processing.

  In general, an image forming apparatus includes a toner recovery unit that recovers deteriorated toner used for image forming processing. The toner collecting unit is detachably attached to the image forming unit and is removed from the image forming unit and replaced when the collected toner reaches a certain amount or when maintenance is performed.

In such an image forming apparatus, a waste toner collecting container (toner collecting unit), a fixing lever, a shutter for switching opening and closing of a waste toner discharge hole of the image forming unit, and the shutter from the open position to the closed position side. Some have an urging mechanism for urging. When the waste toner collecting container is pushed toward the back of the apparatus against the urging force of the urging mechanism, the shutter moves from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the movement of the urging mechanism, and waste toner is discharged from the image forming unit. The hole is opened. The waste toner collecting container is fixed by a fixing lever at a position communicating with the waste toner discharge hole (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-77513 A

  However, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to separately provide an urging mechanism and a fixing lever around the space in which the waste toner collecting container is inserted. .

  In view of this, the present invention provides a removable toner recovery unit while suppressing the enlargement of the image forming apparatus by covering the apparatus main body and removably supporting the toner recovery unit on a partition wall supported to be openable and closable on the apparatus main body. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of performing work smoothly.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus main body, a partition, and a toner recovery unit. The apparatus main body includes an image forming unit. The image forming unit includes a conduit that performs an image forming process on a sheet and discharges toner remaining in the image forming process. The partition wall is provided with a displacement member and is supported by the apparatus body so as to be openable and closable at the covering position. The displacement member is displaced between a fixed position that engages with the apparatus main body at the covering position that covers the image forming unit and a fixing release position that does not engage with the apparatus main body at the covering position. The toner recovery unit is a toner recovery unit that recovers toner via a conduit, and faces the image forming portion with the partition wall interposed therebetween, and is a locking portion formed at the end of the displacement member at a predetermined position connected to the conduit. Has a fitting portion to be fitted.
The toner recovery unit includes: a storage unit that stores toner; an opening / closing member that is displaced between an open position that allows the storage unit to communicate with the conduit; and a closed position that does not allow the storage unit to communicate; A first operating position for applying a moving force to the moving means and moving the opening / closing member to the closed position or an operating means for moving to the second operating position for moving the opening / closing member to the open position; And a restricting portion that holds the at the first operation position. The partition is provided with a protrusion that urges the restricting portion to a position where the engagement with the moving means is released when the toner recovery unit is mounted at a predetermined position.

  In this configuration, the toner recovery unit is detachably supported on the side surface of the partition opposite to the side surface facing the image forming unit. As a result, it is possible to smoothly attach and detach the toner recovery unit while suppressing an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus.

  In addition, it is preferable that a fitting part shall be formed so that a fitting part can be fitted only when it is located in a fixed position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the toner recovery unit from being attached to the partition wall in a state where the partition wall is not fixed to the apparatus main body.

  In this configuration, it is preferable that the partition wall be supported by the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable between a covering position for covering the image forming portion and an open position for exposing the image forming portion. As a result, the partition can be displaced to the open position to expose the image forming unit, and maintenance work can be performed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily attach and detach the toner recovery unit while suppressing an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus (apparatus main body) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 100.

  The image forming apparatus 100 mainly includes an image forming processing unit 110, an automatic document reading unit 120, and a housing 130 for storing the image forming processing unit 110, and multicolor and single color printing is performed on a sheet according to image data. Perform processing.

  The automatic document reading unit 120 is arranged on the upper part of the image forming processing unit 110 and has a document placing table 92 made of transparent glass on which a document is placed, and automatically conveys the document on the document placing table 92. Read the original image.

  The image forming processing unit 110 includes an exposure unit 1, an intermediate transfer belt unit 6, a fixing unit 7, image forming stations (image forming units) 20 K, 20 C, 20 M, and 20 Y, a paper feed cassette 81, a manual feed tray 82, and a paper discharge tray 91. Etc., and print processing on paper. The image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y are arranged according to the color images of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), and have almost the same configuration. . Here, the image forming station 20K will be described as an example.

