JP5229656B2 - Developer collection container and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer recovery container and an image forming apparatus.

  In an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer, after a toner image developed on a photosensitive drum is transferred to a recording sheet, residual toner adhering to the photosensitive drum is removed by a cleaner. The residual toner thus collected is recovered as a waste toner (used developer) in a waste toner recovery box (developer recovery container) in the image forming apparatus.

  In recent years, a color image is obtained in which a multicolor toner image formed by a plurality of image forming engines is primarily transferred from a photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt and then secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet. An image forming apparatus has also appeared. In the case of a color image forming apparatus, for example, for each yellow, cyan, magenta, and black image forming engine, a photosensitive drum and a cleaner for cleaning the photosensitive drum exist, and waste toner is collected from the cleaners of the four image forming engines. Need arises. Further, after the toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to the recording sheet, it is necessary to clean the residual toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt, and a cleaner is provided for the intermediate transfer belt. ing. Therefore, in the case of a color image forming apparatus, waste toner is collected from a plurality of cleaners into a waste toner collection box.

  Further, in order to omit the replacement work of the deteriorated developer (used developer) in the developing device using the two-component developer composed of the toner and the carrier, the deteriorated developer is supplied while supplying a new two-component developer. A trickle development method is used. When this developing method is employed, the deteriorated developer discharged from the developing devices for each color is also collected in the waste toner collection box.

  The waste toner collection box is a consumable part, and is generally replaced with an empty waste toner collection box when the waste toner is full.

  Here, as for the waste toner collection box for collecting the used developer, for example, techniques described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2008-83626 and 2008-309987 are known.

JP 2008-83626 A JP 2008-309987 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of preventing a developer recovery container from becoming full due to erroneous detection.

In order to solve the above problems, a developer recovery container of the present invention according to claim 1 contains a recovery port for recovering a developer , a developer positioned below the recovery port and falling from the recovery port. And a first storage portion that is provided in the upper portion and is provided separately from the first storage portion so that the developer does not enter from other than the entrance, and is stored in the first storage portion. A second storage portion in which a part of the agent enters through the inlet, and the developer exceeding the predetermined amount is transported when a predetermined amount or more of the developer is deposited in the first storage portion. A developing unit provided at a predetermined height in the first storage unit and a development unit provided along the transport unit between the first storage unit and the inlet and transported by the transport unit It includes agents and the member entering is a said first housing portion After reaching a height Oite predetermined the developer that has entered into said member being conveyed by the conveying means, after being further conveyed by the conveying means in the member, through the inlet the It enters into the 2nd accommodating part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the second storage portion is a detection chamber that optically detects the presence or absence of the developer that has flowed into the second storage portion. It is characterized by that.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the first or second aspect , the conveying means includes a rotating shaft and a spiral blade formed around the rotating shaft. The spiral blade is also formed in a region where the member is provided in the transport direction according to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the third aspect , the conveying means includes a region where a spiral blade is not formed at least at a part above the inlet, and the member is included in the member. The developer that has entered the member and further conveyed by the spiral blade of the conveying means falls in a region above the inlet and in which the spiral blade is not formed, and passes through the inlet to the second container. It is characterized by entering into .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, the interval between the spiral blades of the conveying means is the first at a location overlapping with the recovery port in the axial direction of the rotation shaft. It has an interval and a second interval which is located at a location facing the end of the member in the axial direction of the rotation shaft and is narrower than the first interval.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the inclination of the spiral blade of the conveying means is at a location overlapping with the recovery port in the axial direction of the rotating shaft. A first inclination and a second inclination that is located in a position facing the end of the member in the axial direction of the rotation axis and is inclined in the direction of the rotation axis rather than the first inclination; It is characterized by.

A seventh aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the invention of the fifth aspect, the second distance extends from the entire inner side of the member to a part of the outer side.

The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 6, the second inclination extends from the entire inner side of the member to a part of the outer side.

