Cleaning equipment

Abstract

To sufficiently and efficiently remove powder inside a powder container.SOLUTION: A cleaning apparatus is provided with a suction device 2 which is equipped with a suction part 2b installed in an opening 50a of a tonner container 50 attachably and detachably and can suction tonner T inside the tonner container 50 together with air, which is further provided with an inflow pipe 5, which is inserted through the tonner container 50 from the opening 50a via an insertion part 2b1 formed in the suction part 2b, through which air can be flown into the tonner container 50. The inflow pipe 5 is provided with an inner pipe 6 through which air is ejected toward a bottom part 50b of the tonner container 50 and an outer pipe 7 formed to cover the inner pipe 6, which has at least one through-hole 7b communicated toward an outer peripheral surface. In a state where the suction device 2 is made to suction the tonner and the inner pipe 6 is fixed, a moving device 8 (moving means) moves the outer pipe 7 so as to move the through-hole 7b between the bottom part 50b and the suction part 2b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing powder such as toner from the inside of a powder container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cleaning devices that use air to clean powder remaining inside collected powder containers, such as toner containers that are replaceably installed in copiers, printers, facsimiles, etc., have been widely known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Another known cleaning device is one in which a double-structure inlet pipe (nozzle) consisting of an inner pipe (inner nozzle) and an outer pipe (outer nozzle) is inserted into the inside of a powder container, and air is sprayed from the end of the inner pipe toward the bottom of the powder container, and air is sprayed from the outer surface of the outer pipe toward the inner wall surface (inner peripheral surface) of the powder container (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Although conventional cleaning devices can clean the inside of a powder container to a certain extent, the cleaning performance is still not sufficient and the efficiency of the cleaning work is low.

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can sufficiently and efficiently remove powder from the inside of a powder container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The cleaning device of this invention is a cleaning device that removes powder from inside a powder container, and is equipped with a suction unit that is detachably installed at the opening of the powder container and can suck in the powder inside the powder container together with air, and an inlet pipe that is inserted into the inside of the powder container from the opening via an insertion part formed in the suction unit and can introduce air into the inside of the powder container, the inlet pipe comprising an inner pipe that discharges air toward the bottom of the powder container, and an outer pipe that is formed to cover the inner pipe and has at least one through hole that communicates with the outer surface, and while suction is performed by the suction device, the inner pipe is fixed and the outer pipe is moved by a moving means to move the through hole between the bottom and the suction unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning device that can sufficiently and efficiently remove powder from inside a powder container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a process of cleaning a toner container using a cleaning device. [Figure 3] 10 is an enlarged schematic view showing the vicinity of the through hole of the outer pipe in the inlet pipe. FIG. [Figure 4] (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the portion where the inlet pipe is inserted into the insertion portion of the suction section, and (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the portion of the inlet pipe where air flows into the outer tube. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of through holes in an outer tube. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of an arrangement of through holes in an outer tube. [Figure 7] 10A is a diagram showing a state in which the outer tube of the inlet tube is rotated, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a state in which the toner container into which the inlet tube is inserted is rotated, as modified example 1. FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an inlet pipe as a second modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram showing a cleaning device as a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0009] First, the overall configuration and operation of the cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The cleaning device 1 is a device for removing toner T as powder from the inside of a toner container 50 as a powder container. More specifically, in order to recycle toner containers 50 (powder containers) that are replaceably installed in copiers, printers, facsimiles, etc., a cleaning process using a cleaning device 1 is carried out as one step in the recycling process at a recycling factory. As shown in Fig. 1, toner containers 50 collected from the market at the recycling factory are set in the cleaning device 1. Then, the cleaning device 1 cleans (removes) the toner T remaining inside the toner container 50.

[0010] Note that the toner containers 50 collected at the recycling plant are not limited to those with only a small amount of toner T remaining inside (almost empty), but also include those with a large amount of toner T remaining inside, and those with almost all of the toner T remaining after the expiration date has passed with almost no toner T being consumed. In this embodiment, if the amount of remaining toner in the collected toner container 50 is large, the toner container 50 is set in the cleaning device 1 after an approximate toner extraction operation is performed so that the amount of remaining toner is reduced to a certain extent. In this embodiment, the toner container 50 installed in the cleaning device 1 is a cylindrical toner bottle having an opening 50a (toner discharge port) formed at the top.

