Developing device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a developing device that has a miniaturized configuration with improved maintainability, and can prevent scattering of developer to the outside of a developer container.SOLUTION: A developing device 40 comprises: a developer container 50 that has a first stirring chamber 52 and a second stirring chamber 53 arranged in parallel to each other; and a developing roller 44 that carries a toner in the second stirring chamber 53. The developer container 50 includes a duct 56, an intake port 57, a first filter 61, and a second filter 62. The duct 56 is arranged adjacent to the second stirring chamber 53 and causes air in the second stirring chamber 53 to flow to the outside. The intake port 57 opens along a longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber 53 and communicates the inside of the second stirring chamber 53 and the inside of the duct 56 with each other. The first filter 61 covers the intake port 57. The second filter 62 is arranged on the downstream side of the first filter 61 in an air circulation direction in the duct 56 and covers an air circulation path in the duct 56.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In electrophotographic image forming devices such as copying machines and printers, devices that form a toner image to be transferred to paper later by attaching toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum and developing it are widely used. In the developing device, in order to continuously form a uniform image, the developer containing the toner contained inside the developing container is conveyed while being stirred inside the developing container.

[0003] In a developing device, air may be sucked into the developing container from the outside by rotating the developing roller or the stirring member, causing the air pressure inside the developing container to rise. This increase in air pressure inside the developing container may cause developer to scatter from inside the developing container to the outside. An example of a conventional technology that aims to solve this problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0004] The conventional image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a toner transport section that transports toner discharged from a developing device, an air vent formed in the toner transport section, an air intake section that sucks air from inside the toner transport section through the air vent, and a filter section that is provided in the air vent to collect toner. This eliminates the need for a dedicated collection box for collecting toner, and makes it possible to prevent toner in the developing device from leaking to the outside while avoiding an increase in the size of the apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-31436 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of the conventional technology, the ventilation opening where the filter part is provided is small, and furthermore, the filter part is provided outside the developing device, which is an issue. As a result, if the filter part is made larger, it becomes impossible to avoid the device becoming larger, and there is a concern that the filter part being provided outside the developing device makes it difficult to maintain.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a developing device and an image forming apparatus that are compact and easy to maintain, and that can suppress the scattering of developer outside the developing container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the developing device of the present invention includes a developing container, a first stirring member, a second stirring member, and a developer carrier. The developing container includes a first stirring chamber and a second stirring chamber arranged in parallel to each other and separated by a partition, and a communication portion that communicates the first stirring chamber and the second stirring chamber at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and contains a developer including a toner to be supplied to an image carrier. The first stirring member and the second stirring member are rotatably supported inside the first stirring chamber and the second stirring chamber, respectively, and convey the developer while stirring it in opposite directions along the axis of rotation, and circulate it in a predetermined circulation direction. The developer carrier is rotatably supported by the developing container facing the image carrier, and carries the toner in the second stirring chamber and supplies it to the image carrier. The developing container includes a duct, an intake port, a first filter, and a second filter. The duct is disposed adjacent to the second stirring chamber and allows air within the second stirring chamber to flow out to the outside. The air intake port opens along the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber and connects the second stirring chamber to the inside of the duct. The first filter covers the air intake port. The second filter is disposed downstream of the first filter in the air flow direction within the duct and covers the air flow path within the duct. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the configuration of the present invention, the developing container itself is provided with the first filter and the second filter, and a duct for discharging air from the second stirring chamber to the outside is provided. Therefore, the configuration is compact and easy to maintain, and it is possible to prevent the developer from scattering outside the developing container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical sectional front view showing the periphery of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a horizontal sectional plan view of a developing device in the image forming unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a vertical sectional front view of a developing device of the image forming unit of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 3 is a vertical sectional side view of a developing device of the image forming unit of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional front view showing the periphery of an image forming unit 20 of the image forming apparatus 1. One example of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is a tandem color printer that transfers a toner image onto paper S using an intermediate transfer belt 31. The image forming apparatus 1 may be a so-called multifunction machine equipped with functions such as printing, scanning (image reading), and facsimile transmission.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has a paper feed section 3, a paper transport section 4, an exposure section 5, an image forming section 20, a transfer section 30, a fixing section 6, a paper discharge section 7, and a control section 8, which are provided in a main body 2.