The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the spiral blade includes a first blade that conveys developer toward the center from both directions of the rotation shaft, and It has a 2nd blade | wing, The phase of the conveyance termination | terminus of the said 1st blade | wing and the phase of the conveyance termination | terminus of the said 2nd blade | wing are mutually different, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

The invention according to claim 10 is the invention according to claim 9, wherein the phase of the conveyance end of the first blade is opposite to the phase of the conveyance end of the second blade. And

In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is provided with the developer recovery container according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation where the developer collection container becomes full due to erroneous detection.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation that the developer collecting container becomes full due to erroneous detection.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation that the developer collecting container becomes full due to erroneous detection.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the developer recovery container becomes full due to erroneous detection.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, as compared with the case where the first distance to the member, the developer is less likely to enter when detaching the developer recovery container.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, as compared with the case where the first distance to the member, the developer is less likely to enter when detaching the developer recovery container.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the developer is further less likely to enter the member as compared with the case where this configuration is not adopted.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the developer is further less likely to enter the member as compared with the case where this configuration is not adopted.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the developer from being jammed at the conveyance end where the developer collects and clogging the opening.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, compared to the case where this configuration is not adopted, the developer congestion at the conveyance end can be prevented more reliably.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an image forming apparatus in which the developer collecting container is not full due to erroneous detection.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer to which a waste toner collection box according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an arrangement position of a waste toner collection box in the printer of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a waste toner collection box according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front side. It is a perspective view which shows the waste toner collection box concerning one embodiment of this invention from the back side. It is a perspective view showing the inside of a front cover which is a component of a waste toner recovery box according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the inside of a rear cover which is a component of a waste toner recovery box according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the internal structure of the waste toner collection box concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the rear side. It is the perspective view which looked at the internal structure of the waste toner collection box concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 4. It is sectional drawing of the principal part along the C-C 'line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the pipe which is a component of the waste toner collection box which concerns on one embodiment of this invention from the front lower part. It is sectional drawing of the radial direction of the pipe of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the conveyance means and pipe in the waste toner collection box which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the pipe of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of the pipe of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a tandem type color laser beam printer 1 (image forming apparatus) to which a waste toner recovery box for waste toner is attached forms a toner image for each color of yellow, magenta, cyan and black. Basic image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C and 10K are provided. In addition, an intermediate transfer belt 20 to which toner images are transferred (primary transfer) from these image forming engines is provided, and the toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 are further transferred to the recording sheet P (secondary transfer). Thus, a full color image is formed.

  The intermediate transfer belt 20 is formed in an endless shape and is wound around a pair of belt conveyance rollers 21 and 22, and toner formed by the color image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K while rotating in a direction indicated by an arrow. It is configured to receive a primary transfer of the image.

  A secondary transfer roller 30 is provided at a position facing one belt conveying roller 21 with the intermediate transfer belt 20 in between, and the recording sheet P and the secondary transfer roller 30 and the intermediate transfer belt that are in contact with each other so as to press each other. 20 to receive the secondary transfer of the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 20. On the other hand, a belt cleaner 23 of the intermediate transfer belt 20 is disposed at a position opposite to the belt conveying roller 22 located on the opposite side, and toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 20 after the secondary transfer is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 20. To do. The residual toner removed by the belt cleaner 23 is transported to the front side (front side in FIG. 1) by a transport shaft 23a having spiral blades as waste toner, and is collected in a waste toner collection box described later. It is like that.

  The four image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K described above are arranged in parallel below the intermediate transfer belt 20, and a toner image formed according to image information of each color is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 20. Primary transfer is designed. These four image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are arranged in the order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 20, and generally the most frequently used black The image forming engine 10K is disposed closest to the secondary transfer position.

  Below these image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, there is provided a raster scanning unit 40 that exposes the photosensitive drum 11 provided in each image forming engine in accordance with image information. The raster scanning unit 40 is shared by all the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, and four semiconductor lasers (not shown) that emit laser light L modulated according to image information of each color. A polygon mirror 41 that rotates at high speed and scans these four laser beams L along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 11. Each laser beam L scanned by the polygon mirror 41 travels a predetermined path while being reflected by a mirror (not shown), and then passes through each scanning window 42 provided on the upper portion of the raster scanning unit 40. The photosensitive drums 11 of the image engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are exposed.

  Each of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K is formed on the photosensitive drum 11 by exposure of the photosensitive drum 11, the charging roller 12 that charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 to a predetermined potential, and laser light L. A developing device 13 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed to form a toner image, and a drum cleaner 14 that removes residual toner and paper dust from the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 20. And a toner image corresponding to the image information of each color is formed on the photosensitive drum 11.

