JP3891582B2 - Process unit and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on the surface of an image carrier, transferring the toner image to the surface of an intermediate transfer member, and then transferring the toner image to a recording medium to obtain a recorded image; It relates to the process unit.

  An image forming apparatus of the above type configured as an electronic copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having at least two of these functions is well known. In this type of image forming apparatus, the toner image on the surface of the image carrier is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer member by the first transfer unit, and the toner image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer member is transferred to the recording medium by the second transfer unit. Is transferred to. At this time, since the toner remains on the surface of the image carrier after the toner image is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer body, the toner is removed from the surface of the image carrier by the first cleaning member. The toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer member after the image is transferred to the recording medium is also removed by the second cleaning member.

  As described above, the toner removed from the surfaces of the image carrier and the intermediate transfer member is sent to a waste toner container detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and stored therein. When the waste toner container is full or nearly full with toner, the waste toner container is removed from the image forming apparatus main body, and a new empty waste toner container is attached. The waste toner container is replaced.

  Here, conventionally, a waste toner container for containing toner removed from the image carrier and a waste toner container for containing toner removed from the intermediate transfer member are provided. The waste toner container must be replaced separately, which complicates the work.

  In view of this, the toner removed from the image carrier and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member are also stored in a common waste toner container. In this way, the waste toner container replacement operation can be simplified.

  At this time, since it is necessary to send the toner removed from the image carrier and the intermediate transfer member to one waste toner container, a large toner intake port extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the waste toner container, and the intake port is formed. The toners sent from the image carrier and the intermediate transfer member are fed into the container. Alternatively, two toner inlets are provided in the waste toner container, and the toner removed from the image carrier and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member are respectively fed into the waste toner container through the respective inlets. Yes. This is because it is considered that each toner sent from both the image carrier and the intermediate transfer member cannot be sent to the waste toner container unless this is done.

  However, in any of the above-described configurations, the total opening area of the toner intake port formed in the waste toner container becomes very large. Therefore, in order to replace the waste toner container, the container is removed from the image forming apparatus main body. When the toner is removed, the toner inside the container may leak from the toner opening with the large opening. It is also known that the waste toner container is provided with an opening / closing shutter and the container is removed from the image forming apparatus main body, and the opening / closing shutter closes the toner intake port. When the opening area is large, the total amount of toner adhering to the periphery of the toner intake port becomes considerably large. Therefore, when the waste toner container is replaced, the toner adhering to the periphery of the toner intake port falls or scatters to the periphery. I can not escape the trouble.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of the above-described novel recognition, and the object of the present invention is to use a common waste toner container for the toner removed from the image carrier and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus of the type described at the beginning, which can be accommodated by being sent and can have a smaller opening area of a toner intake port for feeding the toner into a waste toner container.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention transfers an image carrier on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred, and the toner image onto the intermediate transfer member. A first cleaning member that removes toner remaining on the image carrier later, a second cleaning member that removes toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body after the toner image is transferred to the recording medium, and an image carrier by the first cleaning member a toner receiving for receiving the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member by the toner and a second cleaning member which is removed from the body, the toner conveying device for conveying the toner on the toner receiving the collecting unit, corresponding to the collector is the toner inlet to the site formed, includes a waste toner container for containing the toner fed through the inlet the toner, detachably to the image forming apparatus main body A process unit that is worn, the toner receiving proposes a process unit that is disposed between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer member (claim 1).

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes an image forming apparatus including the process unit according to claim 1 (claim 2).

According to the present invention, since the toner removed from the image carrier and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member can be stored in a common waste toner container, the replacement operation of the waste toner container can be simplified, and the waste toner can be simplified. The toner intake formed in the container can be reduced. As a result, a large amount of toner can be prevented from falling or scattering around the periphery.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of a color image forming apparatus configured as a printer. A main body 1 of the image forming apparatus shown here is a fixed main body that is fixedly placed on an installation surface such as a floor surface. 2 and a rotating body 3 pivotally supported by the fixed body 2, and a process unit 4 in which a plurality of process elements are integrally assembled to the rotating body 3 is detachable. It is installed. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the inside of the process unit 4.

