JP7275508B2 - POWDER CONVEYOR, DETACHABLE UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder conveying device, a detachable unit, and an image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a technology of a powder conveying apparatus for conveying powder such as toner by means of flexible conveying means, for example, one described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001 is known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a powder conveying apparatus for conveying powder from a conveying source to a conveying destination, comprising: a powder conveying pipe having a bent portion; A powder conveying device is described that includes a powder conveying member that is installed internally and driven to rotate in a predetermined direction to convey powder.
Further, in Patent Document 1, the powder conveying member is configured such that one end side in the conveying direction is a free end, and an engaging portion provided on the inner wall surface of the powder conveying pipe on the free end side. and at least one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion is engaged with the engaging portion by rotation of the powder conveying member. It is also described that the powder conveying member is spirally formed along the conveying direction so that the position of the free end of the powder conveying member is not displaced toward the other end in the conveying direction. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that the powder conveying pipe is a tubular member made of a resin material, a metal material, or the like.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-206436 (claim 1, paragraphs 0037-0041, FIGS. 3, 4, etc.)

The present invention provides a method for eliminating abnormal noise such as a beating sound generated when a conveying means for conveying powder by rotating in a conveying path having a curved passage portion contacts the inner wall surface of the conveying path. Provided are a powder conveying device capable of suppressing a passage compared to a case where an elastic wall surface having a hardness lower than that of other inner wall surfaces is not provided, and a detachable unit and an image forming apparatus using the powder conveying device. be.

The powder conveying device of this invention (A1) is
a powder conveying path having a curved passage portion;
a conveying means comprising a shaft portion rotatably arranged in the passage of the conveying path and a blade portion provided around the shaft portion for conveying the powder;
a driving means for driving to rotate the conveying means by transmitting power from one end of the conveying means;
with
The conveying means is a conveying means provided with a wing portion that spirally winds around the shaft portion as the wing portion,
A part of the inner wall surface of the passage of the transport path is configured as an elastic wall surface having a lower hardness than the other inner wall surface,
The elastic wall surface is provided so as to form a continuous wall surface without steps from an inner wall surface that is not the elastic wall surface, and has a two-layer structure of a low-friction surface layer and an elastic layer that is a lower layer of the low-friction surface layer. It is configured .

Further, the powder conveying apparatus of this invention (A2) is the powder conveying apparatus of the above invention A1, wherein the conveying path is a conveying path having one curved passage portion, and the elastic wall surface is the conveying path Among them, it is provided in a passage portion farther than the terminal end of the curved passage portion when viewed from the end side where the driving means exists.
The powder conveying apparatus of this invention (A3) is the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A1, wherein the conveying path has a plurality of curved passage portions, and the elastic wall surface is a portion of the conveying path. It is provided at least in the passage portion between the terminal end of the curved passage portion and the beginning end of the next curved passage portion when viewed from the end side where the drive means exists.
The powder conveying device of this invention (A4) is the powder conveying device of the above invention A3, wherein the elastic wall surface is the last bend when viewed from the end side of the conveying path where the driving means exists. It is also provided in the aisle portion.
A powder conveying apparatus according to this invention (A5) is the powder conveying apparatus according to any one of the above inventions A1 to A4, wherein the elastic wall surface is composed of an elastic pipe .
The powder conveying apparatus of this invention (A6) is the powder conveying apparatus of the above invention A1 , wherein the free end of the conveying means projects from a passage at the terminal end of the conveying path such that the vane portion has a pitch of 1 or less. It is arranged so that it is in a state where
The powder conveying apparatus of this invention (A7) is the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A5 , further comprising holding means for holding the outer peripheral portion of the elastic pipe .

In addition, the detachable unit of the present invention (B1) is a detachable unit that is detachable with respect to the main body, and includes a source means serving as a source for transferring powder, a destination means serving as a destination for transferring powder, and A powder conveying device that connects between the conveying source means and the conveying destination means and conveys the powder,
The powder conveying device is configured by any one of the above inventions A1 to A7 .

Further, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention (C1), the transfer source means serving as the powder transfer source, the transfer destination means serving as the powder transfer destination, and the transfer source means and the transfer destination means are connected. and a powder conveying device for conveying powder,
The powder conveying device is configured by any one of the above inventions A1 to A7 .
The image forming apparatus of the invention (C2) is the image forming apparatus of the invention C1, further comprising a detachable unit detachable from the main body, wherein the detachable unit comprises the transport source means, the transport destination means and the powder transport device. It is equipped with

According to the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A1, when the conveying means for conveying the powder by rotating in the passage of the conveying passage having a curved passage portion comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage, a beating sound or the like is generated. Abnormal noise can be suppressed as compared with the case where an elastic wall surface having a lower hardness than other inner wall surfaces is not provided in the passage of the transport path. Further, according to the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A1, compared with the case where the elastic wall surface is provided as a wall surface having a step from the inner wall surface which is not the elastic wall surface, the rotating operation of the conveying means having the vanes and the powder conveying are improved. can do well. Furthermore, according to the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A1, compared to the case where the elastic wall surface does not have a two-layer structure of the low-friction surface layer and the elastic layer, when the conveying means comes into contact with the elastic wall surface, the Rotation is ensured, and the occurrence of abnormal noise can be further suppressed.

According to the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A2, the elastic member is provided in the conveying path having one curved passage portion farther than the terminal end of the curved passage portion when viewed from the end side where the driving means exists. Abnormal noise generated when the conveying means comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage can be suppressed as compared with the case where no wall surface is provided.
According to the powder conveying apparatus of the invention A3, of the conveying path having a plurality of curved passage portions, when viewed from the end side where the driving means exists, the next curved passage portion from the terminal end of the curved passage portion Abnormal noise generated when the conveying means comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage can be suppressed as compared with the case where the elastic wall surface is not provided in the passage portion between the leading end of the passage.
According to the powder conveying apparatus of invention A4, an elastic wall surface is provided in the last curved passage portion of the conveying path in the powder conveying apparatus of invention A3 when viewed from the end side where the driving means exists. It is possible to suppress abnormal noise generated when the conveying means comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the last curved passage portion, as compared with the case without it.
According to the powder conveying apparatus of invention A5, the elastic wall surface can be installed more easily than in the case where the elastic wall surface is not made of an elastic pipe .
According to the powder conveying apparatus of invention A6, the free end of the conveying means provided with the helical blade portion is arranged so that the portion of the blade portion exceeding one pitch protrudes from the passage at the terminal end of the conveying path. Compared to the case where the powder is sent out from the end of the conveying path, the free end of the conveying means contacts the parts around the end of the conveying path to prevent abnormal noise. can be suppressed .
According to the powder conveying apparatus of invention A7, the elastic pipe is deformed and a new abnormal noise is generated due to the contact of the conveying means, compared to the case where the holding means for holding the outer peripheral portion of the elastic pipe is not provided. can be suppressed .