  In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the developing device 13 is a type in which a two-component developer in which toner and carrier are mixed is used, and maintenance for replacing the developer accompanying deterioration with time is omitted. A trickle development system is used in which a developer in which toner and a carrier are mixed is supplied from a cartridge (not shown), and the deteriorated developer is automatically discharged.

  In each developing device 13, a new developer is replenished from the rear side (back side in FIG. 1) of the conveyance shaft 13a having the same spiral blade as the conveyance shaft 23a described above. The residual toner removed by each drum cleaner 14 is discharged to the front side as a waste toner by a conveyance shaft (not shown). The waste toner discharged from the drum cleaner 14 is collected in a later-described waste toner collection box.

  In this example, as an example of the developer to be collected, waste toner including used toner discharged from the drum cleaner 14 and used toner discharged from the belt cleaner 23 is collected. Further, the present invention can be applied to a collection box for collecting the carrier and toner discharged from the developing device 13 and a collection box for collecting only used toner discharged from the drum cleaner 14.

  Primary transfer rollers 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K are provided at positions facing the photoconductive drums 11 of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K so as to sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 20. Then, by applying a transfer bias voltage to these transfer rollers 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K, an electric field is formed between the photoconductor drum 11 and the transfer rollers 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K, and on the photoconductor drum 11 Thus, the charged toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 20 by Coulomb force.

  On the other hand, the recording sheet P is conveyed from the paper feed cassette 2 stored in the lower part of the printer 1 to the inside of the housing, specifically, to the secondary transfer position where the intermediate transfer belt 20 and the secondary transfer roller 30 are in contact. The paper feed cassette 2 is configured to be pushed in and set from the front side of the printer 1. A pickup roller 24 and a paper feed roller 25 for pulling out the recording sheet P accommodated in the paper feed cassette 2 are provided above the paper feed cassette 2 set. A retard roller 26 that prevents double feeding of the recording sheet P is provided at a position facing the paper feed roller 25.

  The conveyance path 27 of the recording sheet P inside the printer 1 is provided in the vertical direction along the left side surface of the printer 1, and the recording sheet P drawn from the paper feed cassette 2 located at the bottom of the printer 1 is conveyed. The path 27 is moved up, and the entry timing is controlled by the registration roller 29 to be introduced into the secondary transfer position. After the toner image is transferred at the secondary transfer position, the toner is transferred to the fixing device 3 provided above. Sent. Then, the recording sheet P on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 3 is discharged by the discharge roller 28 onto the paper discharge tray 1a provided on the upper surface of the printer 1 with the image forming surface down.

  In forming a full-color image by the color laser beam printer 1 having such a configuration, first, the raster scanning unit 40 loads the photosensitive drums 11 of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K in advance according to the image information of each color. Exposure is performed at a predetermined timing. As a result, electrostatic latent images corresponding to the image information are formed on the photoconductive drums 11 of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. By supplying toner to these electrostatic latent images, the toner is supplied. An image is formed.

  The toner images formed on the photoconductive drums 11 of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are sequentially transferred to the rotating intermediate transfer belt 20, whereby each color toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 20. Overlapping multiple toner images are formed. On the other hand, the recording sheet P is sent out from the paper feed cassette 2 and the timing at which the toner image primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 reaches the secondary transfer position is measured. Passed between. As a result, the multiple toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 20 are secondarily transferred to the recording sheet P. Then, the toner image is fixed on the recording sheet P that has been secondarily transferred by the fixing device 3, whereby a full-color image is completed on the recording sheet P.

  In the printer 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the waste toner discharged from the belt cleaner 23 and each drum cleaner 14 is all collected in the same waste toner collection box 50 (an example of a developer collection container). It is configured to be.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste toner collection box 50 is provided slightly below the front side of the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K arranged in parallel. The waste toner discharged from the drum cleaners 14 toward the front side is collected in a waste toner collection box 50. The waste toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 20 by the belt cleaner 23 is also collected in the waste toner collection box 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the waste toner collection box 50 includes a plastic front cover 51 and a rear cover 52 that are integrated to form a space therein. The waste toner collection box 50 is long in the width direction and has a shape that is thinner than the length in the vertical direction. The length of the waste toner collection box 50 in the width direction is longer than the distance from the drum cleaner 14 to the belt cleaner 23 of the black image forming engine 10K described above. 10Y, 10M, 10C, 10K and the front side of the belt cleaner 23, waste toner is directly dropped into the internal space (reservoir chamber 61).

