KR101116609B1 - Image-forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed image forming apparatus includes a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image as a toner image, a toner container for loading the toner, and a toner conveying device for vibrating the toner to flow the toner to the developer, so that the toner is smoothly transferred to the image quality. Can increase the reliability.

Description

Image-forming apparatus

1 is a perspective view showing a toner pass developing device to which a toner transfer device is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the developing unit and toner container shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the toner conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

4 is a perspective view showing a toner pass developing device to which a toner transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied;

5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the toner conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 4;

6 is a plan view showing the operation of the toner pass developing device to which the toner conveying apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is applied;

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

110 ... development 111 ... development housing

120 ... toner box 121 ... toner box housing

130 Toner transfer unit 131 Transfer plate

132 ... support 133 ... connections

134 ... Jump 135 ... Cam

1351 ... Minimum Height 1352 ... Minimum Height

1353 ... Inclined 1354 ...

136.Drive motor

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus including a developing device having a toner conveying device capable of smoothly supplying toner from a toner container to a developing device.

In general, an image forming apparatus receives a digital image signal, forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member by an exposure apparatus such as a laser scanning unit (LSU), develops the electrostatic latent image as a toner image by using a toner, and records the toner image. A device for transferring a medium to a toner image and applying heat and pressure to fuse it to a recording medium to form a desired image.

Such an image forming apparatus can be classified into dry and wet according to the toner and carrier used in general. The dry type can be divided into an image forming apparatus having a one phase developing apparatus and an image forming apparatus having a two phase developing apparatus.

The one-component developing device is a method of forming an image by supplying only the toner, and the two-component developing device is a method of forming an image by supplying a carrier to which toner particles are attached using the toner and the carrier.

The one-component developing device supplies the toner to the photosensitive medium to develop the toner image, and then the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium is removed by a cleaning device such as a cleaning blade, and recovered and reused by a recovery device.

In addition, in the two-component developing apparatus, the carrier is recovered without being supplied to the photosensitive medium, and only the toner particles are supplied to the photosensitive member to develop the toner image, and the toner particles remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium are removed by a cleaning blade to be collected in the recovery apparatus. Is recovered and reused.

The above description describes a case of forming a black and white image, and in the case of forming a color image, an image remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium is mixed with toners having various colors, and it is difficult to reuse it.

Therefore, the image forming apparatus includes a developer for supplying toner to a photosensitive medium having an electrostatic latent image formed thereon to develop the electrostatic spot image into a toner image. Such a developing device may be provided with a space for itself to be loaded with toner, or may be provided with toner from a toner container separately detachably installed.

When the toner is smoothly supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium, the latent electrostatic image may be developed as a toner image. However, the toner has a problem in that the toner may not be smoothly transported because its fluidity is low.

If the transfer of the toner is not smooth, the use efficiency of the toner is low and, in severe cases, the uniform developing amount cannot be obtained, resulting in a problem of poor image quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus having a toner conveying apparatus capable of conveying toner so that toner can be smoothly supplied to a developing device.

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developing unit for developing an electrostatic latent image as a toner image, a toner container for loading the toner, and a toner conveying device for applying the vibration to the toner to flow the toner to the developing unit.

According to the present invention, the toner conveying apparatus is a conveying plate for applying vibration to the toner, one side is connected to the conveying plate, the other side extends out of the toner container housing, the connecting portion is provided with a locking step at the end, and the locking step The cam is provided with a cam for linearly reciprocating the connecting portion by interference, and when the cam linearly reciprocates the connecting portion, the transfer plate is also linearly reciprocated to vibrate the toner and transfer the toner toward the developer.

According to the present invention, the transfer plate is formed with a plurality of through holes penetrating the transfer plate, each through hole is provided with a projection inclined downward toward the developer, when the transfer plate vibrates further toward the developer Many toners can be transported.

According to the present invention, the transfer plate is provided so that the entire surface thereof is recessed so that more toner can be transferred toward the developer.

