JP2006030334A - Transporting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transporting apparatus for reducing the cost of a transporting coil, and reducing the total cost of a developing apparatus using the above, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, and to provide the process cartridge and the image forming apparatus using it. <P>SOLUTION: A recessed groove is formed in the longitudinal direction of a surface of a spindle 20, engagement projections 21 are provided on surfaces of the supporting shaft across the recessed groove, a fixing member 30 provided with a restraining projection 31 is slidably fitted to and fixed in the recessed groove. The fixing member is constituted so that the spindle and the transporting coil are fixed by frictional engagement while pressing the engagement projection from the engagement side to the transporting coil engaged between both engagement projections. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyance device equipped with a helical conveyance coil, and a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus using the conveyance device, and more particularly, a helical conveyance coil and a spindle that rotates the helical conveyance coil. It relates to a fixed structure.

  In a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a printing machine or the like as an image forming apparatus, as a toner conveying device for powder, a pipe member, a conveying coil spirally arranged in the pipe member, and the conveying coil There is known one that includes a support shaft that is fixed to one end of the tube and rotates a conveying coil from the outside of the pipe member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this Patent Document 1, the pipe member is formed with a discharge port facing downward near the end opposite to the receiving port, and is inserted into the port of the waste toner tank, and the support shaft is rotatable at the same end via a bearing. It is attached to the end opening. The support shaft is connected to the transfer coil by soldering or hooking the inner end side so as to rotate integrally, and the gear is fixed to the outer end side. When the apparatus is driven, the rotation of the driving source is transmitted to the gear, the spindle is rotated, and the conveying coil is rotated, so that the toner discharged from the collected toner discharge port of the cleaning device is received by the receiving port and received in the pipe member. The toner is transferred to the waste toner tank through the discharge port by rotating the transfer coil.

JP 2001-356658 A

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, the spiral conveying coil and the support shaft are fixed by soldering or latching, but there is a problem that the parts cost of the conveying coil becomes high due to the soldering process. there were. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support shaft 302 is provided with a slit 303 and a protrusion 304, and the conveying coil 305 is provided with a bending portion 306, and the bending portion is inserted into the slit 303 of the support shaft 302. Means have been proposed for securing by assembling over the protrusions 304. According to this, it is possible to reduce component costs by not performing soldering or the like.

  However, even in the case of the above proposal, when creating the transfer coil, after creating the spiral shape, the end is bent in order to fix in the rotation direction, and the coil manufacturing process is increased by one step. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost of parts becomes high.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional one and can reduce the cost of the transfer coil, and also reduces the overall cost of the process cartridge and the image forming apparatus such as a developing device using the same. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport apparatus that can perform image processing, a process cartridge using the transport apparatus, and an image forming apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a pipe member, a transfer coil disposed in a spiral shape in the pipe member, and fixed to one end of the transfer coil so as to be externally connected to the pipe member. A conveying device having a spindle for rotating the conveying coil, wherein a concave groove is formed in a longitudinal direction on the surface of the spindle, and an engaging protrusion is provided on a surface of the spindle sandwiching the concave groove, A fixing member having a locking projection in the concave groove is slidably fitted and fixed, and the fixing member presses the locking projection from the engagement side to the conveying coil engaged between the both engagement projections. The support shaft and the transfer coil are fixed by friction locking.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a pipe member, a transfer coil spirally disposed in the pipe member, and a support shaft that is fixed to one end of the transfer coil and rotates the transfer coil from the outside of the pipe member. Provided with a portion that is elastically displaced in the longitudinal direction on the support shaft, provided with an engagement protrusion on the surface of the support shaft sandwiching this portion, and provided with a locking protrusion on the surface of the portion, A fixing member that elastically displaces the portion is provided on the support shaft, and the fixing member elastically displaces the portion and presses the conveying coil that engages between the both engaging protrusions from the side that engages the locking protrusion. Thus, the support shaft and the transfer coil are fixed by friction locking.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing device equipped with the conveying device according to the first or second aspect. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer device having the conveying device according to the first or second aspect. The invention described in claim 5 is a cleaning device equipped with the transfer device of claim 1 or 2. The invention described in claim 6 is a process cartridge comprising a combination of at least one of the devices of claims 3 to 5 and an image carrier, and detachably attached to the image forming apparatus. And According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus equipped with the conveying device of the first or second aspect.