According to the detachable unit of the invention B1, when the conveying means for conveying the powder by rotating in the passage of the conveying passage having a curved passage portion in the detachable unit powder conveying device comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage. The generated noise can be suppressed as compared with the case where no elastic wall surface having hardness lower than that of other inner wall surfaces is provided in the path of the conveying path. In addition, according to the detachable unit of the invention B1, compared to the case where the elastic wall surface in the powder conveying device is provided as a wall surface with a step from the inner wall surface that is not an elastic wall surface, the rotational movement of the conveying means having the blades and the powder It is possible to carry out body transportation well. Furthermore, according to the attachment/detachment unit of Invention B1, when the conveying means comes into contact with the elastic wall surface, the elastic wall surface in the powder conveying apparatus does not have a two-layer structure of the low-friction surface layer and the elastic layer. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise while ensuring good rotation.
According to the image forming apparatus of invention C1, the conveying means for conveying the powder by rotating in the passage of the conveying path having the curved passage portion in the powder conveying device of the image forming apparatus comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage. Noise that sometimes occurs can be suppressed compared to the case where the path of the conveying path is not provided with an elastic wall surface having a hardness lower than that of the other inner wall surfaces. In addition, according to the image forming apparatus of the invention C1, compared to the case where the elastic wall surface in the powder conveying device is provided as a wall surface with a step from the inner wall surface that is not the elastic wall surface, the rotating operation and the Powder can be conveyed well. Furthermore, according to the image forming apparatus of the invention C1, the conveying means is in contact with the elastic wall surface compared to the case where the elastic wall surface in the powder conveying device is not composed of a two-layer structure of the low-friction surface layer and the elastic layer. Occasionally, good rotation can be ensured and the occurrence of abnormal noise can be further suppressed.
According to the image forming apparatus of the invention C2, the conveying means for conveying the powder by rotating in the passage of the conveying passage having a curved passage portion in the powder conveying device of the detachable unit of the image forming apparatus is the inner wall surface of the passage. can be suppressed compared to the case where the path of the transport path is not provided with an elastic wall surface having a hardness lower than that of other inner wall surfaces.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detachable structure portion of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a detachable unit in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the attachment/detachment unit of FIG. 3 taken along line IV-IV; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a powder conveying device in the detachable unit of FIG. 3; It is a schematic perspective view showing a conveying path and conveying means in a powder conveying device. It is a schematic diagram showing one side portion of the detachable unit and part of the powder conveying device. FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded view showing a state in which one component of the powder conveying device is removed from one side portion of the detachable unit of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a schematic exploded view showing a state in which another component of the powder conveying device is removed from one side portion of the detachable unit of FIG. 8; It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows a part of conveyance path, and the structure of a conveyance means. (A) is a schematic diagram showing an elastic pipe installed in a part of a conveying path, and (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the elastic pipe along line BB of (A). FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing part of a transport path on one side of the detachable unit of FIG. 8; (A) is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of part of the transport path, and (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of part of the transport path. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the last curved passage portion of the conveying path and the conveying means; (A) is a schematic perspective view showing another configuration example of an elastic wall surface in a conveying path, and (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line BB of the conveying path in (A). FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the end portion of the conveying path and the end portion of the conveying means; FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing another configuration example of a transport path; It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structural example of a powder conveying apparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
1 to 3 show a detachable unit 20 and an image forming apparatus 1 using the powder conveying device 5 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1, FIG. 2 shows one state of the image forming apparatus 1 (state when attaching/detaching the detachable unit 20, etc.), and FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the attachment/detachment unit 20 using the .
Arrows indicated by symbols X, Y, and Z in each drawing indicate directions of width, height, and depth of a three-dimensional space assumed in each drawing. Note that the Z direction of the arrow where only the X and Y arrows intersect is the direction directed vertically downward in the drawing from the intersecting portion.

<Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>
The image forming apparatus 1 is configured as a printer, which is an example of an image forming apparatus, and is composed of a developer (toner) based on image information such as characters, photographs, graphics, etc. input from the outside. An image is formed on recording paper 9, which is an example of a recording material.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the image forming apparatus 1 forms a toner image made of toner as a developer inside a housing 10 which is the main body of the apparatus by an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method. An image forming device 2 for transferring onto recording paper 9, a paper feeding device 3 for accommodating required recording paper 9 and supplying it to the transfer position of the image forming device 2, and a fixing device 4 for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording paper 9. etc.

The housing 10 is composed of various members such as structural members and exterior materials. Further, the housing 10 is provided at its upper portion with a discharge/accommodation section 13 for containing the recording paper 9 on which an image is formed and discharged. The discharge/receiving portion 13 is configured as a receiving surface including a slope portion 13a provided below the discharge port 14 provided in the housing 10 and a horizontal surface portion 13b continuing from the upper end of the slope portion 13a. The recording paper 9 ejected from 14 is accommodated in a stacked state.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the imaging device 2 includes a charging device 22, an exposure device 23, a developing device 24, and a transfer device 25 around a photosensitive drum 21 driven to rotate in the direction indicated by an arrow A. , cleaning device 26 and the like are arranged in this order.

Among these, the charging device 22 is a contact charging type device or the like that charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 (the peripheral surface portion serving as the image forming area) to a required polarity and potential. As the charging device 22, for example, one having a roll-shaped charging roll 221 that contacts and charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 and a cleaning roll 222 that cleans the charging roll 221 is applied.
The exposure device 23 forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating the charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 with light corresponding to image information (signals) input to the image forming apparatus 1 by various methods. It is a device. As the exposure device 23, for example, an LED array type exposure device is applied.

The developing device 24 is a device that develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 21 into a toner image by supplying toner as developer from the developing roll 241 . As the developing device 24 , for example, one in which a developing roll 241 , a stirring and conveying member 242 , a layer thickness regulating member 243 and the like are arranged inside a container-shaped main body 240 is applied. In the developing device 24, the main body 240 is replenished with developer (usually toner only) from a developer storage container 28 that stores replenishment developer (mainly toner) through a replenishment portion 244. is configured as follows.
The transfer device 25 is, for example, a contact transfer type device that electrostatically transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 21 to the recording paper 9 . As the transfer device 25, for example, one having a roll-shaped transfer member that rotates in contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 and is supplied with a transfer current is applied.

