Image forming device

Abstract

To provide a configuration that can adjust an amount of developer discharged from a developer supply container in one supply operation.SOLUTION: A toner cartridge is provided with a memory that stores information on toner to be charged or information on a tolerance of the toner cartridge, and an image forming apparatus body is provided with a contact that can read the information stored in the memory. The toner cartridge has a discharge port 15a that discharges toner, a pump unit 16 and the like. The pump unit 16 is expanded and contracted to perform exhaust operation to exhaust air from the inside to the outside of the toner cartridge through the exhaust port 15a and intake operation to take in air from the outside to the inside of the toner cartridge through the exhaust port 15a. The pump unit can discharge the toner from the inside of the toner cartridge together with the air in association with the exhaust operation. A CPU can vary an interval from the exhaust operation to next intake operation on the basis of the information read by the contact.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer, facsimile, or a multifunction machine having multiple functions of these. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional image forming apparatus is known in which developer consumed during image formation is replenished from a developer supply container. As such a developer supply container, a configuration has been proposed in which developer is replenished by extending and contracting a pump portion (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-186138 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, due to tolerances in the manufacture of the developer supply container and differences in the physical properties of the developer filled into the developer supply container, there is a risk that the amount of developer replenished in one replenishment operation, i.e., the amount discharged from the developer supply container, may change.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that makes it possible to adjust the amount of developer discharged from a developer supply container in one supply operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a developer supply container detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus, a recording medium provided in the developer supply container and recording information relating to the developer filled in the developer supply container, an information reading unit provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus and capable of reading the information recorded on the recording medium, a drive unit that drives the developer supply container attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, wherein the developer supply container has a developer storage unit that can store developer, an outlet that discharges the developer stored in the developer storage unit from the developer supply container, and an expandable / contractible and a pump section that performs an exhaust operation to exhaust air from the inside of the developer supply container to the outside through the discharge port, and an intake operation to suck air from the outside of the developer supply container to the inside through the discharge port, and that is capable of exhausting developer together with air from inside the developer supply container in conjunction with the exhaust operation, and a drive conversion section that converts the drive force input from the drive section into a direction that expands and contracts the pump section, and the control section is capable of varying the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation based on information about the developer filled in the developer supply container read by the information reading section.

[0007] Further, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developer supply container detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus, a recording medium provided in the developer supply container and recording information relating to tolerances of the developer supply container, an information reading unit provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus and capable of reading information recorded on the recording medium, a drive unit that drives the developer supply container attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, wherein the developer supply container includes a developer storage unit that can store developer, an outlet that discharges the developer stored in the developer storage unit from the developer supply container, and an expandable and contractible developer storage unit. The developer supply container has a pump section that performs an exhaust operation to exhaust air from the inside to the outside through the discharge port, and an intake operation to suck air from the outside to the inside of the developer supply container through the discharge port, and is capable of exhausting developer together with air from inside the developer supply container in conjunction with the exhaust operation, and a drive conversion section that converts the drive force input from the drive section into a direction that expands and contracts the pump section, and the control section is capable of varying the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation based on information regarding the tolerance of the developer supply container read by the information reading section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to adjust the amount of developer discharged from the developer supply container in one supply operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A is a perspective view of a toner supply device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner cartridge is attached and detached to the toner supply device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a toner cartridge drive device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a drive transmission unit extracted from the toner cartridge drive device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment is mounted in a toner cartridge drive device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration for a toner supply device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional perspective view thereof. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a toner discharge portion according to the first embodiment in a cutaway view. [Figure 8] 3A and 3B are plan views of the toner discharge portion according to the first embodiment, seen from above with a portion cut away, showing the pump in a contracted state and the pump in an extended state. [Figure 9] Schematic diagrams showing the suction and exhaust operation of the pump section in the first embodiment, in which (a) the pump section is in an extended state, (b) the state immediately after the pump section has contracted from the state in (a), (c) the state after toner has been discharged from the state in (b), and (d) the state after the pump section has expanded from the state in (c). [Figure 10] (a) Graph showing the relationship between the amount of toner discharged and time from when the pump section is compressed and the internal pressure becomes positive until it reaches equilibrium with atmospheric pressure, and (b) Graph showing the relationship between the amount of toner discharged and time when the pump section is expanded before the toner discharge caused by compressing the pump section is completed. [Figure 11] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation speed of the toner cartridge and the amount of toner discharged in one expansion / contraction operation of the pump section. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the end portion of the toner cartridge according to the first embodiment where a memory is provided. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the contact side of the toner cartridge drive device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the fluidity of the toner and the amount of toner discharged according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of setting the speed of the drive motor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the diameter of the discharge port and the amount of toner discharged according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 15. First, the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0011] [Image forming device] The image forming apparatus 60 of this embodiment is an electrophotographic color printer. Because of its advantages of adaptability to a wide variety of sheet materials and excellent print productivity, it employs an intermediate transfer tandem system in which four color image forming units are arranged side by side on an intermediate transfer belt 61. In this embodiment, an image is formed using four colors: yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Of course, the number of colors is not limited to four, and the order of the colors is not limited to this. The image forming process for forming an image on a sheet serving as a recording material in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment is described below. The recording material may be, for example, a sheet material such as paper or a plastic sheet. The developer used in this embodiment is a two-component developer containing non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier, but a single-component developer containing toner but no carrier may also be used.

