JP2004115021A - Powder filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder filling apparatus which eliminates a load applied to a powder and can fill the powder with a uniform high density while keeping filling speed. <P>SOLUTION: The power filling apparatus for filling the powder supplied from a hopper into a powder container includes the hopper having a gas and powder inlet port, a powder outlet port and a gas outlet port, and an atmospheric pressure varying means for varying the atmospheric pressure in the hopper by taking in the external gas. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a powder filling device for filling a powder container with powder such as toner used for dry PPC, printer, FAX and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a copying machine or the like using an electrophotographic method, an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member is developed by a developing device with a toner powder and visualized. The toner used for the development is supplied by attaching a toner container to a developing device. When filling the toner container with the toner, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the powder conveyed from the large hopper is temporarily stored in the hopper 22 having the auger 21, and is then rotated by the rotation of the auger 21 by the drive motor 23. The powder container 25 is filled with a fixed amount while being measured from the opening at the bottom of the hopper 22 to the powder container 25 through the cutout portion 24. Each of the powder containers 25 moving on the conveyor 26 has its tare reduced before filling, and supplies a certain amount of powder by controlling the rotation speed of the auger 21 by the rotation speed of the drive motor 23 based on the data. I do. In addition, the powder container 25 after filling is weighed again, detects the amount of the filled powder by the difference from the previously measured tare, and excludes the one that does not satisfy or exceeds the allowable amount range. Like that.
[0003]
The powder supplied to the hopper 22 usually contains a large amount of air because it is transported by pneumatic transportation or the like. For this reason, it takes time for the powder to settle in the powder container 25, and the filling is not efficient and it is difficult to fill the powder at a high density.
[0004]
In order to remove air contained in the powder, for example, in the apparatuses and methods disclosed in JP-A-8-198203 (Patent Document 1) and JP-A-2001-301701 (Patent Document 2), Rather than allowing the powder to settle naturally in the powder container 4, air is actively separated and discharged for high-density filling.
[0005]
However, in the methods and apparatuses disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, since powder such as toner is filled by applying a load with an auger, the toner powder is bridged due to the rotational friction of the auger and a pressure piece is formed. Problem.
Further, in the powder filling apparatuses disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, a large number of holes through which air passes but powder does not pass are provided in an air separating portion at the tip of an air suction pipe. Therefore, it is necessary to machine a large number of small holes in the air suction tube, and there is a problem that the machining is not easy and requires much time and cost.
In addition, depending on the arrangement of a large number of holes in the air separation unit, air is not sufficiently separated in a portion far from the vicinity of the holes, so the distribution of air contained in the powder filled in the powder container may vary depending on the location. Therefore, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to uniformly increase the packing density, and it becomes impossible to fill the powder container with a sufficient filling amount.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-198203 [Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-301701 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned disadvantages, eliminate the load on the powder, and provide a powder filling apparatus capable of filling at a uniform high density while maintaining the filling speed. It is.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a powder filling device described below is provided.
[1] In an apparatus for filling a powder container with powder supplied from a hopper, a hopper having a gas and powder intake port, a powder discharge port, and a gas exhaust port, and a hopper by taking in an external gas into the powder container. And a pressure variable means for varying the pressure of the powder.
[2] The powder filling apparatus according to [1], wherein a non-contact portion is provided between the hopper and the powder discharge port or in the middle of the powder discharge port.
[3] The powder filling device according to [2], wherein the non-contact portion is covered with a cloth.
[4] The means for varying the air pressure in the hopper by taking in an external gas by opening and closing the exhaust valve provided in the hopper or the powder exhaust port in accordance with the filling amount of the powder. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein
[5] The powder filling device according to [4], wherein the on-off valve is made of an elastic material.
[6] The powder according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein a plurality of powder removal layers made of a sieve mesh or a filter having different meshes are provided at an inlet of a gas exhaust port. Body filling device.
[7] The powder filling apparatus according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the hopper is provided with spiral irregularities.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a state in which a powder such as a toner is filled from a powder storage tank through each stage until the powder is finally filled into the powder container. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a gas exhaust port for discharging gas. 2a is an electromagnetic valve, 2b is an electromagnetic valve, 3 is a powder discharge port for discharging powder, 4 is a flow of air in the hopper, 5 is a gas and a powder taken into the hopper, , A hopper, 7 a powder container, 8 a powder, and 9 a scale.
