JPS6358357B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a developer recovery device used for development in a copying machine or the like.

For example, a magnetic brush developing device is used to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor or electrostatic recording paper of a copying machine or an electrostatic recording device into a visible image. This magnetic brush developing device magnetically carries the dry developer in the casing of the developing device on the circumferential surface of the developing roller to form a spike of developer, which is brought into contact with the electrostatic latent image to develop it. This is what we do.

In such a developing device, the developer in the casing is collected when the life of the developer expires or when the proportion of foreign matter such as fine paper dust becomes high. The collection method consists of a part of the side wall of the casing unit, the lid of the casing unit, etc. that is rotatable, which guides the developed developer from the developing roller to the outside of the casing, and stores it in a separate collection container. It was accommodated appropriately. Conventionally, this collection container was not configured to be stored in the copying machine, etc., and a full-time maintenance person carried it with him when collecting developer, or the collection container was installed separately in the copying machine, etc. It was stored on a special stand. Therefore, there is a risk that the collection container may be lost when carrying the device, and there are also disadvantages in that the number of portable devices for a dedicated custodian increases.

Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, since the side wall of the developing unit, the lid of the unit, etc. are used as guide means for the collected developer, the outside of the unit may be contaminated, the developer may fall to the outside, or The developer is not guided smoothly to the collection container,
There was a problem where the machine got stuck in the middle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a developer recovery device that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

In FIG. 1, a developer, for example a two-component developer consisting of toner and carrier, is contained in a casing 2 of a developing device 1 of a copying machine. The developer in the casing 2 is drawn up by a pumping roller 3 and supplied to a developing roller 4. The developer supplied to the developing roller 4 and carried on its peripheral surface forms the ears of a magnetic brush. Further, this ear is adjusted to an appropriate height by the doctor 5, and then the ear of the magnetic brush comes into contact with the drum-shaped photoreceptor 6, developer is supplied to the photoreceptor, and the electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor is The latent image is developed.

In FIG. 1, a developer recovery opening 8 is provided on the right side wall of the casing 2, and this opening is normally closed by an opening/closing plate 9, which is inserted into the casing. By removing the opening 8, the opening 8 can be opened and closed. A scraper member 11 is provided extending from the developing roller 4 to the opening 8, and when collecting the developer, the scraper member 11 scrapes off the developer on the developing roller 4 with a doctor part 11a and guides it to the opening 8. ,
In addition, during printing, the developer scraped off by the doctor section 11a is guided down to the bottom of the casing. The developer guided to the bottom of the casing is again pumped up by the pumping roller 3 and circulated within the developing device.

As shown in FIG. 4 (view from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1), the scraper member 11 is provided with, for example, about eight stirring blades 12. The developer is stirred with the developer on the rear side to make the developer uniform, and the developer is caused to flow down to the bottom of the casing.

A quenching lamp unit 13 having a built-in quenching lamp 13a for improving the transfer effect, a turn guide plate 14 for guiding the transfer sheet S, and a container guide 16 for allowing the developer recovery container 15 to be freely inserted and removed. is formed into an integral unit, and the leg portions of the unit mounting plate 17 are supported by both guides 18 and 19.

The developer recovery container 15 is normally stored in the body of the copying apparatus, with the developer collection container 15 attached to the container guide 16. A developer recovery guide plate 22 is provided inside the recovery container 15 and is rotatable together with and around the shaft 21.
As shown in FIG. 5, the proximal end of a lever 23 is fixed to the shaft end protruding to the outside of the container.

Here, the developer recovery container 15 is normally stored in the copying machine as shown in FIG. In this state, in order to recover the developer inside the casing 2 to the outside of the casing in order to replace the developer, first, the unit mounting plate 17
, along with the quenching lamp unit 13, turn guide plate 14, and developer recovery container 15, are pulled out from both guides 18 and 19 toward the front side, and further,
The collection container 15 is pulled out from the container guide 16. Next, the opening/closing plate 9 is pulled out toward the front to open the developer recovery opening 8. After this, the collection container 15 is inserted between the guides 18 and 19 as shown in FIG. 2 in the attitude shown in FIG. 3, and the lever 23 shown in FIG. 3 is manually moved to the position shown in FIG. Rotate the developer collection guide plate 2 to the scraper member 11.
2, the tip 22a of the scraper member 11 is brought into contact with the hanging guide portion 11a of the scraper member 11.

