JP6507664B2 - Filling apparatus and method of manufacturing container filled with powder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a filling device and a method of manufacturing a container filled with powder.

  In Patent Document 1, the powder 2 is supplied into the hopper 3 and the air in the powder 2 is sucked and removed, and then the powder 2 is introduced to the container 4 side, whereby the powder 2 is introduced into the container 4. A method of high density packing is described.

  Patent Document 2 has an oger 54 having a spiral blade, and a measuring unit 20 that measures the filling amount of powder while feeding powder by rotation of the oger 54, an inward extension portion of the measuring unit 20, A powder filling machine is described having a breathable member provided to the oger 54. And the powder filling machine of patent document 2 describes the powder filling machine which discharges pressurized air in the measurement part 20 via these air-permeable members.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a filling apparatus 10 for degassing the powder 11 containing gas by a degassing mechanism 26 provided in the vicinity of the powder outlet 14a for discharging the powder 11 and then filling the packaging material 34 with a predetermined amount. The driving method is described. And, in the operation method of the filling device 10 of Patent Document 3, degassing is started simultaneously with the start of the filling operation of the filling device 10, and the degassing is stopped in 30 to 70% of the total filling time after the start. Have been described.

  In Patent Document 4, a tank 1 for storing powder P, a discharge passage cylinder 10 continuous to the bottom 1a of the tank 1, a bottom portion 1a and the discharge passage cylinder 10 are inserted across the inside of the discharge passage cylinder 10 and screwed on the outer peripheral surface. A powder microfeeder is described which comprises a rod-like body 2 in which grooves 23 are formed. Then, in the powder micro-feeder of Patent Document 4, the rod-like body 2 is formed hollow with a porous material that allows the passage of air and can block the passage of the powder P, and the hollow portion 21 of the rod-like body 2 is formed. It is described that the vacuum suction device 6 and the compressed air supply device 7 are selectively communicated.

JP, 2001-97302, A JP-A-8-72821 JP-A-8-231051 JP-A-8-217253

  According to the present invention, the bulk of the powder in the upper portion of the transport portion in the bulk density of the powder contained in the housing portion is higher than that of the filling device provided with the spiral body in which the protrusion is not provided on the upper surface of the spiral portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a filling device for locally increasing the density.

The filling device according to the first aspect has an inner peripheral surface having a hole at the lower end and a diameter gradually decreasing from the upper end side to the lower end, and is a cylindrical storage portion for storing powder, A conveying portion forming a conveying path for conveying the powder downward by connecting the containing portion and the edge of the hole, a shaft disposed in the conveying portion, and a helical portion formed around the axis And a helical body which is rotated about the axis to convey the powder in the transport unit, and is provided with a protrusion on an upper surface of the helical portion.

A filling device according to a second aspect is the filling device according to the first aspect , wherein the protrusion has a portion extending from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side of the spiral portion.

The filling device according to a third aspect is the filling device according to the first aspect or the second aspect , wherein the protrusion is provided from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the spiral portion.

The filling device according to a fourth aspect is the filling device according to the third aspect , wherein the portion on the outer circumferential side of the protrusion is closer to the axial line than an imaginary straight line connecting the end portion on the outer circumferential side and the axis of the shaft. It is provided in the reverse rotational direction lower stream side.

The filling device according to a fifth aspect is the filling device according to any one aspect of the first aspect to the fourth aspect , wherein the surface of the protrusion on the downstream side in the reverse rotation direction of the shaft faces upward.

A filling device according to a sixth aspect is the filling device according to any one aspect from the first aspect to the fifth aspect , wherein the helical portion includes an overhanging portion projecting above the upper surface on the outer periphery of the helical portion. It is provided along the department.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a container filled with powder, wherein the powder is fed into the storage unit using the filling device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and A container is disposed on the lower side, and the spiral is rotated to push out the powder from the lower end of the transport unit, and the powder is filled in the container.

The filling device according to the first aspect is a portion of the bulk density of the powder contained in the storage portion above the conveyance portion, compared to the filling device provided with a spiral having no protrusion provided on the upper surface of the spiral portion. The bulk density of the powder can be locally increased.

In the filling device according to the second aspect, the bulk density of the powder contained in the housing portion is higher than that of the filling device in which the protrusion does not have a portion extending from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side in the spiral portion. The bulk density of the powder in the upper part of the transport unit can be locally increased.

In the filling device according to the third aspect, compared to the filling device in which the protrusion is provided only in a part from the inner periphery to the outer periphery in the spiral portion, the transfer portion in the bulk density of the powder accommodated in the storage portion It is possible to locally increase the bulk density of the powder in the upper part of.

In the filling device according to the fourth aspect, compared with the filling device in which the projections are provided along the radial direction of the helical portion from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the helical portion, powder between adjacent helical portions in the axial direction It is difficult for the powder located on the outer peripheral side to fall downward.

The filling device according to the fifth aspect reduces the load applied to the powder during the period in which the shaft is reversely rotating, as compared with the filling device in which the surface on the downstream side of the reverse rotation direction of the shaft in the protrusion faces downward. be able to.

Filling device according to the sixth embodiment, compared to a filling device which is not eclipsed set along the outer peripheral surface of the projecting spiral part which protrudes above the upper surface of the spiral portion of a different projection from that of the projections on the spiral portion Thus, it is difficult for the powder on the outer peripheral side of the powder between the helical parts adjacent in the axial direction to drop downward.

