Conveying member, conveying device, powder supply container, and powder-using device

Abstract

To provide a transport member and the like capable of suppressing, reduction of transport ability of powder, even the powder is affected by high humidity and high temperature and vibration in transfer, relative to a transport member which has: a shaft which is rotatably arranged on a passage where the powder is transported; and a transport part which is provided on the shaft, is protruded only in one direction separated from the shaft, the film comprising a plurality of slits extending in an inclined state so as to approach the shaft and a flexible film.SOLUTION: A transport member comprises: a shaft which is rotatably provided on a passage in which powder is transported; a first transport part which is provided on the shaft, is protruded in a direction separated from the shaft, and has a plurality of first slits extending obliquely so as to approach the shaft and a flexible film; and a second transport part which is provided on the shaft, is protruded in an opposite direction of the first transport part, and has a plurality of second slits extending obliquely so as to approach the shaft and a flexible film.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying member, a conveying device, a powder supply container, and a powder-using device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a powder conveying member that includes a rotating member that rotates inside a container that contains powder; a contact member made of a film that has one end fixed to the rotating member and the other end, which is a free end, that bends when it comes into contact with the inner wall of the container, and has multiple notches formed in the axial direction of the rotating member, starting from the other end and extending diagonally toward the rotating member and terminating therein; and multiple protrusions that are provided in the axial direction of the rotating member and protrude from the rotating member toward the inner wall of the container to agitate the powder.

[0003] Patent document 2 describes a developer cartridge that includes a storage chamber for storing developer, a rotating shaft rotatably mounted in the storage chamber, a flexible member attached to the rotating shaft and made of a film having a slit formed therein that extends from an edge perpendicular to the rotating shaft toward the rotating shaft, and a support pillar that is mounted on at least one of one end and the other end along the rotating shaft and extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotating shaft. In addition, an example of an agitator that stirs and transports developer toner is an agitator that includes a shaft body, a film holding member fixed to one radial side of the shaft body, a film as a flexible member attached to the film holding member, a second film holding member fixed to the other radial side of the shaft body (the opposite side to the film holding member), a film as a flexible member attached to the second film holding member, and a wiper holding member fixed to the second film holding member.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a toner supply device that uses a member obtained by insert-molding a rectangular film onto a rotating shaft to form an agitator that agitates and transports toner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6547340 (Claim 1, paragraphs 0051-0055, Figures 1-5) [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4661625 (Claim 1, paragraphs 0046, 0051-0053, Figures 2-4, 20) [Patent Document 3] JP 10-301377 A (Claim 1, paragraphs 0008-0010, Figures 1-2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] This invention provides a conveying member that can suppress a decrease in the powder conveying capacity even when the powder is affected by high humidity and temperature or vibration during transport, as compared to a conveying member that has a shaft that is rotatably arranged in a passage through which powder is conveyed, and a conveying section that is formed of a flexible film and multiple slits that protrude from the shaft in only one direction away from the shaft and extend at an angle toward the shaft, as well as a conveying device, powder supply container, and powder utilization device that use this conveying member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention (1) is a shaft rotatably disposed in a passage through which the powder is conveyed; a first conveying section provided on the shaft so as to protrude in a direction away from the shaft, the first conveying section including a plurality of first slits extending obliquely toward the shaft and a flexible first film; a second conveying section provided on the shaft so as to protrude from the shaft in a direction opposite to the first conveying section, the second conveying section including a plurality of second slits extending obliquely so as to approach the shaft and a flexible second film; Equipped with 、 The first conveying unit and the second conveying unit are provided at portions of the shaft that are shifted to the same side from the shaft center without passing through the shaft center. It is a conveying member.

[0009] This invention (2 ) is the conveying member of the above invention (1), The second conveying section is a conveying member in which the length of the second film protruding from the axis is shorter than that of the first conveying section. This invention ( 3 ) is the above invention ( 2 ) In the conveying member of The first transport section is a transport member having a length that allows the first film to contact the passage.

[0010] This invention ( 4 ) is the conveying member of the above invention (1), The first slit and the second slit are conveying members whose starting ends that begin to extend toward the shaft are disposed on either side of the shaft and are shifted from each other in the axial direction. This invention ( 5 ) is the above invention ( 4 ) In the conveying member of The first slit and the second slit are conveying members whose adjacent starting ends are spaced the same apart.

[0011] This invention ( 6 ) is the conveying member of the above invention (1), The second slit is a conveying member whose length extending toward the axis is equal to or greater than that of the first slit. This invention ( 7 ) is the above invention ( 6 ) In the conveying member of The second slit is a conveying member whose end has finished extending closer to the shaft and whose distance to the shaft is equal to or less than that of the first slit.

[0012] This invention ( 8 ) is the above invention (1) to ( 7 ) In any one of the conveying members The first film and the second film are conveying members each made of a single film.

[0013] Also, this invention (9 )teeth, a passage body having a passage through which powder is conveyed; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage body and configured to convey the powder; a drive unit that rotates the conveying member; Equipped with The conveying member is The conveying member is configured as any one of the above inventions (1) to (8). Transport Device is.

[0014] This invention ( 10 ) is the above invention ( 9 ) In the conveying device, The first transport section and the second transport section are transport devices that are used in a state in which the first film and the second film are bent so as to bend back toward the upstream side in the rotation direction of the shaft.

[0015] Also, this invention ( 11 )teeth, a container body having a passage through which the contained powder is transported toward a discharge port; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage of the container body and configured to convey the powder; Equipped with The conveying member is any one of the above inventions (1) to ( 8 ) is a powder supply container configured with a conveying member.

[0016] This invention ( 12 ) is the above invention ( 11 ) powder supply container, The first conveying section and the second conveying section are powder supply containers that are used in a state in which the first film and the second film are bent so as to bend back toward the upstream side in the rotation direction of the shaft.

[0017] Furthermore, this invention ( 13 )teeth, a functional part in which powder is used; a supply unit through which powder to be supplied to the functional unit is conveyed through a passage; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage of the supply unit and configured to convey the powder; a drive unit that rotates the conveying member; Equipped with The conveying member is any one of the above inventions (1) to ( 8 ) is a powder utilization device that is configured with a conveying member.

[0018] This invention ( 14 ) is the above invention ( 13 ) powder utilization equipment, The first conveying section and the second conveying section are powder-using devices that are used in a state in which the first film and the second film are bent so as to bend back toward the upstream side in the rotation direction of the shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the conveying member of the above invention (1), compared to a conveying member having an axis rotatably arranged in the passage through which the powder is conveyed, and a conveying section formed of a flexible film and a plurality of slits protruding from the axis in only one direction away from the axis and extending at an angle toward the axis, the conveying member of the above invention (1) can suppress a decrease in the powder conveying capacity even if the powder is affected by high humidity and high temperature or vibration during transport. Furthermore, according to the above invention (1), compared to when the first conveying section and the second conveying section are provided on the part of the shaft that passes through the axis, it is possible to ensure both the ease of attachment of the first film of the first conveying section and the second film of the second conveying section and the rigidity of the shaft. According to the above invention (1), it is easier to make the first film of the first conveying section and the second film of the second conveying section bent asymmetrically across the axis, compared to when the first conveying section and the second conveying section are provided at offset parts on different sides of the axis.

[0021] The above invention ( 2 ) Compared to when the length of the second film in the second conveying section that protrudes from the axis is the same as that of the first conveying section, the first film in the first conveying section and the second film in the second conveying section are bent in different directions so that they are warped upstream in the rotation direction of the axis, thereby achieving approximately the same conveying performance. The above invention ( 3 ) makes it easier to obtain powder transport performance compared to when the first film of the first transport section has a length that does not contact the passage.

[0022] The above invention ( 4) makes it easier to transport the powder in a progressive direction in the direction it should be transported, compared to when the starting ends of the first and second slits that begin to extend toward the axis of the first and second slits are arranged on either side of the axis and in the same positional relationship with each other in the axial direction. The above invention ( 5 ) allows the powder to be conveyed in a sequential manner with less fluctuation than when the adjacent intervals between the start ends of the first slit and the second slit are different from each other.

