JP2006003529A - Medium and apparatus for washing powder container, and method for processing washing medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder container washing medium and a powder container washing apparatus, capable of enhancing the performance of discharging the powder from the powder container while securing the high adsorption with the powder, and to provide a method for processing the washing medium. <P>SOLUTION: The washing medium 80 is constituted of a coating member 81 which is electrified with a polarity reverse to that of residual toner, a core member 82 whose specific gravity is higher than that of the coating member 81. The coating member 81 is constituted of synthetic resin whose hardness is lower than that of the toner container as an object to be washed, and the coating member 81 is formed so that a part or all of the core member 82 may be coated with the coating member 81. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning medium and a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a powder container, which stores powder such as dry toner in an electrophotographic apparatus, and a processing method of the cleaning medium.

  In recent years, corporate efforts to conserve the global environment, such as resource depletion and global warming, have been urgently used, and used home appliances, office equipment, etc. can be reused in parts, units, product units, and materials by resource type. It has come to recycle. Also in the electrophotographic apparatus, toner storage containers such as toner bottles and developing cartridges are reused a plurality of times. Here, there is a case where deteriorated toner remains in the toner storage container collected after being used. In order to reuse this, it is necessary to remove the residual toner. If this residual toner is not removed, the image quality may be affected during reuse. However, the residual toner removing step in the regeneration step takes a lot of time and is expensive.

  Thus, many techniques for removing powders such as toner adhering from the inner and outer surfaces of containers and the like have been proposed. Among them, a method using air blow or suction is generally used for toner removal. However, as a method for removing powder with higher quality, several methods using a granular cleaning medium have been proposed. Since the granular cleaning medium reaches every corner of the object to be cleaned, it has excellent characteristics such as “high cleaning power” and “difficult to disperse powder during operation” compared to air blow.

  As a cleaning medium for such a conventional powder storage container, a powder charged to a polarity opposite to that of the powder attached to the powder storage container is used (for example, see Patent Document 1). Here, by supplying the powder charged in the reverse polarity into the powder container, the powder adhered in the powder container is adhered to the powder charged in the reverse polarity by electrostatic attraction. To wash. Further, since the cleaning medium is made colorless, even if the cleaning medium remains in the powder container, the image quality is not affected at the time of reuse.

Further, as a cleaning medium for a conventional powder container, a developer carrier (for example, a resin coating layer formed on the outside of 70-300 μm iron or ferrite particles) is used (for example, Patent Document 2). reference). Here, the carrier is introduced into the surface to be cleaned of the powder container, and a magnet (permanent magnet or electromagnet) is disposed on the back surface of the surface to be cleaned. A carrier is magnetized by the magnet, and toner (corresponding to powder) is adhered to the carrier by the magnetic force of the magnetized carrier, and is discharged to the outside by movement of the magnet. If the toner is non-magnetic, the carrier in the powder container is agitated by a swinging mechanism equipped with a magnet, both are charged by friction between the toner and the carrier, and the toner is attached to the carrier by electrostatic force. Yes. Further, by using a carrier used as a product together with the powder container, even if the carrier remains in the powder container to some extent, it does not affect the image quality at the time of reuse.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-90314 (lower right of page 2, etc.) JP-A-2002-268383 (3rd page, upper right to 4th page, right middle, FIGS. 1 to 4, etc.)

  However, since the conventional cleaning medium is granular and is not easy to discharge from the powder container, even if it remains to some extent, it does not affect the image quality, but it further improves the point of improving the discharge performance There is room for.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and is a powder storage container that can improve the dischargeability from the powder storage container while ensuring high adsorption characteristics with the powder. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning medium, a cleaning device, and a processing method of the cleaning medium.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors paid attention to discharging powder from the powder container using the shape and weight of the cleaning medium itself. This is due to the following reason. The main adsorption force between the cleaning medium and the powder is an electrostatic force generated by frictional charging between the cleaning medium and the powder to be removed. In order to secure the adsorption characteristics, it is necessary to be easily triboelectrically charged and to be able to adsorb many powders after charging. That is, it is important that the cleaning medium has a sufficient surface area to contact the powder to be removed. On the other hand, in order to obtain dischargeability from the powder container, an external force that overcomes the electrostatic force with the wall surface of the powder container may be applied. If an inertial force such as gravity or impact force is used as the external force at the time of discharge, efficient discharge from the powder container is possible. For example, increasing the weight of the cleaning medium tends to increase the external force.

  Accordingly, the cleaning medium of the present invention according to claim 1 is a cleaning medium for adsorbing and discharging residual powder when cleaning a powder container in which powder remains. And a second member having a specific gravity higher than that of the first member.

  A cleaning medium according to a second aspect of the present invention is the cleaning medium according to the first aspect, wherein the first member is made of a synthetic resin having a hardness lower than that of the powder container, and the first member is a part of the second member or The entire structure is covered.

  A cleaning medium according to a third aspect of the present invention is the cleaning medium according to the first or second aspect, wherein the main material of the residual powder is a predetermined thermoplastic resin, and the first member is formed of the predetermined thermoplastic resin. have.

  A cleaning medium according to a fourth aspect of the present invention has the structure according to the second or third aspect, wherein the second member is made of a metal powder dispersed in the predetermined thermoplastic resin.

  The cleaning medium of the present invention according to claim 5 is a cleaning medium for adsorbing and discharging residual powder when cleaning a powder storage container in which powder remains, and is formed as a fine particle. It has the structure which consists of the aggregate of the washing | cleaning medium of any one of Claim 1 to Claim 4 which was made.

  A cleaning medium according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the cleaning medium according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the second member is formed in a linear shape and the length of the first member in the longitudinal direction is the first. The first member is configured to be longer than the length of the second member in the longitudinal direction, and the first member covers a part of the second member.

  A cleaning medium according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the cleaning medium according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a part or all of the outer surface of the cleaning medium is a curved surface.

  The processing method of the cleaning medium of the present invention according to claim 8 is a processing method for processing the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the material powder of the first member Is electrostatically adsorbed on the outer surface of the second member, heated and melted, and further cooled to form a film.