The method for producing a container filled with powder according to the seventh aspect is a method for producing a container that is spilled after the filling step, as compared with a method using a filling device provided with a spiral having no protrusion provided on the upper surface of the spiral portion. The amount can be reduced.

It is the schematic (front view) which shows the state which is filling the container with the toner using the filling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic (front view) which shows the filling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic (perspective view) which shows the filling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic (top view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic (front view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic (perspective view) which shows the filling apparatus of a comparison form. It is a figure (schematic diagram) showing bulk density of a toner in an accommodation part which constitutes a filling device of a 1st embodiment, and in the filling process, immediately after the amount of toner filling to a container reached a predetermined value and rotation of an auger was stopped It is explanatory drawing which shows the state (before reversely rotating an auger). It is a figure (schematic diagram) showing bulk density of a toner in an accommodation part which constitutes a filling device of comparative form, and a state at the time of an end of a filling process (state where auger rotates reversely and toner in a conveyance part is moved upward) FIG. It is a figure (schematic diagram) showing bulk density of a toner in an accommodation part which constitutes a filling device of a 1st embodiment, and a state at the time of an end of a filling process (auger rotates reversely and toner in a conveyance part was moved upwards State). It is the schematic (front view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is the schematic (top view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is the schematic (perspective view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of 4th Embodiment. It is the schematic (perspective view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of the modification (1st modification) of this invention. It is the schematic (top view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of the modification (2nd modification) of this invention. It is the schematic (top view) of the auger which comprises the filling apparatus of the modification (3rd modification) of this invention. It is the schematic (perspective view) of the filling apparatus of the reference example of this invention.

Overview
Hereinafter, four embodiments (first to fourth embodiments) which are modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of arrow H in the drawings is taken as the height direction.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the structure of the filling apparatus 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated. Next, a manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 described later using the filling device 10 of the present embodiment will be described. Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

<Configuration>
The filling device 10 is for filling the toner T used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (not shown) as an example into a cartridge main body 90 (hereinafter referred to as a container 90). As shown in FIG. 1, the filling device 10 discharges the toner T from the opening at the lower end of the filling device 10 (the opening 24 B of the transport unit 24 described later) and fills the inside of the container 90 disposed below. It is supposed to Therefore, an opening 90A is formed on the upper side of the container 90. The opening 90A is circular. Here, the toner T is an example of a powder. In the present embodiment, the toner T means an aggregate of toner particles constituting the toner T.

  The toner T is a consumable item in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, the container 90 (toner cartridge 100) filled with the toner T is used as a replacement part of the image forming apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the filling device 10 includes a hopper 20, an auger 30, a transmission shaft 40, an agitator 50, a drive source 60, a moving device 70, and a scale (not shown). A storage height sensor (hereinafter referred to as a height sensor; not shown) of the toner T and a control unit 80 are included. Here, the auger 30 is an example of a spiral.

[hopper]
The hopper 20 has a housing portion 22 and a transport portion 24.

[Accommodating section]
The storage unit 22 has a function of storing the toner T. The housing portion 22 is a frusto-conical cylindrical body, and an opening 22A and an opening 22B are respectively formed on the upper side and the lower side, and has an inner circumferential surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the upper end to the lower end. . Here, the opening 22B is an example of a hole. The toner T in the toner tank (not shown) is fed into the housing portion 22 from the opening 22A.

[Transporter]
The transport portion 24 is cylindrical, and has an opening 24A and an opening 24B formed on the upper side and the lower side, respectively, and has an inner circumferential surface having the same diameter from the upper end to the lower end. The conveyance part 24 of this embodiment is made into a cylinder, and the axis | shaft of the conveyance part 24 has overlapped with the axis C in a figure. The transport unit 24 is disposed below the storage unit 22. The diameter of the opening 24B is equal to the diameter of the opening 22B of the housing portion 22. Further, the diameter of the opening 24B is smaller than the diameter of the opening 90A of the container 90. The transport section 24 is connected to the edge of the opening 22B of the storage section 22 at the edge of the opening 24A to form a transport path 24C for transporting the toner T stored in the storage section 22 downward.

  The hopper 20 is configured symmetrically with respect to the axis C. Also, the axis C is along the height direction.

[Ogre]
The auger 30 rotates forward around its own axis (which means its own axis) to transport the toner T in the transport unit 24 downward, and reversely rotates around its own axis to toner in the transport unit 24. It has a function to transport T upward. The auger 30 is driven by a drive source 60 controlled by the control unit 80 to rotate forward or backward around its own axis, which will be described later. The normal rotation direction in the present embodiment is the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. The reverse rotation direction is the direction of the arrow R2.

  The auger 30 has a rotating shaft 32 and a helical portion 34 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Here, the rotation axis 32 is an example of an axis. The self-axis of the auger 30 overlaps the axis C.

  The spiral portion 34 is formed in a spiral shape on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 32, and has a surface directed in the self-axial direction (a surface facing upward is called an upper surface 110 and a surface facing downward is called a lower surface 112). The auger 30 is disposed in the transport unit 24 and in the storage unit 22. Specifically, a part of the auger 30 (the rotation shaft 32 and the spiral part 34) is disposed in the conveyance part 24, and a part of the auger 30 protrudes from the upper end of the conveyance part 24. A portion of the auger 30 protruding from the upper end of the transport unit 24 is disposed at a lower portion in the housing unit 22. When the auger 30 is viewed in the self-axial direction, the outer periphery of the spiral portion 34 forms a circle centered on the axis C and separated from the edge of the inner peripheral surface of the transport portion 24. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the spiral portion 34 is referred to as an outer peripheral surface 114.