The cleaning device 26 is a device that cleans the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by removing unnecessary matter such as toner to be discarded (hereinafter referred to as waste toner) remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 . . The cleaning device 26 includes, for example, a container-shaped main body 260 and a cleaning blade 261 that contacts the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 . , a conveying member 262 or the like for conveying the toner toward the waste toner collecting chamber 27, which will be described later.

The sheet feeding device 3 is arranged at a position away from the image forming device 2 on the lower side in the direction of gravity. The paper feeding device 3 includes a paper container 31 for containing a plurality of sheets of recording paper 9 of a required size, type, etc., used for forming an image, stacked on a stacking plate 31a. It is composed of a sending device 32 and the like for sending out the recording sheets 9 stored in the unit one by one.
The paper container 31 is attached to the housing 10 so that it can be pulled out, and a plurality of paper containers 31 are installed according to the mode of use. The sheet container 31 is operated, for example, by grasping a recessed handle 316 provided on the exterior material and pulling it out. As the recording paper 9, for example, a recording medium such as plain paper, coated paper, or thick paper cut into a predetermined size is used.

The fixing device 4 is arranged at a position separated from the imaging device 2 in a substantially horizontal direction (a direction substantially parallel to the coordinate axis X). The fixing device 4 is configured by arranging a heating rotary member 41 and a pressure rotary member 42 that rotate in contact with each other inside a housing 40 provided with an inlet and an outlet.
As shown in FIG. 1, the heating rotator 41 is driven to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, and is heated by a heating means (not shown) to maintain the peripheral surface temperature at a required temperature. It is a fixing member for heating consisting of a form and the like. The pressurizing rotator 42 is a pressurizing fixing member in the form of a roll, a belt, or the like, which rotates so as to contact and follow the heating rotator 41 substantially along the axial direction with a required pressure. Further, the fixing device 4 passes the recording paper 9 onto which the unfixed toner image has been transferred through the portion where the heating rotator 41 and the pressurizing rotator 42 are in contact with each other to perform the required fixing process (heating, pressing, etc.). etc.).

The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a main paper transport path for the recording paper 9 inside the housing 10, as indicated by the dashed-dotted line Rt in FIGS.
The main paper transport paths include a supply transport path Rt1 provided between the feeding device 32 of the paper feeding device 3 and the transfer position TP of the image forming device 2 (the position where the photosensitive drum 21 faces the transfer device 25), A relay transport path Rt2 provided between the transfer position TP of the imaging device 2 and the fixing processing section FN of the fixing device 4, and an ejection provided between the fixing processing section FN of the fixing device 4 and the ejection port 14 of the housing 10. These include a transport path Rt3, a double-sided transport path Rt4 provided between the end (branch portion) of the discharge transport path Rt3 and the middle (merge portion) of the supply transport path Rt1.

Of these, the supply transport path Rt1 is formed using a plurality of transport roll pairs 34a and 34b, a plurality of transport guide members (not shown), and the like. The transport roll pair 34b is configured as a so-called registration roll pair that feeds the recording paper 9 toward the transfer position TP of the image forming device 2 by starting rotation in accordance with the transfer timing.
The discharge transport path Rt3 is formed so as to be a path that curves and rises as a whole by using a plurality of transport roll pairs 35a and 35b and a plurality of transport guide members (not shown). The conveying roll pair 35 b is provided in front of the discharge port 14 and configured as a discharge roll pair for feeding the recording paper 9 after fixing to the discharge accommodating section 13 .
The double-sided transport path Rt4 switches between a transport roll pair 35b as a forward and reverse rotatable discharge roll pair, a plurality of transport roll pairs 36a, 36b, and 36c, and the destination of the recording paper 9, which forms the end of the discharge transport path Rt3. It is composed of a route switching member (not shown), a plurality of transport guide members (not shown), and the like. The transport roll pair 36a shares the drive roll with the transport roll pair 35a in the discharge transport path Rt3.

In the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the photosensitive drum 21, the charging device 22, the developing device 24, and the cleaning device 26, which constitute a part of the image forming device 2, are integrated. , and configured as a detachable unit 20 (a portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line) detachably attached to the housing 10 .
Further, the developer storage container 28 is also configured as a detachable component detachably attached to the housing 10 (strictly speaking, the detachable unit 20) as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the detachable unit 20 is provided with a container mounting portion 20b for mounting a developer container 28 and a waste toner collection chamber 27 on a support frame 20a of the unit. there is
The detachable unit 20 is also equipped with a powder conveying device 5 that conveys unnecessary matter such as waste toner removed by the cleaning device 26 to a waste toner collecting chamber 27 . Details of the powder conveying device 5 will be described later.

Among them, the container mounting portion 20b is formed as a portion having a substantially semi-cylindrical recessed shape.
As shown in FIG. 4, the waste toner collecting chamber 27 is formed as an inclined space on the side of the container mounting portion 20b opposite to the developing device 24. As shown in FIG.
In the waste toner recovery chamber 27, a receptacle 271 for receiving waste toner and other waste materials to be collected, and a screw-shaped screw that rotates so as to convey the waste materials received from the receptacle 271 to the back side of the waste toner collection chamber 27, etc. transport member 272 and the like are provided.

Reference numerals 20c and 20d in FIG. 3 and the like denote left and right side plate portions of the detachable unit 20, and reference numerals 20e and 20f denote the left and right side plate portions 20c and 20d so as to guide the detachable unit 20 along the guide grooves when the detachable unit 20 is attached and detached. shows attachment/detachment guide projections provided on each. Reference numeral 20g in FIG. 3 denotes a connection terminal portion for supplying power and exchanging various signals between the detachable unit 20 and the image forming apparatus 1 main body. Reference numeral 20k in FIG. 4 denotes a guide member (such as a star wheel) that rotates to assist and guide the conveying state when the end portion of the recording paper 9 after transfer touches the conveying state.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the attachment/detachment (operation) of the attachment/detachment unit 20 and the developer storage container 28 is performed with the opening/closing cover 15 provided on a part of the housing 10 opened. It is configured to be performed after
The opening/closing cover 15 is a cover that opens and closes by swinging in the directions indicated by arrows B1 and B2 with a fulcrum shaft 16 provided on one side (for example, operation front) of the housing 10 as a fulcrum. When the opening/closing cover 15 is opened by swinging in the direction indicated by the arrow B1, a portion of one side surface of the housing 10 and a portion of the upper surface thereof (the horizontal surface portion 13b of the discharge/accommodation portion 13 exist). part) can be left exposed to the outside.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, as a structure for attaching and detaching the detachable unit 20 and the developer container 28, the housing 10 includes a developer container 28 as shown in FIG. A first attachment/detachment passage space S1 serving as a passage for the agent storage container 28 to pass through, and a second attachment/detachment passage space S2 serving as a passage for the attachment/detachment unit 20 to pass when the attachment/detachment unit 20 is attached and detached are provided.

