Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can suppress occurrence of insertion check failure even when an amount of bite of a contact is changed at which insertion is detected over time.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises a toner supply device that can accommodate toner storage containers 50. A toner storage container insertion detection mechanism 500 is provided between each of the toner storage containers 50 and the toner supply device and checks insertion of the toner storage container 50 into the toner supply device at a predetermined position. The toner storage container insertion detection mechanism 500 includes a contact receiving part 55 provided on the toner storage container 50, and a contact part 200 provided on the toner supply device and brought into contact with the contact receiving part 55 to check the insertion of the toner storage container 50 into the toner supply device at the predetermined position. The contact part 200 has a posture correction part 157 that corrects a posture of the contact part 200 so that the contact part 200 remains in contact with the contact receiving part 55 even when the position of the contact receiving part 55 side is changed while in contact with the contact receiving part 55.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of an image forming device equipped with a set detection configuration for a toner storage container that stores toner is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-29398 (Patent Document 1). This image forming device includes a device main body and a cartridge support member that is configured to support a plurality of cartridges and move between a mounting position where the cartridges are mounted in the device main body and a pull-out position that is located outside the device main body relative to the mounting position.

[0003] The device includes a main body guide roller provided in the device main body, and a biasing portion provided in the cartridge support member and configured to come into contact with the main body guide roller when the cartridge support member moves in the mounting direction from the pull-out position toward the mounted position, and to apply a resistance force to the cartridge support member in a direction opposite to the mounting direction, and the main body guide roller and the biasing portion are configured so that the resistance force increases continuously and then decreases continuously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-29398 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an image forming apparatus equipped with a toner container set detection mechanism, there is a concern that the amount of contact bite that is detected as being set may change over time, making it impossible to ensure the desired amount of contact bite, resulting in a failure to confirm the setting.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of set confirmation failures even if the amount of penetration of the contacts being detected as set changes over time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [1]: An image forming apparatus equipped with a toner supply device capable of accommodating a toner storage container, wherein a toner storage container set detection mechanism is provided between the toner storage container and the toner supply device to confirm that the toner storage container is inserted at a predetermined position in the toner supply device, and the toner storage container set detection mechanism includes a contact receiving portion provided on the toner storage container side and a contact portion provided on the toner supply device side to confirm that the toner storage container is inserted at a predetermined position in the toner supply device by contacting the contact receiving portion, and the contact portion has an attitude correction portion that corrects the attitude of the contact portion so that the contact portion contacts the contact receiving portion while in contact with the contact receiving portion even if the position of the contact receiving portion side changes.

[0008] [2]: The image forming apparatus according to [1], wherein the posture correction unit is an elastic member. [3]: An image forming apparatus according to [1] or [2], wherein the contact portion has a contact head including a contact terminal and a tilting frame attached to the toner supply device side, and the posture correction portion is provided between the contact head and the tilting frame.

[0009] [4]: The image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the contact receiving portion is a substrate.

[0010] [5]: An image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the toner storage container includes a rib formed to protrude from a surface of the toner storage container along a longitudinal direction of the toner storage container, and the contact portion changes its position while abutting against the rib as the toner storage container is inserted into the toner supply device from the front side to the rear side, so that the contact portion abuts against the contact receiving portion.

[0011] [6]: An image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the posture correction unit corrects the posture of the contact portion so that the contact portion contacts the contact receiving portion even when the contact portion changes posture in a direction away from the toner storage container. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to this image forming apparatus, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of set confirmation failure even if the amount of engagement of the contacts being detected as set changes over time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating a process of inserting the toner storage container of the embodiment into the copying machine body. [Diagram 3] FIG. 5 is a second diagram illustrating a process of inserting the toner storage container according to the embodiment into the copier body. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a third diagram showing a process of inserting the toner storage container of the embodiment into the copying machine body. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a contact receiving portion provided on a container cover of the toner container according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a front view showing a contact portion provided in the toner supply device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of a contact head constituting a contact portion provided on the toner supply device side of the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a contact portion starts to come into contact with a contact receiving portion in an embodiment; FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the contact portion of the embodiment is in complete contact with the contact receiving portion; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, when the number, amount, etc. are mentioned, the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the number, amount, etc., unless otherwise specified. The same reference numbers are used for the same parts or corresponding parts, and duplicate descriptions may not be repeated.