  1 and 2, an endless belt-like photoconductor 8 constituting an example of an image carrier is wound around rollers 6 and 7 that are rotatably supported by a unit case 5 of the process unit 4. As the image carrier, a drum-shaped photosensitive member, a dielectric drum, a dielectric belt, or the like can be used. Further, a charging device including a charging charger 9 is disposed at a position facing the photoconductor 8, and the charging charger 9 is also supported by the unit case 5.

  On the other hand, the fixed body 2 supports an exposure device configured as a laser writing unit 10, a rotary color developing unit 11, and a black developing unit 12, respectively, and the developing device is configured by both the developing units 11 and 12. Has been.

  The color developing unit 11 is configured as a unit in which a yellow developing unit 11Y, a magenta developing unit 11M, and a cyan developing unit 11C are integrally assembled, and the whole is rotatably supported by the fixed main body 3.

  During the image forming operation, the roller 7 is driven to rotate by a driving device (not shown), so that the photoconductor 8 is rotated in the direction of arrow A. At this time, the surface of the photoreceptor is neutralized by a neutralizing device (not shown), and then the surface of the photosensitive member is uniformly charged by the charging device including the charging charger 9, and the charged surface emits light emitted from the laser writing unit 10. Exposure is performed with the modulated laser beam L1, thereby forming a first electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor. At this time, for example, the yellow developing device 11Y of the color developing unit 11 is positioned to face the surface of the photoreceptor 8, and the developing device 11Y visualizes the first electrostatic latent image as a yellow toner image. Is done. At this time, the black developing unit 12 is separated from the surface of the photoreceptor 8 and does not perform a developing operation.

  On the other hand, in the unit case 5, an appropriate number of two rotating rollers 14 and 15, which are spaced apart from each other, are rotatably supported in the present example. An endless intermediate transfer belt 16, which is an example, is wound around, and one of the rotating rollers 14 is driven by a driving device (not shown), so that the intermediate transfer belt 16 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow B. The intermediate transfer belt 16 and the photosensitive member 8 are in contact with each other at a portion of the transfer portion 17, and the tip of a transfer brush 18, which is an example of a first transfer unit, is in contact with the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 16 at this portion. The transfer brush 18 is also supported by the unit case 5. A transfer roller, a corona discharger, or the like can also be used as the first transfer unit.

  As described above, when the yellow toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 8 reaches the transfer portion 17, a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner is applied to the transfer brush 18, thereby the toner on the surface of the photoconductor 8. The image is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16. Thus, the toner remaining without being transferred adheres to the surface of the photoconductor after the toner image is transferred, and the toner is supported by the unit case 5 and the front end thereof is pressed against the photoconductor 8. The first cleaning member comprising the cleaning blade 19 is scraped off. The toner removed from the surface of the photoreceptor in this manner falls into a toner receiver 20 that is integrally assembled with the unit case 5. Other appropriate means such as a fur brush may be employed as the first cleaning member.

  The surface of the photosensitive member whose surface has been cleaned as described above is subjected to charge removal again, and is uniformly charged by the charging charger 9, and then the charged surface is irradiated with the laser light L1 emitted from the laser writing unit 10. A second electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor. When this latent image passes through the color developing unit 11, the magenta developing device 11M, for example, faces the photoconductor 8 due to the rotation of the unit 11, so that the second electrostatic latent image can be used as a magenta toner image. Visualized. This toner image is also transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16 onto which the yellow toner image has been previously transferred by being superimposed on the yellow toner image by the action of the transfer brush 18 in the same manner as described above. . The toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 8 after the magenta toner image is transferred is also removed from the surface of the photoconductor by the cleaning blade 19.

