KR20230151632A - Apparatus for suppling powder toner filling method of powder toner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toner powder supply device and a toner powder supply method. A toner powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hopper through which toner powder is supplied; a support portion at the top that supports a toner container containing toner powder discharged from the hopper; and a circulator that recovers the remaining toner powder discharged from the hopper and supplies it to the hopper, wherein the hopper includes a hopper container, an inlet portion that receives toner powder into the hopper container, and an outlet portion that discharges the toner powder. and a guide portion surrounding the discharge portion, wherein the circulator has a suction pipe disposed at one end in a space between the discharge portion and the guide portion and the other end of the suction pipe is connected to recover the remainder of the toner powder discharged from the discharge portion. and includes a supply part arranged to supply the toner powder sucked through the suction pipe to the input part of the hopper.

Description

Toner powder supply device and toner powder supply method {Apparatus for suppling powder toner filling method of powder toner}

The present invention relates to a toner powder supply device and a toner powder supply method. Additionally, it includes a toner powder supply device and a toner powder supply method used in the production of recycled toner.

Toner powder is a powdery substance used to form text or images in a laser printer or copier. Toner powder is placed in a toner container called a cartridge and loaded into a laser printer or copier. An electric charge is applied by the laser printer or copier and adsorbed onto the paper.

Because toner powder has a microscopic size of several to tens of μm, it is harmful to health if inhaled by a person. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the toner powder from leaking out during the process of classifying the toner powder into the toner container. Therefore, it is important to minimize operator involvement during classification.

Korean Patent No. 10-1364660, a prior art document, discloses an airflow type classifier.

Korean Patent No. 10-1364660

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a toner powder supply device and a toner powder supply method that can prevent toner powder from leaking to the outside.

Additionally, a fixed amount of toner powder can be placed in a toner container.

Additionally, productivity can be improved.

A toner powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hopper through which toner powder is supplied; a support portion at the top that supports a toner container containing toner powder discharged from the hopper; and a circulator that recovers the remaining toner powder discharged from the hopper and supplies it to the hopper, wherein the hopper includes a hopper container, an inlet portion that receives toner powder into the hopper container, and an outlet portion that discharges the toner powder. and a guide portion surrounding the discharge portion, wherein the circulator has a suction pipe disposed at one end in a space between the discharge portion and the guide portion and the other end of the suction pipe is connected to recover the remainder of the toner powder discharged from the discharge portion. and includes a supply part arranged to supply the toner powder sucked through the suction pipe to the input part of the hopper.

The discharge portion may have a tubular shape disposed at the bottom of the hopper container and exposed downward, and the guide portion may have a tubular shape concentric with the discharge portion.

The suction pipe may pass through the guide part, and one end thereof may be disposed between the inner surface of the guide part and the outer surface of the discharge part.

The support part may include a support plate on which a toner container is placed and a height adjustment part that moves the support plate up and down.

The method of supplying toner powder to a toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the toner powder supply device described above. The method includes placing a toner container on the support portion; adjusting the height of the support portion so that the inlet of the toner container is disposed between the discharge portion and the guide portion; supplying toner powder from the hopper to the toner container; and a step where the suction pipe of the circulator sucks the toner powder that escapes between the discharge portion and the guide portion, and the supply portion supplies the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe into the hopper container.

The toner powder supply device includes a weight sensor disposed on the support unit to measure the weight of the toner container, and a controller that receives the measured value of the weight sensor, controls the height of the support unit, and controls discharge of the toner powder from the hopper. Further comprising: in the step of placing the toner container on the support, the controller receives the weight of the toner container measured by the weight sensor and adjusts the height of the support so that the inlet of the toner container is discharged. In the step of placing the support unit between the support unit and the guide unit, the controller may control the height of the support unit to a height calculated according to the weight of the toner container.

The toner powder supply device includes a weight sensor disposed on the support unit to measure the weight of the toner container, and a controller that receives the measured value of the weight sensor, controls the height of the support unit, and controls discharge of the toner powder from the hopper. Further comprising: in the step of placing the toner container on the support unit, the controller receives the weight of the toner container measured by the weight sensor, calculates a standard supply amount from the received weight of the toner container, and In the step of supplying toner powder from the toner container to the toner container, the controller receives information about the amount of toner powder discharged from the discharger of the hopper, and the supply unit supplies the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe to the inside of the hopper container. In the supplying step, the controller receives information about the amount of toner powder supplied into the hopper container through the suction pipe from the circulator, and the controller receives information about the amount of toner powder discharged by the discharge unit. Information on the actual supply amount supplied to the toner container is calculated using the information on the amount excluding the amount of toner powder supplied by the circulator, and the discharger is operated until the actual supply amount reaches the standard supply amount. can be controlled to supply toner powder.

