JP3558787B2 - Charge amount measuring device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a charge amount measuring device, and more particularly, to a charge amount measuring device for measuring a contact / frictional charge amount of particles.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The charging phenomenon of a substance is effectively used in many industrial fields including the electrophotographic field. In these, it is very important to grasp the charging characteristics of the target material, and research on the charging phenomenon of the material, particularly, its mechanism has been actively conducted. The charge amount measurement is a particularly important technique among them. Depending on the form of the material, a method for measuring the charge amount of a powder sample (blow-off method: JP-B-56-30831, JP-B-59-2864), plate There has been proposed a method for measuring the charge amount of a sample in the form of a film or film (cascade method: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-126152).
[0003]
In the blow-off method, sample particles and carrier particles mixed at a fixed ratio are stirred and charged under predetermined conditions, then transferred to a mesh container (Faraday cage), and the sample particles are separated from the carrier by air blowing, and the unit weight is reduced. The amount of charge generated for the sample fine particles is measured. The amount of charge obtained by the blow-off method depends on the particle characteristics (particle size, particle size distribution, shape, etc.) of the sample fine particles and the carrier particles, the mixing ratio of the two, the stirring conditions, and the temperature and humidity in addition to the carrier particle materials. Depends on environmental conditions. As for the measurement conditions, usually, an appropriate standard condition is set and the measurement is performed under a certain condition.
[0004]
In the electrophotographic process, the relationship between the stirring time of the toner and its carrier and the charge amount, particularly, the saturation charge amount, and the stirring time (saturation time) to reach saturation are important. Although the charge amount of the toner increases with the stirring time, the increase amount per unit time decreases with the stirring time and becomes a constant charge amount (saturated charge amount).
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the blow-off method, conventionally, each operation of the above-described stirring, weight measurement, separation of sample fine particles and carrier particles, and charge amount measurement itself is performed using a measuring instrument or a mechanical device. The measurement is manually performed by the measurer, and it takes time and effort to measure the stirring time dependency of the charge amount.
[0006]
Therefore, the invention of claim 1 is to stir the measurement sample, supply the measurement sample (sample fine particles and carrier particles) to the conductive container (Faraday cage), measure the weight, measure the charge amount, separate the sample fine particles and carrier particles, By controlling the movement between each operation, the measurement of the stirring time dependence of the charge amount of the particles is automated, and the charge amount measurement device that contributes to the improvement of R & D efficiencyThe measurement accuracy is improved by discharging the carrier particles after charge amount measurement and the sample particles attached to the filter out of the conductive container by air blow.It is intended to be.
[0008]
Claim2According to the invention of claim 1, in the invention of claim 1, when the sample fine particles are separated, the blow means is configured to seal the conductive container, whereby the sample fine particles and the carrier particles scatter outside without passing through the filter. It is an object of the present invention to prevent the measurement accuracy of the charge amount from being lowered due to the above-mentioned process, and to improve the separation efficiency between the sample fine particles and the carrier particles.
[0009]
Claim3According to the first aspect of the present invention, the ease of control and the installation space for the measurement system are reduced by supplying the measurement sample with the agitating means inclined in comparison with the case where the supplying means is separately provided. The aim is to reduce manufacturing costs.
[0010]
Claim4In the invention of claim 1, in the invention of claim 1, by providing a means for receiving the measurement sample discharged from the stirring container and flowing the conductive sample to the conductive container, the measurement sample discharged from the stirring container does not fall outside the conductive container. It is an object of the present invention to prevent the measurement sample from being wasted, and to prevent contamination of the surroundings due to the supply.
[0011]
Claim5It is an object of the present invention to prevent contamination of a peripheral portion due to scattering of separated sample fine particles by providing an enclosure around the blowing means in the first aspect of the present invention.
[0012]
Claim6The invention of claim 1 is that, in the invention of claim 1, by installing the measurement system in a thermo-hygrostat, the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement are improved, and the temperature-humidity characteristics depending on the stirring time of the charge amount can be set. The purpose is.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention of claim 1 contains a sample fine particle and a carrier particle having a larger particle diameter than the sample fine particle, and has a portion for discharging the sample fine particle and the carrier particle to the outside. A stirring vessel for mixing and stirring, a stirring means for mixing and stirring the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring vessel, and the sample fine particles and the carrier particles discharged to the outside of the stirring vessel are stored. A conductive container provided with a filter for passing the sample fine particles and preventing the passage of the carrier particles, and discharging the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring container to the outside and supplying them to the conductive container. Supply means, weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the conductive container, and Blowing means for blowing a predetermined gas to the conductive container so as to be separated from rear particles and discharged through the filter and out of the conductive container, and the sample fine particles separated by the blowing means A collecting means for collecting, a charge amount measuring means for measuring a charge amount of the conductive container from which the sample fine particles are separated and discharged by the blowing means, the stirring device, the weight measuring means, A moving means for moving the blowing means in a predetermined order, the stirring means agitating the sample fine particles and the carrier particles for a predetermined time, controlling the supply means, and a predetermined amount of the sample fine particles from the stirring vessel; The carrier particles are moved to the conductive container, the moving means is controlled, and the conductive container is moved to the weight measuring means to measure the weight. And moving to the blowing means to separate the sample particles, allowing the collection means to collect the separated sample particles, and measuring the charge amount of the conductive container after separation of the sample particles by the charge amount measurement means. Then, the sample is moved again to the weight measuring means to measure the weight, the charge amount per unit weight of the sample fine particles is measured, and finally the measurement procedure of discharging the carrier particles in the conductive container to the outside is repeated. Control means for measuring the stirring time dependency of the charge amount per unit weight of the sample fine particles, whereby the measurement sample is stirred, and the measurement sample (the sample fine particles and the carrier) are placed in a conductive container (Faraday cage). Particles) by controlling the supply, weight measurement, charge amount measurement, separation of sample particles and carrier particles, and movement between operations. The purpose of this study is to improve the efficiency of research and development by automating the measurement of the stirring time dependence of the charge amount.