[0012] The sheets S are stored in a stacked manner in a sheet storage section 62, and are fed by a feed roller 63 in accordance with the image formation timing. The sheets S sent out by the feed roller 63 pass through a conveying path 64 and are conveyed to a registration roller 65. The registration roller 65 corrects the skew of the sheets S conveyed from the sheet storage section 62, and then conveys the sheets S to a secondary transfer section at a predetermined timing in accordance with the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 61.

[0013] The secondary transfer portion is a nip portion where a toner image is transferred to the sheet S, which is formed by the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 61 stretched by the inner secondary transfer roller 66 and the outer secondary transfer roller 67. In the secondary transfer portion, a predetermined pressure force and an electrostatic load bias are applied to transfer the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 61 onto the sheet S. The image formation process for forming a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 61 will be described next.

[0014] Image forming unit 600 is mainly composed of a photosensitive drum (photoconductor) 1 as an image carrier, a charging roller 2 as a charging means, a developing device 3, a primary transfer roller 4 as a primary transfer means, and a drum cleaner 5. Similar components are arranged in parallel for four colors: yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). A toner supply device 605 as a developer supply device is arranged above image forming unit 600, and toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are provided as developer supply containers capable of containing toner (developer) corresponding to the image forming units of each color. The toner supply device 605 will be described in detail below.

[0015] In the image formation process, first, the photosensitive drum 1, whose surface has been uniformly charged in advance by the charging roller 2, is irradiated with exposure light by the exposure device 68 based on image information signals sent from a document reading device or external equipment, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Next, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed with toner by the developing device 3, and becomes visible as a toner image on the photosensitive drum 1. The developing device 3 includes a developing container that contains developer, a transport screw that transports the developer in the developing container, and a developing sleeve that carries and transports the developer in the developing container and develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1.

[0016] After a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1, a predetermined pressure and electrostatic load bias are applied to the photosensitive drum 1 via the intermediate transfer belt 61 by the primary transfer roller 4, and the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 61. Any residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 after transfer is collected by the drum cleaner 5. The toner consumed by the developing device 3 is supplied from the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K to prepare for the next image formation. The developer contained in the toner cartridges may contain toner and carrier, or may contain toner but not carrier. For example, if the developing device 3 is configured to automatically discharge carrier, the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K contain a developer containing toner and carrier.

[0017] The intermediate transfer belt 61 is stretched by rollers such as driven rollers 7a and 7b, a tension roller 6, and a secondary transfer inner roller 66, and is driven to be transported in the direction of arrow X in Fig. 1. The image formation processes for each color, which are processed in parallel by the image forming units 600 for Y, M, C, and K, are performed at timings such that the image is superimposed on the toner image of the upstream color that has been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 61. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 61 and is transported to the secondary transfer unit.

[0018] Through the above process, a full-color toner image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S at the secondary transfer unit. The sheet S is then conveyed to the fixing unit 9. The fixing unit 9 applies a predetermined pressure from opposing rollers or belts, and heat, typically from a heat source such as a heater, to melt and fix the toner image on the sheet S. After being fixed by the fixing unit 9, the sheet S is discharged to a discharge tray 601 by discharge rollers 69, completing the image formation process. When an image is to be formed on both sides of the sheet S, the sheet S with an image formed on one side thereof is conveyed in a switchback direction by the discharge rollers 69 after passing through the fixing unit 9. At this time, the position of the switching member 602 is switched, and the sheet S conveyed in a switchback direction is guided to a double-sided conveying path 603. The sheet S is conveyed to the registration rollers 65 through the double-sided conveying path 603. Then, an image is formed on the back side of the sheet S in the same manner as described above.

[0019] [Toner supply device] 2(a) to 4, a toner supply device 605 serving as a developer supply device will be described. First, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the toner supply device 605 is composed of toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K serving as developer supply containers detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus main body 60a (Figure 1), a toner cartridge tray 610, a toner cartridge drive device 611, and an inner cover 620. The toner cartridge tray 610, the toner cartridge drive device 611, and the inner cover 620 are disposed inside the image forming apparatus main body 60a.

[0020] The toner cartridge tray 610 has a guide function when the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are mounted in the image forming apparatus main body 60a, and a function to hold the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K when mounted.

[0021] The toner cartridge drive device 611 has a function of rotating the toner storage units 12 (see FIG. 4, etc.) of the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. By rotating, the toner storage units 12 of the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K have a function of transporting and supplying (replenishing) the toner in the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K to the corresponding developing devices 3.

[0022] The inner cover 620 is provided with an attachment / detachment opening 621 corresponding to the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K of each color. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are attached and detached through the attachment / detachment opening 621 in the direction of arrow A. Note that FIG. 2(b) shows the case where the magenta toner cartridge 10M is being attached and detached, and the same configuration is used for toner cartridges of other colors.