[0011] 1, the cleaning device 1 in this embodiment is composed of a suction device 2, an inlet pipe 5, a moving device 8 as a moving means, compressors 20 and 21, a toner recovery unit 10, a plug 3, an adapter 4, etc. Although not shown in the figure, the cleaning device 1 is also provided with a base on which a toner container 50 to be cleaned is placed.

[0012] The suction device 2 is configured to be able to suck the toner T (powder) inside the toner container 50 (powder container) together with air. The suction device 2 is composed of a suction pump 2a, a suction section 2b, a suction pipe 2c, a discharge pipe 2d, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the suction unit 2b is detachably installed in the opening 50a of the toner container 50 (powder container) with the opening 50a facing upward. Specifically, the suction unit 2b is fixed by the adapter 4 so as to be in close contact with the opening 50a and communicate with the interior of the toner container 50. The suction unit 2b is a substantially cylindrical member having a cavity for allowing the toner T (toner T mixed with air) sucked from the toner container 50 to flow toward the suction tube 2c. The suction unit 2b also has an insertion portion 2b1 (having a circular cross section; see FIG. 4(A)) through which the inflow tube 5 is inserted. The insertion portion 2b1 is formed so that its center coincides with the central axis X of the toner container 50 and the inflow tube 5. One end of the suction pipe 2c is connected to a side of the suction unit 2b, and the other end is connected to the suction pump 2a. The suction force of the suction pump 2a (suction device 2) causes the toner T in the toner container 50, together with air, to flow into the suction pump 2a via the suction unit 2b and the suction pipe 2c, and the toner T' is collected from the suction pump 2a through the discharge pipe 2d into the toner collection unit 10. The toner recovery unit 10 is provided with a toner filter 10a for venting air that is sucked from the toner container 50 and expels the air.

[0013] The inflow pipe 5 is configured to allow air to flow into the inside of the toner container 50 (powder container). The inflow pipe 5 is inserted into the inside of the toner container 50 (powder container) from the opening 50a via an insertion portion 2b1 formed in the suction portion 2b. More specifically, in this embodiment, the inflow pipe 5 is a tubular member having a double structure made up of an inner pipe 6 and an outer pipe 7 (see FIG. 4(B), etc.). The inflow pipe 5 is inserted into the insertion portion 2b1 of the suction portion 2b via a plug 3. The inner pipe 6 and the outer pipe 7 are each configured to allow air to flow into the toner container 50 separately.

[0014] The inner tube 6 of the inlet pipe 5 is a cylindrical tube for discharging (spraying) air toward the bottom 50b of the toner container 50 (powder container), and has an exhaust port 6b (opening) formed on its end face (the end face downstream in the air flow direction). Specifically, in this embodiment, compressor 20 is connected to the upper part (upstream end) of inner tube 6. When compressor 20 is operated, air is sent into inner tube 6 and is discharged from exhaust port 6b of inner tube 6 inside toner container 50. The air discharged from exhaust port 6b flows in the direction of the white arrow (downward) in FIG. 1, bounces off bottom 50b of toner container 50, and flows in the direction of the black arrow (upward). At this time, residual toner T that has accumulated at bottom 50b is lifted up and flows in the direction of the black arrow (upward) together with the air, and is ultimately sucked by suction section 2b. The compressor 20 for the inner pipe 6 operates almost synchronously with the suction device 2 and a compressor 21 for the outer pipe 7, which will be described later.

[0015] The outer pipe 7 of the inlet pipe 5 is formed to cover the inner pipe 6. The outer pipe 7 has at least one through-hole 7b (for jetting air toward the inner wall surface 50c) that communicates with the outer peripheral surface, formed at its end (the end on the downstream side in the air flow direction). More specifically, the outer tube 7 is a hollow cylindrical tube for discharging (spraying) air toward the inner wall surface 50c (inner peripheral surface) of the toner container 50, and the inner tube 6 is inserted through its center. The outer tube 7 is configured to be movable relative to the inner tube 6 in the direction in which the inlet pipe 5 (central axis X) extends (the up-down direction in FIG. 1) while maintaining a tight seal. Additionally, a compressor 21 is connected to the upper portion (upstream end) of the outer tube 7. When the compressor 21 is operating, air is sent into the outer tube 7 and is discharged through the through-hole 7b of the outer tube 7 inside the toner container 50. The air discharged through the through-hole 7b flows in the direction of the hatched arrow (horizontal direction) in FIG. 1, bounces off the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50, and flows in the direction of the black arrow (upward) together with the air that bounced off the bottom 50b. At this time, the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c is scraped off by the air, flows in the direction of the black arrow (upward) together with the air, and is ultimately sucked by the suction unit 2b.

