JPH03174237A - Method for stirring fine powder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to perfectly discharge a toner from a vessel by burying stirring blades in the toner through the fine powder charging inlet of the vessel, stirring the toner and blowing compressed air from an air blowing pipe buried in the toner through the fine powder charging inlet. CONSTITUTION:A vessel 20 filled with a toner is moved to a position under perpendicular stirring blades 11 and a motor 12 is lowered until the blades 11 are buried in the toner. The motor 12 is driven to rotate the blades 11 and the toner is stirred by this rotation. The blades 11 are then taken out of the vessel 20, an air blowing pipe 40 is buried in the toner in the vessel 20 and compressed air is blown from the pipe 40 to stir the toner. The flowability of the toner is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a stirring method for stirring fine powder such as toner used in an image forming apparatus after it is packed with high density into a predetermined container. .

(Prior Art) Toner used in image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines is usually transported, stored, etc. by being filled in containers such as bottle-shaped or cylindrical containers.

In order to improve the efficiency of filling toner into containers,
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-124503 discloses an apparatus in which the inside and outside of a toner container are reduced in pressure, and both are simultaneously released to atmospheric pressure and at the same time, the toner is dropped into the container.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) With such a device, the toner filled in the container is
Since the container is filled with high density in a short period of time, there is a risk that it will harden and form a lump inside the container.

As described above, when the toner hardens into a lump within the container, the fluidity of the toner deteriorates, and there is a possibility that all of the toner in the container may not be completely discharged.

In addition, the shape of the container for fine powder such as toner varies depending on the image forming apparatus to which it is installed. A cylindrical type with a For this reason, for example, in a bottle-shaped container with a relatively small fine powder inlet, it is difficult to completely crush the fine powder lumps generated in the container by a stirring member that can be inserted through the fine powder inlet. However, the fluidity of the toner is not significantly improved.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to reliably improve the fluidity of fine powder such as toner packed in a container at a high density in a short time, regardless of the shape of the container. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for stirring fine powder that can perform the following steps.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The method for stirring fine powder of the present invention includes opening the inside of a predetermined container from a reduced pressure state to a predetermined pressure and simultaneously charging the fine powder from the fine powder inlet in the container. A method of stirring the fine powder packed in the container at a high density by: stirring the fine powder in the container by rotating a stirring blade inserted from the fine powder inlet of the container; Simultaneously with or after this step, pressurized air is blown into the fine powder from an air injection tube inserted into the fine powder from the fine powder inlet of the container to agitate the fine powder. The above objective is achieved.

(Example) The present invention will be described below with reference to Examples.

The fine powder agitation method of the present invention is used to agitate the toner in a predetermined container after the toner used in an image forming apparatus is packed in the container at a high density. The toner is
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is filled into a cylindrical container 20. The container 20 is provided with a toner inlet 21 projecting upward at the center of its upper end surface. Then, at the same time that the inside of the container 20 is opened to atmospheric pressure from a state in which the inside of the container 20 is reduced in pressure from the atmospheric pressure, toner is filled into the container 20 from the toner inlet 21 . As a result, the container 20 is filled with toner at a high density in a short time.

In the stirring method of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, after stirring the toner packed in a container 20 at high density using a stirring device 10 having stirring blades 11, as shown in FIG. An air injection tube 40 having a plurality of air outlets 41 at its lower part is inserted into the toner, and the toner is agitated by pulsed pressurized air blown out from each air outlet 41.

The stirring device 10 includes a pair of stirring blades 11 that are inserted through a toner inlet 21 of a container 20 filled with toner at a high density, and a motor 12 that rotates each stirring blade 11 . The motor 12 is vertically movable with the output shaft 12a facing downward, and a connecting plate 13 is attached to the output shaft 12a of the motor 12 in a horizontal state. The upper ends of, for example, four connecting rods 14 arranged vertically are attached to the connecting plate 13, and a support block 15 is attached to the lower end of each connecting rod 14. A pair of support rods 1 are provided on the lower end surface of the support block 15.
6 is attached in a vertically hanging state. The base end of each stirring blade 11 is rotatably supported at the lower end of each support rod 16 .

