Developer storage device utilizing conveyance configuration and image forming apparatus
A developer storage device that stores developer includes a frame having an internal space and an inlet, a partition portion for partitioning the internal space into first and second chambers, the partition portion including a communication port through which the first and second chamber communicate, a conveyance portion arranged in the internal space and configured to convey the developer, and a detection unit detecting an amount of the developer stored in the first chamber. When the amount of the developer in the first chamber is less than a predetermined value, the developer is conveyed to a far side portion of the first chamber by the conveyance portion. When the detection unit detects that the amount of the developer in the first chamber reaches the predetermined value or more, the conveyance portion conveys the developer to the second chamber.
1 . A developer storage device that is used for an image forming apparatus and stores a developer, the developer storage device comprising:
a frame including an internal space for storing the developer and an inlet through which the developer is fed into the internal space;
a partition portion that partitions the internal space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the partition portion being provided with a communication port through which the first chamber and the second chamber communicate with each other;
a conveyance portion arranged in the internal space and configured to convey the developer that has been fed through the inlet, the conveyance portion including:
a first conveyance screw which is rotatably configured to convey the developer,
a second conveyance screw which is rotatably configured to convey the developer in the first chamber and which is not coaxial with the first conveyance screw; and
a detection unit for detecting rotation of the second conveyance screw,
wherein after the detection unit no longer detects the rotation of the second conveyance screw, conveyance of the developer toward the second chamber by rotation of the first conveyance screw is started.
2 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first conveyance screw is arranged closer to the inlet than the second conveyance screw,
the developer being conveyed by the first conveyance screw to a far side portion from an inlet side portion,
the far side portion being an opposite side of the inlet side portion in a rotational axis direction of the second conveyance screw,
the conveyance portion is configured to, in a case where an amount of a developer contained in the first chamber is less than a predetermined value, convey the developer toward the far side portion by rotation of both the first conveyance screw and the second conveyance screw, and
the conveyance portion is configured to, in a case where the amount of the developer in the first chamber reaches the predetermined value or more, convey the developer to the second chamber via the communication port by the rotation of the first conveyance screw in a state that the rotation of the second conveyance screw stops.
3 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein, after the second conveyance screw stops rotating in response to the developer contained in the first chamber, the conveyance of the developer toward the second chamber by the rotation of the first conveyance screw is started.
4 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a rotational axis direction, the first conveyance screw is arranged closer to the inlet than the second conveyance screw.
5 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a horizontal direction in a posture in which the developer storage device is used in the image forming apparatus, the communication port is provided on a side opposite to a side where the second conveyance screw is provided with respect to the first conveyance screw.
6 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a gravity direction in a posture in which the developer storage device is used in the image forming apparatus, a lower end of the first conveyance screw is arranged so that a lower end position of the first conveyance screw is provided below an upper end position of the partition portion.
7 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotation regulating member configured to regulate a rotation of the second conveyance screw in accordance with a rotational load of the second conveyance screw.
8 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a conveyance amount of the second conveyance screw is greater than a conveyance amount of the first conveyance screw in an area where a part of the first conveyance screw and a part of the second conveyance screw are aligned in a horizontal direction in a posture in which the developer storage device is used in the image forming apparatus.
9 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet overlaps with the first conveyance screw when viewed in a gravity direction.
10 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
an outer shape of the frame has a smaller size in a gravity direction than in a horizontal direction in a posture in which the developer storage device is used in the image forming apparatus,
the inlet is provided closer to one end of the frame than a central portion of the frame in a rotational axis direction when viewed in the gravity direction, and
the second conveyance screw extends from the one end side of the frame to the other end side of the frame beyond the central portion of the frame in the rotational axis direction when viewed in the gravity direction.
11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image;
a first collecting member configured to collect a developer remaining on the image bearing member after the developer image is transferred from the image bearing member; and
the developer storage device according to claim 1 configured to store the developer collected by the first collecting member.
12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an intermediate transfer member to which the developer image is transferred from the image bearing member; and
a second collecting member configured to collect the developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the developer image is transferred from the intermediate transfer member to a transfer material,
wherein the developer collected by the second collecting member is stored in the developer storage device.
13 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is transferred from an image bearing member;
a collecting member configured to collect the developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the developer image is transferred from the intermediate transfer member; and
the developer storage device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the developer collected by the collecting member is stored in the developer storage device.
14 . The developer storage device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driven gear;
a torque limiter via which the second conveyance screw is connected to the driven gear;
a lever interlocking with the second conveyance screw; and
a photosensor in which light is shielded or transmitted by rotation of the lever;
wherein in a case where the second conveyance screw and the torque limiter idle in a state that the rotation of the second conveyance screw stops, an output of the photosensor is not switched between a shielded state that the light is shielded and a transmitted state that the light is transmitted.