  The image forming station 20K includes a developing device 2, a photosensitive drum 3, a charger 5, and a cleaner unit 4, and forms a latent image corresponding to a black (K) color image.

  Note that although an example in which the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y are provided has been described, an image station that forms a color latent image according to the specifications of the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided.

  The developing device 2 is supported by a frame forming a part of the housing 130 at the rear side end. On the other hand, the developing device 2 is provided with a protruding portion 2A that protrudes to the front surface at an end portion on the front surface side.

  The cleaner unit 4 includes a conveying screw that discharges the toner and a conduit 4A in which the conveying screw is disposed. The cleaner unit 4 collects the toner remaining on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 3 and discharges the toner through the conduit 4A.

  The charger 5 is a charger-type charger that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to a predetermined potential.

  The exposure unit 1 is a laser scanning unit (LSU) provided with a laser emitting portion, a reflection mirror, and the like. The exposure unit 1 has a function of forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data on the surface thereof by exposing the charged photosensitive drum 3 according to the input image data. The developing device 2 visualizes the electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive drums 3 with toner of four colors (YMCK).

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 6 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 3 and includes an intermediate transfer belt 61, an intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, an intermediate transfer roller 64, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65. doing. Four intermediate transfer rollers 64 are provided corresponding to each color for YMCK.

  The intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65 includes a conduit 65A provided with a conveying screw for discharging toner, and discharges toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 via the conduit 65A.

  The paper feed cassette 81 is stacked with sheets used for image formation, and is provided below the exposure unit 1 of the image formation processing unit 110. A sheet used for image formation can also be placed on the manual feed tray 82. A paper discharge tray 91 provided above the image forming processing unit 110 is a tray for collecting sheets subjected to image forming processing by the image forming processing unit 110. In this embodiment, the image forming processing unit 110 includes the manual feed tray 82. However, the manual feed tray 82 may not be provided if it is not necessary according to the specifications of the image forming apparatus 100. .

  The image forming processing unit 110 is provided with a paper conveyance path L for sending the paper in the paper feed cassette 81 or the manual feed tray 82 to the paper discharge tray 91 via the transfer roller 10 and the fixing unit 7. The paper transport path L is a transport path from the paper feed cassette 81 to the manual feed tray 82 to the paper discharge tray 91.

  In the sheet conveyance path L, pickup rollers 11A and 11B, a conveyance roller pair 12A, a registration roller pair 13, a transfer roller 10, a fixing unit 7, and a conveyance roller pair 12B are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side.

  The pickup roller 11 </ b> A is provided near the end of the paper feed cassette 81, picks up paper one by one from the paper feed cassette 81, and supplies it to the paper transport path L. The pickup roller 11 </ b> B is provided near the end of the manual feed tray 82, picks up the paper one by one from the manual feed tray 82, and supplies it to the paper transport path L.

  The registration roller pair 13 temporarily holds the paper conveyed along the paper conveyance path L. Then, the sheet is conveyed to a pair of rollers including the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62 and the transfer roller 10 on the upstream side at the timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 is aligned with the leading edge of the sheet.

  The roller pair composed of the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62 and the transfer roller 10 is a roller pair that sandwiches and conveys the paper and transfers the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62 onto the printing surface of the paper.

  The fixing unit 7 is disposed immediately above the transfer roller 10 and has a roller pair including a heat roller 71 and a pressure roller 72, and heats and pressurizes the sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred, thereby applying toner to the sheet surface. Fix the image.

  The housing 130 has a front panel 131 indicated by a broken line in FIG. The front panel 131 is supported to be openable and closable to the front side through a hinge provided at the lower end. As a result, the front panel 131 can be opened to perform various maintenance operations. In addition, the front panel 131 is good also as what opens and closes by opening a hinge to the front side by providing a hinge in the side end of the direction which cross | intersects a longitudinal direction.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the front panel 131 is removed and the toner recovery unit 30 is mounted at a mounting (predetermined) position. Here, the mounting position is a mounting position of the toner recovery unit 30 provided on the front side of the positioning unit 40 fixed at the covering position as will be described in detail later.