According to the present invention, the conveying apparatus includes a vibration lever reciprocating in the conveying direction of the toner and a plurality of protruding jaws protruding from the bottom of the toner container at a predetermined interval, and the vibration lever is provided with the protruding jaw. The toner vibrates as it passes.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a toner pass developing device to which a toner transfer device is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the developing unit and toner container shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operation of the toner transfer device.

1 and 2, the developer 110 and the toner container 120 are coupled to each other, and the toner inlet 116 provided in the developer housing 111 and the toner outlet 126 provided in the toner container housing 121. ) Are in communication with each other. The toner container 120 may be coupled to the developer 110 at an inclined angle with respect to the developer 110 so that the toner may be smoothly moved from the toner container 120 to the developing device 110. Thus, toner flows from the toner container 120 into the developing unit 110 by gravity.

The developer 110 is partially exposed to the developer housing 111 and is rotatably installed in the developer housing 111 so as to supply toner to a photosensitive medium (not shown) in which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing roller 112 for developing a toner image and the developing roller 112 can be rotated in the feed roller 113 for supplying the toner to the developing roller 112 and the developer housing 111 while being rotated in parallel with the developing roller 112. And a plurality of circulation screws 114 and 115 for circulating the toner introduced into the developer housing 111 to transfer the toner along the longitudinal direction of the supply roller 113.

The plurality of circulation screws 114 and 115 are rotated in directions opposite to each other in the direction of the arrow to circulate the toner in the developer housing 111.

The toner container 120 is provided with a toner conveying device 130 which vibrates the toner to smoothly convey the toner toward the developing unit 110.

The toner transfer device 130 includes a transfer plate 131, a connection portion 133, and a cam 135.

Both ends of the transfer plate 131 are supported by the support part 132 on the inner wall of the toner container housing 121, respectively, and are made of an elastic body that is elastically deformable. The transfer plate 131 may be spaced apart from the bottom 1211 of the toner container housing 121 so as to be easily moved when sliding.

One side of the connection portion 133 is connected to the transfer plate 131, and the other side protruding outward through the toner container housing 121 has a locking step 135 that interferes with the cam 135. It is prepared. The connection part 133 is provided to be movable with respect to the transfer plate 131 so that when the transfer plate 131 is pulled and released by the connection part 133, it is free to elastically move. The connecting portion 133 is fitted to be slidable with respect to the toner container housing 121.

The cam 135 is connected to the driving motor 136 at the lower side of the locking step 134 so as to be rotatable, and the inclined portion so that the highest height portion 1351 and the lowest height portion 1352 may be provided. (1353) is provided. The cam 135 is provided with a cutout portion 1354, which has been cut off from a portion thereof. Since the minimum height part 1351 is not caught by the locking step 135, and the highest height part 1351 is caught by the locking step 135, the locking step 134 is rotated while the cam 135 is rotated. Pulled while being in contact with the highest height (1351), the latch is released while being spaced apart from the cam (135) by the cutout (1354).

The operation of the toner transfer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3, even when the lowest height part 1352 is positioned below the locking step 134, the minimum height part 1352 and the locking step 134 do not contact each other. Therefore, the transfer plate 131 does not move because no external force is applied.

As the cam 135 is rotated by the driving motor 136, the engaging jaw 134 contacts the inclined portion 1353 and the connecting portion 133 is gradually pulled in the direction of the arrow A. When it comes in contact with the height part 1351, it is in the most pulled state. At this time, the transfer plate 131 is also elastically deformed while being pulled in the direction of the arrow A together with the connecting portion 133.

In this state, when the cam 135 continues to rotate, the locking jaw 134 is momentarily spaced apart from the cam 135 while passing through the cutout 1354. Therefore, the connecting portion 133 is slid in the direction of the arrow B while the latch pulled by the cam 135 is released, and the transfer plate 131 is also slid.

At this time, since the transfer plate 131 is an elastic body, the transfer plate 131 moves to the developing unit 110 while vibrating toner (not shown) while moving back and forth in the directions of arrows A and B by the force pulled by the cam 135. . When the elastic deformation of the transfer plate 131 itself returns to its original state, the movement stops and stops. The toner (not shown) is transferred to the developing unit 110 while the cam 135 is rotated and the above operation is repeated.

