Toner delivery device and imaging equipment

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a toner delivery device, comprising a container, a rotating member having a protrusion inside the container, and a toner stirring member. A first region and a second region located on opposite sides are disposed inside the rotation trajectory of the rotating member when the rotating member is not in contact with the inner surface of the container. The protrusion is disposed between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a second straight line is perpendicular to a first straight line dividing the rotation trajectory and passes through the rotation center of the rotating member, and the first position is located within the second region. In the second position, a third straight line perpendicular to a contact line passing through the contact point between the container and the stirring member passes through the rotation center when the stirring member deforms, and the second position is located within the second region. This disclosure also relates to an imaging device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner delivery device and an imaging device including the toner delivery device. Background Technology

[0002] For example, an electrophotographic imaging device (hereinafter referred to as an imaging device) using an electrophotographic printer may be provided with a toner delivery device for delivering toner. For instance, the toner delivery device is provided to deliver toner to be supplied to a developing unit, or to collect toner remaining on an image-bearing member, such as a photosensitive drum or transfer belt, after image formation, and then deliver the collected toner. One known toner delivery device includes, inside a toner container, a stirring member for agitating the stored toner, and a delivery member for delivering toner to and from the toner container.

[0003] In the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-174724, a film-shaped stirring member is disposed on a rotating shaft inside a toner container, and the end of the stirring member slides on the inner surface of the toner container while rotating, in a bent state and in contact with the inner surface of the toner container. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In this configuration, the rotating shaft is typically made of resin, and depending on the rigidity of the rotating shaft, the thickness of the stirring member, and the distance between the end of the stirring member and the inner surface of the toner container, the rotating shaft may bend due to the reaction force from the inner surface of the toner container acting on the stirring member. Furthermore, when stored for extended periods in a high-temperature environment with the stirring member subjected to this reaction force from the inner surface of the toner container, the rotating shaft may undergo creep deformation. If the rotating shaft has already bent in a direction away from the inner surface of the toner container due to creep deformation, the toner delivery force of the rotating shaft and the conveying member may decrease.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a toner delivery device and imaging equipment that can ensure stable toner delivery force over a long period of time.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the toner delivery device of the present invention includes the following:

[0007] A container configured to hold a toner;

[0008] A rotating member, rotatably disposed inside the container and extending in the direction of its rotation axis, the rotating member having a protruding portion projecting in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis; and

[0009] A flexible, sheet-like stirring member is disposed on the outer periphery of a rotating member and fixed to the rotating member at one end. By rotating the rotating member, the stirring member can stir the toner.

[0010] The stirring component contacts and deforms against the inner surface of the container as the rotating component rotates, wherein...

[0011] When observing the rotating member in a cross-section orthogonal to the axis of rotation, the radius of the rotation trajectory formed by the rotation of the rotating member is defined as the line segment connecting the free end of the stirring member and the center of rotation of the rotating member in a state where the free end is in contact with the inner surface of the container without deformation.

[0012] In the case where the phase in which the free end contacts and deforms the inner surface of the container is defined as the first phase, and the phase in which the free end does not contact the inner surface of the container is defined as the second phase,

[0013] Wherein, when the rotation trajectory is divided into two parts by a first straight line, and the free end is located in the first phase, the region where the free end is arranged is defined as the first region, and the region on the opposite side of the first region, separated by the first straight line, is defined as the second region. The first straight line is parallel to the extension direction of the stirring member and passes through the rotation center of the rotating member.

[0014] The protruding portion is partially disposed in the circumferential direction of the rotating member, and at least a portion of the protruding portion is disposed between the following positions:

[0015] In the first position, a second straight line intersects the rotation trajectory, the second straight line is perpendicular to the first straight line and passes through the rotation center of the rotating member, and the first position is located in the second region in the rotation direction of the rotating member.

[0016] In the second position, where the rotation trajectory is divided into two parts by a third straight line, the third straight line intersects the rotation trajectory, and the second position is located within the second region.

[0017] and

[0018] In the first phase, the following straight line is defined as the third straight line, which is perpendicular to the contact line passing through the contact point formed by the inner surface of the container and the stirring member in its deformed state, passes through the center of rotation and intersects the rotation trajectory.

[0019] To achieve the above objectives, the imaging device of the present invention further includes the following:

[0020] The imaging section includes an image carrier member carrying a toner image and a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the image carrier member to a transfer target;

[0021] A cleaning unit, the cleaning unit being used to remove the toner from the image-bearing member; and

[0022] A toner collection device that collects the toner removed from the image-bearing member by the cleaning unit, wherein...

[0023] The toner collection device includes a toner delivery device according to the present invention.

[0024] According to the present invention, the toner delivery force of the toner delivery device can be kept stable for a long period of time.

[0025] Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of the imaging device according to this embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view showing the schematic structure of the intermediate transfer unit;

[0028] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram showing the drive-side structure of the intermediate transfer unit;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the cleaning unit;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the stirring unit;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the cleaning unit;

[0032] Figure 7A and Figure 7BThis is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the cleaning unit for toner delivery;

[0033] Figure 8A and Figure 8B This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the cleaning unit;

[0034] Figures 9A to 9C This is a diagram showing the rotating shaft and stirring component of Embodiment 1;

[0035] Figures 10A to 10C This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the shape of the protruding portion;

[0036] Figure 11A and Figure 11B This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the shape of a rotation axis;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the stirring unit;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic arrow view showing a portion of the stirring unit;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic perspective view of the container body;

[0040] Figure 15 This is a schematic enlarged view showing the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the container body;

[0041] Figure 16 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the toner delivery unit;

[0042] Figure 17 This is a schematic perspective view of the container body;

[0043] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram showing the formation location of the protruding portion in Example 1; and

[0044] Figure 19A and Figure 19B This is a diagram showing the state of the rotating shaft and stirring component in Example 2. Specific Implementation

[0045] In the following description, embodiments (examples) of the invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in the embodiments can be appropriately varied depending on the construction of the device to which the invention is applied, various conditions, etc. Therefore, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the following embodiments.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] Imaging equipment

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the imaging device 100 of this embodiment. The imaging device 100 of this embodiment is a so-called tandem imaging device (full-color laser printer) having multiple imaging sections Sa to Sd. The first imaging section Sa forms an image using a yellow (Y) toner, the second imaging section Sb forms an image using a magenta (M) toner, the third imaging section Sc forms an image using a cyan (C) toner, and the fourth imaging section Sd forms an image using a black (Bk) toner. These four imaging sections are arranged in a row at regular intervals, and most of their structure is substantially the same, except for the color of the toner contained therein. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the subscripts a, b, c, and d assigned to the reference numerals in the figures to indicate that the elements are set for the corresponding colors will be omitted, and a general description will be given.

[0049] The imaging section S (Sa, Sb, Sc, Sd) includes a photosensitive drum 1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) as a drum-shaped photosensitive component, a charging roller 2 (charging rollers 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) as a charging component for charging the photosensitive drum 1, a developing unit 4 (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), and a drum cleaning unit 6 (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) (cleaning device). In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 1, the charging roller 2, the developing unit 4, and the drum cleaning unit 6 are integrally formed into a box and constitute a processing box 19 (19a, 19b, 19c, 19d), which can be detachably attached to the main body of the imaging device 100.

[0050] The photosensitive drum 1 is an image-carrying member that carries the toner image and is driven to rotate at a predetermined processing speed in the direction of arrow R1 shown in the figure. The developing unit 4 contains the toner as a developer (in this embodiment, a non-magnetic single-component developer) and has developing rollers 41 (41a, 41b, 41c, 41d) as developing members for developing the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 using the toner, and a developing blade (not shown) as a developer control member. The toner contained in the developing unit 4 is carried on the developing roller 41 at a position where the developing blade and the developing roller 41 face each other, and then, as the developing roller 41 rotates, the toner is conveyed to the portion of the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 41 facing each other (the developing portion).

[0051] The drum cleaning unit 6 is used to collect toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 1. The drum cleaning unit 6 has a cleaning component, such as a brush or cleaning blade, that contacts the photosensitive drum 1, and a waste toner container that holds toner and the like removed from the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning component.

[0052] Exposure unit 3 may be constructed from a laser scanner unit that uses a multifaceted mirror, an LED array, or other scanning laser beams, and in this embodiment, a laser scanner unit is used. Although details will be described below, exposure unit 3 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of photosensitive drum 1 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 1 with scanning beams 18 (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) based on image signal modulation.