[0016] 2(A) to 2(C), in the cleaning device 1 of this embodiment, while suction is performed by the suction device 2 (and exhaust from the inner tube 6 and outer tube 7), the inner tube 6 is fixed in the position shown in FIG. 1, and the outer tube 7 is moved (up and down in FIG. 1) by the moving device 8 as a moving means, thereby moving the through hole 7b between the bottom 50b and the suction section 2b (opening 50a).

[0017] More specifically, referring to FIG. 1, a moving device 8 as a moving means is configured to be able to move an outer tube 7 inserted inside a toner container 50 (powder container) up and down. Specifically, the moving device 8 is configured so that the holding portion 8a, which holds the outer tube 7 and the compressor 21, can move in the vertical direction in Fig. 1 (the direction of the double arrow in Fig. 1). The outer tube 7 and the compressor 21 are moved along the central axis X by the moving device 8, but the inner tube 6 does not move and is fixed in the position shown in Fig. 1. As the moving device 8 moves the outer tube 7 (and the compressor 21) up and down, the air ejected from the outer tube 7 (through hole 7b) is blown onto the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50 in the vertical direction. The moving device 8 may be, for example, an electric cylinder. Furthermore, the outer tube 7 has a sufficient vertical length so that the portion connected to the compressor 21 is always located outside the toner container 50 and the through-hole 7b is always located inside the toner container 50, even when the outer tube 7 is moved up and down by the moving device 8. Furthermore, the inner tube 6 has a sufficient length so that the outer tube 7 does not interfere with or come off the compressor 20, even when the outer tube 7 is moved by the moving device 8 described above.

[0018] More specifically, it is assumed that the toner container 50 installed in the cleaning device 1 has toner T remaining on the bottom portion 50b and toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c. 2(A), the inlet pipe 5 is set so that the exhaust port 6b of the inner pipe 6 faces the bottom 50b of the toner container 50 with a gap therebetween. At this time, the outer pipe 7 is moved by the moving device 8 so that the through hole 7b is located at a position (lowest end) close to the bottom 50b. Then, as shown in Figure 2(A), suction by the suction device 2 (suction in the direction of the arrow in the figure), exhaust from the inner tube 6 (exhaust port 6b) by the compressor 20 (exhaust in the direction of the white arrow in the figure), and exhaust from the outer tube 7 (through hole 7b) by the compressor 21 (exhaust in the direction of the hatched arrow in the figure) begin. Then, while suction is being performed by the suction device 2 (and air is supplied by the compressors 20 and 21), the outer tube 7 is gradually moved upward by the moving device 8, as shown in FIG. 2(B). The outer tube 7 is moved upward by the moving device 8 until the through-hole 7b approaches the opening 50a of the toner container 50, as shown in FIG. 2(C). By moving the outer tube 7 upward in this manner, the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c (inner peripheral surface) of the toner container 50 is completely removed and sucked up in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the outer tube 7 is moved once from the bottom 50b side (downward) to the opening 50a side (upward), but the outer tube 7 may be moved back and forth between the bottom 50b side (downward) and the opening 50a side (upward) once (or multiple times). In such a case, the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c is removed more completely.

