Toner classification apparatus and toner production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835875-B2
Application number	US-202217890877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Aug 24, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A toner classification apparatus comprising a classification rotor in which the classification rotor has a vane A which extends from a rotation center direction of the classification rotor to an outer circumference direction thereof and a vane B having a length longer than that of the vane A, the vane A, and the vane B are disposed so as to satisfy a predetermined relationship, and a toner production method comprising a classification step of carrying out a classification process on particles to be classified by using the toner classification apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toner classification apparatus comprising:
a classification rotor; wherein
the classification rotor comprises a plurality of vanes which extend from a rotation center direction of the classification rotor to an outer circumference direction of the classification rotor,
the plurality of vanes are disposed with prescribed gaps established between the vanes;
the gaps form an opening which faces a rotation center area of the classification rotor;
the plurality of vanes comprise a first vane group constituted by a vane A and a second vane group constituted by a vane B having a length longer than a length of the vane A,
the lengths of the vanes A are substantially identical to each other and the vanes A are disposed at an interval so as to follow paths which are substantially identical to each other during rotation of the classification rotor,
the lengths of the vanes B are substantially identical to each other and the vanes B are disposed at an interval so as to follow paths which are substantially identical to each other during the rotation of the classification rotor,
a number of the vanes A which are disposed between two adjacent vanes B is one to three,
the vane B has a first elbow,
the vane A and the vane B are disposed such that a portion of a vane away from of the rotation center of the classification rotor is located on more upstream direction in a direction of rotation of the classification rotor than a portion of the vane closer to the rotation center of the classification rotor,
a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the outer circumference of the vane A and a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the outer circumference of the vane B are substantially equal to each other,
a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A and a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the first elbow of the vane B are substantially equal to each other,
the distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A is more than a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane B, and, in a cross section obtained when the classification rotor is cut in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the classification rotor,
(i) an angle θ1 (° ) formed by a straight line which connects the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A and a portion on the vane A which is closer to the side of the outer circumference than the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A is 40 to 65°,
(ii) an angle θ3 (° ) formed by a straight line which connects the rotation center of the classification rotor and the first elbow of the vane B and a portion on the vane B which is closer to the side of the outer circumference than the first elbow of the vane B is substantially identical to the angle θ1,
(iii) an angle θ2 (° ) formed by the straight line which connects the rotation center of the classification rotor and the first elbow of the vane B and a straight line which connects the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane B and the first elbow of the vane B satisfies
0°≤θ2≤θ3×½,

(iv) when a radius of the classification rotor is represented by R and the distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane B is represented by L1, the R and the L1 satisfy
0.35≤ L 1/ R≤ 0.65, and

(v) when the distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the first elbow of the vane B is represented by L2, the R, the L1, and the L2 satisfy
0.35≤( L 2− L 1)/( R−L 1)≤0.70.

2. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the vane A has an elbow, and
(vi) when the distance from the rotation center of the classification rotor to the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A is represented by L3 and a distance from the rotation center of the classification rotor to the elbow of the vane A is represented by L4,
0.65≤( L 4− L 3)/( R−L 3)≤0.85 is satisfied.

3. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the vane A has an elbow, and
(vii) an angle θ4 formed by a straight line which connects the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A and the elbow of the vane A and a straight line which connects the elbow of the vane A and the end portion on the side of the outer circumference of the vane A is 5 to 25°.

4. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the vane A has an elbow, and
(viii) the vane B has a second elbow on a side of an outer circumference of the first elbow,
a distance L4 between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the elbow of the vane A and a distance between the rotation center of the classification rotor and the second elbow of the vane B are substantially equal to each other, and
an angle θ5 formed by a straight line which connects the first elbow of the vane B and the second elbow of the vane B and a straight line which connects the second elbow of the vane B and the end portion on the side of the outer circumference of the vane B is substantially equal to an angle θ4 formed by a straight line which connects the end portion on the side of the rotation center of the vane A and the elbow of the vane A and a straight line which connects the elbow of the vane A and the end portion on the side of the outer circumference of the vane A.

5. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an interval at the end portions on the side of the outer circumference of the vane A and the vane B is 5.0 to 25.0 mm.

6. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a main body casing;
guide means disposed in a state of overlapping at least a portion of the classification rotor;
an introduction port for particles to be classified and supply means for the particles to be classified which comprises the introduction port for particles to be classified, these being formed in a side surface of the body casing to introduce the particles to be classified;
a particles having too small diameter discharge port and a classified particle take-off port, these being formed in a side surface of the body casing to discharge, to outsider of the body casing, classified particles from which the particles having too small diameter have been excluded; and
a dispersion rotor which is a rotating body attached, within the body casing, to a central rotational axle and which comprises a dispersion hammer on the surface of the classification rotor side of the dispersion rotor.

7. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a liner which is disposed in a fixed manner at the circumference of the dispersion rotor while maintaining a distance therefrom.

8. The toner classification apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein grooves are disposed in a surface of the liner, the surface facing the dispersion rotor.

9. A toner production method comprising a classification step of carrying out a classification process on particles to be classified by using a toner classification apparatus, wherein
the toner classification apparatus comprising:
a classification rotor; wherein
the classification rotor comprises a plurality of vanes which extend from a rotation ce

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamashita Daisuke
• Tamura Junichi
• Wakayama Ran
• Katoh Katsuyuki

Classifications

• G03G15/0887 Primary

  Arrangements for conveying and conditioning developer in the developing unit, e.g. agitating, removing impurities or humidity · CPC title

• B07B7/083

  generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums, or brushes · CPC title

• G03G9/0817 Primary

  Separation; Classifying · CPC title

• G03G15/06

  for developing · CPC title