[Protrusion]
The protrusion 120 has a function of catching the toner T when the auger 30 reversely rotates around its own axis and the auger 30 moves the toner T in the transport unit 24 upward. The upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 of the auger 30 is provided with a projection 120 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the projection 120 forms a straight line along the radial direction of the spiral portion 32 when viewed from the self-axial direction of the rotation shaft 32. The protrusion 120 is provided from the inner periphery (inner end in the radial direction of the spiral portion 34) to the outer periphery (outer end of the spiral portion 34 in the radial direction) of the spiral portion 34. In other words, the projection 120 has a portion extending from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side of the spiral portion 34. Further, a plurality of projections 120 (10 in this embodiment as an example) are provided. The protrusions 120 are arranged in the circumferential direction with the same phase difference.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the sectional shape of the projection 120 is a direction (radial direction of the helical portion 34) orthogonal to the axis C and viewed from the longitudinal direction of the projection 120, a square (square) as an example It is done. Here, among the side surfaces of the protrusion 120, the side surface on the downstream side in the reverse rotation direction of the rotation shaft 32 is referred to as the side surface 122, the side surface on the upstream side in the reverse rotation direction is the side surface 124, and the top surface is the upper surface 126. The height of the projections 120, that is, the distance from the top surface 110 to the top surface 126 of the spiral portion 34 is, for example, larger than the average particle diameter (volume average particle diameter) of the toner T of this embodiment.

  In addition, the protrusion 120 is provided in a part of part surrounded by the conveyance part 24 in the helical part 34, as FIG. 3 shows. Specifically, the upper limit of the range in which the protrusion 120 is provided is the opening 24A, and the lower limit is the upper side of the opening 24B by a defined height.

[Transmission axis]
The transmission shaft 40 has a function of transmitting the torque of the drive source 60 for rotating the auger 30 about its own axis to the auger 30. The self-axis of the transmission shaft 40 overlaps the axis C, as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of the transmission shaft 40 protrudes from the upper end of the housing 22 and a part thereof is disposed in the housing 22. A drive source 60 is connected to an end of the transmission shaft 40 which is protruded from the upper end of the housing 22. In addition, the rotation shaft 32 of the auger 30 is fixed to the end of the transmission shaft 40 which is disposed in the housing 22.

[Agitator]
The agitator 50 has a function of moving the toner T to a lower part in the housing portion 22 while stirring the toner T stored in the housing portion 22. The agitator 50 has a support rod 52 and blades 54 as shown in FIG. A part of the support rod 52 is disposed in the housing 22, and a part of the support rod 52 protrudes from the upper end of the housing 22. The blade 54 is fixed to the end of the support rod 52 disposed in the housing 22, and the end of the support rod 52 protruding from the upper end of the housing 22 is the upper side of the housing 22. It is attached to the drive source (illustration omitted) provided in. The vanes 54 are fixed to the support rod 52 in such a manner as to be inclined to the axis C such that the upper end is separated from the lower end by the axis C.

  The support rod 52 is driven by the drive source 60 during the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100, and rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 about the axis C. Along with this, the blade 54 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R2 about the axis C to move the toner T to a lower portion in the housing portion 22 while stirring the toner T. When the agitator 50 rotates about the axis C, the agitator 50 rotates without coming into contact with the auger 30 and the transmission shaft 40 disposed in the housing portion 22. In the drawing, the thick white arrows indicate the flow of toner T, and the thick black arrows indicate the flow of air G.

[Drive source]
The drive source 60 has a function of rotating the transmission shaft 40 and the agitator 50 about the axis C.

[Mobile device]
The moving device 70 has a function of moving the container 90 in the direction of the arrow R4 in the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100. The transfer device 70 has a belt 70A for loading the container 90 and moving the container 90 as shown in FIG. The moving device 70 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a belt conveyor type device.

[Other configuration]
The filling apparatus 10 has a balance (not shown) and a height sensor (not shown) in addition to the components described above. The scale has a function of measuring the mass of the container 90 filled with the toner T during the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100. The balance is disposed below the belt 70A and at a position B (see FIG. 1) described later. Further, the height sensor stores the toner T from the opening 22 B (reference) in the storage height of the toner T stored in the storage portion 22 during the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 (in the storage portion 22). Function to measure the height of the The height sensor of this embodiment is, for example, a light detection sensor.

[Control unit]
The control unit 80 has a function of controlling components and the like constituting the filling device 10 in the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100. The drive source for driving the auger 30 described above is an example of the above-described components, but the specific description will be made along with the description of the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 described later.

[Supplement]
[Supplement 1]
In the manufacturing process of toner cartridge 100, filling device 10 has a height of 80% or more and 85% or less, for example, with respect to the height of storage portion 22 from opening 22B with toner T stored in storage portion 22 , Reference height) is used in a state of being accommodated (see FIG. 3). Further, the height of the toner T in the storage portion 22 is high when the toner T is fed into the storage portion 22 in the preparation step described later and when the toner T is filled in the container 90 in the filling step described later. It is to be measured by the sensor. Then, the control unit 80 feeds the toner T in the toner tank into the storage unit 22 so that the toner T in the storage unit 22 has a reference height based on the measurement value measured by the height sensor. .

[Supplement 2]
In figures other than FIG. 2, illustration of the agitator 50 is abbreviate | omitted.