The first attachment/detachment passage space S1 is configured as a space that obliquely extends from the container mounting portion 20b of the developer container 28 toward a portion of the upper surface portion of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. As a result, the developer storage container 28 is moved in the oblique directions indicated by arrows 01 and 02, which are also directions substantially along the longitudinal direction of the first attachment/detachment passage space S1, so that the attachment and detachment are performed.
The second attachment/detachment passage space S2 is configured as a space that obliquely extends from the attachment portion of the attachment/detachment unit 20 toward a part of one side surface of the housing 10 . As a result, the attachment/detachment unit 20 is attached and detached by moving in the oblique directions indicated by the arrows D1 and D2, which are directions substantially along the longitudinal direction of the second attachment/detachment passage space S2.
Further, the first attachment/detachment passage space S1 and the second attachment/detachment passage space S2 overlap each other with the lower part of the first attachment/detachment passage space S1 biting into a part of the second attachment/detachment passage space S2. This is because the container mounting portion 20b for mounting the developer container 28 is provided in a part of the detachable unit 20 as described above.

Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 1, when the developer storage container 28 is attached and detached, the developer storage container 28 can be attached and detached independently using the first attachment/detachment passage space S1 without any trouble. On the other hand, when attaching/detaching the attaching/detaching unit 20, it is necessary to attach/detach the attaching/detaching unit 20 using the second attaching/detaching passage space S2 after removing the developer container 28. FIG.
Even if an attempt is made to attach/detach the detachable unit 20 with the developer accommodating container 28 attached, part of the developer accommodating container 28 protrudes from the second attachment/detachment passage space S2. This is because the attachment/detachment passage space S2 will come into contact with surrounding parts and the like, and this will hinder the passage of the attachment/detachment unit 20 through the second attachment/detachment passage space S2.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, when the detachable unit 20 is attached and detached, the exposure device 23, which does not constitute the detachable unit 20, is located at a position (see FIG. position of the exposure apparatus indicated by the two-dot chain line).
Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 1, when the detachable unit 20 is attached and detached, a moving mechanism (not shown) moves the exposure position P1 (indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1 or 2) to a retracted position P2 (the position of the exposure device 23 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2) where the detachable unit 20 is retracted so as not to hinder the movement of the detachable unit 20. It is

<Configuration of Powder Conveying Device in Detachable Unit>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the detachable unit 20 includes a cleaning device 26, which is an example of a transfer source means for transferring waste toner, which is an example of powder, and a transfer destination of the waste toner. In addition to the waste toner recovery chamber 27, which is an example of the destination means, a powder transfer device 5 is provided that connects the cleaning device 26 and the waste toner recovery chamber 27 to transfer the waste toner. Strictly speaking, the waste toner in the form of powder, which is the object of conveyance, is an unnecessary matter mainly composed of waste toner removed by the cleaning device 26 .

As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the powder conveying device 5 provided in the detachable unit 20 is rotatably arranged in a waste toner conveying path 51 having a curved passage portion 51b and a passage of the conveying path 51. It is an apparatus composed of a flexible conveying member 52, which is an example of conveying means to be used, and a driving means 53 that transmits power from one end 52a of the conveying member 52 to drive the conveying member 52 so as to rotate it. .

Since the conveying path 51 connects the cleaning device 26 and the waste toner collecting chamber 27 in the detachable unit 20, the cleaning device 26 passes through the outer surface of the left side plate portion 20c, which is one end of the detachable unit 20. The conveying path is shaped to connect between (actually the conveying portion 263) and one end portion of the waste toner collecting chamber 27 (actually the receiving port 271).
More specifically, the transport path 51 includes a first transport path 511 which is also a passage of a transport portion 263 in which a transport member 262 of the cleaning device 26 is arranged, and a receiving port of the waste toner collection chamber 27 from one end of the first transport path 511 . 271, and a second conveying path 512 connecting therewith.

The first conveying path 511 is a straight path extending in a direction of a linear portion of the cleaning device 26 where the cleaning blade 261 contacts the photosensitive drum 21, that is, substantially parallel to the direction along the rotational axis of the photosensitive drum 21. is formed as Further, since the first conveying path 511 is also a passage of the conveying portion 263 in the cleaning device 26, as shown in FIG. It has a grooved transport path.
For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first conveying path 511 has a linear passage portion 51a having a shape extending substantially linearly over the entire area in the direction in which waste toner and other waste materials are conveyed. It is configured as a transport path having

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second conveying path 512 has a first curved passage portion 51b, a straight passage portion 51a, and a second curved passage portion 51c. formed as a road. Further, the first curved passage portion 51b, the straight passage portion 51a and the second curved passage portion 51c all form a tubular conveying path having a circular cross-sectional shape.
That is, the second conveying path 512 is configured as a conveying path having two curved passage portions 51b and 51c.

The first curved passage portion 51b is exposed outside the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20 from one end portion 511b of the first conveying path 511 disposed on the left side plate portion 20c and bent obliquely downward. It is a passage portion formed of a shape that is bent again so as to face obliquely upward at its lower end side later. 3 and 6, the linear passage portion 51a extends from the end 51be of the first curved passage portion 51b to the front position of the outlet 271 of the waste toner collecting chamber 27 in the conveying direction. It is a passage portion formed in a shape extending obliquely upward in a substantially straight line. Further, the second curved passage portion 51c is a passage portion having a shape gently curved from a position in front of the receptacle 271 of the waste toner collection chamber 27 to the interior of the waste toner collection chamber 27 through the receptacle 271. .