[0023] Next, the toner cartridge drive device 611 will be described in detail using Figures 3(a) to 4. Figure 3(a) is a perspective view of the toner cartridge drive device 611, and Figure 3(b) is a parts diagram extracting only the drive transmission section of the toner cartridge drive device 611. The toner cartridge drive device 611 is made up of a drive base 650, a drive motor 652 as a drive section, a pinion gear 655, a reduction gear 656, a transmission gear 657, a drive shaft 654, a drive gear 651, a drive cover 653, a toner cartridge rotation phase detection sensor 640, etc.

[0024] Drive motor 652 is fixed to drive base 650, and pinion gear 655 is press-fitted onto the motor shaft of drive motor 652. Reduction gear 656 is rotatably held by drive base 650 and drive cover 653, and is disposed in a positional relationship where the gear teeth of pinion gear 655 and transmission gear 657 mesh with each other. Drive shaft 654 is rotatably held by drive base 650, and transmission gear 657 is fixed to one end of drive shaft 654, and drive gear 651 is fixed to the other end. As described above, the rotational drive of drive motor 652 is transmitted to drive gear 651 via pinion gear 655, reduction gear 656, transmission gear 657, and drive shaft 654.

[0025] The toner cartridge rotation phase detection sensor 640 is a sensor that detects the home position of the rotation phase of the toner storage section 12 of the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K when the toner storage section 12 of the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K is rotated while the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are attached to the toner cartridge tray 610.

[0026] 4 is a diagram showing the operation when the toner cartridge 10Y (10M, 10C, 10K) is rotationally driven by the toner cartridge drive device 611. As shown in FIG. 4, when the toner cartridge 10Y (10M, 10C, 10K) is installed in the device, the cartridge gear 11 as a drive input portion provided in the toner cartridge 10Y (10M, 10C, 10K) and a drive gear 651 are disposed in a positional relationship in which the gear teeth mesh with each other. As a result, the rotation of the drive gear 651 rotates the toner storage portion 12 of the toner cartridge 10Y (10M, 10C, 10K).

[0027] [Control configuration for controlling the operation of the toner supply device] 5 is a block diagram showing a control configuration 40 that controls the operation of the toner supply device. The control configuration 40 is composed of a CPU 400, a system controller 410, a display panel 73, a toner supply control unit 421, a developing device control unit 422, an environment sensor 430, and the like. The CPU 400 as a control unit has a ROM 401, a RAM 402, and an EEPROM 403. The ROM 401 stores a control program for controlling the entire image forming apparatus 60. The RAM 402 is a volatile storage device that is used as a work area for the CPU 400 and also for temporarily storing various data such as image data. The EEPROM 403 is a non-volatile storage device that stores various data such as the toner concentration in the developing device 3.

[0028] The CPU 400 controls the entire image forming apparatus 60 by loading a control program stored in the ROM 401 into the RAM 402 and executing it. The toner supply control unit includes a drive motor 652 and a toner cartridge rotation phase detection sensor 640. The developing device control unit 422 includes a motor that drives the developing sleeve and conveying screw of the developing device 3 and a sensor that detects the toner concentration in the developing device. The environment sensor 430 can detect the temperature and humidity inside the image forming apparatus main body 60a, and the CPU 400 can calculate the relative humidity based on a signal input from the environment sensor 430. The CPU 400 is electrically connected to the drive systems of the toner supply control unit 421 and the developing device control unit 422 via control blocks and various drivers (not shown). This allows the CPU 400 to control the rotational speed of the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, control the developing device 3, and so on.

[0029] [Toner cartridge (developer supply container)] Next, the configuration of toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K as developer supply containers will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) to 8(b). In the following, toner cartridge 10Y will be described as a representative, but toner cartridges 10M, 10C, and 10K also have a similar configuration.

[0030] Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view of the entire toner cartridge 10Y, and Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional perspective view of the entire toner cartridge 10Y. The toner cartridge 10Y is composed of a cartridge gear 11, a toner storage section 12, a toner transport member 13, and a toner discharge section 14. The toner storage section 12, which serves as a developer storage section, has a hollow, approximately cylindrical shape and stores toner therein. A spiral-shaped transport protrusion 12a that protrudes toward the interior of the toner storage section 12 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the toner storage section 12, and as the toner storage section 12 rotates, the toner stored therein is transported toward the toner discharge section 14 by the transport protrusion 12a.

[0031] The toner transport member 13 is disposed at a position spanning both the toner storage unit 12 and the toner discharge unit 14 and is fixed to the toner storage unit 12. The toner transport member 13 rotates integrally with the toner storage unit 12 as the toner storage unit 12 rotates. The toner transport member 13 is capable of transporting toner using the inclined surface formed thereon and has the function of transferring toner transported by the transport protrusions 12a to the toner discharge unit 14. The cartridge gear 11 is fixed to the toner storage unit 12 at a position coaxial with the cylindrical shape of the toner storage unit 12. The toner discharge unit 14 has an outlet 15a through which toner contained in the toner storage unit 12 is discharged from the toner cartridge 10Y to the outside, and is held at a longitudinal end of the toner storage unit 12 in a state that allows relative rotation with the toner storage unit 12. As a result, the toner storage unit 12 rotates when the driving force of the drive motor 652 is input to the cartridge gear 11 via the drive gear 651, and transports the toner contained therein toward the outlet 15a.

