JPH06175493A - Toner recovering device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a toner recovering device, which can use the disposed toner again efficiently with a simple structure without increasing the dimension of a device main body nor giving the bad influence to image. CONSTITUTION:A toner recovering device for image forming device is provided with a developing device 14 for making the electrostatic latent image of an image carrier 1 conspicuous, cleaning means 4, 5 for removing the toner left in the image carrier 1, and a toner cartridge 7 having an agitating member 9 inside and provided in the developing device 14 freely to be demounted. The center of the rotation of the agitating member 9 is formed with a hollow cylindrical member 8 in the axial direction thereof, and provided with a toner carrying means 6 for carrying the disposed toner removed by the cleaning means 4, 5 to the hollow cylindrical member 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner recovery device for efficiently recovering waste toner removed from the surface of an image carrier in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for processing the toner remaining on the surface of an image carrier of an image forming apparatus, a waste toner tank is installed near a cleaning unit provided in the vicinity of the image carrier, and the cleaning unit is cleaned. The waste toner removed by is collected in the waste toner tank, and the service person collects the waste toner collected in the waste toner tank at the time of periodic inspection,
The waste toner is conveyed to the inside of the developing tank or the toner tank for reuse, or the toner is guided to the inside of the photoconductor drum (JP-A-56-52786, JP-A-4-55063). )Was.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional toner collecting apparatus, when the service person collects the waste toner during the periodic inspection, the waste toner tank must be held until the inspection. Since it is necessary to increase the capacity of the tank, there is a problem that the apparatus main body becomes large in size by taking up an extra space. Further, when the waste toner is transported to the toner tank or the like and reused, there is a problem that the image is adversely affected due to the mixing of paper powder and the deterioration of the toner. Further, when the waste toner is guided to the photoconductor drum, the rotational load of the drum increases as the waste toner accumulates, and there is a concern that the influence on the image may occur. Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the toner of the image forming apparatus having a simple structure in which the waste toner can be efficiently reused without increasing the size of the apparatus main body or adversely affecting the image. It is an object to provide a recovery device.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A gist of the present invention is to provide a developing device for visualizing an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier,
A toner collecting device of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a cleaning unit that removes toner remaining on the image bearing member; and a toner cartridge that has a stirring member inside and is detachably provided in the developing device. The hollow cylindrical member is formed in the axial direction of the center of rotation of the member, and the toner conveying means for conveying the waste toner removed by the cleaning means to the hollow cylindrical member is provided.

[0005]

Therefore, the residual toner on the surface of the image carrier is removed by the cleaning means, and the removed waste toner is sent from the tip of the hollow cylindrical member of the toner cartridge into the hollow cylindrical member by the toner conveying means. And
The toner is sent to the other end of the hollow cylindrical member by the rotation of the spiral protrusion on the inner wall of the hollow cylindrical member with the rotation of the stirring member, discharged into the toner cartridge, and reused. Is.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a photosensitive drum 1 which is an image carrier
A developing device 14 is provided in close proximity to the developing device 14, and the developing device 14 is provided with a toner cartridge 7 that stores toner, a toner stirring member 9 that stirs the toner, a conveying roller 2, and a developing roller 3. Then, a cleaning blade 4 for scraping off the residual toner while being in contact with the photosensitive drum 1.
Is disposed, the cleaning member 5 and the waste toner receiving portion 15 are disposed below the cleaning blade 4, and as shown in FIG. 2, the waste toner receiving portion 15 and the rotation center portion of the toner stirring member 9 are disposed. A toner collecting pipe 8 which is a hollow cylindrical member integrally provided is connected to a conveying auger 6 which is a toner conveying means. A spiral projection 10 is provided inside the toner recovery pipe 8, and the tip of the transport auger 6 is inserted into the opening 8a. The tip (opening) of the transport auger 6 is sealed by being pressed by a lid 12 biased by a coil spring 11, and a plurality of holes for discharging toner are provided near the tip of the transport auger 6. 16 (the position where the arrow penetrates) is provided. Also, the toner cartridge 7
The fitting portion 13 of the toner collecting pipe 8 is formed slidably.

In this structure, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is visualized by the developing roller 3 to which the toner has been transferred from the conveying roller 2 and the process proceeds to the transfer step. The residual toner on the photosensitive drum 1 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 4, dropped to the waste toner receiving portion 15 by the cleaning member 5, and sent to the toner collecting pipe 8 by the carrying auger 6. Here, the tip of the transport auger 6 is the lid 1
Since the toner is sealed at a predetermined pressure by 2, the carried toner is discharged from the hole 16 into the toner collecting pipe 8 as shown by the arrow. Since the toner collecting pipe 8 is formed integrally with the toner stirring member 9, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the toner agitating member 9 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the conveying auger 6 causes the toner collecting pipe 8 to rotate.
The toner carried inside is sent to the front side in the figure by the spiral projection 10, is discharged from the front side end (not shown) of the collecting pipe 8 into the toner cartridge 7, and the waste toner is reused. become. Further, when the toner cartridge 7 is removed from the developing device 14, the lid 12 is pressed against the convex portion 8b near the opening 8a of the toner recovery pipe 8 by the biasing force of the coil spring 11, as shown in FIG. By this, the opening 8a is sealed and the internal toner is prevented from spilling out. It should be noted that the capacity of the toner recovery pipe 8 may be a capacity obtained by adding a margin to the capacity of the waste toner generated when the toner filled in the toner cartridge 7 is used. As a result of an experiment, as a result of copying using a 7% chart original of A4 paper, the amount of waste toner is 10 to 15% of the capacity of the toner cartridge 7.
%Met. Therefore, the capacity of the toner recovery pipe 8 is 10 to 15% of the allowance, and the toner cartridge 7
It is sufficient to set the capacity to 20 to 30%.

[0008]

As described above, according to the present invention, a hollow cylindrical member is formed at the center of rotation of the stirring member,
In addition, the waste toner removed by the cleaning means is
Since the toner transporting means for transporting to the hollow cylindrical member is provided, the waste toner tank and the toner tank are integrated so that the waste toner tank is not required, and the apparatus can be simplified and downsized without adversely affecting the image. This is achieved, and the effect that the toner collection work by a service person becomes unnecessary is achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a toner recovery device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view showing a state in which a toner cartridge is attached to a developing device.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing the structure of a toner cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image carrier 4, 5 Cleaning means 6 Toner conveying means 7 Toner cartridge 8 Hollow cylindrical member 9 Stirring member 10 Spiral protrusion 14 Developing device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A developing device that visualizes an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, a cleaning unit that removes toner remaining on the image carrier, and an agitating member inside. In a toner collecting device of an image forming apparatus including a toner cartridge that is capable of being provided, a hollow cylindrical member is integrally formed in the rotation center of the stirring member in the axial direction thereof, and A toner collecting device for an image forming apparatus, comprising a toner carrying means for carrying the removed waste toner to the hollow cylindrical member. 2. A toner recovery device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spiral projection for feeding toner is provided on an inner wall surface of the hollow cylindrical member.