[0014]
Here, the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are charged by mixing and stirring, and the sample fine particles have a smaller particle size than the carrier particles.
The stirring means may be any method as long as it can appropriately mix and stir the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring vessel and charge the sample fine particles and the carrier particles. The stirring container may be rotated, vibrated, or shaken vertically and horizontally.
The conductive container is capable of storing the measurement sample supplied from the stirring container, and is formed in a shape in which the sample fine particles are separated from the carrier particles by the gas injected by the blowing means and are appropriately discharged.
The supply means may be any method as long as it can supply a part of the measurement sample to the conductive container from the stirring vessel. For example, the stirring vessel is moved from the stirring means and the measurement sample is discharged from the discharge portion of the stirring vessel by rotation or the like. Or claim3The measurement sample may be discharged by tilting the stirring means while the stirring vessel is fixed to the stirring means, as in the invention of (1).
The blowing means includes a part for blowing the gas to the conductive container and a means for supplying the gas.
The collecting means includes a part for collecting the separated sample fine particles, and a suction means.
The weight measuring means has an accuracy capable of appropriately measuring a change in weight of the conductive container due to separation and discharge of the sample fine particles by the blowing means. For example, an electronic balance or the like can be used.
The charge amount measuring means includes an electrode portion and a charge measuring device which are in contact with the conductive container, and a lead wire connecting the electrode portion and the charge measuring device.
The charge measuring device may be any device that can appropriately measure the charged charge of the carrier particles remaining after the sample fine particles are separated and discharged by the blowing means.For example, an electrometer or the like may be used. it can.
The moving unit may be any unit that can appropriately move the conductive container between the above units.
The control means controls each of the above means to automatically execute a charge amount measurement process at every predetermined stirring time, a calculation process for calculating a charge amount per unit weight of the sample fine particles, and a process of measuring data. Processing such as graph display and recording on a recording medium is performed.
Further, the control means controls the moving means after measuring the weight of the conductive container after the separation of the sample fine particles, and moves the conductive container to the blowing means, whereby the blowing means By inverting the direction of the conductive container with respect to the direction opposite to the direction at the time of collecting the sample particles, and blowing a predetermined gas onto the filter surface from the direction opposite to the direction at the time of collecting the sample particles. Discharging the carrier particles in the container, and simultaneously collecting the carrier particles in the collection means, and discharging the carrier particles after the charge amount measurement and the sample particles attached to the filter to the outside of the conductive container by air blowing. In this way, the measured sample is prevented from remaining, so as not to affect the next measurement, and the accuracy of the measurement is improved. Than it is.
[0016]
Claim2In the invention of claim 1, in the invention of claim 1, when the sample particles are separated, the blow means is configured to seal the conductive container, so that the sample particles and carrier particles do not pass through the filter. It is intended to prevent the measurement accuracy of the charge amount from being reduced due to scattering to the outside, and to improve the separation efficiency between the sample fine particles and the carrier particles.
[0017]
Claim3The invention of claim 1 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the sample means and the carrier particles in the stirring vessel are discharged to the outside and supplied to the conductive vessel by tilting the stirring means, whereby the stirring is performed. By supplying the measurement sample with the means inclined, the controllability is improved, the installation space for the measurement system is reduced, and the manufacturing cost is reduced as compared with the case where the supply means is separately provided. The stirring means may be entirely inclined or a part thereof may be inclined. In any case, it is necessary to provide a holding mechanism so that the stirring vessel does not separate from the stirring means when the stirring means is inclined.
[0018]
Claim4In the invention of claim 1, in the invention of claim 1, means for receiving the sample fine particles and the carrier particles discharged from the stirring vessel and flowing the same to the conductive vessel is provided, so that the measurement sample discharged from the stirring vessel is The entirety of the sample is supplied without falling out of the conductive container, so that the measurement sample is not wasted, and the contamination around the supply sample can be prevented. The above-mentioned means is configured such that a portion for receiving the measurement sample is sufficiently wider than the measurement sample introduction portion of the conductive container, and a portion for flowing the measurement sample into the conductive container is narrower than the measurement sample introduction portion of the conductive container. I do.