  A processing method for a cleaning medium according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a processing method for processing the cleaning medium according to the sixth aspect, wherein the material of the first member is disposed around the linear second member. After coating the resin, it has a step of cutting to a predetermined length.

  A cleaning apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a powder container using the cleaning medium according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, Container posture changing means for changing the posture, vibration means for applying vibration to the powder storage container, and operating conditions of the container posture changing means and the vibration means for each powder storage container are set to control both operations. And a control means.

  The cleaning device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the cleaning apparatus according to the tenth aspect, wherein the container posture changing means includes a rotating means for rotating the powder container around the first axis indicating the longitudinal direction of the powder container. And a swinging means for swinging the powder container around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

  The present invention has a first member that is charged with a polarity opposite to that of the residual powder and a second member that has a higher specific gravity than the first member, thereby ensuring high adsorption characteristics with the powder. On the other hand, it is possible to provide a cleaning medium having an effect of improving the dischargeability from the powder container.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a cleaning medium according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is used for cleaning the toner container such as the toner bottle and the toner replenishing device shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 1A, the cleaning medium 80 includes a core member 82 made of a material having a higher specific gravity than the toner remaining in the toner container to be cleaned, and the toner remaining in the toner container. And one coating member 81 made of a material that is charged with a reverse polarity.

  The core member 82 is made of, for example, a metal or an alloy thereof that can easily increase the specific gravity. Specific examples include a lump of tungsten, stainless steel, zinc, iron, or a resin in which a large amount of these metal powders are dispersed. However, in consideration of environmental pollution problems, do not use lead or cadmium. Is desirable.

  The coating member 81 is made of a material that easily charges when it comes into contact with the toner (corresponding to an adsorbing material for adsorbing the toner). Specifically, when the toner is charged to the negative electrode, a material that is easily charged to the positive electrode, such as polyamide resin, glass, or polyester, is preferable. Further, from the viewpoint of not damaging the cleaning surface of the toner container, the coating member 81 is preferably made of a material such as resin or synthetic rubber that is softer than the toner container. In addition to these materials, a melted toner that has just been removed by washing or the like may be used. For example, when the coating member 81 is formed using a melted polyester toner, it has been confirmed that sufficient adsorption characteristics can be obtained for the polyester toner. Here, the coating member 81 covers the entire core member 82.

  In order to reduce the adsorption force of the cleaning medium 80 to the toner container, it is preferable that the area where the cleaning medium 80 contacts the inner wall surface of the toner container is small. This is because, when the toner adhering to the inner wall surface of the toner container is reduced by being adsorbed to a part of the cleaning medium 80, the cleaning medium 80 and the toner container are directly touched to be frictionally charged, and electrostatic adsorption force is applied to both. This is to cope with the occurrence of the problem. Therefore, the shape of the cleaning medium 80 is a sphere. In addition, it is better that most of the surface, such as an ellipse, is spherical and rounded. In particular, the sphere tends to roll in an arbitrary direction. With this configuration, it is possible to increase the mass of each cleaning medium 80 and to reduce the particle size, and the surface area of the cleaning medium 80 is increased even with the same amount as compared with the conventional cleaning medium.

  Here, as a processing method of the cleaning medium 80, for example, there is a method in which a powder of an adsorbing material is electrostatically adsorbed around a core member 82 having a high specific gravity and heated to be melted and solidified. Further, when the core member 82 having a high specific gravity is made of a high specific gravity resin sphere or a high specific gravity metal sphere, the entire cleaning medium 80 can be easily formed into a sphere. In addition, the melt-solidification method may be performed while being molded with a mold or the like, and can be formed into an arbitrary shape.

  In FIG. 1B, the cleaning medium 70 has a plurality of core members 72 made of a material having a higher specific gravity than the toner remaining in the toner storage container and a polarity opposite to that of the toner remaining in the toner storage container. And a plurality of coating members 71 made of a material to be charged. The materials and shapes of the coating member 71 and the core member 72 are the same as those of the cleaning medium 80, and the coating member 71 covers the entire core member 72.

  Here, as a processing method of the cleaning medium 70, for example, an individual metal body having a high specific gravity is light and small enough to be fluidized by stirring, and the adsorbing material is dissolved by heat or dissolved in a solvent or the like. A small particle is formed by spraying on the metal body to coat it, and then the formed small particles are agglomerated and bonded using an adhesive, or the surface of the small particles is heated and cooled. There is a method of binding and obtaining an aggregate.

  In FIGS. 1C and 1D, the cleaning medium 60 remains in the toner containing container and the cylindrical core member 62 made of a material having a higher specific gravity than the toner remaining in the toner containing container. And a hollow cylindrical coating member 61 made of a material that is oppositely charged to the toner. The material of the coating member 61 and the core member 62 is the same as that of the cleaning medium 80, and the coating member 61 covers a part of the core member 62. Furthermore, both ends of the coating member 61 protrude from both ends of the core member 62 so that the core member 62 does not touch the inner wall surface that is symmetrical to the cleaning. 1C is a perspective view of the cleaning medium 60, and FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction.

  Here, as a processing method of the cleaning medium 60, for example, a resin serving as an adsorbing material is coated around a metal wire having a high specific gravity, and then this is cut into a predetermined length, and further, coating of a cut surface is performed. There is a method of pressurizing and deforming the member 61. By this processing method, both ends of the coating member 61 protrude beyond both ends of the core member 62 as described above. In addition, for example, a high specific gravity resin may be used instead of the high specific gravity metal wire as the core member 62, and a plurality of polyamide resin wire materials as adsorbing materials may be twisted and wound around the high specific gravity resin. . By this processing method, a radial cross-sectional shape by the coating member 63 shown in FIG.

