Image forming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10386770-B2
Application number	US-201816214322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

An image forming device includes a developing device; a first toner container; a second toner container; a drive controller; and a consumption amount calculation portion. The drive controller switches a first replenishment state of replenishing a toner from the first toner container to the developing device and a second replenishment state of replenishing a toner from the second toner container to the developing device in response to a toner replenishment request from the developing device. The consumption amount calculation portion calculates a consumption amount of a toner in each of the first toner container and the second toner container by calculating a flow rate of each toner flowing through the first horizontal transport portion and the second horizontal transport portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming device comprising:
a photosensitive drum rotated around a predetermined axis and having a circumference surface which allows an electrostatic latent image to be formed thereon and carries a toner image according to the electrostatic latent image;
a developing device which supplies a toner to the photosensitive drum to make the electrostatic latent image appear as the toner image;
a first toner container capable of storing a toner therein and discharging the toner;
a second toner container capable of storing a toner therein and discharging the toner;
a first vertical transport portion which guides a toner discharged from the first toner container downward along a vertical direction;
a second vertical transport portion which guides a toner discharged from the second toner container downward along the vertical direction;
a first horizontal transport portion which communicates with a lower end portion of the first vertical transport portion and guides a toner flowing in from the first vertical transport portion in a first direction along a horizontal direction;
a second horizontal transport portion which communicates with a lower end portion of the second vertical transport portion and guides a toner flowing in from the second vertical transport portion in a second direction along the horizontal direction;
a first transport member rotatably arranged in the first horizontal transport portion to transport a toner in the first direction;
a second transport member rotatably arranged in the second horizontal transport portion to transport a toner in the second direction;
a transport member drive portion which generates a drive force for causing the first transport member and the second transport member to rotate;
a container drive portion which generates a drive force for discharging a toner from the first toner container and the second toner container;
a joining portion which communicates with a downstream side part of the first horizontal transport portion in the first direction and a downstream side part of the second horizontal transport portion in the second direction to internally receive toners transported by the first transport member and the second transport member;
a first detection sensor arranged in the first vertical transport portion to detect presence/absence of a toner in the first vertical transport portion;
a second detection sensor arranged in the second vertical transport portion to detect presence/absence of a toner in the second vertical transport portion;
a drive controller which controls the transport member drive portion and the container drive portion, the drive controller switching between a first replenishment state of replenishing a toner from the first toner container to the developing device in response to a toner replenishment request from the developing device and a second replenishment state of replenishing a toner from the second toner container to the developing device in response to a toner replenishment request from the developing device and controlling the container drive portion according to toner absence information in the first vertical transport portion, the toner absence information being detected by the first detection sensor in the first replenishment state, thus discharging a toner from the first toner container to the first vertical transport portion and causing the first transport member to rotate in response to the replenishment request, and controlling the container drive portion according to toner absence information in the second vertical transport portion, the toner absence information being detected by the second detection sensor in the second replenishment state, thus discharging a toner from the second toner container to the second vertical transport portion and causing the second transport member to rotate in response to the replenishment request;
a count portion which accumulates rotation time of each of the first transport member and the second transport member; and
a consumption amount calculation portion which calculates a consumption amount of a toner in each of the first toner container and the second toner container by calculating a flow rate of each toner flowing through the first horizontal transport portion and the second horizontal transport portion according to the rotation time accumulated by the count portion.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1 , wherein
the transport member drive portion includes:
a motor rotatable in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction reverse to the first rotation direction;
a first transmission member interposed between the motor and the first transport member to allow the first transport member to rotate when the motor is rotated in the first rotation direction, and regulate rotation of the first transport member when the motor is rotated in the second rotation direction; and
a second transmission member interposed between the motor and the second transport member to allow the second transport member to rotate when the motor is rotated in the second rotation direction, and regulate rotation of the second transport member when the motor is rotated in the first rotation direction.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1 , wherein
the joining portion includes:
a third vertical transport portion which is arranged below the first horizontal transport portion and the second horizontal transport portion and between the first horizontal transport portion and the second horizontal transport portion when viewed along the first direction, and transports a toner downward along the vertical direction until the toner reaches the developing device;
a third transport member which causes a toner received from the first horizontal transport portion to flow into the third vertical transport portion while transporting the toner in a third direction along the horizontal direction; and
a fourth transport member which causes a toner received from the second horizontal transport portion to flow into the third vertical transport portion while transporting the toner in a fourth direction reverse to the third direction along the horizontal direction.

4. The image forming device according to claim 3 , wherein
the joining portion further includes an inflow assisting member which assists a toner transported by the third transport member and the fourth transport member to flow into the third vertical transport portion.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Soda Tomohisa

Classifications

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/556 Primary

  for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement · CPC title

• G03G15/0891

  for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers · CPC title

• G03G15/0856

  Detection or control means for the developer level · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title