JPS6385771A - Copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stop toner replenishment to a develop device when a toner replenishing means of different colors has been installed by mistake, by discriminating whether a correct toner replenishing means has been installed to the developing device or not. CONSTITUTION:When a blue toner hopper 2B has been installed to a red developing device 1 by mistake, a reed switch 5b goes OFF and read switches 3a, 3b and 5a goes on therefore, an exclusive NOR circuit IO1 outputs '1' but an exclusive NOR circuit IO2 outputs '0'. Accordingly, even if an output of an AND circuit A1 becomes '0' and a toner replenishing signal circuit S outputs '1', an AND circuit A2 does not outputs '1', therefore, the motor M does not rotate, and no toner is replenished from the blue toner hopper 2B. In this way, only when ON and OFF states of the reed switches 3a, 3b and the reed switches 5a, 5b are in the same combination, a developing device and a toner replenishing device are distinguished to be the same kind, and toners of four different colors can be discriminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a copying apparatus in which a developing device and a toner replenishing means are replaceably installed in order to obtain recorded images in various colors.

(B) Conventional technology Conventionally, in this type of copying machine, a developing unit that integrates a developing device and a toner hopper is installed in a replaceable manner, and the installed developing unit is identified. (For example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-52878).

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Incidentally, in recent copying machines, in order to facilitate toner filling, a toner hopper is further separated from the developing unit and is replaceably attached to the developing device. Alternatively, a toner container (cartridge) is replaceably attached to the toner hopper of the developing unit.

However, in such copying devices, if a toner hopper or cartridge filled with toner different from the toner in the developing device is installed by mistake, the colors of both toners will mix and a recorded image of the desired color will not be obtained. The problem was that there was no.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a copying device capable of determining whether the types of toner contained in the developing device match or do not match when a toner replenishing means is attached to the developing device. This is what we provide.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems This invention provides a developing device that supplies a developer to a photoreceptor to develop an electrostatic latent image, and that a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image is replaceably attached to the main body of a copying machine, and that toner is supplied to the developing device. In a copying apparatus in which a toner replenishing means is replaceably attached to the developing device, when the developing device is attached to the copying apparatus main body, a first identification means for identifying the developing device and a toner replenishing means are attached to the developing device. a second identifying means for identifying the toner replenishing means when the toner replenishing means is installed in the developing device; and a second identifying means for identifying the toner replenishing means; The copying apparatus is characterized in that it is equipped with a determining means for determining whether the type matches or does not match the type of the copying apparatus.

The above-mentioned identification means include a copying machine body and a developing device, a reed switch and a magnetic piece, a photointerrupter and a light blocking piece, and a developing device and a toner hopper or toner cartridge.
Alternatively, you can install a combination of a micro switch and a switch actuation piece to identify the type of toner depending on the operating state, or install a dip switch whose open/close state is set in advance according to the type of toner. Use a toner that identifies the type of toner.

Further, the number of these installed may be increased or decreased depending on the type of toner to be determined.

(E) Operation When the developing device is installed in the copying machine main body, the thirteenth identifying means identifies the developing device, and when the toner replenishing means is installed in the developing device, the second identifying means identifies the toner replenishing means. identify Therefore, the determining means collates the identification results of the first and second IIL distinguishing means and determines whether the types of toner in the developing device and the toner replenisher match or do not match.

(f) Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings. Note that this invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the main parts in an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a red developing device that is replaceably attached to the main body of the copying machine (not shown), 2A is an explanatory diagram showing the main parts of an embodiment of the present invention; Replaceably installed red toner hopper, 3a,
3b is a reed switch provided on the wall 5 of the main body of the copying machine, and 4a14b is a switch that turns on the reed switches 3a and 3b, respectively, when the developing device 1 is installed in the main body of the copying machine (in the state shown in Cω in FIG. 1). Magnetic piece, 5a
.