[0019] In this way, the cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment removes and sucks the toner T inside the toner container 50 while moving the outer tube 7 up and down inside the toner container 50, so that the toner T can be thoroughly cleaned. Furthermore, the cleaning time can be relatively short, and the energy consumption required for cleaning can also be relatively small. In other words, the toner T inside the toner container 50 can be thoroughly and efficiently removed. In particular, even when cleaning a toner container 50 having unevenness on the inner wall surface 50c that is prone to toner adhesion (for example, one having spiral protrusions on the inner wall surface 50c (see Patent Document 1, etc.)), the outer tube 7 (through hole 7b) is moved up and down, and air is sprayed at different up and down positions relative to the unevenness on the inner wall surface 50c, so that the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c is removed sufficiently and efficiently.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment, air discharged from the through-hole 7b of the outer tube 7 flows toward the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container, which faces the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 7. Specifically, within the outer tube 7, air flows from top to bottom in Figure 3 (in the direction of the arrow, that is, vertically). Therefore, even if the through holes 7b are open on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 7 so as to face the inner wall surface 50c, the air is ejected from the through holes 7b along a vector pointing diagonally downward due to the inertial force of the air flowing vertically within the outer tube 7. However, as explained above, the air ejected diagonally downward from the through holes 7b is pushed up by the air that is discharged from the inner tube 6, bounces off the bottom 50b, and flows upward (vertically), causing the air to flow in an approximately horizontal direction (lateral direction) as indicated by the hatched arrows, and reach the inner wall surface 50c. This allows the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50 to be removed efficiently. In addition, since the speed and direction of movement of the outer tube 7 by the moving device 8 also affect the direction (vector) of the air ejected from the through hole 7b, it is preferable to set these so that the air ejected from the through hole 7b is ultimately blown straight (approximately perpendicular) onto the inner wall surface 50c.

[0021] In this embodiment, while suction was being performed by the suction device 2, the inner tube 6 was fixed, and the through hole 7b was moved between the bottom 50b and the suction portion 2b by moving the outer tube 7 using the moving device 8 (moving means). On the other hand, while suction is being performed by the suction device 2, the outlet 6b of the inner tube 6 can be maintained in a position farther from the opening 50a of the toner container 50 than the through hole 7b of the outer tube 7, and the through hole 7b can be moved between the bottom 50b and the suction section 2b by moving the outer tube 7 and the inner tube 6 using a moving means. By fixing the inner tube 6 at the bottom without moving it, the air ejected from the inner tube 6 immediately bounces off the bottom 50b of the toner container 50, creating a more stable ascending air current toward the exhaust port 6b. However, even if the inner tube 6 is configured to move up and down in conjunction with the outer tube 7, a similar ascending air current can be created as long as the through-hole 7b is always positioned above the exhaust port 6b of the inner tube 6. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a certain degree of the effect of efficiently removing the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50.

[0022] Here, in this embodiment, the amount of air discharged per unit time from the inner tube 6 into the inside of the toner container 50 is made larger than the amount of air discharged per unit time from the outer tube 7 into the inside of the toner container 50. Specifically, the air supply amounts of the two compressors 20, 21 are set so that the amount of air discharged per unit time from the exhaust port 6b of the inner tube 6 is greater than the amount of air discharged per unit time from the through hole 7b of the outer tube 7. This configuration alleviates the problem that the air discharged from the inner tube 6 bounces off the bottom 50b and attempts to flow upward (vertically) but has its flow direction changed by the air discharged from the through-holes 7b, making it difficult for the air to reach the suction part 2b. As a result, the cleaning device 1 maintains a sufficient and efficient cleaning function.

[0023] In the cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the suction part 2b is disposed so as not to leave a gap with respect to the opening 50a of the toner container 50, as shown in Fig. 4(A). Also, the inflow pipe 5 is disposed so as not to leave a gap with respect to the insertion part 2b1 of the suction part 2b, as shown in Figs. 4(A) and (B). That is, the inside of the toner container 50 is in a substantially sealed state, and is configured to prevent outside air from entering. The amount of air sucked into the suction section 2b from inside the toner container 50 per unit time is equal to the sum of the amount of air discharged from the inner tube 6 into the toner container 50 per unit time and the amount of air discharged from the outer tube 7 into the toner container 50 per unit time. Specifically, the air supply amounts of the two compressors 20, 21 and the air suction amount of the suction device 2 are set so that the sum of the amount of air discharged per unit time from the exhaust port 6b of the inner tube 6 and the amount of air discharged per unit time from the through hole 7b of the outer tube 7 is approximately equal to the amount of air intake per unit time sucked into the suction section 2b. By configuring in this way, it is less likely that the problem occurs in which the toner container 50 expands due to an increase in the internal pressure of the toner container 50 when the amount of air supplied is much greater than the amount of air suction, or in which the toner container 50 shrinks due to a decrease in the internal pressure of the toner container 50 when the amount of air supplied is much less than the amount of air suction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the inside of the toner container 50 is configured to be in a substantially sealed state. However, if the inside of the toner container 50 is not in a substantially sealed state but is configured to allow a certain amount of outside air to enter, the amount of air sucked in per unit time from the inside of the toner container 50 by the suction section 2b will be set to be greater than the sum of the amount of air exhausted per unit time from the inner tube 6 into the inside of the toner container 50 and the amount of air exhausted per unit time from the outer tube 7 into the inside of the toner container 50, taking into account the amount of outside air that will enter.

