Powder conveying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12111600-B2
Application number	US-202318200584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A powder conveying device includes a drop conveyance passage, an intersecting conveyance passage, a conveying screw, and a floating member. Powder entering from an inflow port drops in the drop conveyance passage. The intersecting conveyance passage communicates with a lower end of the drop conveyance passage and extends in an intersecting direction that intersects the drop conveyance passage. The conveying screw is disposed in the intersecting conveyance passage and rotates in a specified direction to convey the powder in the intersecting direction. The floating member is movably installed in the drop conveyance passage and floats in the drop conveyance passage to move by contact with the conveying screw. The inflow port and the floating member interfere with each other to prevent the floating member from coming out of the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A powder conveying device, comprising:
a drop conveyance passage in which powder entering from an inflow port thereof is to drop;
an intersecting conveyance passage communicating with a lower end of the drop conveyance passage and extending in an intersecting direction that intersects the drop conveyance passage;
a conveying screw disposed in the intersecting conveyance passage, the conveying screw configured to rotate in a specified direction to convey the powder in the intersecting direction; and
a float movably installed in the drop conveyance passage, the float to float in the drop conveyance passage to move by contact with the conveying screw,
wherein the inflow port and the float are configured to interfere with each other to prevent the float from coming out of the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage,
wherein an opening area of the inflow port is smaller than a projected area of the float when viewed from the inflow port.

2. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the float has a through-hole inside along a direction in which the drop conveyance passage extends.

3. The powder conveying device according to claim 2 ,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the through-hole gradually increases from a lower end of the float to an upper end of the float.

4. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the drop conveyance passage gradually increases from the lower end of the drop conveyance passage to an upper end of the drop conveyance passage, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of the float gradually increases from a lower end of the float to an upper end of the float.

5. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the opening area of the inflow port is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a portion of the drop conveyance passage excluding the inflow port, the cross-sectional area being orthogonal to a direction in which the drop conveyance passage extends.

6. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising an upstream drop conveyance passage upstream from the drop conveyance passage in a direction of flow of the powder, and
wherein the powder is to drop toward the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage through the upstream drop conveyance passage.

7. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage is provided with a stopper that restricts the float from coming out of the inflow port.

8. An image forming apparatus, comprising the powder conveying device according to claim 1 .

9. A powder conveying device, comprising:
a drop conveyance passage in which powder entering from an inflow port thereof is to drop;
an intersecting conveyance passage communicating with a lower end of the drop conveyance passage and extending in an intersecting direction that intersects the drop conveyance passage;
a conveying screw disposed in the intersecting conveyance passage, the conveying screw configured to rotate in a specified direction to convey the powder in the intersecting direction; and
a float movably installed in the drop conveyance passage, the float configured to float in the drop conveyance passage to move by contact with the conveying screw,
wherein the inflow port and the float are configured to interfere with each other to prevent the float from coming out of the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the drop conveyance passage gradually increases from the lower end of the drop conveyance passage to an upper end of the drop conveyance passage, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of the float gradually increases from a lower end of the float to an upper end of the float.

10. The powder conveying device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the float has a through-hole inside along a direction in which the drop conveyance passage extends.

11. The powder conveying device according to claim 10 ,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the through-hole gradually increases from a lower end of the float to an upper end of the float.

12. The powder conveying device according to claim 9 , further comprising an upstream drop conveyance passage upstream from the drop conveyance passage in a direction of flow of the powder, and
wherein the powder is to drop toward the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage through the upstream drop conveyance passage.

13. The powder conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage is provided with a stopper that restricts the float from coming out of the inflow port.

14. An image forming apparatus, comprising the powder conveying device according to claim 1 .

15. A powder conveying device, comprising:
a drop conveyance passage in which powder entering from an inflow port thereof is to drop;
an intersecting conveyance passage communicating with a lower end of the drop conveyance passage and extending in an intersecting direction that intersects the drop conveyance passage;
a conveying screw disposed in the intersecting conveyance passage, the conveying screw configured to rotate in a specified direction to convey the powder in the intersecting direction; and
a float movably installed in the drop conveyance passage, the float configured to float in the drop conveyance passage to move by contact with the conveying screw,
wherein the inflow port and the float are configured to interfere with each other to prevent the float from coming out of the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage,
wherein an opening area of the inflow port is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a portion of the drop conveyance passage excluding the inflow port, the cross-sectional area being orthogonal to a direction in which the drop conveyance passage extends.

16. The powder conveying device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the float has a through-hole inside along the direction in which the drop conveyance passage extends.

17. The powder conveying device according to claim 16 ,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the through-hole gradually increases from a lower end of the float to an upper end of the float.

18. The powder conveying device according to claim 15 , further comprising an upstream drop conveyance passage upstream from the drop conveyance passage in a direction of flow of the powder, and
wherein the powder is to drop toward the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage through the upstream drop conveyance passage.

19. The powder conveying device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage is provided with a stopper that restricts the float from coming out of the inflow port.

20. An image forming apparatus, comprising the powder conveying device according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Shimada Kazuhiro
• Kogure Seiichi
• Kimura Hideki
• Kikuchi Hiroshi
• Ishizuka Yusuke
• Takahashi Yutaka
• Akiyama Takuya
• Goto Yutaka
• Aoki Yuuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimada Kazuhiro
• Kogure Seiichi
• Kimura Hideki
• Kikuchi Hiroshi
• Ishizuka Yusuke
• Takahashi Yutaka
• Akiyama Takuya
• Goto Yutaka
• Aoki Yuuki

Classifications

• G03G21/10

  Collecting or recycling waste developer · CPC title

• G03G15/0896

  Arrangements or disposition of the complete developer unit or parts thereof not provided for by groups G03G15/08 - G03G15/0894 · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/0844

  Arrangements for purging used developer from the developing unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0886

  by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug · CPC title