FEEDING DEVICE

• US 20170108801A1
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nosho, Hiroaki, Hamada, Takatoshi, Komatsu, Noriyuki, Murakami, Ryuta, Matsumaru, Naoki, Maeda, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 10,073,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0887 Arrangements for conveying and conditioning developer in the developing unit, e.g. agitating, removing impurities or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0827 Augers

Abstract

A feeding device includes a first feeding member for feeding the developer in a feeding direction along a first rotational axis direction, the first feeding member being provided in a first feeding path and including a driving shaft and a drive transmitting portion, and a second feeding member for feeding the developer along a second rotational axis direction crossing the first rotational axis direction, and second feeding member being provided in a second feeding path and including a driven shaft and a drive receiving portion. The drive transmitting portion and the drive receiving portion engage with each other to deliver the developer from the first feeding member to the second feeding member. A bearing portion for rotatably supporting the second feeding member is provided in an upstream side with respect to the feeding direction.

Claims

1. A feeding device for feeding a developer along a first feeding path and a second feeding path, comprising:

a first feeding member for feeding the developer in a feeding direction along a first rotational axis direction, said first feeding member being provided in the first feeding path and including a driving shaft and a drive transmitting portion; and

a second feeding member for feeding the developer along a second rotational axis direction crossing the first rotational axis direction, and second feeding member being provided in the second feeding path and including a driven shaft and a drive receiving portion,

wherein said drive transmitting portion and said drive receiving portion engage with each other so as to enable delivery of the developer from said first feeding member to said second feeding member while transmitting a driving force of said first feeding member to said second feeding member, and

wherein a bearing portion for rotatably supporting said second feeding member is provided in an upstream side with respect to the feeding direction.

2. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said bearing portion is disposed only in the upstream side.

3. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said first feeding member includes a helical blade as a feeding portion.

4. A feeding device according to claim 3, wherein said drive transmitting portion includes said helical blade.

5. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said second feeding member includes a helical blade as a feeding portion.

6. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a wall surface crossing each of the first rotational axis direction and the second rotational axis direction is provided so that a distance from said first feeding member increases in the upstream side more than in a downstream side with respect to the feeding direction.

7. A feeding device according to claim 6, wherein with respect to the first rotational axis direction, a position of said wall surface and a position of said bearing portion at least partly overlap with each other.

8. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein with respect to the first rotational axis direction, the position of said wall surface and a position of said drive transmitting portion at least partly overlap with each other.

9. A feeding device for feeding a developer along a first feeding path and a second feeding path, comprising:

a first feeding member for feeding the developer in a feeding direction along a first rotational axis direction, said first feeding member being provided in the first feeding path and including a driving shaft and a drive transmitting portion; and

a second feeding member for feeding the developer along a second rotational axis direction crossing the first rotational axis direction, and second feeding member being provided in the second feeding path and including a driven shaft and a drive receiving portion,

wherein said drive transmitting portion and said drive receiving portion engage with each other so as to enable delivery of the developer from said first feeding member to said second feeding member while transmitting a driving force of said first feeding member to said second feeding member,

wherein a wall surface crossing each of the first rotational axis direction and the second rotational axis direction is provided so that a distance from said first feeding member increases in a downstream side more than in an upstream side with respect to the feeding direction, and

wherein a bearing portion for rotatably supporting said second feeding member is provided only in the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction.

10. A feeding device according to claim 9, wherein said first feeding member includes a helical blade as a feeding portion.

11. A feeding device according to claim 10, wherein said drive transmitting portion includes said helical blade.

12. A feeding device according to claim 9, wherein said second feeding member includes a helical blade as a feeding portion.

13. A feeding device according to claim 9, wherein with respect to the first rotational axis direction, a position of said wall surface and a position of said bearing portion at least partly overlap with each other.

14. A feeding device according to claim 13, wherein with respect to the first rotational axis direction, the position of said wall surface and a position of said drive transmitting portion at least partly overlap with each other.