[0032] Next, the toner discharge unit 14 will be described in detail using Figures 7, 8(a), and 8(b). Figure 7 is a detailed explanatory diagram of the toner discharge unit 14. For ease of explanation, this diagram shows only the cross section of the cover 18, which is a component of the toner discharge unit 14, so that the interior of the toner discharge unit 14 can be seen. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the toner discharge unit 14. The toner discharge unit 14 is made up of a toner discharge unit base 15, a pump unit 16, a reciprocating link mechanism 17, and a cover 18.

[0033] Toner storage unit 12 is rotatably held at one end of toner discharge unit base 15, and an opening is provided in each of the mating surfaces thereof, allowing the internal spaces of toner discharge unit base 15 and toner storage unit 12 to communicate with each other. Pump unit 16 is fixed to the other end of toner discharge unit base 15, and similarly, an opening is provided in the mating surface thereof so that the internal spaces of toner discharge unit base 15 and pump unit 16 communicate with each other. Discharge port 15a is formed in the underside of toner discharge unit base 15, connecting the external space with the internal space of toner discharge unit base 15, and toner in toner discharge unit 14 is discharged to the outside through discharge port 15a. The opening area of ​​discharge port 15a is set small enough so that toner inside is not discharged to the outside by gravity alone.

[0034] Pump section 16 employs a variable-volume resin bellows-shaped pump, and the volume inside pump section 16 can be varied by displacing the opposite end in the expansion / contraction direction while keeping one end fixed. That is, by expanding and contracting, pump section 16 performs an exhaust operation that exhausts air from the inside of the toner cartridge to the outside through outlet 15a, and an intake operation that sucks air from the outside of the toner cartridge into the inside through outlet 15a. The exhaust operation can then discharge toner together with air from the toner cartridge (developer supply container).

[0035] The reciprocating link mechanism 17 serving as the drive conversion unit has a cam groove 11a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toner storage unit 12, and a link member 17b having one end fixed to the pump unit 16 and the other end provided with a protrusion 17a serving as an engaging unit that engages with the cam groove. The link member 17b is held by the cover 18 so as to be able to reciprocate in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 7 (the direction of the rotation axis of the toner storage unit 12), and one end is fixed to the end of the pump unit 16 that is not fixed to the toner discharge unit base 15. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the other end of the link member 17b has a protrusion 17a formed thereon, which engages with the cam groove 11a formed in the toner storage unit 12.

[0036] The cover 18 is shaped to cover the entire surface of the toner discharge section 14 except for the surface on which the discharge outlet 15a is formed and the surface joined to the toner storage section 12, and is fixed to the toner discharge section base 15.

[0037] In this embodiment, with this configuration, when the toner storage unit 12 rotates, the link member 17b moves along the cam groove 11a, expanding and contracting the pump unit 16. In other words, the rotational movement of the toner storage unit 12 and the expansion and contraction movement of the pump unit 16 can be linked. Explaining the operation of each part in detail, first, when the toner storage unit 12 rotates due to the input of driving force to the cartridge gear 11, the cam groove 11a also moves in the rotational direction. The cam groove 11a is formed of a straight groove portion 11a1 whose position in the rotational axis direction does not change, and a V-shaped groove portion 11a2 whose position in the rotational axis direction does change.

[0038] When the V-shaped groove portion 11a2 passes the position of the protrusion 17a of the link member 17b, the link member 17b reciprocates along the V-shaped groove portion 11a2 in the direction of arrow B (= the direction of the rotation axis of the toner storage unit 12). On the other hand, when the straight groove portion 11a1 passes the position of the protrusion 17a, even if the toner storage unit 12 rotates, the link member 17b does not move in the direction of arrow B and remains stationary. Note that FIG. 8(a) shows the position where the straight groove portion 11a1 is engaged with the protrusion 17a, and FIG. 8(b) shows the position where the V-shaped groove portion 11a2 is engaged with the protrusion 17a.

[0039] Because pump section 16 and link member 17b are fixed, the fixed portion of pump section 16 and link member 17b also displaces in the same direction as link member 17b reciprocates, causing pump section 16 to expand and contract to vary the internal volume.

[0040] [Mechanism of toner being discharged from the toner cartridge] Next, we will explain how toner is discharged from inside toner cartridge 10Y to the outside. The same applies to toner cartridges 10M, 10C, and 10K. When toner cartridge 10Y shown in FIG. 4 is attached to toner supply device 605, toner discharge portion 14 is held by toner cartridge drive device 611 and fixed within the device. On the other hand, toner storage portion 12 is rotatably supported by toner cartridge tray 610. That is, when toner cartridge 10Y is attached to toner supply device 605 and drive force is applied by drive gear 651, relative rotation occurs between toner discharge portion 14 and toner storage portion 12.