[0014] The paper feed unit 3 stores multiple sheets of paper S, and separates and sends out the sheets S one by one during printing. The paper transport unit 4 transports the paper S sent out from the paper feed unit 3 to the secondary transfer unit 33 and the fixing unit 6, and further discharges the paper S after fixing from the paper discharge port 4a to the paper discharge unit 7. When double-sided printing is performed, the paper transport unit 4 distributes the paper S after fixing of the first side to the reversal transport unit 4c by the branch unit 4b, and transports the paper S again to the secondary transfer unit 33 and the fixing unit 6. The exposure unit 5 irradiates the image forming unit 20 with laser light controlled based on image data.

[0015] The image forming units 20 are disposed below the intermediate transfer belt 31. The image forming units 20 include an image forming unit 20Y for yellow, an image forming unit 20C for cyan, an image forming unit 20M for magenta, and an image forming unit 20B for black. These four image forming units 20 have the same basic configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the identification symbols "Y", "C", "M", and "B" representing each color may be omitted unless there is a particular need to limit it.

[0016] The image forming unit 20 includes a photoconductor drum (image carrier) 21 that is supported so as to be rotatable in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIGS. 1 and 2). The image forming unit 20 further includes a charging unit 22, a developing device 40, and a drum cleaning unit 23 that are arranged around the photoconductor drum 21 along the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum 21. A primary transfer unit 32 is arranged between the developing device 40 and the drum cleaning unit 23.

[0017] The photosensitive drum 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the horizontal direction, and has a photosensitive layer on its outer circumferential surface. The charging section 22 charges the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 to a predetermined potential. The exposure section 5 exposes the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 charged by the charging section 22, and forms an electrostatic latent image of the original image on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21. The developing device 40 develops the electrostatic latent image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image, thereby forming a toner image. Each of the four image forming sections 20 forms a toner image of a different color. The drum cleaning section 23 removes toner and the like remaining on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 after the toner image is primarily transferred to the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31, and cleans it. In this manner, the image forming section 20 forms an image on the paper S.

[0018] The transfer unit 30 includes an intermediate transfer belt 31, primary transfer units 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32B, a secondary transfer unit 33, and a belt cleaning unit 34. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is disposed above the four image forming units 20. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is supported so as to be rotatable in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1), and is an intermediate transfer body onto which the toner images formed in each of the four image forming units 20 are sequentially superimposed and primarily transferred. The four image forming units 20 are disposed in a so-called tandem system in which they are lined up in a row from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 31.

[0019] The primary transfer units 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32B are disposed above the image forming units 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20B of the respective colors, with the intermediate transfer belt 31 sandwiched therebetween. The secondary transfer unit 33 is disposed upstream of the fixing unit 6 in the paper transport direction of the paper transport unit 4, and downstream of the image forming units 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20B of the respective colors in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 31 of the transfer unit 30. The belt cleaning unit 34 is disposed upstream of the image forming units 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20B of the respective colors in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 31.

[0020] The toner images are primarily transferred at primary transfer sections 32Y, 32C, 32M, and 32B of the respective colors onto the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31. Then, as the intermediate transfer belt 31 rotates, the toner images of the four image forming sections 20 are successively superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 31 at a predetermined timing, so that a color toner image is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 in which the toner images of the four colors, yellow, cyan, magenta, and black, are superimposed.

[0021] The color toner image on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 is transferred at a secondary transfer nip portion formed in the secondary transfer portion 33 onto a sheet S synchronously fed by the sheet transport portion 4. The belt cleaning portion 34 removes and cleans toner and the like remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 after the secondary transfer.

[0022] The fixing unit 6 is disposed above the secondary transfer unit 33. The fixing unit 6 fixes the toner image to the paper S by applying heat and pressure to the paper S onto which the toner image has been transferred.