[0019]
Claim5According to the invention of claim 1, in the invention of claim 1, the operation of separating the sample fine particles and the carrier particles and the operation of collecting the separated sample fine particles are performed, including the nozzle for blowing the gas of the gas blowing device and the recovery port for collecting the separated sample fine particles. By providing an enclosure in the area and providing an enclosure around the blowing means, contamination of the peripheral part due to scattering of the separated sample fine particles is prevented.
[0020]
Claim6The invention according to claim 1, wherein the stirring vessel, the stirring means, the conductive vessel, the supplying means, the weight measuring means, the moving means, a part of the blowing means, and a part of the collecting means. A part of the charge amount measuring means is installed in a thermo-hygrostat so that each measuring means can be controlled from outside the thermo-hygro-sodium bath, and thereby, the measuring system is installed in the thermo-hygro-sodium bath. The accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement are improved, and the temperature and humidity characteristics depending on the stirring time of the charge amount can be set.
In addition, the blow means installs the part which blows gas to a conductive container in a thermo-hygrostat, and the gas supply means is installed outside thermo-hygrostat. In addition, the collection unit is provided with a collection site for sample fine particles in a thermo-hygrostat, and the suction unit is provided outside the thermo-hygrostat. The installation of the gas supply means and the suction means outside the thermo-hygrostat is a matter of the installation space, and may be installed inside the environment test room if there is sufficient installation space. The charge amount measuring means installs a part of the electrode and a part of the lead wire in a thermo-hygrostat, and installs the charge measuring device and a part of the lead outside the thermo-hygrostat. The charge measuring device is installed outside the thermo-hygrostat to avoid the influence of temperature and humidity.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Note that the embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are added. However, the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. The embodiments are not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise described.
[0022]
Figure1, 2 and 3,bandFIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a coulomb measuring device. In FIG. 1, a charging amount measuring device 1 includes a stirrer 3, a weight measuring device 4, a supply device 5, a nozzle 6, a suction pipe 7, and a moving device 8 on a pedestal 2. A gas blow device 9 for supplying a compressed gas to the nozzle 6, a suction device 10 for collecting gas and ejected particles from the suction pipe 7, a charge measuring device 11, a control device 12, etc. Are arranged. Further, on the stirring device 3, a stirring container 13 is placed.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive container 20 has a circular filter 22 removably fixed to one side of a cylindrical container 21 having both ends opened by a holding jig 24. The other side of the cylindrical container 21 is opened to introduce the measurement sample supplied from the stirring container and discharge the carrier particles after the measurement. For this reason, in order to hold the measurement sample during the measurement, the conductive container 20 needs to be held with the surface on which the filter 22 is installed down.
[0024]
As shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 3, the stirring vessel 13 is composed of a cylindrical vessel 13a having an opening on one side and a lid 13b having a portion for discharging a measurement sample on the outside, and the lid 13b is closed with a screw 13c. . Further, the inside of the lid is provided with an inclination so that the measurement sample can be easily discharged. As the measurement sample, a toner used in an electrophotographic recording device, for example, a copying machine or a facsimile device, is used, and the carrier particles have a larger particle size than the sample particles.
[0025]
The filter 22 of the conductive container 20 has a mesh size such that sample fine particles can pass therethrough but carrier particles cannot pass through. For example, when using a sample fine particle having an average particle diameter of 7 μm and a carrier particle having an average particle diameter of 70 μm, it is formed of a stainless steel wire mesh of 500 mesh (50 μm pitch). Further, the conductive container 20 is formed of SUS (stainless alloy).
The shape of the conductive container 20 is not limited to the cylindrical shape described above, but it is necessary that the sample particles and the carrier particles can be easily separated by spraying a gas.
[0026]
The stirrer 3 mixes and stirs the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirrer 13, and has columnar table-top ball mill rotating mounts 3 a and 3 b on the upper part thereof. The stirring vessel 13 is placed on the table-top ball mill rotating bases 3a and 3b. The stirring device 3 rotates the table-top ball mill rotating bases 3a and 3b to rotate the stirring vessel 13 to mix the sample fine particles and the carrier particles. -Stir. The rotation of the table-top ball mill rotating frames 3a and 3b is performed by a motor or the like in the stirring device 3.
The stirring device 3 is not limited to the one that rotates the stirring container 13 as described above. For example, the stirring device 3 may be configured to vibrate the stirring container 13 to stir, or the stirring container 13 may be shaken vertically or horizontally. Any method, such as a method in which the sample fine particles and the carrier particles can be appropriately mixed and stirred, may be used.