[0023] The above invention ( 6 ) makes it easier to obtain powder conveying performance by the second conveying section compared to when the length of the second slit extending closer to the axis is shorter than that of the first slit. The above invention ( 7 ) makes it easier to obtain powder transport performance from the second transport section compared to when the distance between the axis of the end that has finished extending closer to the axis of the second slit and the axis is longer than that of the first slit.

[0024] The above invention ( 8 ) makes it easier to reduce assembly steps and costs compared to when the first film and the second film are composed of separate films.

[0025] In addition, the above invention ( 9 ) conveying device, the powder can be conveyed while suppressing a decrease in the powder conveying ability even when the powder is affected by high humidity and temperature or vibration, compared to a conveying member that is provided so as to protrude in only one direction away from the axis and has a conveying section made of a flexible film and multiple slits that extend at an angle toward the axis. The above invention ( 10 ) makes it easier to obtain powder transport performance using the transport member compared to when the transport member is not used in a bent state in which the first film of the first transport section and the second film of the second transport section are warped upstream in the rotation direction of the shaft.

[0026] In addition, the above invention ( 11) powder supply container, the powder can be transported to the discharge outlet without reducing the powder transporting ability even when the powder is affected by high humidity and temperature or vibration, compared to a conveying member that is provided so as to protrude in only one direction away from the axis and has a conveying section made of a flexible film and multiple slits that extend at an angle toward the axis. The above invention ( 12 ) makes it easier to obtain powder transport performance using the transport member compared to when the transport member is not used in a bent state in which the first film of the first transport section and the second film of the second transport section are warped upstream in the rotation direction of the shaft.

[0027] Furthermore, the above invention ( 13 ) powder utilization device, the powder to be supplied to the functional part can be transported while suppressing a decrease in the powder transporting ability even when the powder is affected by high humidity and temperature or vibration, compared to a transport part in which the transport member is provided so as to protrude only in one direction away from the axis and has a transport part made of a flexible film and multiple slits that extend at an angle toward the axis. The above invention ( 14 ) makes it easier to obtain powder transport performance using the transport member compared to when the transport member is not used in a bent state in which the first film of the first transport section and the second film of the second transport section are warped upstream in the rotation direction of the shaft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a powder supply container and a conveying member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the powder supply container when the powder is being conveyed. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying member taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the powder feeder taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a conveying member. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the shaft of the transport member and the film that constitutes the transport section. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first conveying section and a second conveying section of the conveying member during conveyance. [Figure 8] 1A is a graph showing the measurement results of the example of Test 1 when no stress was applied, and FIG. 1B is a graph showing the measurement results of the example when stress was applied. [Figure 9] 1A is a side view of a conveying member of a comparative example in Test 1, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the conveying member of FIG. 1A taken along line BB. [Figure 10] 1A is a graph showing the measurement results of the comparative example of Test 1 when no stress was applied, and FIG. 1B is a graph showing the measurement results of the comparative example when stress was applied. [Figure 11] 10A is a graph showing the results of summarizing the measurement results of Test 2, and FIG. 10B is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between the protruding length of the conveying portion of the conveying member prepared in Test 2. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the measurement results for each difference in protrusion length in Test 2. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a graph showing other measurement results for each difference in protrusion length in Test 2. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a transport device according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the side. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a powder utilizing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a part of the powder utilizing device of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of the powder utilizing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] First embodiment. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing components that make up powder feeding container 5 using a conveying member according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state when powder is being conveyed from powder feeding container 5. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying member in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of powder feeding container 5 in Fig. 2.

[0031] <Powder supply container> As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the powder supply container 5 comprises a container body 50 having a passage 52 through which the contained powder 19 is transported toward an outlet 53, and a transport member 1A that is rotatably arranged in the passage 52 of the container body 50 and transports the powder 19.

[0032] Powder supply container 5 according to the first embodiment is configured as a container that stores and supplies developer (toner), which is an example of powder 19. Powder 19 may be any powdery substance that can be transported by transport member 1A or the like that includes shaft 10, first transport section 20 made of a film, and second transport section 30 made of a film, which will be described later. Powder supply container 5 is also configured as a container that is removably attached to a mounting portion of a device that uses the developer, and therefore powder supply container 5 can also be called a toner cartridge.

[0033] First, the container body 50 comprises a cylindrical body portion 51 that is open at both ends, a lid portion 54 that closes the opening at one end of the body portion 51, a closing portion 55 that closes the opening at the other end of the body portion 51, and an opening / closing lid 56 that opens and closes the powder discharge outlet 53 provided at the bottom of the other end of the body portion 51.

[0034] Main body 51 has passage 52 formed therein. Passage 52 is formed as a cylindrical space with a circular cross section. A required amount of developer, which is powder 19, is pre-filled and stored in passage 52. Open / close lid 56 is configured to open discharge port 53 when powder feed container 5 is attached to the attachment portion, and to close discharge port 53 when powder feed container 5 is removed from the attachment portion.

[0035] The lid portion 54 is used, for example, to be removed to open one end of the main body portion 51 when filling the passage 52 of the main body portion 51 with powder 19, and to be attached after filling to close one end of the main body portion 51. The lid portion 54 is also provided at its inner central portion with a first bearing portion 57 having a support hole 57a that fits into and rotatably supports one end of the shaft 10 of the conveying member 1A.

[0036] The closing portion 55 is provided at a position slightly inward from the other end of the main body portion 51. As a result, the closing portion 55 forms a recess 51b that is recessed inward from the other end of the main body portion 51. Furthermore, a second bearing portion 58 is provided in the center of the closing portion 55, which fits into and rotatably supports the other end of the shaft 10 of the conveying member 1A. The closing portion 55 may be provided as part of the main body portion 51, or may be provided by attaching a member separate from the main body portion 51.

[0037] <Transportation components> Next, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the conveying member 1A comprises a shaft 10 rotatably arranged in a passage 52 through which the powder 19 is conveyed, a first conveying section 20 consisting of a first film 21 provided on the shaft 10 and protruding in a direction P1 away from the shaft 10 along the axial direction C of the shaft 10, and a second conveying section 30 consisting of a second film 31 provided on the shaft 10 and protruding from the shaft 10 in a direction P2 opposite to the first conveying section 20. The opposite direction P2 is not limited to a direction that forms an angle of 180° with respect to the receding direction P1, but also includes a direction that forms an angle within the range of 180°±45°.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 10 is a rod-shaped member that extends along the longitudinal direction B of the passage 52 in the container body 50, in other words, along the conveying direction Tr in which the powder 19 is conveyed. One end 10b of this shaft 10 is rotatably supported by the first bearing portion 57, and the other end 10c is rotatably supported by the second bearing portion 58. In addition, a shaft coupling (e.g., a coupling) 18 is attached to the other end 10c of the shaft 10, which is detachably connected to a drive shaft coupling of a drive transmission portion (not shown). The other end 10c of the shaft 10 is rotatably supported by the second bearing portion 58 via the shaft coupling 18.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 10 in the first embodiment is a member having a shape in which a thin and long mounting surface 12 is provided by scraping off a side portion of a round bar at a position offset by a dimension β from the axis 11. 5, the mounting surface 12 is provided with cylindrical positioning protrusions 13 and locking protrusions 14 with enlarged upper ends for mounting the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30. The positioning protrusions 13 and locking protrusions 14 are arranged in sets of one positioning protrusion 13 and two locking protrusions 14, and the sets are arranged at predetermined intervals along the axial direction C to achieve the required number of sets.

[0040] 3 and 5, shaft 10 in the first embodiment is provided with a plurality of stirring portions 16 for stirring powder 19 on the side surface opposite mounting surface 12. Stirring portions 16 are rod-shaped portions that protrude in a direction away from the shaft, and are provided at predetermined intervals in axial direction C of shaft 10. The stirring unit 16 is not essential and may be omitted.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, etc., the first conveying section 20 is made up of a plurality of first slits 22 extending obliquely so as to approach the axis 10, and a first film 21 having flexibility.

