CONVEYING DEVICE, CLEANING DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20160154341A1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Takatoshi, Kawakami, Takuya, Torii, Go
• Granted Patent: US 10,156,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0891 for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste

Abstract

A conveying device in which a circle formed of a trajectory drawn by a distal end of an engaging portion and an axial line of a driven shaft intersect each other when viewing in an axial direction of a drive shaft, and a slope of the driven shaft with respect to a horizontal direction is an angle not larger than an angle of repose of a developer when viewing in the axial direction of the drive shaft is provided.

Claims

1. A conveying device comprising:

a developer conveying path configured to convey a developer;

a first conveyance member having a drive shaft provided with a drive transmission portion configured to transmit a driving force; and

a second conveyance member having a driven shaft provided with a driving force receiving portion configured to receive a driving force from the drive transmission portion, wherein

the drive transmission portion includes an engaging portion projecting from the drive shaft,

the driving force receiving portion includes an engaged portion configured to receive the driving force by being engaged with the engaging portion in an interior of the developer conveying path,

a circle of a trajectory drawn by a distal end of the engaging portion and an axial line of the driven shaft intersect each other when viewing in an axial direction of the drive shaft, and

a slope of the driven shaft with respect to a horizontal direction is an angle not larger than an angle of repose of the developer when viewing in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein either more than one of the engaging portions or more than one of the engaged portions are provided.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein an axial line of the driven shaft is provided so as to pass through a cross section of the drive shaft when viewing in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion has a blade shape.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the axial line of the drive shaft and the axial line of the driven shaft are orthogonal to each other.

6. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyance member includes an input portion configured to receive a driving force from an exterior at an end portion in the axial direction of the drive shaft, and the drive transmission portion is arranged at a position closer to one end portion than the other end portion in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

7. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyance member includes a developer conveying portion configured to convey the developer toward the drive transmission portion, and the developer conveying portion has a blade shape.

8. The conveying device according to claim 7, wherein a distal end of the developer conveying portion is provided between an addendum circle and a root circle of the engaging portion when viewing in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

9. The conveying device according to claim 7, wherein the engaging portion is configured to convey the developer with the developer conveying portion in a direction opposite to a direction in which the developer conveying portion conveys the developer.

10. The conveying device according to claim 6, wherein the engaging portion has a blade shape twisted in a direction opposite to a direction of twist of the blade shape of the developer conveying portion.

11. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engaging portions are provided and the number of the engaging portions falls within a range from one to ten.

12. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the second conveyance member is arranged downstream of the first conveyance member in a conveyance direction of the developer, and a slope of the driven shaft with respect to a horizontal direction is an angle smaller than an angle of repose of the developer when viewing in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

13. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein

the engaging portion includes a column portion projecting in a radial direction of the drive shaft, and

a contact portion projecting downstream in a rotational direction of the drive shaft from the column portion,

the engaged portion includes a contacted surface upstream in a rotational direction of the driven shaft,

the contacted surface is curved downstream in the rotational direction of the driven shaft radially outward of the driven shaft, and

the contact portion of the drive shaft and the contacted surface of the driven shaft engage to transmit a driving force of the drive shaft to the driven shaft.

14. A cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning member configured to remove a developer on an image bearing member, and

the conveying device according to claim 1 configured to convey the developer.

15. The cleaning device according to claim 14, wherein the drive shaft is arranged so as to face the image bearing member in parallel thereto.

16. A developing device comprising:

a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer; and

the conveying device according to claim 1 configured to convey the developer.

17. A process cartridge comprising:

an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image; and

the conveying device according to claim 1.

18. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the developer container according to claim 1, wherein

the developer is used to form an image on a recording material.