[0015] (Image forming apparatus 1000) A schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1000 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus 1000. The side shown in Fig. 1 is the front side of the image forming apparatus 1000.

[0016] The image forming apparatus 1000 forms a color image in tandem by electrophotography. The image forming apparatus 1000 generally includes a copying machine main body 100 and an image reading unit 110.

[0017] The image reading unit 110 is a well-known unit that optically reads an image of an original placed on a glass platen (not shown) or an image of an original conveyed by an original conveying mechanism (not shown), and converts the image into the three primary colors of RGB and converts them into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is transferred to the control unit 300, where it is subjected to various data processing operations and converted into each reproduction color of YMCK (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black). Image data is transferred to the control unit 300 from a personal computer or the like.

[0018] In the copier main body 100, imaging units 30 each including a photoconductor drum 31, a laser scanning optical unit 32, a developing unit 33, a charger (not shown), and a cleaner for cleaning residual toner and residual charge are arranged in parallel immediately below the intermediate transfer belt 15. The imaging units 30 include a yellow imaging unit 30Y, a magenta imaging unit 30M, a cyan imaging unit 30C, and a black imaging unit 30K.

[0019] In the imaging unit 30, a laser scanning optical unit 32 receives image data transferred from a control unit 300, forms a latent image on a photoconductor drum 31, and a toner image of each color is formed by a developing unit 33. Such an image forming process is well known, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] The intermediate transfer belt 15 is stretched around the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 12 in an endless loop shape. The intermediate transfer belt 15 rotates in the direction of arrow E when the driving roller 11 is driven to rotate by the motor .

[0021] A paper feed cassette 20 that stores a stack of multiple sheets of paper is installed at the bottom of the copier body 100. The paper is continuously fed from the paper feed cassette 20 by a paper feed roller 21 and a handling roller 22, and is transported to the secondary transfer nip portion 18 by a timing roller 23.

[0022] The toner images formed on the photoconductor drums 31 are sequentially primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 15 by an electric field applied by the primary transfer roller 13, forming a composite image. The composite image is secondarily transferred onto a sheet of paper by an electric field applied by the secondary transfer roller 19 at the secondary transfer nip portion 18. The sheet is then transported to the fixing unit 25 where the toner is heated and fixed, and is then discharged from the discharge rollers 29 to the paper discharge portion 400, which is the top surface of the copier main body 100.

[0023] On the other hand, each toner storage container 50 containing toner of a respective color (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) corresponding to each developing unit 33 is set in each toner supply device 1 provided corresponding to each developing unit 33.

[0024] A driving device 70 is provided corresponding to each color toner storage container 50, and each color toner storage container 50 is driven individually by each driving device 70. As a result, the toner of each color stored in each color toner storage container 50 is supplied individually to the corresponding toner replenishing device 1.

[0025] Toner of each color is supplied to each photoconductor drum 31 from each developing unit 33. When the amount of toner in each developing unit 33 decreases as a result of forming a toner image of each color on each photoconductor drum 31, toner is supplied from the corresponding toner replenishing device 1.

[0026] When the amount of toner in the toner supply device 1 decreases, the corresponding toner storage container 50 is driven by the drive device 70 to supply the toner stored in the toner storage container 50 to the toner supply device 1.

[0027] 2 to 4, a process of inserting the toner storage container 50 into the copier body 100 will be described. Figures 2 to 4 are 1 to 3 diagrams showing the process of inserting the toner storage container 50 into the copier body 100.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the toner storage container 50 is inserted by opening the front door 2 of the copier body 100 and setting the longitudinal end of the toner storage container 50 in the insertion opening 1a of the toner supply device 1 provided in the copier body 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the toner storage container 50 is inserted from the front side to the rear side of the copier body 100. The insertion direction is the direction shown by the arrow S in Fig. 3.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, when the container cover 53 having a toner supply port on the front side of the toner container 50 is inserted to the same position as the front of the toner storage section 54, the installation of the toner container 50 in the toner replenishing device 1 is completed.

