JP2006171583A - Developer charging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developer charging apparatus capable of suppressing the blockage of a developer in order to carry and fill a two-component developer consisting of toner and magnetic grains to/in a developing device. <P>SOLUTION: In the developer charging apparatus for conveying and charging the two-component developer consisting of toner and magnetic grains to be used for the developing device, a charging hopper part A includes a charging hopper 7 and a needle valve 10, and steps 7a are spirally formed on the charging hopper 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a developer that discharges and fills a sealed case with a two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic particles, which is used in a constant amount discharge and filling device for powder, particularly a developing device equipped in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a filling device.

Conventionally, a developer filling device that fills an enclosing case with a two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic particles used in a developing device equipped in an electrophotographic process type image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer. Is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
The developer filled in the enclosing case is used when the developer is filled in the developing container of the developing device when the copying machine, the developing device, or the like is shipped from the factory. On the user side, it is used to replenish the carrier in the developing device when the carrier is reduced.
Patent Document 1 discloses a developer transfer method and an image forming apparatus that enable a developer to be transferred by applying air to the developer. Patent Document 2 discloses a developer filling funnel which is prevented by limiting the discharge diameter of the funnel as a method for preventing the developer filling funnel from being blocked.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a general developer filling apparatus for discharging developer together with an enlarged sectional view of a filling hopper. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the developer filling method in a state where the tip of the needle valve is at the sealing position. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the developer filling method in a state where the tip of the needle valve is lifted from the sealing position.
6 to 8, the developer filling device 1 includes a frame 4 that extends from a column 3 on a base 2. A developer supply hopper 5 is supported on the frame 4, and the developer supply hopper 5 is configured to be connected to a filling hopper 7 via a shooter pipe 6. Further, an electronic balance 8 is provided on the base 2 and a cup (enclosure case) 9 is mounted thereon.
As shown in the enlarged view, a needle valve 10 is provided in the filling hopper 7. The needle valve 10 is connected to an air cylinder 11 above the needle valve 10, and a needle open / close time timer 12 is connected to the air cylinder 11. ing. The developer is put into the developer supply hopper 5, drops and passes through the shooter pipe 6, and reaches the filling hopper 7 of the filling hopper portion A.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the filling hopper A, the filling outlet 13 is sealed by pressing the tip 10 </ b> A of the needle valve 10 larger than the filling outlet diameter to stop the developer dropping. By moving the needle valve 10 upward to open the filling outlet (FIG. 8), the developer in the filling hopper 7 falls by its own weight. Here, the discharge amount is set by controlling the opening / closing time of the filling outlet by the needle valve 10 by the needle opening / closing time timer 12.
Here, there is a problem in that a large amount of the developer is temporarily stagnated at the developer discharge portion (filling outlet 13) or the like during the filling, and as a result, the developer is often blocked by the filling hopper 7. was there.
This is because the developer fluidity does not mesh with the discharge speed from the filling hopper 7, and the developer is blocked at the narrowed developer discharge portion that is most susceptible to the powder pressure.
JP 2003-029509 A JP-A-6-314025

In order to prevent this, it is effective to reduce the discharging speed of the developer from the filling hopper 7 to such an extent that clogging does not occur, but there is also a problem that if the discharging speed is slowed, the filling time becomes long.
In view of the above-described circumstances, an object of the present invention is to develop a developing device that prevents clogging by a developer so as to transport and fill a two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic particles and other powders in the developing device. It is in providing an agent filling device.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a developer filling device that conveys and fills a powdery developer, and includes a filling hopper that discharges from a filling outlet while holding toner. A needle valve that is disposed in the filling hopper so as to be movable forward and backward, and opens and closes the filling outlet, wherein a spiral step for delaying the developer flow rate is provided on the inner wall of the filling hopper. Features.
The invention of claim 2 is a developer filling device for conveying and filling a powdery developer, and is disposed so as to be able to move forward and backward in the filling hopper, holding a toner and discharging it from a filling outlet. And a needle valve that opens and closes the filling outlet, wherein a spiral step is provided at the tip of the needle valve.
The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 1, a spiral step is provided on the outer periphery of the tip of the needle valve.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or third aspect, the step provided in the filling hopper is a V groove.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the step provided on the needle valve is a V-groove.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first, second, or third aspect, the step is a protrusion, and a cross-sectional shape of the protrusion is a semicircular shape.