  In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the toner replenishing device 40 to be cleaned is connected to a developing device mounted on the main body of an image forming apparatus (not shown). Further, the entire toner replenishing device 40 is a container (mainly a resin molded product) that contains toner. In this container, the toner is sent out from the toner replenishing port 42 to the agitating member that moderately releases the toner and the developing device. A replenishing member is provided. Examples of the replenishing member include a magnet roller when storing magnetic toner, a roller (corresponding to the gear 41) having a notch on the surface when storing non-magnetic toner, and a conveying screw. . Further, a connecting portion between the toner replenishing device 40 and the front and rear process devices (not shown) has some opening (corresponding to the toner filling port 43 in FIG. 5B). In the case where the toner is filled by the air suction method, a toner injection hole and an air vent hole for filling the toner may be provided. These holes are closed with plugs after filling with toner.

  In FIG. 2C, a toner bottle 50 to be cleaned contains toner and supplies it to the image forming apparatus. Further, the bottle opening 51 of the toner bottle 50 is located at one place on the end surface and has a smaller diameter than the bottle diameter. Here, the shape of the toner storage container suitable for the cleaning medium shown in FIG. 1 is “the opening is at the lowest point” and “there is no groove that prevents the cleaning medium from being caught”. .

  The toner to be removed is a mixture of a binder resin such as a polyester resin with a pigment, wax, a charge control agent, etc., and an external additive for imparting fluidity to the surface thereof. It is attached. A small amount of toner remains in the toner bottle 50 or the toner supply device 40 to be cleaned. This toner is negatively charged, for example.

  Next, FIG. 3 shows a simple working device for manually washing the toner bottle 50 or the toner replenishing device 40 using any of the aforementioned cleaning media 60, 70, 80.

  In FIG. 3, a simple work device 20 includes a dust collection booth (a space partitioned by a transparent member) for preventing the toner (developer) and the cleaning medium from scattering from the toner container during the cleaning operation, An insertion portion having an insertion port 21 to the dust collection booth, a work table 22 for carrying out a cleaning operation by placing a toner container, an exhaust duct 23 connected to the bottom of the work table 22, A cyclone dust collector 24 connected to the bottom of the work table 22 by the exhaust duct 23 and a vacuum pump 25 as air suction means connected to the cyclone dust collector 24 via the exhaust duct 23 are provided. Note that a mesh such as a wire mesh is formed on the upper surface of the work table 22.

  Here, the cleaning work is performed in a dust collection booth to prevent powder scattering. In addition, the toner and the cleaning medium cleaned by the cleaning operation are sent to the cyclone dust collector 24 through the exhaust duct 23 by air suction of the vacuum pump 25, and the toner and the cleaning medium are separated from the air.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows a cleaning medium regeneration device for regenerating the toner and the cleaning medium separated and collected by the cyclone dust collector 24. Here, a case is shown in which the toner and the cleaning medium accumulated on the bottom of the cyclone dust collector 24 are transferred to the cleaning medium regenerator and the regenerating operation is performed.

  In FIG. 4, the cleaning medium regenerating apparatus 90 reduces or eliminates the regeneration jig 92 for separating the toner from the powder in which the toner and the cleaning medium are mixed, and the adsorption force of the toner and the cleaning medium in the regeneration jig 92. A static eliminator (ionizer) 91, a regenerative jig 92 and a cyclone dust collector (not shown) connected by an intake duct, and a vacuum pump (not shown) as an air suction means connected by the cyclone dust collector and the intake duct. It is the structure which has these. In addition, the reproduction jig 92 includes a container having a mesh partition portion 94 formed at the bottom, and a duct connecting portion 93 that can suck a blower through the mesh. In addition, the hole size of the mesh partition part 94 is set to be smaller by about 0.1 to 0.5 mm than the cleaning medium diameter.

  Here, while the adhesion of both the cleaning medium and the toner is weakened by the neutralization process of the static eliminator 91, the toner is blown through the mesh of the mesh partition 94 to be separated from the cleaning medium, and the air is further separated by the cyclone dust collector. I have to. Therefore, the cleaning medium and the toner are separated and collected separately.

  Each process is demonstrated about the washing | cleaning method and the reproduction | regeneration method using the simple work apparatus 20 and the washing | cleaning medium reproduction | regeneration apparatus 90 comprised as mentioned above.

  First, a method for cleaning the toner bottle 50 or the toner replenishing device 40 will be described. This cleaning method is substantially the same as that of the prior art, and a predetermined amount of cleaning medium is introduced from the opening of the toner storage container where the toner remains, and the cleaning medium is appropriately stirred while changing the posture of the toner storage container. After the toner is sufficiently adsorbed to the toner, the cleaning medium is discharged from the opening of the toner container. When this cleaning method is repeated a plurality of times, the degree of cleaning increases. The cleaning method of this embodiment includes 1) a toner removal step, 2) a container cleaning step, and 3) a cleaning medium complete discharge step.

  1) In the toner removal step, the collected toner storage container (for example, toner bottle 50 or toner replenishing device 40) is manually washed. Specifically, an operator performs a cleaning operation through gloves or the like from the dust collection booth insertion port 21 in the simple work device 20. First, the operator removes a cap or the like that seals the opening of the collected toner storage container, and discharges residual toner with the opening downward. The residual toner discharged here falls to the bottom of the work table 22. Note that the operator may forcibly discharge the toner from the opening using an air suction nozzle (not shown) or the like when the predetermined amount of residual toner is discharged as described above.

  2) In the container cleaning process, first, the operator turns the opening of the toner storage container upward on the work table 22 and sets a predetermined amount (here, the total surface area of the cleaning medium is 2 to 3 times the total area of the inner wall). A suitable amount of cleaning medium. Next, the operator closes the opening and moves the toner container while changing the posture of the toner container so that the cleaning medium contacts the entire inner surface of the toner container. By this operation, as described above, the cleaning medium and the residual toner come into contact with each other and are charged, and the cleaning medium and the residual toner adhere to each other. Next, the operator reopens the opening, directs it downward, and shakes it to discharge the cleaning medium. The cleaning medium and residual toner discharged here fall to the bottom of the work table 22. It should be noted that it is preferable to repeat the operations from the introduction of the cleaning medium to the discharge until the contamination of the supplied cleaning medium is reduced to such an extent that it can be visually judged.