  The image forming processor 110 detachably supports the toner collecting unit 30 that collects toner discharged from the image forming processor 110 on the front side of the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y, and the toner collecting unit 30. A positioning unit (partition wall) 40, an exhaust duct (ventilation means) 45, and a ventilation unit (ventilation means) 45A are further provided.

  FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the toner recovery unit 30 is removed from the positioning unit 40.

  The positioning unit 40 forms a part of the partition wall on the front side of the exposure unit 1, the developing device 2, the photosensitive drum 3, the cleaner unit 4, the charger 5, and the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65. The positioning unit 40 is rotatably supported on the front side with a rotation shaft 42A and a rotation shaft 42B provided at both lower ends in the longitudinal direction as base points. The rotation shaft 42A is rotatably supported by a support portion 44 provided on the frame. On the other hand, the rotating shaft 42B is rotatably supported by the frame.

  The exhaust duct 45 is disposed along the longitudinal direction directly above the positioning unit 40. The ventilation unit 45 </ b> A is provided on one end side of the exhaust duct 45 so as to communicate with the exhaust duct 45. The ventilation unit 45A generates an air flow from the vicinity of the charger 5 via the exhaust duct 45 toward the ventilation unit 45A, and exhausts the dust composed of ozone gas generated by the charger 5 and scattered toner.

  The positioning unit 40 covers the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y shown in FIG. 3, and rotates from the coating position to the front side to expose the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y to the outside. The shaft is rotatably supported between the open position. As a result, the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y can be easily accessed from the front side, so that the maintenance work can be performed smoothly. The positioning unit 40 has been described with an example in which both lower ends in the longitudinal direction are rotatably supported. However, if the positioning unit 40 does not need to be opened and closed, the positioning unit 40 is fixedly supported at the covering position. It may be good.

  The opening / closing member 50 is rotatably inserted into the front end of the conduit 4A, and switches the opening / closing state of the discharge port provided in the conduit 4A. The opening / closing member 65B is rotatably inserted into the front end of the conduit 65A, and switches the opening / closing state of the discharge port provided in the conduit 65A. The opening / closing member 50 and the opening / closing member 65B are located at a closed position for holding the conduits 4A and 65A in a closed state when the toner recovery unit 30 is removed.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the front side of the positioning unit 40 when it is located at the covering position. FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the back side of the positioning unit 40 and the exhaust duct 45 when located at the covering position.

  The positioning unit 40 includes a base portion 42 formed in a plate shape, and a locking hole 40A, rotation knobs (displacement members) 40B and 40C, a protrusion portion 40D, a fitting portion 41A, and an exhaust passage 43 are provided in the base portion 42. Each is provided.

  Four exhaust passages 43 are juxtaposed at the upper end of the base portion 42, and each is an air passage communicating from the back side exhaust hole 43A to the front side opening 43B. The opening 43B of each exhaust passage 43 communicates with the exhaust duct 45 located above in a state where the positioning unit 40 is located at the covering position. Ventilation unit 45A produces | generates the air flow A shown with the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5 which goes to ventilation unit 45A via each exhaust hole 43A via the exhaust duct 45. FIG. Thereby, the air around the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y can be discharged out of the apparatus. As a result, ozone gas generated by the image forming process and dust in the apparatus can be exhausted.

  Four fitting portions 41 </ b> A are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction on the back side of the base portion 42. The rotary knobs 40B and 40C are respectively formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction on the front side of the base portion 42, and a locking hole 40A is provided in the vicinity of the rotary knob 40B. The locking hole 40A is formed in a keyhole shape by combining a rectangle and a circle.

  The rotary knob 40B is disposed above the rotary shaft 42A, penetrates the base portion 42 in the plate thickness direction and is rotatably supported. As an example, the rotary knob 40B has a circular shape when viewed from the front. A front end of the rotary knob 40B is provided with a knob (locking portion) 40P protruding in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the other hand, a protrusion 40E that protrudes in the radial direction is formed on the rear edge of the rear side of the rotary knob 40B.