Each stirring blade 11 has a triangular shape with a pointed tip, and is normally kept vertical due to its own weight.

An air cylinder 17 is installed on the upper end surface of the support block 15.
It is mounted vertically so that its fine details are coaxial with the output shaft 12a of the motor 12.

The piston rod 17a of the air cylinder 17 is inserted through the support block 15, and a pressing member 18 is attached to its lower end. The pressing member 18 has a cylindrical shape with a conically pointed lower end, and is connected to the air cylinder 17.
As the piston rod 17a advances downward,
It comes into contact with the base end of each stirring blade 11.

As a result, each stirring blade 11 is rotated from a vertical state so that its tip moves upward.

In the agitating device 10 having such a configuration, first, the piston rod 17a of the air cylinder 17 is moved upward, so that the pressing member 18 is separated from each of the agitating blades 11 so as not to come into contact with them. Thereby, each stirring blade 11 is brought into a substantially vertical state. In this state, the container 20 filled with toner at a high density is moved below each vertical stirring blade 11, and then the entire motor 12 is lowered. As a result, each stirring blade 11 passes through the toner inlet 21 of the container 20, as shown in FIG.
It fits into the toner. Since the tip of each stirring blade 11 is sharp, even if the toner is solidified, each stirring blade 11 easily enters into the toner.

When each stirring blade 11 is fitted into the toner, the air cylinder 17 is driven and the piston rod 17a is moved downward. By moving the piston rod 17a (D downward, the pressing member 18 attached to the lower end of the piston rod 17a
is in contact with the base end of each stirring blade 11, and each stirring blade 1
1 is rotated so that each tip moves upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1(b), each stirring blade it is spread out so that its tips are separated from each other, and is inclined, for example, at about 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal.

After that, the motor 12 is rotationally driven, and the motor 1
2 is transmitted to each stirring blade 11 via the output shaft 12a, the connecting plate 13, the pair of connecting rods 17, the support block 15, and each supporting rod 16, and each stirring blade mechanism 1 rotates the piston rod L7a. Rotate around the center. As a result, each stirring blade 11 stirs the toner, and the toner lumped in the container 20 is reliably pulverized.

In this way, the toner is stirred, and when the stirring is finished, the piston rod 17a of the air cylinder 17 is moved upward, and the pressing member 18 is separated from each stirring blade t1. As a result, the tip of each stirring blade 11 moves downward due to its own weight and becomes vertical.

In this state, the motor 12 is raised, and each stirring blade 11 passes through the toner inlet 21 of the container 20 and is withdrawn from the container 20.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, an air injection tube 40 for blowing out pressurized air is inserted into the toner in the container 20, and the toner is agitated.

The air injection pipe 40 has a number of air outlets 4 at its lower part.
1 are provided at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction and the circumferential direction, and above the area where each air outlet 41 is provided, a plurality of baffle plates 42 in the shape of a baffle are provided in the axial direction. are placed at appropriate intervals. Pressurized air is passed through the air injection pipe 40.

As described above, the air injection pipe 40 having such a configuration is inserted into the toner inlet 21 of the container 20 containing the toner stirred by the stirring blades 11 of the stirring device 10, and the air injection pipe 40 is Air outlet 41 provided at the bottom
and baffle plate 42 is inserted into the toner in a high density state. The lower end of the air injection pipe 40 is connected to the container 20.
The air injection pipe 40 is positioned close to the bottom surface of the air injection pipe 40.
When the toner is inserted into the toner, pressurized air is fed into the air injection tube 40, and the pressurized air is blown out from each air outlet 41 in a pulsed manner. The pressurized air blown out in a pulsed manner from each air outlet 41 enters the toner,
Stir the toner. Since the lower end of the air injection pipe 40 is close to the bottom of the container 20, the toner in the container 20 is reliably stirred from the bottom. Since the toner in the container 20 has already been stirred by the stirring blades 11 of the stirring device 10, the fluidity of the toner is significantly improved.