[0042] The first slits 22 are portions for dividing the first film 21 so that multiple conveying blades that protrude from the shaft 10 and extend obliquely to actually convey the powder 19 are present along the axial direction C. As an example, the first slits 22 in the first embodiment are linear slits. The first slits 22 are configured so that the slit lines form an acute inclination angle α1 with respect to the axial direction C so as to lean toward the conveying direction Tr of the powder 19. The inclination angle α1 of the first slits 22 is set to, for example, 45°.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the first conveying section 20 is formed by providing ten first slits 22 in the first film 21, thereby forming a conveying section having two end conveying blades 23F, 23R located at both ends in the axial direction C and multiple (nine in this example) inner conveying blades 24 between the end conveying blades 23F, 23R. The end conveying blades 23F, 23R are formed in a shape that suits the shape of both ends of the passage 52 and the presence or absence of components such as bearings at both ends. The multiple inner conveying blades 24 are formed in a parallelogram shape that is obliquely inclined along the inclination angle α1 of the first slit 22.

[0044] The flexibility of the first film 21 is a physical property that allows it to elastically deform so as to bend in a curved shape when it comes into contact with something (powder 19, the inner wall of the passage 52, etc.) and is moved. This flexibility is expressed, for example, as a modulus of longitudinal elasticity. The modulus of longitudinal elasticity is preferably, for example, 4 GPa or more. For example, a resin film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used as the first film 21. The thickness of the first film 21 is preferably within a range of 100 μm to 200 μm.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the first conveying section 20 is configured so that the length J1 of the first film 21 protruding from the shaft 10 is a required value. The length J1 of the first film 21 protruding from the shaft 10 is the length of the portion of the first film 21 away from the shaft 10, excluding the portion used when attaching the first film 21 to the shaft 10. In the first embodiment, the length J1 of the first film 21 protruding from the surface of the shaft 10 is based on the protruding length of the inner conveying blade 24.

[0046] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, etc., the second conveying section 30 is composed of a plurality of second slits 32 extending obliquely so as to approach the axis 10 and a second flexible film 31.

[0047] The second slits 32 are portions for dividing the second film 31 so that multiple inner conveying blades 34 that protrude from the shaft 10 and extend obliquely to actually convey the powder 19 are positioned along the axial direction C. As with the first slits 22, the second slits 32 in the first embodiment employ linear slits, which are an example of such a slit. The second slits 32 are configured so that the slit lines form an acute inclination angle α2 with respect to the axial direction C so as to lean toward the conveyance direction Tr of the powder 19. As with the first slits 22, the inclination angle α2 of the second slits 32 is set to, for example, 45°.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the second conveying section 30 is formed by providing nine second slits 32 in the second film 31, thereby forming a conveying section having two end conveying blades 33F, 33R located at both ends in the axial direction C and multiple (eight in this example) inner conveying blades 34 between the end conveying blades 33F, 33R. The end conveying blades 33F, 33R are formed in a shape that suits the shape of both ends of the passage 52 and the presence or absence of components such as bearings at both ends. The multiple inner conveying blades 34 are formed in a parallelogram shape that is obliquely inclined along the inclination angle α2 of the second slit 32.

[0049] In addition, second conveying section 30 has a right-angled triangular notch 38 formed in the portion of end conveying blade 33R closer to shaft 10, with its hypotenuse forming a diagonal line along inclination angle α2. This notch 38 functions to reduce contact between second conveying section 30 and powder 19 when conveying member 1A rotates, thereby reducing the drive torque required for rotation.

[0050] The flexibility of the second film 31 is the same physical property as the flexibility of the first film 21. This flexibility is also expressed, for example, as a modulus of longitudinal elasticity. The modulus of longitudinal elasticity is preferably, for example, 4 GPa or more. For example, a resin film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used as the second film 31. The thickness of the second film 31 also preferably falls within the range of 100 μm to 200 μm.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the second conveying section 30 is configured so that the length J2 of the second film 31 protruding from the shaft 10 is a required value. The length J2 of the second film 31 protruding from the shaft 10 is the length of the portion of the second film 31 away from the surface of the shaft 10, excluding the portion used when attaching the second film 31 to the shaft 10. In the first embodiment, the length J2 of the second film 31 protruding from the shaft 10 is based on the protruding length of the inner conveying blade 34.

[0052] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, etc., the first film 21 and the second film 31 are configured as one integral film 40. As shown in FIG.

[0053] Before being processed, the film 40 has a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction C. 6 and other figures, the film 40 has a portion extending over the entire lengthwise direction at approximately the center of the widthwise direction thereof processed as an attachment portion 41 to be used when attaching the film 40 to the shaft 10. One portion (the lower side in FIG. 6) of the attachment portion 41 of the film 40 is processed as the first film 21 that constitutes the first conveying section 20. The other portion (the upper side in FIG. 6) of the attachment portion 41 of the film 40 is processed as the second film 31 that constitutes the second conveying section 30.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 6 etc., the mounting portion 41 is a rectangular portion that extends elongatedly in the longitudinal direction of the film 40. As shown in Fig. 5, the mounting portion 41 is provided with a positioning hole 42 into which the positioning protrusion 13 on the shaft 10 is fitted, and a mounting hole 43 into which the locking protrusion 14 on the shaft 10 is fitted. The positioning hole 42 is formed as a substantially circular hole. The mounting hole 43 is formed as a hole having a central hole portion with a diameter smaller than that of the enlarged head portion of the locking projection 14 and auxiliary hole portions that extend and protrude on both sides of the central hole portion along the axial direction C.

[0055] The portion of the film 40 to be made into the first film 21 is processed so as to have the above-mentioned end conveying blades 23F, 23R and multiple inner conveying blades 24 by providing the above-mentioned multiple first slits 22, etc. In addition, the portion of the film 40 that will become the second film 31 is processed so as to have the above-mentioned end conveying blades 33F, 33R and multiple inner conveying blades 34 by providing the above-mentioned multiple second slits 32, etc.

[0056] The conveying member 1A is assembled by attaching the film 40 to the attachment surface 12 of the shaft 10, as shown in FIGS. Specifically, the positioning hole 42 and the mounting hole 43 in the mounting portion 41 of the film 40 are fitted into the positioning protrusion 13 and the locking protrusion 14, respectively, on the mounting surface 12 of the shaft 10. This results in the film 40 being mounted on the shaft 10, completing the conveying member 1A. In this way, the assembly of the conveying member 1A requires only the work of attaching one film 40 to the shaft 10, which reduces the assembly labor and costs compared to a conveying member in which the first film 21 and the second film 31 are composed of separate films.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying member 1A has the film 40 attached to the attachment surface 12 at a position displaced by a dimension β from the axis 11 of the shaft 10. Therefore, in the conveying member 1A, the first conveying section 20 and the second conveying section 30 are provided on a portion of the shaft 10 that does not pass through the shaft center 11 (attachment surface 12).

[0058] 3, the conveying member 1A is configured to attach a film 40 having portions constituting the first film 21 and the second film 31 to the same attachment surface 12 of the shaft 10. For this reason, the conveying member 1A has the first conveying section 20 and the second conveying section 30 disposed at positions of the shaft 10 that are offset to the same side from the central axis 11. "Offset to the same side" in this case means that, as shown in Fig. 3, when an imaginary line VL is drawn in the vertical direction passing through the central axis 11, the first conveying section 20 and the second conveying section 30 are both present at a distance from the central axis 11 in one of the two left and right regions separated by the imaginary line VL.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the length J1 of the conveying member 1A protruding from the axis 10 of the first film 21 constituting the first conveying section 20 is longer than the value at which the conveying member 1A reaches and comes into contact with the inner wall 52a of the passage 52 when placed in the passage 52. In addition, in the conveying member 1A, the length J2 of the second film 31 constituting the second conveying section 30 protruding from the shaft 10 is shorter than that of the first conveying section 20 (the length J1 of the first film 21 protruding from the shaft 10) (J2 <J1)。

[0060] 3, the protruding length J1 in the first embodiment is the length from one end (the lower end in FIG. 3) 12b of the mounting surface 12 of the shaft 10 to the free end 24a of the inner conveying blade 24 of the first film 21. Also, the protruding length J2 is the length from the other end (the upper end in FIG. 3) 12c of the mounting surface 12 of the shaft 10 to the free end 34a of the inner conveying blade 34 of the second film 31.