[Supplement 3]
The filling device 10 has been described above, but the filling device 10 of the present embodiment has the hole 22B at the lower end, and has an inner circumferential surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the upper end to the lower end. In the transport section 24 forming the transport path 24C which is cylindrical and transports the powder T downward by being connected at the edge of the receptacle 22 and the hole 22B, and the transport section 24. It has a shaft 32 and a helical portion 34 formed around the shaft 32, and rotates forward about the shaft 32 to transport the powder T in the transport unit 24 downward, and reversely rotates. It can be said that the auger 30 is configured to convey the powder T in the conveyance section 24 upward, and the auger 30 is provided with the projections 120 on the top surface 110 of the spiral section 34.

  The description of the configuration of the filling device 10 of the present embodiment is as described above.

<Cartridge manufacturing process>
Next, a manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 using the filling device 10 (hereinafter referred to as a manufacturing process of the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. The manufacturing process of the present embodiment includes a preparation process, a placement process, a transfer process, and a filling process.

[Preparation process]
In the preparation step, the control unit 80 feeds the toner T in the toner tank (not shown) into the storage unit 22 so as to have a reference height. Next, when the control unit 80 drives the drive source 60 in one direction, the agitator 50 is positively rotated about the axis C, torque is transmitted to the auger 30 by the transmission shaft 40, and the auger 30 is positively rotated about the axis C. The toner T in the storage unit 22 is moved into the transport unit 24 by being rotated. Next, when the control unit 80 drives the drive source 60 in the other direction, the torque in the opposite direction is transmitted to the auger 30 by the transmission shaft 40, and the auger 30 is reversely rotated around the axis C, The toner T is moved upward. This completes the preparation process.

  The bulk density of the toner T immediately after being fed to the reference height in the storage portion 22 is lower end (opening according to the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the storage portion 22, self weight of the toner T, position of the opening 22B, etc. It is inferred that the closer to 22B), the higher (see FIG. 7). The bulk density of the toner T in the storage unit 22 after the control unit 80 causes the auger 30 to rotate forward and backward around the axis C is the lower portion of the storage unit 22 and the upper side of the transport unit 24. It is assumed that the part is locally high (see FIG. 9). In other words, the bulk density of the toner T in the storage unit 22 after the preparation process is locally increased in the upper portion of the portion of the toner T where the opening 22B is formed in the storage unit 22. It is guessed that Here, in FIGS. 7 and 9, for convenience, the bulk density of the toner T in the storage unit 22 is indicated by four levels of halftone dots (the higher the density of the halftone dots, the higher the bulk density). As described above, the bulk density of the toner T in the housing portion 22 is higher as it is closer to the lower end (opening 22B).

  In the present embodiment, the time when the control unit 80 feeds the toner T in the toner tank to the reference height into the empty storage unit 22 is, for example, about 30 seconds. Further, the time until the control unit 80 rotates the agitator 50 and the toner T in the storage unit 22 reaches a predetermined bulk density is, for example, about 30 seconds. Furthermore, the time when the control unit 80 reversely rotates the auger 30 around the axis C to move the toner T upward in the transport unit 24 is, for example, several seconds. That is, the preparation process ends in about 60 seconds as an example.

[Placement process]
In the arranging step, the worker arranges the plurality of containers 90 at a predetermined position on the belt 70A of the moving device 70. Thus, the placement process ends. When the arrangement step is completed, the plurality of containers 90 are arranged at equal intervals (equal pitch) in one row along the moving direction of the belt 70A.

[Transfer process]
In the moving step, the control unit 80 uses the moving device 70 to place the container 90 disposed on the position A on the belt 70A from the height direction below the transport unit 24 constituting the filling device 10 The axis of the opening 90A is moved to a position B overlapping with the axis C (see FIG. 1). Above, the transfer process is completed. The transfer step is performed after the placement step and the filling step.

[Filling process]
In the filling step, after the moving step, the control unit 80 causes the toner T to be filled in the container 90 using the filling device 10.

  Specifically, in the filling step, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 80 drives the drive source 60 to rotate the blades 54 of the agitator 50 in the direction of the arrow R3, while the control unit 80 makes the auger 30 positive. Rotate (in the direction of arrow R1).

  With the forward rotation of the auger 30, the toner T contained on the lower side in the containing portion 22 and between the adjacent spiral portions 34 in the axial direction of the auger 30 protruding into the containing portion 22 is: The container 22 is moved into the transport unit 24. Next, the toner T moved into the conveyance unit 24 is conveyed downward and reaches the opening 24B, and then pushed out from the lower end of the conveyance unit 24 by the toner T on the upper side. Next, the toner T pushed out from the lower end of the transport unit 24 falls downward by its own weight, and is filled in the container 90 disposed at the position B. Then, when the amount of the toner T filled in the container 90 reaches a predetermined amount, the control unit 80 stops the drive of the drive source and stops the rotation of the auger 30. The control unit 80 determines that a predetermined amount has been reached based on the measured value of the mass of the container 90 measured by a scale (not shown). Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 80 rotates the auger 30 forward for about 50 seconds, as an example.

  Next, in the filling step, the control unit 80 drives the drive source for a predetermined period to reversely rotate the auger 30 (rotate in the reverse direction of the arrow R1 direction), thereby toning the toner T in the conveyance unit 24. Move it upwards. This completes the filling process. Note that the toner T stored in the upper portion of the portion of the storage portion 22 in which the opening 22B is formed in the storage portion 22 is accompanied by the toner T in the transport portion 24 being moved upward. The bulk density is higher than immediately before the auger 30 is reversely rotated (immediately after the auger 30 is normally rotated). Moreover, the defined period in this embodiment is 2 seconds as an example.