[0027]
In this exampleSince the mixing and stirring are performed by rotating the stirring container 13, the stirring container 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape, so that the stirring can be easily performed by the stirring device 3 and the stirring container 13 can be removed. It can be easily manufactured. The start and stop of the stirring of the stirring device 3 are controlled by the control device 12. For example, the power of the stirring device 3 is turned on / off in a state where the rotation speeds of the table-top ball mill rotating frames 3a and 3b are set. Is controlled by the control device 12 to control the start and stop of the stirring of the stirring container 13 by the stirring device 3. When the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring vessel 13 are mixed and stirred by the stirring device 3, the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are charged according to the stirring time and the material characteristics.
[0028]
The supply device 5 moves and rotates the stirring container 13 stirred for a predetermined time, discharges a part of the measurement sample from the measurement sample discharge portion 13 a of the stirring container 13, and supplies the measurement sample to the conductive container 20. .
The supply device 5 includes a moving rail 5a disposed along the stirring device 3, a moving body 5b moving on the moving rail 5a, an elevating unit 5c attached to the moving body 5b, and an elevating unit. A rotating unit 5d attached to the tip of 5c and a gripper 5e attached to the tip of the rotating unit 5d are operated under the control of the control device 12 to move the stirring container 13 from the stirring device 3. Then, the sample is supplied to the conductive container 20 by rotating.
That is, the moving body 5b moves on the moving rail 5a by the action of a motor, gas, or a hydraulic cylinder to adjust the position of the grip 5e. The lifting / lowering unit 5c adjusts the position in the vertical direction by the same operation, the rotating unit 5d changes the direction of the stirring container 13 by the same operation, and the gripping unit 5e opens and closes by the same operation to open and close the stirring container 13 And separate. The moving operation, the rotation operation, and the gripping operation of the supply device 5 are controlled by the control device 12.
[0029]
The weight measuring device 4 is for measuring the weight of the conductive container 20 before and after separation and discharge of the sample fine particles by gas blowing described later, and is capable of measuring the weight of the conductive container 20 and having sufficiently high accuracy. And it is necessary to have a communication function for outputting the measurement result to the control device 12. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an electronic balance is used as the weight measuring device 4 and the measurement data is transmitted to the control device 12 by RS-232C. Also, although not shown in FIG. Is controlled by the control device 12.
[0030]
When the gas is blown from the nozzle 6 to the opening of the conductive container 20, the sample fine particles in the conductive container 20 are separated from the carrier particles and blown toward the filter 22. However, since the filter 22 can pass the sample particles but cannot pass the carrier particles, only the sample particles pass through the filter 22 and are discharged out of the conductive container 20. At this time, since the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are charged by the stirring, when the sample fine particles are separated from the carrier particles and discharged out of the conductive container 20, a charge corresponding to the amount of the discharged sample fine particles is obtained. The amount remains on the carrier particles in the conductive container 20, and the charge amount is measured via the conductive container 20 by a charge measuring device 11 described later.
The nozzle 6 is connected to a gas blow device 9 by a hose 6a, and an air conditioner or the like is used for the gas blow device 9. The control device 12 controls the start and stop of the gas blow through the nozzle 6 by the gas blow device 9 by controlling on / off of the power supply of the gas blow device. Note that the control of the start and stop of the gas blow by the control device 12 is not limited to the control by turning on / off the power of the gas blow device 9 such as an air compressor. A valve may be provided, and the opening and closing of this electromagnetic valve may be performed by the control device 12.
[0031]
The gas used for the gas blow is not limited to the supply from the gas blow device 9 such as an air compressor. For example, the gas supplied from the compressed gas cylinder or the compressed gas blower pipe is used to control the on / off of the solenoid valve. The control may be performed by using the control unit 12.
A suction pipe 7 is opened at a position facing the filter 22 of the conductive container 20, and the suction pipe 7 is connected to a suction port of the suction device 10, and sample fine particles discharged from the conductive container 20. Is collected in the suction device 10. As the suction device 10, for example, a vacuum cleaner for toner or the like can be used.
The electrode 11a is provided so as to contact the container 21 when the conductive container 20 moves below the nozzle 6. The electrode 11a is connected to the charge measuring device 11 by a conducting wire 11b, and the charge of the conductive container 20 is measured by the charge measuring device 11.
The charge measuring device 11 is for measuring the charge amount of carrier particles separated from sample fine particles, and uses an electrometer. The charge measuring device 11 converts the measured charge amount into a numerical value and outputs it to the control device 12.
[0032]
The charge amount measuring device 1 has a stirrer 3, a weight measuring device 4, and a nozzle 6 arranged side by side on a pedestal 2. The moving device 8 is provided to easily move the conductive container 20. Have been.
The moving device 8 includes a moving rail 8a arranged along the direction in which the stirring device 3, the weight measuring device 4, and the nozzle 6 are arranged, a moving body 8b moving on the moving rail 8a, and a moving body 8b. The attached arm 8c, the elevating part 8d attached to the tip of the arm 8c, the rotating part 8e attached to the tip of the elevating part 8d, and the grip attached to the tip of the rotating part 8e. 8f, and operates under the control of the control device 12 to move the conductive container 20 to a position where the supply device 5, the weight measuring device 4, and the blowing device 9 can perform each processing. The carrier particles are discharged by rotating the conductive container 20 by 180 degrees on the suction pipe 7.
