JP4127950B2 - Powder supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a powder replenishing device for replenishing powders such as dry toner used in electrophotographic copying machines, printers, facsimiles, and the like, and more particularly to reducing the remaining amount when replenishing powders.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine using an electrophotographic system, toner is attached to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor by a developing device for visualization. Various replenishing methods are used to replenish toner in the developing device. For example, a method has been used in which air is supplied from an air supply means to the toner storage container, and the toner stored in the toner storage container is replenished to the developing device by generating a gas flow. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, this replenishment method uses a nozzle 6 at the tip of a toner transfer pipe 5 consisting of a double pipe of an air supply pipe 8 and a toner transfer pipe 9 as a toner discharge section 3 of the toner storage container 1a. The toner discharge port 7 is sealed by the nozzle portion 6. Then, air is supplied from the air supply pipe 8 to the toner storage container 1a, and the toner in the toner storage container 1a is diffused to generate an air current, and the internal pressure of the toner storage container 1a is increased to increase the toner from the toner suction port 10 of the nozzle portion 6. The toner is transferred to the developing device through the transfer pipe 5, or the gasified toner is sucked by a suction pump connected to the toner transfer pipe 5, for example, a uniaxial eccentric screw pump, and transferred to the developing device. In some cases, the toner is transferred only by a suction pump without supplying air.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the toner in the toner container 1a is transferred to the developing device while supplying air from the toner transfer pipe 5 as described above, the condition for discharging the toner is that the toner does not always exist in the vicinity of the toner suction port 10. must not. Ideally, the toner should fall uniformly in the toner storage container 1a and collect in the vicinity of the toner suction port 10, but actually, as shown in FIG. 4, the toner 14 remaining in the toner storage container 1a. When the toner no longer exists in the vicinity of the toner suction port 10, only air is sucked from the toner suction port 10, and the toner is not replenished to the developing device, and a large amount of toner 14 remains in the toner storage container 1a.
[0004]
The present invention improves such disadvantages, and reduces the amount of powder such as toner that has been stored and cannot be replenished, so that the amount of powder remaining can be reduced as much as possible to effectively replenish the stored powder. The object is to provide an apparatus.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A powder replenishing device according to the present invention is a powder replenishing device in which a tip nozzle portion of a powder transfer pipe is connected to a powder discharge port of a powder storage container, and the powder in the powder storage container is supplied to the outside. The container body of the powder container is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a powder discharge portion having a powder discharge port is provided at the tip of a tapered connection portion, and the inclination angle of the wall surface of the connection portion is The container body having a larger width is formed at a smaller angle with respect to the wall surface of the container body, and the container body having a smaller width is formed at a larger angle with respect to the wall surface of the container body. powder suction opening parts, wherein in that a nozzle portion of the powder transfer pipe so as to face the smallest wall surface inclination angle of the coupling wall surface of the powder container.
[0006]
The powder transfer pipe is preferably formed by integrating an air supply pipe and a powder discharge pipe.
[0007]
The powder storage container is a toner storage container storing toner to be replenished to the developing device or other fine powder storage containers.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The toner storage container of the present invention has a container body and a toner discharge portion. The container body is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a toner discharge portion is provided at the tip of a tapered connecting portion. The inclination angle of the wall surface of the connecting portion of the container body is formed such that the larger the width W of the container body is, the smaller the angle is, and the smaller the width of the container body is, the larger the angle is. The toner discharge portion is provided with a toner discharge port connected to the nozzle portion at the tip of the toner transfer pipe. The toner transfer pipe includes a double pipe including an air supply pipe and a toner transfer pipe, and a toner suction port is provided in the nozzle portion.
[0009]
The toner transfer pipe is connected to a developing device that visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member by attaching toner, and the air supply pipe is connected to air supply means. When replenishing the toner stored in the toner storage container to the developing device, the nozzle portion at the tip of the toner transfer pipe is inserted into the toner discharge port of the toner discharge portion of the toner storage container, and the toner discharge port is sealed with the nozzle portion. When the nozzle part of the toner transfer pipe is attached to the toner discharge port, the toner suction port of the nozzle part is guided so as to face the wall surface with the smallest inclination angle of the connecting part of the container body, and the nozzle part is inserted into the toner discharge port. To do. Then, air is supplied from the air supply pipe of the toner transfer pipe into the toner storage container, and the toner in the toner storage container is diffused to generate an air flow, and the internal pressure of the toner storage container is increased, and the toner in the toner storage container is removed from the toner storage container. Transfer from the transfer tube to the developing device.
[0010]
When the toner is transferred in this way and the toner in the toner container is reduced, the toner remains only from the vicinity of the toner suction port of the nozzle portion of the toner transfer pipe to the wall surface of the connecting portion of the container body. When the toner is sucked and transferred by the toner suction port, the toner suction port faces the wall surface where the inclination angle of the connecting portion of the container body where a lot of toner remains is small. The toner can be sucked and transferred, and the toner remains only around the nozzle portion below the toner suction port. The toner remaining around the nozzle portion has a very small remaining space, and the amount of toner remaining in the toner storage container after the toner is supplied to the developing device can be extremely reduced.
[0011]
【Example】