  3) In the cleaning medium complete discharging process, first, the operator supports the opening of the toner container downward, and discharges the cleaning medium and the residual toner only by gravity. Next, the operator discharges all of the cleaning medium and residual toner that could not be discharged by gravity alone by applying a moderate impact while charging the toner container with static elimination air. Here, for example, when the adhesive force between the cleaning medium and the toner container is about 100 to 250 μN, the weight of the cleaning medium is 5 mg, and an acceleration of about 2 to 5 G is required. Finally, the operator visually confirms that there is no cleaning medium and residual toner that could not be discharged into the toner storage container after cleaning.

  Next, a cleaning medium recovered by cleaning the toner container and a method for regenerating the residual toner will be described.

  As described above, residual toner adheres to the cleaning medium discharged from the toner container such as the toner bottle 50. However, the residual toner and the cleaning medium can be separated and collected by the cleaning medium regenerating device 90. . Here, when the cleaning medium having the toner 95 (corresponding to the residual toner) is put on the mesh partitioning portion 94 of the regeneration jig 92, the blower is sucked. At this time, the toner 95 passes due to the pore size of the mesh, but the cleaning medium 96 does not pass, so the toner 95 and the cleaning medium 96 are separated. Therefore, a stronger suction force than the adhesion force of both the toner 95 and the cleaning medium 96 is required.

  According to the cleaning media 60, 70, and 80 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the coating members 61, 71, and 81 (the first members) that are charged with the opposite polarity to the residual toner (corresponding to the residual powder) And the core members 62, 72, and 82 (corresponding to the second member) having a higher specific gravity than the coating members 61, 71, and 81, thereby providing high toner adsorption characteristics. In addition, a cleaning medium having a good discharge property from the toner storage container can be obtained. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 1.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the coating members 61, 71, 81 are made of polyamide resin or polyester resin (corresponding to a synthetic resin having a hardness lower than that of the toner container), and the coating members 61, 71, 81 are By covering a part or all of the core members 62, 72, and 82, the core members 62, 72, and 82 are not in contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the toner storage container, and the effect that the container cleaning surface is hardly damaged is also expected. Is done. Moreover, the effect that a metal with high hardness can be employ | adopted as a core member is also anticipated. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 2.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the main material of the residual toner is, for example, a polyester resin (corresponding to a predetermined thermoplastic resin) and the coating member 81 is also made of, for example, a polyester resin, the cleaning medium 80 is regenerated. In addition, the toner that cannot be removed may be melted and solidified as it is. Even if it is melted and solidified in this way, the effect that it can be reused without impairing the adsorption performance of the cleaning medium 80 is also expected. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 3.

  According to the present embodiment, the coating member 81 is made of, for example, a polyamide resin (corresponding to a predetermined thermoplastic resin), and the core member 82 is made of, for example, tungsten powder (corresponding to metal powder) as the polyamide resin. Since they are made of the same resin, the same resin is used, so that the adhesive force between the coating member 81 and the core member 82 is strong, and the effect of being difficult to peel off even when stirred is expected. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 4.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the cleaning medium 70 is composed of an aggregate of cleaning media formed as fine particles, so that it is expected that the cleaning medium 70 can be processed easily and at a low cost. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 5.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the cleaning medium 60 is formed so that the core member 62 is formed in a linear shape, and the length of the coating member 61 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the core member 62 in the longitudinal direction. In addition, since the coating member 61 covers a part of the core member 62, it is expected that the cleaning medium can be easily processed and can be realized at a low cost. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 6.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, for example, the cleaning medium 60 is formed in a columnar shape, the cleaning medium 70 is an aggregate of cleaning media of microspheres, and the cleaning medium 80 is formed in a spherical shape, so that the outer surface of the cleaning medium is formed. By forming a part or all of the curved surface, an area that contacts the inner wall surface of the container at a time is reduced, and an effect that the adsorbing power with the toner storage container is reduced and the discharge property is improved is also expected. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 7.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the cleaning medium 80 is processed, the material powder of the coating member 81 is electrostatically adsorbed on the outer surface of the core member 82, and then heated and melted, and further cooled and coated. Therefore, it is expected that the cleaning medium 80 can be manufactured at a low cost according to the structure. This processing method corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 8.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the cleaning medium 60 is processed, the material resin of the coating member 61 is coated around the linear core member 62 and then cut into a predetermined length, whereby the cleaning medium 60 is processed. The effect that it can manufacture at low cost according to the structure is also anticipated. This processing method corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 9.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where a coating member for adsorbing toner is used as the first member and a core member having a higher specific gravity than the first member is used as the second member has been described. In addition to the first member and the second member, the same effect can be expected even when a third member having a configuration different from that of the first member and the second member is added. Here, by forming the cleaning member into three or more layers, it is also expected that the coating can be more reliably prevented from being peeled off or worn by stirring during cleaning.

  Hereinafter, first to fourth examples to which the cleaning medium according to the first embodiment described above is applied will be described.

[First embodiment]
In this embodiment, the cleaning medium 80 shown in FIG. 1A is applied. Here, the “first polyamide resin mixed with tungsten powder (about 6 to 14 specific gravity)” as a high specific gravity resin forms the core member 82, and the “first” resin material that easily charges the positive electrode. 2 polyamide resin (6 nylon, 66 nylon, etc., specific gravity around 1) ”forms the coating member 81. Since the polyamide resin is charged to the positive electrode by frictional charging with the negatively charged toner as described above, the toner adhering to the toner container can be adsorbed and easily peeled off.

  In the processing method of the cleaning medium of the present embodiment, a first polyamide resin sphere is formed as a high specific gravity metal sphere by a predetermined process, and a second polyamide resin as an adsorbing material is statically placed around the high specific gravity metal sphere. A method of electroadsorption, heating and melting to form a film was adopted. In addition, you may perform the method of melt solidification, shape | molding with a metal mold | die etc. Thereafter, a polishing process was performed for deburring to form a sphere having good rolling properties and a small contact area with the inner wall of the toner storage container. Here, the size of each cleaning medium was about φ0.5 to 1 mm, the thickness of the polyamide resin was about 0.1 mm, and the weight per piece was about 5 to 10 mg. In addition, fine irregularities of about 10 to 50 μm were formed on the surface of the cleaning medium to reduce the contact area with the inner wall of the toner storage container and ensure the adhesion area with the toner.