At this time, a part of the pulsed pressurized air blown out from each air outlet 41 flows upward along the air injection pipe 40, but the air is distributed at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction. The toner is sequentially diffused into the toner by each of the baffle plates 42 arranged in the same manner, and the toner is further reliably stirred. Further, since pressurized air is prevented from suddenly blowing upward from the upper surface of the toner along the air injection pipe 40, scattering of the toner from the toner inlet 21 is suppressed.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the stirring device used to carry out the stirring method of the present invention. Stirring device 30 of this embodiment
A horizontal connecting plate 33 is attached to an output shaft 32a of a motor 32 that can be raised and lowered, and four vertical connecting rods 34 are attached to the connecting plate 33 in a hanging state. A support block 35 is attached to the lower end of each connecting rod 34, and an air cylinder 37 is provided on the support block 35. The air cylinder 37
The piston rod 37a extends downward through the support block 35, and has a support member 38 attached to its tip. The support member 38 has a cylindrical shape with a conically pointed lower end.

The upper end surface of a vertical cylindrical mounting member 36 is attached to the lower surface of the support block 35, and the piston rod 37a of the air cylinder 37 is inserted through the narrow part of the mounting member 35. Between the lower end of the mounting member 36 and the support member 38 attached to the piston rod 37a, a cylindrical stirring blade 31 made of a flexible material such as rubber is attached to the piston rod. 37a
It is attached concentrically with the. When the piston rod 37a moves downward and the support member 38 attached to the lower end of the piston rod 37a is separated from the attachment member 36, the stirring blade 31 is coaxial with the piston rod 37a. When the piston rod 37a moves upward and the support member 38 approaches the mounting member 36, the center part of the stirring blade 31 in the axial direction becomes Projecting outward, the fourth
As shown in the figure, it becomes disc-shaped.

In the stirring device 30 having such a configuration, first, the piston rod 37a of the air cylinder 37 is moved downward, and the stirring blade 31 is in an extended cylindrical state.
A container 20 filled with toner at a high density is moved below. When the motor 32 is lowered in this state, the toner is inserted into the container 20 through the toner inlet 21 in order from the sharp part of the support member 38 at the lowest end, and the stirring blade 31 collects the toner. The toner is pushed through the inlet 21 and enters the high-density toner inside the container 20 . And stirring blade 3
1 is completely inserted into the toner and reaches the state shown in FIG. 3(a), the motor 32 stops moving down.

In this state, the air cylinder 37 is driven and the piston rod 37a is moved upward.

As a result, the support member 38 attached to the lower end of the piston rod 37a approaches the attachment member 36, and the stirring blade 31 provided between the two moves in the axial direction as the support member 38 moves upward. The center portion of the stirring blade 31 gradually protrudes outward, and the stirring blade 31 becomes disc-shaped as shown in FIG. 3(b).

Thereafter, the motor 32 is driven to rotate, and the stirring blade 31 is rotated around the piston rod 37a.

Thereby, the stirring blade 31 stirs the toner, and even the lumped toner is reliably pulverized.

When the agitation of the toner is completed in this manner, the drive of the motor 32 is stopped, the piston rod 37a of the air cylinder 37 is moved downward, and the support member 38 is separated from the mounting member. When the stirring blade 31 returns to its original cylindrical state, the motor 32 is raised to move the stirring blade 31 out of the toner and container 20.

FIG. 4 shows another example of an air injection pipe for blowing pressurized air into the toner stirred by the stirring device.

In this embodiment, the uppermost air outlet 51a of a large number of air outlets provided at the lower part of the air injection pipe 50 at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction and the circumferential direction is configured to allow pressurized air to flow downward. It is formed in an inclined state so that the air is blown towards the user. Other air outlets 51b
is formed in a horizontal state so that pressurized air can be blown out in a horizontal direction.