4 is a perspective view showing a toner pass developing device to which a toner transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the toner transfer device shown in FIG.

4 and 5, the developing unit 110 and the toner container 120 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, and the connection unit 232 and the cam 235 of the toner transfer device 230 are shown in FIG. 1. The same but only the configuration of the transfer plate 231 is different from the embodiment. Therefore, a description of the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be omitted, and only the transfer plate 231 having a different configuration will be described.

The front surface 2311 of the transfer plate 231, that is, the surface facing the developing unit 110, is provided to be recessed, and a plurality of through holes 2312 are formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. Each through hole 2312 is provided with a protrusion 2313 protruding downward toward the developing unit 110 to cover a part of the through hole 2312.

The rear surface 2314 of the transfer plate 231 is also provided in the same shape as the front surface 2311, and the through hole 2312 and the protrusion 2313 are provided. The transfer plate 231 is hollow so that toner may pass through the through hole 2312 and be transferred from the rear surface 2314 toward the front surface 2311.

The shape of the front surface 2311, the through hole 2312 and the protrusion 2313 serves to transport more toner. That is, when the conveying plate 231 is conveyed to the right side of FIG. 5, toner may pass through the through hole 2312, and when toner is conveyed to the left side of FIG. 5, the toner is left by the protrusion 2313. Can be transferred to.

6 is a plan view showing the operation of the toner pass developing device to which the toner conveying apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 6, the developing unit 110 and the toner container 120 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, and only the configuration of the toner transporting device 330 is different from the exemplary embodiment. Therefore, a description of the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be omitted, and only the toner transfer apparatus 330 having a different configuration will be described.

The toner conveying apparatus 330 is supported on one side of the toner container housing 121, and the vibration lever 331 and the toner container housing 121 which arcs in the direction of arrow C by a driving means (not shown). Protruding at a predetermined interval on the bottom 1211 of the () is provided with a plurality of protruding jaw 332 to vibrate the vibration lever 331 while interfering the circular motion of the vibration lever 331.

When the vibration lever 331 is caught by the plurality of protruding jaws 332 while moving in a reciprocating circular motion in the direction of arrow C, the vibration lever 331 vibrates toner (not shown) while moving in the vertical direction.

As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a toner conveying apparatus for smoothly conveying toner by applying vibration to the toner, thereby improving the reliability of image quality.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary and will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations can be made therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (8)

delete A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image into a toner image; A toner container for loading toner; And a toner transfer device configured to apply vibration to the toner to flow the toner to the developing device. The toner transfer device Conveying plate which vibrates the toner, One side is connected to the transfer plate, the other side extends out of the toner container housing and the engaging portion is provided at the end thereof; A cam for linearly reciprocating the connection part by interfering with the locking step, And when the cam linearly reciprocates the connecting portion, the transfer plate is also reciprocated linearly to vibrate the toner and transfer the toner toward the developer. 3. The method of claim 2, The transfer plate is A plurality of through holes penetrating the transfer plate are formed, and each through hole is provided with a projection inclined downward toward the developing device. And more toner can be conveyed toward the developer when the conveying plate vibrates. The method of claim 3, The transfer plate is An image forming apparatus characterized in that the front surface thereof is recessed so that more toner can be conveyed toward the developer. A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image into a toner image; A toner container for loading toner; And a toner transfer device configured to apply vibration to the toner to flow the toner to the developing device. The toner transfer device Vibration lever for reciprocating circular motion along the conveying direction of toner Protruding to the bottom of the toner container has a plurality of protruding jaw formed at a predetermined interval, And the vibration lever vibrates the toner while passing through the projection jaw. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The transfer plate is an image forming apparatus, characterized in that the elastic body. The method of claim 6, And both ends of the transfer plate are supported on an inner wall of the toner container and are spaced apart from the bottom of the toner container. The method according to claim 3 or 4, The transfer plate is hollow shape, The through hole is formed through the front and rear of the transfer plate, characterized in that the image forming apparatus.

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