  In exactly the same manner as described above, a cyan toner image and a black toner image are sequentially formed on the surface of the photosensitive member by the cyan developing unit 11C and the black developing unit 12 facing the surface of the photosensitive member, respectively. The toner image previously transferred onto the surface 16 is superimposed and sequentially transferred. Residual toner is removed from the surface of the photoreceptor by the cleaning blade 19 every time each toner image is transferred, and the surface is cleaned. In this way, a full color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16.

  On the other hand, a recording medium 22 made of paper or a plastic sheet is stacked in the paper feeding cassette 21 of the fixed main body 2, and the recording medium 22 is fed one by one in the direction of arrow C by the rotation of the paper feeding roller 23. The The recording medium 22 fed in this way is conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 24 and a pair of registration rollers 25 that are rotatably supported by the rotating body 3, and a full-color toner image formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16. Are fed into the nip portion between the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 26 opposed thereto. At this time, the full-color toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred to the surface of the recording medium 22 by a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner applied to the transfer roller 26. The transfer roller 26 is rotatably supported by the rotating body 3 and the roller 26 constitutes an example of a second transfer unit. As the second transfer means, appropriate means such as a corona discharger and a brush can be employed.

  The recording medium 22 to which the full color toner image has been transferred leaves the intermediate transfer belt 16 and then passes between the fixing roller 28 and the pressure roller 29 of the fixing device 27 provided in the fixed main body 2. The toner image is fixed on the surface of the recording medium 22 by the action of pressure. The recording medium 22 that has exited the fixing device 27 is discharged by the paper discharge roller pair 30 that is rotatably supported by the fixed main body 2 to the paper discharge stack portion 31 at the top of the fixed main body with the image surface facing downward.

  On the other hand, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 16 after the full-color toner image is transferred to the recording medium 22 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 32 whose tip is in pressure contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16, and the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16. Is cleaned. The cleaning blade 32 constitutes an example of a second cleaning member. The cleaning blade 32 is fixed to an arm 33 that is swingably supported by the unit case 5, and is scraped off from the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the cleaning blade 32. The toner thus received is received by a toner receiver 34 fixed to the arm 33. As the second cleaning member, any other appropriate cleaning member such as a fur brush can be employed.

  The cleaning blade 32 is movable toward and away from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt by the swing of the arm 33. When each toner image is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16, the cleaning blade 32 is moved to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt. It is away from. After the full-color toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording medium 22, the tip of the cleaning blade 32 is pressed against the surface of the intermediate transfer belt by the swing of the arm 33 only when the toner remaining on the surface is cleaned. The transfer residual toner is scraped off and removed.

  The above description is an image forming operation when a full-color image is formed on the recording medium 22, but only one of the developing units constituting the color developing unit 11 and the black developing unit 12 is used for a single color. An image can be formed, and a two-color or three-color image can also be formed.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus of the present example includes the image carrier configured as the photosensitive member 8 on which the toner image is formed, and the intermediate transfer belt 16 to which the toner image on the surface of the image carrier is transferred. The intermediate transfer member configured, a first transfer unit configured as a transfer brush 8 that transfers the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to the surface of the intermediate transfer member, and the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer member are transferred to the recording medium 22. A second transfer unit configured as a transfer roller 26; a first cleaning member configured as a cleaning blade 19 that removes toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the toner image is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer member; And a second cleaning member configured as a cleaning blade 32 for removing toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer member after the toner is transferred to the recording medium 22.

  In the illustrated image forming apparatus, the rotating main body 3 constituting a part of the image forming apparatus main body 1 has a central axis of one rotating roller 15 around which the intermediate transfer belt 16 is wound around the fixed main body 2. 1 is pivotally supported in the direction of arrow E in FIG. A state of a part of the rotating main body 3 when rotating in this way is indicated by a chain line in FIG.