  In the filling step, while the filling device 10 is filling the toner T in the container 90, the storage height of the toner T in the storage unit 22 is measured by the height sensor. Then, the control unit 80 feeds the toner T in the toner tank into the storage unit 22 so that the toner T in the storage unit 22 has the reference height based on the measurement value measured by the height sensor. As a result, the toner T filled in the container 90 into the container 22 is replenished into the container 22 from the inside of the toner tank.

  The preparation process, the transfer process, the arrangement process, and the filling process included in the manufacturing process of the present embodiment have been described above. In the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, after the filling process, the control unit 80 moves the container 90 filled with the toner T from the position B and places another container 90 at the position B. Then, in the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the transfer process and the filling process are alternately performed, and the toner T is filled into all the containers 90 arranged at the predetermined position of the belt 70A, and finally the toner The container 90 filled with T is transported to the downstream side of the transport direction of the belt 70A and ends. A lid (not shown) is attached to a portion where the opening 90A of the container 90 filled with the toner T is formed in another step, and the toner cartridge 100 is formed.

  The description of the manufacturing method of the present embodiment is as described above.

[Supplement]
The manufacturing method of the present embodiment has been described above, but in the manufacturing method of the toner cartridge 100 using the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the toner T is contained in the container 22 using the filling device 10 of the present embodiment. The container 90 is disposed below the transport unit 24, and the auger 30 is rotated forward to push out the toner T from the lower end of the transport unit 24 so that the container 90 is filled with the toner T and the auger 30 is reversely rotated. The toner T in the conveyance unit 24 is conveyed upward.

<Function>
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the present embodiment is compared with the comparison mode assumed below. In the comparative embodiment, when using the same parts and the like as the filling apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the reference numerals of the parts and the like are used as they are, and when performing the same process as the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the name of the process is used as it is Explain.

  In the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 120 is not provided on the top surface 110 of the spiral portion 34. The filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment is the same as the filling device 10 of the present embodiment except that the protrusion 120 is not provided on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34. Further, the manufacturing process of toner cartridge 100 using filling apparatus 10A of the comparative embodiment (hereinafter referred to as manufacturing process of comparative embodiment) is a line using filling apparatus 10A of the comparative embodiment instead of filling apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. The manufacturing process of this embodiment is the same as that of this embodiment, except for the following points.

  In the case of the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment, during the moving process after the filling process, in other words, during the period after the filling process is started until the filling process to another container 90 is started, the transport unit 24 of the filling device 10A. There is a risk that toner particles may spill from the opening 24B of the When the toner particles spill, they adhere to the outer wall of the container 90 and contaminate the container 90. Also, the spilled toner particles become loss. The reason why the toner particles are spilled in the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment is that the toner T contained in the vicinity of the lower end (opening 22B) in the housing portion 22 and the toner T in the conveyance portion 24 have different bulk densities. It is presumed that the gravity acting on the toner particles spilled out is greater than the working force.

  On the other hand, in the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the projections 120 are provided on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 disposed in the transport portion 24. And, as a conclusion, in the case of the present embodiment, toner particles are less likely to spill compared to the case of the comparative embodiment.

  The reasons for reaching this conclusion are described below. In the case of the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment, the toner T immediately after being fed to the reference height in the storage unit 22 has a bulk density closer to the lower end (opening 22B) as in the manufacturing process of the present embodiment. It is assumed to be high (see FIG. 7). However, after completion of the preparation process, the toner T (see FIG. 8) in the storage section 22 of the comparative embodiment has the bulk density of the toner T such as the toner T (see FIG. 9) in the storage section 22 of the present embodiment. It is presumed that the bulk density of the upper part of the transport unit 24 is not in a locally high state (the increase in bulk density is not sufficient). In the case of the present embodiment, since the projections 120 are provided in the spiral portion 34, when the auger 30 is reversely rotated around the axis C to move the toner T in the transport unit 24 upward, the projections 120 serve as toner I get caught on T. On the other hand, in the case of the comparative embodiment, since the projections 120 are not provided in the spiral portion 34, the auger 30 is reversely rotated around the axis C to move the toner T in the conveyance portion 24 upward in the conveyance portion 24. When the toner T is moved, the toner T slips more easily on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 than in the case of the present embodiment. That is, in the case of the comparative embodiment, when the toner T is moved while sliding on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34, the amount of movement of the toner T in the transport unit 24 into the storage unit 22 is greater than in the case of the present embodiment. Few. For this reason, in the case of the present embodiment, the bulk density of the upper portion of the transport section 24 in the bulk density of the toner T in the storage section 22 after completion of the preparation process and after completion of the filling process It is considered to be locally high. As a result, focusing on the bulk density of the toner T stored in the vicinity of the lower end (opening 22B) in the storage portion 22 and the toner T in the transport portion 24, in the case of the present embodiment, compared to the comparative embodiment, The above-described conclusion is reached because the amount of toner particles that are larger in gravity acting on toner particles is smaller than the force acting on toner particles. In the present specification, the phenomenon that toner particles spill out due to the bulk density of the toner T is referred to as flushing.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing process (filling device 10) of the present embodiment, compared with the manufacturing process (filling device 10A) of the comparative embodiment, the toner T and the conveyance stored in the vicinity of the lower end (opening 22B) in the accommodation portion 22 The bulk density of the toner T in the portion 24 can be increased. Along with this, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the amount of toner particles spilling from the transport unit 24 can be reduced after the preparation process and after the filling process, as compared with the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment. In other words, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, flushing can be suppressed as compared with the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment.