[0033]
That is, the moving body 8b moves on the moving rail 8a by the action of a motor, a gas, or a hydraulic cylinder, and the arm 8c expands and contracts in a direction perpendicular to the moving rail 8a by the same action, and the position of the grip 8f. Make adjustments. The raising / lowering unit 8d performs vertical position adjustment by the same operation, the rotating unit 8e changes the direction of the conductive container by the same operation, and the gripping unit 8f opens and closes by the same operation to open and close the conductive container. Hold and separate 20. An insulating rubber (not shown) is attached to a surface of the grip portion 8f that grips the conductive container 20, thereby preventing leakage of charged charges through the grip portion 8f. The moving device 8 is controlled by the control device 12 in the moving operation, the rotating operation, and the gripping operation.
[0034]
The control device 12 controls the stirring device 3, the weight measuring device 4, the supply device 5, the moving device 8, the gas blowing device 9, the suction device 10, and the charge measuring device 11 to automatically perform a charge amount measuring process.
In the present embodiment, a personal computer is used as the control device 12, and the control device 12 includes a display 12a, a keyboard 12b, and a printer if necessary.
The control device 12 stores a control processing program for controlling the operation of each unit and a charge amount calculation processing program for calculating a charge amount for a unit weight of sample microparticles from a measurement result of each unit, and the like. Each unit is controlled to execute a charge amount measurement process. In the above program, for example, as the measurement parameters, the names of the sample fine particles and the carrier particles, the respective stirring times required for measuring the stirring time dependency of the charge amount, the time for blowing the gas, and the like are input. The following equation (1) is set as an equation for calculating the charge amount (Q / M) for the fine particles.
Q / M = -Q / (W1-W2) (1)
Here, Q is the charge amount of the carrier particles in the conductive container 20 measured by the charge amount measuring device 11, W1 is the weight of the conductive container 20 before separation, and W2 is the weight of the conductive container 20 after separation. . The sign of the charge amount of the sample particles is opposite to the sign of the charge amount of the carrier particles.
[0035]
The control device 12 includes, in particular, RS-232C, GP-IB, and other interface boards for controlling the above-described units and acquiring data from the units. The control device 12 displays a graph or the like of the processing status and the stirring time dependence of the charge amount on the display 12a, and outputs a printer output or another recording medium, such as a floppy disk, as necessary. .
[0036]
Next, the bookAn exampleWill be described. A stirring container 13 containing sample fine particles and carrier particles at a predetermined ratio is prepared, and placed on the rotating gantry 3a, 3b of the tabletop ball mill of the stirring device 3. Further, under the control of the control device 12, the grip portion 8f of the moving device 8 is controlled to cause the grip portion 8f to grip the conductive container 20. When the start of operation is input to the control device 12, the control device 12 turns on the power of the stirrer 3 and rotates the rotating gantry 3a, 3b of the tabletop ball mill to mix the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring vessel 13. When stirring is started and stirring is performed for a preset time, for example, 30 seconds, the power of the stirring device 3 is turned off to stop stirring.
[0037]
Next, the control device 12 moves the stirring container 13 from above the stirring device 3 using the supply device 5 and rotates the stirring container 13 above the conductive container 20 so that one of the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring container is removed. The part is discharged and supplied to the conductive container 20. After supplying the sample fine particles and the carrier particles for a certain period of time, the control device 12 rotates and moves the stirring container 13 by using the supply device, and places the stirring container 13 on the rotating gantry 3a, 3b of the tabletop ball mill of the stirring device 3.
[0038]
Next, the control device 12 moves the conductive container 20 onto the weight measuring device 4 using the moving device 8, opens and closes an automatic door of the weight measuring device 4 (not shown), and performs measurement by the weight measuring device 4. This is automatically performed, and data on the weight W1 of the conductive container 20 before separation by gas blowing is taken in.
[0039]
Next, the control device 12 uses the moving device 8 to move the conductive container 20 to a position below the nozzle 6 and in contact with the electrode 11a.
Next, the control device 12 drives the gas blow device 9 for a set time, injects gas from the nozzle 6 into the conductive container 20, separates the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the conductive container, and sets the sample fine particles. Is discharged out of the conductive container 20 through the filter 22. Further, the control device 12 drives the suction device 9 at the same time as the gas blowing device 9 to collect the discharged sample fine particles via the suction pipe 7.
In this manner, when the sample fine particles are separated from the carrier particles and discharged out of the conductive container 20, charges having the same amount as the charge amount of the sample fine particles and different polarities are transferred to the carrier particles, that is, the conductive container 20. The residual charge amount is taken into the charge measuring device 11 via the electrode 11a, and the charge amount of the conductive container 20, that is, the charge amount of the carrier particles is measured. The control device 12 controls the charge measuring device 11, performs the above-described measurement, and takes in the measured data.