[0061] Here, assuming that the protruding length J1 of the first film 21 is equal to or greater than the value at which it contacts the inner wall 52a of the passage 52, the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 constituting the second conveying section 30 may be equal to or greater than the value at which it contacts the inner wall 52a of the passage 52, or may be equal to or greater than the value at which it does not contact the inner wall 52a of the passage 52.

[0062] Furthermore, as shown in the lower part of Figure 1 and Figure 6, the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 in the conveying member 1A are arranged such that the starting ends 22s, 32s that begin to extend toward the axis 10 are positioned on either side of the axis 10 and are offset from each other in the axial direction C.

[0063] At this time, the starting ends 22s and 32s become the ends where the respective cuts of the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 start. In the first embodiment, the starting end 22s of the first slit 22 and the starting end 32s of the second slit 32 are shifted by a dimension δ (shift amount) as shown in FIG. Furthermore, since the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 are both linear cuts extending at the same inclination angles α1 and α2, the ends 22e and 32e of the cuts are positioned in the same positional relationship as the starting ends 22s and 32s. In the first embodiment, when the starting end 22s of the first slit 22, which is positioned at the most upstream side of the conveying direction Tr of the powder 19 intended by the conveying member 1A, is used as a reference, the starting end 32s of the second slit 32 is positioned so as to be located downstream of the starting end 22s of the first slit 22 in the conveying direction Tr.

[0064] In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, for the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 in the conveying member 1A, the adjacent intervals W1 and W2 between the respective starting ends 22s and 32s are the same value. At this time, since both the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 are linear cuts extending at the same inclination angles α1 and α2, they are in a relationship corresponding to the respective widths along the axial direction C of the inner conveying blades 24 and 34. Therefore, it can be said that the inner conveying blades 24 and 34 in the conveying member 1A are set to have the same width along the axial direction C. Also, in this relationship, the end conveying blade 33F in the second conveying unit 30 has a hypotenuse 33c (FIG. 6) obtained by cutting off the corner at the free end so that its width becomes W2.

[0065] Furthermore, in the conveying member 1A, as shown in FIG. 6, the length L2 extending closer to the axis 10 of the second slit 32 is equal to or greater than the length of the first slit 22 (the length L1 extending closer to the axis 10) (L2≧L1). The respective extending lengths L1 and L2 of the first slit 22 and the second slit 32 are the lengths between their respective starting ends 22s, 32s and their respective ending ends 22e, 32e. In the first embodiment, the extending length L2 of the second slit 32 is set to a value larger than the extending length L1 of the first slit 22 (L2>L1).

[0066] [[ID=…]] In addition, in the conveying member 1A, as shown in FIG. 6, the distance d2 from the ending end 32e where the second slit 32 ends to the axis 10 is equal to or less than the distance of the first slit 22 (the distance d1 from the ending end 22e to the axis 10) (d2≦d1). The distances d1 and d2 from the respective ending ends 22e, 32e to the axis 10 are the distances from the position corresponding to the axis center 11 (the midpoint in the vertical direction of the mounting surface 12). In the first embodiment, the distance d2 from the ending end 32e of the second slit 32 to the axis 10 is set to be shorter than the distance d1 from the ending end 22e of the first slit 22 to the axis 10 (d2<d1). Also, the ending end 32e of the second slit 32 is configured to be at a position approaching or reaching the other end 12c of the mounting surface 12 of the axis 10, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1. ]

[0067] The above-described conveying member 1A is rotatably attached in the passage 52 in the container body 50 of the powder feeder container 5. That is, as shown in Figure 2, within the passage 52, the other end 10c of the shaft 10 is attached to the second bearing portion 58 in the closing portion 55 via the shaft coupling 18, while one end 10b of the shaft 10 is attached to the first bearing portion 57 in the lid portion 54. In this way, powder feeder container 5 is assembled.

[0068] In fact, assembling powder feeder container 5 requires a process of placing conveying member 1A in passage 52 of container body 50, filling passage 52 with a required amount of developer, which is powder 19, and then fitting and attaching lid 54 to container body 50. After going through this process, powder feeder container 5 is in the completed state shown in FIG.

[0069] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 4, the conveying member 1A in the powder supply container 5 is used in a bent state in which the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 are curved back upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10.

[0070] 2, in the first conveying section 20, the free ends of the end conveying blades 23F, 23R of the first film 21 and the free ends 24b of the multiple inner conveying blades 24 are in contact with the inner wall 52a of the passage 52. In addition, in the first conveying section 20, the end conveying blades 23F, 23R and the multiple inner conveying blades 24 are curved in a convex shape toward the upstream side in the rotation direction E between the terminal end 22e of the first slit 22 and the free ends 24b, as illustrated by dashed lines in FIGS. 2 and 7 or by solid lines in FIG. 4.

[0071] 2, in the second conveying section 30, the free ends of the end conveying blades 33F, 33R of the second film 31 and the free ends 34b of the multiple inner conveying blades 34 are in contact with the inner wall 52a of the passage 52. In addition, in the second conveying section 30, the end conveying blades 33F, 33R and the multiple inner conveying blades 34 are curved in a convex shape toward the upstream side in the rotation direction E between the end 32e of the second slit 32 and the free ends 34b, as illustrated by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS.

[0072] Furthermore, when the distance d2 between the end 32e of the second slit 32 and the axis 10 is shorter than the distance d1 between the end 22e of the first slit 22 and the axis 10, as shown in Fig. 4, the inner conveying blades 34 in the second conveying section 30 are curved from a position closer to the axis 10 than the inner conveying blades 24 in the first conveying section 20. As a result, the inner conveying blades 34 in the second conveying section 30 are more likely to curve backward toward the upstream side in the direction of rotation E, similar to the inner conveying blades 24 in the first conveying section 20, making it easier to obtain a good conveying force.

[0073] Furthermore, as illustrated by the dotted line in Figure 4, if the inner conveying blade 34 in the second conveying section 30 becomes curved downstream in the rotation direction E, the entire film 40 including the first conveying section 20 will have the shape of an upside-down C, and good conveying force in the conveying direction Tr will not be obtained.

[0074] Powder supply container 5 is used by being detachably attached to a mounting portion provided on the device in which it is to be used. Furthermore, when the powder supply container 5 is attached to its attachment portion, the open / close lid 56 opens the discharge port 53, as illustrated by the two-dot chain line in Figure 2, and the shaft coupling 18 of the shaft 10 is connected to the drive shaft coupling 68 of the drive unit of the device to be used (not shown).

[0075] <Powder supply container operation> Next, the operation of powder feeder container 5 will be described.

[0076] When rotational power is input to the shaft 10 of the conveying member 1A of the powder supply container 5 via the shaft coupling 18, the conveying member 1A rotates around the shaft 10 within the passage 52 in the direction indicated by the arrow E, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

[0077] At this time, conveying member 1A is subjected to constraints due to contact between first film 21 of first conveying section 20 and second film 31 of second conveying section 30 of film 40 and inner wall 52a of passage 52, friction, and resistance due to contact with powder 19 in passage 52. As a result, conveying member 1A moves in an orbit around shaft 10 with first film 21 of first conveying section 20 and second film 31 of second conveying section 30 in a bent state, curving and warping upstream in the rotation direction E of shaft 10. Here, the description will be given on the assumption that second film 31 of second conveying section 30 has a length that allows it to contact inner wall 52a of passage 52, similar to first film 21 of first conveying section 20.

[0078] At this time, the multiple inner conveying blades 24 of the first film 21 and the multiple inner conveying blades 34 of the second film 31 are bent in an approximately S-shaped manner as a whole, with the mounting surface 12, which is offset from the axis 11 of the shaft 10, positioned approximately in the center, as shown in Figure 4. Also, at this time, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the inner conveying blade 24 of the first film 21 passes through with the upstream end of its free end 24b in the conveying direction Tr of the powder 19 in contact with the inner wall 52a of the passage 52 downstream in the rotation direction E of the upstream end of its free end 24b in the conveying direction Tr. Furthermore, the inner conveying blade 34 of the second film 31 passes through with the downstream end of its free end 34b in the conveying direction Tr of the powder 19 in contact with the inner wall 52a of the passage 52 upstream in the rotation direction E of the upstream end of its free end 34b.

