JPS6222507Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying granules, granular bodies, or mixtures thereof.

This type of conveyance device is widely used in various technical fields, for example in copying machines.
It is used to transfer toner powder collected by a photoreceptor cleaning device to a collection container or developing device, or for other purposes. Various forms of such conveyance devices have been known from the past, such as those in which a ball chain or coil spring belt is inserted into a conveyance path and the conveyed object is conveyed by moving this chain or belt, or Devices that rotate a coil spring inserted in a road are known, but any type of device
It has disadvantages that assembly and repair are troublesome, and there is a risk that the chain, belt, or spring may be damaged if the conveyed object becomes clogged.

Purpose The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel conveyance device that eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention includes a conveyance path formed in an annular shape made of a circular tube made of non-magnetic material, an intake port and an outlet for conveyed objects provided in the conveyance path, and a conveyance object movably accommodated in the conveyance path. a conveyor member made of a magnetic material, and a magnetic force source that moves along the conveyor path and is disposed with a gap from the outer wall surface of the conveyor path, the magnetic force sources facing each other across the conveyor path. This is achieved by arranging the pair of permanent magnets so that different poles face each other.

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

1 to 3 show a specific example of the present invention as a device for conveying toner powder captured by a photoreceptor cleaning device of a copying machine to a developing device.

As clearly shown in FIG.
The pipe 1 is fixedly supported by a support member 4 which is arranged around a support shaft 2 of a photosensitive drum (not shown) in a copying machine and which is fixed to a side plate 3. The pipe 1 is provided with a toner powder intake port 1a at its upper portion in the figure, and a toner powder discharge port 1b at its lower portion. The intake port 1a in this example is formed in the shape of a hopper that opens upward, and a toner transport conduit 5 of a cleaning device (not shown) for cleaning the photoconductor is located above this. As is known per se, this cleaning device is composed of a blade or a fur brush (none of which are shown) that comes into contact with the photoreceptor, and cleans and collects toner powder remaining on the photoreceptor of the transfer machine. Do something. The collected toner powder is then conveyed to the intake port 1a of the pipe 1 through the conduit 5.

A developing tank (not shown) of the developing device is located below the discharge port 1b formed in the pipe. The donut-shaped pipe 1 is made of non-magnetic material such as aluminum, brass, etc.
Or made from PVC, etc.

A rotating arm 6 is fixed to the support shaft 2 of the photosensitive drum so as to be able to rotate integrally with the drum.
A bracket 6a is fixed to the tip of this rotating arm. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of permanent magnets 7 and 8 are fixedly attached to the opposing surfaces of the bracket 6a and the tip of the rotating arm, respectively, and these magnets 7 and 8 have different magnetic poles. They are arranged to face each other, and the pipe 1 is located between them. In this case, each magnet 7, 8 is placed at a slight gap (for example, 0.5 to 2 mm) from the outer wall surface of the pipe 1.
It is desirable that they be located at a distance of about 1 mm) from each other.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a suitable number of steel spheres 9 are used as conveying members inside the pipe 1, and these spheres are pulled together by the attraction action of the two magnets 7 and 8. By forming a lump and moving the magnets 7 and 8, it is possible to move the lump through the pipe. And these spheres 9
have a sufficient number and diameter (for example, about 2 mm to 4 mm) such that the mass can close the space of the pipe 1.

When the photosensitive drum starts rotating with the start of the copying operation, the rotating arm 6 also rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the two magnets 7 and 8 move along this outside the pipe 1. . The spheres 9 in the pipe 1 therefore move into the pipe as one mass.

As is well known, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum by an exposure device (not shown), and then this latent image is visualized by toner powder in a developing device, and the toner image thus formed is shown in the figure. Transfer paper not shown will be transferred. A small amount of toner powder remaining on the photoreceptor drum during this transfer is removed from the drum surface by a cleaning device, and the thus collected toner powder is conveyed into the conveying conduit 5, and is transferred to the intake port 1a of the pipe 1. to fall.

The toner powder 10 (FIG. 3) introduced into the pipe 1 as described above is transferred to the sphere 9 that moves within the pipe.
The mass is pushed forward in the direction of the arrow and transported through the pipe. And this toner powder 10 is the discharge port 1
When it reaches point b, it falls downward and is collected again into the developing tank of the developing device. In this case, the sphere 9 is attracted by the magnets 7 and 8, so even if it reaches the outlet 1b, it will not fall downward, but will move within the pipe as the rotating arm rotates. Then, it reaches the intake port again and the above operation is repeated.

Although a specific example of the present invention configured for a specific purpose has been described above, the conveying device according to the present invention can be widely used in other devices in copying machines or in technical fields other than copying machines. In addition to powders such as toner powder, it can also be used to transport granular materials. Furthermore, it is clear that the illustrated conveyance device is merely one specific example of the present invention, and that it can be constructed with various modifications.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, although the configuration is simple, the transported object can be transported well, and by using magnetic force, the transported object can be transported without contacting the magnetic source. In addition to being able to transport the device, it is possible to suppress the application of excessive mechanical force to the transfer device, thereby achieving easier maintenance of the device and improved reliability of the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a specific example of the present invention configured as a device for conveying toner powder in a copying machine;
FIG. 3 is a partial side view, partially in section, of the device shown in the figure, and FIG. 3 is a partially front view, also partially in section. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Conveyance path, 1a... Intake, 1b... Magnetic force source, 7, 8... Magnet, 9... Conveyance member, 10...
conveyance.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A transport path formed of a circular pipe made of a non-magnetic material and formed in an annular shape, an inlet and an outlet for transported objects provided in the transport path, and a large number of magnetic objects movably housed within the transport path. a magnetic force source that is disposed with a gap from the outer wall surface of the conveyance path and moves along the conveyance path, and by moving the magnetic force source, the conveyance member A device for conveying powder, granular material, or a mixture thereof, characterized in that the material taken in from the intake port is transported to the discharge port by the moving transport member. .