  As described above, untransferred toner is removed from the surfaces of the photoreceptor 8 and the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the cleaning blades 19 and 32, respectively. These toners are stored in a common waste toner container 35, which will be described later. It is conveyed and sent as it is, and is stored in this container 35. The waste toner container 35 of this example is detachably attached to the container receiving portion 5a of the unit case 5. When the rotating main body 3 is rotated to the open position indicated by the chain line in FIG. 1 as described above, the upper portion of the waste toner container 35 is opened, so that the container 35 can be removed from the unit case 5. In this example, the waste toner container 35 is detachably attached to the unit case 5 of the process unit 4, and the waste toner container 35 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1 through the case 5. The toner container 35 may be directly and detachably supported on the image forming apparatus main body 1.

  As described above, since the waste toner container 35 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1, when the toner in the container 35 is full or nearly full, the container 35 can be easily removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a new empty waste toner container can be attached to the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus. Although the waste toner container 35 can be replaced, the rotating body 3 can be rotated to the open position indicated by the chain line in FIG. Thus, the entire process unit 4 can be replaced with a new one.

  In the following explanation, the toner in the waste toner container 35 is full or nearly full, and it is necessary to replace it. I will explain that it has become.

  Since the toner removed from the photoconductor 8 and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 are accommodated in a common waste toner container 35 as described above, each toner is accommodated in a separate waste toner container. Compared to the case, the replacement work of the waste toner container 35 can be simplified. However, since it is necessary to feed each toner removed from the photosensitive member 8 and the intermediate transfer belt 16 to one waste toner container 35, conventionally, a large size toner that extends long in the longitudinal direction of the waste toner container 35 is used. Either the intake port is formed or two toner intake ports are formed, and the toner removed from the photoreceptor and the intermediate transfer belt is sent to the waste toner container. For this reason, the total opening area of the toner intake port becomes very large, and as described above, when the waste toner container is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, there is a possibility that the toner may fall or scatter. I couldn't escape.

  Therefore, in the image forming apparatus of this example, a toner conveyance collecting unit is provided that collects the toner removed from the photoreceptor 8 by the cleaning blade 19 and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the cleaning blade 32 in one place. The toner intake port is formed at a portion of the waste toner container 35 corresponding to the location where the toner is collected by the means, so that the opening area of the toner intake port can be reduced. Specific examples related to this are as follows.

  The cleaning blade 32 shown in FIG. 2 extends long in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 16, and the toner receiver 34 extends along this, and the toner configured as the toner conveying screw 37 along the toner receiver 34. A transport device is arranged. The toner conveying screw 37 is rotationally driven around its central axis by a driving device (not shown) disposed in the image forming apparatus main body 1, and thus the cleaning blade 32 scrapes off the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 16. The toner that has been removed and dropped onto the toner receiver 34 is conveyed to one end in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 16, that is, the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIGS.

  In this way, the toner conveyance duct member disposed on the front side of the unit case 5 is arranged in the toner conveyance path conveyed while being guided by the toner receiver 34, as schematically shown in FIGS. One end side opening of 36 is connected and fixed. The duct member 38 extends obliquely downward, and the other end side opening is connected and fixed to the front end portion of the toner receiver 20 shown in FIG.

  The toner sent to the near side by the toner conveying screw 37 while being guided by the toner receiver 34 enters the duct member 36 from the opening on one end side of the toner conveying duct member 36, and is dropped and conveyed by its own weight inside the duct member 36. The toner is fed into the toner receiver 20 through the other end side opening.