[0023] The paper discharge section 7 is disposed above the transfer section 30. The paper S on which the toner image has been fixed and printing has been completed is transported to the paper discharge section 7.

[0024] The control unit 8 includes a CPU, an image processing unit, a storage unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (all not shown). The CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the image forming apparatus 1 based on control programs and data stored in the storage unit to perform processing related to the functions of the image forming apparatus 1. The paper feed unit 3, the paper transport unit 4, the exposure unit 5, the image forming unit 20, the transfer unit 30, and the fixing unit 6 each receive individual commands from the control unit 8 and print on the paper S in cooperation with each other. The storage unit is configured by a combination of a non-volatile storage device such as a program ROM (Read Only Memory) or a data ROM, and a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0025] Next, the configuration of the developing device 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 in addition to Fig. 2. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are a horizontal cross-sectional plan view, a vertical cross-sectional front view, and a vertical cross-sectional side view of the developing device 40 of the image forming unit 20 in Fig. 2. Since the developing devices 40 of each color have the same basic configuration, the identification symbols representing each color and the description of the components will be omitted. In addition, in this description, the "axial direction" represents the axial direction of rotation of the photosensitive drum 21, the first agitating member 42, the second agitating member 43, and the developing roller 44, which extend parallel to each other (the depth direction of the paper in Figs. 2 and 4, and the left and right lateral directions in Figs. 3 and 5), and is indicated as an arrow Dx in each figure.

[0026] The developing device 40 supplies toner to the outer circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 21. The developing device 40 is detachable from the main body 2 of the image forming apparatus 1, for example.

[0027] The developing device 40 includes a developing container 50, a first stirring member 42, a second stirring member 43, a developing roller (developer carrier) 44, and a regulating member 45.

[0028] The developing container 50 has an elongated shape extending along the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 21, and is disposed with its longitudinal direction horizontal. That is, the longitudinal direction of the developing container 50 is parallel to the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 21. The developing container 50 contains, for example, a magnetic one-component developer containing magnetic toner as a developer containing toner to be supplied to the photoconductor drum 21. The developer may be, for example, a non-magnetic one-component developer, or a two-component developer containing toner and a magnetic carrier.

[0029] The developing container 50 has a partition portion 51 , a first stirring chamber 52 , a second stirring chamber 53 , a first communicating portion 54 , and a second communicating portion 55 .

[0030] The partition portion 51 is provided in the lower part inside the developing container 50. The partition portion 51 is disposed in a substantially central part in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the developing container 50 (the left-right lateral direction in FIG. 2, the up-down direction in FIG. 3). The partition portion 51 is formed in a substantially plate shape extending in the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction of the developing container 50. The partition portion 51 divides the interior of the developing container 50 in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction.

[0031] The first stirring chamber 52 and the second stirring chamber 53 are provided inside the developing container 50. The first stirring chamber 52 and the second stirring chamber 53 are formed by dividing the inside of the developing container 50 by a partition portion 51. The first stirring chamber 52 and the second stirring chamber 53 are arranged in parallel at approximately the same height.

[0032] The second stirring chamber 53 is disposed adjacent to and below the region where the developing roller 44 is disposed in the developing container 50. That is, the second stirring chamber 53 faces the developing roller 44. The first stirring chamber 52 is disposed in a region in the developing container 50 that is farther away from the developing roller 44 than the second stirring chamber 53 is. A developer supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the first stirring chamber 52, and developer is supplied through the developer supply pipe. In the first stirring chamber 52, the developer is transported in a first direction f1 by the first stirring member 42. In the second stirring chamber 53, the developer is transported in a second direction f2 opposite to the first direction f1 by the second stirring member 43.

[0033] The first communication portion 54 and the second communication portion 55 are disposed on the outer sides of both ends in the longitudinal direction (=axial direction Dx) of the partition portion 51. The first communication portion 54 and the second communication portion 55 communicate the first stirring chamber 52 and the second stirring chamber 53 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the partition portion 51 (the left-right lateral direction in FIG. 2, the up-down direction in FIG. 3), i.e., in the thickness direction of the partition portion 51, which is substantially plate-shaped.