[0025] In this embodiment, the through holes 7b of the outer tube 7 are a plurality of circular through holes arranged evenly in the circumferential direction. When providing a plurality of circular through holes 7b in this manner, as shown in Fig. 5, two sets of the plurality of circular through holes 7b (eight through holes 7b in the example of Fig. 7) can be formed by shifting the phase from each other in the circumferential direction in the direction in which the outer tube 7 (central axis X) extends (up and down direction). Specifically, at the end of the outer tube 7, eight circular through holes 7b are formed circumferentially in the lower row as shown in Fig. 5(B), and eight circular through holes 7b are also formed circumferentially in the upper row as shown in Fig. 5(C). The eight through holes 7b arranged in the lower row and the eight through holes 7b arranged in the upper row are shifted in phase by approximately 22.5 degrees in the circumferential direction, and the through holes 7b in the lower row and the through holes 7b in the upper row are arranged so that they do not overlap in the vertical direction (arranged in a roughly staggered pattern). With this configuration, air is sprayed from the outer tube 7 substantially in the circumferential direction onto the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50. Therefore, the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50 can be sufficiently and efficiently removed.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the through holes 7b of the outer tube 7 may be a plurality of through holes 7b formed to extend in the circumferential direction relative to the direction in which the outer tube 7 (center axis X) extends. Specifically, a plurality of elongated (or rectangular) through-holes 7b extending in the circumferential direction are formed in the outer tube 7 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Even in this configuration, air is sprayed from the outer tube 7 over a wide circumferential range onto the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50. Therefore, the toner T adhering to the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50 can be sufficiently and efficiently removed.

[0027] <Variation 1> As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning device 1 in variant example 1 is configured to rotate the outer tube 7 relative to the toner container 50 (powder container) around the central axis X of the outer tube 7 (and toner container 50) when the suction device 2 is performing suction (and exhaust from the inner tube 6 and outer tube 7) while the moving device 8 (moving means) is moving the outer tube 7. Specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 7(A), the inside of the container is cleaned by moving the outer tube 7 formed with the through-hole 7b up and down while rotating in the direction of the arrow relative to the toner container 50 which is held in a non-rotating manner. In contrast, in the example shown in Fig. 7(B), the inside of the container is cleaned by moving the outer tube 7 formed with the through-hole 7b up and down without rotating relative to the toner container 50 which rotates in the direction of the arrow. By rotating the outer tube 7 having the through hole 7b formed therein relative to the container in this manner, the air ejected from the through hole 7b is blown circumferentially against the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50, thereby removing the toner adhering to the inner wall surface 50c evenly in the circumferential direction. The rotation mechanism for rotating the outer tube 7 or the toner container 50 may be, for example, a gear drive mechanism or a turntable mechanism. Furthermore, the rotation mechanism that rotates the outer tube 7 or the toner container 50 is not limited to one that rotates the outer tube 7 or the toner container 50 in a predetermined rotational direction (for example, clockwise when viewed from above), as long as the outside air ejected from the through-holes 7b is blown circumferentially against the inner wall surface of the toner container 50. For example, the rotation mechanism may be one that rotates the outer tube 7 or the toner container 50 alternately in a forward and reverse direction. As a specific example, if a plurality of through-holes 7b are formed in the outer tube 7 at equal radial intervals (45° intervals), the outside air ejected from the through-holes 7b will be blown circumferentially against the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50 by rotating (rocking) the outer tube 7 or the toner container 50 back and forth in the forward and reverse directions within a range of 45° or more. 7(A), only the outer tube 7 of the inlet pipe 5 is rotated, but the entire inlet pipe 5, including the inner tube 6, can also be rotated together with the outer tube 7. Even in such a case, the outside air ejected from the through holes 7b can be blown circumferentially against the inner wall surface 50c.