  On the other hand, the cleaning blade 19 that is in pressure contact with the photosensitive member 8 also extends in the width direction of the belt-like photosensitive member 8, and the toner receiver 20 extends along the belt-shaped photosensitive member 8. A toner conveying device configured as 38 is arranged. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the toner conveying screw 38 is divided into two portions 38a and 38b, and the directions of the blade spirals of these portions are reversed. Therefore, when the toner conveying screw 38 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) on the image forming apparatus main body side, the toner removed from the photosensitive member 8 by the cleaning blade 19 is guided to the toner receiver 20 while being guided to the toner receiver 20. They are gathered together by a collecting part 39 at the intermediate part in the longitudinal direction of the conveying screw 38. At this time, the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16, transported through the toner transport duct member 36, and sent to the toner receiver 20 is also collected by the toner collection screw 39 by the toner transport screw 38. Both the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the toner removed from the photoreceptor 8 are collected in one place, that is, in the collecting portion 39.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the direction of the spiral of the blades of the toner conveying screw 38 is constant, so that the toner removed from the photoreceptor 8 by the cleaning blade 19 is rotated by the rotation of the toner conveying screw 38. While being guided by the toner receiver 20, it is transported to one end side in the longitudinal direction (the front end side in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the example in the figure), and the intermediate side is connected to the collecting portion 39 on the one end side. The toner is removed from the transfer belt 16 and is collected together with the toner sent to the toner receiver 20 by the toner transport duct member 36.

As described above, the image forming apparatus of this example includes the toner receiver 20 that receives the toner removed from the image carrier by the first cleaning member and the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member by the second cleaning member, and the toner receiver. A toner conveying device for conveying the upper toner to the collecting unit 39 is provided. The toner transport screws 38 and 37, the toner receivers 20 and 34, and the toner transport duct member 36 are removed from the surface of the image carrier made of the photoreceptor 8 by the first cleaning member made of the cleaning blade 19 and the cleaning blade 32. The toner cleaning / collecting means collects the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member formed of the intermediate transfer belt 16 by one second, that is, the collection unit 39 by the second cleaning member . Further, as is apparent from FIGS. 1 to 3, the toner receiver 20 is disposed between the photoconductor 8 and the intermediate transfer belt 16.

  As described above, the toner discharge port 50 is formed in the portion of the toner receiver 20 corresponding to the location where the toner is collected by the toner conveying and collecting means, and the toner guide tube 51 is connected and fixed. The lower opening of the toner guide tube 51 coincides with the toner intake port 40 formed in the waste toner container 35. As described above, the toner intake port 40 is formed at the site of the waste toner container 35 corresponding to the location where the toner is collected by the toner conveying and collecting means. In the illustrated example, the upper wall 35a of the waste toner container 35 is formed. A toner intake port 40 is formed in part. The collected toner passes through the toner discharge port 50 and the toner guide tube 51, is sent into the waste toner container 35 through the toner intake port 40, and is stored therein.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus of this example, each toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the photosensitive member 8 is collected at one place by the toner conveyance collecting means, and the collected toner is collected in the toner inlet 40. Therefore, the opening area of the toner intake port 40 can be made significantly smaller than before. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of toner intake ports 40, and only one toner inlet 40 is sufficient. For this reason, the waste toner container 35 detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body becomes full. Therefore, when the container 35 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1 in the above-described procedure, the toner inlet of the container 35 is removed. The toner can be prevented from leaking from 40.

  Normally, a shutter (not shown) is provided at the toner inlet 40. When the waste toner container 35 is set as shown in FIG. 2, the shutter opens the toner inlet 40 and the waste toner container 35 is opened. Is removed, the shutter is activated to close the toner intake 40 and prevent the toner from leaking out. However, even if such a shutter is provided, if the toner intake opening area is large, When the waste toner container is removed, the toner adhering to the periphery falls and scatters to the periphery. However, if the opening area of the toner intake port 40 is small as in this example, the amount of toner adhering to the periphery of the toner intake 40 becomes very small, and even when the waste toner container 35 is removed, even if the adhering toner falls. The amount is extremely small, and it is possible to suppress a problem that the periphery is stained with toner.

  As described above, the toner inlet 40 formed in the waste toner container 35 can be made extremely small. However, when the opening area of the toner inlet 40 is small as described above, the above-described advantages can be obtained. 3 and 4, the toner T in the waste toner container 35 is going to be in the region of the toner intake port 40, and the toner T does not reach the entire waste toner container 35, and the toner in the waste toner container 35 Containment efficiency may be reduced.