[0079] As a result, the multiple inner conveying blades 24 of the first film 21 convey the powder 19 in the passage 52 slightly downstream in the rotation direction E as illustrated by the dashed arrow in Figure 4, while conveying the powder 19 overall in the conveying direction Tr1 as illustrated by the hollow arrow in Figure 2. Meanwhile, the multiple inner conveying blades 34 of the second film 31 convey the powder 19 in the passage 52 slightly downstream in the rotation direction E as illustrated by the dashed arrow in Figure 4, while conveying the powder 19 overall in the conveying direction Tr2 as illustrated by the hollow arrow in Figure 2.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the multiple inner conveying blades 24 and the multiple inner conveying blades 34 move back and forth alternately in the axial direction C because the starting end 22s of the first slit 22 and the starting end 32s of the second slit 32 are in a positional relationship that is offset in the axial direction C.

[0081] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the conveying member 1A conveys the powder 19 in the passage 52 in a forward direction Tr mainly by the conveying force of the multiple inner conveying blades 24 in the first conveying section 20 and the conveying force of the multiple inner conveying blades 34 in the second conveying section 30. Therefore, in the powder feeding container 5, the powder 19 in the passage 52 is conveyed toward the discharge port 53 located downstream in the conveying direction Tr by the rotational drive of the conveying member 1A, and is finally discharged from the discharge port 53.

[0082] Incidentally, in the conveying member 1A, the first film 21 and the second film 31 are configured to have the shape that satisfies the dimensional relationship described above. Therefore, when the conveying member 1A is attached to the powder supply container 5 and assembled, even if the inner conveying blade 34 in the second conveying section 30 is assembled in a state where it is curved downstream in the rotation direction E, as illustrated by the dotted line in Figure 4, when it is first subjected to rotational drive, the inner conveying blade 34 will automatically change its position to a bent state where it is curved upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10 and warped back. This prevents the conveying member 1A from failing to provide good conveying force in the conveying direction Tr due to the entire film 40, including the first conveying section 20, rotating while maintaining the shape of an inverted C.

[0083] <Test 1> Next, Test 1 conducted on the conveying performance of conveying member 1A in powder feeder container 5 will be described.

[0084] In test 1, a predetermined amount of powder 19 developer was filled into the powder supply container 5 of the example using the conveying member 1A having the following configuration, and after storing it in an environment of normal temperature and humidity (22°C, 55% RH) for 48 hours, the amount of toner discharged per second (mg / sec) was measured when the conveying member 1A was rotated under the following driving conditions in the normal temperature and humidity environment.

[0085] In this case, the container body 50 of the powder feeding container 5 had a cylindrical passage 52 with an inner diameter of about 49 mm and a circular cross section. As the developer, about 240 g of EA (emulsion aggregation)-black toner was filled.

[0086] The shaft 10 in the conveying member 1A is a round rod-shaped synthetic resin member with a mounting surface 12 with a vertical width of 7 mm at a position offset by a dimension β of 3 mm from the axis center 11 (see the upper part of the shaft 10 in Figure 6). The diameter of the cross-sectional arc portion of the shaft 10 other than the mounting surface 12 is approximately 7 mm.

[0087] The first conveying section 20 and the second conveying section 30 in the conveying member 1A were made by processing a film 40 made of a PET film (modulus of longitudinal elasticity: 4 GPa or more) with a thickness of approximately 180 μm into the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 (see film 40 at the bottom of Figure 6).

[0088] In this case, both the first slits 22 and the second slits 32 were formed as multiple slits with inclination angles α1, α2 of 45° and intervals W1, W2 of approximately 35 mm relative to the axial direction C, and their starting ends 22s, 32s were formed so as to be alternately shifted by half the intervals W1, W2 in the axial direction C. Furthermore, the first slits 22 were formed so that the distance d2 between their end 22e and the axis 10 was approximately 5 mm. The second slits 32 were formed so that the distance d2 between their end 32e and the axis 10 was approximately 0 mm. As a result, the first conveying section 20 is configured to have nine inner conveying blades 24 with a protruding length J1 of approximately 31 mm, and the second conveying section 30 is configured to have eight inner conveying blades 34 with a protruding length J2 of approximately 27 mm.

[0089] The conveying member 1A was rotated at a rotation speed of 4.3 rpm for 0.5 seconds, intermittently every 0.5 seconds, and the toner discharge amount was calculated as the average value for 5 seconds. The measurement results at this time are shown in FIG. 8(A).

[0090] In Test 1, the same amount of powder 19 was filled into powder supply container 5 of the above example, and the following stress was applied, and the amount of toner discharged was measured under the same conditions except for the environmental conditions. The stress was applied by applying up and down tapping (vibration) 400 times to the powder supply container 5 filled with the powder 19 with the rear end facing downward, and then storing the container in a temperature and humidity environment of 45°C and 95% RH for 48 hours. In this case, Test 1 was measured in a test environment of high temperature and high humidity (28°C, 85% RH). The measurement results at this time are shown in FIG. 8(B).

[0091] Furthermore, in Test 1, a comparative powder supply device was prepared in which the conveying member 1A of the powder supply container 5 of the above example was replaced with a comparative conveying member 1X under the following conditions, and the toner discharge amount was measured under two different conditions (without stress and with stress) as in the example. The conveying member 1X of the comparative example is a conveying member that does not have a second conveying section 30 and is provided with a first conveying section 20 made of a first film 21, as shown in FIG. The measurement results without stress are shown in FIG. 10(A), and the measurement results with stress are shown in FIG. 10(B).

[0092] The measurement results of this test 1 reveal the following: First, in the powder supply container using the comparative example conveying member 1X, as shown in Figure 10, when the powder 19 is subjected to the above-mentioned stress (the effects of high humidity and high temperature and the effects of vibration) (Figure 10(B)), the conveying ability of the powder 19 is reduced compared to when it is not subjected to the stress (Figure 10(A)). In contrast, in the powder supply container 5 to which the conveying member 1A of the embodiment is applied, as shown in Figure 8, even if the powder 19 is subjected to the above-mentioned stress (Figure 8(B)), the timing at which effective discharge begins is slightly delayed compared to when the powder is not subjected to the stress (Figure 8(A)) or when the powder is not subjected to the stress in the comparative example (Figure 10(B)), but the decrease in the conveying ability of the powder 19 is suppressed.

[0093] The conveying capacity at this time is evaluated as the degree to which the effective discharge time is maintained, assuming that the total driving time when a certain amount of toner discharged per second (for example, 120 mg / sec or more) is obtained at approximately the same rate in Figures 8 and 10 is the "effective discharge time." 8 and 10, the time when a certain amount of toner discharged per second or more is first obtained is the "discharge start point Ps," and the time when that amount of toner discharged is no longer obtained is the "discharge end point Pe." The "effective discharge time Tm" is the driving time between the discharge start point Ps and the discharge end point Pe. In this regard, in the powder feeding container to which the comparative example conveying member 1X is applied, as shown in FIG. 10(B), an effective discharging time Tm is not obtained.

[0094] <Test 2> Next, Test 2 conducted on the conveying performance of conveying member 1A in powder feeder container 5 will be described.

[0095] In Test 2, multiple conveying members 1A were prepared in which the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 relative to the protruding length J1 of the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 was represented as the difference in protruding length shown in Figure 11(A). In Test 2, the toner discharge amount was measured in the same manner as in Test 1 under a test environment of normal temperature and humidity without applying the stress of Test 1 for each powder supply container 5 when the modified conveying member 1A was applied.