[Second Embodiment]
In this embodiment, the cleaning medium 70 shown in FIG. 1B is applied. The size of one cleaning medium 80 in the first embodiment is reduced, and a plurality of microspheres are aggregated. Is. Here, “a first polyamide resin mixed with tungsten powder (specific gravity of about 6 to 14)” as a high specific gravity resin forms the core member 72 of a microsphere, and is a resin material that is easily charged on the positive electrode. The “second polyamide resin (6 nylon, 66 nylon, etc., specific gravity around 1)” forms the microsphere coating member 71. Since the polyamide resin is charged to the positive electrode by frictional charging with the negatively charged toner as described above, the toner adhering to the toner container can be adsorbed and easily peeled off.

  The processing method of the cleaning medium of the present embodiment uses a fluidized bed type coating apparatus used for manufacturing a carrier or the like, and is small enough to fluidize a plurality of core members 72 as a high specific gravity metal body. A method of coating by adsorbing an adsorbent material obtained by melting the polyamide resin in a solvent or the like on the core member 72 was employed. Furthermore, for the agglomeration of microspheres, a method of collecting some of them and bonding them with an adhesive, or a method of bonding the surfaces by heating and cooling was adopted. In addition, you may make it aggregate beforehand by changing the stirring conditions of a fluidized bed. Here, about 100 to 1000 particles having a size of about 20 to 50 μm before aggregation are aggregated to form one cluster, the size of one aggregate is φ0.5 to 2 mm, and the weight is about 5 to 10 mg. It was made to become. In addition, by using the cleaning medium 70 as an agglomerate, unevenness is formed on the surface without any particular processing.

[Third embodiment]
In this embodiment, the cleaning medium 60 shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D is applied. Here, stainless steel as a high specific gravity material forms a cylindrical core member 62, and polyamide resin as a material charged with a polarity opposite to that of the residual toner forms a hollow cylindrical coating member 61.

  In the processing method of the cleaning medium of the present embodiment, for example, the stainless steel wire is covered with a polyamide resin by immersing the stainless steel wire in a polyamide solution and drying it. Next, the stainless steel wire coated with the polyamide resin is cut short, and simultaneously pressed lightly while heating both ends. Since the cut surface of the cleaning medium 60 is deformed by this pressing, the stainless steel wire does not touch the inner wall surface of the toner container as described above. Here, the cleaning medium 60 has a shape close to a cylinder, the diameter is about φ1 mm, and the height is about 1 mm.

  The method of coating the stainless steel wire with the polyamide resin is not limited to the above-described dipping and drying methods, and for example, a plurality of polyamide resin wire materials (corresponding to the coating member 63 in FIG. 1E) serving as the adsorbing material. Alternatively, a method may be used in which a wire is wound around a resin having a high specific gravity as an axis and coated. This method is suitable when a high specific gravity member (corresponding to the core member 62) is easily processed into a wire that can be cut, and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Fourth embodiment]
In this embodiment, the cleaning medium 80 shown in FIG. 1A is applied. Here, a stainless steel ball as a high specific gravity material forms the core member 82, and a toner or a binder resin (for example, made of polyester) that is a main component of the toner is melted to form the coating member 81. .

  In the processing method of the cleaning medium of this embodiment, a stainless steel ball as a high specific gravity metal sphere is formed by a predetermined process, and a toner as an adsorbing material or a binder resin as a main component of the toner is formed around the steel ball. A method in which a melted polyester resin is electrostatically adsorbed and heated to melt to form a film is employed. In addition, you may perform the method of melt solidification, shape | molding with a metal mold | die etc. Thereafter, a polishing process was performed for deburring to form a sphere having good rolling properties and a small contact area with the inner wall of the toner storage container. Here, since the coating member 81 contains the toner or the main component of the toner, when the residual toner and the cleaning medium are separated by the reproduction jig 92 described above, the toner that could not be separated may be melted and solidified as it is. .

  Next, using the cleaning medium according to the first example and the second conventional example described later and the simple working device 20 shown in the first embodiment, the toner storage container in which the toner having negative charging characteristics remains is cleaned. FIG. 5 shows a comparison result of the remaining amount versus the discharge time when the operation is performed. The cleaning medium according to the second conventional example is a substantially cylindrical cleaning medium made of polyamide resin.

  In FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents the remaining cleaning medium amount (g), and the horizontal axis represents the discharge time (s). The vibration starting point refers to a point in time when a shock is applied to the outer wall of the toner container in the 3) cleaning medium complete discharging step. It can be seen that the cleaning medium according to the first example was completely discharged after a predetermined time had elapsed from the vibration start point. In contrast, the cleaning medium according to the second conventional example has a discharge limit even when a considerable time has elapsed from the vibration start point, and a considerable amount of the cleaning medium remains.

  Next, using the cleaning medium manufactured in the first to fourth examples and the simple working device 20 shown in the first embodiment, 1) the toner removing process, 2) the container cleaning process, and 3) the cleaning medium completely. The comparison table shows the evaluation when the toner storage container in which the toner having negative charging characteristics remains in the discharging process is washed. Moreover, in order to compare with the 1st-4th Example, evaluation of the cleaning medium of the 1st-3rd conventional example to which a prior art is applied is shown collectively. Here, the cleaning medium of the first conventional example is made of metal (SUS) and is substantially spherical. The cleaning medium of the second conventional example is made of polyamide resin and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cleaning medium of the third conventional example is a development carrier, and has a substantially spherical shape in which ferrite as a core material is coated with a silicone resin as a coating material.

  When the cleaning medium of the first conventional example is used, “a point that does not damage the inner surface of the toner storage container” is evaluated as inappropriate, “toner adsorption” is evaluated as possible, and “cleaning medium dischargeability”. Was rated as excellent. This is because the metal cleaning medium is heavier than the resin cleaning medium and can be easily discharged, but the inner wall of the toner container may be damaged by the movement of the cleaning medium during cleaning or discharging.