In this embodiment, pressurized air blown out in a pulsed manner in the horizontal direction from each air outlet 51b other than the top of the air injection tube 50 enters the inside of the toner and agitates the toner. A part of the pressurized air tries to flow along the air injection pipe 50, but the pressurized air is blown diagonally downward from the air outlet Sla at the top. The air is diffused laterally, and the toner is further agitated by the diffused air. Moreover, since the air flowing along the air injection pipe 50 is diffused into the toner, pressurized air is prevented from suddenly blowing upward from the top surface of the toner. The scattering of toner from 21 is suppressed.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the stirring method of the present invention. In this embodiment, an air injection pipe 6E having a number of air outlets 61a at its lower part is held at its upper end by a disc-shaped holding member 62 fitted into the toner inlet 21 of the container 20. ing. The holding member 62 is airtightly fitted into the toner input slot 2 to hold the upper end of the air injection tube 61 at a position offset from the axial center. Each air outlet 61a is in a state where it enters into the toner inside the container 20.

The upper end of a short internal exhaust pipe 63 is held vertically at an axially symmetrical position with respect to the upper end holding portion of the air injection pipe 6L in the holding member 62. The internal exhaust pipe 63 has the same diameter as the air injection pipe 61, and the lower end of the internal exhaust pipe is located above the toner in the container 20.

A filter holder 84 is fitted into the toner inlet 21 of the container 20 . The filter holder 64 includes a cylindrical main body part 64a that is fitted onto the toner inlet 21 of the container 20 and projects upward from the toner inlet 21, and a cylindrical body part 64a located midway in the axial direction of the main body part 64a. It has a disc-shaped filter holding part 64b provided in the filter holding part 64b. At two axially symmetrical positions in the filter holding part 64b,
A through hole is formed that penetrates in the axial direction, and filters 64c and 84c are provided in each through hole, respectively. Each filter 64c is adapted to face the upper end of the air injection pipe 61 attached to the toner inlet 21 of the container 20 and the upper end of the internal exhaust pipe 62, respectively.

An external holding member 67 that holds an end of the air supply pipe 65 and an end of a short external exhaust pipe 66 is mounted inside the upper end of the main body 64a of the filter holder 64. The air supply pipe 65 and the external exhaust pipe held by the external holding member 67 have diameters equal to the diameters of the air injection pipe 61 and the internal exhaust pipe 62, respectively.

In this embodiment, the filters 64c held by the filter holding portions 64b of the filter holder 64 are placed opposite to the upper end of the air injection pipe 61 in the container 20 and the upper end of the internal exhaust pipe 3, respectively. , the end face of the air supply pipe 65 via the filter 64c to the air injection pipe 6I in the container 20, and the filter 64 to the internal exhaust pipe 63.
The end surfaces of the external exhaust pipes are respectively opposed to each other via c,
An external holding member 67 is mounted within the upper end of the filter holder 64. In this state, pressurized air is fed into the air injection pipe 6e in a pulsed manner through the air supply pipe 65 and the filter 64c, and is blown out from each air outlet 61a of the air injection pipe 61. The pressurized air stirs the toner. The pressurized air that has stirred the toner flows out into the space above the toner in the container 20.

At this time, since the internal holding member 62 is hermetically fitted in the toner inlet 21, the pressurized air flowing out above the toner flows into the internal exhaust pipe 63, and the pressurized air flows into the internal exhaust pipe 63.
3 through filter S4c and external exhaust pipe 66,
leak to the outside. At this time, there is a possibility that toner that is scattered when the pressurized air flows out above the toner may flow into the internal exhaust pipe 63. However, since the toner that has flowed into the internal exhaust pipe 63 adheres to the filter 64c, there is no risk of it flowing out through the external exhaust pipe 66.