The conveying path 51 in the powder conveying apparatus 5, when viewed as a whole, has a shape having two straight passage portions 51a and two curved passage portions 51b and 51c.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conveying member 52 includes a rod-shaped shaft portion 521 rotatably arranged in the passage of the conveying path 51, and a spirally continuous portion around the shaft portion 521. It is composed of a screw-shaped member including a protruding blade portion 522 for conveying the powder.
The conveying member 52 is manufactured as one (one) continuous member using a material such as a thermoplastic elastomer. As a result, the conveying member 52 is configured as a member having flexibility as a whole, and can be used by arranging it in the passage of the conveying passage 51 having the curved passage portions 51b and 51c. there is

5 and 6, one end portion 52a of the conveying member 52 is configured as a connecting shaft portion 521a without blade portions 522 connected to the driving means 53, and the other end portion 52b is configured as a conveying shaft portion 521a. It is configured as a free end that is rotatably disposed within the passage of channel 51 . Further, this conveying member 52 is used as a conveying member 262 of which approximately half portion on the side where the connecting shaft portion 521 a exists is installed in the conveying portion 263 of the cleaning device 26 .
As shown in FIG. 5, the connection shaft portion 521a is rotatable with respect to a bearing portion 20h provided at the end of the conveying portion 263 of the cleaning device 26 located on the side of the right side plate portion 20d of the detachable unit 20. supported by Further, the connection shaft portion 521a is arranged on a part of the right side plate portion 20d of the detachable unit 20 so as to be detachably connected to the driving means 53 when the detachable unit 20 is attached.

The drive means 53 is composed of a drive source such as an electric motor and a transmission mechanism such as a deceleration mechanism. The drive unit 53 in Embodiment 1 is not arranged on the detachable unit 20 side, but is arranged on the housing 10 side of the image forming apparatus 1 .
The driving means 53 arranged on the side of the housing 10 has an output shaft 53a for outputting rotational power, and the output shaft 53a is connected to the connecting shaft portion 521a at the one end portion 52a of the conveying member 52. They are detachably connected via a shaft joint 54 such as a coupling.

By the way, in the powder conveying device 5, a flexible conveying member 52 is arranged in the passage of the conveying path 51 having the curved passage portions 51b and 51c, and is rotated by the power of the driving means 53 to convey the powder. 3, when a portion of the conveying member 52 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage of the conveying path 51, an abnormal noise such as a beating sound may be generated.
For example, while the flexible conveying member 52 is present in the passage of the conveying passage 51 including the curved passage portions 51b and 51c, the abnormal noise is generated in the shape of a curved passage in a portion of the conveying passage 51. Correspondingly deformed bending habits may be formed, and it is said that this tends to occur when a part of the conveying member 52 deformed by this bending habit comes into contact with the inner wall of a part of the conveying path 51 so as to collide with it during rotation. There is a tendency.

Therefore, in this powder conveying apparatus 5, as shown in FIG. are doing.

In Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 5 , the entire inner wall surface of at least the linear passage portion 51 a in the second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51 is formed of the elastic wall surface 56 .
That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the elastic wall surface 56 in the first embodiment is formed from the end portion 51s side of the conveying path 51 having a plurality of curved passage portions 51b and 51c, where the driving means 53 is present. It is provided at least in the passage portion between the terminal end 51be of the first curved passage portion 51b and the starting end 51cs of the next existing second curved passage portion 51c. Reference numeral 51bs in FIG. 6 denotes the starting end of the first curved passage portion 51b, which is also the terminal end of the first conveying path 511. As shown in FIG.

Further, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, in the conveying path 51, when viewed from the end 51s side where the driving means 53 is present, the second portion corresponds to the last curved passage portion. An elastic wall surface 56 is also provided on the curved passage portion 51c. The reason for this will be described later.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, elastic pipes 58 constitute the elastic wall surfaces 56 of the linear passage portion 51 a and the curved passage portion 51 c of the second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51 . As the elastic pipe 58, for example, a cylindrical tubular member having elasticity is applied.

The hardness of the inner wall surface, which is the elastic wall surface 56, and the hardness of the other inner wall surface 57 are measured by a hardness meter such as a durometer, for example. The hardness of the inner wall surface, which is the elastic wall surface 56, is preferably about 0.1 to 0.9 times the hardness of the other inner wall surface 57. FIG. Incidentally, the hardness of the elastic wall surface 56 is almost the same as or higher (harder) than the hardness of the conveying member 52 having flexibility. However, the hardness of the elastic wall surface 56 is not limited to this relationship, and may be lower (softer) than the hardness of the flexible conveying member 52 .

The second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51, in which the inner wall surface of a part of the passage is composed of the elastic wall surface 56, is provided in a configuration as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 and the like.

First, as shown in FIG. 7, the second transport path 512 of the transport path 51 is provided so as to exist on the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20 in an inclined state.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second transport path 512 of the transport path 51 is formed by a transport path forming cover 515 attached to the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20. A part of the transport path is formed and a part of the transport path is covered. FIG. 8 shows the state when the transport path forming cover 515 is removed from the left side plate portion 20c.

The transport path forming cover 515 has a semi-passage forming portion 516 that forms the outer half of the circular cross-sectional path of the first curved path portion 51 b in the second transport path 512 . The semi-passage forming portion 516 has a semi-cylindrical cross section and is formed in a shape that extends in a curved manner corresponding to the curved shape of the first curved passage portion 51b.
Further, the transport path forming cover 515 has path covering portions 517 and 518 that cover the linear path portion 51a and the second curved path portion 51c of the second transport path 512 from the outside. The passage covering portion 517 that covers the linear passage portion 51a is formed in an elongated rectangular plate shape, and furthermore, a portion of the linear passage portion 51a (actually, the elastic pipe 58) is located at the longitudinal central portion. A slit-shaped opening 517a is provided for exposing the portion to the outside and for holding it from the outside. The passage covering portion 518 covering the second curved passage portion 51c is formed in a gently curved shape so as to cover the second curved passage portion 51c from the outside.
The conveying path forming cover 515 is provided with a plurality of locking means 519 such as a snap fit, and is attached to the left side plate portion 20 c of the detachable unit 20 by the plurality of locking means 519 . The left side plate portion 20c is provided with a plurality of locked portions 20j to be locked with the locking means 519. As shown in FIG.

8 and 9, the inner half of the first curved passage portion 51b of the second conveying passage 512 of the conveying passage 51 is formed directly on the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20. It is
The inner half of the passage of this first curved passage portion 51b is formed as a semi-cylindrical passage groove 205. As shown in FIG. Further, the passage groove 205 is formed so as to be connected to one end portion of the conveying portion 263 of the cleaning device 26 with a passage end having a circular cross-sectional shape.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51 has a linear passage portion 51a and a second curved passage portion 51c composed of the elastic pipe 58 as described above. It is For this reason, on the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20, there are provided the elastic pipes 58 for installing the elastic pipes 58 at corresponding portions of the second conveying path 512, which will be the straight passage portion 51a and the second curved passage portion 51c. An installation groove 206 is formed.
The installation groove 206 corresponds to a linearly extending semi-cylindrical groove portion corresponding to the straight passage portion 51a of the second conveying path 512 and to the second curved passage portion 51c of the second conveying path 512. It is formed of a gently curved semi-cylindrical groove portion and an elongated (elliptic) groove end portion connected to the receptacle 271 of the waste toner collecting chamber 27 .

