Toner filling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016274497-A1
Application number	US-201615071866-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A toner filling apparatus includes a filling tank, a toner filling path forming member, a toner fluidizing unit, a filling path opening/closing unit and a container room sucking unit. The toner filling path forming member is in communication with the filling tank and forms a toner filling path connected to the toner container. The container room sucking unit sucks air from the toner container through a filter member which is impermeable to the toner but permeable to air. When the toner fluidizing unit fluidizes the toner in the filling tank and the filling path opening/closing unit opens the toner filling path so as to load the toner to the toner container, the container room sucking unit reduces a pressure in the toner container to a negative pressure so as to draw in the toner into the toner container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A toner filling apparatus, comprising:
a filling tank which stores toner to be supplied to a toner container; a toner filling path forming member which is in communication with a toner storing room of the filling tank and which forms a toner filling path connected to an opening of the toner container; a toner fluidizing unit which blows air into the toner in the filling tank to fluidize the toner; a filling path opening/closing unit which opens and closes the toner filling path; a container room sucking unit which sucks air from the toner container through a filter member, in which the filter member is impermeable to the toner but permeable to air; and a control unit which controls the toner fluidizing unit, the filling path opening/closing unit and the container room sucking unit, wherein the control unit performs a toner draw-in filling control in which when the control unit fluidizes the toner in the filling tank by the toner fluidizing unit and opens the toner filling path by the filling path opening/closing unit so as to load the fluidized toner from the filling tank to the toner container, the control unit reduces a pressure in the toner container to a negative pressure by the container room sucking unit so as to draw in the toner from the filling tank into the toner container by the negative pressure.

2 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the toner draw-in filling control, the control unit starts suction by the container room sucking unit before the toner filling path is opened.

3 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the toner draw-in filling control, the control unit continues suction by the container room sucking unit while the toner filling path is open, and then closes the toner filling path by the filling path opening/closing unit so as to terminate the toner draw-in filling control.

4 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the amount of toner to be loaded in the toner container by controlling a length of suction time for the toner.

5 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filling path opening/closing unit comprises an elastomer member which closes the toner filling path.

6 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filling path opening/closing unit closes the toner filling path by sucking air from a mixture of the toner and air in the toner filling path through a filter member to temporarily aggregate the residual toner, in which the filter member is impermeable to the toner but permeable to air.

7 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filling path regulating unit which reduces or expands a toner channel cross-sectional area of the toner filling path; a connection operation unit which controls a state between a connected state in which the toner filling path is airtightly connected to the opening of the toner container and a disconnected state in which the opening of the toner container is separated below from the toner filling path and is open to the air; and a measuring unit which measures a weight of the toner container, wherein the control unit controls the filling path regulating unit and the connection operation unit and also receives a signal representing a measured value by the measuring unit, wherein the control unit performs the toner draw-in filling control in which the toner channel cross-sectional area of the toner filling path is regulated to a comparatively large size by the filling path regulating unit and terminates the toner draw-in filling control before reaching a target value, and thereafter the control unit stops suction by the container room sucking unit, changes the state to the disconnected state by the connection operation unit, regulates the toner channel cross-sectional area of the toner filling path to a comparatively small size by the filling path regulating unit, opens the toner filling path by the toner filling path opening/closing unit so as to fill the toner container with the toner through the toner filling path until the measured value by the measuring unit reaches the target value.

8 . The toner filling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sub-filling path forming member which is in communication with the toner storing room of the filling tank and which forms a sub-filling path that has a smaller toner channel cross-sectional area than the toner channel cross-sectional area of the toner filling path; a sub-filling path opening/closing unit which opens and closes the sub-filling path; and a measuring unit which measures a weight of the toner container, wherein the control unit controls the sub-filling path opening/closing unit and also receives a signal representing a measured value by the measuring unit, wherein the control unit performs the toner draw-in filling control and terminates the toner draw-in filling control before reaching a target value, and thereafter the control unit stops suction by the container room sucking unit and opens the sub-filling path by the sub-filling path opening/closing unit so as to fill the toner container with the toner through the sub-filling path until the measured value by the measuring unit reaches the target value.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Toda Toru
• Tashiro Katsumi
• Arai Takeshi
• Kondo Masaaki
• Naito Kiyotaka

Classifications

• B65G1/00

  Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines (conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02) · CPC title

• B65B1/16 Primary

  by pneumatic means, e.g. by suction · CPC title

• G03G2215/066

  Toner cartridge or other attachable and detachable container for supplying developer material to replace the used material · CPC title

• B65B37/14

  by pneumatic feeders · CPC title

• G03G2215/0875

  Arrangements for shipping or transporting of the developing device to or from the user · CPC title