[0028] <Variation 2> As shown in FIG. 8, inflow pipe 5 in Modification 2, through hole 7b of outer pipe 7 is formed so as to open in the tangential direction on the outer peripheral surface, rather than in the normal direction on the outer peripheral surface. That is, in the second modification, the air is not jetted from the through-hole 7b in the normal direction but is jetted from the through-hole 7b in the tangential direction. As air is discharged tangentially from the through-hole 7b, the outer tube 7 rotates around the central axis X of the outer tube 7 in the direction of the dashed arrow in Figure 8 (clockwise, which is the opposite direction to the ejection direction from the through-hole 7b) using the ejection force of the air as a propulsion force. Even when configured in this manner, the air ejected from the through-hole 7b is blown circumferentially against the inner wall surface 50c of the toner container 50, so that the toner adhering to the inner wall surface 50c is removed evenly in the circumferential direction. In order to enable such movement of the outer tube 7, it is preferable that the outer tube 7 is as lightweight as possible and that the sliding resistance between the outer tube 7 and the inner tube 6 is small.

[0029] <Variation 3> The cleaning device 1 in the third modification is configured so that the suction force of the suction device 2 causes outside air to flow into the inside of the toner container 50 (powder container) through at least one of the inner tube 6 and the outer tube 7. That is, at least one of the inner tube 6 and the outer tube 7 is formed so that outside air can flow in directly from the air intake port, rather than air being forcibly supplied into the toner container 50 by a compressor. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the outside air is drawn into the toner container 50 through the inner tube 6 by the suction force of the suction device 2 . 9, the intake port 6a of the inner tube 6 is not connected to the compressor 20 and is exposed to the outside air. When the suction device 2 performs suction in this state, outside air flows into the toner container 50 through the inner tube 6 to offset the reduced pressure inside the toner container 50, which is equivalent to the suction force of the suction device 2 minus the exhaust force of the outer tube 7. Specifically, the outside air taken in through the intake port 6a of the inner tube 6 (located outside the toner container 50) flows from top to bottom through the inner tube 6 and is discharged into the toner container 50 through the exhaust port 6b at the bottom (located inside the toner container 50). Due to this mechanism, the amount of air (outside air) flowing into the toner container 50 from the inner tube 6 is the amount of air sucked from the toner container 50 by the suction unit 2b (suction device 2) minus the amount of air forcibly flowing into the toner container 50 from the outer tube 7. Even with this configuration, cleaning can be performed while moving the outer tube 7 up and down, thereby sufficiently and efficiently removing the toner T from the inside of the toner container 50. In addition, in such a case, the installation of at least one of the compressors can be omitted, resulting in a reduction in cost and size of the cleaning device 1. In the example of Figure 9, the outside air is configured to flow in directly only through the inner tube 6, but it can also be configured to flow in directly only through the outer tube 7, or it can be configured to flow in directly through both the inner tube 6 and the outer tube 7.

[0030] As described above, the cleaning device 1 in this embodiment is a cleaning device that removes toner T (powder) from a toner container 50 (powder container). The cleaning device 1 includes a suction unit 2b detachably attached to the opening 50a of the toner container 50, and is capable of sucking the toner T together with air from the toner container 50. The inlet pipe 5 is inserted into the toner container 50 from the opening 50a via an insertion portion 2b1 formed in the suction unit 2b, allowing air to flow into the toner container 50. The inlet pipe 5 includes an inner pipe 6 that discharges air toward the bottom 50b of the toner container 50, and an outer pipe 7 that covers the inner pipe 6 and has at least one through-hole 7b that communicates with the outer peripheral surface. While the suction unit 2 is performing suction, the outer pipe 7 is moved by a moving device 8 (moving means) to move the through-hole 7b between the bottom 50b and the suction unit 2b, with the inner pipe 6 fixed. This allows the toner T inside the toner container 50 to be removed sufficiently and efficiently.