[0034] The first communication portion 54 communicates between the downstream end of the first stirring chamber 52 in the first direction f1 and the upstream end of the second stirring chamber 53 in the second direction f2. The first communication portion 54 transports the developer from the first stirring chamber 52 side toward the second stirring chamber 53 side. The second communication portion 55 communicates between the downstream end of the second stirring chamber 53 in the second direction f2 and the upstream end of the first stirring chamber 52 in the first direction f1. The second communication portion 55 transports the developer from the second stirring chamber 53 side toward the first stirring chamber 52 side.

[0035] The first agitating member 42 is disposed in the first agitating chamber 52. The second agitating member 43 is disposed in the second agitating chamber 53. The second agitating member 43 extends parallel to and close to the developing roller 44. The first agitating member 42 and the second agitating member 43 are supported by the developing container 50 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction parallel to the developing roller 44. The first agitating member 42 and the second agitating member 43 have the same basic configuration.

[0036] The first agitating member 42 transports the developer while stirring it in a first direction f1 from the second communicating portion 55 side toward the first communicating portion 54 side along the axial direction Dx of rotation. The second agitating member 43 transports the developer while stirring it in a second direction f2 from the first communicating portion 54 side toward the second communicating portion 55 side along the axial direction Dx of rotation.

[0037] The developing roller (developer carrier) 44 is disposed above the second agitating member 43 in the developing container 50. The developing roller 44 is supported by the developing container 50 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum 21. The developing roller 44 has a cylindrical developing sleeve that rotates counterclockwise in Figures 2 and 4, for example, and a developing roller-side magnetic pole fixed within the developing sleeve (both not shown).

[0038] The developing roller 44 has a part of its outer circumferential surface exposed from the developing container 50, and faces and is close to the photoconductor drum 21. The developing roller 44 carries toner on its outer circumferential surface to be supplied to the outer circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 21 in the facing region with the photoconductor drum 21. The developing roller 44 supplies the toner in the second stirring chamber 53 of the developing container 50 to the photoconductor drum 21. In other words, the developing roller 44 causes the toner in the second stirring chamber 53 to adhere to the electrostatic latent image on the outer circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 21, forming a toner image.

[0039] The regulating member 45 is disposed upstream in the rotation direction of the developing roller 44 in the opposing region between the developing roller 44 and the photosensitive drum 21. The regulating member 45 is disposed closely opposing the developing roller 44 with a predetermined gap between its tip and the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44. The regulating member 45 extends over the entire area in the axial direction Dx of the developing roller 44. The regulating member 45 regulates the layer thickness of the developer (toner) carried on the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44 that passes through the gap between the tip of the regulating member 45 and the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44.

[0040] The developer in the developing container 50 circulates between the first stirring chamber 52 and the second stirring chamber 53 in a predetermined circulation direction through the first communicating portion 54 and the second communicating portion 55 by the rotation of the first stirring member 42 and the second stirring member 43. At this time, the toner in the developing container 50 is stirred and charged, and is transferred to the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44. The toner carried on the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44 is regulated in layer thickness by the regulating member 45, and then is transported to the opposing region between the developing roller 44 and the photosensitive drum 21 by the rotation of the developing roller 44. When a predetermined developing voltage is applied to the developing roller 44, the toner carried on the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller 44 moves to the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 in the opposing region due to the potential difference between the developing roller 44 and the potential of the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is developed.

[0041] Next, a more detailed configuration of the developing container 50 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that arrows indicating the air flow direction fd in the duct 56 are drawn in Figures 4 and 5.

[0042] The developing container 50 includes a duct 56 , an intake port 57 , an exhaust port 58 , a first filter 61 , and a second filter 62 .

[0043] The duct 56 is disposed adjacent to the second stirring chamber 53. The duct 56 faces the photoconductor drum 21 across the region in which the developing roller 44 is disposed in the developing container 50 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the developing container 50 (the left-right lateral direction in FIG. 4, the depth direction in FIG. 5). The duct 56 is connected to the second stirring chamber 53 at an upstream end in the air flow direction. The duct 56 allows the air in the second stirring chamber 53 to flow out to the outside.

