JPH065438B2 - Electrostatic recording device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device, and more particularly, to a small electrostatic recording device that is easy to perform maintenance operations.

(Prior Art) In a recent electrostatic recording apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, it is possible to perform copying on plain paper and is suitable for high-speed processing. Therefore, dry development using powder toner is possible. The method has come into wide use. In this developing method, a magnetic developer is used, which comes into contact with the charged intermediate image carrier (photoconductor), and the developer toner adheres to the charged portion of the intermediate image carrier and is visualized as a toner image. The toner image on the intermediate image carrier is transferred to plain paper (recording paper) and is fixed by a fixing device to become a storable image.

On the other hand, the residual toner that has not been transferred to the recording paper during the above-mentioned transfer reaches the cleaning device while being attached to the intermediate image carrier, is scraped off by a cleaning blade or the like, and is collected in the cleaning device. The toner thus collected in the cleaning device gradually accumulates and becomes difficult to store in the cleaning device.Therefore, the collected toner is discharged to the outside of the device or collected in a bag or box, or A method of automatically collecting again in the developing device is adopted.

Due to the above-mentioned circumstances, in the above-described cleaning device, it is inevitably necessary to increase the area and volume of the toner storage portion, or a box or bag for collecting the toner discharged outside the device is always used. However, there are problems to be improved such as the necessity of preparation, and the need for regular or irregular maintenance and labor for collecting such toner.

In particular, enlarging the toner storage portion in the cleaning device results in an increase in size of the electrophotographic copying machine, which is inconvenient.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to increase the size of a toner storage portion of a cleaning device so that an electrostatic recording device such as the copying machine does not become large in size, and a recording paper that runs is used. To provide an electrostatic recording device capable of collecting residual toner without contaminating the inside of the device or the inside of the device, and further, easy and compact maintenance operation such as regular and irregular maintenance inspection. To provide an electrostatic recording device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The problems of the present invention are solved by the following technical means.

A recording paper conveyer disposed along the peripheral surface of the intermediate image carrier at least at an image exposure position, a transfer electrode, a cleaning device, a charge eliminating device, and a position in the vicinity of the transfer electrode so as to be in contact with the intermediate image carrier. An electrostatic recording device having a path as a detachable unit, wherein a toner conveying screw is provided in parallel with the axis of the intermediate image carrier in a cleaning device for scraping and cleaning residual toner from the intermediate image carrier. The scraped toner is conveyed to one end of the cleaning device by the toner conveying screw and dropped to the lower storage part provided substantially parallel to the intermediate image carrier shaft and the cleaning device. In addition, the cleaning device and the storage part communicate with each other at one end, and the bottom part of the cleaning device and the ceiling part of the storage part side wall the outer wall of the one side communication part. The formed gap forms a space for the recording paper conveyance path, and a toner conveyance screw of the same shape is provided in the storage section in parallel with the toner conveyance screw provided in the cleaning device. Is an electrostatic recording device characterized by being driven in conjunction with an intermediate image carrier.

(Examples) Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to Examples of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an exposure optical system for projecting a light image on a photoreceptor 2 as an intermediate image carrier, and the light source used is, for example, a laser beam, which is generally used halogen. It may be a lamp or the like. Reference numeral 3 is a charging device, and 4 is a developing device.
The electrostatic latent image formed above is visualized as a toner image by the developing device 4.

The toner image formed on the photoconductor 2 reaches the transfer position as the photoconductor 2 rotates, and causes the transfer electrode 5 to transfer the toner image onto the recording paper fed from the paper feed cassette 6. The recording paper on which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photoconductor 2 with the help of the separating electrode 7, is conveyed by the conveying roller 8 through the conveying path 16, and is ejected onto the ejection tray 10 via the guide member 9. To be paper.

On the other hand, the photoconductor 2 onto which the toner image has been transferred continues to rotate and reaches the cleaning device 11, where the cleaning blade
The residual toner is scraped off by 12 and cleaned. The scraped toner is accumulated in the cleaning device 11 by the rotation of the guide roller 13, but as the accumulated amount increases, the toner storage screws provided below the recording paper transport path 16 by the toner transport screws 14 and 15 to be described later. It is transported to section 17 and accumulated.

The photoconductor 2 from which the residual toner has been scraped off is finally discharged with a residual charge by the static elimination lamp 18 and is reused.

In the electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention, the photoconductor, the cleaning device, and the developer toner storage unit are unitized, and are detachably attached to the apparatus main body to perform various maintenance inspections and treatment of collected toner. Making it easier.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the unit section of the electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention.

The unit including the photoconductor, the cleaning device, and the developer toner storage unit according to the present invention includes a charging device 3, a transfer electrode 5, a separation electrode 7, among the photoconductor 2 and devices arranged around the photoconductor. It includes a cleaning device 11, a developer toner accumulating portion 17, a recording paper conveyance path 16 and an optical path guide 19 for a discharge lamp 18 (see FIG. 1). Then, the unit according to the present invention is detachably attached to the main body of the electrostatic recording apparatus as described above.