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, at the two upper portions of the front cover 51, the free ends face forward, and the protrusions 54 are formed on the upper surface 53 a so that the upper surface 53 a moves up and down. A lock piece 53 that is elastically deformed is formed. Further, a hole 55 having a size that opens forward and allows a plurality of fingers to enter is formed immediately below the lock piece 53. Furthermore, plate-like piece attachment portions 57 to which the plate-like pieces 56 (FIG. 8) projecting downward are attached are formed at two locations below the front cover 51.

  Therefore, when the waste toner collection box 50 is attached to the printer 1, the plate-like piece 56 is inserted into a groove (not shown) formed on the printer 1 side, and the waste toner collection box 50 is used as a fulcrum. The protrusion 54 is fitted into a fixing hole (not shown) formed on the printer 1 side while the lock piece 53 is elastically deformed. Further, when removing the waste toner collection box 50 from the printer 1, the thumb is placed on the free end of the lock piece 53, the other finger is put into the hole 55, and the lock piece 53 is pushed down with the thumb and tilted forward. The fitting between the projection 54 and the fixing hole is released, and it is lifted obliquely upward.

  The waste toner collection box 50 is removed from the printer 1 when, for example, the waste toner collection box 50 is full and replaced, the intermediate transfer belt unit needs to be replaced, and the waste toner collection box. This is a case where the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K located at the back of 50 need to be replaced.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, five recovery ports 58 are formed in the upper portion of the rear cover 52. These are collection ports for waste toner discharged from the drum cleaners 14 of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. When the waste toner collection box 50 is attached to the printer 1, the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, and 10C are mounted. A connecting pipe (not shown) protruding from the 10K drum cleaner 14 and the belt cleaner 23 to the front side is inserted into these recovery ports 58, and waste toner discharged from the trickle-type drum cleaner 14 becomes waste toner recovery box 50. It is supposed to be dropped in. The five recovery ports 58 correspond to the black drum cleaner 14, the cyan drum cleaner 14, the magenta drum cleaner 14, the yellow drum cleaner 14, and the belt cleaner 23 from the right side in FIG. 5.

  In this way, the waste toner collection box 50 is provided so as to be bridged on one side of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K and the belt cleaner 23 arranged in parallel. Waste toner discharged from the image engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K and the belt cleaner 23 is dropped directly into the waste toner collection box 50.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a shutter 59 is installed at the collection port 58. The shutter 59 has a double door structure that opens and closes in such a way that it is divided into left and right from the center, and is attached to the inside of the rear cover 52 so as to be openable and closable. The shutter 59 is provided with a torsion spring 60 that presses the shutter 59 against the wall surface of the rear cover 52 and closes the collection port 58 (FIG. 9). Therefore, the shutter 59 normally closes the recovery port 58 by the spring force of the torsion spring 60, and when the connecting pipe is inserted into the recovery port 58, the shutter 59 is pushed inward against the spring force by the connecting pipe. It becomes an open state.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a waste toner collection box 50 including a front cover 51 and a rear cover 52 has a storage chamber 61 (a first storage portion) in which the collected waste toner is stored. An example) is formed. The storage chamber 61 is located below the collection port 58, and waste toner is dropped from a connecting pipe inserted into the collection port 58. Then, when the waste toner in the storage chamber 61 is fully accommodated (has reached the accommodation upper limit area), the waste toner collection box 50 needs to be replaced.

  In the storage chamber 61, a conveying means 64 is provided along the longitudinal direction. The conveying means 64 is provided so as to straddle the side wall of the storage chamber 61 (that is, the left and right side walls 52 a of the rear cover 52), and the waste toner dropped into the storage chamber 61 is directly below each collection port 58. When the summit exceeds the accommodation upper limit of the waste toner collection box 50, the portion exceeding the accommodation upper limit is broken and transported.