1 (a) is an explanatory view of the powder filling apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1 (b) is a view of the flow of powder in the hopper 6 of the powder filling apparatus as viewed from above. FIG.
[0010]
The powder filling device of the present invention is a device for filling powder into a powder container from a hopper. As shown in FIG. 1, the powder filling apparatus includes: (1) a powder supply unit mainly composed of a large-capacity powder storage tank (not shown) and a hopper 6; And (3) a measuring device 9 and (4) an air suction device (not shown) such as a central or vacuum cleaner.
[0011]
The hopper 6 constituting the powder filling apparatus of the present invention has a gas and powder inlet 5, a powder outlet 3, and a gas outlet 1. Further, the powder filling device of the present invention is provided with a pressure varying means for varying the pressure inside the hopper 6 by taking in an external gas.
[0012]
Since the powder filling apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above, when air is sucked from an air suction device (not shown) through the gas exhaust port 1 (that is, a pipe provided at the upper center of the hopper 6), the hopper is sucked. The inside of the hopper 6 is decompressed, and the gas provided on the side surface of the hopper and the gas are sucked into the hopper 6 from the powder inlet 5, and the powder such as toner is also sucked into the hopper 6 together with the gas. The sucked air becomes a swirling airflow inside the hopper 6 as shown in FIG. 1B, gradually rises toward the center while swirling the side surface inside the hopper 6, and is provided at the upper center of the hopper. The gas is exhausted from the gas exhaust port 1. On the other hand, the sucked powder such as toner or the like turns on the side of the hopper 6 together with the air, but because it is heavier than air, it is filled into the powder container 7 from the powder outlet 3 at the lower part of the hopper 6 by the action of gravity. When the filling amount set in the measuring device 9 provided under the container 7 is reached, air enters the hopper 6 from the outside and the pressure inside the hopper 6 becomes the same as the outside pressure by the function of the air pressure varying means. The suction of the powder is stopped.
[0013]
Since the powder filling device of the present invention fills the powder container 7 with the powder such as the toner in this way, unlike the conventional device, the powder filled in the powder container 7 has the air removed therefrom. As a result, since there is no portion that applies a high load to the powder such as the auger, there is no problem of a press piece due to bridging of the powder due to rotational wear of the auger or the like.
[0014]
In the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a non-contact portion 10 is provided between the hopper 6 and the powder discharge port 3 so that the hopper 6 and the powder discharge port 3 are not directly connected. Preferably, the non-contact portion 10 is provided in the middle of the powder discharge port 3 so that the hopper 6 and the entire powder discharge port 3 are not directly connected. When the hopper 6 and the powder discharge port 3 are connected, the pressure inside the hopper is reduced, and the weight of the hopper itself fluctuates. If the non-contact portion 10 is provided between the hopper 6 and the powder discharge port 3, the connection with the hopper 6 is lost, and the weight of the powder itself such as toner filled in the powder container 7 is easily measured. And the filling accuracy is improved.
Preferably, the non-contact portion 10 is covered with a tubular cloth 11 as shown in FIG. With this configuration, it is possible to easily prevent the powder from spilling out. However, the present invention is not limited to the fabric, and the non-contact portion 10 may be covered with, for example, a bellows hose.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 3, the air pressure varying means of the present invention is configured such that an exhaust valve 12 provided in a hopper 6 is provided with a discharge valve opening / closing device 13 corresponding to the amount of powder charged into a powder container 7. It is preferable that the opening / closing signal be a means for taking in an external gas to change the air pressure in the hopper. When the exhaust valve 12 acting in this manner is provided, when the filling amount set in the measuring device 9 provided below the powder container 7 is reached, the exhaust valve 12 provided at the outlet of the hopper 6 opens, Air enters the hopper 6 from the outside, and the air pressure in the hopper 6 becomes the same as the external air pressure, and the suction of the powder is stopped. If the opening and closing of the exhaust valve 12 is controlled in this manner, the powder such as toner remaining in the hopper 6 will not be filled in the powder container 7, so that the filling accuracy is excellent. Become.
However, in the present invention, the exhaust valve 12 may be provided at the outlet of the hopper 6, but may be provided in the powder exhaust port 3.