[0041] As the toner storage unit 12 rotates, the toner inside the toner storage unit 12 is transferred to the toner discharge unit 14 by the transport protrusions 12a and the toner transport member 13. As described above, in the toner discharge unit 14, the pump unit 16 expands and contracts in response to the rotation of the toner storage unit 12. Because the interior of the toner cartridge 10Y is substantially sealed except for the outlet 15a, the pump unit 16 expands and contracts to and from the external space through the outlet 15a. Therefore, if the pump unit 16 expands and contracts while there is toner in the toner discharge unit 14, the toner inside the toner discharge unit 14 is discharged together with air from the outlet 15a. This mechanism allows the toner inside the toner cartridge 10 to be discharged to the outside by the rotational drive input.

[0042] [Suction and exhaust by the pump section and toner discharge in one process] Next, using Figures 9(a) to 11, we will explain the relationship between the suction and exhaust operation by the pump unit 16 and the amount of toner discharged per pump (one suction and exhaust operation, i.e., one expansion and contraction operation of the pump unit 16), and toner discharge control utilizing this characteristic. Figures 9(a) to 9(d) are conceptual diagrams for explaining the relationship between the suction and exhaust state of the pump unit 16 and the amount of toner discharged. Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are graphs showing the relationship between the amount of toner discharged per pump and the discharge time. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational speed (rotational speed rpm) of the toner cartridge 10 and the discharge amount per pump (g / p).

[0043] FIG. 9(a) shows the state when the atmospheric pressure outside the toner cartridge 10Y and the internal pressure inside the toner cartridge 10Y are in equilibrium. At this time, the pump unit 16 is in an expanded state. Because the opening area of ​​the discharge port 15a is set small enough as described above, toner is not discharged even if there is toner above the discharge port 15a. FIG. 9(b) shows the state immediately after the pump unit 16 is compressed from the state shown in FIG. 9(a). When the pump unit 16 is compressed, air V1 corresponding to the change in volume of the pump unit 16 moves toward the toner discharge unit base 15 and the toner storage unit 12. This causes the internal pressure of the toner cartridge 10Y to become positive relative to atmospheric pressure, and toner is discharged from the discharge port 15a along with the air. At this time, the speed at which the toner is discharged from the discharge port 15a is slower than the time it takes for the pump unit 16 to expand or contract. This is due to the small opening area of ​​the discharge port 15a and the greater resistance of the toner than the air.

[0044] 10(a) is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of toner discharged from discharge port 15a and time when toner is discharged from discharge port 15a until the internal pressure of toner cartridge 10 becomes positive due to compression of pump portion 16 and reaches equilibrium with the external atmospheric pressure. As mentioned above, the discharge speed of toner from discharge port 15a is slower than the time it takes to expand and contract pump portion 16, so toner discharge time T2 is longer than time T1 for compressing pump portion 16.

[0045] 9(c) shows the state in which, after the state in FIG. 9(b), pump unit 16 is expanded before the toner being discharged from discharge port 15a is completely discharged (before toner discharge time T2 in FIG. 10(a)). At this time, toner of an amount V2 (less than V1) has been discharged to the outside, and the remaining air of V1-V2 is taken in from the outside through discharge port 15a. Then, as shown in FIG. 9(d), pump unit 16 is in the expanded state, and the external atmospheric pressure and the internal pressure of toner cartridge 10Y return to equilibrium, resulting in a state in which V2 of toner has been discharged to the outside.

[0046] FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of toner discharged from the discharge port 15a and time when the pump unit 16 is extended before the toner discharged from the discharge port 15a shown in FIG. 9(c) finishes discharging. As described above, before the toner discharge due to compressing the pump unit 16 ends, by extending the pump unit 16, the toner discharge time is shortened (T2'<T2), and the discharge amount of toner can be made smaller than when the pump unit 16 is not extended. Here, if the time from when the pump unit 16 is compressed until it is extended is defined as the adjustment time T3, it becomes possible to adjust the toner discharge amount by adjusting the time of the adjustment time T3 within the range of the toner discharge time T2 by only compression.