[0053] When the imaging operation is initiated by a control unit (not shown) that receives the image signal, the photosensitive drum 1 is driven to rotate. During the rotation process, the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential (charging potential) with a predetermined polarity (negative in this embodiment) via the charging roller 2, with voltage applied from a charging power source (not shown) to the charging roller, and a scanning beam 18 corresponding to the image signal is emitted from the exposure unit 3. Thus, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to each color component image of the target color image is formed in each imaging section S. Then, the electrostatic latent image is developed at the developing position by a developing roller 41 with voltage applied from a developing power source (not shown), and the latent image is visualized on the photosensitive drum 1 as a toner image.

[0054] In this embodiment, the normal charging polarity of the toner contained in the developing unit 4 is negative. In this embodiment, the electrostatic latent image is reverse-developed using a toner charged to the same polarity as the photosensitive drum 1 charged by the charging member 2. However, the present invention can also be applied to imaging devices in which the electrostatic latent image is forward-developed using a toner charged to the opposite polarity to the photosensitive drum 1.

[0055] An intermediate transfer belt 71 (image carrier member), which is an annular and movable intermediate transfer member, is arranged at a position in contact with each photosensitive drum 1 of each imaging section S, and is tensioned by three rollers (i.e., a drive roller 72, a tension roller 73, and a driven roller 74, which serve as tensioning members). The intermediate transfer belt 71 is tensioned under a predetermined tension applied by the tension roller 73, and moves in the direction of arrow R2 in the figure by the rotation of the drive roller 72, which is rotated by receiving a driving force. Although details will be described below, the intermediate transfer belt 71 of this embodiment includes multiple layers.

[0056] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 71 in one pass through the primary transfer portion N1 (N1a, N1b, N1c, N1d) where the photosensitive drum 1 and the intermediate transfer belt 71 are in contact with each other. At this time, a voltage with a polarity opposite to the normal charging polarity of the toner (positive in this embodiment) is applied to the primary transfer rollers 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) from the primary transfer power source (not shown). Afterward, the toner that has not yet been transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 71 and remains on the photosensitive drum 1 is collected by the drum cleaning unit 6 and removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Here, the primary transfer roller 5 is a primary transfer member (contact member) disposed at a position corresponding to the photosensitive drum 1 (where the intermediate transfer belt 71 is disposed between the primary transfer roller and the photosensitive drum) and is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0057] In this manner, toner images of each color formed in each imaging section S are sequentially superimposed on each other and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 71 in each single transfer section N1. Thus, a four-color toner image corresponding to the target color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0058] Based on the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 by the exposure unit 3, the transfer material P (recording material), which serves as a transfer component and is loaded in the paper feed cassette 11 (serving part), is fed by the paper feed roller 12 and then transported by the transport roller 13. Then, at the moment when the four-tone toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 71 reaches the secondary transfer section N2 formed by the contact between the secondary transfer roller 8 and the intermediate transfer belt 71, the transfer material P is transported to the secondary transfer section N2 by the transport roller 13. Afterwards, the four-tone toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 71 is integrally transferred a second time onto the surface of the transfer material P (e.g., paper or OHP sheet) fed by the paper feed roller 12.

[0059] The secondary transfer roller 8 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71, and a pressure of 50 N is applied to the drive roller 72, which is positioned facing the secondary transfer roller 8 to form the secondary transfer section N2 (where the intermediate transfer belt 71 is disposed between the secondary transfer roller and the drive roller). The four-tone toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 71 is integrally transferred to the surface of the transfer material P as it passes through the secondary transfer section N2. At this time, a voltage with a polarity opposite to the normal charging polarity of the toner (positive in this embodiment) is applied to the secondary transfer roller 8 from the secondary transfer power source (not shown). The configuration associated with this secondary transfer corresponds to the transfer unit of the present invention.

[0060] Then, in the fixing device 10, which serves as the fixing unit, the transfer material P, onto which the four-tone toner image has been transferred via secondary transfer, is heated and pressurized, causing the four-tone toner to melt, mix, and be fixed onto the transfer material P. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 71 after the secondary transfer is cleaned and removed by the cleaning unit 9 (collection unit), which is located downstream of the secondary transfer section N2 in the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0061] The cleaning unit 9 is a collection member that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 at a position facing the drive roller 72, and has an elastic cleaning blade 91 formed of polyurethane rubber or the like. The toner collected from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the cleaning blade 91 is conveyed toward a collection container 75 disposed in an area formed by the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71, and is collected in the collection container 75. In the following description, the cleaning blade 91 is simply referred to as the blade 91. The blade 91 is arranged at a position facing the drive roller 72, with the intermediate transfer belt 71 disposed between the blade and the drive roller. Furthermore, the blade 91 contacts the intermediate transfer belt 71 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 71. Details of the cleaning unit 9 and the collection container 75 will be described below.

[0062] In the imaging device 100 of this embodiment, a full-color printed image is formed through the above operations.

[0063] Here, in the imaging device 100 of this embodiment, the transfer material P is conveyed in the vertically upward direction relative to the secondary transfer portion N2 in the direction of gravity. In this embodiment, as... Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning unit 9 is arranged above the drive roller 72 in the direction of gravity.

[0064] Furthermore, in the imaging device 100 of this embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt 71, the cleaning unit 9, and the collection container 75 are integrally formed and configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the imaging device 100 as the intermediate transfer unit 7.

[0065] In the foregoing, as an explanation of the imaging operation in the imaging apparatus 100 of this embodiment, an example of forming an image using four imaging portions Sa to Sd has been described. However, the imaging apparatus 100 may also form a monochrome or panchromatic image by performing imaging using one or more (but not all) desired imaging portions S.

[0066] Intermediate transfer unit

[0067] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 4 Describe the structure of intermediate transfer unit 7. Figure 2This is a schematic perspective view showing the schematic structure of the intermediate transfer unit 7. For simplicity, the intermediate transfer belt 71 is not shown here. Figure 2 As shown in the image. Figure 3A When viewed from the direction of arrow AA (side AA) in the diagram. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the intermediate transfer unit 7. This is a simplified exploded schematic diagram showing the structure of the cleaning unit 9. Figure 3B This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the toner delivery path from the interior of the toner delivery section 92 through the toner delivery path 761 to the inlet 763 of the collection container 75. Furthermore, Figure 4 When viewed from the direction of arrow BB shown in the diagram Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the intermediate transfer unit 7 shown in the figure.

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, in the intermediate transfer unit 7, the intermediate transfer belt 71 is tensioned and supported by three tension rollers (i.e., drive roller 72, tension roller 73, and driven roller 74). The two ends of the drive roller 72 are rotatably supported by support members 721, and the drive roller 72 rotates by a predetermined rotational driving force transmitted from the main body of the equipment to one end side in the direction of the rotation axis. In the following description, the drive transmission side will be referred to as the drive side (…). Figure 2 Downstream of arrow AA), and the opposite side is referred to as the non-driving side. Figure 2 (Downstream side in the direction of arrow BB). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive roller 72 is obtained by press-fitting a metal shaft, such as SUS, into both ends of a tube having a diameter of approximately 25 mm, and by coating an aluminum core metal with a rubber in which carbon is dispersed as a conductive agent.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an aluminum metal rod with a diameter of approximately 25 mm is used as the tension roller 73, and support members 731 are disposed at both ends of the tension roller 73 in the direction of its rotation axis. When the support members 731 are pressed by the compression spring 732, the two ends of the tension roller 73 are pressed, and a predetermined tension is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 71. Similar to the tension roller 73, the driven roller 74 uses a metal rod made of aluminum, and the two ends of the driven roller are rotatably supported by support members 741.

[0070] A primary transfer roller 5 is positioned corresponding to the photosensitive drum 1, with an intermediate transfer belt 71 disposed between the primary transfer roller and the photosensitive drum. The primary transfer roller 5 is supported at both ends in the direction of rotation by support members 51 (51a, 51b, 51c, 51d), and is pushed towards the intermediate transfer belt 71 with a predetermined force by compression springs 52 (52a, 52b, 52c, 52d) via the support members 51, and is driven to rotate as the intermediate transfer belt 71 rotates. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a roller with a diameter of approximately 6 mm and a metal shaft of, for example, SUS is used as the primary transfer roller 5. At least one of the support members 51 located at both ends is made of a conductive member, and the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 71 in a single pass by applying a positive voltage from a primary transfer power source (not shown) to the primary transfer roller 5.