[0040]
Next, the control device 12 uses the moving device 8 to move the conductive container 20 onto the weighing device 4 again, controls the weighing device 4 to perform automatic measurement, and performs the conductive measurement after separation by gas blowing. The data of the weight W2 of the sexual container 20 is taken.
Next, the control device 12 uses the moving device 8 to move the conductive container 20 above the suction pipe 7 and rotate it by 180 degrees to discharge the carrier particles in the conductive container 20, and then rotate it again by 180 degrees. After the rotation, the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are moved from the stirring container 13 to a position where they are supplied.
The control device 12 calculates the charge amount per unit weight of the sample microparticles from the data obtained by the above-described processing, using the equation (1).
Similarly, the control device 12 performs the same measurement procedure after stirring for a preset time, for example, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes from the start of measurement. The graph of the measurement result, the names of the sample fine particles and the carrier particles, and other measurement parameters are displayed on the display 12a, and are recorded on a printer or another recording medium, for example, a floppy disk or the like, as necessary.
[0041]
FIG. 4 shows the results of measurement of the stirring time dependency of the charge amount using an electrophotographic developer having a toner concentration of 2%.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automate the dependence of the charge amount on the stirring time, thereby contributing to an improvement in research and development efficiency.
[0042]
(Example1)
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 will be used, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment,In FIG.In the charge amount measuring device, the control device 12 causes the weight measuring device 4 to measure the weight of the conductive container 20 after the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are separated by gas blowing, and then uses the moving device 8 to 20 is moved below the nozzle 6 and above the suction pipe 7 and rotated 180 degrees so that the surface of the filter 22 faces upward, and the gas blow device 9 is driven to blow gas onto the surface of the filter 22. Thereby, the carrier particles in the conductive container 20 are discharged, and at the same time, the suction device 10 is driven to collect the carrier particles. As described above, when the gas blow is used when discharging the carrier particles after separation, the carrier particles are completely discharged, and also the sample fine particles attached to the filter 22 can be blown off, so that the measurement sample does not remain at the next measurement. Because of the aboveIn FIG.The accuracy of the measurement can be improved as compared with the charge amount measuring device.
[0043]
(Example2)
FIG. 5 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherFIG. 4 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which the nozzle 6 seals the closed container 20 when performing gas blowing.
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 5, the nozzle 6 is a gasofIt is composed of an outlet 6b and a sealing member 6c, and the sealing member 6c is formed so as to seal the opening of the conductive container 20.
[0044]
In this embodiment, the control device 12 uses the moving mechanism 8 to move the conductive container 20 below the nozzle 6 so that the center line of the opening of the conductive container 20 passes through the center of the gas outlet 6 b of the nozzle 6. Then, the sealing member 6c is moved upward until the sealing member 6c seals the opening of the conductive container 20.
Charge amount measuring device of FIG.When the opening of the conductive container 20 is not sealed at the time of gas blowing as described above, not only the sample fine particles but also the carrier particles may be discharged to the outside by the gas blowing. When the carrier particles are discharged, the weight of the sample fine particles cannot be measured accurately, and the measured charge amount decreases. Therefore, the charge amount per unit weight of the sample fine particles cannot be measured accurately. On the other hand, as described above, when the nozzle 6 is configured to seal the conductive container 20 when performing the gas blow, the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are scattered outside from the opening of the conductive container 20. Therefore, the amount of charge per unit weight of the sample fine particles can be accurately measured. Further, if gas is blown into the sealed conductive container 20 as described above, the force for separating the sample fine particles and the carrier particles is larger than in the case where the conductive container 20 is not sealed, and the separation efficiency between the sample fine particles and the carrier particles is improved. Can be done.
[0045]
(Example3)
FIG. 6 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIt is a figure which shows Embodiment of this invention, and this Embodiment is comprised so that a stirring means may incline and serve also as a supply means.
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 6, the stirring device 3 is fixed on a tilting stage 30. When the tilting stage 30 is tilted, the stirring container 13 on the stirring device 3 tilts, and the sample fine particles and carrier particles in the stirring container 13 are separated. It is discharged outside. As shown in FIG. 6, when the stirring device 3 is inclined, the stirring container 13 is provided with a hole 31a on the side surface of the rotating gantry 3a, 3b of the table-top ball mill so that the stirring container 13 does not fall off the stirring device 3. The container holding plate 31 was installed. The tilt angle, the tilting time, and the like of the tilt stage 30 are controlled by the control device 12.
By supplying the measurement sample with the stirring means inclined as described above,Charge amount measuring device in FIG.As compared with the case where the supply means is separately provided as described above, the controllability is improved, the installation space for the measurement system can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0046]
(Example4)
FIG. 7 shows the charge amount measuring device of the present invention.otherFIG. 4 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a means for receiving a measurement sample discharged from a stirring vessel and flowing the same to a conductive vessel is provided.