  One side of the conveying means 64 is supported by a bearing 65 provided on the side wall 52a, and the tip protrudes to the outside. The leading end is an end to which a driving force (rotational force) is supplied to the conveying means 64, that is, a supply-side end, and conveys a driving force from a driving source (not shown) provided in the printer 1. A transmission unit 66 provided with a transmission gear train (not shown) for transmission to the means 64 is attached. Therefore, when the waste toner collection box 50 is attached to the printer 1, the transmission unit 66 is mechanically coupled to the drive source in the printer 1, and thereby the conveying means 64 is driven (rotated) by the drive source.

  The conveying means 64 is manufactured by, for example, injection molding of synthetic resin, and a spiral blade 62 (an example of a blade) for conveying waste toner around the rotating shaft 63 is formed. The spiral blade 62 is composed of a first blade 62a and a second blade 62b having different winding directions, and the winding direction of each of the blades 62a and 62b is determined when the rotating shaft 63 is rotated. The waste toner is conveyed in the direction from the two directions of the rotating shaft 63 toward the center.

  These blades 62a and 62b are interrupted at the positions between the position immediately below the collection port 58 corresponding to the yellow Y waste toner and the position just below the recovery port 58 corresponding to the magenta M waste toner, thereby ending the conveyance. Therefore, when the conveying unit 64 is rotated, the waste toner that has become a mountain in the storage chamber 61 is collapsed toward the position.

  Note that the shape of the blades for transporting the waste toner is not limited to the spiral blades as shown in the present embodiment, and for example, a plurality of flat blades provided at intervals. There may be. That is, as long as it has a function of conveying waste toner, blades having various shapes are applied.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the waste toner collection box 50 is provided with a detection chamber 67 (an example of a second storage unit) into which waste toner exceeding the storage upper limit of the storage chamber 61 enters. When the waste toner is accumulated up to a predetermined level (that is, up to the upper limit of accommodation in the storage chamber 61), waste toner that exceeds the level (that is, exceeds the upper limit of accommodation) enters. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the detection chamber 67 has a sensing chamber 67 c that is attached to the rear cover 52 and formed of a transparent member that protrudes outward, and the waste toner collection box 50 is attached to the printer 1. At this time, the light-transmitting sensor 69 provided on the printer 1 side enters between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the introduction path 67b facing the inlet 67a of the detection chamber 67 is formed with an inclined surface so that the conveying means 64 is positioned below, and the sensing chamber 67c is positioned beyond the inclined surface. Yes. That is, the sensing chamber 67c is not disposed directly below the entrance 67a. Therefore, the waste toner dropped from the storage chamber 61 is gradually accumulated in the sensing chamber 67c by the slope of the introduction path 67b. When the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the light transmission sensor 69 are blocked by the waste toner in the sensing chamber 67c, the signal of the light transmission sensor 69 changes. As a result, it is grasped whether or not the waste toner has accumulated to the specified level in the storage chamber 61.

  The inlet 67a of the detection chamber 67 is formed at a position where the first blade 62a and the second blade 62b of the transport means 64 are interrupted, that is, a position facing the transport end. For this reason, the waste toner exceeding the upper limit of accommodation in the storage chamber 61 is conveyed by the conveying means 64 toward the inlet 67a of the detection chamber 67.

Now, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a pipe 68 (an example of a member ) through which the conveying means 64 passes is disposed at the inlet 67 a of the detection chamber 67. The pipe 68 has an opening 68 a formed in a peripheral wall 68 b serving as a main body, and the opening 68 a faces the inlet 67 a of the detection chamber 67. Therefore, the conveying means 64 has a waste toner conveyance termination point where the blades 62 a and 62 b are interrupted at the opening 68 a of the pipe 68 (see FIG. 14), and the waste toner does not pass through the pipe 68. The detection chamber 67 is prevented from entering. A partition wall 68 c that partitions the inlet 67 a of the detection chamber 67 and the storage chamber 61 is formed downward from the peripheral wall 68 b so that the waste toner does not enter the detection chamber 67 from other than the opening 68 a of the pipe 68. .

  As shown in FIG. 14, a gap L3 is provided between the part where the first blade 62a is interrupted and the part where the second blade 62b is interrupted, so that the waste toner conveyed can easily fall. It has become.