[0047] In the present embodiment, since the pump unit 16 is expanded and contracted by the rotation of the toner storage unit 12, as the rotation of the toner storage unit 12 becomes faster, the time from when the pump unit 16 is compressed until it is extended (adjustment time T3) becomes shorter. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the CPU 400 makes variable the interval (adjustment time T3) from the exhaust operation of the pump unit 16 until the next intake operation. In particular, in the present embodiment, by changing the rotation speed of the drive motor 652 that rotationally drives the toner storage unit 12, the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12 is changed, and the time from when the pump unit 16 is compressed until it is extended (adjustment time T3) is changed.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, regarding the relationship between the rotation speed (rotation speed rpm) of the toner storage unit 12 and the discharge amount per pump (g / p), as the rotation speed becomes faster, the discharge amount per pump becomes smaller. Therefore, by controlling the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12, it becomes possible to adjust the replenishment amount per pump.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the adjustment time T3 is adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12, but a stepping motor or the like may be used as the drive source and adjusted by intermittent driving (the time of the adjustment time T3 is stopped). That is, the interval from the exhaust operation until the next intake operation of the pump unit 16 may be changed by changing the stop time of the stepping motor from the exhaust operation until the next intake operation.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, the amount of toner (developer amount) discharged from the toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K can be adjusted by one replenishment operation (unit replenishment operation, one pump). For example, when the type of toner used in the image forming apparatus changes, and it is necessary to adjust the discharged amount of toner in one replenishment operation, it is possible to adjust the discharged amount of toner only by controlling the rotation speed and stop time of the motor without changing the parts. That is, in order to match the required replenishment amount (toner discharge amount) and the supplied replenishment amount, it is conceivable to change the component parts of the toner supply device according to the required replenishment amount. However, adjusting the discharged amount of toner by changing the component parts of the toner supply device is troublesome and costly. In contrast, in this embodiment, from the relationship between the suction and exhaust by the pump unit 16 and the discharged amount of toner in one step, it is possible to adjust the discharged amount of toner according to the required replenishment amount by controlling the rotation of the toner storage unit 12.

[0051] For example, when the type of toner used is changed from toner A to toner B, and assuming that toner B has higher fluidity than toner A, in the same configuration and the same control, the discharged amount of toner per pump is larger for toner B. Specifically explained using FIG. 11, when the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12 of the toner cartridge 10Y is V1, the discharged amount per pump of toner A is P1, and the discharged amount per pump of toner B is P2, and the relationship between the amounts is P1 < P2. Here, even when using toner B, when P1 is required as the discharged amount per pump, by setting the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12 of the toner cartridge 10Y to V2 (> V1), it is possible to adjust the discharged amount per pump without changing the parts.

[0052] As described above, changes in the required amount of developer due to changes in the toner used can be accommodated without hardware modifications by controlling the rotation of the toner storage unit 12. However, due to tolerances in the manufacture of the toner cartridge and slight differences in the physical properties of the developer contained in the toner cartridge, the amount of toner replenished per unit replenishment operation (one replenishment operation) may change. In this embodiment, even if the required amount of developer does not change, the amount of toner replenished per unit replenishment operation is adjusted to improve the quality of the results by improving replenishment accuracy. Note that the following explanation will be directed to toner cartridge 10Y, but the same applies to the other toner cartridges 10M, 10C, and 10K.

[0053] As described above, the discharge amount of the toner cartridge 10Y is usually determined by the time (discharge time) from pump expansion to contraction during one pump (one suction / exhaust operation). However, it is known that the physical properties of the toner, in addition to the discharge time, also affect the discharge amount. Figure 14 is a graph showing the relationship between toner fluidity, one of the toner physical properties, and the discharge amount per pump when the same control is performed. It shows that the discharge amount varies depending on the toner fluidity, even when discharge is performed without changing the behavior of one pump.

[0054] For example, if a toner with high fluidity is used, the amount of toner discharged per pump will be large even if the behavior of each pump is the same. Conversely, if a toner with low fluidity is used, the amount of toner discharged will be small. Here, since it is known that the fluidity of toner varies during the toner manufacturing process and the filling process, it can be seen that the amount of toner discharged per pump will unintentionally differ even for toner cartridge 10Y that uses the same toner and filling device. Unintentional fluctuations in the amount of toner discharged are a phenomenon that should be suppressed because they disrupt the balance of developer concentration in the developing device and ultimately result in a decrease in the quality of the resulting image.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, the physical property values ​​of the toner, such as the toner fluidity, which vary during the manufacturing process, are managed as process information, and the deviations in each discharge amount are corrected by controlling the rotation speed of the toner storage unit 12 as described above, thereby making it possible to suppress unintended increases and decreases in the amount of toner discharged.

[0056] [Configuration of a toner cartridge that enables use of process information and its control method] As a configuration for realizing this embodiment, toner cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K having recording media on which information is recorded, and a toner supply device 605 having an information reading unit capable of reading the information recorded on the recording media will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The recording media can be IC chips, barcodes, etc., and this embodiment will describe the case where memory 19 shown in Figure 12 is used. The recording media described here are preferably ones that can be automatically read by the information reading unit on the image forming apparatus main body 60a when the toner cartridge is installed.

[0057] The memory 19 in this embodiment is installed on the front surface (downstream end surface in the insertion direction) of the cover 18 of the toner cartridge 10Y. When the toner cartridge 10Y is properly installed in the image forming apparatus main body 60a, the memory 19 comes into contact with a contact 658 serving as an information reading unit provided in the toner cartridge drive device 611. At this time, it is assumed that the CPU 400 can read and write data from and to the memory 19. Next, the unique information of the toner cartridge 10Y written in the memory 19 and replenishment amount control using the unique information will be described.