In this state, when a recovery drive switch (not shown) provided inside the copying machine is pressed down, the pumping roller 3 and the developing roller 4 will each rotate in the direction of the arrow through a drive motor (not shown). ing. Then, the developed developer on the developing roller 4 is transferred to the doctor section 1 of the scraper member 11.
1b, and is guided to the collection container 15 via the developer collection guide plate 22 of the collection container 15 while falling on the scraper member, and is stored in the collection container 15.

If the capacity of the developer stored in the collection container 15 exceeds the amount of developer in the casing 2, the collected developer in the collection container 15 is discarded in several parts, and the collection is repeated several times. Repeat several times. By the way, in FIG. 2, the scraper member 11
If there is a gap in the mutual contact area between the developer recovery guide plate 22 and the developer collection guide plate 22 due to accuracy issues,
There is a possibility that the developer may fall from the contact area.
In order to deal with this problem, a flexible projecting plate 24 made of Mylar (trade name) or the like may be attached to the scraper member 11 as shown in the figure. With this configuration, the scraper member 11 and the developer The developer can be smoothly transferred at the boundary with the collection guide plate 22, and the developer can be completely collected.

After the developer is collected, lever 2 in Fig.
3 clockwise to store the developer recovery guide plate 22 in the recovery container 15 as shown in FIG. Container guide 1 in Figure 1
6, and also attach the unit mounting plate 17 to the quenching lamp unit 13 and turn guide plate 1.
4. Insert the collection container 15 into both guides 18 and 19. At the same time, the opening/closing plate 9 that was removed
is inserted to close the developer recovery opening 8. In this way, the developer can be easily collected by simply performing both the insertion and removal operations of the opening/closing plate 9 and the rotation operation of the lever 23. In addition, in conventional devices, the side wall of the developing unit is configured to be rotatable, and is used to guide and guide the developer. There is a risk that the rotating function may be impaired. However, in the apparatus of the present invention, the developer collection guide plate 22 that achieves this type of function is provided on the collection container 15 side, and the drawbacks of the conventional apparatus described above can be eliminated.

In the above embodiment, a copying machine equipped with this type of developing device is applied, but the present invention can also be applied to an electrostatic recording device equipped with such a developing device.

As described above, according to the present invention, the developer collection container is configured to be stored inside the machine of the copying machine, electrostatic recording device, etc., so there is no need for a dedicated maintenance person to carry the collection container. There is no need to provide a dedicated installation stand outside the device. Furthermore, the developer collection guide plate is provided in the developer collection container, and compared to conventional devices, it is possible to prevent contamination of the developer unit itself and prevention of developer falling around the unit. . Furthermore, the structure of the developing unit itself can be simplified, and the developer recovery operation is also easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a developer recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a mode in which developer recovery is performed by the same recovery device, and FIG. 3 is a developer recovery device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the collection container showing a state in which the container is set at a position for collection, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a scraper member, and FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the developer collection container. 2...Casing, 4...Developing roller, 6...
Photoreceptor, 8...Developer recovery opening, 11...Scraper member, 15...Developer recovery container, 22...
Developer collection guide plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A casing that accommodates a developer; a developing roller that carries the developer in the casing on its circumferential surface and supplies the developer to the photoreceptor; and a developer provided in the casing so as to be openable and closable. a developer recovery opening; a scraper member that scrapes the developed developer on the developing roller and guides the developer downward toward the developer recovery opening; and a developer recovery guide plate; , a developer collection container that can be inserted into and removed from the machine body, and is normally placed in a storage position within the machine body, and when collecting developer, the developer recovery guide plate is connected to the scraper member through the opening. A developer recovery device comprising: a developer recovery container that is replaced at a developer recovery position and causes the developer flowing down on the scraper member to flow in through the developer recovery guide plate.