  According to such a configuration, when the waste toner locally exceeds the upper limit of storage in the storage chamber 61, the corresponding waste toner is collapsed toward the center of the storage chamber 61 by the transport unit 64. At this time, since the waste toner is broken down toward the break of the spiral blade 62 of the conveying means 64, finally, a space remains in the storage chamber 61 only below the break of the spiral blade 62. When this space disappears due to the transport of the waste toner by the transport means 64, the storage chamber 61 is filled with the waste toner, that is, the accommodation upper limit is reached.

  Then, waste toner that exceeds the upper limit of accommodation is conveyed to the conveying means 64 and enters the pipe 68. The waste toner that has entered the pipe 68 enters the detection chamber 67 through the opening 68a of the pipe 68, and is detected by the light transmission type sensor 69 in the sensing chamber 67c as described above. Thereby, the output signal of the light transmission type sensor 69 changes, and it is grasped | ascertained that the storage chamber 61 became full.

  Here, when the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are replaced, it is necessary to remove the waste toner collection box 50 that is positioned in front of the image forming engines 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. At this time, if the removed waste toner collection box 50 is placed in a state in which the rotation shaft 63 of the conveying means 64 is not horizontal (that is, the rotation shaft 63 is inclined and is in the up-down direction), it is described above. When the pipe 68 is not provided, the waste toner in the storage chamber 61 collapses and a part enters the detection chamber 67 from the inlet 67a. When waste toner that is detected by the light transmission sensor 69 enters the detection chamber 67, the storage chamber 61 is not filled with waste toner when the waste toner collection box 50 is attached to the printer 1. Nevertheless, it is erroneously detected that the output signal of the light transmission type sensor 69 changes and the storage chamber 61 becomes full.

  In addition, dust generated from the waste toner is floating in the storage chamber 61. Dust is particularly generated when the waste toner is transported by the transport means 64, such as when a pile of waste toner that locally exceeds the upper limit of storage is broken by the transport means 64. Therefore, if the pipe 68 is not provided, the generated dust is lighter than the waste toner itself, so that the dust is not transferred to the transfer means 64 and partly floats from the inlet 67a to the detection chamber 67. Get in. Then, by repeating such a state, if dust of a level detected by the light transmission type sensor 69 is accumulated in the detection chamber 67, the storage chamber 61 is not filled with waste toner. Regardless, it is erroneously detected that the output signal of the light transmission type sensor 69 changes and the storage chamber 61 is full.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the conveying means 64 having the spiral blade 62 passes through the pipe 68 and the conveying terminal end faces the opening 68a of the pipe 68, and the waste toner in the storage chamber 61 is As long as the pipe 68 is not passed through, it does not enter the detection chamber 67. Accordingly, waste toner that has collapsed when the waste toner collection box 50 is removed and dust generated when the transport means 64 transports the waste toner are blocked by the pipe 68 and the spiral blade 62 and enter the detection chamber 67. It is blocked from entering. This prevents erroneous detection that the waste toner collection box 50 is full and improves detection accuracy.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 9, the conveying means 64 is rotatably supported at two places, that is, the pipe 68 and the supply side end portion (the end portion to which the rotational force is supplied to the conveying means 64). ing. And the edge part on the opposite side to a supply side edge part is not supported.

  With such a structure, when the conveying unit 64 is rotated as much as the number of supporting parts is smaller than when supporting up to the end opposite to the supply side end, that is, when supporting three places. Noise is reduced.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the pitches (intervals) of the blades 62a and 62b have two types of pitches: a first interval L1 and a second interval L2 that is narrower than the first interval. doing. In the present embodiment, the first interval is, for example, 20 mm and is located outside the pipe 68, and the second interval is, for example, 9 mm and is located inside the pipe. However, the pitch of the blades 62a and 62b is not limited to the numerical value, and it is sufficient that the second interval is narrower than the first interval.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 14, the boundary position S <b> 1 between the first interval L <b> 1 and the second interval L <b> 2 is outside the pipe 68 than the end position S <b> 2 of the pipe 68. That is, when viewed from the transport direction of the waste toner, the second interval L2 starts from the outside of the pipe 68 and continues to the transport end in the pipe 68.