[0071] Furthermore, rubber, resin, etc., can be appropriately used as the material for the intermediate transfer belt 71. In this embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt 71 is an annular strip film formed of a resin material having a moderate resistivity and a thickness of approximately 60 μm in the thickness direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 71 and the rotation axis direction of each tension roller.

[0072] The frame 76 is the frame body of the intermediate transfer unit 7 for supporting each tension roller and is made of molding resin material. The support members 51 supporting the primary transfer roller 5 at both ends and the support members 731 supporting the tension roller 73 at both ends are supported by the frame 76 in a movable state relative to the frame 76 in the pressing direction of each compression spring.

[0073] Near the drive roller 72 supported by the frame 76, support plates 77 and 78 are provided, which rotatably support the drive roller 72 and the driven roller 74 respectively via corresponding support members. In the positioned state, support plates 77 and 78 are fixed to the frame 76 at their respective ends in the direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller 72 by screws or the like. In this embodiment, pressed metal plates are used as support plates 77 and 78.

[0074] Although details will be described below, as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the cleaning unit 9, which acts as a toner collection device, has a doctor blade 91 as a cleaning component and a toner delivery section 92 that collects and delivers the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the doctor blade 91. In the positioning state, the doctor blade 91 and the toner delivery section 92 are fixed to the support plate 77 and the support plate 78, respectively.

[0075] The toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the squeegee 91 is temporarily stored inside the toner delivery section 92. Then, as... Figure 3BAs shown, after being conveyed inside the toner delivery section 92, the toner is collected into the collection container 75 via the toner delivery path 761 provided on the drive side of the frame 76. Figure 3A As shown, the toner delivery path 761 is sealed by fastening the delivery path cover 762 to the container body 94 with screws or the like, and to prevent the toner from leaking to the outside of the intermediate transfer unit 7.

[0076] The collection container 75 is composed of molded resin parts and is configured to be sealed on its outer circumference by bonding multiple resin parts together. The collection container 75 is fixed to the frame 76 using screws or the like. Furthermore, the collection container 75 is equipped with a detection unit (not shown) for detecting whether the container is full of toner, such as an optical sensor. This allows the user to be notified when the collection container 75 should be replaced. A full collection container 75 can be replaced with a new one by a service technician or the user by replacing the intermediate transfer unit 7.

[0077] Cleaning unit

[0078] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown and described above, the cleaning unit 9 includes a scraper 91 as a cleaning component and a scraper delivery section 92 for temporarily storing the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the scraper 91 and delivering the collected toner to the collection container 75. Figure 4 As shown, the squeegee 91 has an elastic polyurethane rubber 91a and a retaining metal sheet 91b incorporating the polyurethane rubber 91a. Regarding the longitudinal direction of the polyurethane rubber 91a (the direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller 72), the length of the polyurethane rubber 91a is set to be longer than the imaging area, in which the toner image can be carried on the intermediate transfer belt 71. Furthermore, the squeegee 91 is arranged to make pressure contact with the intermediate transfer belt 71 and can remove toner residues on the intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0079] Here, in order to reliably remove the toner, the squeegee 91 needs to be pressed against the intermediate transfer belt 71 with a predetermined pressure. In this embodiment, the predetermined pressure is ensured by arranging the squeegee 91 facing at least one of the plurality of tension rollers that tension the intermediate transfer belt 71 thereon. More specifically, the squeegee is arranged to face and contact the drive roller 72 at a position downstream of the secondary transfer section N2 in the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 71 and at a position above the drive roller 72 in the direction of gravity.

[0080] A hole 91c for rotatably supporting the squeegee 91 and a spring hook portion 91d for suspending a pressure spring for pressing the squeegee 91 against the intermediate transfer belt 71 are provided at both ends of the retaining metal sheet 91b in the longitudinal direction of the squeegee 91. The squeegee 91 engages with metal squeegee support shafts 77a and 78a, respectively pressed against support plates 77 and 78, through the holes 91c at both ends, and is rotatably supported in a state where the squeegee can be freely positioned to contact and separate from the intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0081] Furthermore, the spring hook portions 91d provided at the two longitudinal ends of the scraper 91 and the spring hooks 94d provided at the two longitudinal ends of the container body 94 constituting the toner delivery section 92 respectively engage with hooks 93a and 93b provided at the two ends of the tension spring 93 in the extension / contraction direction. More specifically, as Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 4 As shown, spring hook portion 91d engages with hook 93a, and spring hook portion 94d engages with hook 93b, thereby bridging spring hook portion 91d and spring hook portion 94d by tension spring 93. Therefore, tension spring 93 generates torque around hole 91c, and scraper 91 presses against intermediate transfer belt 71 with predetermined pressure.

[0082] In the toner delivery section 92, to prevent toner collected from the intermediate transfer belt 71 from leaking from the container body 94 to the outside, multiple sealing members (not shown) are attached to the container body 94 using double-sided tape or the like. Furthermore, a sheet member 44, which contacts and seals the gap between the toner delivery section 92 and the intermediate transfer belt 71, is provided on the upstream side of the cleaning section CL (where the squeegee 91 and the intermediate transfer belt 71 contact each other) in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 71. The sheet member 44, as a sealing member, is arranged such that it extends in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 71. Using these configurations, the toner temporarily stored in the toner delivery section 92 is delivered from the cleaning unit 9 to the collection container 75 without leaking to the outside.

[0083] Toner delivery in the toner delivery section

[0084] like Figure 4As shown, the toner delivery section 92, which acts as a toner delivery device, includes a container body 94, a stirring unit 97, and a screw 98. The container body 94 is configured to temporarily contain the toner removed by the scraper 91. The stirring unit 97 consists of a rotating shaft 95, which is rotatably disposed inside the container body 94, and a flexible sheet-like stirring member 96, and is used to stir and deliver the toner contained in the container body 94. The screw 98 has a rotating shaft 98a arranged parallel to the rotating shaft 95 of the stirring unit 97, and a scraper portion 98b extending spirally on the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 98a relative to the axis of the rotating shaft (see [reference]). Figure 3B The screw 98 is a conveying member that is rotated to deliver the toner contained in the container body 94 to the collection container 75.

[0085] The toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the squeegee 91 after passing through the secondary transfer section N2 accumulates in the toner delivery section 92 in the cleaning section CL (where the squeegee 91 and the intermediate transfer belt 71 are in contact with each other) or around the sheet member 44. Then, the toner accumulated in the toner delivery section 92 is supplied to the screw 98 while being stirred by rotating the stirring unit 97.

[0086] Reference Figure 5 Describe the structure of the stirring unit 97. Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the stirring unit 97. As described above, the stirring unit 97 consists of a rotating shaft 95 and a stirring member 96. The rotating shaft 95 is made of resin and has a hole 95b on one end side located in the direction of the rotation axis for engaging with a shaft (not shown) located in the container body 94, and a hole 95b on the other end for engaging with... Figure 2 The engagement portion 95c of gear 82 is shown. The rotating shaft 95 transmits driving force sequentially from gears 80, 81, and 82 arranged on a shaft parallel to the drive roller 72. Figure 4 Rotate clockwise within. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the rotating shaft 95 has at least one flat surface portion a1 parallel to the axial direction, and one end side of the stirring member 96 is fixed to the flat surface portion a1 by double-sided tape or the like (not shown). The stirring member 96 is a flexible sheet member, such as PET, with a thickness of about 80 μm, configured to extend along the longitudinal direction of the scraper 91 over the entire interior of the toner delivery portion 92 and rotate together with the rotating shaft 95. Furthermore, a protruding portion 95a is provided in a portion along the circumferential direction at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 95.

[0087] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 7A and Figure 7BDescribes a mechanism for supplying toner to screw 98 via stirring unit 97. Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-section showing the state in which the end of the stirring member 96 located on the free end side is separated from the inner wall 94h, which is part of the container body 94, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis 95. This cross-section corresponds to the state when viewed from the direction of arrow BB in the figure. Figure 2 The cross section when the cross section C is reached. Figure 7A and Figure 7B It shows when from and Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of the toner delivery when viewed from the same direction. Figure 7A The diagram shows the state in which the inner wall 94h, which is part of the container body 94, and the stirring member 96 are in contact with each other, i.e., the first phase (sliding phase). Figure 7B This shows the state in which the contact between the inner wall 94h and the stirring member 96 is released, i.e., the second phase (non-sliding phase).