[0031] In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a cleaning device 1 that cleans a toner container 50 serving as a powder container that contains toner (single-component developer) as a powder. However, the cleaning device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to all cleaning devices that clean powder containers that contain powder, such as cleaning devices that clean powder containers that contain two-component developer (a developer consisting of toner and carrier) as a powder, cleaning devices that clean powder containers that contain edible powder such as wheat flour or potato starch, and cleaning devices that clean powder containers that contain household powder such as powdered soap or cosmetic powder. In this embodiment, the insertion portion 2b1 of the suction portion 2b is formed by a circumferential wall portion. That is, the inlet pipe 5 is configured to be completely isolated by the wall portion within the suction portion 2b. However, it is also possible to provide holes in the ceiling and bottom of the suction portion 2b for inserting the inlet pipe 5 so that the inlet pipe 5 passes through the suction portion 2b without passing through the wall portion. Even in such a case, an insertion portion for inserting the outside air inlet pipe 5 is formed in the suction portion 2b. In addition, in this embodiment, the inner pipe 6 is configured to be inserted into the outer pipe 7 without passing through a wall portion. However, the inner pipe 6 can also be configured to be inserted into the outer pipe 7 through a wall portion. In addition, in this embodiment, a moving device 8 that automatically moves the outer tube 7 is used as a moving means for moving the outer tube 7, but it is also possible to configure the outer tube 7 to be moved manually. Even in such cases, substantially the same effects as those of this embodiment can be obtained.

[0032] It is clear that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and that within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, the present embodiment may be modified as appropriate in addition to the modifications suggested in the present embodiment. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the above-mentioned components are not limited to the present embodiment, and the number, position, shape, etc. of the components may be any number, position, shape, etc. that is suitable for implementing the present invention.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "air" is not limited to air in the narrow sense (air with a normal component ratio), but is defined in a broad sense to include air with a normal component ratio mixed with other components, as well as gases in general. Therefore, "air" in this specification and the like can also be read as "gas."

[0034] The aspects of the present invention may have a subordinate relationship as shown in Supplementary Notes 1 to 10 below. (Appendix 1) A cleaning device for removing powder from inside a powder container, a suction device including a suction part detachably installed at the opening of the powder container, capable of sucking the powder inside the powder container together with air; an inlet pipe that is inserted from the opening into the inside of the powder container via an insertion portion formed in the suction portion and that allows air to flow into the inside of the powder container; Equipped with The inlet pipe is an inner tube for discharging air toward the bottom of the powder container; an outer tube formed to cover the inner tube and having at least one through hole communicating with an outer peripheral surface thereof; Equipped with A cleaning device characterized in that, while suction is performed by the suction device, the inner tube is fixed and the through hole is moved between the bottom and the suction part by moving the outer tube with a moving means. (Appendix 2) 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the air discharged from the through hole of the outer tube flows toward the inner wall surface of the powder container that faces the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube. (Appendix 3) The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the through holes of the outer tube are a plurality of circular through holes arranged evenly in the circumferential direction. (Appendix 4) The cleaning device described in Appendix 3, wherein the plurality of circular through holes are formed in two sets, the sets being out of phase with each other in the circumferential direction in the direction in which the outer tube extends. (Appendix 5) The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the through holes of the outer tube are a plurality of through holes formed to extend in a circumferential direction relative to the direction in which the outer tube extends. (Appendix 6) The cleaning device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 5, characterized in that the amount of air discharged per unit time from the inner tube into the inside of the powder container is larger than the amount of air discharged per unit time from the outer tube into the inside of the powder container. (Appendix 7) The suction unit is installed so that no gap is formed with respect to the opening, The inlet pipe is installed so as not to create a gap with respect to the insertion portion, The cleaning device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 6, characterized in that the amount of air sucked into the suction section from inside the powder container per unit time is equal to the sum of the amount of air discharged from the inner tube into the powder container per unit time and the amount of air discharged from the outer tube into the powder container per unit time. (Appendix 8) The cleaning device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the suction force of the suction device causes outside air to flow into the inside of the powder container through at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube. (Appendix 9) The cleaning device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8, wherein when the suction device is performing suction and the moving means is performing movement of the outer tube, the outer tube is rotated relative to the powder container around a central axis of the outer tube. (Appendix 10) the through hole of the outer tube is formed to open in a tangential direction on the outer peripheral surface, 10. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the outer tube rotates about the central axis of the outer tube as air is discharged from the through-hole. (Appendix 11) A cleaning device for removing powder from inside a powder container, a suction device including a suction part detachably installed at the opening of the powder container, capable of sucking the powder inside the powder container together with air; an inlet pipe that is inserted from the opening into the inside of the powder container via an insertion portion formed in the suction portion and that allows air to flow into the inside of the powder container; Equipped with The inlet pipe is an inner tube that discharges air from a discharge port toward the bottom of the powder container; an outer tube formed to cover the inner tube and having at least one through hole communicating with an outer peripheral surface thereof; Equipped with A cleaning device characterized in that, while suction is being performed by the suction device, the outlet of the inner tube is maintained in a position farther from the opening of the powder container than the through hole of the outer tube, and the through hole is moved between the bottom and the suction part by moving the outer tube, or the outer tube and the inner tube, using a moving means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 cleaning device, 2 suction device, 2a suction pump, 2b Suction part, 2b1 Insertion part, 5 inlet pipe, 6 inner tube, 6b Exhaust port (inner pipe exhaust port), 7 outer tube, 7b Through hole (outer pipe exhaust port), 8. Mobile devices (means of transportation), 10 Toner collection unit, 20, 21 Compressor, 50 Toner container (powder container), 50a opening, 50b bottom, 50c inner wall surface (inner peripheral surface), T Toner (powder). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0036] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4571035