[0096] The protruding length J1 of the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 was set to approximately 31 mm, the same as in Test 1. In this case, the inner diameter of the circular cross-sectional passage 52 in the powder supply container 5 was approximately 49 mm, and the radial length from the surface of the part other than the mounting surface 12 of the shaft 10 to the inner wall 52a of the passage 52 was approximately 21 mm. As shown in FIG. 11(B), the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 was changed in various ways based on the protruding length J1 of the first film 21.

[0097] The measurement results of Test 2 are shown in Figures 12 and 13. The difference in protrusion length in Figures 12 and 13 is the difference between protrusion length J1 and protrusion length J2. The effective discharge time for each measurement is summarized in Figure 11(A), where the approximate curve is indicated by a broken line.

[0098] From the measurement results of Test 2, the following can be said, for example: First, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the effective ejection time is greatest when the protruding length J2 of second film 31 relative to the protruding length J1 of first film 21 is set to a length of "-4 mm."

[0099] Also, judging from the results shown in Fig. 11(A), from the viewpoint of obtaining a conveying performance with an effective unloading time of 1000 seconds or more, the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 of the second conveying unit 30 should be within the range of "0 < J2 < -10 mm" with respect to the protruding length J1 of the first film 21 of the first conveying unit 20. Also, from the viewpoint of obtaining a conveying performance with an effective unloading time of 1200 seconds or more, the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 of the second conveying unit 30 should be within the range of "-1 mm < J2 < -8 mm" with respect to the protruding length J1 of the first film 21 of the first conveying unit 20. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of obtaining a conveying performance with an effective unloading time of 1400 seconds or more, the protruding length J2 of the second film 31 of the second conveying unit 30 should be within the range of "-2 mm < J2 < -6 mm" with respect to the protruding length J1 of the first film 21 of the first conveying unit 20.

[0100] Second Embodiment. Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a conveying device 6 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XV-XV of Fig. 14.

[0101] <Conveying Device> As shown in Fig. 14, the conveying device 6 includes a passage body 61 having a passage 62 through which the powder 19 is conveyed, a conveying member 1 rotatably disposed in the passage body 61 for conveying the powder 19, and a driving unit 67 for rotating the conveying member 1. Examples of the powder 19 include, but are not limited to, the developer exemplified in the first embodiment.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 15, the passage body 61 has a passage 62 formed by combining a lower passage portion 62A having a semi-circular cross-section and an upper passage portion 62B having a square cross-section continuous above the lower passage portion 62A. Also, the passage body 61 is provided with a discharge port 63 for discharging the powder 19 at the bottom near the downstream end of the lower passage portion 62A in the conveying direction Tr in which the powder 19 is to be conveyed by the conveying member 1. Furthermore, the passage body 61 is provided with an intake port 64 for taking in the powder 19 into the passage 62 on the upper surface near the upstream end of the upper passage portion 62B in the conveying direction Tr.

[0103] The intake port 64 of the passage body 61 is arranged so as to be connected to a container body 65 which is a conveyance source that contains and delivers the powder 19. The container 65 is provided with a delivery member 66 near the intake port 64, which rotates and delivers the powder 19 contained in the container 65.

[0104] Further, the discharge port 63 of the passage body 61 is arranged so as to be connected to a connection body 69 of a conveyance destination that receives the powder 19 conveyed by the conveying member 1 and discharged from the discharge port 63 . The connector 69 is, for example, a receiver such as a container that simply receives the powder 19 discharged from the outlet 63, a structure such as a device that receives and uses the powder 19, or a relay transport means that receives the powder 19 and transports it to another destination.

[0105] The conveying member 1 is configured by the conveying member 1A according to the first embodiment. In this case, the shape and other details of the end conveying blades 23F, 23R of the first conveying section 20 and the end conveying blades 33F, 33R of the second conveying section 30 of the conveying member 1 are configured to suit the shape of the passage 62, the conveying conditions, and the like.

[0106] The conveying member 1 is configured so that at least the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 contacts the inner wall 62a of the lower passage section 62A of the passage 62 of the passage body 61 while rotating. Furthermore, the conveying member 1 is used in a bent state in which the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 are curved back toward the upstream side of the rotation direction E of the shaft 10, as illustrated by the dotted line in Figure 15.

[0107] The drive unit 67 is a part that generates rotational power and transmits it to the conveying member 1. This drive unit 67 is composed of, for example, a drive source such as a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the drive source. The transmission mechanism is configured to connect a drive shaft coupling 68 provided on the transmission shaft to a shaft coupling 18 at the other end of the shaft 10 of the conveying member 1.

[0108] <Operation and performance of the transport device> In this conveying device 6, when rotational power is transmitted from the drive unit 67 to the axis 10 of the conveying member 1, the conveying member 1 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow E around the axis 10 within the passage 62 of the passage body 61, as shown in Figures 14 and 15.

[0109] At this time, the conveying member 1 moves in a circular motion around the shaft 10, with the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 bending and warping upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10 within the passage 62, as illustrated by the dotted line in Figure 15. Furthermore, when the first film 21 and the second film 31 pass through the upper passage portion 62B of the passage 62, they are almost separated from the inner wall 62c of the upper passage portion 62B. However, this bent state of the first film 21 and the second film 31, which is warped toward the upstream side in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10, is maintained to some extent by the momentum of the rotation, deformation tendency, and the like, and when the first film 21 and the second film 31 transition from the upper passage portion 62B to the lower passage portion 62A, the inner wall 62c comes into contact with the films 21 and 31 again so as to welcome them, and the films are returned to their original bent position.

[0110] In the conveying device 6, when a predetermined amount of powder 19 is taken into the passage body 61 from the container 65 at the conveying source, conveying of the powder 19 by the conveying member 1 begins. In this case, in the first conveying section 20 of the conveying member 1, the multiple inner conveying blades 24 of the first film 21 mainly convey the powder 19 in the passage 62 in the conveying direction Tr1 illustrated by the white arrow in Fig. 14. In addition, in the second conveying section 30 of the conveying member 1, the multiple inner conveying blades 34 of the second film 31 mainly convey the powder 19 in the passage 62 in the conveying direction Tr2 illustrated by the white arrow in Fig. 14.

[0111] As a result, in the conveying device 6, the powder 19 is conveyed in the passage 62 in the conveying direction Tr by the main conveying force of the multiple inner conveying blades 24 in the first conveying section 20 of the conveying member 1 and the main conveying force of the multiple inner conveying blades 34 in the second conveying section 30. Therefore, in the conveying device 6, the powder 19 in the passage 62 sent from the container 65 is conveyed by the rotational drive of the conveying member 1 toward the discharge port 63 located downstream in the conveying direction Tr, and is finally discharged from the discharge port 63. As a result, the powder 19 is sent to the connecting body 69 as the conveying destination.

[0112] Furthermore, since this conveying device 6 is configured by applying the conveying member 1A of the first embodiment, etc., the conveying member 1 can be conveyed while suppressing a decrease in the conveying ability of the powder 19, almost similar to the case of the conveying member 1A, even if the powder 19 is affected by high humidity and high temperature or vibration.

[0113] Furthermore, in the conveying device 6, the conveying member 1 is used in a bent state in which the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 are warped upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10. Therefore, in the conveying device 6, the conveying performance of the conveying member 1 for the powder 19 is more easily obtained, and the powder 19 is conveyed well, compared to a conveying device that uses a conveying member that is not used in this state.

[0114] <Modification of the conveying device> The conveying device 6 may use other powders such as powder paint, edible powder, etc. as the powder 19 instead of the developer.

[0115] Third embodiment. 16 is a schematic diagram of a powder utilizing apparatus 7 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a part of the powder utilizing apparatus 7 of FIG.

[0116] <Powder utilization equipment> The powder utilization device 7 includes a housing 70 having a required external shape, a functional section 8 arranged inside the housing 70 in which the powder 19 is utilized, and a supply section 73 through which the powder 19 supplied to the functional section 8 is transported through a passage.

[0117] The powder utilizing device 7 also includes a conveying member 1 that is rotatably disposed in the passage of the supplying section 73 and conveys the powder 19, a driving section 77 that rotates the conveying member 1, and the like. The powder utilizing device 7 according to the third embodiment uses a developer as the powder 19, and uses an image forming unit 8A as the functional unit 8, which forms an image made of the developer of the powder 19 on a sheet-like recording medium 89. As a result, the powder utilizing device 7 is configured as a so-called image forming device 7A.