[0088] The inner surface of the container body 94 (toner delivery section 92) forming the toner delivery path (toner containing section) has a shape such that the distance to the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 95 varies in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 95). Due to the variation in the shape of the inner surface of the container body 94, the stirring member 96 is configured to have a first phase (sliding phase) and a second phase (non-sliding phase). In the first phase, one side of the end portion (the other end portion), which is the free end portion (one end portion) opposite to the fixed end portion (one end portion) attached to the rotation shaft 95, comes into contact with the inner surface of the container body 94 due to the rotation of the rotation shaft 95. In the second phase, no such contact occurs.

[0089] Figure 6 The circle Rm shown is the imaginary trajectory of the free end, which is the end portion (terminal portion) on one side of the stirring member 96 and is not fixed to the rotating shaft 95 when the stirring member 96 rotates together with the rotating shaft 95. That is, this is the imaginary rotation trajectory of the free end when the stirring member 96 is not subjected to external forces caused by contact with surrounding parts, and the rotation trajectory is represented by a circle with a radius equal to the distance from the rotation center of the rotating shaft 95 to the free end of the stirring member 96. Furthermore, the inner wall 94h includes a concave curved surface portion 94r centered on the rotation center of the rotating shaft 95, and r... h It is the radius of the curved portion 94r. This corresponds to the moment when the free end of the stirring member 96 separates from the inner wall 94h. Figure 6In the state shown, the free end is located on the rotation trajectory Rm and is in the phase (non-sliding phase) where the free end is not in contact with the container body 94, and the free end rotates clockwise along the rotation trajectory Rm. Simultaneously, a portion of the upper surface of the polyurethane rubber 91a in the direction of gravity, a portion of the inner wall 94h of the container body 94, and a portion of the inner wall 94i are located inside the rotation trajectory Rm as contact portions. Therefore, as... Figure 7A As shown, in the phase (sliding phase) in which the upper surface portion and inner wall 94h of the polyurethane rubber 91a arranged inside the rotation trajectory Rm are opposite to the free end of the stirring member 96, the stirring member 96 contacts the upper surface portion and inner wall and rotates while bending.

[0090] The free end of the stirring member 96 that contacts the inner wall 94h rotates in a deformed state (first state) that deforms upstream in the rotation direction of the stirring member 96. At this time, since the stirring member 96 rotates while in contact with the inner wall 94h, the toner accumulated on the upper surface of the stirring member 96 is scooped up while preventing it from falling off the inner wall 94h side. That is, regarding the toner accumulated on the sheet member 44, the stirring member 96 scoops up the toner accumulated on the inner side in the radial direction relative to the rotation trajectory Rm, and scrapes off the toner accumulated on the upper surface portion of the polyurethane rubber 91a. The stirring member 96 rotates along the inner wall 94h while holding the collected toner.

[0091] Meanwhile, the toner accumulated near the sheet member 44 on the outer side of the radial direction relative to the rotation trajectory Rm continues to remain on the upper side of the sheet member 44 in the direction of gravity. As the toner is further collected by the doctor blade 91 in this state, the toner remaining on the sheet member 44 rises in the direction of gravity due to the push of the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 71 by the doctor blade 91. When the toner reaches the inner side of the rotation trajectory Rm, it is scooped up by the rotating stirring member 96. Therefore, the toner remaining on the sheet member 44 is replaced sequentially.

[0092] From the stirring component 96 Figure 7A When the position shown is further rotated clockwise, the stirring component 96 reaches... Figure 6 The phase shown is the non-sliding phase, and the end on the free end side is separated from the inner wall 94h. The free end side of the stirring member 96, separated from the inner wall 94h, is in a free state (second state), in which the deformation caused by contact with the inner wall 94h is released due to the switch from the sliding phase to the non-sliding phase. Then, as... Figure 7BAs shown, the reaction force of the stirring member 96 attempting to return from a deformed state to a free state causes some of the toner T scooped up by the stirring member 96 to scatter from the stirring member 96 toward the screw 98. After reaching the screw 98, the scattered toner T is conveyed toward the toner conveying path 761 via the conveying section 60 of the rotating screw 98. Toner that is not scattered due to the reaction force of the stirring member 96 returning to a free state, such as... Figure 7B The arrow in the diagram indicates that the material falls on the top surface of the polyurethane rubber 91a and is subsequently scooped up by the rotating stirring member 96.

[0093] In the conveying section 60, along the direction of rotation relative to the screw 98... Figure 2 The toner T, conveyed in the direction of the middle arrow BB, arrives at toner delivery path 761. For example... Figure 3A As shown, the toner delivery path 761 is formed at an angle of inclination equal to or greater than the angle at which the toner T falls due to its own weight. Therefore, as Figure 3B As shown, the toner T, conveyed to the toner conveying path 761 by the rotation of the screw 98, is transported to the inlet 763 of the collection container 75 by its own weight. The toner T conveyed to the inlet 763 is dispersed and filled into the collection container 75 by a toner dispersing member (not shown) arranged in the collection container 75 for filling the interior of the collection container 75 with toner.

[0094] Deformation of the stirring unit

[0095] As described above, the stirring member 96 contacts and deforms with the inner walls 94h and 94i of the toner delivery section 92, which are located inside the rotation trajectory Rm. At this time, the stirring member 96 and the rotating shaft 95 are subjected to reaction forces from these walls. As described above, since the rotating shaft 95 is a resin component, it may undergo creep deformation during long-term storage at high temperatures while under reaction forces. When the rotating shaft is driven under such conditions, the rotating shaft 95 rotates in a state where it is bent toward the side substantially opposite to the contact portion between the wall 94i and the stirring member 96 subjected to reaction forces.

[0096] Figure 8A This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which the stirring member 96 is in contact with the inner wall 94i and subjected to a reaction force F. Figure 8B This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing that creep deformation has occurred in the rotating shaft 95 in this state. Figure 8A and Figure 8B Point O in the diagram is the center of rotation of the rotation axis 95 in a state without creep deformation.

[0097] Here, as described above, a portion of the inner wall 94i is arranged inside the rotation trajectory Rm. This is done to bring the conveying section 60 close to the rotation shaft 95, so that the toner T flying from the stirring member 96 to the screw 98 can be efficiently delivered to the conveying section 60. The inner wall 94i, which is continuous with the conveying section 60, is configured such that its end portion on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 95 is arranged inside the rotation trajectory Rm.

[0098] like Figure 8A As shown, when the stirring member 96 is subjected to a reaction force from the inner wall 94i, the rotating shaft 95, to which the stirring member 96 is fixed, is also subjected to a force through the stirring member 96. Here, since the rotating shaft 95 is made of resin, creep deformation may occur during long-term storage at high temperatures under the reaction force. In this case, it is assumed that the rotating shaft 95 bends at its axially central portion in a direction substantially the same as the direction of the reaction force F, starting from the two rotatably supported ends in the axial direction. This state is as follows... Figure 8B As shown, and Figure 8B It is the cross-section at the point where the bending in the axial direction is greatest. Since the deformation of the rotating shaft 95 is caused by the reaction force of the force attempting to restore the deformed stirring component 96, therefore... Figure 8B The point OO, which is the center of the rotation axis 95 in the cross-section shown, is pushed toward a side substantially opposite to the free end of the stirring member 96. When the rotation axis 95 rotates in this state, Figure 8B The rotating shaft 95 in the cross-section shown rotates with the rotation center offset from the distance between point O and point OO. When the rotating shaft 95 rotates with the center offset, the amount of penetration into the inner walls 94h and 94i that come into contact with the upper surface portion of the polyurethane rubber 91a during the rotation of the free end of the stirring member 96 reduces the amount of rotation center offset.

[0099] Figure 8B The circle Rmx shown is when Figure 8B The imaginary trajectory of the free end of the stirring member 96 as it rotates together with the rotating shaft 95 around point O in the cross-section. That is, this is the trajectory of the free end in... Figure 8B The cross-section shown represents the hypothetical rotation trajectory of the stirring member 96 in a state where it is not subjected to external forces caused by contact with surrounding parts. This rotation trajectory is represented by a circle with a radius equal to the distance from the center of rotation of the rotation axis 95 to the free end of the stirring member 96. The radius of the rotation trajectory Rmx is smaller than the radius of the rotation trajectory Rm by the distance between points O and OO, i.e., the deviation of the center of rotation.