  Further, as described above, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the toner T can be transported in a state in which the bulk density of the toner T transported in the transport unit 24 is higher than that in the comparative embodiment.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, it is possible to fill the toner T having a high bulk density in the container 90 as compared to the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment. From another point of view, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, it is possible to fill the same amount of toner T in a container 90 having a small volume as compared with the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment. That is, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, it is possible to manufacture the small toner cartridge 100 in a state in which the same amount of toner T is filled as compared with the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment.

  Further, in the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the auger 30 is reversely rotated, and the toner T in the conveyance portion 24 is a lower portion in the storage portion 22 and an upper portion of the portion where the opening 22B is formed. The bulk density of the toner T is locally increased.

  Therefore, according to the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, compared to the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment (see FIG. 8), the filling device 10 is accommodated in the upper portion in the accommodation portion 22 and the portion near the inner circumferential surface of the accommodation portion 22. The bulk density of the toner T contained in the lower part in the housing portion 22 and in the upper part of the portion where the opening 22B is formed is made local while keeping the bulk density of the toner T equal. (See Figure 9). Along with this, according to the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the toner T conveyed in the conveyance section 24 is bulky while the load at the time of rotation of the agitator 50 is made equal to that of the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment. Variations in density can be reduced. That is, according to the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the filling speed of the toner T filled in the container 90 (unit :) while keeping the load at the time of rotation of the agitator 50 equal to that of the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment. The mass of the toner T charged per hour can be stabilized. In the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the bulk density of the toner T transported in the transport unit 24 is higher and the variation of the bulk density of the toner T can be reduced compared to the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment. When the rotation of the auger 30 (including the forward rotation and the reverse rotation) is stopped in the process, toner particles are less likely to spill from the transport unit 24. Therefore, in the filling device 10 of the present embodiment, the rotation of the auger 30 can be stopped in a short time in the filling process, as compared to the filling device 10A of the comparative embodiment. That is, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the manufacturing efficiency of the toner cartridge 100 (the number of manufactured toner cartridges 100 per unit time) can be improved as compared with the manufacturing process of the comparative embodiment.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, when using the same parts and the like as the filling apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the reference numerals of the parts and the like are used as they are, and when performing the same process as the manufacturing process of the first embodiment The description will be made using

<Configuration>
The filling device 10B of this embodiment differs from the filling device 10 of the first embodiment in the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 120B. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the projection 120B of the filling device 10B of the present embodiment is perpendicular when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis C (the radial direction of the helical portion 34) and the longitudinal direction of the projection 120B. It is a triangle. The protrusion 120B has a surface (inclined surface 122B) which is inclined to the upper side with respect to the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 on the downstream side in the reverse rotation direction of the rotation shaft 32. From another viewpoint, the height of the inclined surface 122B from the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the reverse rotation direction of the rotation shaft 32. The helix angle (an angle based on the direction orthogonal to the axis C) of the helical portion 34 is α °, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 122B (an angle based on the upper surface 110 of the helical portion 34 in the inclined surface 122B) is β When (°), (α + β) ° is smaller than 90 °. And, facing upward with respect to the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 means that (α + β) ° is smaller than 90 °. The filling device 10B of the present embodiment is the same as the filling device 10 of the first embodiment except for the points described above. Further, the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 using the filling device 10B of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the manufacturing step of the present embodiment) is replaced with the filling device 10 of the first embodiment and the filling device 10B of the present embodiment. And the manufacturing process of the first embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

<Function>
Hereinafter, the operation of the filling device 10B of the present embodiment will be described by comparing the present embodiment with the first embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

  The protrusions 120 provided on the spiral portion 34 of the filling device 10 according to the first embodiment are, as shown in FIG. 5, from the direction orthogonal to the axis C (the radial direction of the spiral portion 34) and the longitudinal direction of the protrusions 120 When viewed, it is a square (square) as an example. Therefore, when the auger 30 reversely rotates around the axis C, the side surface 122 moves obliquely downward in the reverse rotational direction of the auger 30 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis C. That is, when the auger 30 reversely rotates and moves the toner T in the conveyance unit 24 upward, the protrusion 120 has the side surface 122 with a force that turns the toner T obliquely downward when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis C. Push.

  On the other hand, when the auger 30 reversely rotates around the axis C, the filling device 10B of the present embodiment, when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis C, the side surface 122B is an obliquely upper side in the reverse rotation direction of the auger 30. Face to move. That is, when the auger 30 reversely rotates around the axis C and moves the toner T in the transport unit 24 upward, the protrusions 120 are viewed obliquely from the direction perpendicular to the axis C. Press with a force to face.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing process (filling device 10B) of the present embodiment, the toner T is in a period during which the auger 30 is reversely rotating around the axis C, compared to the manufacturing process (filling device 10) of the first embodiment. The load to be applied can be reduced. Along with this, according to the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10B) of the present embodiment, in the period during which the auger 30 is reversely rotating around the axis C, the toner is compared with the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10) of the first embodiment. T is hard to deteriorate. The other actions of the present embodiment are the same as the actions of the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, in the case of using the same parts as the filling devices 10 and 10B of the first and second embodiments, the reference numerals of the parts and the like are used as they are, and the same as the manufacturing process of the first and second embodiments. When the process is performed, the description will be made using the name of the process as it is.

