Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11977351-B2
Application number	US-202318331704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2023
Priority date	Jun 16, 2022
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a development device, and a control unit that controls the development device. The development device includes a toner collection mechanism having a duct, a filter, and an exhaust fan. The duct is connected to a conveyance chamber of the development container and allows air in the conveyance chamber to flow through. The filter is disposed at a connecting part between the duct and the conveyance chamber, and collects toner flowing into the duct from the conveyance chamber. The exhaust fan makes the air in the conveyance chamber flow to the outside via the duct. The control unit changes rotational frequency or operation frequency of the exhaust fan based on current detected by a current detection unit at non-image forming time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a development device including a development container that stores developer containing toner to be supplied to an image carrier, a developer conveying member that is supported in a rotatable manner by the development container, and stirs and conveys the developer so as to circulate the same in a conveyance chamber of the development container, and a developer carrier that faces the image carrier and is supported in a rotatable manner by the development container so as to supply the toner in the conveyance chamber to the image carrier;
a voltage application unit that applies a development voltage to the developer carrier;
a current detection unit that detects current flowing between the developer carrier and the image carrier when the development voltage is applied; and
a control unit that controls the development device and the voltage application unit, wherein
the development device includes a toner collection mechanism having a duct that is connected to the conveyance chamber and allows air in the conveyance chamber to flow through, a filter that is disposed at a connecting part between the duct and the conveyance chamber and collects the toner flowing into the duct from the conveyance chamber, and an exhaust fan that makes the air in the conveyance chamber flow outside via the duct, and
the control unit changes rotational frequency or operation frequency of the exhaust fan based on the current detected by the current detection unit at non-image forming time.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit increases the rotational frequency or the operation frequency of the exhaust fan along with decrease in the current detected by the current detection unit at non-image forming time.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the toner collection mechanism includes a vibration generating unit that vibrates the filter, and
the control unit changes operation frequency of the vibration generating unit based on the current detected by the current detection unit at non-image forming time.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit increases the operation frequency of the vibration generating unit along with decrease in the current detected by the current detection unit at non-image forming time.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filter includes:
a first filter, which covers an air inlet opening over the entire length of the conveyance chamber in the longitudinal direction, so as to allow the inside of the conveyance chamber and the inside of the duct to communicate to each other, and
a second filter disposed on the downstream side of the first filter in an air flow direction in the duct, so as to cover an air flow cross section in the duct.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Watanabe Takuji
• Nakagawa Junichi
• Tamaki Kenichi
• Yamazaki Hiroshi
• Shimizu Tamotsu

Classifications

• G03G21/206 Primary

  Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone · CPC title

• G03G15/0266

  Arrangements for controlling the amount of charge · CPC title

• G03G15/065

  Arrangements for controlling the potential of the developing electrode · CPC title

• G03G15/09

  using magnetic brush · CPC title

• G03G21/0047

  using electrostatic or magnetic means; Details thereof, e.g. magnetic pole arrangement of magnetic devices (G03G21/0064 takes precedence) · CPC title