  According to the present invention, since a spiral step is provided on the inner surface of the developer-filled hopper, there is a difference in the time to reach the discharge portion even if the amount of developer that would normally be clogged is introduced. It is possible to provide a developer filling device that suppresses clogging of the agent.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a filling hopper portion of a developer filling apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view for explaining the size of the lower portion of the filling hopper shown in FIG. A developer filling apparatus using this filling hopper is shown in FIG. 6 as a general developer filling apparatus. Therefore, referring to FIG. 6 together, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals for description.
In short, this developer filling device is connected to the developer supply hopper 5 that stores and supplies the developer, the filling hopper A that discharges the developer by opening and closing the needle valve 10, and the developer supply hopper 5 and the filling hopper A. The shooter pipe section 6 is configured by a control section (CPU) for controlling the opening / closing time and opening / closing operation of the needle valve 10 and a measuring section 8 for confirming a desired discharge weight.
This embodiment is a developer filling device that conveys and fills a powdery developer, and holds the toner and discharges it from the filling outlet 7A, and can freely advance and retreat into the filling hopper. The arrangement is provided with a needle valve 10 that opens and closes the filling outlet, and is characterized in that a spiral step 7a for delaying the developer flow rate is provided on the inner wall of the filling hopper. This filling device is used as a means for filling, for example, a two-component developer into a sealed case.
That is, in the filling hopper part A of FIG. 1, the needle valve 10 is arranged in the filling hopper 7 so as to be vertically movable by a driving source (air cylinder, motor, etc.) not shown controlled by a control part not shown. The filling outlet 7A can be opened and closed. A semicircular step (protrusion, protrusion) 7 a is spirally provided on the lower inner wall of the filling hopper 7. The cross-sectional shape of the step 7a is arbitrary, but in this example, it is arcuate (semicircular), and a spiral is drawn on the lower inner wall at a predetermined pitch and a predetermined number of turns. The dimensions related to the spiral step 7a are as shown in FIG.
When developer (toner, or toner and magnetic particles) is introduced into the filling hopper 7 from the shooter pipe 6, the developer is divided into several blocks by a step 7 a provided on the inner surface of the bottom of the filling hopper 7. . As a result, a developer having a slow flow toward the outlet under the influence of the step 7a is produced.
Therefore, normally, even if an amount that causes the clogging at the discharge port 7A without being meshed with the fluidity of the developer and the amount of the developer input, the amount of the developer that reaches the discharge port is reduced. Is the same as reducing the input amount and can block the discharge port.