8 and 9, a portion of the elastic pipe 58 corresponding to the linear passage portion 51a of the second conveying path 512 is held in the installation groove 206. A holding member 59, which is an example of a holding means for holding, is provided.
As shown in FIG. 12 and the like, the holding member 59 is formed as a pair of protrusions that contact the installation groove 206 so as to sandwich the outer peripheral portion of the corresponding portion of the elastic pipe 58 from both sides.

As described above, the second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51 is a semi-cylindrical passage formed so that the first curved passage portion 51b constitutes the inner half of the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20. It is provided by arranging the groove 205 and a semi-cylindrical semi-passage forming portion 516 formed so as to constitute the outer half of the conveying passage forming cover 515 so as to face each other. Further, the linear passage portion 51a and the second curved passage portion 51c are installed so as to be accommodated in the installation groove 206 formed in the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20, and the conveying path forming cover 515 is provided. It is provided with an elastic pipe 58 which is covered and held from the outside.
At this time, before being held so as to be covered by the conveying path forming cover 515, the elastic pipe 58 is accommodated in the installation groove 206 at the portion near the starting end 58a as shown in FIG. After being held, it is attached while being stably held from the outer peripheral portion by the holding member 59 as well. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elastic pipe 58 is inserted into the waste toner collecting chamber 27 so that the end portion 58b of the elastic pipe 58 protrudes slightly into the waste toner collecting chamber 27 from the socket 271 of the waste toner collecting chamber 27. As shown in FIG. placed in a rare and held state.

Therefore, in this powder conveying apparatus 5, a single flexible conveying member 52 is installed in the conveying path 51 of the detachable unit 20 as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, about half of the conveying member 52 is a first conveying path 511 forming a linear passage portion 51a in the conveying path 51 which is also the conveying section 263 of the cleaning device 26. installed to be placed within In addition, the remaining half portion is inserted into the elastic pipe 58 that is the second conveying path 512 that constitutes one straight passage portion 51a and two curved passage portions 51b and 51c in the conveying passage 51. is installed in

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the conveying member 52 has a connecting shaft portion 521a at one end portion 52a that is connected to the output shaft 53a of the driving means 53 by a shaft coupling when the detachable unit 20 is attached to the housing 10. 54. On the other hand, the other end portion 52b of the conveying member 52 is located inside the elastic pipe 58 (inside the passage) so that the end portion 521b of the shaft portion 521 slightly protrudes into the opening at the end portion 58b of the elastic pipe 58. It is arranged as a free end that simply exists in a rotatable state without being supported.
At this time, the conveying path 51 has a starting end 51s at the end where the connecting shaft portion 521a of the conveying member 52 is arranged, and a terminal end 51e at the end at which the free end of the conveying member 52 is arranged. In other words, the conveying path 51 is used to convey unnecessary matter such as powdery waste toner from the starting end 51s toward the terminal end 51e.

<Operation of the powder conveying device, etc.>
In the powder conveying device 5, when a preset operation timing arrives, the driving means 53 is started under the control of the control means (not shown) in the image forming apparatus 1, and one end portion of the flexible conveying member 52 is moved. Power is transmitted from 52a. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the conveying member 52 moves in the direction E (starting end 51s of the conveying path 51) in which unnecessary materials such as waste toner should be conveyed in the conveying path 51 having curved passage portions 51b and 51c. side toward the terminal end 51e).

As a result, the powder conveying device 5 removes unnecessary matter such as waste toner scraped from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by the cleaning blade 261 in the cleaning device 26 to the conveying path 51 which is also the conveying section 263 of the cleaning device 26 . In the first conveying path 511 , after being conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow E<b>1 so as to be sent out by the front half of the conveying member 52 that is also the conveying member 262 of the cleaning device 26 , it is conveyed in the second conveying path 512 of the conveying path 51 . The rear half of the member 52 conveys in the direction indicated by the arrow E2. Finally, the powder conveying device 5 discharges unnecessary materials such as waste toner conveyed along the conveying path 51 so as to drop from the end 51e of the conveying path 51 that has passed through the socket 271 of the waste toner collecting chamber 27. and housed in the waste toner collection chamber 27 .

At this time, in the powder conveying device 5, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a portion of the flexible conveying member 52 conveys more than the first curved passage portion 51b in the second conveying passage 512 of the conveying passage 51. It may come into contact with part of the inner wall surface of the straight passage portion 51a or the second curved passage portion 51c on the downstream side in the direction E2.
However, in the powder conveying device 5, as shown in FIGS. Elastic wall surfaces 56 are formed on the entire inner wall surfaces of the straight passage portion 51a and the second curved passage portion 51c, which are passage portions farther than the end 51be of the curved passage portion 51b.
Therefore, in the powder conveying apparatus 5, when a portion of the conveying member 52 having flexibility comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the conveying path 51, an abnormal noise such as a beating sound is generated in the second conveying path 512. This is suppressed compared to the case where the passage contacts another inner wall surface 57 in which the elastic wall surface 56 is not provided.

Further, in the powder conveying apparatus 5, since the elastic wall surface 56 is composed of the elastic pipe 58, the elastic wall surface 56 can be easily installed as compared with the case where the elastic wall surface 56 is not composed of the elastic pipe 58. .
9 and 12, the elastic pipe 58 is accommodated in the installation groove 206 and is stably held by the holding member 59 and the conveying path forming cover 515. Therefore, compared to the case where the holding member 59 and the like are not provided, the elastic pipe 58 is not deformed and its shape is stably maintained. As a result, for example, the elastic pipe 58 is deformed so as to bend or deform so as to curve outward, which may cause a portion of the conveying member 52 to easily come into contact with the conveying member 52, thereby generating a new abnormal noise. Suppressed.

Here, the flexible conveying member 52 is connected to and supported by the driving means 53, and is the first conveying path of the conveying path 51 which is the straight passage portion 51a immediately after the connection. In 511 , the state during rotation tends to be kept relatively stable, and the behavior of contacting the inner wall surface of the first transport path 511 as if colliding with it is less likely to occur.
Further, in the powder conveying device 5, when the inner wall surface of the first curved passage portion 51b in the second conveying passage 512 of the conveying passage 51 is configured as the elastic wall surface 56, the flexible conveying member 52 can be There is a possibility that contact with the elastic wall surface 56 in the first curved passage portion 51b will impede the rotation and that powder such as waste toner will not be conveyed satisfactorily.

