Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-22
2003-01-21
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
C399S120000, C399S258000, C399S263000, C399S359000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510300
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge in relation to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process such as a digital copying machine, a printer and a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly a toner cartridge detachably connected to a developing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a generally-used image forming apparatus, for the purpose of simplifying an operation of replenishing toner, a toner cartridge which is filled with toner in advance and is detachably mounted to a developing apparatus, is used, and which toner cartridge can be replaced with a new one when all the toner stored in the toner cartridge is used up.
However, recycling of resources has been drawing more attention than ever. An increasing number of image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic process have been equipped with a so-called toner recycling function in which left-over toner on a photoconductor drum after an image transfer process is removed by a cleaner and collected as used toner to be reused in the developing apparatus. By using such a function, it is possible to extend a replacement cycle of toner cartridges.
In a conventional image forming apparatus having the toner recycling function shown in
FIG. 5
, fresh toner is supplied from a toner cartridge
101
detachably mounted to a developing apparatus
100
. Further, used toner in the developing apparatus
100
is collected in a process unit
102
, and is released to a releasing portion
103
of the process unit
102
. The used toner released at the releasing portion
103
is conveyed to the developing apparatus
100
through a conveying path
104
.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 6
, there is another prior art providing a structure that a downstream end of a toner supplying path
105
extended from the toner cartridge
101
, in which fresh toner passes through, is connected to a downstream end of a conveying path
104
extended from the process unit
102
, so that the fresh toner is joined with the used toner and the joined toner is then supplied to the developing apparatus
100
.
In the former prior art, the collected used toner is supplied to the developing apparatus
100
without any treatment. In this case, it is difficult to sufficiently mix the fresh toner with the used toner within the developing apparatus
100
. In the latter prior art, the collected used toner and fresh toner are joined together to be supplied to the developing apparatus
100
. However, in this case, too, the mixing process of the joined toners depends on an agitating operation within the developing apparatus
100
. Accordingly, it is also not easy to obtain a preferable mixing state.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-212055 (1997) discloses a construction for actively mixing both toners as shown in FIG.
7
. In this construction, a toner mixer
106
is provided to mix the used toner t released from the process unit
102
with the fresh toner T supplied from a toner cartridge main body
101
A. In this case, toners T, t mixed inside the toner mixer
106
are supplied to the developing apparatus
100
.
However, in the construction of the above publicly known example, the toner mixer
106
is provided separately from the toner cartridge main body
101
A so that an additional accommodation space must be created, and thus the entire structure becomes large. As such, it is not likely to willingly adopt such a construction.
In consideration of such a situation, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-251230 (1997) discloses a construction as shown in FIG.
8
. In this construction, a used toner collecting port
110
is formed in a lower portion of a side wall
101
a
of the cartridge main body
101
A, and a toner replenishing port
111
is formed in a bottom wall
101
b
of the cartridge main body
101
A. A toner agitator
112
and a rotating body
113
for conveying toner are arranged within the cartridge main body
101
A. The used toner t conveyed from the used toner collecting port
110
by a toner taking-in mechanism
114
is mixed with the fresh toner T by the toner agitator
112
. The mixed toner is supplied to the developing apparatus
100
through the toner replenishing port
111
by the rotating body
113
to replenish the toner.
In the case of JP-A 9-251230, it may be possible to downsize the construction, however, the used toner collecting port
110
arranged in the lower portion of the side wall
101
a
of the cartridge main body
101
A requires an additional structure of taking-in mechanism
114
in order to convey the used toner t in a horizontal direction from the used toner collecting port
110
. Further, as a result of such a structure, it is also required to provide additional structures such as a sealing mechanism, resulting in complication of the entire structure. Further, since the used toner t is conveyed horizontally, there is such a problem that reliable agitating and mixing states cannot be obtained easily unless a moving direction of the toner agitator
112
and so on are adequately set.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 9
, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-80653 (1993) discloses a seal member
204
provided in a toner hopper
201
, wherein one end of the seal member
204
blocks a toner supply port
202
and the other end thereof is secured to a rotary shaft
203
a
of an agitating member
203
. When the invention is used, the seal member
204
is rolled up by rotating of the agitating member
203
.
However, in the construction of JP-A 5-80653, the seal member
204
rolled up by the agitating member
203
is collected inside the toner hopper
201
. In this case, there is a possibility that the sealing member is subject to sag or peel off during rotation of the agitating member
203
, which will result in a deficiency in toner agitating and conveying properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a toner cartridge having excellent toner agitating and mixing properties. The toner cartridge results in improved image quality without increasing in complexity of the structure as well as being compact.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention has the following construction.
The invention provides a toner cartridge detachably mounted to a developing apparatus, comprising:
a cartridge main body for containing toner, having a used toner recycling opening formed in an upper portion thereof via which conveyed used toner is dropped by gravity and is received into the cartridge main body, the toner cartridge being mounted to the developing apparatus in a state where the cartridge main body is filled with toner;
toner agitating means arranged within the cartridge main body, for agitating and mixing used toner and fresh toner; and
toner supply means arranged within the cartridge main body, for supplying agitated toner to the developing apparatus via a toner supply opening formed in the cartridge main body.
According to the invention, the conveyed used toner drops by gravity into the cartridge main body from the used toner recycling opening in the upper portion of the cartridge main body. Accordingly, the fresh toner and the used toner are efficiently agitated and mixed by the toner agitating means arranged within the cartridge main body. The agitated and mixed toner is supplied to the developing apparatus through the toner supply opening by the toner supply means arranged within the cartridge main body. Thus, a sufficient toner mixing state is obtained on a toner cartridge side without entrusting the agitation and mixture of the toners onto a developing apparatus side.
According to the invention, the used toner drops by gravity from the used toner recycling opening in the upper portion of the cartridge main body storing the fresh toner. Further, the toner agitating means and the toner supply means for supplying the mixed toner to the developing apparatus are arranged within the cartridge main body. Thus, the toner can be sufficiently mixed and agitated on th
Kimura Takahiko
Kubota Hiroshi
Kunihiro Hisashi
Mizoguchi Fumito
Wakabayashi Takeshi
Royer William J.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Toner cartridge with mixed toner delivery apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Toner cartridge with mixed toner delivery apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Toner cartridge with mixed toner delivery apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3016462