In this way, for example, when the toner is agitated by pressurized air for a predetermined period of time, only the filter holder 64 is rotated through 180 degrees, and the filter 64c through which the pressurized air in the container 20 has been passed is removed from the air supply pipe. 65 and the air injection pipe 61, and the filter 64c, through which the pressurized air fed from the air supply pipe 65 was flowing, is interposed between the internal exhaust pipe 63 and the external exhaust pipe 6. to be dressed. In this state, pressurized air is again supplied from the air supply tube 65 in a pulsed manner, and the pressurized air blown out in a pulsed manner from each air outlet 61a of the air injection tube 61 blows the toner. Stir. At this time, toner is attached to the filter 64c through which the pressurized air flows, and the toner is transferred to the air injection pipe 61 by the pressurized air.
The air flows back into the toner from each air outlet 61a. Further, as in the case described above, there is no risk that the toner that has flowed into the internal exhaust pipe 53 will adhere to the filter 84c interposed between it and the external exhaust pipe 66, and that the toner will flow out to the outside and be scattered. .

Thereafter, by repeating the same operation, each filter 64c prevents the toner from scattering to the outside of the container 20 when the toner in the container 20 is stirred, and is alternately purified during the stirring. There is no risk of clogging.

In the above embodiment, after the toner is stirred by a stirring device having stirring blades, the toner is stirred by pressurized air blown from an air injection tube. Alternatively, pressurized air may be blown into the toner by an air injection pipe.

After stirring the toner by the stirring device and stirring the toner by blowing pressurized air, with the toner inlet 21 of the container 2° closed, the container 2o is placed so that the toner inlet 21 is on the lower side. It may be reversed and swung in the vertical direction. By doing this, the toner in the container 20 has good fluidity, and the toner in the container 20 has good fluidity.
When the toner is attached to an image forming apparatus and used, the toner discharge performance is improved. In particular, in the case of a container in which the toner discharge port is provided on the opposite side to the toner input port 21,
Since there is a high probability that the toner will form a lump near the toner discharge port, by rocking the toner in an inverted state in this manner, the fluidity of the toner is improved and the toner discharge performance is significantly improved.

In the above embodiments, the case where toner packed in a container at a high density is stirred is explained, but the present invention is applicable not only to toner but also when stirring other fine powders packed at a high density into a container. is applicable.

Further, the container in which the fine powder is stored is not limited to the bottle shape as in each of the above embodiments, but may be, for example, cylindrical or rectangular.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the fine powder stirring method of the present invention ensures that the fine powder packed in the container at a high density is stirred by the stirring blade and the pressurized air. The aggregated fine powder is reliably crushed, and the fluidity of the fine powder in the container is significantly improved. In addition, there is relatively little scattering of fine powder, and the working environment is improved.

4. Nona 1 Fig. 1(a) is a side view showing an example of the stirring device used in carrying out the stirring method of the present invention together with a cross section of the container, Fig. 1(b) is an explanatory diagram of its operation, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of stirring by pressurized air, Fig. 3(a) is a side view showing an example of a pond of the stirring device used to carry out the stirring method of the present invention together with a cross-section of the container; (+)) is an explanatory diagram of its operation,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the agitation state using pressurized air, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of still another example of the agitation state using pressurized air.

10, 30... Stirring device, 11.31... Stirring blade, 12.32... Motor, 17.37... Air cylinder, 17a, 37a... Piston rod, 20
...Container, 21...Toner inlet, 40.50...
・Air injection pipe, 41.51a, 51b... Air outlet, 42... Baffle plate, 61... Air injection pipe, 6
1a... Air outlet, 62... Internal holding member,
63... Internal exhaust pipe, 64... Filter holder,
64c...filter, 65...air pipe, 66...
External exhaust pipe.

that's all

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. By opening the inside of a predetermined container from a reduced pressure state to a predetermined pressure through a fine powder inlet in the container and at the same time introducing fine powder into the container, the container is filled with high density. A method of stirring fine powder, which includes a step of stirring the fine powder in the container by rotating a stirring blade inserted from the fine powder inlet of the container, and a step of stirring the fine powder in the container at the same time or after this step. A method for stirring fine powder, comprising: blowing pressurized air into the fine powder through an air injection tube inserted into the fine powder from a fine powder inlet to stir the fine powder.