In the powder conveying apparatus 5, as shown in FIG. 11, the elastic pipe 58 for forming the elastic wall surface 56 is an elastic pipe body 581 having a low friction layer 582 formed on the inner surface thereof. A pipe 58 is applied. This means that the elastic wall surface 56 has a two-layer structure consisting of the low-friction surface layer 561 and the elastic layer 562 that is the lower layer.
In this case, the low-friction layer 582 (or the low-friction surface layer 561) is a layer having relatively low physical properties when in contact with the flexible conveying member 52. or the like. Further, the pipe body 581 (or the elastic layer 562) is a portion (layer) exhibiting low hardness required for the elastic wall surface 56, in other words, elasticity, and is formed using a material such as a thermoplastic elastomer. .
In FIG. 11, the elastic pipe 58 is bent so that the portion installed in the second curved passage portion 51c of the conveying path 51 corresponds to the bent state of the passage portion 51c (the shape bent at the curvature R). Although shown as having a shape for the sake of convenience, the elastic pipe 58 before its installation is a pipe having a shape extending linearly as a whole.

As a result, even if part of the flexible conveying member 52 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the elastic pipe 58 forming the elastic wall surface 56 during the operation of the powder conveying device 5, the low friction layer 582 is provided. As compared with the case where the conveying member 52 is not provided, the conveying member 52 slides smoothly without receiving a large frictional resistance from the elastic wall surface 56. As a result, good rotation is ensured, and waste toner and the like can be conveyed satisfactorily. It becomes easy to realize, and moreover, it becomes easy to suppress the generation of abnormal noise.

13(B), the elastic wall surface 56 and the inner wall surface 57 which is not the elastic wall surface 56 are provided so as to form a continuous wall surface without steps. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13(A), the setting groove 206 for the elastic pipe 58 is provided in the left side plate portion 20c of the detachable unit 20 against the passage groove 205 for the inner wall surface 57 that is not the elastic wall surface 56. is offset so as to form a groove having a cross-sectional shape large enough to form a step surface 207 with a predetermined step Δd. At this time, the step .DELTA.d has a dimension substantially corresponding to the thickness (wall thickness) m of the elastic pipe 58. As shown in FIG.

As a result, in the powder conveying device 5, the boundary between the inner wall surface 57 other than the elastic wall surface 56 and the elastic wall surface 56 is less than when the elastic wall surface 56 is provided as a wall surface with a step from the other inner wall surface 57. For example, there is no possibility that the vane portion 522 of the conveying member 52 will be caught or the object to be conveyed, such as waste toner, will stay, and the rotating operation of the conveying member 52 and the conveying of the waste toner, etc. will be performed satisfactorily.

Furthermore, in this powder conveying apparatus 5, as shown in FIG. 14, the elastic pipe 58 is also arranged in the last second curved passage portion 51c of the second conveying path 512 to form the elastic wall surface 56. As shown in FIG. The reason why the inner wall surface of the curved passage portion is also configured as the elastic wall surface 56 is that the curvature (radius) R of the second curved passage portion 51c is larger than the curvature of the first curved passage portion 51b. Therefore, there is no risk of bending or buckling when the elastic pipe 58 is installed, and even if a part of the conveying member 52 comes into contact with the elastic pipe 58 which is the elastic wall surface 56, there is no risk of rotation failure. It is from.
In this case, the curvature R of the curved passage portion 51c in which the elastic pipe 58 can be arranged to form the elastic wall surface 56 is preferably 16 or more, for example.

As a result, in the powder conveying device 5, the portion near the other end 52b, which is also the free end of the conveying member 52 having flexibility, may come into contact with the inner wall surface of the second curved passage portion 51c during operation. However, even in that case, since the inner wall surface of the second curved passage portion 51c is composed of the elastic wall surface 56, the generation of abnormal noise upon contact is suppressed.

Furthermore, in this powder conveying apparatus 5, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 14, the free end, which is the other end portion 52b of the conveying member 52, is connected to the second curved passage portion 51c of the second conveying path 512. The end portion 521b of the shaft portion 521 is arranged so as to protrude slightly from the end portion 58b of the elastic pipe 58 (the terminal end of the conveying path). In other words, the other end 52b, which is also the free end of the conveying member 52, is arranged so that the distal end 521b of the shaft portion 521 is located at substantially the same position as the distal end 58b of the elastic pipe 58. As shown in FIG.
At this time, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 14, the end portion 58b of the elastic pipe 58 is arranged in a state of protruding from the socket 271 of the waste toner collecting chamber 27 into the waste toner collecting chamber 27. It is arranged in a state of being slightly above the conveying member 272 in the chamber 27 .

As a result, even if the other end 52b of the conveying member 52, which is also the free end of the conveying member 52, oscillates during the operation of the powder conveying device 5, the other end 52b remains inside the distal end 58b of the elastic pipe 58 (inside the passage). ) is constrained to move in a state where As a result, the other end 52b of the swinging conveying member 52 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the waste toner collecting chamber 27 and adjacent parts such as the conveying member 272 in the vicinity thereof, and generates an abnormal noise such as a new beating sound. is suppressed.

[Other Modifications]
The present invention is by no means limited to the contents exemplified in Embodiment 1, and can be modified within a scope that does not change the gist of the invention described in the claims. Such modifications are also included.

In the first embodiment, the elastic wall surface 56 is provided along the entire circumference of the inner wall surface of the corresponding passage portion of the transport path 51. However, the elastic wall surface 56 has the effect of suppressing the generation of abnormal noise. 15, it may be provided on a part of the inner wall surface of the corresponding passage portion of the conveying path 51. As shown in FIG.
The elastic wall surface 56 exemplified in FIG. 15 is provided as a pair of elastic wall surfaces 56A and 56B which are divided into right and left and face each other in the inner wall surface of the passage portion. In this case, the inner wall surface of the conveying path 51 other than the elastic wall surfaces 56A and 56B is composed of an inner wall surface 57 having higher hardness than the elastic wall surfaces 56A and 56B. In this case, only one of the pair of elastic wall surfaces 56A and 56B may be provided, or both or one of them may be provided at different positions with different widths, as long as the effect of suppressing the generation of abnormal noise is obtained. You can set it with .