  When the cleaning medium of the second conventional example is used, it is evaluated that “the inner surface of the toner storage container is not damaged” and “toner adsorption” are excellent, and “the cleaning medium discharge” is not suitable. It was evaluated. This is because, since a polyamide resin is used as a material, if the remaining amount of toner is small, the inner wall of the toner storage container and the frictionally charged cleaning medium adhere to the inner wall, making it difficult to discharge. Further, since a polyamide resin is used as the material of the cleaning medium, the inertial force due to the weight of the cleaning medium itself is not sufficient.

  When the cleaning medium of the third conventional example is used, it is evaluated that “the point that the inner surface of the toner storage container is not damaged” is excellent, and “the toner adsorption property” is evaluated as possible, and “the cleaning medium” Was evaluated as unsuitable. This is because the carrier is lightweight because it has a diameter of several tens to 100 microns, but it cannot be completely discharged because it is adsorbed on the inner wall due to charging with the toner storage container.

  On the other hand, when the cleaning media of the first to third embodiments are used, all of “the point that does not damage the inner surface of the toner storage container”, “toner adsorption”, and “cleaning media discharge” are all excellent. It was evaluated. This is because the polyamide resin (6 nylon, 66 nylon, etc.) is positively charged with respect to the toner having a negative charge characteristic, and therefore has an excellent adsorbing ability as compared with other resins. The polyamide resin had good wettability with a high specific gravity resin or metal, and the film was not peeled off by stirring at the time of washing.

  When the cleaning medium of the fourth embodiment is used, “the point that the inner surface of the toner container is not damaged” and “the discharge property of the cleaning medium” are excellent, but “the toner adsorbing property” is evaluated as possible. It was. Here, since the polyester resin is the toner or the main component of the toner, the toner that adheres to the surface and is difficult to remove from the cleaning medium is melted and solidified as it is, so that the reproduction quality may be low.

  According to the first to fourth embodiments as described above, the cleaning medium has an effect of discharging and preventing damage to the toner storage container while ensuring toner adsorbability as compared with the first to third conventional examples. The construction, the processing method, and the manual washing procedure could be shown.

[Second Embodiment]
In general, a large amount of work time and complicated operations are required to distribute the cleaning medium sufficiently and uniformly in the toner storage container by manual cleaning. Here, the discharge condition when discharging the cleaning medium from the toner storage container is effective when the cleaning medium adhering to the inner wall of the container is given an acceleration α by impact, vibration or the like and separated. Specifically, the inertial force f ₂ during the discharge of cleaning medium than the electrostatic attractive force f ₁ generated at the contact portion between the toner container is increased, or the cleaning medium is separated from the inner wall of the container, so that the roll . When the mass of the cleaning medium is “m”, “α> f ₁ / m” is given because “f ₂ = mα”. Examples of the method of applying the acceleration α include a method in which gravity is applied with the opening of the toner storage container down, a method in which vibration and impact are applied to the toner storage container, and a method in which centrifugal force is applied. Note that when “m> f ₁ / g”, the acceleration α only needs to be the gravitational acceleration g, and therefore it is very easy to discharge. On the other hand, if the cleaning medium with a high specific gravity is moved violently more than necessary, problems such as damage to the inner surface of the toner container occur. Therefore, the second embodiment of the present invention shows a configuration that automatically executes an operation of applying an inertial force so as to satisfy the above-described discharge condition when discharging the cleaning medium by applying vibration or impact.

  FIG. 6 shows a cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment. 6A shows a cleaning device, FIG. 6B shows a cleaning tank, FIG. 6C shows a toner bottle fixed to the cleaning tank, and FIG. 6D shows a toner replenishing device fixed to the cleaning tank. Show. The cleaning device uses the cleaning medium shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, and is used for cleaning the toner bottle and the toner replenishing device shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the cleaning apparatus 1 includes a cleaning tank 13 attached to the rotation support member 15, a rotation support member 15 that rotatably supports the cleaning tank 13, and a rotation support member 15 for vibrating the cleaning tank 13. And a swing support member 17 that supports the rotation support member 15 so as to be swingable, and a control device 14 for controlling the operation of the cleaning device 1. is there.

The rotation support member 15, a cleaning tank 13 is a drive motor 11 for rotating to the direction of the arrow attached around an axis a _1. Further, the rotation support member 15 has a discharge port portion 16 for connecting a toner suction duct (not shown) to the cleaning tank 13.

The swing support member 17, a drive motor 12 for swinging the rotary support member 15 in the arrow direction about the axis a ₂ is attached. When the rotation support member 15 is swung by driving the drive motor 12, the cleaning tank 13 mounted on the rotation support member 15 is swung in the same manner. Here, the rotation support member 15 is configured to swing 180 degrees from the substantially center in the longitudinal direction of the toner container to the left and right (clockwise and counterclockwise).

  The control device 14 operates the cleaning device 1 and a control unit (not shown) including a drive circuit for driving the drive motors 11 and 12 and the vibration generator and a control circuit for controlling the drive circuit. And an operation unit 141. The control circuit includes, for example, a microcomputer as a main component, and the microcomputer includes a CPU that performs a control operation according to a preset program, and a ROM and a RAM that store programs and data. In accordance with the program, the CPU performs a control operation that satisfies the discharge condition based on an optimum sequence and operation conditions for each toner storage container to be cleaned. That is, the driving motors 11 and 12 and the driving circuit of the vibration exciter are driven so that an inertia force larger than the adhesion force between the cleaning medium and the toner container is applied to the cleaning tank 13 and an unnecessary acceleration is not generated. Let In addition, the drive circuits of the drive motors 11 and 12 are driven so that the cleaning medium is spread over the inner wall of the toner storage container in the cleaning tank 13. The operation unit 141 includes a start / stop button and the like.