  The present invention is as described above, and according to the first aspect of the present invention, the engagement protrusion provided on the support shaft and the engagement protrusion provided on the fixing member formed separately from the support shaft cause friction. By locking, the spiral conveying coil and the support shaft can be easily fixed, and the cost of the conveying coil, which has been a conventional problem, can be reduced. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the engagement protrusion provided on the support shaft and the engagement protrusion provided on the elastic displacement portion formed integrally with the support shaft are frictionally locked. The helical transfer coil and the support shaft can be easily fixed, and the cost of the transfer coil can be reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
1-3 show Embodiment 1, and in this Embodiment, a conveyance coil and a spindle are fixed using a fixing member separate from the spindle. That is, 10 is a spiral conveying coil, 20 is a support shaft, and a key groove 22 is formed along the longitudinal direction on the surface of the support shaft. A plurality of engaging projections 21 are provided on the surface of the support shaft 20 across the key groove 22 in a spiral manner at a predetermined interval like the transport coil. A flange portion 25 is formed integrally with the support shaft 20. A gear for rotating the support shaft 20 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 25. Reference numeral 30 denotes a fixing member that is slidably fitted and fixed to the key groove 22, and a locking projection 31 is provided on the surface thereof.

  In order to fix the conveying coil 10 and the support shaft 20 in the above-described configuration, the fixing member 30 is slidably fitted into the key groove 22 as shown by an arrow in FIG. Thereafter, the coil 10 is rotationally inserted on the support shaft 20 to a position where the flange portion 25 is located, and is engaged with the engaging protrusion 21 and the locking protrusion 31 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the fixing member 30 is slid along the key groove 22 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and the engaging protrusion 21 and the coil 10 engaged with the engaging protrusion 21 as shown in FIG. 31 is pressed from the engagement side to be elastically deformed and locked by friction with the projection surface (chain line → solid line state). As a result, the coil 10 is sandwiched between the engagement protrusion 21, the engagement protrusion 21, and the locking protrusion 31 at three points. In this state, when the fixing member 30 is bonded to the key groove 22 or stopped by a retaining ring (not shown), the coil 10 and the support shaft 20 are fixed.

  In this state, even if rotational driving is transmitted to the support shaft 20 by a gear, which is a drive transmission member (not shown), the coil 10 does not leave the support shaft 20.

(Embodiment 2)
4 to 7 show a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the support shaft and the fixing member in the first embodiment are integrated, and the conveying coil and the support shaft are fixed. That is, reference numeral 40 denotes a support shaft made of a resin such as polyacetal or polycarbonate, or an equivalent elastic member, and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft is notched in the flat surface 41. A movable portion 43 as a portion that is elastically displaced in the longitudinal direction is connected to the support shaft 40 by a connecting portion 42 and is slidably fitted in the long groove 45. On the opposite side of the connecting portion 42 from the movable portion 43, a long groove 46 is formed. A flange portion 48 is formed integrally with the support shaft 40, and a radial groove 49 is formed in the flange portion so as to communicate with the long groove 45, and the radial groove 49 is provided at the end of the movable portion 43. The joining piece 51 can be inserted. A plurality of engaging projections 53 are provided on the surface of the support shaft 40 on the side of the long groove 46 from the flange portion 48 in the same spiral manner as the coil 10 at a predetermined interval. Reference numeral 54 denotes a locking projection provided on the surface of the movable portion 43.

  Further, a gear member 56 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is provided on the surface of the base end portion of the support shaft 40 so as to be fitted. A locking projection 57 is provided inwardly in the inner hole of the gear member 56, and a locking recess 58 that is locked by the locking projection is formed in the circumferential direction of the support shaft 40. Then, when the gear member 56 is fitted to the support shaft 40 and the locking projection 57 is locked to the locking recess 58 as shown in FIG. 7, the joining piece 51 of the movable portion 43 is pushed by the gear member 56. The flange portion 48 is brought into a position flush with the flange portion 48 from a position before the flange portion 48. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the distance (L) from one end surface of the gear member 56 to the locking projection 57 is equal to the distance (L) from one end surface of the flange portion 48 of the support shaft 40 to the locking recess 58. It is set to be.

  In order to fix the transfer coil 10 and the support shaft 40 in the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the coil 10 is rotationally inserted onto the support shaft 40 to a position where the flange portion 48 is located, and the engagement protrusion 53 is locked. After engaging the projection 54, when the gear member 56 is fitted to the support shaft 40 and the movable portion 43 is elastically displaced toward the flange portion 48, the locking projection 54 on the movable portion 43 is engaged. When the engagement protrusion 57 of the gear member 56 is engaged with the engagement recess 58 by pressing the coil 10 engaged with the engagement protrusion 53 with the engagement protrusion 53 from the engagement side, it is movable as shown in FIG. The joining piece 51 of the portion 43 is flush with the flange portion 48, and the coil 10 is locked by friction with the protruding surface. As a result, the coil 10 is sandwiched between the engagement protrusion 53, the engagement protrusion 53, and the locking protrusion 54 at three points. As a result, the coil 10 is fixed to the support shaft 40 and is not detached from the support shaft 40.