5b is a reed switch provided in the developing device 1, and 6a and 6tl are magnetic switches that turn on the reed switches 5a and 5b, respectively, when the toner hopper 2A is installed in the developing device 1 (FIG. 1 (in the state of al)). body piece, 7 is a toner concentration sensor that detects the toner concentration in the developing device 1; 8 is a toner replenishing roller that supplies toner from the toner replenisher 2 to the developing device it1; 9 is a photoreceptor drum; 10 is a developing device on the photoreceptor drum. A developing roller 11.12 is a stirring roller that mixes the toner and carrier in the developing wave W11.
2B is a blue toner hopper, and is provided with a magnetic piece 6a. 2 is an electric circuit diagram showing the main parts of the control circuit of FIG. 1 (ω, where R is a reed switch 3a.

Series resistance connecting 3b, 5a, 5b to power supply V, 1
01, IOt is an exclusive shift (EXCL) that outputs 1 when two input signals are both 1 or both 0.
US EVE) NOR circuit, A1 and A2 are each AN
D circuit, S is a toner replenishment signal circuit that outputs an output when the toner concentration sensor 7 (FIG. 1 (ω)) becomes less than a predetermined value, and M is a motor that rotates the toner replenishment row 58.

In such a configuration, when the red developing device 1 and the red toner hopper are installed as shown in FIG.

It is turned on by 4b, 6a, and 6b. Therefore,
In FIG. 2, the inclusive OR circuit 10t1 f
Since all 1s are input to oz and all output 1s, the AND circuit A1 outputs 1, and when the toner replenishment signal circuit S outputs 1, the AND circuit A2 outputs and drives the motor M. Then, the toner replenishment row 58 is rotated until the toner replenishment signal circuit S outputs 0.

However, the blue toner hopper 2B shown in FIG. 1(b)
If it is mistakenly attached to the red developing device M1, the reed switch 5b will be turned off and the reed switches 3a, 3b and 5a will be turned on, so that the exclusive NOR
Circuit 10 t outputs 1 but is exclusive NOR
Circuit 102 outputs O. Therefore, even if the output of the AND circuit A1 becomes 0 and the toner replenishment signal circuit S outputs 1,
Since the AND circuit A2 does not output 1, the motor M does not rotate, and toner is not replenished from the blue toner hopper 28.

As described above, in this embodiment, the developing device and toner supply device are of the same type only when the reed switches 3a, 3b and the reed switches 5a, 5b have the same combination of on/off states by the circuit shown in FIG. It is possible to distinguish four different colors of toner.

FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 (ω) showing another embodiment of the present invention, in which a replaceable red toner cartridge 14 is installed in place of the replaceable red toner hopper 2A in FIG. A toner hopper 2C equipped with the toner hopper 2C is integrally provided in the red developing device 1.Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
, reed switch 1 to the toner hopper 20 instead of 5b.
5a.

15b, and the toner hopper 2 in FIG.
A magnetic piece 16a is provided in the red toner cartridge 14 in place of the magnetic pieces 6a and 6b provided in A.

16b, and in place of the reed switches 3a and 3b provided on the wall surface 5 of the main body, DIP switches 13a and 13b, which are set in advance to a closed state, are installed in the red developing device 1, respectively. In such a configuration, the third
When the developing device 1 and the toner cartridge 14 are installed as shown in the figure, the control circuit shown in FIG. 2 is activated in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to this invention, it is determined whether or not the proper toner replenishing means is installed in the developing device, so if a toner replenishing means of a different color is installed by mistake, it can be checked. It becomes possible to display the information and to stop toner supply to the developing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 ta)<b> is a configuration explanatory diagram showing the main part of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an electric circuit diagram showing the main part of the control circuit of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the main part of the control circuit of the present invention. FIG. 1 showing another embodiment (corresponding to ω). 1...Developing device for red color, 2A...Toner hopper for red color, 2B...
...Blue toner hopper, 3a, 3b, 5a
, 5b --- Reed switch, 4a, 4b
, 6a, 6b...magnetic material pieces.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A developing device for supplying developer to a photoreceptor to develop an electrostatic latent image is replaceably mounted on the main body of the copying machine, and a toner replenishing means for replenishing toner to the developing device. In the copying apparatus replaceably attached to the developing device, when the developing device is attached to the copying device main body, a first identification means for identifying the developing device and a toner replenishing means are attached to the developing device; a second identifying means for identifying the toner replenishing means; and further determining whether the type of toner present in the developing device and the type of toner present in the toner replenishing means match based on the states of the first and second identifying means. A copying apparatus characterized by comprising a determining means for determining a mismatch.