  Therefore, in the illustrated image forming apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a toner conveying screw 41, which is an example of a toner feeding unit, is provided inside the waste toner container 35. In the illustrated example, the waste toner container 35 extends long in the width direction of the photoreceptor 8 or the intermediate transfer belt 16, and each end of the shaft of the toner conveying screw 41 has an end wall 35 b in the longitudinal direction of the waste toner container 35. , 35c and is rotatably supported by a drive device disposed on the image forming apparatus main body.

  As a result, the toner feeding means including the toner transport screw 41 transports the toner T so that the toner T fed into the waste toner container 35 from the toner intake port 40 reaches the entire longitudinal direction of the waste toner container 35. . In the example of FIG. 3, the toner conveying screw 41 includes two portions 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B, and the directions of the spirals of the blades are opposite to each other. Are conveyed toward each end. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the direction of the spiral of the blades of the toner conveying screw 41 is constant, and the toner T sent from the toner intake port 40 is conveyed toward the opposite side. In this manner, although the toner intake port 40 is small in size, it can be prevented that the toner T entering from the toner intake port 40 swells in a mountain shape at the site of the intake port 40, and the waste toner container 35 accommodates the toner. Efficiency can be increased.

  The toner conveying screw 41 conveys the toner T as described above. At that time, if the screw 41 is positioned below the inside of the waste toner container 35, the waste toner is not affected even if the toner conveying screw 41 rotates. There is a possibility that the toner is solidified in a bridge shape in the upper region of the container 35 and is not conveyed well.

  Therefore, in the image forming apparatus of the present example, as shown in FIG. In addition, the height position of the toner feeding means is set so as to be located in an area above it. Preferably, the toner feeding means is disposed very close to the upper wall 35a of the waste toner container 35.

  According to the above configuration, since the toner conveying screw 41 is located at the upper part in the waste toner container 35, when the screw 41 is rotated, a toner bridge is formed in an upper region in the waste toner container 35. Therefore, the toner can be efficiently conveyed over the entire length of the waste toner container 35 in the longitudinal direction.

  By the way, when the toner becomes full in the waste toner container 35, that is, when it becomes the end of its life, the waste toner container 35 is replaced with a new empty waste toner container as described above. Normally, the life of the waste toner container 35 is set shorter than the life of the photoconductor 8, for example, about ½ of the life of the photoconductor 8.

  When the waste toner container 35 reaches the end of its life, the fact needs to be reported to the operator. For this purpose, the waste toner container 35 is provided with a toner amount detection device 42 as shown in FIGS. Thus, it is detected that the toner in the waste toner container 35 is full, and based on the detection signal, the fact is displayed on a display unit provided outside the image forming apparatus main body, and the operator Accordingly, the waste toner container 35 is replaced by the procedure described above. As the toner amount detection device 42, for example, a piezoelectric element is used.

  At that time, as shown in FIG. 4, the toner intake 40 is formed on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the waste toner container 35, and the toner amount detection device 42 is formed on the other end side of the waste toner container 35. It is desirable to arrange. In this way, the toner T fed into the waste toner container from the toner intake port 40 is conveyed from one end side to the other end side by the toner conveying screw 41, and the amount of the conveyed toner is reduced. Since the amount of toner is detected by the toner amount detection device 42, even if there is only one toner amount detection device 42, the full state can be detected only after the toner in the waste toner container 35 is full. It becomes possible to detect correctly.

  If a toner amount detection device is provided in the vicinity of the toner intake port 40 shown in FIG. 4, the toner container end side opposite to the intake port 40 is not yet full of toner. Even though the toner amount detection device detects that the toner is full and the toner can still be accommodated sufficiently, there is a problem that the waste toner container is replaced.