  The conveying device shown in the first or second embodiment is mounted on a developing device, a cleaning device, a transfer device, or the like for an image forming apparatus as a toner conveying device for powder as described in the prior art. Have been used. In addition, a process cartridge having at least one image carrier such as a photoconductor and each of the above-described devices is mounted and detachably attached to the image forming apparatus. Used in image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimile machines, printers, and printing machines. A process cartridge and an example mounted on the image forming apparatus will be described below.

  FIG. 8 shows a process cartridge on which the transfer device is mounted. In the process cartridge 100, a drum-shaped photosensitive member 101, which is an image carrier, a charging roller 102, a developing device 103, and a cleaning blade 104 are arranged. Below the cleaning blade 104, a conveying coil 10 of the conveying device is arranged. Yes. As a result, the cost of components of the transfer coil 10 can be reduced, and the cost of the process cartridge 100 itself can be further reduced.

  FIG. 9 further shows an image forming apparatus equipped with the conveying device. The image forming apparatus 200 includes a process cartridge 100, a paper feeding device 201, and a fixing device 202, and a waste toner transport unit 204 that transports waste toner discharged from the process cartridge 100 to a waste toner storage unit 203. Yes. The conveyance coil 10 in the waste toner conveyance unit 204 is fixed to the support shaft by the method shown by the conveyance device, and the parts cost of the conveyance coil 10 is reduced similarly to the above, and the image forming apparatus 200 itself is further reduced. Cost can be reduced. In this example, since the process cartridge 100 shown in FIG. 8 is mounted, two transfer devices having a fixing structure for the transfer coil 10 and the support shaft 20 or 40 are mounted.

  In the first and second embodiments, the shape, structure, etc. of the members shown in the drawings are only preferable examples, and the implementation is arbitrarily designed within the scope of the claims. It can be changed and modified.

  According to the third to fifth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a developing device, a transfer device, or a cleaning device on which the conveying device according to the first or second aspect is mounted. The invention according to claim 6 can provide a process cartridge comprising a combination of at least one of the developing device, the transfer device, and the cleaning device and an image carrier. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus equipped with the conveyance device of the first or second aspect can be provided. In any apparatus, the cost of each apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus can be reduced.

It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the conveying apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view same as the above. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing same as the above. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of a transport device according to a second embodiment. It is a principal part perspective view same as the above. It is drawing which shows the relationship between the gear as a fixed member, a spindle, and a movable part. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing same as the above. It is the schematic which shows the process cartridge carrying a conveying apparatus. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus equipped with a conveying device. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the conveying apparatus of a prior art example. It is a principal part disassembled perspective view of the conveying apparatus of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Conveying coil 20 Support shaft 21 Engaging protrusion 22 Key groove (concave groove)
25 Flange portion 30 Fixed member 31 Locking protrusion 40 Support shaft 41 Flat surface 42 Connecting portion 43 Movable portion (elastically displaced portion) 45, 46 Long groove 48 Flange portion 51 Joining piece 53 Engaging protrusion 54 Locking protrusion 56 Gear member 57 Locking protrusion 58 Locking recess 100 Process cartridge 200 Image forming apparatus

Claims (7)

  A transport device comprising a pipe member, a transport coil disposed in a spiral shape in the pipe member, and a support shaft that is fixed to one end of the transport coil and rotates the transport coil from the outside of the pipe member, A concave groove is formed in the longitudinal direction on the surface of the spindle, and an engaging protrusion is provided on the surface of the spindle sandwiching the concave groove, and a fixing member having a locking protrusion is slidably fitted in the concave groove. The fixing member fixes the support shaft and the conveying coil by pressing the engaging protrusion on the conveying coil engaged between the both engaging protrusions from the engaging side and frictionally locking it. A transport device.   A transport device comprising a pipe member, a transport coil disposed in a spiral shape in the pipe member, and a support shaft that is fixed to one end of the transport coil and rotates the transport coil from the outside of the pipe member, A portion that is elastically displaced in the longitudinal direction is provided on the support shaft, an engagement protrusion is provided on the surface of the support shaft sandwiching this portion, a locking protrusion is provided on the surface of the portion, and the portion is elastically displaced on the support shaft. A fixing member is provided, and the fixing member is elastically displaced, and is supported by frictionally locking the transfer coil engaged between the engaging protrusions by pressing the engaging protrusion from the engaging side. A conveying apparatus characterized by fixing a shaft and a conveying coil.   A developing device comprising the transport device according to claim 1.   A transfer device comprising the transport device according to claim 1.   A cleaning device comprising the transfer device according to claim 1.   6. A process cartridge comprising a combination of at least one of the apparatuses according to claim 3 and an image carrier, and detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.   An image forming apparatus comprising the conveying device according to claim 1.

Images