The toner powder supply device and toner powder supply method according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent toner powder from leaking to the outside.

Additionally, a fixed amount of toner powder can be placed in a toner container.

Additionally, productivity can be improved.

Figure 1 shows a toner powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows the process of supplying toner powder to the toner powder in Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 show the operation of the height adjustment unit with the body removed.
Figures 6 and 7 show the operation of the height adjustment unit in another embodiment with the body removed.
Figure 8 shows a toner powder supply device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the screw supply part.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention may be modified into various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Additionally, the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the relevant technical field. Accordingly, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer explanation, and elements indicated by the same symbol in the drawings are the same element. In addition, the same symbols are used throughout the drawings for parts that perform similar functions and actions. In addition, throughout the specification, “including” a certain element means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Figure 1 shows a toner powder supply device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a toner powder supply device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hopper 110 through which toner powder is supplied; A support portion 150 supporting the toner container 10 containing the toner powder discharged from the hopper 110 at the top; and a circulator 130 that recovers the remaining toner powder discharged from the hopper 110 and supplies it to the hopper 110, wherein the hopper 110 includes a hopper container 111 and the hopper container 111. ) It includes an input portion 112 that receives toner powder inside, an discharge portion 113 that discharges the toner powder, and a guide portion 114 surrounding the discharge portion 113, and the circulator 130 is configured to discharge the toner powder. A suction pipe 131, one end of which is disposed in the space between the discharge portion 113 and the guide portion 114, and the other end of the suction pipe 131 are connected to recover the remaining toner powder discharged from the portion 113. and includes a supply part 132 arranged to supply the toner powder sucked in through the suction pipe 131 to the input part 112 of the hopper 110. In addition, the toner powder supply device 100 is disposed on the support part 150 and receives the measurement value of the weight sensor 140 and the weight sensor 140 to measure the weight of the toner container 10. It may further include a controller 160 that controls the height of the support portion 150 and discharge of toner powder from the hopper 110. Additionally, the toner powder supply device 100 may further include a stirrer 120 for stirring the toner powder supplied inside the hopper 110. In addition, it may further include a body 170 for isolating the discharge unit 113, the circulator 130, and the support unit 150 from the outside.

The hopper 110 performs the function of receiving and storing toner powder or discharging it into the toner container 10. The hopper 110 includes an input portion 112 through which toner powder is supplied, a hopper container 111 containing the supplied toner powder, a discharge portion 113 through which the toner powder is discharged to the outside, and the discharge portion 113. It may include a guide portion 114 arranged to surround it.

The input portion 112 may be a pipe or a groove formed on the top or side of the hopper container 111, and may include a cover or cover to block the hopper container 111 from the outside.

The hopper container 111 forms a certain space to store the supplied toner powder, and may be inclined in the direction of the discharge unit 113 to facilitate the movement of the toner powder toward the discharge unit 113. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the hopper 110 may be shaped like a cylinder and a funnel-shaped member connected to the lower part of the cylinder.

The discharge part 113 may be a pipe or a groove formed in the lower part of the hopper 110. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the discharge portion 113 may be disposed at the bottom of the funnel-shaped member, and may be a pipe extending downward from the bottom of the funnel-shaped member. Through this, the toner container 10 can be inserted into the discharge portion 113 to minimize leakage of toner powder to the outside.

The guide portion 114 is arranged to surround the discharge portion 113, thereby preventing the toner powder supplied from the discharge portion 113 from leaking to the outside. At this time, the discharge part 113 has a tube shape disposed at the bottom of the hopper container 111 and exposed downward, and the guide part 114 has a tube shape concentric with the discharge part 113. You can. Additionally, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the guide portion 114 may be formed to be longer than the discharge portion 113 in the downward direction. Through this, the guide portion 114 can sufficiently surround the upper part of the toner container 10 and prevent toner powder from leaking.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the discharge part 113 and/or the guide part 114 may be formed to move up and down. As shown in FIG. 6, after the toner container 10 rises to a certain height, the discharge portion 113 and/or the guide portion 114 moves downward so that the discharge portion 113 moves toward the toner container 10. It can be inserted inside to a precise depth, and the guide part 114 can be arranged to surround the outside of the toner container 10. Through this, the height can be controlled more accurately than by adjusting the height only with the support part 150.