  For the same reason, it is desirable to provide the toner amount detection device 42 in the upper region of the waste toner container 35. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the height direction center D of the toner amount detection device portion facing the inside of the waste toner container 35 is ½ of the total height H inside the waste toner container 35. The height position of the toner amount detection device 42 is set so as to be positioned at the level L or a height above the level L. In the illustrated example, the central axis of the toner conveying screw 41 and the center D of the toner amount detection device 42 are substantially the same height.

  As described above, when the detection surface of the toner amount detection device 42 is arranged in a region above the height of the waste toner container 35, the detection device is filled with toner while the toner in the waste toner container 35 is low. It is possible to prevent problems that would detect When the waste toner container 35 is actually full of toner, the toner amount detection device 42 detects this fact for the first time. Therefore, the maximum amount of toner can be stored in the waste toner container 35, and the waste toner container 35 can be replaced with a new one in this state.

  By the way, the toner amount detection device 42 used in each of the above-described configurations can be supported by an appropriate element, and may be fixedly supported on the side wall 35d of the waste toner container 35, for example. However, when the toner amount detection device 42 is fixed to the waste toner container 35 in this way, the waste toner container 35 is a replacement part. Therefore, each time the toner amount detection device 42 is replaced, the toner amount detection device 42 is also replaced. Will be burdensome.

  Therefore, in the image forming apparatus of this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the toner amount detecting device 42 is fixed to the side of the image forming apparatus main body 1 via a bracket (not shown), in the illustrated example. With the waste toner container 35 disposed on the main body 2 side being set at a predetermined position of the main body of the image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 2, a window hole 43 is formed in the portion of the waste toner container 35 corresponding to the toner amount detection device 42. The window hole 43 is covered with a thin film seal 44. As the thin film seal 44, for example, a flexible sheet made of rubber or synthetic resin having a thickness of 0.5 mm or less can be used.

  According to the above configuration, when the waste toner container 35 is set with respect to the image forming apparatus main body 1, the detection surface of the toner amount detection device 42 faces the inside of the waste toner container 35 through the thin film seal 44. Therefore, toner fullness can be detected without hindrance. Moreover, since the window hole 43 is covered with the thin film seal 44, the toner in the waste toner container 35 does not leak outside through the window hole 43.

  Further, when the waste toner container 35 is full of toner, and this is the end of its life, when the waste toner container 35 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1 as described above, the toner amount detection device 42 is connected to the image forming apparatus main body. Left on the 1 side. For this reason, the toner detecting device 42 is not replaced, and its economic efficiency can be improved.

  As described above, an example in which the present invention is applied to a color image forming apparatus having the image forming apparatus main body 1 including the fixed main body 2 and the rotating main body 3 and the process unit 4 detachably attached to the rotating main body 3. Although shown, the present invention can be widely applied to various types of image forming apparatuses other than the image forming apparatus. Further, it is obvious that the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus including an electronic copying machine, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a process unit. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example in which a toner intake port is provided at a central portion in a longitudinal direction of a waste toner container. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example in which a toner intake port is provided at one end in a longitudinal direction of a waste toner container. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the waste toner container shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the waste toner container shown in FIG. 4 cut at a portion of the toner amount detection device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image forming apparatus body 4 Process unit
20 Toner receiver 35 Waste toner container
39 Collection Department
40 Toner intake

Claims (2)

An image carrier on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred, and toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer member is removed. A first cleaning member; a second cleaning member that removes toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body after the toner image is transferred to the recording medium; and toner and second cleaning member that are removed from the image carrier by the first cleaning member A toner receiver for receiving the toner removed from the intermediate transfer member, a toner transport device for transporting the toner on the toner receiver to the collecting portion, and a toner inlet at a portion corresponding to the collecting portion. ; and a waste toner container for containing the toner fed through the toner inlet, a process unit detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body The toner receiving the process unit is disposed between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer member. An image forming apparatus comprising the process unit according to claim 1.

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