[0118] In addition, an image forming device 7A, which is an example of a powder utilization device 7, is configured by applying a detachable and replaceable powder supply container 5 according to the first embodiment as a supply section 73, and applying a conveying member 1A according to the first embodiment as a conveying member 1. In this case, the passage of supply unit 73 becomes passage 52 in powder supply container 5. Furthermore, first conveying unit 20 and second conveying unit 30 in conveying member 1 are configured to suit the shape of passage 52, conveying conditions, and the like.

[0119] The image forming section 8A of the functional section 8 is a section configured to form an image by applying, for example, an electrophotographic method. 16, the image forming unit 8A has a photosensitive drum 81 that is supported so as to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, and devices such as a charging device 82, an exposure device 83, a developing device 84, a transfer device 85, and a cleaning device 86 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 81. In addition, the image forming unit 8A has a fixing device 87 arranged at a position away from the photosensitive drum 81.

[0120] The photosensitive drum 81 is an example of an image carrier having a carrier surface for carrying an electrostatic latent image or an image made of developer (toner) of powder 19. The charging device 82 is a device that charges the holding surface of the photosensitive drum 81. The exposure device 83 is a device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged holding surface of the photosensitive drum 81 by exposing the surface to light based on image information input from the outside to the image forming unit 8A.

[0121] The developing device 84 is a device that forms a toner image by using a developer to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the holding surface of the photosensitive drum 81. The developing device 84 has a developing roll 84a, an agitating and conveying member 84b, etc. arranged inside its housing. The developing device 84 is also replenished with developer (toner) from the supply unit 73 in an amount corresponding to the amount of developer consumed.

[0122] The transfer device 85 is a device that transfers the toner image formed on the holding surface of the photosensitive drum 81 onto a sheet-shaped recording medium 89 . The cleaning device 86 is a device that removes unwanted matter such as unwanted toner remaining on the holding surface of the photosensitive drum 81 after it has passed through the transfer device 85, thereby cleaning the holding surface. The fixing device 87 is a device that applies heat and pressure to the unfixed toner image transferred onto the recording medium 89 to fix it to the recording medium 89 .

[0123] Moreover, the image forming apparatus 7A, which is an example of the powder utilizing apparatus 7, is provided with a medium supplying device 88 that stores and feeds out a recording medium 89 to be supplied to the image forming section 8A. The medium supply device 88 includes, for example, a container 88a that can store a plurality of recording media 89, and a delivery device 88b that delivers the recording media 89 stored in the container 88a one by one at a required timing. The container 88a and the delivery device 88b are not limited to being singular, and may be plural.

[0124] 16 indicates the main transport path along which the recording medium 89 is transported within the housing 70. The recording medium 89 on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit 8A is discharged through the transport path Tp from the medium discharge port 70c at the top of the housing 70 to the medium storage unit 70a and stored therein.

[0125] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the supply unit 73 includes a powder supply container 5, an attachment portion 75a to which the powder supply container 5 is detachably attached, a supply device 75b that replenishes the developing device 84 with the developer of powder 19 delivered from the powder supply container 5, and a connecting pipe 76 that delivers the developer of powder 19 delivered from the supply device 75b to the developing device 84.

[0126] Replenishment device 75b is a device that receives developer powder 19 discharged from powder supply container 5 and then sends out the amount to be replenished to developing device 84. Connection pipe 76 is connected to a portion of developing device 84 where stirring and conveying member 84b is arranged.

[0127] The drive unit 77 is a part that generates rotational power and transmits it to the conveying member 1 in the supply unit 73. As in the case of the drive unit 67 in the second embodiment, this drive unit 77 is composed of, for example, a drive source such as a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the drive source. Of these, the transmission mechanism is configured to connect a shaft coupling 78 provided on the transmission shaft to a shaft coupling 18 at the other end of the shaft 10 of the conveying member 1.

[0128] <Operation and performance of powder-using devices (image forming devices)> In an image forming apparatus 7A, which is an example of a powder utilization device 7, when an image forming operation is performed in an image forming unit 8A of a functional unit 8, the developer (toner) in a developing device 84 in the image forming unit 8A is gradually consumed and reduced. In addition, in the image forming device 7A, when the consumption (decrease) of developer in the developing device 84 of the image forming section 8A exceeds a predetermined amount, the supply section 73 supplies only the required amount of powder 19 developer (toner) to the developing device 84.

[0129] In image forming apparatus 7A, when the time arrives for powder 19 to be supplied from supply unit 73, rotational power is transmitted from drive unit 77 to shaft 10 of conveying member 1 (1A) in powder supply container 5. As a result, in image forming apparatus 7A, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, conveying member 1 rotates around shaft 10 in the direction indicated by arrow E within passage 52 in powder supply container 5 of supply unit 73.

[0130] At this time, the conveying member 1 in the powder supply container 5 moves in a circular motion around the axis 10, with the first film 21 of the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 of the second conveying section 30 bending and warping upstream in the rotation direction E of the axis 10 within the passage 52, as illustrated by the dashed lines in Figure 17. At this time, the conveying member 1 conveys the developer of the powder 19 in the passage 52 so that the first conveying portion 20 and the second conveying portion 30 thereof forward in a conveying direction Tr illustrated by an arrow in FIG.

[0131] As a result, in supply unit 73, the developer of powder 19 in powder supply container 5 is discharged from discharge port 53 and sent to replenishing device 75b. Also, in supply unit 73, replenishing device 75b is driven for a required time to send the required amount of developer of powder 19 to connecting pipe 76. As a result, the developer of powder 19 is supplied from powder supply container 5 of supply section 73 to developing device 84 and replenished.

[0132] In powder utilization device 7 comprising image forming apparatus 7A, conveying member 1 in powder supply container 5 of supply unit 73 is configured using conveying member 1A or the like according to the first embodiment. Therefore, almost similar to the case of conveying member 1A, even if powder 19 in powder supply container 5 is affected by high humidity and high temperature or vibration, image forming apparatus 7A can suppress a decrease in the conveying capacity of powder 19 and convey powder 19 to be replenished to developing device 84 in image forming unit 8A of functional unit 8.

[0133] Furthermore, in powder utilization device 7 consisting of image forming apparatus 7A, conveying member 1 in powder supply container 5 of supply unit 73 is used in a bent state in which first film 21 of first conveying unit 20 and second film 31 of second conveying unit 30 are curved upstream in rotation direction E of shaft 10. Therefore, in image forming apparatus 7A, the conveying performance of powder 19 by conveying member 1 is more easily achieved, and powder 19 in powder supply container 5 is better conveyed, compared to an image forming apparatus that uses a conveying member that is not used in this state. Incidentally, in image forming apparatus 7A, when the amount of powder 19 contained in powder feed container 5 falls below a required amount, powder feed container 5 is replaced with a new one.

[0134] <Modification of the powder utilization device> The image forming apparatus 7A, which is an example of the powder-using apparatus 7, is not limited to an image forming unit 8A that forms a monochromatic image, but may also be an image forming unit that forms a multicolor image.

[0135] Furthermore, image forming apparatus 7A may have supply unit 73 configured as a fixed powder supply container 5 that is fixedly installed within housing 70, instead of the detachable and replaceable powder supply container 5. In this case, container body 50 in fixed powder supply container 5 may have passages (lower passage portion 62A and upper passage portion 62B) that have the same cross-sectional shape as passage 62 in the second embodiment (see FIG. 15 ), instead of passage 52 that has a circular cross-sectional shape.

[0136] Furthermore, the powder utilizing device 7 may be configured to use powder such as powder paint or edible powder instead of developer as the powder 19. In this case, the functional unit 8 is configured as a part having a function according to the type of powder 19.

[0137] FIG. 18 shows a powder-using device 7 that uses powder paint as the powder 19 and is configured by using a powder coating unit 8B as the functional unit 8.