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 7, the measurement sample discharged from the stirring container 13 is captured by the funnel 40 fixed to the pedestal 2 and supplied to the conductive container 20.
Charge amount measuring device in FIG.When the stirring container 20 is directly supplied from the stirring container 13 to the conductive container 20 as described above, a part of the discharged measurement sample falls out of the conductive container 20 when the stirring container 20 rotates or tilts. Although there is a possibility, as shown in FIG. 7, if the funnel 40 is sufficiently large, all the measurement samples discharged from the stirring container are supplied without falling out of the conductive container, and there is no waste of the measurement sample and the supply And the surrounding dirt can be prevented.
[0047]
(Example5)
FIG. 8 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIn the present embodiment, a separation operation of sample fine particles and carrier particles and a recovery operation of separated sample fine particles are performed, including a nozzle of a gas blow device and a recovery port of separated sample fine particles. An area is provided around the area.
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in FIGS.WhatDescription is omitted.
[0048]
In FIG. 8, the region where gas blow is performed is surrounded by a box-shaped enclosure 50, the nozzle 6 is attached to the upper surface of the enclosure 50, and the suction pipe 7 is attached to the lower surface of the enclosure 50. The electrode 11a which is not provided is also provided in the enclosure 50. In addition, the opening 50a of the enclosure 50 is formed in a size large enough for the holding portion 8f holding the conductive container 20 to enter.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress the separated sample fine particles from scattering and adhering to other devices of the charge amount measuring device 1, and to reduce dirt around the device.
[0049]
(Example6)
This embodiment is described above.In FIG.The present invention is applied to a charge amount measuring device similar to the charge amount measuring device. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In this embodiment, the stirring vessel 13, the stirring means 3, the conductive vessel 20, the supply means 5, the weight measuring means 4, the moving means 8, the nozzle 6, the suction pipe 7, and the electrode 11a are installed in a thermo-hygrostat, Each measuring means can be controlled from outside the thermo-hygrostat. In addition, the gas blow device 9, the suction device 10, and the charge amount measuring device 11 are installed outside the thermo-hygrostat.
The hose 6a and the suction pipe 7 are connected to an internal / external connection for gas provided in the thermo-hygrostat, and the compressed gas sent from the gas blower 9 installed outside the thermo-hygrostat is heated through the hose 6a. The sample microparticles which were sent to the nozzle 6 provided in the thermo-hygrostat and sprayed on the conductive container 20 were separated from the suction pipe 7 provided in the thermo-hygrostat, and set outside the thermo-hygrostat. Collected in the suction device.
A control cable for connecting the electrodes 11a and the control device 12 to the devices installed in the thermo-hygrostat is connected to an electric internal / external connection provided in the thermo-hygrostat, and the charge amount is measured. The control of devices installed in the thermo-hygrostat is performed.
The charge amount generated by stirring the sample particles and the carrier particles changes depending on the temperature and humidity.
As described above, if the measurement system is placed in a thermo-hygrostat, the temperature and humidity at the time of measurement can be made constant each time, and the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement are improved. Further, it is possible to measure the temperature-humidity characteristics of the charge amount depending on the stirring time.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
According to the charge amount measuring apparatus of the first aspect, the efficiency of research and development can be improved by automating the measurement of the stirring time dependence of the charge amount of the particles using the blow-off method.
AlsoAfter the separation by gas blowing, the carrier particles remaining in the conductive container and the sample fine particles adhered to the filter are blown off by gas blowing, so that the carrier particles and the sample fine particles do not remain in the conductive container, and the measurement accuracy of each stirring time is improved. Can be improved.
Claim2According to the charge amount measuring device, when the sample fine particles and the carrier particles are separated, the blowing means is configured to seal the conductive container, so that the sample fine particles and the carrier particles do not pass through the filter and go to the outside. Prevents the measurement accuracy of the charge amount from dropping due to scattering, and improves the separation efficiency between sample particles and carrier particlesLetbe able to.
Claim3According to the charge amount measuring device, the controllability is improved compared to the case where the supply unit is separately provided by supplying the measurement sample with the stirring unit inclined.LetThe installation space for the measurement system can be reduced, and the production cost can be reduced.
Claim4According to the charge amount measuring device of the above, by providing a means for receiving the measurement sample discharged from the stirring container and flowing it to the conductive container, the measurement sample discharged from the stirring container does not fall outside the conductive container. All of them are supplied, and there is no waste of the measurement sample, and it is also possible to prevent contamination around the supply.
Claim5According to the charge amount measuring apparatus described above, by providing an enclosure around the blowing means, it is possible to prevent contamination of the peripheral portion due to scattering of the separated sample fine particles.