[0058] Any information can be written into the memory 19 during the manufacturing stage of the toner cartridge 10 to be installed, and one example of this is process information obtained during the manufacturing stage. In this embodiment, fluidity information, which is one of the physical property values ​​of the toner, is written into the memory 19 as an example of process information. That is, the memory 19 records information about the toner (developer) filled into the toner cartridge 10Y. In particular, in this embodiment, the information about the toner filled into the toner cartridge 10Y is the fluidity of the toner. Such physical property value information of the toner is stored in the memory 19 during the manufacturing stage. Specifically, the fluidity of each toner production lot is measured, and the fluidity information of the toner contained therein is stored in the memory 19 when the toner is filled.

[0059] Next, a flowchart for controlling the drive of the toner cartridge 10Y using information read from the memory 19 will be described with reference to Figure 15. First, after the toner cartridge 10Y is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 60a, it is determined whether the contact 658 on the main body side can read information from the memory 19 (S201). At this time, if the information cannot be read (NO in S201), an initial value previously recorded in the CPU 400 built into the main body is set as the control value of the toner cartridge drive device 611 (S202), and the flow ends. The initial value used here is preferably a control value that becomes the discharge amount (median discharge amount) when the physical properties of the toner and the dimensions of the component parts are all median values ​​of expected variations.

[0060] If reading is possible in S201 (YES in S201), the CPU 400 determines whether or not control value information for the inserted toner cartridge 10Y is available (S203). If control value information is not available (YES in S203), the CPU 400 acquires unique information from the memory 19 and calculates the unique discharge amount for the inserted toner cartridge 10Y (S204). Thereafter, the CPU 400 calculates a control value for the rotational speed of the toner accommodating unit 12 of the toner cartridge 10Y so that the difference between the calculated unique discharge amount and the central discharge amount pre-recorded in the CPU 400 approaches zero. For example, if the calculated unique discharge amount is greater than the central discharge amount, the rotational speed of the toner accommodating unit 12 is controlled to shorten the discharge time, thereby reducing the discharge amount. The specific control method at this time is as described above.

[0061] That is, when the toner fluidity read by contact 658 is a first fluidity, CPU 400 sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next suction operation (adjustment time T3) to a first interval. On the other hand, when the toner fluidity read by contact 658 is a second fluidity that is higher than the first fluidity, CPU 400 sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next suction operation (adjustment time T3) to a second interval that is shorter than the first interval.

[0062] The calculated value is then stored as control value information for the toner cartridge drive device 611 (S205), the speed of the drive motor 652 that drives the toner storage unit 12 is set (S206), and the flow ends. Note that if the CPU 400 has control value information for the inserted toner cartridge 10Y in S203 (NO in S203), the speed of the drive motor 652 is set based on that control value. This allows each toner cartridge 10Y that has unique information in memory 19 to receive appropriate replenishment drive control. Furthermore, by assigning each toner cartridge 10Y a unique ID, linking it to a control value, and storing it in the CPU 400 or memory 19 of the main unit, recalculation can be omitted when the toner cartridge is reinserted or inserted into a different main unit.

[0063] In this way, by storing the physical property values ​​of the toner to be filled and using them for drive control, it is possible to reduce discrepancies in the discharge amount for each toner cartridge 10Y and reduce fluctuations in developer concentration. Furthermore, the information recorded in memory 19 does not necessarily have to be process information such as toner physical property values; control values ​​obtained using that process information can also be recorded in advance. For example, when writing information to memory 19 during the manufacturing process, a specific discharge amount calculated using toner physical property values, or a control value for drive motor 652 calculated using that value, can be written as an example of information about the developer filled in toner cartridge 10Y of this embodiment. Note that the control of toner cartridge 10Y using the process information described in this embodiment may be based on the rotational speed of drive motor 652, or may be based on the stop time between the exhaust operation and the suction operation, as long as drive motor 652 is configured to be intermittently operable.

[0064] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 16 and the figures described above. In the first embodiment described above, toner physical property information was used as one piece of process information. In contrast, in this embodiment, information regarding the tolerances of the toner cartridge, such as the dimensions of the components that make up the toner cartridge, is used as one piece of process information. The other configurations and functions are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so descriptions of the similar configurations will be omitted or simplified.

[0065] Among the dimensions of the components that make up the toner cartridge, there are several that affect the amount of toner discharged, but in this embodiment, one of these dimensions is the diameter of discharge port 15a provided in toner discharge portion base 15. That is, in this embodiment, the information regarding the tolerance of the toner cartridge is the diameter of discharge port 15a.

[0066] Figure 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the size of the discharge port 15a of the toner discharge base 15, one of the components of the toner cartridge, and the amount of toner discharged per pump. Changing the size of the discharge port 15a changes the amount of toner that can pass through per unit time, and therefore the amount of toner discharged per pump. Even for parts with the same function and shape, if there are multiple cavities in the mold used for manufacturing, the dimensions will differ slightly from one cavity to another, and so there will be toner cartridges with different discharge amounts even if the component configuration remains the same.

[0067] Here, like the method of controlling the rotation speed using the toner fluidity described in the first embodiment, component dimension information such as that of the discharge port 15a can be used. For example, the component dimensions of the molded products formed in each cavity of the mold for each component lot are measured in advance, and the component dimension data is stored in memory 19. Then, as shown in the first embodiment, by changing the drive control value for each inserted toner cartridge, it is possible to reduce the difference in discharge amount for different component dimensions and reduce fluctuations in developer concentration.