[0100] If the bending of the rotating shaft 95 and the deviation of the rotation center are large, and the inner wall 94h may not enter the inner side of the rotation trajectory Rmx, then the stirring component 96 and the inner wall 94h are in... Figure 8B The cross-sections shown do not contact each other and gaps exist between them. Furthermore, not only in the above cross-sections, but also in similar cross-sections where the rotation shaft 95 bends significantly due to creep deformation, gaps may exist between the stirring member 96 and the wall 94h. In this case, the toner delivery capacity maintained by the contact between the stirring member 96 and the inner wall 94h may be impaired, and the toner delivery force may decrease.

[0101] Here, for example, creep deformation can be suppressed by shaping the support member that supports the rotating shaft 95 in the portion of the rotating shaft 95 that experiences significant bending. However, when the temperature of the toner rises to a certain level or higher, the toner melts and adheres, so preferably the number of sliding portions that generate frictional heat should be the minimum necessary. In the rotating shaft 95 within the toner delivery section 92, the toner that has entered the gap between the supported portion and the support member portion of the rotating shaft 95 will be continuously rubbed, causing the toner to be melted by frictional heat. When the molten toner solidifies again, it becomes fixed to the rotating shaft 95, which may hinder normal rotation.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, the protrusion 95a is provided on the rotation shaft 95 at a position substantially opposite to the contact point between the stirring member 96 and the inner wall 94i of the toner delivery section 92 (container body 94). The protrusion 95a protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 95 toward the inner wall surface of the toner delivery section 92 at a position substantially opposite to the contact point between the stirring member 96 and the inner wall surface of the toner delivery section 92 in the sliding phase, wherein the axis of rotation of the rotation shaft 95 is disposed between the protrusion and the inner wall surface. Therefore, even when the rotation shaft 95 is subjected to a reaction force from a portion of the interior of the toner delivery section 92 via the stirring member 96, the protrusion 95a is configured to contact the inner wall 94h of the toner delivery section 92 and prevent further deformation.

[0103] The bending deformation of the rotating shaft 95 is not limited to deformation that is constant over time (such as the creep deformation described above), but may also include temporary bending deformation that occurs only when the stirring member 96 is subjected to a reaction force from the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92. That is, depending on the thickness, length, material, etc. of the rotating shaft 95, the thickness, material, etc. of the stirring member 96, and the shape and size of the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92, the rotating shaft 95 may bend significantly when subjected to a reaction force from the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92 when rotation stops. In particular, a deformation posture in which the longitudinal central portion of the rotating shaft 95 is relatively significantly bent may be formed. In this case, the protrusion height of the protrusion 95a from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 95, the width of the protrusion in the rotation direction, etc., can be set such that the aforementioned bending or the degree of bending can be suppressed by the protrusion contacting the inner wall 94h of the toner delivery section 92. Meanwhile, the protruding portion 95a can also be configured, for example, such that the bending of the rotating shaft 95 is eliminated or reduced by the reaction force from the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92 due to the resumption of rotation of the stirring member 96, and the protruding portion does not contact (is separated from) the inner wall 94h or the degree of contact with the inner wall 94h is reduced compared to when it is stopped. Alternatively, when the rotating shaft 95 bends whether it is stopped or rotating, the configuration can be such that the protruding portion 95a always contacts the inner wall 94h while the stirring member 96 is subjected to the reaction force from the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92. That is, the protruding portion 95a can also be configured such that while it generates elasticity in the stirring member 96 due to the reaction force from the inner wall of the toner delivery section 92, it is always pushed and supported by the inner wall 94h. In this case, it is preferable that the protrusion 95a forms a range on the rotating shaft 95 (the range in which the protrusion 95a slides against the inner wall of the toner delivery portion 92), that is, the size, position, etc. of the protrusion 95a should be the minimum necessary so as not to hinder the rotation of the rotating shaft 95.

[0104] Figure 18This is a schematic diagram illustrating the formation location and extent of the protrusion 95a, and showing a cross-section orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the rotation shaft 95 at a longitudinal position (position in the direction of the rotation axis) of the protrusion 95a on the rotation shaft 95. The protrusion 95a is located on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 95 in a region substantially opposite to one side of the inner wall 94i, which forms a contact portion (contact point) with the stirring member 96, wherein the axis of rotation (point O) is located between the protrusion and the inner wall. More specifically, the protrusion 95a is formed in a region opposite to the side where the contact portion is located relative to a second imaginary line C2, which is orthogonal to a first imaginary line C1, which passes through the contact portion of the inner wall 94i with the stirring member 96 and the axis of rotation (point O). The protrusion 95a may be formed to include at least a portion of the region located on the opposite side, and the shape of the protrusion outside this region may be arbitrary as long as it does not impede the rotation of the rotation shaft 95. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 95a is formed with a phase range DD such that the width in the circumferential direction of the outer circumference of the rotation axis 95 is greater than 90 degrees. That is, the protruding portion is formed such that the angle between one end portion 95aa and the other end portion 95ab in the outer peripheral direction around the rotation axis (point O) is greater than 90 degrees. Therefore, the protruding portion 95a is formed to intersect with the first imaginary line C1 and to contact the inner wall 94h at a position substantially opposite to the position where it contacts the inner wall 94i of the stirring member 96, wherein the rotation axis (point O) is disposed between the two positions described above.

[0105] The form of the protrusion 95a shown herein is merely an example. At a minimum, the protrusion can be configured to be located in a region opposite to the side where the contact portion is positioned relative to the second imaginary line C2 and to contact the inner wall of the toner delivery portion 92, such that the stirring member 96 can generate a force (including a component force acting in the opposite direction) opposite to the reaction force F from the inner wall 94i of the toner delivery portion 92. Therefore, the protrusion 95a can be configured such that the aforementioned opposite force can be generated even if the form of the protrusion, for example, does not intersect with the first imaginary line C1 and is located near the second imaginary line C1. This form can also be used as the form of the protrusion 95a.

[0106] In this embodiment, the protruding portion 95a is configured to contact the curved portion 94r, which is part of the inner wall 94h, when the rotating shaft 95 is subjected to a reaction force F from the inner wall 94i by the stirring member 96. Figure 6 The radius Rm-r shown h "It is set to be greater than the gap between the protruding portion 95a and the curved portion 94r when the stirring unit 97 is not deformed." Here, "radius Rm-rh "It is the penetration amount of the stirring component 96 into the curved part 94r when the stirring unit 97 is not deformed."

[0107] That is, when the distance from the center of rotation to the contact portion between the protruding part 95a and the curved surface part 94r in the radial direction is r a When indicating,

[0108] (radius Rm-r) h )>(r h -r a (1)

[0109] r a > (2r h – radius Rm) (2)

[0110] By setting it as described above, even when the rotating shaft 95 is subjected to a reaction force from a portion of the toner delivery section 92 and due to... Figure 8B When the stirring member 96 bends due to creep deformation, it also reliably contacts the curved portion 94r provided on the inner wall 94h.

[0111] Furthermore, as described above, since the toner melts when the temperature rises to a certain level or higher, it is preferable to reduce the sliding portion that generates frictional heat to a necessary minimum. In particular, in this embodiment, since the fixing device 10 is located directly above the cleaning unit 9, the toner in the toner delivery section 92 is easily affected by the heat generated in the fixing unit. Therefore, it is necessary to further suppress the heat applied to the toner in the toner delivery section 92. In this embodiment, by forming the protrusion 95a only on a portion of the entire area in the rotational direction, rather than the entire area, the frictional heat generated by the friction between the protrusion 95a and the toner delivery section 92, and by the friction with the toner disposed between the protrusion and the toner delivery section 92, is suppressed. In other words, when the rotation axis 95 is viewed from a cross-section orthogonal to the rotation axis, the central angle corresponding to the range of the protrusion 95a disposed on the outer periphery of the rotation axis 95 is set to less than 360°.