Cleaning tank 13 is mounted to the rotation support member 15 so that its longitudinal direction and the axis a ₁ direction coincides. Further, the cleaning tank 13 is formed to have a size and a depth so that a toner storage container such as the above-described toner bottle 50, toner replenishing device 40, process cartridge (not shown) can be accommodated. Specifically, the length is about 400 mm × width 200 mm × height 120 mm. In addition, an opening / closing cover 131 for taking in and out the toner storage container is provided on two surfaces other than both side surfaces of the cleaning tank 13. Further, a discharge port 134 for connecting a toner suction duct (not shown) is provided at a predetermined position (here, one place on the axis a ₁ ) on one side of the cleaning tank 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of discharge ports may be provided in the cleaning tank 13, but the opening of the attached toner storage container should be aligned with the discharge port. Further, the cleaning tank 13, the fixing device 132 for fixing the toner container so that its longitudinal direction and the axis a ₁ direction coincides is provided detachable toner container by the fixing device 132 It is said. Here, if the cleaning medium is put into the cleaning tank 13, the outer surface of the toner storage container can be cleaned.

  The above-described vibration device converts electric energy into mechanical vibration using, for example, a piezoelectric element, and transmits this vibration to the side surface of the cleaning tank 13 by the vibration member 133. In addition, as an operation mode of the vibration device, a first mode that vibrates at a predetermined amplitude and a frequency of about 50 to 100 Hz (hereinafter also referred to as a vibration mode), a larger amplitude than the first mode, and a frequency of about 1 to 10 Hz. A second mode (hereinafter also referred to as an impact mode) is set. Note that the setting switching between both modes is performed by the program.

  The drive motors 11 and 12, the rotation support member 15, and the swing support member 17 described above constitute a container posture changing mechanism. This container posture changing mechanism enables the toner storage container mounted in the cleaning tank 13 to rotate and swing in the radial direction and the axial direction.

  Each process is demonstrated about the washing | cleaning method of the toner bottle 50 or the toner replenishing apparatus 40 using the washing | cleaning apparatus 1 comprised as mentioned above. The cleaning method of this embodiment includes (a) a toner removal step and (b) a container cleaning step.

  (A) In the toner removal step, first, an operator sets a toner storage container to be cleaned in the cleaning tank 13 using the fixing device 132. At this time, the cap of the opening of the toner container is temporarily removed.

Next, the worker activates the cleaning device 1. When the cleaning device 1 is started, CPU of the control unit 14 drives the drive circuit of the drive motor 12, a predetermined amount of rotation support member 15 about an axis a _2, is swung. Similarly, the CPU drives the drive circuit of the vibration exciter in the vibration mode. With both driving, the posture is changed by the container posture changing mechanism so that the opening of the toner container is directed downward, and the cleaning tank 13 is vibrated by the operation of the vibration member 133 of the vibration device. The toner is discharged from the opening of the toner container by the inertia and the inertial force due to the vibration and the weight of the cleaning medium. The toner thus discharged is sucked from the discharge port 16 of the cleaning tank 13 through a suction duct (not shown).

In (a) a container cleaning step, first, CPU of the control unit 14 drives the drive circuit of the drive motor 12, a predetermined amount of rotation support member 15 about an axis a _2, after being swung, drive stop Let With this driving, the attitude is changed by the container attitude changing mechanism so that the opening of the toner storage container faces upward. In this posture, the operator inputs a predetermined amount of cleaning medium (in this case, the total surface area of the cleaning medium is about 2 to 3 times the total area of the inner wall of the container) from the opening of the toner storage container. At this time, the operator closes the opening of the toner container again so that the cleaning medium does not spill out. The operator also puts a predetermined amount of cleaning medium into the gap between the cleaning tank 13 and the toner storage container (here, the total surface area of the cleaning medium is about 2 to 3 times the total area of the outer wall of the container). To do.

Next, by the operator's operation, the CPU similarly drives the drive circuits of the drive motors 11 and 12 to rotate the drive motors 11 and 12 at a predetermined amount and at a predetermined speed. By both driving, the washing tank 13 is swung around the axis a ₂ while rotating around the axis a ₁ by the container posture changing mechanism. By rotating and swinging the cleaning tank 13 about axes orthogonal to each other, the toner storage container in the cleaning tank 13 is swung so as to tilt the container posture left and right in the longitudinal direction while rotating in the radial direction. Here, adjustment is made so that the peristaltic angle is ± 30 to 90 degrees. The rotational speeds of the drive motors 11 and 12 are adjusted so that the cleaning medium does not collide violently inside and outside the container. The inner and outer surfaces of the toner container are simultaneously cleaned by the rotation and peristaltic operations described above.

  Next, when the cleaning by changing the attitude of the toner container is completed, the CPU similarly drives the drive circuits of the drive motors 11 and 12 to rotate the drive motors 11 and 12 at a predetermined amount and at a predetermined speed. With both driving, the posture is changed by the container posture changing mechanism so that the opening of the toner storage container in the cleaning tank 13 faces upward. In this posture, the operator reopens the opening of the toner storage container.

  Next, by the operator's operation, the CPU similarly drives the drive circuits of the drive motors 11 and 12 to rotate the drive motors 11 and 12 at a predetermined amount and at a predetermined speed. Similarly, the CPU drives the drive circuit of the vibration exciter in the vibration mode. With both driving, the posture is changed by the container posture changing mechanism so that the opening of the toner storage container in the cleaning tank 13 faces downward, and the cleaning tank 133 is vibrated by the operation of the vibration member 133 of the vibration device. To do. The cleaning medium is discharged from the opening of the toner storage container by the inertia force due to the vibration and the weight of the cleaning medium.

Thereafter, when a predetermined amount of the cleaning medium is discharged, the CPU similarly drives the drive circuit of the drive motor 12 to rotate the drive motor 12 at a predetermined amount at a predetermined speed. Similarly, the CPU drives the drive circuit of the vibration exciter in the impact mode. In both of the drive, the cleaning tank 13 by the container position changing mechanism, with pivots about the axis a _2, the cleaning tank 13 is impacted by the operation of the vibrating member 133 of the vibrator. Due to the impact and the inertia force due to the weight of the cleaning medium, the undischarged cleaning medium adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the toner container is discharged from the opening.