  The rotary knob 40C is disposed above the rotary shaft 42B side, penetrates the base portion 42 in the plate thickness direction and is rotatably supported, and has a circular shape in front view as an example. A front end of the rotary knob 40C is provided with a knob (locking portion) 40Q protruding in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. An engagement hole 40H that penetrates the knob 40Q in the thickness direction of the knob 40Q is provided at the front end on the front side of the knob 40Q. On the other hand, a protrusion 40F protruding in the radial direction is formed on the peripheral edge at the rear side rear end of the rotary knob 40C. Here, the locking holes 40A and the engagement holes 40H correspond to the engagement holes in the present invention.

  The rotary knobs 40B and 40C are provided between a fixed position where the longitudinal direction of the knobs 40P and 40Q is parallel to the Y direction and a release position where the upper ends of the knobs 40P and 40Q are rotated 90 degrees from the fixed position in a direction away from each other. It is supported in a rotatable manner.

  In the fixed position, the protrusion 40E of the rotary knob 40B and the protrusion 40F of the rotary knob 40C are positioned at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the positioning unit 40 as shown in FIG. In the release position, the protrusions 40E and 40F rotate 90 degrees downward from the fixed position. Frames FL1 and FL2 are provided in the vicinity of the back side of the rotary knobs 40B and 40C, respectively.

  Note that the protrusions 40E and 40F are provided on the back side of the rotary knobs 40B and 40C, respectively, with an interval for sandwiching the frames FL1 and FL2 between the base portions 42, respectively. On the other hand, the frames FL1 and FL2 are in positions where they can engage with the protrusions 40E and 40F when the rotary knobs 40B and 40C rotate from the release position to the fixed position with the positioning unit 40 positioned at the covering position. Extending from the housing 130 is provided.

  Accordingly, the positioning knob 40 can be fixed to the covering position by rotating the rotary knobs 40B and 40C from the release position to the fixed position while the positioning unit 40 is biased to the covering position.

  After the positioning unit 40 is rotated from the open position on the front side to the covering position on the back side, when the rotary knobs 40B and 40C are rotated from the release position to the fixed position, the protrusions 40E and 40F are fitted to the frames FL1 and FL2. Is done. Thereby, the toner recovery unit 30 can be fixed at the covering position.

  41 A of fitting parts are the hollows each provided in the position which detachably fits with the protrusion part 2A provided in the front side of the developing device 2 in the state where the positioning unit 40 is located in the covering position. Accordingly, the front end portions of the image forming stations 20K, 20C, 20M, and 20Y can be supported while the positioning unit 40 is located at the covering position.

  According to the positioning unit 40, the exhaust passage 43 and the toner recovery unit 30 can be provided in the vicinity of the front panel 131 that is easily accessible by the operator. For this reason, the toner collection unit 30 can be attached and detached smoothly. In addition, space can be saved by providing an installation space for the toner collection unit 30 directly below the exhaust passage 43.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the front side of the toner recovery unit 30 attached to the positioning unit 40. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the toner recovery unit 30 attached to the positioning unit 40. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the front side of the toner recovery unit 30 attached to the positioning unit 40. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration around the moving member (moving means) 35 shown in FIG.

  The toner collection unit 30 includes a cover 31, an operation unit (operation means) 32, a waste toner storage tank 33, a moving member 35, opening / closing members 36 and 37, and a frame 38, and is detachably attached to the positioning unit 40.

  The operation unit 32 and the moving member 35 are attached to the frame 38 on the front side. A waste toner storage tank 33 is provided below the frame 38. The frame 38 is provided with engaging portions (fitting portions) 39B and 39C at both ends in the longitudinal direction on the back side.

  The engaging portion 39B is a hole provided through the frame 38 near the operation portion 32 in a rectangular shape in the plate thickness direction. The engaging portion 39 </ b> C is a rectangular notch provided at an end portion of the toner recovery unit 30 that is separated from the operation portion 32 in the longitudinal direction.

  The engaging portions 39B and 39C are formed so that they can be fitted to the rotary knobs 40B and 40C from the front side only when the rotary knobs 40B and 40C are located at the fixed positions, respectively.

  For this reason, it is possible to prevent the toner recovery unit 30 from being attached to the positioning unit 40 in a state where the rotary knobs 40B and 40C are not rotated to the fixed positions.