<Configuration>
The filling device 10C of this embodiment differs from the filling device 10 of the first embodiment in the shape of the protrusion 120C when viewed from the self-axial direction of the rotation shaft 32 (in plan view). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, when the protrusion 120C of the filling device 10C of the present embodiment is viewed from the self-axial direction of the rotation shaft 32, the portion of the protrusion 120C other than the end 120C1 on the outer peripheral side is by also provided in the opposite rotational direction (arrow R2 direction) under flow side of the rotary shaft 32 from the virtual straight line L connecting the end 120C1 of the outer circumferential side and the axis C (the axis C), go from the center to the periphery It will be arranged vertically upward according to. Here, the height and width of the protrusion 120C are equivalent to the protrusion 120 of the first embodiment. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the projection 120C is equivalent to that of the projection 120. The filling device 10C of the present embodiment is the same as the filling device 10 of the first embodiment except for the points described above. Further, the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 using the filling device 10C of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the manufacturing step of the present embodiment) is replaced with the filling device 10 of the first embodiment and the filling device 10C of the present embodiment. And the manufacturing process of the first embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

<Function>
Hereinafter, the operation of the filling device 10B of the present embodiment will be described by comparing the present embodiment with the first embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

  The protrusions 120 provided on the spiral portion 34 of the filling device 10 according to the first embodiment form a straight line in the radial direction, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, when the auger 30 reversely rotates around the axis C, the side surface 122 is in the direction of the tangent M1 of the outer periphery of the spiral portion 34 (the tangent M1 is the outer periphery of a portion of the spiral portion 34 where the protrusion 120 is provided). Move in the reverse rotation direction downstream side of the rotary shaft 32 in the tangent line). That is, when the auger 30 reversely rotates around the axis C and moves the toner T in the conveyance unit 24 upward, the protrusion 120 faces the downstream side of the reverse rotation direction of the rotation shaft 32 in the tangential line M1 direction. Press with force F1.

  After the filling process (after the reverse rotation of the rotation shaft 32 is stopped), the outer periphery side of the toner T between the spiral portions 34 adjacent to each other in the direction of the axis C due to the vibration of the auger 30 generated along with the stop of the auger 30. A portion of the toner T moves in the direction of the outer peripheral surface 114 of the spiral portion 34 as a lump, and drops downward (the opening 24B side of the conveying portion 24) from the gap between the transport path 24C and the outer peripheral surface 114 of the spiral portion 34 There is a risk of

In contrast, site 120C2 of the outer peripheral side of the filling device 10C of the present embodiment, by also provided in the opposite rotational direction lower stream side of the rotary shaft 32 from the virtual straight line L, the vertical toward the outer periphery from the center It will be disposed above, the toner T on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34, Ru is limited outward movement of the side surface 122C.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10C) of the present embodiment, compared with the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10) of the first embodiment, the shaft is compared with that of the first embodiment during the post-transfer process of the filling process. Among the toner T between the spirals 34 adjacent in the direction C, the toner T on the outer peripheral side moves as it is in the direction of the outer peripheral surface 114 of the spiral 34 and a gap between the transport path 24C and the outer peripheral surface 114 of the spiral 34 To the lower side (the opening 24B side of the transport unit 24). The other actions of the present embodiment are the same as the actions of the first embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, when parts similar to those of the filling devices 10, 10B and 10C of the first to third embodiments are used, the reference numerals of the parts and the like are used as they are, and the manufacturing process of the first and second embodiments When performing the same process, it demonstrates using the name of the process as it is.

<Configuration>
In the filling device 10D of the present embodiment, in relation to the filling device 10 of the first embodiment, an overhanging portion 130 projecting upward above the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 is provided along the outer peripheral portion of the spiral portion 34. ing. The portion of the overhanging portion 130 that protrudes above the upper surface 110 is formed with a surface (inner peripheral surface 130A) facing the rotation shaft 32 side, an outer peripheral surface 130B, and an upper surface 130C. The inner circumferential surface 130A faces the axis C, and the height of the upper surface 130C from the upper surface 110 is equal to the height of the protrusion 120 from the upper surface 110. That is, the height of the portion protruding from the upper surface 110 in the protruding portion 130 is larger than the average particle diameter (volume average particle diameter) of the toner T of the present embodiment, as an example. The lower surface of the projecting portion 130 is at the same position as the lower surface 112 of the spiral portion 34. Further, the overhanging portion 130 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 114 of the spiral portion 34 at the lower side surface of the inner peripheral surface 130A. The filling device 10D of this embodiment is the same as the filling device 10 of the first embodiment except for the points described above. Further, the manufacturing process of the toner cartridge 100 using the filling device 10C of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the manufacturing step of the present embodiment) is replaced with the filling device 10 of the first embodiment and the filling device 10D of the present embodiment. And the manufacturing process of the first embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

<Function>
Hereinafter, the operation of the filling device 10B of the present embodiment will be described by comparing the present embodiment with the first embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the overhanging portion 130 is not provided in the spiral portion 34 of the filling device 10 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, when the auger 30 is reversely rotated about the axis C and stopped, that is, during the post-filling process and the moving process, the toner T on the outer peripheral side among the toner T on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 There is a possibility that the toner particles may fall downward from the opening 24B of the transport unit 24 of the filling device 10A.