  Thus, by setting the pitch of the blades 62 in the pipe 68 to the second interval L2 that is narrower than the first interval, the gap between the spiral blades 62 at the portion overlapping the end of the pipe 68 becomes dense. Since the space for storing the waste toner is reduced, the waste toner that has collapsed when the waste toner collection box 50 is removed is less likely to enter the pipe 68. This makes it difficult for the waste toner to reach the opening 68a of the pipe 68, and prevents erroneous detection that the waste toner collection box 50 is full.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, since the second interval L2 of the spiral blade 62 extends from the entire inner area of the pipe 68 to a part of the outer side, the portion where the clearance of the spiral blade 62 is dense is reliably ensured. The entire area of the pipe 68 is covered, and the waste toner is more difficult to enter the pipe 68.

  Further, since the contact area between the spiral blade 62 and the inner peripheral wall of the pipe 68 is increased as compared with the case where the inside of the pipe 68 is set to the first interval L1, the unit area between the inner wall of the pipe 68 and the spiral blade 62 is increased. The amount of friction is reduced, and noise when the conveying means 64 rotates is reduced.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the second interval L2 of the spiral blade 62 extends from the entire inner area of the pipe 68 to a part of the outer area, but the waste toner reaches the opening 68a of the pipe 68. In order to make it difficult, the distance L <b> 2 only needs to be located at a position facing at least the end of the pipe 68. However, if the second interval L2 is not more than one turn of the spiral blade 62, it is considered that the waste toner prevention effect more effective than the first interval L1 cannot be obtained.

  In this embodiment, the spiral blade 62 is provided in the entire area of the rotating shaft 63, but it is sufficient if it is formed outside the pipe 68 at a location overlapping with the waste toner collecting port 58. That is, it suffices if the portion having the first interval L1 of the spiral blade 62 is formed at a portion overlapping the waste toner collection port 58.

  If the spiral blades 62 are formed only at locations where the spiral blades 62 overlap with the recovery port 58 outside the pipe 68, the amount of waste toner increases at a portion facing the recovery port 58 where the amount of waste toner tends to increase. And the surface area of the spiral blade 62, which is a member to which waste toner may adhere, is reduced.

  It should be noted that waste toner does not easily enter the pipe 68 by changing the inclination of the spiral blade 62 at locations corresponding to the first interval L1 and the second interval L2. That is, the inclination of the spiral blade 62 at the position corresponding to the first interval L1 is defined as the first inclination, and the inclination of the spiral blade 62 at the position corresponding to the second interval L2 is set to the rotation axis more than the first inclination. If the second inclination is inclined in the direction of 63, the space between the spiral blades 62 at the portion overlapping with the end of the pipe 68 becomes dense and the waste toner is accommodated, as in the case where the intervals are different. The waste toner that has collapsed when the waste toner collection box 50 is removed is less likely to enter the pipe 68.

  In the spiral blade 62, either the blade interval or the blade inclination may be made different, but both the interval and the inclination may be made different. In addition, when a blade | wing is made flat, a space | interval and inclination can be changed independently.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 16, the phase of the conveyance end Z1 of the first blade 62a and the phase of the conveyance end Z2 of the second blade 62b are different, and in this embodiment, the phases of both are reversed. (It differs by about 180 °).

  According to such a structure, the time for the waste toner transported by the first blade 62a to reach the transport end Z1 and the time for the waste toner transported by the second blade 62b to reach the transport end Z2 are set. Be sure to be different. As a result, the falling timing of the waste toner transported by the first blade 62a and the falling timing of the waste toner transported by the second blade 62b are different, so that at the transport terminal Z1 and Z2 where the waste toner is collected. It is prevented that the waste toner is jammed and the opening 68a of the pipe 68 is clogged.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the phase of the conveyance end Z1 of the first blade 62a and the phase of the conveyance end Z2 of the second blade 62b are reversed, so the waste conveyed by the first blade 62a. The toner and the waste toner conveyed by the second blade 62b fall alternately from the opening 68a of the pipe 68 to the detection chamber 67. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably prevent waste toner from being jammed at the conveyance end Z1 and Z2.