[0112] Here, as described above, when the deformed stirring member 96 attempts to recover, the rotating shaft 95 is pushed by the reaction force F toward a side substantially opposite to the free end of the stirring member 96. Figures 9A to 9C Examples of the rotating shaft 95 and the stirring member 96 are shown respectively, with the stirring member 96 in contact with the inner wall 94i. Figure 9B yes Figure 9A A magnified view of a portion of the image. Furthermore... Figure 9C This is an explanatory diagram showing the range of the protruding portion 95a in this embodiment.

[0113] At this moment, the restoring force of the rotating shaft 95 extends in the direction of extension of the stirring component 96, which is in an undeformed state. Figure 9B The normal direction of the dashed line s in the figure acts between the normal direction of the tangent at the end (contact point) α of the contact portion when the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 94i. Therefore, the protruding portion 95a can be set within the following range. That is, the point where the straight line v contacts the rotation trajectory Rm on the side opposite to the contact portion (contact point) α of the stirring member 96 and the inner wall 94i relative to the center point O of the rotation axis 95 is represented by D (first position), and the straight line v passes through the center O of the rotation axis 95 and is perpendicular to the extension direction of the stirring member 96 in the undeformed state. Figure 9B The dashed line s in the diagram. The point where the straight line w contacts the rotation trajectory Rm on the opposite side of the contact portion with the stirring member 96 relative to the center point O of the rotation axis 95 is represented by E (second position). The straight line w is perpendicular to the tangent at the contact portion (contact point) α when the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 94i. Figure 9B (The dotted line t in the diagram). With this setting, the protruding portion 95a can be located at least partially between line segment OE and line segment OD in the rotation direction of the rotation axis 95.

[0114] Here, the greater the bending of the stirring member 96, the larger the angle between line segment OE and line segment OD. In this embodiment, the extension direction of the stirring member 96 in its undeformed state is parallel to the flat surface portion a1, the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 94i, and the tangent at the contact portion (contact point) of the stirring member 96 in its maximum bending state is substantially perpendicular to... Figure 4 The flat surface portion a1 is shown. Therefore, the protruding portion 95a in this embodiment is provided at the location described below. That is, as Figures 9A to 9C As shown, the protruding portion 95a is disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 95 within a range of approximately 90°, the range being from a position to the flat surface portion a1 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the stirring member 96, the position being perpendicular to the flat surface portion a1 in a vertical direction on the side opposite to the center O of the rotating shaft 95, wherein the center O is disposed between the position and the rotating shaft.

[0115] Furthermore, the extent of the protruding portion 95a will be described in another way below. It extends through the center O of the rotation axis 95, parallel to the line s, and perpendicular to... Figure 9CThe straight line w in the diagram is represented by u. A straight line passing through the center O of the rotation axis 95 and including straight line u is represented by a first straight line A; a straight line passing through the center O of the rotation axis 95 and including straight line v is represented by a second straight line B; a straight line passing through the center O of the rotation axis 95 and including straight line w is represented by a third straight line C; and a straight line passing through the center O of the rotation axis 95 and perpendicular to straight line C is represented by D1. Furthermore, when dividing the area into two regions using straight line A as a boundary, the region including the flat surface portion a1 is defined as the first region, and the region relative to the first region but excluding the flat surface portion a1, separated by straight line A, is defined as the second region. At this time, the aforementioned first position D and second position E are located in the second region. Therefore, in this second region, as described above, at least a portion of the protruding portion 95a can be located within the range DE between line segment OE and line segment OD.

[0116] The fixing device 10, which is equipped with a heating element such as a heater, is a particularly typical heat source in the construction of the imaging device 100. However, the heat source that applies heat to the toner in the imaging device 100 is not limited to the fixing device 10. For example, an electric motor that serves as a drive source, a control unit including a CPU, a memory, etc., can also be referred to as a heat source.

[0117] The toner melts when it reaches a certain temperature or higher and hardens when the temperature drops again. Therefore, toner adhering to the drive components can cause damage to the individual components or the device body. At the same time, the construction of the stirring unit 97 in this embodiment prevents heat generation due to friction and makes it difficult for toner to adhere inside the toner delivery section 92 even when the ambient temperature around the toner delivery section 92 is high.

[0118] The protruding portion 95a is disposed within a phase range of the rotational direction of the rotating shaft 95, said phase range including a phase opposite to the direction of the reaction force from the inner surface of the toner delivery portion 92 experienced by the stirring member 96 in the sliding phase, wherein the rotational axis is disposed between said reaction force and the opposite phase. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 95a is configured to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 95 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis, and extends along the rotational direction of the rotating shaft 95 on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 95. The side surface of the protruding portion 95a is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotating shaft 95. The shape of the protruding portion 95a is not limited to the shape adopted in this embodiment, and may be... Figures 10A to 10C One of the shapes shown in the modified example.

[0119] Figure 10AThe protrusion 95a1 in the modified example 1 shown is configured to extend substantially helically on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 95 relative to the axis of rotation, and the side surface of the protrusion is formed by a curved surface, taking into account the toner's conveying capacity in the axial direction, making it part of the screw. When conveying toner with the screw 98 in the direction of... Figure 2 The direction of the middle arrow BB (first direction) is opposite to the direction ( Figure 2 When viewed from the direction of the middle arrow AA (second direction), the rotation axis 95 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation axis. The protruding part 95a1 is tilted such that its position in the rotation direction of the rotation axis 95 changes from the upstream side to the downstream side with the change in the opposite direction.

[0120] and Figure 10A The highlighted portion 95a1 shown in the modified example 1 is similar. Figure 10B In the modified example 2 shown, the protruding portion 95a2 is configured to extend substantially spirally on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 95 relative to the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft 95, taking into account the toner delivery capacity in the axial direction. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating shaft 95, the side surface of the protruding portion 95a2 consists of a flat surface extending in a direction inclined relative to and perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The inclination direction of the side surface of the protruding portion 95a2 takes into account the die direction and is parallel to the die direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This will be described in detail in Example 2. Figure 10B Modify the shape of the protruding part 95a2 in Example 2.

[0121] Figure 10C The protruding portion 95a3 of the modified example 3 shown has a peak-valley shape such that multiple peaks with protruding heights are formed in the extending direction, and the peak-valley shape has multiple protrusions arranged side by side in the extending direction on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis 95. Figure 10C In the illustrated construction example, there are two protrusions, but three or more protrusions can also be used, and the distance between the protrusions in the extending direction of the protrusion portion 95a3 (the length of the valley) can be appropriately set. This peak-valley shape can be applied to... Figure 10A The highlighted portion 95a of the modified example 1 shown is... Figure 9B The highlighted part 95a2 of the modified example 2 shown.

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 95a is disposed in the central portion of the rotation axis 95 in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction), but this configuration is not limited to this, and as... Figure 11A and Figure 11B As shown, multiple protruding portions 95a can be provided. That is, as... Figure 11AAs shown, multiple protruding portions can be arranged not only in the central portion in the longitudinal direction, but also at intervals in the longitudinal direction on both sides. Furthermore, as... Figure 11B As shown, multiple protrusions can be positioned between the central portion and the two end portions in the longitudinal direction. From the viewpoint of preventing the rotation axis 95 from bending, it is preferable to position the protrusions near the central portion and away from the two ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0123] exist Figure 11A In the configuration shown, multiple protrusions 95a are arranged in the same phase, but in Figure 11B In the configuration shown, multiple protruding parts are arranged in different phases. Figure 11B In the configuration shown, instead of having one protrusion 95a contact the inner wall 94h to prevent deformation, multiple protrusions contact the inner wall 94h at different phases relative to the reaction force from the inner wall 94i of the toner delivery section 92 experienced by the rotation axis 95 via the stirring member 96. By doing so, friction of each protrusion against the toner can be suppressed. The shape of each of the multiple protrusions arranged in this way is not limited to the shape of the protrusion 95a in this embodiment, and... Figures 10A to 10C The shape of the protruding portion in each modified example shown can be adopted. Furthermore, multiple protruding portions 95a combined in this embodiment can be used. Figures 10A to 10C The arrangement of the highlighted parts in each of the modified examples shown.

[0124] According to this embodiment, in this manner, deformation of the rotating shaft can be suppressed in a stirring unit in which a stirring member is provided on the rotating shaft. This makes it possible to provide a toner delivery device and an imaging apparatus, wherein the toner can be effectively stirred and delivered, and toner adhesion is unlikely to occur even in high-temperature environments.