[0068] Specifically, when the diameter of exhaust port 15a read by contact 658 is a first diameter, CPU 400 sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation (adjustment time T3) to a first interval. On the other hand, when the diameter of exhaust port 15a read by contact 658 is a second diameter larger than the first diameter, CPU 400 sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation (adjustment time T3) to a second interval shorter than the first interval.

[0069] In addition, the control of the toner cartridge using the process information described in this embodiment may be based on not only the rotation speed of the drive motor 652, but also the stop time between the exhaust operation and the suction operation, if the drive motor 652 is configured to be capable of intermittent operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10Y, 10M, 10C, 10K... Toner cartridges (developer supply containers) 11 Cartridge gear (drive input part) 11a Cam groove 12 Toner storage section (developer storage section) 15a...Discharge port 16 Pump section 17. Reciprocating link mechanism (drive conversion part) 17a...Protrusion (engaging part) 17b Link member 19. Memory (recording medium) 60 Image forming device 60a...Image forming apparatus main body 400···CPU (control unit) 605 Toner supply device (developer supply device) 652 Drive motor (drive unit) 658···Contact point (information reading part)

Claims

1. a developer supply container detachable from the image forming apparatus body; a recording medium provided in the developer supply container, on which information about the developer filled in the developer supply container is recorded; an information reading unit provided in the image forming apparatus body and capable of reading information recorded on the recording medium; a drive unit that drives the developer supply container attached to the image forming apparatus main body; a control unit that controls the drive unit, The developer supply container is a developer storage section capable of storing a developer; a discharge port for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion from the developer supply container; a pump section that expands and contracts to perform an exhaust operation of exhausting air from the inside of the developer supply container to the outside through the discharge port and an intake operation of sucking air from the outside of the developer supply container to the inside through the discharge port, and that is capable of discharging the developer together with the air from inside the developer supply container in conjunction with the exhaust operation; a drive conversion unit that converts the drive force input from the drive unit into a direction that expands or contracts the pump unit, The control unit is configured to vary an interval from the exhaust operation to the next suction operation based on information about the developer filled in the developer supply container read by the information reading unit. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. The information about the developer filled in the developer supply container is the fluidity of the developer, When the fluidity of the developer read by the information reading unit is a first fluidity, the control unit sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next suction operation to a first interval, and when the fluidity of the developer read by the information reading unit is a second fluidity higher than the first fluidity, the control unit sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next suction operation to a second interval shorter than the first interval.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. the drive unit is a motor, The control unit changes the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation by changing the rotation speed of the motor.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. The control unit changes the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation by changing the stop time of the drive unit from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. the developer accommodating unit has a drive input unit to which a drive force is input from the drive unit, and is rotated by the drive force being input to the drive input unit to transport the developer therein toward the discharge port; The drive conversion unit has a cam groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the developer accommodating unit, and a link member having one end fixed to the pump unit and the other end provided with an engaging portion that engages with the cam groove, and when the developer accommodating unit rotates, the link member moves along the cam groove to expand and contract the pump unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: a first fixing member;

6. a developer supply container detachable from the image forming apparatus body; a recording medium provided in the developer supply container, on which information regarding the tolerance of the developer supply container is recorded; an information reading unit provided in the image forming apparatus body and capable of reading information recorded on the recording medium; a drive unit that drives the developer supply container attached to the image forming apparatus main body; a control unit that controls the drive unit, The developer supply container is a developer storage section capable of storing a developer; a discharge port for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion from the developer supply container; a pump section that expands and contracts to perform an exhaust operation of exhausting air from the inside of the developer supply container to the outside through the discharge port and an intake operation of sucking air from the outside of the developer supply container to the inside through the discharge port, and that is capable of discharging the developer together with the air from inside the developer supply container in conjunction with the exhaust operation; a drive conversion unit that converts the drive force input from the drive unit into a direction that expands or contracts the pump unit, The control unit is configured to vary an interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation based on information about the tolerance of the developer supply container read by the information reading unit. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

7. the information about the tolerance of the developer supply container is the diameter of the discharge port, When the diameter of the exhaust port read by the information reading unit is a first diameter, the control unit sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation to a first interval, and when the diameter of the exhaust port read by the information reading unit is a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the control unit sets the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation to a second interval shorter than the first interval.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. the drive unit is a motor, The control unit changes the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation by changing the rotation speed of the motor.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. The control unit changes the interval from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation by changing the stop time of the drive unit from the exhaust operation to the next intake operation.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

10. the developer accommodating unit has a drive input unit to which a drive force is input from the drive unit, and is rotated by the drive force being input to the drive input unit to transport the developer therein toward the discharge port; The drive conversion unit has a cam groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the developer accommodating unit, and a link member having one end fixed to the pump unit and the other end provided with an engaging portion that engages with the cam groove, and when the developer accommodating unit rotates, the link member moves along the cam groove to expand and contract the pump unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: a first fixing member;

Images