[0044] The intake port 57 is a connection point between the duct 56 and the second stirring chamber 53, and is disposed above the developing roller 44. That is, the intake port 57 is located at the upstream end of the duct 56 in the air flow direction. The intake port 57 opens along the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber 53. The intake port 57 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber 53, and faces the developing roller 44. The intake port 57 communicates the interior of the second stirring chamber 53 with the interior of the duct 56. The air in the second stirring chamber 53 flows into the duct 56 through the intake port 57.

[0045] The exhaust port 58 is disposed, for example, at the rear of the developing container 50. The exhaust port 58 is located at the downstream end of the duct 56 in the air flow direction. The air in the second stirring chamber 53 is exhausted from the duct 56 through the exhaust port 58. The duct 56 may be connected to another exhaust path in the main body 2 at the exhaust port 58. The other exhaust path may be equipped with an exhaust fan. Thereby, for example, when the exhaust fan is driven, the air in the second stirring chamber 53 is forcibly exhausted to the outside through the duct 56.

[0046] The first filter 61 is disposed at the location of the intake port 57. The first filter 61 has the same shape as the intake port 57, and is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber 53. The first filter 61 covers the intake port 57. In other words, the first filter 61 faces the developing roller 44. The first filter 61 is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric, and collects the developer contained in the air that flows from the second stirring chamber 53 into the duct 56.

[0047] The second filter 62 is disposed downstream of the first filter 61 in the air flow direction inside the duct 56. The second filter 62 has the same shape as a cross section in a direction intersecting the air flow direction inside the duct 56, and is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber 53. The second filter 62 covers the air flow path inside the duct 56. The second filter 62 is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric, and collects the developer contained in the air that passes through the first filter 61 and flows inside the duct 56.

[0048] According to the above configuration, the developing container 50 itself is provided with the first filter 61 and the second filter 62, and the duct 56 for discharging the air in the second stirring chamber 53 to the outside is provided. Since the filters are not provided outside the developing device 40, it is possible to avoid the image forming apparatus 1 becoming larger. Furthermore, when the developing device 40 reaches the end of its life, the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 can be simultaneously replaced with new ones by replacing the developing device 40 with a new one. Therefore, with a configuration that achieves miniaturization and improved maintainability, it is possible to suppress the developer from scattering outside the developing container 50.

[0049] It is preferable that the intake port 57 is formed over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the second stirring chamber 53. With this configuration, the intake port 57 can be a large opening having a larger area within the developing container 50. That is, it is possible to efficiently collect the developer by the first filter 61 while miniaturizing the developing device 40.

[0050] The first filter 61 is a nonwoven fabric made of circular cross-sectional fibers with a fiber diameter of 10 to 20 μm, for example, by a needle punching method, and has a thickness of about 1 mm. The second filter 62 is a nonwoven fabric made of circular cross-sectional fibers with a fiber diameter of 20 to 40 μm, for example, by a spunbonding method, and has a thickness of about 0.2 mm.

[0051] The second filter 62 has finer mesh than the first filter 61. That is, the second filter 62 has a higher collection efficiency than the first filter 61. With this configuration, the first filter 61 does not collect a large amount of developer in the second stirring chamber 53 and is less likely to become clogged. Furthermore, the second filter 62 can prevent the developer from leaking outside the developing device 40.

[0052] The developing device 40 also includes a vibration generating unit 46. The vibration generating unit 46 is disposed, for example, adjacent to the rear surface of the developing container 50. The vibration generating unit 46 includes, for example, a vibration motor, a control board, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (all not shown). A vibration weight is attached to the output shaft of the vibration motor, the center of gravity of which is eccentric from the rotation axis of the output shaft.

[0053] The vibration generating unit 46 is connected to the first filter 61 and the second filter 62. When the vibration motor is driven, the vibration generating unit 46 vibrates the first filter 61 and the second filter 62. With this configuration, it is possible to cause the toner adhering to the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 to fall by the vibration. By vibrating the first filter 61, the toner adhering to the first filter 61 can be caused to fall into the second stirring chamber 53. By vibrating the second filter 62, clogging of the second filter 62 can be suppressed.

