TONER CONVEYING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND TONER CASE

• US 20140219688A1
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: MURATA, Koji, SATO, Takehiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/258
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0827 Augers

Abstract

A toner conveying device includes a toner containing part, a conveying member, and a vibration mechanism. The toner containing part contains a toner. The conveying member rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part. The vibration mechanism vibrates the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis.

Claims

1. A toner conveying device comprising:

a toner containing part configured to contain a toner;

a conveying member configured to rotate around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part; and

a vibration mechanism configured to vibrate the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis.

2. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration mechanism includes:

a biasing member configured to bias the conveying member to one side of the directions of the rotation axis; and

a pressing member configured to press the conveying member to another side of the directions of the rotation axis against biasing force of the biasing member.

3. The toner conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is arranged outside the toner containing part, and a pressing projection is provided on a surface of the pressing member in the other side of the directions of the rotation axis,

the conveying member includes a pressed piece arranged outside the toner containing part, and a pressed projection is provided on a surface of the pressed piece in the one side of the directions of the rotation axis, and

the pressing projection is configured to press the pressed projection to the other side of the directions of the rotation axis accompanying to a rotation of the conveying member.

4. The toner conveying device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the pressing projections and a plurality of the pressed projections are provided at intervals of an equal angle.

5. The toner conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the pressing projection includes a pressing guide surface inclined in a direction projecting from the surface of the pressing member in the other side of the directions of the rotation axis toward a lower stream side in a direction of the rotation of the conveying member.

6. The toner conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the pressed projection includes a pressed guide surface inclined in a direction projecting from the surface of the pressured piece in the one side of the directions of the rotation axis toward an upper stream side in a direction of the rotation of the conveying member.

7. The toner conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is configured to rotate around a pressing axis extending in a direction crossing the rotation axis, and a cam part pressing the conveying member to the other side of the directions of the rotation axis accompanying to a rotation of the pressing member is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the pressing member.

8. The toner conveying device according to claim 7, wherein the cam part includes a bend portion configured to be bent toward an inner diameter side of the pressing member.

9. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration mechanism includes:

a driving piece including a driving gear; and

a vibration source configured to rotate the driving piece normally or reversely,

the conveying member includes a driven piece including a driven gear configured to mesh with the driving gear, and

the driving gear and the driven gear are composed of helical gears.

10. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sealing member interposed between the toner containing part and a portion of the conveying member held within the toner containing part and being compressible in the directions of the rotation axis.

11. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member is a conveying screw including:

a screw shaft extending in the directions of the rotation axis; and

a spiral fin installed around the screw shaft.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising a toner conveying device, wherein the toner conveying device includes:

a toner containing part configured to contain a toner;

a conveying member configured to rotate around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part; and

a vibration mechanism configured to vibrate the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the vibration mechanism includes:

a biasing member configured to bias the conveying member to one side of the directions of the rotation axis; and

a pressing member configured to press the conveying member to another side of the directions of the rotation axis against biasing force of the biasing member.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member is arranged outside the toner containing part, and a pressing projection is provided on a surface of the pressing member in the other side of the directions of the rotation axis,

the conveying member includes a pressed piece arranged outside the toner containing part, and a pressed projection is provided on a surface of the pressed piece in the one side of the directions of the rotation axis, and

the pressing projection is configured to press the pressed projection to the other side of the directions of the rotation axis accompanying to a rotation of the conveying member.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of the pressing projections and a plurality of the pressed projections are provided at intervals of an equal angle.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressing projection includes a pressing guide surface inclined in a direction projecting from the surface of the pressing member in the other side of the directions of the rotation axis toward a lower stream side in a direction of the rotation of the conveying member.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressed projection includes a pressed guide surface inclined in a direction projecting from the surface of the pressured piece in the one side of the directions of the rotation axis toward an upper stream side in a direction of the rotation of the conveying member.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the pressing member is configured to rotate around a pressing axis extending in a direction crossing the rotation axis, and a cam part pressing the conveying member to the other side of the directions of the rotation axis accompanying to a rotation of the pressing member is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the pressing member.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the vibration mechanism includes:

a driving piece including a driving gear; and

a vibration source configured to rotate the driving piece normally or reversely,

the conveying member includes a driven piece including a driven gear configured to mesh with the driving gear, and

the driving gear and the driven gear are composed of helical gears.

20. A toner case comprising:

a toner containing part configured to contain a toner; and

a conveying member configured to rotate around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part, wherein the conveying member is vibrated in directions of the rotation axis by a vibration mechanism.