Claim6According to the charge amount measuring apparatus described above, the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement are improved and the temperature-humidity characteristics depending on the stirring time of the charge amount can be measured by installing the measurement system in a thermo-hygrostat.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.bandIt is the whole perspective view of a coulomb measuring device.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the conductive container of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the stirring vessel of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a measurement result of a stirring time dependency of a charge amount measured by the charge amount measurement device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIt is a side view of the nozzle part for gas blows of the charge amount measuring device to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 6 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIt is a side view of the stirrer fixed to the tilt stage of the charge amount measuring device to which the embodiment is applied.
FIG. 7 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIt is a side view of the funnel fixed to the pedestal of the charge measuring device to which embodiment of 1 is applied.
FIG. 8 shows the charge amount measuring apparatus of the present invention.otherIt is a side view which shows the surrounding of the area | region which performs an air blow of the charge amount measuring apparatus to which Embodiment 1 is applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Charge amount measuring device, 2 ... Pedestal, 3 ... Stirring device, 3a, 3b ... Desk ball mill rotary stand, 4 ... Weight measuring device, 5 ... Supplying device, 6 ... Nozzle, 6a ... Hose, 6b ... Gas outlet Reference numeral 6c: sealing member, 7: suction pipe, 8: moving mechanism, 8a: moving rail, 8b: moving body, 8c: arm, 8d: elevating unit, 8e: rotating unit, 8f: gripping unit, 9: gas blow Device, 10: suction device, 11: charge measuring device, 11a: electrode, 12: control device, 13: stirring container, 13a: container, 13b: lid, 13c: screw, 20: conductive container, 21: container, 22 Reference numeral: filter, 24: holding jig, 30: inclined stage, 31: stirring vessel holding plate, 31a: stirring vessel holding plate hole, 40: funnel, 50: enclosure, 50a: opening of enclosure.

Claims (6)

Stirring for accommodating the sample fine particles and the carrier particles having a larger particle diameter than the sample fine particles, and having a portion for discharging the sample fine particles and the carrier particles to the outside, and mixing and stirring the sample fine particles and the carrier particles A container, a stirring means for mixing and stirring the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring container, and the sample fine particles and the carrier particles discharged to the outside of the stirring container are stored and pass the sample fine particles A conductive container provided with a filter that prevents passage of the carrier particles, a supply unit that discharges the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring container to the outside, and supplies the conductive particles to the conductive container; Weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the container, and the sample fine particles are separated from the carrier particles Blow means for blowing a predetermined gas to the conductive container so as to pass through the filter and be discharged out of the conductive container, and a collecting means for collecting the sample fine particles separated by the blow means. A charge amount measuring means for measuring the charge amount of the conductive container from which the sample fine particles are separated and discharged by the blowing means; and a method wherein the conductive container is provided with a predetermined amount to the stirring device, the weight measuring means, and the blowing means. Moving means for moving in order, the stirring means to stir the sample fine particles and the carrier particles for a predetermined time, control the supply means, and a predetermined amount of the sample fine particles and the carrier particles from the stirring vessel; Moving to the conductive container, controlling the moving means, moving the conductive container to the weight measuring means to measure the weight, To separate the sample microparticles, collect the separated sample microparticles by the collection unit, and cause the charge amount measurement unit to measure the charge amount of the conductive container after the separation of the sample microparticles, and perform the weight measurement. By moving the sample again to measure the weight, measuring the amount of charge per unit weight of the sample fine particles, and finally repeating the measurement procedure of discharging the carrier particles in the conductive container to the outside, the sample A control unit for measuring the stirring time dependency of the charge amount per unit weight of the fine particles , wherein the control unit measures the weight of the conductive container after separation of the sample fine particles. Thereafter, the moving means is controlled to move the conductive container to the blowing means, and the direction of the conductive container with respect to the blowing means is adjusted by the sump. The carrier particles in the conductive container are discharged by blowing a predetermined gas onto the filter surface from the opposite direction to the direction in which the sample microparticles are collected, by inverting the direction opposite to the direction in which the microparticles are collected, A charge amount measuring device, wherein the collecting means simultaneously collects the carrier particles . The charge amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the blow means is configured to seal the conductive container when separating the sample fine particles. 2. The charge amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein when the stirring unit is tilted, the sample fine particles and the carrier particles in the stirring container are discharged to the outside and supplied to the conductive container. 3. 2. The charge amount measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a unit configured to receive the sample fine particles and the carrier particles discharged from the stirring container and flow the particles into the conductive container. 3. The gas blow means includes a nozzle for blowing gas and a recovery port for recovering the separated sample fine particles, and has an enclosure in a region where the operation of separating the sample fine particles and the carrier particles and the operation of collecting the separated sample fine particles are performed. Item 2. The charge amount measuring device according to Item 1. The stirring vessel, the stirring means, the conductive vessel, the supply means, the weight measuring means, the moving means, a part of the blowing means, a part of the collecting means, and a part of the charge amount measuring means are kept at a constant temperature. 2. The charge amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the charge amount measuring device is installed in a thermo-hygrostat so that each measuring means can be controlled from outside the thermo-hygrostat.

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