Operation; Toner Replenishing Mechanism/Control - Konica Minolta magicolor 8650 Service Manual

Theory of Operation Ver. 2.0 Nov. 2007

12.3 Operation

12.3.1

Toner replenishing mechanism/control

A. Toner replenishing mechanism
• Two toner supply motors are used to supply toner of four different colors.
• By changing the rotating direction of the toner supply motor/YM and toner supply motor/
CK, Y or M and C or K can be supplied, respectively.
Toner supply
motor/CK (M3)
Right turn Not supplied
Left turn Supplied
* The above shows the rotating direction viewed from the motor drive shaft side.
Toner supply motor/YM (M4)
• Replenishing operation
1. Drive of the toner supply motor is transmitted through a gear train to the toner car-
tridge drive gears for two different colors. The shaft of the drive gears has a one
way clutch that turns only in one direction. Depending on whether the toner supply
motor turns right or left, only one corresponding drive gear turns. Structurally, the
two colors of toner (Y and M or C and K) cannot be supplied at one time.
2. When the drive gear turns, the screw installed inside the toner cartridge rotates to
convey the toner to the toner cartridge replenishing port. Then the toner goes
through the carrier pipe of the main body and drops into the imaging unit port to be
supplied to the imaging unit.
B. Toner replenishing control
• T/C is detected by TCR sensor when the developing section of the imaging unit is being
operated. (TCR sensor is located in the imaging unit.)
• Based on T/C ratio detected by the TRC sensor and amount of consumption calculated
by the dot counter, toner replenishing time (amount) is determined.
• When the machine determines the toner replenishing, sometime it detects the toner
amount that surpasses the maximum volume for one replenishing control. If it is not pos-
sible to replenish the supply of the required amount of toner within this maximum replen-
ishing time, the reminder time is stored in memory and added to the replenishing time for
the next replenishing sequence.
K toner C toner
Supplied
Not supplied
Toner supply motor/CK (M3)
One-way clutch
12. Toner supply section
Toner supply
Y toner
motor/YM (M4)
Right turn Not supplied
Left turn Supplied
Drive gears
M toner
Supplied
Not supplied
A02ET2C533AA
43