[0138] A powder coating device 7B, which is an example of a powder utilization device 7, includes a housing 70 having a required external shape, a powder coating section 8B, a supply section 73 through which powder paint, which is an example of powder 19 supplied to the powder coating section 8B, is transported through a passage, a transport member 1 rotatably arranged in the passage of the supply section 73 and transports the powder paint of the powder 19, and a drive section 77 that rotates the transport member 1.

[0139] The supply section 73 in the powder coating device 7B is composed of a supply body 74 that contains powder paint of powder 19, and a connecting pipe 79 that sends the powder paint of powder 19 delivered from the supply body 74 to the powder coating section 8B.

[0140] The supply body 74 is a fixed supply body configured as a part (excluding the intake port 64) of the passage body 61 in the second embodiment. The supply body 74 also uses a conveying member configured by applying the conveying member 1A or the like in the first embodiment as the conveying member 1 rotatably arranged in the passage 62 (see FIG. 15) in the passage body 61. In this case, the passage of the supply unit 73 becomes the passage 62 in the passage body 61. The first conveying unit 20 and the second conveying unit 30 in the conveying member 1 are configured to suit the shape of the passage 62, the conveying conditions, etc. The drive unit 77 is configured similarly to the drive unit 77 in the third embodiment.

[0141] The powder coating section 8B has a coating device consisting of a housing 91, a coating roll 92 that is rotatably arranged inside the housing 91 and performs powder coating, and a stirring and conveying member 93 that stirs the powder paint 19 inside the housing 91 and ultimately conveys it toward the coating roll 92. The powder coating section 8B also has a conveying device for conveying an object to be coated 99 to the coating device and passing the object through the coating device. The conveying device for conveying an object to be coated is composed of, for example, a conveying drive roll 95, a conveying driven roll 96, etc.

[0142] <Operation and performance of powder-using equipment (powder coating equipment)> In a powder coating device 7B, which is an example of a powder utilization device 7, when the operation of powder coating the powder 19 powder paint on the object to be coated 99 is performed in the powder coating section 8B of the functional section 8, the powder paint in the housing 91 of the coating device in the powder coating section 8B is gradually consumed and reduced. In addition, in the powder coating device 7B, when the consumption (decrease) of powder paint in the powder coating section 8B exceeds a predetermined amount, the supply section 73 supplies only the required amount of powder paint of the powder 19 to the powder coating section 8B.

[0143] In powder coating apparatus 7B, when the time arrives for powder 19 to be supplied from supply unit 73, rotational power is transmitted from drive unit 77 to shaft 10 of conveying member 1 in supply body 74. As a result, in powder coating apparatus 7B, as shown in Figure 18, conveying member 1 rotates around shaft 10 in the direction indicated by arrow E within passage 62 in supply body 74 of supply unit 73.

[0144] At this time, the conveying member 1 in the supply body 74 moves in a circular motion around the shaft 10, with the first film 21 in the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 in the second conveying section 30 being bent and curved upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10 within the passage 62, as illustrated by the dashed lines in Figure 18(A). At this time, the conveying member 1 conveys the powder paint of the powder 19 in the passage 62 so that the first conveying section 20 and the second conveying section 30 thereof forward in the conveying direction Tr illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 18(B).

[0145] As a result, in the supply section 73 , the powder paint of the powder 19 in the supply body 74 is discharged from the discharge port 63 and sent to the connecting pipe 79 . As a result, the powder paint of the powder 19 is supplied from the supply body 74 of the supply section 73 to the coating device of the powder coating section 8B and replenished.

[0146] In the powder utilization device 7 comprising this powder coating apparatus 7B, the conveying member 1 in the supply body 74 of the supply section 73 is configured using the conveying member 1A etc. according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the powder coating apparatus 7B, almost similar to the case of the conveying member 1A, even if the powder paint of the powder 19 in the supply body 74 is affected by high humidity and high temperature or vibration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the conveying capacity of the powder 19 and convey the powder 19 to be replenished to the coating device in the powder coating section 8B of the functional section 8.

[0147] Also in the powder utilization device 7 consisting of this powder coating apparatus 7B, the conveying member 1 in the supply body 74 of the supply section 73 is used in a bent state so that the first film 21 in the first conveying section 20 and the second film 31 in the second conveying section 30 are curved upstream in the rotation direction E of the shaft 10. Therefore, in the powder coating apparatus 7B, the conveying member 1 is more likely to convey the powder 19, and the powder 19 in the supply body 74 is conveyed well, compared to a powder coating apparatus that uses a conveying member that is not used in this state.

[0148] In this powder coating apparatus 7B, when the amount of powder 19 contained in the supply body 74 falls below a required amount, new powder paint is replenished to the supply body 74. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 1, 1A...Transport member 5... Detachable and replaceable powder supply container (example of powder supply container) 6...Transportation equipment 7...Powder utilization equipment 7A...Image forming apparatus (an example of a powder-using apparatus) 7B... Powder coating equipment (an example of equipment using powder) 8A...Image forming unit (an example of a functional unit) 8B...Powder coated part (an example of a functional part) 10...axis 11...Axis center 12...Mounting surface (an example of a part that does not pass through the shaft center) 19...Powder 20...First conveying section 21...First Film 22...First slit 30...Second conveying section 31...2nd film 32...Second slit 40...Film 50...Container body 52, 62...Aisles 53…Discharge port 61...Passage body 63...Exhaust port 67,77...Drive unit C… Axial direction E...Rotation direction P1: Moving away P2: opposite direction from P1

Claims

1. a shaft rotatably disposed in a passage through which the powder is conveyed; a first conveying section provided on the shaft so as to protrude in a direction away from the shaft, the first conveying section including a plurality of first slits extending obliquely toward the shaft and a flexible first film; a second conveying section provided on the shaft so as to protrude from the shaft in a direction opposite to the first conveying section, the second conveying section including a plurality of second slits extending obliquely so as to approach the shaft and a flexible second film; Equipped with The first conveying section and the second conveying section are conveying members provided on portions of the shaft that do not pass through the axis of the shaft but are shifted to the same side from the axis of the shaft.

2. A conveying member as described in Claim 1, wherein the length of the second conveying portion protruding from the axis of the second film is shorter than that of the first conveying portion.

3. The conveying member according to claim 2 , wherein the first conveying portion has a length that allows the first film to contact the passage.

4. A conveying member as described in Claim 1, wherein the first slit and the second slit are arranged such that their starting ends, which begin to extend toward the axis, are positioned on either side of the axis and are offset from each other in the axial direction.

5. A conveying member as described in Claim 4, wherein the first slit and the second slit have the same spacing between adjacent starting ends.

6. A conveying member as described in Claim 1, wherein the length of the second slit extending toward the axis is equal to or greater than that of the first slit.

7. A conveying member as described in Claim 6, wherein the distance to the axis of the end of the second slit, where it has finished extending toward the axis, is equal to or less than that of the first slit.

8. A conveying member described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first film and the second film are composed of a single film.

9. A passage body having a passage through which powder is transported; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage body and configured to convey the powder; a drive unit that rotates the conveying member; Equipped with A conveying device, wherein the conveying member is configured as the conveying member according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A conveying device as described in Claim 9, wherein the first conveying section and the second conveying section are used in a bent state so that the first film and the second film are curved upstream in the rotation direction of the shaft.

11. A container body having a passage through which the contained powder is transported toward a discharge port; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage of the container body and configured to convey the powder; Equipped with 9. A powder supply container, wherein the conveying member is configured as the conveying member according to claim 1.

12. The powder feeder container according to claim 11 , wherein the first transport section and the second transport section are used in a state in which the first film and the second film are bent so as to bend upstream in the rotation direction of the shaft.

13. A functional part in which powder is used; a supply unit through which powder to be supplied to the functional unit is conveyed through a passage; a conveying member rotatably disposed in the passage of the supply unit and configured to convey the powder; a drive unit that rotates the conveying member; Equipped with 9. A powder utilizing device, wherein the transport member is configured as the transport member according to claim 1.

14. The powder utilizing device according to claim 13, wherein the first conveying section and the second conveying section are used in a state in which the first film and the second film are bent so as to bend back toward the upstream side in the rotation direction of the shaft.

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