The support portion 150 functions to support the toner container 10. The support unit 150 may include a support plate 151 on which the toner container 10 is disposed, and a height adjustment unit 152 that moves the support plate 151 up and down.

The support plate 151 is not particularly limited as long as it can stably support the toner container 10.

The height adjustment unit 152 functions to move the support plate 151 up and down. The height adjustment unit 152 may include an actuator or motor connected to the support plate 151, and may be driven by an operator or electrical energy. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the height adjustment unit 152 is an X-type lift, and may be driven by an operator operating the operating handle 153. As shown in FIG. 3, when the toner container 10 is placed on the support plate 151 with the height adjustment unit 152 positioned below the support plate 151, the height adjustment unit 152 is positioned below the support plate 151. (151) can be moved upward so that the inlet of the toner container 10 is inserted into the discharge portion 113.

The circulator 130 performs the function of recovering toner powder that has not entered the toner container 10 among the toner powder supplied from the discharge unit 113 and supplying it back to the hopper 110. The circulator 130 includes a suction pipe 131, one end of which is disposed in the space between the discharge portion 113 and the guide portion 114, to recover the remaining toner powder discharged from the discharge portion 113, and the suction pipe 131. The other end of the pipe 131 is connected and includes a supply part 132 arranged to supply the toner powder sucked by the suction pipe 131 to the input part 112 of the hopper 110.

The suction pipe 131 may be arranged so that one end faces the discharge part 113. Referring to FIG. 2, the suction pipe 131 passes through the guide part 114 and has one end of the guide part 114. It may be disposed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the discharge portion 113. Through this, toner powder that has not entered the toner container 10 can be effectively sucked in. The lowermost part of the suction pipe may be disposed higher than the lowest part of the discharge pipe. Referring to FIG. 3, since the discharge pipe is inserted into the inlet of the toner container 10, the location where the toner powder leaks is higher than the lowest part of the discharge pipe. Therefore, the suction pipe 131 must be placed higher than the discharge pipe to effectively suction the toner powder.

The supply unit 132 may include a pump. Through this, suction force can be provided to the suction pipe 131. The pump may be a rotary pump, but is not particularly limited. The supply unit 132 may further include a member (such as a pipe or nozzle) that supplies toner powder to the hopper 110.

The stirrer 120 functions to stir the toner powder inside the hopper container 111. The stirrer 120 may include a stirring blade and a motor that rotates the stirring blade. The stirring blade may be disposed in a portion of the hopper container 111 that has an inclined shape. Referring to Figure 2, the stirring blade may be disposed in the inner area of the funnel-shaped member. Referring to FIG. 3, a problem of toner powder agglomerating may occur because toner powder collects in the inner area of the funnel-shaped member, and agglomeration of the toner powder can be prevented by using a stirring blade.

The weight sensor 140 functions to measure the weight of the toner container 10 and the toner powder contained in the toner container 10. The weight sensor 140 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure weight. The toner container 10 may be placed on the weight sensor 140 disposed on the support portion 150.

The body 170 functions to isolate the discharge unit 113, the circulator 130, and the support unit 150 from the outside. The body 170 may include a wall and a door 171. The body 170 can protect each component from the outside or prevent toner powder from leaking to the outside.

The controller 160 receives information from each component of the toner powder supply device 100, stores or calculates the information, and performs functions of controlling operations. The controller 160 may include a control unit and a storage unit, and may further include a display device for providing information to the operator and an input device for allowing the operator to input information. In addition, it may further include a communication module for transmitting and receiving information with each component.

The control unit performs the function of receiving, storing and calculating information and providing commands, and the storage unit performs the function of storing information. The control unit may include at least one processor or semiconductor chip and may execute this task by executing a software program. The storage unit includes at least one semiconductor chip and stores information received from the circulator 130, the stirrer 120, the weight sensor 140, the height adjustment unit 152, etc., and various information related to the toner container 10. It may be to save it. The controller 160 may include a circuit in which components such as a control unit and a storage unit are mounted on at least one PCB base.