[0125] In this embodiment, the agitation unit is configured for use in the cleaning unit of the intermediate transfer belt in an imaging device, but its application is not limited to this. The above configuration can also be applied to configurations where toner is stored internally and requires agitation, such as developing apparatuses equipped with a toner storage container and a drum cleaning unit.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where the free end of the stirring member 96 contacts a portion of the inner wall 94i is described, said portion being a component located inside the rotation trajectory Rm in the inner surface structure of the toner delivery section 92. It goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained when the free end of the stirring member 96 contacts a portion of the upper surface of the polyurethane rubber 91a or a portion of the inner wall 94h of the container body 94.

[0127] Furthermore, when the protruding portion 95a comes into contact with the inner wall 94h due to the bending of the rotation shaft 95, the downstream end portion of the protruding portion 95a may interfere with the upstream end portion of the inner wall 94i, which is located downstream of the inner wall 94h, when the rotation of the rotation shaft 95 restarts. However, since the protruding portion 95a is located in a very localized area in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft 95, it is assumed that the protruding portion rides on the inner wall 94i due to the reaction force from the upstream end portion of the inner wall 94i and the rotational force of the rotation shaft 95, and the rotation of the rotation shaft 95 will not be hindered. That is, the protruding portion 95a applies a force to the rotation shaft 95 to return the rotation center point OO of the rotation shaft 95, which has been displaced due to the bending of the rotation shaft 95, to point O, and can eliminate the bending state of the rotation shaft 95.

[0128] Example 2

[0129] Reference Figures 12 to 17 , Figure 19A and Figure 19B Embodiment 2 of the present invention is described below. In Embodiment 2, only the shapes of the container body and the stirring unit in the toner delivery section 92 differ from those in Embodiment 1, while the other parts are the same as those in Embodiment 1. Descriptions of the construction common to Embodiment 1 in Embodiment 2 will be omitted.

[0130] In this embodiment, the toner delivery section is represented by 92, the container body by 940, the stirring unit by 970, the rotating shaft by 950, the protruding portion corresponding to 95a in Embodiment 1 by 950a, and the portions corresponding to 95b and 95c by 950b and 950c.

[0131] Figure 12 This is a schematic perspective view of the stirring unit 970, and Figure 13 From Figure 12 The view is taken in the direction of arrow d. The rotation axis 950 has a protrusion 950a in its central portion in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 950a has the same characteristics as in Embodiment 1. Figure 10B The shapes shown are the same. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the protruding portion 950a consists of a curved surface 950a1 that is coaxial with the axis of the rotation axis 950 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation axis 950, and flat surfaces 950a2 and 950a3 that are inclined relative to the axis of rotation when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis (arrow d direction).

[0132] Figure 14 This is a schematic perspective view of the container body 940. Figure 15 This is an enlarged view of the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the container body 940, and Figure 16This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toner delivery section 92 as viewed from the axis of rotation of the stirring member 96. This cross-section is from the perspective of Example 1. Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8A and Figure 8B Observed from the same direction. For example... Figures 12 to 16 As shown, in this embodiment, a gently sloping protruding shape 940k (protruding portion) is provided in the longitudinal direction of the inner wall 940h of the container body 940, at the portion facing the protruding portion 950a. In this embodiment, the protruding shape 940k has a curved surface coaxial with the inner wall 940h, and its radius is r. k .

[0133] As described above, in Example 1, "radius Rm-r h "It is set to be greater than the gap between the protruding portion 95a and the wall 94h." In other words,

[0134] (radius Rm-r) h )>(r h -r a (1)

[0135] r a > (2r h – radius Rm) (2)

[0136] In this case, even when the rotating shaft 95 is subjected to a reaction force from a portion of the toner delivery section 92 and bends due to creep deformation, the stirring member 96 is configured to reliably contact the wall 94h in the desired phase.

[0137] In this embodiment, as a result of setting the protruding shape 940k, when creep deformation occurs as described in Embodiment 1, the protruding portion 950a contacts the protruding shape 940k before contacting the inner wall 940h and will not be able to deform further. Therefore, in this embodiment, r in formula (2) can be... h Replace with r k .

[0138] r a > (2r k – radius Rm) (3)

[0139] Because r is the radius of the protruding shape 940k from the center O k The radius r is less than 94h of the inner wall. h Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the protruding part 950a (i.e., the radius r of the protruding part 950a) a This can be reduced by setting the protruding shape to 940k.

[0140] Here, as described above, since the toner melts when the temperature rises to a certain level or higher, it is preferable not to configure the toner delivery section 92 such that the toner continuously rubs in the tiny gap between the rotating shaft 950 and the facing component and frictional heat is accumulated.

[0141] As in this embodiment, by partially protruding the inner wall 940h, the amount of protrusion of the protruding portion 950a that contacts the inner wall 940h can be reduced when the amount of deformation caused by creep becomes equal to or greater than a certain level. Therefore, during the rotation of the stirring unit 970, the gap between the protruding portion 950a and the inner wall 940h other than the protruding shape 940k, or the gap between it and the internal parts surrounding the toner delivery portion 92 in the radial direction relative to the axis of rotation of the rotation axis 950, is increased, and the increase of frictional heat can be prevented.

[0142] Furthermore, in order to increase the clearance with the protrusion 950a during rotation and reduce frictional heat, the presence of the protrusion 940k in the rotational direction is preferably minimized as necessary. In other words, only the section of the toner delivery portion 92 that contacts the protrusion 950a during creep deformation can protrude. That is, the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 940i in the toner delivery portion 92 at a position that is short from the rotation axis 950 and where the rotation axis 950 may creep due to the contact between the stirring member 96 and the inner wall 940i. The rotation axis 950 can be bent by the reaction force generated by the contact, i.e., it can be pushed toward a side substantially opposite to the free end of the stirring member 96.

[0143] Figure 19A and Figure 19B The rotating shaft 950 and the stirring member 96 are shown in the state where the stirring member 96 is in contact with the inner wall 940i (this is one of the phases in which creep deformation becomes a problem in this embodiment). Figure 19B yes Figure 19A A partially enlarged view. At this time, the restoring force of the rotating shaft 950 acts between the normal direction of the extension direction (dashed line s) of the stirring member 96 in its undeformed state and the normal direction of the tangent in the contact portion (contact point) when the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 940i.

[0144] Therefore, the protruding shape 940k can be set within the following range. That is, the point where the straight line v contacts the rotation trajectory Rm on the opposite side of the contact portion with the stirring member 96 relative to the center point O of the rotation axis 950 is represented by FF, and the straight line v passes through the center O of the rotation axis 950 and extends in the direction of extension of the stirring member 96 in its undeformed state ( Figure 19BThe dashed line s) is perpendicular to the line. The point where the line w contacts the rotation trajectory Rm on the opposite side of the contact portion with the stirring member 96 relative to the center point O of the rotation axis 950 is denoted by G. The tangent line () at the contact portion (contact point) of the line w with the stirring member 96 is... Figure 19B The dotted line t) is perpendicular to the line segment 940k. With this setting, the protruding shape 940k can be positioned between line segment OG and line segment OFF in the rotation direction of the rotation axis 950.

[0145] In this embodiment, the phases where the distance from the rotation axis 950 is short and creep deformation is likely to occur are essentially the entire phase in which the stirring member 96 contacts the inner wall 940i. Therefore, preferably, the protruding shape 940k is within the above range in each such phase. Thus, in this embodiment, as... Figure 19A and 19B The figure shows a protruding shape of 940k.

[0146] In addition, such as Figure 13 As shown, the protruding portion 950a is configured to be inclined rather than perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 950, and a toner conveying force is applied along the axial direction. When the rotating shaft 950 rotates, the peripheral toner is pushed away by the flat surface 950a2 on the downstream side of the protruding portion 950a in the rotation direction, and the toner that has already been rubbed between the protruding portion 950a and the toner conveying portion 92 and has generated frictional heat is prevented from being rubbed again. At this time, by making the direction in which the toner is pushed away from the protruding portion 950a and conveyed is the same as the toner conveying direction carried out by the screw 98, the toner can be conveyed more effectively toward the toner conveying path 761.

[0147] In addition, such as Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the inner wall 940i has a surface 940j at the portion facing the protrusion 950a in the longitudinal direction, and this surface recedes beyond the inner wall 940i in a direction away from the rotation axis 950. Therefore, the gap between the protrusion 950a and the inner wall of the container body 940 can be further ensured. Meanwhile, as... Figure 14 As shown, since surface 940j is disposed in a portion of the central part in the longitudinal direction, the posture of the stirring member 96 will not change significantly under the action of surface 940j.