  The opening / closing member 36 is rotatably supported by a frame 38 in the vicinity of the engaging portion 39C and has an opening on the peripheral surface. The opening / closing member 36 rotates between an open position where the opening faces the discharge passage formed by the frame 38 and a closed position which does not face the discharge passage.

  As with the opening / closing member 36, four opening / closing members 37 are arranged along the longitudinal direction from a position adjacent to the opening / closing member 36. Each opening / closing member 37 is provided with an opening on a peripheral surface thereof, and rotates between an open position where the opening faces the discharge passage and a closed position which does not face the discharge passage.

  When the toner recovery unit 30 is mounted at the mounting position, the open / close members 36 and 37 are connected to the conduits 65A and 4A, respectively. An opening / closing member 65B is provided at the distal end of the conduit 65A, and an opening / closing member 50 is provided at the distal end of 4A. The opening / closing members 36 and 37 are inserted and fitted in an interlocking manner with the opening / closing members 65B and 50 respectively. The

  Here, the configuration for interlocking the opening and closing operations of the opening and closing member 37 and the opening and closing member 50 will be described as follows. In addition, since the structure which makes the opening / closing operation | movement of the opening / closing member 36 and the opening / closing member 65B interlock | cooperate is the same as that of the opening / closing member 37 and the opening / closing member 50, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The opening / closing member 37 is provided with a fitting portion 37 </ b> B which is a concave portion formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape on the front surface. On the other hand, a protrusion 50B, which is a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion, is provided at the tip of the opening / closing member 50. The protruding portion 50B and the fitting portion 37B are formed so as to be fitted only when the open / close states of the opening / closing member 50 and the opening / closing member 37 are the same. Accordingly, the opening / closing operations of the opening / closing member 37 and the opening / closing member 50 can be linked.

  The waste toner storage tank 33 is a storage unit that stores toner discharged from the opening / closing member 36 and each opening / closing member 37 via a discharge passage. Protruding portions 33 </ b> A are provided at both ends of the waste toner storage tank 33 in the longitudinal direction. Locking portions 130 </ b> A and 130 </ b> B are provided at both ends below the mounting position of the toner recovery unit 30, respectively.

  The locking portions 130A and 130B are provided with arc-shaped depressions for locking the protruding portions 33A on their upper surfaces. Thereby, when the toner recovery unit 30 is attached to the positioning unit 40, the lower end portion can be supported by the locking portions 130A and 130B. In FIG. 2, the locking portions 130A and 130B are not shown.

  The operation unit 32 is a cylindrical operation knob supported by the frame 38 so as to be rotatable between a first operation position indicated by a solid line and a second operation position indicated by a broken line. The operation unit 32 penetrates the frame 38 from the front side to the back side and is rotatably supported by the frame 38.

  The operation unit 32 protrudes from the frame 38 to the back side, and is fitted into the locking hole 40A when the toner recovery unit 30 is attached to the mounting position with the operation unit 32 positioned at the first operation position. A locking portion (engagement portion) 32 </ b> A protruding in the radial direction is provided at the front end of the operation portion 32 on the back side. Further, as the operating portion 32 rotates from the first operating position to the second operating position, the locking portion 32 </ b> A rotates to a position where it engages with the base portion 42. Here, when the toner recovery unit 30 is attached to the mounting position, the locking portion 32A is formed with an interval through which the base portion 42 is sandwiched between the locking hole 40A through the back surface and the frame 38. .

  Thereby, the toner recovery unit 30 can be positioned at the mounting position. Therefore, the toner recovery unit 30 can be attached to the mounting position only by the positioning unit 40, and the number of parts can be reduced and the image forming processing unit 110 can be reduced in size.

  In the present embodiment, the toner recovery unit 30 is fixed by engaging the locking portion 32A of the toner recovery unit 30 with the locking hole 40A of the positioning unit 40. It is good also as what provides the latching | locking part which detachably engages with the latching hole in the positioning unit 40.