  On the other hand, in the helical portion 34 of the filling device 10D of the present embodiment, the overhanging portion 130 is provided along the outer peripheral portion of the helical portion 34 as described above. Therefore, during the post-transfer process of the filling process, the toner T on the outer peripheral side of the toner T on the top surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 of the present embodiment is restricted from moving outward by the inner peripheral surface 130A.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10D) of the present embodiment, compared to the manufacturing process (filling apparatus 10) of the first embodiment, on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 during the post transfer process of the filling process. Among the toners T, the toner T on the outer peripheral side is hard to drop downward as it is. The other actions of the present embodiment are the same as the actions of the first embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although the present invention was explained in detail about a specific embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment mentioned above, and other embodiments are possible within the technical idea of the present invention. It is.

  For example, in each embodiment, the powder is described as the toner T. However, the powder may not be the toner T. For example, it may be a powder used for medicine, food, industrial materials and other applications.

  Further, the housing portion 22 of each embodiment is a truncated cone-shaped cylinder, and an opening 22A and an opening 22B are formed on the upper side and the lower side, respectively, and the inner periphery gradually decreases in diameter from the upper end to the lower end. It has been described as having a face. However, as long as the housing portion 22 has an inner circumferential surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the upper end side to the lower end, the shape of the housing portion 22 may be different from that of each embodiment. For example, the housing portion may have an inner circumferential surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the upper end side to the lower end, and the upper end side may be cylindrical.

  Further, in the auger 30 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the portion of the upper surface 110 where the protrusion 120 is provided is smaller than the portion where the upper surface 110 is exposed. However, if the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 is provided with a protrusion, and the height of the protrusion is higher than the average particle diameter of the toner T, for example, as in the auger 30 shown in FIG. The portion provided with may be larger than the portion where the upper surface 110 is exposed. From another point of view, the present invention also includes the spiral portion 34 provided with a plurality of grooves D.

  The protrusions 120, 120B, and 120C of the auger 30 of each embodiment are described as being provided from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the spiral portion 34. However, if projections are provided on the upper surface 110 of the spiral portion 34 and the height of the projections is higher than the average particle diameter of the toner T, for example, the projections 120D of the auger 30 of FIG. 14 and the projections of the auger 30 of FIG. It may be provided on a part of the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the spiral portion 34 as in the case of 120E.

  Further, in the helical portion 34 of each embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, in the range in which the protrusions 120, 120 B, and 120 C are provided, the upper limit is the opening 24 A of the transport unit 24 and the lower limit is the transport unit 24. It has been described that the opening 24B is located above the opening 24B by a predetermined height. However, the range in which the protrusions 120, 120B, and 120C are provided may be, for example, the entire helical portion 34. In addition, the range in which the protrusions 120, 120B, and 120C are provided may be, for example, the entire spiral portion 34 of the portion disposed in the transport unit 24.

  Moreover, although each description was separately demonstrated in description of each embodiment, the embodiment which combined each embodiment is also contained in the technical scope of this invention. For example, the protrusion 120B of the second embodiment may be shaped like the protrusion 120C of the third embodiment. Further, the overhanging portion 130 of the fourth embodiment may be provided in the spiral portion 34 of the third embodiment. It is needless to say that the embodiment combining these has the effects of the combined components.

  Further, in the description of the second embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 120B is described as a right triangle when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis C and the longitudinal direction of the protrusion 120B. That is, the inclined surface 122B has been described as a flat surface. However, the inclined surface may not be a flat surface as long as it faces upward in the reverse rotation direction of the rotation shaft 32. For example, it may be a curved surface, a compound surface combining a plurality of planes, a compound surface combining a curved surface and a plane, and other surfaces.

«Reference example»
The filling device 10E shown in FIG. 16 is different from the filling device 10 according to the first embodiment in that the projection 120 is not provided in the spiral portion 34, and the projecting portion 130 is provided. Therefore, the filling device 10E does not have the action of the filling device 10 of the first embodiment, but like the filling device 10D of the fourth embodiment, the overhanging portion 130 is provided along the outer peripheral portion of the spiral portion 34. Have the effect of being

10 filling device 10B filling device 10C filling device 10D filling device 10E filling device 22 accommodation part 22B opening (an example of a hole)
24 conveyance part 24C conveyance path 30 auger (an example of a spiral)
32 Axis of rotation (an example of an axis)
34 Helical portion 110 Upper surface 114 Outer peripheral surface 120 Protrusion 120B Protrusion 120C Protrusion 120D Protrusion 130 Protrusion portion T Toner (example of powder)

Claims (4)

A housing portion formed with a hole at the lower end and having an inner circumferential surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the upper end side to the lower end, and containing powder;
A transport section which is cylindrical and forms a transport path which transports the powder downward by being connected with the housing section at the edge of the hole;
A helical body disposed in the transport section and having an axis and a helical section formed around the axis, and rotating forwardly around the axis to transport the powder in the transport section downward ; A helical body provided with a projection extending from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the helical portion;
Equipped with
The portion of the protrusion other than the end on the outer peripheral side is provided downstream of the imaginary straight line connecting the end on the outer peripheral side and the axis of the shaft in the reverse rotation direction downstream side of the axis.
Filling device. The projection is such that the surface on the downstream side in the reverse rotation direction of the shaft faces upward.
The filling device according to claim 1 . The helical portion is provided with an overhang portion projecting upward from the upper surface along an outer peripheral portion of the helical portion.
The filling device according to claim 1 or 2 . Using the filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
Feeding the powder into the container;
Place a container below the transport section;
The manufacturing method of a container filled with the powder , wherein the helical body is rotated forward to extrude the powder from the lower end of the transport unit, and the powder is filled in the container;
Reversely rotating the spiral body to transfer the powder on the upper part of the transfer part to the lower part of the storage part;
The manufacturing method of the container with which the powder was filled.