[0017]
The on-off valve 12 is preferably made of a resilient material such as plastic, rubber, or cotton. If the on-off valve 12 is made of a material having no elasticity, a gap is easily formed between the hopper 6 and the on-off valve 12, or between the powder discharge port 3 and the on-off valve 12. However, there is a risk that the powder will drop and the filling amount of the powder will vary.
[0018]
In the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of powder removal layers 14 composed of sieve nets or filters having different meshes are provided at the inlet of the gas exhaust port 1 as shown in FIG. If such a powder removing layer 14 is not provided, a small amount of powder such as toner is discharged together with gas (usually air) from the gas exhaust port 1 in the upper part of the hopper, so that the yield is slightly increased. descend. An inner layer formed of a coarse mesh (# 100 or less) sieve or a filter and an outer layer formed of a fine mesh (# 2000-3000) sieve or a filter are provided at the inlet of the exhaust port above the hopper 6. When the exhaust valve 12 is opened, gas enters from the outside when the exhaust valve 12 is opened, the pressure inside the hopper 6 rises, and the toner caught by the filter Since it falls to the hopper outlet, the yield is improved.
[0019]
In the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable that the hopper 6 is provided with spiral irregularities 15. If the spiral irregularities 15 are not provided, the powder such as toner acts as a lid and blocks the outlet of the hopper 6, so that the air in the powder container 7 cannot be smoothly discharged. There is a possibility that the filling of the toner into the powder container 7 may be delayed. When the spiral unevenness 15 is provided, the flow of the powder is stabilized, so that it is possible to prevent the powder from acting as a lid and blocking the outlet of the hopper 6. Further, since the powder flows on the side surface of the hopper 6 and the air flows in the center of the hopper 6 without blocking the powder outlet 3, the speed of filling the powder container 7 with the powder is increased.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
In the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, a hopper having a gas and powder intake port, a powder discharge port, and a gas exhaust port, and a pressure variable means for varying the pressure inside the hopper by taking in an external gas include: Because it is provided, unlike the conventional device, the powder filled in the powder container is densely filled because the air is removed, and there is no part that applies a load to the powder such as auger Therefore, there is no problem of pressing pieces due to bridging of powder due to rotational wear of an auger or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 (a) is an explanatory view of a powder filling device of the present invention as viewed from the front. FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the powder in the hopper of the powder filling device of the present invention as viewed from above.
FIG. 2 (a) is an explanatory view of a powder filling device of the present invention, provided with a non-contact portion, as viewed from the front. FIG. 2B is an explanatory view of the flow of the powder in the hopper of the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, which is provided with the non-contact portion, as viewed from above.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a powder filling apparatus of the present invention, as viewed from the front, provided with an air pressure varying means including an exhaust valve and a discharge valve opening / closing device.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a powder filling apparatus of the present invention, in which a plurality of powder removing layers 14 are provided, as viewed from the front.
FIG. 5 (a) is an explanatory view of a powder filling apparatus of the present invention, in which spiral ridges are provided in a hopper, as viewed from the front. FIG. 5B is an explanatory view of the flow of the powder in the hopper of the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, as viewed from above, in which spiral undulations are provided in the hopper.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional powder filling device.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of another conventional powder filling apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 gas exhaust port 2 powder discharge port 5 gas and powder intake port 6 hopper 7 powder container 8 powder 9 measuring device 10 non-contact portion 11 cloth 12 discharge valve 13 discharge valve opening / closing device 14 powder removal layer 15 spiral Unevenness

Claims (7)

In a device that fills a powder container with powder supplied from a hopper, a hopper having a gas and powder intake port, a powder discharge port, and a gas exhaust port, and the pressure inside the hopper is increased by taking in an external gas. A powder filling device, comprising: a variable pressure variable means. The powder filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a non-contact portion is provided between the hopper and the powder discharge port or in the middle of the powder discharge port. The powder filling device according to claim 2, wherein the non-contact portion is covered with a fabric. The air pressure changing means is means for changing the air pressure in the hopper by taking in an external gas by opening and closing an exhaust valve provided in the hopper or in the powder exhaust port in accordance with the amount of the filled powder. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The powder filling device according to claim 4, wherein the on-off valve is made of a resilient material. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of powder removal layers including sieve nets or filters having different meshes are provided at an inlet of the gas exhaust port. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a spiral irregularity is provided in the hopper.

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