  The moving member 35 is disposed immediately below the opening and closing members 36 and 37 and moves in the X direction as the operation unit 32 rotates. The moving member 35 is located at the disengagement position where the distal end portion (engagement portion) 35A is not engaged with the rotary knob 40C when the operation portion 32 is located at the first operation position. On the other hand, when the operation portion 32 rotates to the second operation position, the moving member 35 moves in the X direction toward the engagement position side where the distal end portion 35A engages with the engagement hole 40H of the rotation knob 40C.

  The moving member 35 is provided with a restricting portion 35D at a position near the distal end portion 35A. The frame 38 is provided with a through-hole 38A that penetrates the discharge passage at a position facing the restricting portion 35D when the operation portion 32 is located at the first operation position.

  The moving member 35 is provided with gears 35G corresponding to the open / close members 36 and 37 along the upper surface in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, gears 36G and 37G that are detachably meshed with the gears 35G are provided on the periphery of the opening and closing members 36 and 37, respectively.

  Each gear 35G is provided at a position where it does not mesh with the gears 36G and 37G when the tip 35A is not engaged with the engagement hole 40H provided in the rotary knob 40C. After the distal end portion 35A moves from the disengagement position of the moving member 35 to the engaging position where it engages with the rotating knob 40C as the moving member 35 moves toward the rotating knob 40C, the moving member 35 further moves toward the rotating knob 40C. Each gear 35G meshes with the gears 36G and 37G. Each gear 35G meshed with the gear 36G and the gear 37G rotates the open / close members 36 and 37 from the closed position to the open position. Thereby, the fixing operation of the toner recovery unit 30 to the positioning unit 40 and the opening / closing operations of the opening / closing members 36 and 37 can be performed in one operation in conjunction with the moving operation of the moving member 35.

  Thus, with the movement of the moving member 35 toward the rotary knob 40C, the open / close members 36 and 37 are rotated from the closed position to the open position after the distal end portion 35A engages with the engagement hole 40H of the rotary knob 40C. be able to.

  For this reason, even if the moving member 35 is biased by the open / close members 36 and 37 and is bent, the moving member 35 is already engaged with the rotary knob 40C, so that the engaged state of the moving member 35 and the rotary knob 40C is maintained. However, the open / close members 36 and 37 can be rotated to the open position.

  As described above, in the positioning unit 40 of this embodiment, the first step of temporarily fixing the toner recovery unit 30 to the mounting position and the second step of fixing the toner recovery unit 30 to the mounting position are performed in this order. The toner recovery unit 30 is attached.

  That is, in the first step, the engaging portions 39B and 39C are fitted to the knobs 40P and 40Q positioned at the fixed position, and the toner recovery unit 30 is temporarily fixed at the mounting position.

  In the second step, as the operating portion 32 is rotated from the first operating position to the second operating position, the distal end portion 35A and the locking portion 32A are displaced in the XY plane, respectively, so that the engaging hole 40H and the engaging portion 40 are engaged. The toner recovery unit 30 is fixed to the mounting position by engaging with the stop holes 40A.

  According to the positioning unit 40 of the present embodiment, the toner recovery unit 30 in the second step is temporarily fixed to the mounting position in the first step and the weight of the toner recovery unit 30 is held by the positioning unit 40. The fixing operation of the unit 30 can be performed. For this reason, the toner recovery unit 30 can be firmly fixed to the mounting position.

  In the present embodiment, as the operation portion 32 rotates from the first operation position to the second operation position, the engagement portions 32A are inserted into the engagement holes 40A at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the toner recovery unit 30. An example is given in which the tip 35A engages with the engagement hole 40H. However, as long as the locking portion 32A engages with the locking hole 40A, the distal end portion 35A does not have to engage with the engagement hole 40H. However, it is more preferable as an embodiment of the present invention to fix both end portions of the toner recovery unit 30 in the longitudinal direction to the positioning unit 40.

  Further, a contact portion 35B is provided on the side of the engagement portion 39C of each gear 35G with a predetermined interval therebetween. Here, the predetermined interval is such that when the gear 35G and the gears 36G and 37G are separated from each other as the operating portion 32 rotates from the second operating position to the first operating position, the contact portion 35B is engaged with the locking portion 36H. , 37H, respectively, and when the moving member 35 moves to the disengagement position, the opening / closing members 36, 37 are set to positions for urging them to the closed position.