[0030] (Toner storage container set detection mechanism 500) 5 and 6, a toner storage container setting detection mechanism 500 for detecting whether the toner storage container 50 is set in the toner supply device 1 will be described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a contact receiving portion 55 provided on the storage container cover 53 of the toner storage container 50, and Fig. 6 is a front view showing a contact portion 200 provided on the toner supply device 1.

[0031] 5, the toner storage container 50 includes a front portion 51, a storage-container cover 53, and a cylindrical storage portion 58 that extends rearward from the storage-container cover 53 and stores toner. A contact receiving portion 55 that constitutes a toner storage container set detection mechanism 500 is provided at a selected position of the cylindrical storage-container cover 53. In this embodiment, the contact receiving portion 55 is provided with three electrode plates 55S in parallel. The number and arrangement of the electrode plates 55S may be appropriately selected and are not limited to this embodiment.

[0032] A rib 56 is provided on the side of the contact receiving portion 55 so as to protrude from the surface of the container cover 53. The rib 56 is provided so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the toner container 50, that is, the direction of the arrow L in the figure.

[0033] 6, the toner supply device 1 into which the toner storage container 50 of the copier body 100 is inserted is provided with a guide area 1B of a cylindrical space in which the toner storage container 50 is accommodated. As described in FIG. 4, when the toner storage container 50 is in a position where the setting of the toner storage container 50 in the toner supply device 1 is completed, a contact portion 200 which constitutes a toner storage container setting detection mechanism 500 together with the contact receiving portion 55 is provided on the guide area 1B side at a position facing the contact receiving portion 55 of the toner storage container 50.

[0034] When the toner storage container 50 is inserted into a position where the setting in the toner supply device 1 is completed, the contact portion 200 comes into contact with the contact receiving portion 55. This allows the control unit 300 to detect that the toner storage container 50 has been set in the toner supply device 1.

[0035] (contact mechanism) Next, the contact mechanism of contact portion 200 with contact receiving portion 55 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of contact head 150 constituting contact portion 200 provided on the toner supply device 1 side, Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where contact portion 200 starts to contact contact receiving portion 55, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where contact portion 200 has completely contacted contact receiving portion 55.

[0036] 7, the contact head 150 includes a terminal base 155. The terminal base 155 has a substantially cubic outer shape. Three metallic contact terminals 155S are provided in parallel on the bottom surface of the terminal base 155. Each contact terminal 155S has a shape in which a metallic rod is bent into a triangular shape, and is provided so that the apex of the triangle abuts against the electrode plate 55S of the contact receiving portion 55.

[0037] 8, the terminal base 155 is fixed to the tilting frame 151 via an elastic member 157. As the elastic member 157, a coil spring, a cylindrical rubber member, or other known elastic members can be used. The elastic member 157 fixes and supports the terminal base 155 so that the attitude of the terminal base 155 can be controlled between the direction of the arrow Y along the axis A in the figure, which is the direction in which the terminal base 155 approaches the tilting frame 151 and the direction in which the terminal base moves away from the tilting frame 151.

[0038] The tilting frame 151 is provided with a pair of bearing plates 153. The pair of bearing plates 153 are axially supported with a pivot pin P1 as a rotation axis, allowing the tilting frame 151 to tilt in the direction of arrow R1 in the figure. The pivot pin P1 is fixed to the toner supply device 1 side. Therefore, the contact part 200 including the tilting frame 151, the bearing plates 153, the terminal base 155 and the elastic member 157 is fixed to the toner supply device 1 side.

[0039] A sector-shaped abutment portion 152 is provided on the bearing plate 153. The contact portion 200 is always positioned facing upward by a biasing member (not shown) such as a coil spring provided in the shaft pin P1.