The controller 160 can receive information and transmit commands by communicating wired or wirelessly with components such as the circulator 130, agitator 120, weight sensor 140, and height adjuster 152. .

Figures 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, another embodiment of the present invention may further include a screw supply unit 115. The screw supply unit 115 is a device that more smoothly supplies toner powder to the toner container 10 through the screw 115b. The screw supply unit 115 may include a screw guide 115c that is connected to one end of the discharge unit 113 and receives toner powder from the discharge unit 113 to the side or top. The screw guide 115c protects the screw 115b from the outside and guides the toner powder to move smoothly in a downward direction by the screw 115b. The screw 115b is disposed inside the screw guide 115c and moves the supplied toner powder downward. At this time, the toner powder can be broken into small pieces by rotating the screw 115b, supplied in a fixed amount, and prevented from flying out. A motor 115a for rotating the screw 115b may be placed on one side of the screw 115b. In addition, the lower part of the screw guide 115c may further include an adapter 115d for supplying toner powder to the toner container 10. The adapter 115d can be attached in a replaceable form according to the type of toner container 10, and has a shape that corresponds to the shape or size of the inlet of the toner container 10 to prevent toner powder from being discharged to the outside. can do.

The method of supplying toner powder to the toner container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the toner powder supply device 100 described above. The method includes placing a toner container (10) on the support portion (150); adjusting the height of the support part 150 so that the inlet of the toner container 10 is disposed between the discharge part 113 and the guide part 114; supplying toner powder from the hopper 110 to the toner container 10; And the suction pipe 131 of the circulator 130 sucks the toner powder discharged between the discharge part 113 and the guide part 114, and the supply part 132 sucks the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe 131. It includes; supplying into the hopper container 111.

In the step of placing the toner container 10 on the support unit 150, the controller 160 may receive the weight of the toner container 10 measured by the weight sensor 140. The storage unit of the controller 160 may store a database on the weight of the toner container 10, the size of the toner container 10, and the weight of toner powder to be sorted into the toner container 10, and the controller 160 can derive the height of the support part 150 and the classification weight of the toner powder corresponding to the weight of the toner container 10 from the database.

In the step of adjusting the height of the support part 150 so that the inlet of the toner container 10 is disposed between the discharge part 113 and the guide part 114, the controller 160 controls the toner container 10 ) The height of the support unit 150 can be controlled by sending a command to the height adjustment unit 152 to move the support unit 150 to the height of the support unit 150 calculated according to the weight of the support unit 150.

The step of adjusting the height of the support portion 150 so that the inlet of the toner container 10 is disposed between the discharge portion 113 and the guide portion 114 includes moving the discharge portion 113 downward. A step of inserting the discharge unit 113 into the toner container 10 may be further included (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Through this, the height of the discharge part 113 can be controlled more accurately. Additionally, this step may further include moving the guide portion 114 downward. The method of controlling the height of the discharge part 113 and the guide part 114 can be performed similarly to the method of controlling the height of the support part 150. The controller 160 may derive the height of the discharge unit 113 and the guide unit 114 corresponding to the weight of the toner container 10 from the database, and the controller 160 may determine the height of the toner container 10 ( By sending a command to the height adjustment unit 152 to move the discharge unit 113 and the guide unit 114 to the height of the discharge unit 113 and the guide unit 114 calculated according to the weight of 10) The height of the discharge part 113 and the guide part 114 can be controlled.

In the step of supplying toner powder from the hopper 110 to the toner container 10, the controller 160 may receive information about the amount of toner powder discharged from the ejector of the hopper 110. In addition, in the step where the supply unit 132 supplies the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe 131 into the hopper container 111, the controller 160 controls the suction pipe 131 from the circulator 130. ), it is possible to receive information about the amount of toner powder supplied into the hopper container 111. The controller 160 uses information about the amount of toner powder discharged by the discharge unit 113 and information about the amount excluding the amount of toner powder supplied by the circulator 130 to control the toner container ( 10), information on the actual supply amount can be calculated, and the ejector can be controlled to supply toner powder until the actual supply amount reaches the reference supply amount. More specifically, the actual supply amount supplied to the toner container 10 is calculated by subtracting the amount excluding the amount of toner powder supplied by the circulator 130 from the amount of toner powder discharged by the discharge unit 113. information can be calculated. The controller 160 can cause toner powder to be supplied from the discharge unit 113 until it corresponds to the weight of the toner powder corresponding to the toner container 10 derived previously.