In addition, the elastic wall surface 56 is not limited to the elastic pipe 58, but may be formed by dividing the entire conveying path 51 or its corresponding passage portion by a plurality of members, and then dividing the plurality of divided members. It is also possible to configure all of the members, fewer members, or portions thereof to be formed as elastic walls 56 . In this case, the elastic wall surface 56 may be formed, for example, by separately forming the inner wall surface of the passage portion to be the elastic wall surface 56 with a material having elasticity corresponding to the elastic wall surface 56, or by embedding the elastic sheet material. It can be obtained by placing the

As for the other end portion 52b, which is also the free end of the conveying member 52, as shown in FIG. It may be configured to be arranged so as to be In this case, the length L of the blade portion 522b of the blade portion 522 protruding from the end portion 51e of the conveying path 51 is shorter than the length Pt of one pitch of the blade portion 522. As shown in FIG.
When configured in this manner, the other end 52b, which is also the free end of the conveying member 52 provided with the helical blade portion 522, can be moved from the passage of the terminal portion 51e of the conveying path 51 to the portion exceeding one pitch of the blade portion 522. is arranged so as to protrude, the conveying path 51 of the conveying member 52 is ensured by the protruding blade portion 522b to ensure the sending of unnecessary matter such as waste toner from the end portion 51e of the conveying path 51. The other end portion 52b protruding from the end portion 51e of the conveying path 51 is prevented from coming into contact with components around the end portion 51e of the conveying path 51 and generating abnormal noise. The peripheral parts are, for example, the inner wall surface of the waste toner collecting chamber 27, the conveying member 272, and the like.

Further, in the powder conveying device 5, as the conveying path 51, a conveying path 51B having one curved passage portion 51d can be applied as illustrated in FIG.
In the powder conveying device 5 having the conveying path 51B, the elastic wall surface 56 is, as shown in FIGS. provided in a passage portion farther than the terminal end 51de of the curved passage portion 51d.
In the case of such a configuration, compared with the case where the elastic wall surface 56 is not provided in the far passage portion of the conveying path 51B, the abnormal noise generated when the conveying member 52 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the passage is more reliable. Suppressed.

Also, in the powder conveying device 5, for example, as shown in FIG. The position of the portion 52b may be set to the end side different from that of the conveying path 51B illustrated in FIG.
Even in this case, the elastic wall surface 56 is farther than the terminal end 51de of the curved passage portion 51d when viewed from the end portion 51s side of the conveying path 51B used in that state where the driving means 53 exists. It may be provided in the passage portion (linear passage portion 51a).

Further, in Embodiment 1, the powder conveying device 5 is provided in the detachable unit 20 as an example, but the powder conveying device 5 may be provided in the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 .
In other words, the casing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 has a powder transport source means and a powder transport destination means, a powder transport path having a curved passage connecting the two, and a powder transport path having a curved passage portion connecting the two. If it is effective to install a powder conveying device 5 having a conveying means having flexibility for conveying the powder by means and a driving means for driving to transmit power from one end of the conveying means to rotate it. is applicable.
In this case, the means for conveying the powder includes a cleaning device for removing waste toner from the image holding means such as the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt, and a developer to be supplied (mainly toner). A storage container or the like to be used. On the other hand, examples of means to which the powder is transferred include a recovery chamber and a recovery container for recovering waste toner, and a developing device for receiving developer supplied from a storage container.

Further, it goes without saying that the powder conveying apparatus of the present invention can be used as an apparatus for conveying unnecessary materials such as waste toner and powder other than fresh toner.

In addition, in Embodiment 1, the image forming apparatus 1 capable of forming a monochrome image composed of developer was exemplified as an image forming apparatus. If so, it can be applied to an image forming apparatus that forms a multicolor (color) image, or an image forming apparatus of another type.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: image forming apparatus 5: powder conveying device 20: detachable unit 26: cleaning device (an example of conveying means)
27 Waste toner collection chamber (an example of destination means)
51, 51B Conveyance paths 51b, 51c, 51d Curved passage portions 51be, 51de Terminal end 51cs Starting end 51e Terminal 51s End (end side where driving means exists)
52... Flexible conveying member (an example of conveying means)
52a... One end 52b... The other end (free end)
53 Drive means 56, 56A, 56B Elastic wall surface 57 Inner wall surface other than elastic wall surface 58 Elastic pipe 59 Holding member (an example of holding means)
521... Shaft part 522... Blade part 561... Low friction surface layer 562... Elastic layer

Claims (10)

a powder conveying path having a curved passage portion;
a conveying means comprising a shaft portion rotatably arranged in the passage of the conveying path and a blade portion provided around the shaft portion for conveying the powder;
a driving means for driving to rotate the conveying means by transmitting power from one end of the conveying means;
with
The conveying means is a conveying means provided with a wing portion that spirally winds around the shaft portion as the wing portion,
A part of the inner wall surface of the passage of the transport path is configured as an elastic wall surface having a lower hardness than the other inner wall surface,
The elastic wall surface is provided so as to form a continuous wall surface without steps from an inner wall surface that is not the elastic wall surface, and has a two-layer structure of a low-friction surface layer and an elastic layer that is a lower layer of the low-friction surface layer. Configured powder conveying device. The conveying path is a conveying path having one curved passage portion,
2. The powder conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the elastic wall surface is provided in a passage portion of the conveying passage farther than the end of the curved passage portion when viewed from the end portion side where the driving means exists. Device. the conveying path is a conveying path having a plurality of curved passage portions,
The elastic wall surface is provided at least in a passage portion between the terminal end of the curved passage portion and the beginning end of the next curved passage portion when viewed from the end portion side where the driving means is present in the conveying path. The powder conveying device according to claim 1. 4. The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the elastic wall surface is also provided in the last curved passage portion of the conveying passage when viewed from the end side where the driving means exists. 5. The powder conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein said elastic wall surface is composed of an elastic pipe . 2. The powder conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the free end of the conveying means is arranged such that a portion of the blade portion having a pitch of 1 or less protrudes from the passage at the end of the conveying path. 6. A powder conveying apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising holding means for holding an outer peripheral portion of said elastic pipe . A detachable unit that is detachable from the main body,
a source means serving as a source of powder, a destination means serving as a destination of powder, and a powder conveying apparatus for connecting the source means and the destination means to convey the powder; with
The powder conveying device is a detachable unit comprising the powder conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. a source means serving as a source of powder, a destination means serving as a destination of powder, and a powder conveying apparatus for connecting the source means and the destination means to convey the powder; with
The powder conveying device is composed of the powder conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
image forming device . Equipped with a detachable unit that can be detached from the main body,
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said attachment/detachment unit comprises said transfer source means, transfer destination means, and a powder transfer device .

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