Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2001-10-23
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S358000, C399S360000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308036
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an information forming system having a toner recovering function of recovering a toner remaining on a surface of a photosensitive material drum after transferring an image to a paper, a waste toner container for accumulating a recovered waste toner, and a toner receiving container used in connection with the recovery of the toner.
2. Description of the Related Background Art
In image forming systems, such as copying machines, facsimiles and printers, a photosensitive material drum is electrified to be exposed in accordance with an image, and a toner is absorbed onto the photosensitive material drum to carry out developing for forming a visible image. After this visible image is transferred to a transfer paper, fixing is carried out by heating, so that a desired copy is obtained.
After the transfer to the transfer paper, excessive toner remains on the photosensitive material drum. Since such a toner remaining on the photosensitive material drum has an adverse influence on the next copying, the remaining toner must be completely removed.
In order to remove such a remaining toner after fixing, a cleaner is conventionally provided. This cleaner has a de-electrifier for de-electrifying the photosensitive material drum before cleaning, and a blade for raking down the toner on the photosensitive material drum. The toner removed by the de-electrifier and the blade is housed in a container called a waste toner box. These are known generally as a toner recovery unit.
A conventional waste toner box must have a sufficient size since a waste toner introduced into the toner box via an inlet naturally drops to accumulate therein. There is a problem that such large size of the waste toner box obstructs downsizing and in turn cost reducing.
On the other hand, toners supplied to image forming systems have been improved as important components for enhancing the quality of an image, and manufacturers have provided the optimum toners for the design specification of their systems as genuine products (which will be hereinafter referred to as “certified products”).
In recent years, toners meeting the minimum specifications common to image forming systems commercially available from a plurality of manufacturers are in circulation. There is a problem in that such toners meeting only a part of specifications (which will be hereinafter referred to as “uncertified toners” generally have inferior image quality and have a bad influence on a photosensitive material drum serving as an image carrier and a developing part, to adversely effect the reliability of the systems.
A typical toner is generally housed in a container to be provided. Conventionally, although toners have been sometimes improved to be easily handled, toners have not often been improved to recommend the certified products.
In particular, although the above described waste toner box is closely related with a toner cartridge, the waste toner box and the toner cartridge are separately attached or exchanged, and there is a problem in that the waste toner box can be used whether the toner cartridge is a certified product or an uncertified product.
Furthermore, conventionally, in many cases, a toner cartridge and a waste toner box integrated. However, since the toner cartridge and the waste toner box are arranged so that their directions are perpendicular, there is also another problem that its packing size becomes large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system which uses a waste toner container capable of being downsized and having small packing capacity and which has a toner recovery function.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waste toner container which urges a user to use a certified toner container.
According to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming system comprising: an image forming system comprising:
a developing device for causing a toner to adhere to a latent image, which is formed on a photosensitive material drum, to form a visible image;
a toner supply device for supplying a toner, which is housed in a toner receiving container, to said developing device;
a toner removing device for removing a remaining toner after said visible image on said photosensitive material drum is transferred to a transfer paper;
a waste toner container for accumulating therein a waste toner removed by said toner removing device; and
a restraint member for enabling attaching and detaching said toner container when said toner container and said waste toner container are in their special positional relation.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waste toner container for use in an image forming system comprising: a developing device for causing a toner to adhere to a latent image, which is formed on a photosensitive material drum, to form a visible image; a toner supply device for supplying a toner, which is housed in a toner receiving container, to said developing device; and a toner removing device for removing a remaining toner after said visible image on said photosensitive material drum is transferred to a transfer paper, said waste toner container accumulating therein a waste toner removed by said toner removing device,
wherein said waste toner container has a restraint member for blocking movement of the toner container which has been in a predetermined position, when said waste toner container is attached in a predetermined position.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner container for use in an image forming system comprising: a developing device for causing a toner to adhere to a latent image, which is formed on a photosensitive material drum, to form a visible image; a toner supply device for supplying a toner, which is housed in a toner receiving container, to said developing device; and a toner removing device for removing a remaining toner after said visible image on said photosensitive material drum is transferred to a transfer paper, said waste toner container accumulating therein a waste toner removed by said toner removing device,
wherein said toner container has a restraint member which its movement is blocked by a blocking member of the waste container when the toner container has been in a predetermined position.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner container for use in a toner supply unit for supplying toner to an image forming system for forming arbitrary image including characters and figures,
wherein detaching of said toner container is blocked by a waste toner container for accumulating excessive toner in the image forming system, when the toner container is attached to the toner supply unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5541715 (1996-07-01), Katoh et al.
patent: 5589915 (1996-12-01), Hashimoto
patent: 5737668 (1998-04-01), Johroku
patent: 11-327272 (1999-11-01), None
Itoh Shin-ichi
Taniyama Yoshiharu
Foley & Lardner
Royer William J.
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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