The present invention is not limited by the above-described embodiments and attached drawings, but is intended to be limited by the attached claims. Accordingly, various forms of substitution, modification, and change may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims, and this also falls within the scope of the present invention. something to do.

100: toner powder supply device, 110: hopper, 111: hopper container, 112: input part, 113: discharge part, 114: guide part, 120: stirrer, 130: circulator, 131: suction pipe, 132: supply part, 140: Weight sensor, 150: support, 151: support plate, 152: height adjustment, 153: operating handle, 160: controller, 170: body, 171: door, 10: toner container

Claims (7)

A hopper through which toner powder is supplied;
a support portion at the top that supports a toner container containing toner powder discharged from the hopper; and
It includes a circulator that recovers the remaining toner powder discharged from the hopper and supplies it to the hopper,
The hopper includes a hopper container, an input portion that receives toner powder into the hopper container, an discharge portion that discharges the toner powder, and a guide portion surrounding the discharge portion,
The circulator is connected to a suction pipe at one end disposed in the space between the discharge portion and the guide portion to recover the remaining toner powder discharged from the discharge portion, and the other end of the suction pipe is connected to the toner powder sucked by the suction pipe. Comprising a supply part arranged to supply to the input part of the hopper,
Toner powder supply device.
According to paragraph 1,
The discharge portion has a tube shape disposed at the bottom of the hopper container and exposed downward,
The guide portion has a tubular shape concentric with the discharge portion,
Toner powder supply device.
According to paragraph 1,
The suction pipe penetrates the guide part, and one end thereof is disposed between the inner surface of the guide part and the outer surface of the discharge part,
Toner powder supply device.
According to paragraph 1,
A screw guide that receives the toner powder from the discharge unit, a screw that moves the supplied toner powder downward, a motor that rotates the screw, and a motor disposed below the screw guide to supply the toner powder to the toner container. Further comprising a screw supply unit including an adapter,
Toner powder supply device.
In the method of supplying toner powder to a toner container using the toner powder supply device of claim 1,
placing a toner container on the support portion;
adjusting the height of the support portion so that the inlet of the toner container is disposed between the discharge portion and the guide portion;
supplying toner powder from the hopper to the toner container; and
A suction pipe of the circulator sucks the toner powder discharged between the discharge unit and the guide unit, and the supply unit supplies the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe into the hopper container.
Toner powder supply method.
According to clause 5,
The toner powder supply device includes a weight sensor disposed on the support unit to measure the weight of the toner container, and a controller that receives the measured value of the weight sensor, controls the height of the support unit, and controls discharge of the toner powder from the hopper. It further includes,
In the step of placing the toner container on the support unit, the controller receives the weight of the toner container measured by the weight sensor,
In the step of adjusting the height of the support portion so that the inlet of the toner container is disposed between the discharge portion and the guide portion, the controller controls the height of the support portion to a height calculated according to the weight of the toner container. ,
Toner powder supply method.
According to clause 5,
The toner powder supply device includes a weight sensor disposed on the support unit to measure the weight of the toner container, and a controller that receives the measured value of the weight sensor, controls the height of the support unit, and controls discharge of the toner powder from the hopper. It further includes,
In the step of placing the toner container on the support unit, the controller receives the weight of the toner container measured by the weight sensor and calculates a standard supply amount from the received weight of the toner container,
In the step of supplying toner powder from the hopper to the toner container, the controller receives information about the amount of toner powder discharged from the discharger of the hopper,
In the step of supplying the toner powder supplied from the suction pipe into the hopper container by the supply unit, the controller receives information about the amount of toner powder supplied into the hopper container through the suction pipe from the circulator, ,
The controller calculates information about the actual supply amount supplied to the toner container using information about the amount of toner powder discharged by the discharge unit and information about the amount excluding the amount of toner powder supplied by the circulator. and controlling the ejector to supply toner powder until the actual supply amount reaches the reference supply amount,
Toner powder supply method.