  Note that the processing from the introduction of the cleaning medium to the discharge thereof may be repeated depending on the degree of dirt attached to the cleaning medium.

  According to the cleaning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the container attitude change for changing the attitude of a toner storage container (corresponding to a powder storage container) such as the toner bottle 50 and the toner replenishing apparatus 40. A mechanism (corresponding to container posture changing means), a vibration device (corresponding to vibration means) including a vibration member 133 that applies vibration to the toner storage container, and a container posture changing mechanism and vibration for each toner storage container. By providing a control device 14 (corresponding to a control means) that sets the operation conditions of the apparatus and controls both operations, the cleaning operation is automated and the optimum according to the type and size of the toner container A stable cleaning operation can be performed by setting operation conditions related to posture change, vibration and shock. Therefore, reliable cleaning and discharging can be reproduced as compared with manual work. This corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 10.

According to the present embodiment, the container posture changing mechanism includes a drive motor for rotating the powder container around the axis a ₁ (corresponding to the first axis) indicating the longitudinal direction of the toner container. 11 and a rotation support member 15 (corresponding to the rotating means), a drive motor 12 for swinging the toner container around the axis a ₂ (corresponding to the second axis) orthogonal to the axis a ₁ , and a swing By providing the moving support member 17 (corresponding to the swinging means), it is possible to change the posture of the toner storage container so that it faces in an arbitrary direction with a simple configuration. For example, the opening of the toner storage container can be easily directed downward during discharge. Therefore, the effect that the inner wall of the container can be cleaned evenly is also expected. This corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 11.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the specific gravity of the cleaning medium is higher than that of the conventional configuration, most of the cleaning medium moves downward only by gravity and weak vibration (corresponding to the vibration mode). In addition, strong vibration (corresponding to the impact mode) gives the necessary inertial force to the cleaning medium adhering to the container wall surface, and also acts to discharge the cleaning medium that has entered the bag path of the toner storage container. To do. Therefore, stepwise and efficient cleaning operation and discharging operation can be realized without moving the cleaning medium violently more than necessary.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the vibration device is used in order to effectively use the weight of the cleaning medium has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the electrostatic adsorption force f under the discharge conditions described above. _{Even if a} static eliminator (corresponding to 91 in FIG. 4) is used to make ₁ smaller, the same effect can be obtained. Further, when the electrostatic attraction force f ₁ ′ is sufficiently small (when m> f ₁ ′ / g (where f ₁ > f ₁ ′)), the vibration device may be omitted.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the operation mode of the vibration exciter is set in advance by a program has been described. However, the present invention can also have the same effect even when the operator sets or changes the mode. Is obtained. For example, the operation unit 141 may be provided with an operation mode button for setting or changing an operation mode related to vibration of the vibration exciter.

  As described above, the cleaning medium according to the present invention has an effect that the discharge property from the powder container can be improved while ensuring high adsorption characteristics with the powder, and the electrophotographic apparatus It is useful as a cleaning medium and a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a powder container, which stores powder such as dry toner, and a processing method of the cleaning medium.

It is a figure explaining the cleaning medium which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a toner storage container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a simple work device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning medium regenerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining discharge property of a cleaning medium concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the washing | cleaning apparatus and toner storage container which concern on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning apparatus 11, 12 Drive motor 13 Cleaning tank 14 Control apparatus 15 Rotation support member 16 Discharge port part 17 Swing support member 20 Simple work apparatus 21 Insertion port 22 Work table 23 Exhaust duct 24 Cyclone dust collector 25 Vacuum pump 40 Toner supply apparatus 41 Gear 42 Toner replenishing port 43 Toner filling port 50 Toner bottle 51 Bottle opening 60, 70, 80, 96 Cleaning medium 61, 71, 81 Coating member 62, 72, 82 Core member 90 Cleaning medium regenerating device 91 Neutralizer 92 Regenerating Jig 93 Duct connection part 94 Mesh partition part 95 Toner 131 Opening / closing cover 132 Fixing tool 133 Excitation member 141 Operation part

Claims (11)

A cleaning medium for adsorbing and discharging residual powder when cleaning a powder container in which powder remains.
A cleaning medium comprising: a first member that is charged with a polarity opposite to that of the residual powder; and a second member having a specific gravity higher than that of the first member. The cleaning medium according to claim 1,
The first member is made of a synthetic resin having a lower hardness than that of the powder container, and the first member covers a part or all of the second member. Cleaning media. The cleaning medium according to claim 1 or 2,
A cleaning medium, wherein the main material of the residual powder is a predetermined thermoplastic resin, and the first member is formed of the predetermined thermoplastic resin. In the cleaning medium according to claim 2 or claim 3,
The cleaning medium, wherein the second member is made of a metal powder dispersed in the predetermined thermoplastic resin. A cleaning medium for adsorbing and discharging residual powder when cleaning a powder container in which powder remains.
A cleaning medium comprising an aggregate of the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 4 formed as fine particles. In the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The second member is formed in a linear shape, the length of the first member in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the second member in the longitudinal direction, and the first member is the second member. A cleaning medium characterized in that a part of the member is covered. In the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A cleaning medium, wherein a part or all of the outer surface of the cleaning medium is curved. A processing method for processing the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A method of processing a cleaning medium, wherein the material powder of the first member is electrostatically adsorbed on the outer surface of the second member, then heated and melted, and further cooled to form a film. A processing method for processing the cleaning medium according to claim 6,
A method of processing a cleaning medium, comprising: covering a linear second member with a resin material of the first member; and cutting the resin into a predetermined length. A cleaning device for cleaning a powder container using the cleaning medium according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Container posture changing means for changing the posture of the powder container, vibration means for applying vibration to the powder container, and operating conditions of the container posture changing means and the vibration means for each powder container are set. And a control means for controlling the operation of the cleaning device. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 10,
The container attitude changing means includes a rotating means for rotating the powder container around a first axis indicating the longitudinal direction of the powder container, and a powder around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. And a swinging means for swinging the storage container.

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