[0148] In this embodiment, the protruding shape 940k is formed with a gentle shape, such that when the stirring member 96 passes through the protruding shape 940k during rotation, the free end side of the stirring member 96 deforms in the longitudinal direction while following the protruding shape 940k. Therefore, the end of the stirring member 96 rotates without separating from the inner wall 940h or the protruding shape 940k, and the toner delivery capacity is not degraded.

[0149] The shapes of the protruding shape 940k and the protruding portion 950a in this embodiment are not limited to those described above. For example, the protruding shape 940k of this embodiment and the protruding portion 95a shown in Embodiment 1 can also be combined. Furthermore, Figure 17 The protruding shape shown is not like 940k Figure 14 The protruding shape 940k shown has a gentle slope and only protrudes in contact with the protruding part, but this shape can also be combined with the shapes of the protruding parts 95a and 950a.

[0150] In addition, in this embodiment, the following can also be used: Figures 10A to 10C The shape of the protruding portion in each of the modified examples shown, and multiple protruding shapes 940k can be configured as follows: Figure 11A and Figure 11B The structural arrangement of the multiple protruding parts shown.

[0151] In this way, according to this embodiment, deformation of the rotating shaft can be suppressed in the stirring unit where a stirring member is provided on the rotating shaft. This makes it possible to provide a toner delivery device and an imaging device, wherein the toner can be effectively stirred and delivered, and toner adhesion is unlikely to occur even in high-temperature environments.

[0152] The constructions of each of the above embodiments and modified examples can be combined with each other, as long as there is no technical contradiction. In this embodiment, an example of a container construction in which the inner surface of the toner-containing space in the toner container can have a sliding phase that slides in contact with the stirring member and a non-sliding phase that does not slide is described; however, the container construction to which this invention is applicable is not limited to this construction. For example, this invention is also suitable for toner delivery devices that include a container inner surface construction without a non-sliding phase, i.e., a container construction in which the sliding member is always in contact with the container inner surface.

[0153] While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be given the broadest interpretation to cover all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A toner delivery device, comprising: A container configured to hold a toner; A rotating member, rotatably disposed inside the container and extending in the direction of the axis of rotation of the rotating member, the rotating member having a protruding portion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the axis of rotation; as well as A flexible, sheet-like stirring member is disposed on the outer periphery of a rotating member and fixed to the rotating member at one end. By rotating the rotating member, the stirring member can stir the toner. The stirring component contacts and deforms against the inner surface of the container as the rotating component rotates, wherein... When observing the rotating member in a cross-section orthogonal to the axis of rotation, the radius of the rotation trajectory formed by the rotation of the rotating member is defined as the line segment connecting the free end of the stirring member and the center of rotation of the rotating member in a state where the free end is in contact with the inner surface of the container and does not deform. In the case where the phase in which the free end contacts and deforms the inner surface of the container is defined as the first phase, and the phase in which the free end does not contact the inner surface of the container is defined as the second phase, Wherein, when the rotation trajectory is divided into two parts by a first straight line, and the free end is located in the first phase, the region where the free end is arranged is defined as the first region, and the region on the opposite side of the first region, separated by the first straight line, is defined as the second region. The first straight line is parallel to the extension direction of the stirring member and passes through the rotation center of the rotating member. The protruding portion is partially disposed in the circumferential direction of the rotating member, and at least a portion of the protruding portion is disposed between the following positions: In the first position, a second straight line intersects the rotation trajectory, the second straight line is perpendicular to the first straight line and passes through the rotation center of the rotating member, and the first position is located in the second region in the rotation direction of the rotating member. In the second position, where the rotation trajectory is divided into two parts by a third straight line, the third straight line intersects the rotation trajectory, and the second position is located within the second region. and In the first phase, the following straight line is defined as the third straight line, which is perpendicular to the contact line passing through the contact point formed by the inner surface of the container and the stirring member in its deformed state, passes through the center of rotation and intersects the rotation trajectory.

2. The toner delivery device according to claim 1, wherein... The container has a contact portion, the stirring member contacts the contact portion on the inner surface, and wherein... The protruding portion protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member toward the inner surface of the container. The protruding portion is disposed in a region on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member across the axis of rotation on a side substantially opposite to the contact portion. The protruding portion contacts the inner surface when the rotating member stops and the stirring member contacts the contact portion.

3. The toner delivery device according to claim 2, wherein... The protruding portion includes a portion in a cross-section orthogonal to the axis of rotation located on the opposite side of the side where the contact portion is positioned relative to the second imaginary line, the second imaginary line being orthogonal to the first imaginary line passing through the contact portion and the axis of rotation.

4. The toner delivery device according to claim 3, wherein... The portion of the protruding part intersects with the first imaginary line.

5. The toner delivery device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein... In the portion of the protruding part, the angle between the end portion on one side and the end portion on the other side of the outer circumference of the rotating member about the axis of rotation is greater than 90 degrees.

6. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... When the rotating member rotates, the protruding portion separates from the inner surface.

7. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... The inner surface of the container has a shape such that the distance to the axis of rotation in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating member changes as the rotating member rotates, so that the stirring member can have the first phase and the second phase.

8. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... The protruding portion is positioned in the direction of the rotation axis at a location away from the end portion of the rotating member.

9. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... The protruding portion is positioned substantially at the center of the rotating member in the direction of the rotation axis.

10. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The protruding portions are arranged in multiple spaces at intervals along the direction of the rotation axis.

11. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The protruding portion is configured on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member to extend along the rotational direction of the rotating member.

12. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... The protruding portion is configured on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member to extend in a direction inclined relative to the rotation direction of the rotating member.

13. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The protruding portion is configured to extend spirally relative to the axis of rotation on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member.

14. The toner delivery device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein The side surface of the protruding portion includes a curved surface that forms part of a screw capable of conveying the toner in the direction of the rotation axis.

15. The toner delivery device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein... The side surface of the protruding portion is configured to extend in a direction inclined in each of the directions relative to the axis of rotation and the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

16. The toner delivery device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein The toner delivery device further includes a delivery member that delivers the toner inside the container along a first direction parallel to the axis of rotation; wherein When viewed along a second direction opposite to the first direction, the rotating member rotates counterclockwise about the rotation axis; and wherein The protruding portion is tilted such that its position in the rotational direction changes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the second direction.

17. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein... The protruding portion has a plurality of protrusions arranged side by side along the extension direction on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member, such that a plurality of peaks with protruding height are formed in the extension direction.

18. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The inner surface of the container has a protruding portion in the direction of the rotation axis, the protruding portion projecting toward the rotation axis at a position corresponding to the protruding portion, and wherein... The protruding portion faces the contact portion when the stirring member is in contact with the contact portion.

19. The toner delivery device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein In a cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation, Wherein, in the state where the stirring member is not deformed due to external force applied to the free end, the distance from the rotation axis to the free end in the radial direction with the rotation axis as the center is represented by Rm. With the stirring member in contact with the contact portion, the distance from the axis of rotation to the position where the stirring member contacts the inner surface in the radial direction is given by r. h It means, and The distance from the axis of rotation to the end of the protrusion in the radial direction is given by r. a This means that the following formula is satisfied: (Rm-r h )>(r h -r a ) (1) r a >(2r h -Rm) (2)。 20. An imaging device, comprising: The imaging section includes an image carrier member carrying a toner image and a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the image carrier member to a transfer target; A cleaning unit for removing toner from the image-bearing component; as well as A toner collection device that collects the toner removed from the image-bearing member by the cleaning unit, wherein... The toner collection device includes the toner delivery device according to claim 1 or 2.

21. The imaging device according to claim 20, wherein The toner collection device includes a collection container for holding the toner removed from the image-bearing member by the cleaning unit, and The toner delivery device delivers the toner removed from the image carrier by the cleaning unit to the collection container.

22. The imaging device according to claim 20 or 21, wherein The toner delivery device is located near the heat source in the imaging equipment.

23. The imaging device according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising: A fixing apparatus heats the toner image transferred to the recording material as the transfer target and fixes the toner image onto the recording material, wherein... The toner delivery device is located near the fixing device.

24. The imaging apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein The image-carrying component is an intermediate transfer belt.

Images