  Accordingly, the opening / closing members 36 and 37 can be rotated from the open position to the closed position via the moving member 35 as the operation unit 32 moves from the second operation position to the first operation position.

  In the present embodiment, the moving member 35 is described as an example of rotationally driving the opening and closing members 36 and 37 via gears. However, the moving member 35 is a sliding portion that slides on the opening and closing members 36 and 37. It is good also as what drives rotationally via.

  The moving member 35 is provided with a gear 35 </ b> H along the lower end on the end portion side that is separated from the distal end portion 35 </ b> A. A gear 32 </ b> G that meshes with the gear 35 </ b> H is provided on the peripheral surface of the operation unit 32. Thereby, the moving member 35 can be moved in the X direction with the rotation of the operation unit 32 between the first operation position and the second operation position.

  In the present embodiment, the tip portion 35A formed integrally with the moving member 35 is engaged with the rotary knob 40C, but for example, the tip portion 35A and the moving member 35 may be configured by separate members. .

  The cover 31 covers the entire surface except the waste toner storage tank 33 and the operation unit 32 on the front side of the toner recovery unit 30 so as to be sealed. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably prevent toner from leaking from the periphery of the opening and closing members 36 and 37. In the present embodiment, an example in which the cover 31 is used has been described. However, the cover 31 may not be used depending on the specifications of the toner recovery unit 30.

  FIG. 10A shows a configuration in the XZ plane around the restricting portion 35D when the operation portion 32 is located at the first operation position in a state where the toner recovery unit 30 is not attached to the positioning unit 40. FIG. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the toner recovery unit 30 is attached to the positioning unit 40 from the state illustrated in FIG.

  The restricting portion 35 </ b> D is a plate-like member that protrudes toward the frame 38 and is provided on the moving member 35. As shown in FIG. 10A, the restricting portion 35D is locked to a locking portion 38B provided on the frame 38 when the operating portion 32 is located at the first operating position.

  For this reason, it is possible to prevent the moving member 35 from moving in the X direction when the toner recovery unit 30 is not attached to the positioning unit 40. As a result, when the toner recovery unit 30 is removed from the positioning unit 40, the toner stored in the waste toner storage tank 33 is prevented by preventing the opening / closing members 36 and 37 from rotating from the closed position to the open position. Can prevent overflow.

  On the other hand, when the toner collecting unit 30 is mounted on the positioning unit 40, the restricting portion 35D is attached to the front side to a position where the protrusion 40D of the positioning unit 40 that protrudes the through hole 38A to the front side does not engage with the locking portion 38B. Be forced. As a result, when the toner recovery unit 30 is attached to the positioning unit 40, the engagement between the locking portion 38B and the restricting portion 35D can be released.

  Therefore, the restriction of the moving member 35 can be released along with the mounting operation of the toner recovery unit 30 to the positioning unit 40.

  As a result, when the toner recovery unit 30 is detached from the positioning unit 40, the restricting portion 35D is engaged with the engaging portion 38B to restrict the movement of the moving member 35, and the opening and closing members 36 and 37 are rotated to the open position. Can be prevented.

  If it is not necessary to restrict the movement of the moving member 35, the restricting portion 35D, the protruding portion 40D, and the through hole 38A may not be provided.

  When the operation unit 32 is rotated from the first operation position to the second operation position with the toner recovery unit 30 mounted on the positioning unit 40, the engagement portion 32A is engaged with the engagement hole 40A and the rotation knob is rotated. The distal end portion 35A is engaged with 40C.

  Accordingly, the operation unit 32 is rotated from the second operation position to the first operation position, and the toner collection unit 30 is removed from the positioning unit 40 unless the engagement between the toner collection unit 30 and the positioning unit 40 is released. I can't.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the toner recovery unit 30 from being removed from the positioning unit 40 while the open / close members 36 and 37 are held in the open position.