[0054] Moreover, the developing container 50 includes a holding member 63 shown in Fig. 4. Note that the holding member 63 is omitted in Fig. 5.

[0055] 4, the holding member 63 is disposed upstream in the air flow direction inside the duct 56. The holding member 63 is formed in a generally plate shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the developing container 50. The holding member 63 has a first holding portion 631 and a second holding portion 632. The first holding portion 631 and the second holding portion 632 each have a rectangular opening that penetrates the generally plate-shaped holding member 63 in the thickness direction and extends in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 50.

[0056] The first holding portion 631 is disposed upstream of the second holding portion 632 in the air flow direction. The first holding portion 631 is located at the intake port 57. The first holding portion 631 holds the first filter 61. The first filter 61 covers the rectangular opening of the first holding portion 631 and covers the intake port 57. The second holding portion 632 holds the second filter 62. The second filter 62 covers the rectangular opening of the second holding portion 632 and covers the air flow path in the duct 56. The toner collecting surfaces of the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 extend parallel to each other on the holding member 63.

[0057] As described above, the developing container 50 includes a single holding member 63 that holds both the first filter 61 and the second filter 62. This configuration allows the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 to be easily attached to the developing container 50. In addition, the positional relationship between the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 can be stabilized. In addition, since only one holding member is required for the two filters, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, the holding member 63 is connected to the vibration generating unit 46. According to this configuration, by vibrating only the holding member 63 with the vibration generating unit 46, it is possible to vibrate the first filter 61 and the second filter 62 simultaneously.

[0059] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0060] For example, in the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 is a so-called tandem type image forming apparatus for color printing that sequentially overlaps and forms images of multiple colors, but is not limited to such a model. The image forming apparatus may be a non-tandem type image forming apparatus for color printing or a monochrome image forming apparatus. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present invention can be used in developing devices and image forming apparatuses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Image forming device 20 Image forming section 21 Photoconductor drum (image carrier) 40 Developing device 42 First stirring member 43 Second stirring member 44 Developing roller (developer carrier) 46 Vibration generating part 50 Developer container 51 Partition 52 1st stirring chamber 53 Second stirring chamber 56 Duct 57 Air Intake 58 Exhaust port 61 1st Filter 62 2nd Filter 63 Retaining member Dx axial direction

Claims

1. a developing container including a first stirring chamber and a second stirring chamber arranged in parallel to each other and separated by a partition portion, and communication portions that communicate the first stirring chamber and the second stirring chamber with each other at both end sides in a longitudinal direction of the first stirring chamber and the second stirring chamber, and that contains a developer including a toner to be supplied to an image carrier; a first stirring member and a second stirring member that are rotatably supported in the first stirring chamber and the second stirring chamber, respectively, and that stir and transport the developer in opposite directions along an axial direction of rotation, and circulate the developer in a predetermined circulation direction; a developer carrier that is rotatably supported by the developing container and faces the image carrier, and that supplies the toner in the second stirring chamber to the image carrier; Equipped with The developing container is a duct disposed adjacent to the second stirring chamber and configured to allow air within the second stirring chamber to flow out to the outside; an intake port disposed above the developer carrier to face the developer carrier, the intake port opening along the longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber and communicating the second stirring chamber with an inside of the duct; A first filter covering the intake port; a second filter that is disposed downstream of the first filter in an air flow direction in the duct, spaced apart from the first filter, and at a position where air in the duct flows from top to bottom, and covers an air flow path in the duct; A developing device comprising:

2. 2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the air intake port is formed over the entire area of ​​the second stirring chamber in the longitudinal direction.

3. 3. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the second filter has a higher collection efficiency than the first filter.

4. 4. The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration generating unit that vibrates the first filter and the second filter.

5. 5. The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising a single holding member that holds both the first filter and the second filter.

6. 6. An image forming apparatus comprising the developing device according to claim 1.

Images