As a comparative example, reference is made to the shape of the conventional filling hopper 7 shown in FIG. In the case of a filling hopper having a discharge diameter of Φ6, an inclination angle of 120 °, and an opening diameter of Φ140, if an attempt is made to fill 170 g of developer, the developer is blocked at the discharge port 7A at a rate of 8 times in 10 times. I was in trouble. Further, the filling time when no blockage occurred was about 106 seconds.
In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the developer filling hopper 7 has a helical shape having a pitch 10 and a radius 2 in the shape (discharge diameter φ6, inclination angle 120 °, opening diameter φ140). A step 7a was added.
As a result, the developer is divided into several lumps by the spiral step 7 a on the inner surface of the filling hopper 7. As for the developer flow, there are a flow method influenced by the step 7a and a flow method unaffected, thereby causing a difference in the arrival time of the developer to the developer discharge portion where funnel clogging is most likely to occur.
Therefore, it is possible to perform the developer filling in which the discharge port is not blocked due to the amount of the introduced developer and the fluidity of the developer not meshing with each other. By adopting this shape, when 170 g of the developer was charged, the funnel clogging at the discharge portion was reduced to a ratio of once every 20 times.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a second embodiment of the filling hopper of the developer filling apparatus according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, a step (concave or convex) 10a having a radius of 1 mm and a pitch of 3 mm is provided at the tip 10A of the needle valve 10 in the filling hopper 7 itself. The steps may be spiral, simple grooves, or arranged in the form of dots. This reduced funnel obstruction to a rate of 1 in 10 times.
Instead of the recess, a semicircular step as shown in FIG. 1 may be provided on the outer periphery of the tip of the needle valve in a spiral manner or other arrangement.
By providing the step 10a on the needle valve 10, even if a developer amount that would otherwise be blocked is introduced, a difference occurs in the time to reach the discharge port, so that it is possible to provide a developer filling device that prevents the developer from being blocked.
Further, according to the filling hopper portion (not shown) of the third embodiment, which is a combination of the first embodiment and the second embodiment of FIGS. It decreased to the rate of once per time.
In this way, by providing steps on the inner surface of the developer-filling hopper and the needle valve, even if the amount of developer that would normally be clogged is introduced, there will be a difference in the time to reach the discharge part. It is possible to provide a developer filling device that prevents clogging.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a fourth embodiment of a filling hopper portion of the developer filling apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, a V-groove 7b (or V projection) having a width of 5 mm and a depth of 3 mm is provided as a step on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the filling hopper 7 to form a stepped filling hopper. The V groove 7b as the step may be continuously formed over the entire inner wall, or may be intermittently arranged. Alternatively, the V groove may be provided in a spiral shape. As a result, the flow rate of the developer decreased, and the funnel clogging decreased to a ratio of 3 times to 10 times.
Thus, instead of providing a spiral step on the inner surface of the developer filling hopper, it is possible to create a developer filling apparatus that can be produced by a cutting method in the production of the filling hopper by forming a V groove. Can be provided.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a fifth embodiment of the filling hopper of the developer filling apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 5, the tip 10A of the needle valve 10 in the filling hopper 7 is provided with a V groove 10b as a step having a depth of 1 mm and an interval of 3 mm. This reduced funnel obstruction to a rate of once every 15 times. A V-groove 7b is also formed in the lower inner wall of the filling hopper 7 as necessary.
Therefore, by forming a V groove (step) at the tip of the needle valve, the effect of the filling hopper and needle valve can prevent the discharge port from being blocked, and it can also be created by cutting in the production of the filling hopper. Can be provided.
The present invention can be applied not only to a two-component developer but also to a filling device for filling a container (a sealing case, a toner cartridge, etc.) with a toner alone or powder other than the developer.

Schematic which shows 1st Embodiment of the filling hopper part of the developing agent filling apparatus by this invention. Schematic explaining the dimension of the lower part of the filling hopper part of FIG. Schematic which shows 2nd Embodiment of the filling hopper part of the developing agent filling apparatus by this invention. Schematic which shows 4th Embodiment of the filling hopper part of the developing agent filling apparatus by this invention. Schematic which shows 5th Embodiment of the filling hopper part of the developing agent filling apparatus by this invention. Schematic which shows the general developer filling apparatus which discharges a developer with the enlarged view of a filling hopper. Schematic explaining the developer filling method in a state where the needle valve tip is in the sealing position. Schematic explaining a developer filling method in a state where the needle valve tip is raised from the sealing position.

Explanation of symbols

A Filling hopper, 5 Developer supply hopper, 7 Filling hopper, 7a Step (projection, protrusion), 8 Electronic balance, 9 Cup, 10 Needle valve, 10a Step (needle valve), 11 Air cylinder, 12 Needle open / close Time timer

Claims (6)

  A developer filling device that conveys and fills a powdery developer, holds a toner and discharges it from a filling outlet, and is disposed in the filling hopper so as to freely advance and retreat, and opens and closes the filling outlet. A developer filling apparatus comprising: a needle valve; and a spiral step for delaying a developer flow rate provided on an inner wall of the filling hopper.   A developer filling device that conveys and fills a powdery developer, holds a toner and discharges it from a filling outlet, and is disposed in the filling hopper so as to freely advance and retreat, and opens and closes the filling outlet. A developer filling apparatus comprising: a needle valve, wherein a spiral step is provided at a tip of the needle valve.   The developer filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spiral step is provided on the outer periphery of the tip of the needle valve.   The developer filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the step provided in the filling hopper is a V groove.   2. The developer filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the step provided on the needle valve is a V-groove. The developer filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the step is a protrusion, and the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion is a semicircular shape.

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