  In this embodiment, the restricting portion 35D is provided on the moving member 35. However, the restricting portion 35D is provided as long as the moving member 35 may move in a state where the toner recovery unit 30 is not attached to the positioning unit 40. It is not necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the rotary knobs 40B and 40C have been described by taking an example in which the knobs 40P and 40Q are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. If it exists, it is good also considering a protrusion part as shapes other than a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  In the above-described embodiment, the rotation knobs 40B and 40C are described by taking an example in which the rotation knobs 40B and 40C are provided on the base 42 so as to be rotatable between a fixed position and a release position around the Z axis. It is also possible to dispose slide knobs that are slidably moved at both ends of the base portion 42 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the positioning unit 40 according to the present embodiment is provided by providing a fixing position on the inner side in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 42 and a releasing position on the outer side in the longitudinal direction, and sliding the slide knob between the fixing position and the releasing position. The same effect can be obtained. In the present embodiment, the positioning unit 40 is rotatably provided between the covering position and the open position, but may be fixedly supported at the covering position.

  1 to 10, the cross-sectional notation is omitted as appropriate.

  In addition, it should be thought that description of the above-mentioned embodiment is an illustration in all the points, Comprising: It is not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the entire image forming apparatus showing a state in which the front panel is removed and the toner recovery unit is mounted at the mounting position. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state where a toner recovery unit is detached from a positioning unit. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the positioning unit front side. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the positioning unit back side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration on the front side of a toner recovery unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration on the back side of a toner recovery unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a front side of a toner recovery unit. It is a figure which shows the structure of a movement member periphery when an operation part is located in the 1st operation position. (A) is a diagram showing a configuration around the restricting unit when the operation unit is located at the first operation position in a state where the toner recovery unit is not attached to the positioning unit. (B) is a diagram showing a state in which the toner recovery unit is attached to the positioning unit from the state shown in (A).

Explanation of symbols

4A, 65A Conduit 20K Image forming station (image forming unit)
20C image forming station (image forming unit)
20M image forming station (image forming unit)
20Y image forming station (image forming unit)
30 Toner recovery unit 39B, 39C Engagement part (fitting part)
40 Positioning unit (partition wall)
40B Rotary knob (displacement member)
40C Rotary knob (displacement member)
40A Locking hole (engagement hole)
40H engagement hole (engagement hole)
40P knob (locking part)
40Q knob (locking part)
43 Exhaust passage 45 Exhaust duct (ventilation means)
45A Ventilation unit (ventilation means)
100 Image forming device (device main body)

Claims (5)

An apparatus main body including an image forming unit having a conduit for performing image forming processing on paper and discharging toner remaining in the image forming processing;
A displacement member is provided that displaces between a fixed position that engages with the apparatus main body at a covering position that covers the image forming unit and a fixing release position that does not engage with the apparatus main body at the covering position. A partition wall supported to be openable and closable on the apparatus body;
A toner collecting unit for collecting toner via the conduit, and a locking portion formed at an end portion of the displacement member at a predetermined position facing the image forming portion and connecting to the conduit across the partition wall The toner recovery unit having a fitting portion to be fitted to,
Equipped with a,
The toner recovery unit includes: a storage unit that stores toner; an open / close member that is displaced between an open position that allows the storage unit to communicate with the conduit; and a closed position that does not allow the storage unit to communicate; A moving means for moving to a position; and an operation for applying a moving force to the moving means to move to the first operating position for moving the opening / closing member to the closed position or a second operating position for moving the opening / closing member to the open position. Means and a restricting portion that engages with the moving means and holds the operating means in the first operating position,
The image forming apparatus , wherein the partition is provided with a protrusion that urges the restricting portion to a position where the engagement with the moving unit is released when the toner recovery unit is mounted at the predetermined position . The partition wall is provided with engagement holes at both ends,
The moving means and the operating means are engaged with the engaging holes in a direction perpendicular to the attaching / detaching direction of the toner recovery unit to the predetermined position as the operating means moves to the second operating position. Engagement sections are provided,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . The fitting portion is formed so as to be fitted to the locking portion only when it is located at the fixed position.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The apparatus main body further includes a ventilation unit that discharges gas generated in the image forming process in the image forming unit,
The partition wall is further provided with an exhaust passage for communicating the image forming unit with the ventilation means.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The partition is supported by the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable between the covering position for covering the image forming portion and the open position for exposing the image forming portion.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images