[0040] 9, the toner supply device 1 is inserted into the toner storage container 50 from the front to the rear of the copier body 100 in the direction of the arrow S in the figure. The rib 56 formed to protrude from the surface of the storage container cover 53 is provided at a position where it will abut against the abutment portion 152. As the toner storage container 50 is advanced in the direction of the arrow S, the bearing plate 153 and the tilting frame 151 change their posture so as to rotate in the direction of the arrow R1 in the figure about the pivot pin P1. As a result, each contact terminal 155S of the terminal base 155 descends to a position where it abuts against each electrode plate 55S.

[0041] As a result, the control unit 300 detects that the toner storage container 50 has been set in the toner replenishing device 1. Furthermore, the terminal base 155 is constantly biased against the contact receiving portion 55 by the elastic force of the elastic member 157. In this manner, while in contact with the contact receiving portion 55, the elastic member 157 provided on the contact portion 200 functions as an attitude correction unit that corrects the attitude of the contact portion 200 so that the contact portion 200 contacts the contact receiving portion 55 even if the position of the contact receiving portion 55 side changes.

[0042] The elastic member 157 makes it possible to correct the attitude of the contact portion 200 so that the contact portion 200 comes into contact with the contact receiving portion 55 even when the contact portion 200 changes its attitude in a direction away from the toner storage container 50.

[0043] As a result, even if the container cover 53 is deformed over time due to the pressure of the terminal base 155, the contact pressure of each contact terminal 155S against each electrode plate 55S is not reduced because the contact terminal 155S is always biased against the contact receiving portion 55 by the elastic force of the elastic member 157. As a result, it becomes possible for the control unit 300 to stably detect that the toner container 50 is set in the toner supply device 1 without causing a set detection failure.

[0044] Although the image forming apparatus has been described above based on the embodiment, the embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 toner supply device, 1B guide area, 1a insertion port, 2 front door, 11 drive roller, 12 driven roller, 13 primary transfer roller, 14 motor, 15 intermediate transfer belt, 18 secondary transfer nip portion, 19 secondary transfer roller, 20 paper feed cassette, 21 paper feed roller, 22 separation roller, 23 timing roller, 25 fixing unit, 29 discharge roller, 30 imaging unit, 30C cyan imaging unit, 30K black imaging unit, 30M magenta imaging unit, 30Y yellow imaging unit, 31 photoconductor drum, 32 laser scanning optical unit, 33 developing unit, 50 toner storage container, 51 front portion, 53 storage container cover, 54 toner storage portion, 55 contact receiving portion, 55S electrode plate, 56 rib, 58 storage portion, 70 drive device, 100 Copier body, 110 image reading unit, 150 contact head, 151 tilting frame, 152 abutment portion, 153 bearing plate, 155 terminal base, 155S contact terminal, 157 elastic member, 200 contact portion, 300 control portion, 400 paper discharge portion, 500 toner storage container set detection mechanism, 1000 image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus including a toner supply device capable of accommodating a toner storage container, a toner storage container setting detection mechanism is provided between the toner storage container and the toner supply device to confirm that the toner storage container is inserted into a predetermined position of the toner supply device; The toner container set detection mechanism includes: a contact receiving portion provided on the toner storage container side; a contact portion provided on the toner supply device, the contact portion contacting the contact receiving portion to confirm that the toner storage container is inserted at a predetermined position of the toner supply device; Including, The contact portion has an attitude correcting portion that corrects an attitude of the contact portion so that the contact portion contacts the contact receiving portion while the contact portion is in contact with the contact receiving portion even if a position of the contact receiving portion changes. Image forming device.

2. The posture correction part is an elastic member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The contact portion is a contact head including a contact terminal; a tilting frame attached to the toner supply device; having The posture correction unit is provided between the contact head and the tilting frame. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. The contact receiving portion is a substrate. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. the toner storage container includes a rib formed to protrude from a surface of the toner storage container along a longitudinal direction of the toner storage container, the contact portion changes its position while being in contact with the rib as the toner storage container is inserted from the front side to the rear side into the toner supply device, so that the contact portion comes into contact with the contact receiving portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. the attitude correction portion corrects the attitude of the contact portion so that the contact portion comes into contact with the contact receiving portion even when the contact portion changes its attitude in a direction away from the toner storage container. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

Images