The feature of the unit according to the present invention is that the developer toner scraped off by the blade 12 of the cleaning device 11 is used.
This is because the (T) storage unit 17 is provided below the recording paper conveyance path 16. That is, in the conventional electrostatic recording device, the developer toner scraped off by the cleaning device is accumulated in the toner storage portion provided in the cleaning device, and is separately prepared when the accumulated amount exceeds the specified amount. It is transferred to a container such as a bag and discarded, or is sent to the developing device for reuse by an automatic regenerating device provided in association with the cleaning device.

As described above, in the conventional device, since the developer toner storage portion is provided in the cleaning device, the cleaning device itself also serves as the toner storage portion, so that the size tends to be large. It becomes a big obstacle when you do.

Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in the figure, the cleaning device and the developer toner (T) reservoir are formed separately, and the reservoir is provided in the space below the recording paper conveyance path. The cleaning device can be downsized.

Further, in the present invention, as described above, since the periphery of the photosensitive member, the cleaning device, and the developer toner (T) accumulating portion are unitized and can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body, there is an advantage that the maintenance operability is excellent.

In the unit according to the present invention, the toner scraped off by the blade 12 is the toner transport screw 14
Is conveyed to the side wall of the conveying path 16 and dropped into the accumulating portion 17, and is further accumulated by the toner conveying screw 15 from the end of the accumulating portion 17 to the central portion so as to be substantially even at the bottom. To be transported.

The configuration of the toner conveying screw will be described with reference to the following embodiments of the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning device and a developer toner storage section according to the present invention.

The developer toner scraped off by the blade 12 (see FIG. 2) is guided by the rotation of the guide roller 13 (see FIG. 2) so as not to come into contact with the photoconductor 2, and is placed on the toner conveying screw 14. The developer toner carried on the toner carrying screw 14 is carried in the direction of the arrow in the figure in accordance with the rotation of the toner carrying screw 14, and is carried so as to cross the upper part of the carrying path 16 of the recording paper (P). The developer toner that has reached the side wall portion of the portion 16 drops along the side wall portion and is scattered on the toner conveying screw 15. The developer toner sprinkled on the toner carrying screw 15 is carried in the direction of the arrow as the toner carrying screw 15 rotates simultaneously with the toner carrying screw 14 (described later), and is accumulated in the accumulating portion 17.
Are accumulated almost evenly on the bottom of the. Reference numeral 20 in the drawing denotes a joint cover that covers the rotation shafts of the toner conveying screws 14 and 15. Further, as is clear from this figure, the upper side plate of the developer toner storage section 17 also serves as a guide plate of the conveyance path 16 for the recording paper (P). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the drive system for the toner conveying screws 14 and 15.

In the figure, 21 is a drum drive gear for rotating the photoconductor 2,
It is rotated by an operation signal of an electrostatic recording device (not shown).

Reference numeral 22 denotes an idler gear, which plays a role of successively transmitting the rotation of the drum driving gear 21 to the rotation gear 23 of the toner carrying screw 15 and the rotation gear 24 of the toner carrying screw 14.

Further, in the figure, 25a and 25b are handles for pulling out the unit according to the present invention from the apparatus main body as necessary, and in the illustrated embodiment, it is possible to pull it upward. In the invention, the unit is not necessarily drawn out upward.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the present invention, the storage portion for the developer toner scraped off by the cleaning device is provided in the cavity below the recording paper transport path, and the toner transport screw is provided for both the cleaning device and the storage portion. By providing the toner, it is possible to efficiently and evenly store the toner while keeping the apparatus main body compact, and it is possible to greatly extend the period until the toner is taken out and the collecting device is used. , The handling of the equipment has become easier and the operating rate has improved remarkably. Also, since the photoconductor, the cleaning device, and the developer toner storage unit are unitized and detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, the electrostatic recording apparatus can be downsized, and the maintenance operability of the apparatus is improved. It has excellent advantages.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a unit portion of the same apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a cleaning device of the same unit portion and developer toner storage. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a part, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a drive system of the toner conveying screw. 2 ... Photosensitive member 3 ... Charging device 5 ... Transfer electrode 7 ... Separation electrode 11 ... Cleaning device 12 ... Cleaning blade 14, 15 ... Toner conveying screw 16 ... Conveying path 17 ... Developer toner accumulating section 19 ... Static elimination lamp optical path Guides 23, 24… Gear for rotation T… Toner

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An intermediate image carrier and its peripheral surface are arranged to be in contact with the intermediate image carrier at least at an image exposure position, a transfer electrode, a cleaning device, a static eliminator, and a position near the transfer electrode. An electrostatic recording device having a recording paper conveyance path as a detachable unit, in which a residual toner is scraped off from the intermediate image carrier and cleaned in parallel with the axis of the intermediate image carrier. A toner conveying screw is provided, and the scraped toner is conveyed to one end of the cleaning device by the toner conveying screw, and the lower storage unit provided substantially parallel to the intermediate image carrier shaft and the cleaning device. The cleaning device and the storage part communicate with each other at one end, and the bottom part of the cleaning device and the ceiling part of the storage part communicate with each other on one side. Department The gap formed by using the outer wall as a side wall forms a space for a transport path for the recording paper, and a toner transport screw of the same shape is provided in the storage portion in parallel with the toner transport screw provided in the cleaning device. The electrostatic recording device is characterized in that both screws are driven in conjunction with the intermediate image carrier.