  However, the phase of the conveyance end Z1 of the first blade 62a and the phase of the conveyance end Z2 of the second blade 62b may be different from each other, and until the phase is reversed as in the present embodiment. There is no need.

  Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example in all respects and is limited to the disclosed technology. Should not be considered. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above-described embodiment, but should be construed according to the description of the scope of claims. All modifications are included without departing from the technical scope equivalent to the described technique and the gist of the claims.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the blades of the transport unit 64 include the first blade 62 a and the second blade 62 b that transport waste toner toward the center from both directions of the rotating shaft 63. If the blades 62a and 62b have a structure that does not change the phase of the conveyance end, the conveying means is configured by a blade having only one winding direction for conveying waste toner in one direction of the rotating shaft 63. May be.

  In the above description, the case where the developer collection container of the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus that records a color image is shown, but it may be applied to an image forming apparatus that records a monochrome image.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 50 Waste toner collection box 51 Front cover 52 Rear cover 52a Side wall 53 Lock piece 53a Upper surface 54 Projection part 55 Hole part 56 Plate piece 57 Plate piece attachment part 58 Collection port 59 Shutter 60 Torsion spring 61 Storage chamber 62 Spiral blade 62a First blade 62b Second blade 63 Rotating shaft 64 Conveying means 65 Bearing 66 Transmission unit 67 Detection chamber 67a Inlet 67b Introduction path 67c Sensing chamber 68 Pipe 68a Opening 68b Peripheral wall 68c Partition wall 69 Light transmission type sensor S1 Boundary position S2 End position Z1, Z2 Transport end

Claims (11)

A collection port for collecting the developer;
A first storage portion located below the recovery port and storing the developer dropped from the recovery port;
An inlet is provided above and provided separately from the first storage portion so that the developer does not enter from other than the entrance, and a part of the developer stored in the first storage portion passes through the entrance. A second housing section to enter;
The first container is provided at a predetermined height so that when the developer of a certain amount or more is deposited in the first container, the developer exceeding the certain amount is conveyed. Conveying means;
A member that is provided along the transport unit between the first storage unit and the inlet and into which the developer transported by the transport unit enters;
With
After reaching a predetermined height in the first storage unit, the developer that has been transported by the transport unit and has entered the member is further transported by the transport unit in the member, Entering the second housing through the entrance,
A developer recovery container. The second container is a detection chamber in which the presence or absence of the developer that has flowed into the second container is optically detected.
The developer recovery container according to claim 1, wherein The conveying means is a conveying means having a rotating shaft and a spiral blade formed around the rotating shaft, and the spiral blade is also formed in a region where the member is provided in the conveying direction by the conveying means. Yes,
The developer collecting container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The transport means includes a region where a spiral blade is not formed at least at a part above the inlet, and the developer that enters the member and is further transported by the spiral blade of the transport means in the member is , It falls above the inlet and in the region where the spiral blade is not formed, and enters the second accommodating portion through the inlet.
The developer collecting container according to claim 3. The distance between the spiral blades of the transport means is
A first interval at a location overlapping with the recovery port in the axial direction of the rotation shaft;
Having a second interval narrower than the first interval located at a location facing the end of the member in the axial direction of the rotating shaft,
The developer recovery container according to claim 3 or 4, The inclination of the spiral blade of the conveying means is
A first inclination at a location overlapping with the recovery port in the axial direction of the rotation shaft;
A second slope that is located in a position facing the end of the member in the axial direction of the rotation axis and is inclined in the direction of the rotation axis rather than the first inclination;
The developer collection container according to claim 3, wherein the developer collection container is a container. The second interval extends from the entire inner area of the member to a part of the outer side.
The developer collecting container according to claim 5, wherein The second inclination extends from the entire inner area of the member to a part of the outer side,
The developer collecting container according to claim 6. The spiral blade includes a first blade and a second blade that convey the developer toward the center from both directions of the rotation shaft, and the phase of the conveyance end of the first blade and the second blade The phase of the transport end of
The developer collecting container according to claim 3, wherein the developer collecting container is a container. The phase at the conveyance end of the first blade is opposite to the phase at the conveyance end of the second blade,
The developer recovery container according to claim 9.   An image forming apparatus to which the developer recovery container according to claim 1 is attached.

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