Claims

1. A cleaning device for removing powder from inside a powder container, a suction device including a suction part detachably installed at the opening of the powder container, capable of sucking the powder inside the powder container together with air; an inlet pipe that is inserted from the opening into the inside of the powder container via an insertion portion formed in the suction portion and that allows air to flow into the inside of the powder container; Equipped with The inlet pipe is an inner tube for discharging air toward the bottom of the powder container; an outer tube formed to cover the inner tube and having at least one through hole communicating with an outer peripheral surface thereof; Equipped with A cleaning device characterized in that, while suction is performed by the suction device, the inner tube is fixed and the through hole is moved between the bottom and the suction part by moving the outer tube with a moving means.

2. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the air discharged from the through hole of the outer tube flows toward an inner wall surface of the powder container that faces the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube.

3. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the through holes of the outer tube are a plurality of circular through holes that are uniformly arranged in the circumferential direction.

4. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of circular through holes are formed in two sets, the sets being out of phase with each other in the circumferential direction in the direction in which the outer tube extends.

5. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the through holes of the outer pipe are a plurality of through holes formed so as to extend in a circumferential direction of the outer pipe relative to a direction in which the outer pipe extends.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the amount of air discharged per unit time from the inner tube into the inside of the powder container is greater than the amount of air discharged per unit time from the outer tube into the inside of the powder container.

7. The suction unit is installed so that no gap is formed with respect to the opening, The inlet pipe is installed so as not to create a gap with respect to the insertion portion, The cleaning device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the amount of air sucked into the suction section from inside the powder container per unit time is equal to the sum of the amount of air exhausted from the inner tube into the powder container per unit time and the amount of air exhausted from the outer tube into the powder container per unit time.

8. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the suction device causes outside air to flow into the powder container through at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube by a suction force.

9. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein when the suction device is performing suction and the moving means is moving the outer tube, the outer tube is rotated relative to the powder container around the central axis of the outer tube.

10. the through hole of the outer tube is formed to open in a tangential direction on the outer peripheral surface, 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the outer tube rotates about a central axis of the outer tube as air is discharged from the through-hole.

11. A cleaning device for removing powder from inside a powder container, a suction device including a suction part detachably installed at the opening of the powder container, capable of sucking the powder inside the powder container together with air; an inlet pipe that is inserted from the opening into the inside of the powder container via an insertion portion formed in the suction portion and that allows air to flow into the inside of the powder container; Equipped with The inlet pipe is an inner tube that discharges air from a discharge port toward the bottom of the powder container; an outer tube formed to cover the inner tube and having at least one through hole communicating with an outer peripheral surface thereof; Equipped with A cleaning device characterized in that, while suction is being performed by the suction device, the outlet of the inner tube is maintained in a position farther from the opening of the powder container than the through hole of the outer tube, and the through hole is moved between the bottom and the suction part by moving the outer tube, or the outer tube and the inner tube, using a moving means.

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