1A and 1B show the configuration of a toner replenishing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front sectional view and FIG. 1B is a side sectional view. As shown in the figure, the toner storage container 1 has a container body 2 and a toner discharge portion 3. The container body 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by injection molding or blow molding, and a toner discharge portion 3 is provided at the tip of a tapered connecting portion 4. The inclination angle θ of the wall surface of the connecting portion 4 of the container body 2 is formed at a smaller angle when the width W of the container body 2 is larger, and is formed at a larger angle when the width W of the container body 2 is smaller. The toner discharge portion 3 is provided with a toner discharge port 7 to which the nozzle portion 6 at the tip of the toner transfer pipe 5 is connected. The toner transfer pipe 5 includes a double pipe including an air supply pipe 8 and a toner transfer pipe 9, and a toner suction port 10 is provided in the nozzle portion 6.
[0012]
As shown in the block diagram of the image forming apparatus such as a copying machine in FIG. 2, the toner transfer pipe 5 is connected to a developing device 12 that attaches toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 11 and visualizes it. The air supply pipe 8 is connected to the air supply means 13. When replenishing the toner stored in the toner storage container 1 to the developing device 12, the nozzle portion 6 at the tip of the toner transfer pipe 5 is inserted into the toner discharge port 7 of the toner discharge portion 3 of the toner storage container 1 to discharge the toner. The outlet 7 is sealed with the nozzle portion 6. When the nozzle portion 6 of the toner transfer pipe 5 is attached to the toner discharge port 7, the toner suction port 10 of the nozzle portion 6 is guided so as to face the wall surface where the inclination angle θ of the connecting portion 4 of the container body 2 is small. The unit 6 is inserted into the toner discharge port 7. Then, air is supplied from the air supply pipe 8 of the toner transfer pipe 5 into the toner storage container 1, the toner in the toner storage container 1 is diffused to generate an air flow, and the internal pressure of the toner storage container 1 is increased to increase the toner storage container 1. Toner 1 is transferred from the toner transfer tube 9 to the developing device 12, or the toner in the airflow is sucked by a suction pump provided in the toner transfer tube 9, for example, a uniaxial eccentric screw pump, and transferred to the developing device 12. In some cases, the toner is transferred only by a suction pump without supplying air.
[0013]
When the toner in the toner storage container 1 is transferred to the developing device 12 while supplying air from the air supply pipe 8 as described above, the air supplied from the air supply pipe 8 when the toner storage container 1 has a large amount of toner. The toner that has been turned into an airflow by the toner is transferred to the developing device 12. Due to this toner transfer, the toner in the toner container 1 gradually decreases. As the toner in the toner container 1 decreases, the toner remains only from the vicinity of the toner suction port 10 of the nozzle portion 6 of the toner transfer pipe 5 to the wall surface of the connecting portion 4 of the container body 2. The toner is fluidized by air, sucked from the toner suction port 10, and transferred to the developing device 12. When toner near the toner suction port 10 is sucked and transferred by the toner suction port 10, the toner suction port 10 faces the wall surface where the inclination angle θ of the connecting portion 4 of the container body 2 where much toner remains is small. Therefore, the toner remaining near the wall surface where the inclination angle θ of the connecting portion 4 is small can be efficiently sucked and transferred. When the toner in the vicinity of the toner suction port 10 is transferred to the developing device 12 and the toner in the vicinity of the toner suction port 10 runs out, as shown in the cross-sectional views (a) and (b) of FIG. The toner 14 remains only around the lower nozzle portion 6. The toner 14 remaining around the nozzle portion 6 has a very small remaining space, and the amount of toner 14 remaining in the toner container 1 after the toner is replenished to the developing device 12 can be extremely reduced. The toner stored in the storage container 1 can be used effectively.
[0014]
In the above embodiment, the case where the toner is supplied from the toner container 1 to the developing device 12 has been described. However, the same applies to the case where the powder stored in the powder container that supplies other powder is transferred. Can do.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, as described above, the powder transfer port is arranged so that the powder suction port of the tip nozzle part of the powder transfer pipe faces the wall surface with the smallest inclination angle of the powder discharge port side of the powder container. Since the nozzle part of the pipe is arranged, it is possible to efficiently suck and transfer the powder in the region where the powder is most likely to remain in the powder container, and the powder remaining in the powder container without being transferred. The amount of body can be greatly reduced, and the powder in the powder container can be used effectively.
[0016]
The powder transfer pipe is formed by integrating an air supply pipe and a powder discharge pipe. By supplying air to the powder in the powder storage container and fluidizing it, the powder is transferred in the powder storage container. However, it is possible to efficiently fluidize the powder in the region most likely to remain and to suck and transfer the powder from the powder suction port, thereby greatly reducing the amount of powder remaining in the region most likely to remain.
[0017]
Furthermore, by applying the toner supply to the developing device from the toner storage container, the amount of toner remaining in the toner storage container supplied with the toner can be greatly reduced, and the toner stored in the toner storage container is effectively used. Can be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a toner supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing toner remaining in a toner storage container.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1; Toner storage container, 2; Container body, 3; Toner discharge part, 4;
5; Toner transfer pipe, 6; Nozzle part, 7; Toner discharge port,
8; air supply pipe, 9; toner transfer pipe, 10; toner suction port,
11; Photoconductor; 12; Developing device; 13; Air supply means.

Claims (3)

In the powder replenishing device for connecting the tip nozzle part of the powder transfer pipe to the powder discharge port of the powder container and supplying the powder in the powder container to the outside,
The container body of the powder storage container is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a powder discharge portion having a powder discharge port is provided at the tip of a tapered connecting portion, and the inclination angle of the wall surface of the connecting portion is The larger width of the container body is formed at a smaller angle with respect to the wall surface of the container body, the smaller width of the container body is formed at a larger angle with respect to the wall surface of the container body,
The nozzle part of the powder transfer pipe is arranged so that the powder suction port of the tip nozzle part of the powder transfer pipe faces the wall surface with the smallest inclination angle of the connecting part wall surface of the powder container. Powder supply device.   2. The powder replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the powder transfer pipe is formed by integrating an air supply pipe and a powder discharge pipe.   3. The powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the powder storage container is a toner storage container storing toner to be supplied to the developing device.

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