Powder supplying device, method of filling powder into powder supply device, and method of reusing powder supplying device
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a method of filling a powder into a powder supplying device including: a housing that accommodates the powder; a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing; a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder; and a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder, the method including filling, into the housing, the powder in an amount such that, at a time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
1. A method of filling a powder into a powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates the powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder and is configured to contact an upper face of the inner wall of the housing after passing through the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein,
as seen from an axial direction of the rotating member, the housing has a substantially flat-rectangle shape and a length of a planar floor wall is longer than a length of a side wall of the housing,
the housing has a curved all extending from a lower portion of the side wall to planar floor wall,
the powder supply opening is provided on the curved wall and a slope is formed on the powder supply opening provided at the curved wall of the housing,
the rotating member is disposed at a predetermined position apart from the planar floor wall and the side wall,
the method comprising filling, into the housing, the powder in an amount such that, at a time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein powder is filled in an amount such that the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation.
3. A method of reusing a powder supplying device, the method comprising returning a state of the powder supplying device after use thereof to an unused state, by using a method of filling the powder into the powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates the powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder and is configured to contact an upper face of the inner wall of the housing after passing through the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein,
as seen from an axial direction of the rotating member, the housing has a substantially flat-rectangle shape and a length of a planar floor wall is longer than a length of a side wall of the housing,
the housing has a curved wall extending from a lower portion of the side wall to a planar floor wall,
the powder supply opening is provided on the curved wall and a slope is formed on the powder supply opening provided at the curved wall of the housing,
the rotating member is disposed at a predetermined position apart from the planar floor wall and the side wall,
the method of filling comprising filling, into the housing, the powder in an amount such that, at a time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein powder is filled in an amount such that the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation.
5. A powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates a powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein,
as seen from an axial direction of the rotating member, the housing has a substantially flat-rectangle shape at which a length of a plane floor wall of the housing is longer than a length of a side wall of the housing,
the housing is provided with the powder supply opening at a corner portion at which the floor wall and the side wall are adjacent,
a curved wall extending from a lower portion of the side wall to the floor wall is formed at the corner portion, the powder supply opening being formed at the curved wall,
a slope is formed only at an upstream side, in a sliding-rubbing direction of the sheet-shaped conveying member, of the powder supply opening provided at the curved wall of the housing, the free end side of the sheet-shaped conveying member is configured to contact an upper face of the inner wall of the housing after the sheet-shaped conveying member passes through a powder filled region of the housing,
the rotating member and the sheet-shaped conveying member are different members,
the housing is provided with the rotating member at a predetermined position which is apart from the floor wall and the side wall, and
the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
6. The powder supplying device of claim 5 , wherein the sheet-shaped conveying member is set to a length such that the conveying member can slidingly-rub the powder supply opening provided at the corner portion of the housing, before usage of the powder supplying device starts.
7. The powder supplying device of claim 6 , wherein the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of an upper, horizontal tangent line among tangent lines of a circumscribing circle of a cross-section of the rotating member.
8. The powder supplying device of claim 5 , wherein the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of an upper, horizontal tangent line among tangent lines of a circumscribing circle of a cross-section of the rotating member.
9. The powder supplying device of claim 5 , wherein:
in the housing, a plurality of the rotating members and a plurality of the sheet-shaped conveying members are provided, and
the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member whose heightwise position from the bottom surface is the lowest among the plurality of the rotating members.
10. The powder supplying device of claim 9 , wherein the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of an upper, horizontal tangent line among tangent lines of a circumscribing circle of a cross-section of the rotating member whose heightwise position from the bottom surface is the lowest.
11. The powder supplying device according to claim 5 , wherein the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation.
12. A method of filling a powder into a powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates the powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein powder is filled in an amount such that the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation,
the method comprising filling, into the housing, the powder in an amount such that, at a time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
13. A method of reusing a powder supplying device, the method comprising returning a state of the powder supplying device after use thereof to an unused state, by using a method of filling the powder into the powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates the powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein powder is filled in an amount such that the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation,
the method of filling comprising filling, into the housing, the powder in an amount such that, at a time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member.
14. A powder supplying device comprising:
a housing that accommodates a powder;
a rotating member disposed rotatably within the housing;
a sheet-shaped conveying member fixed to the rotating member, whose free end side region, which is different from a fixed portion, slidingly-contacts and moves along an inner wall of the housing by rotation of the rotating member to convey the powder; and
a powder supply opening provided at the housing at a downstream side in a direction of conveying the powder,
wherein,
as seen from an axial direction of the rotating member, the housing is shaped as a flat, substantial rectangle at which a length of a floor wall of the housing is longer than a length of a side wall of the housing,
the housing is provided with the powder supply opening at a corner portion at which the floor wall and the side wall are adjacent, the housing is provided with the rotating member at a predetermined position which is apart from the floor wall and the side wall, and
the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, before usage of the powder supplying device starts, a height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of a bottom surface of the rotating member, and
wherein the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height which maintains the powder in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating member as the rotating member rotates through a full rotation.
15. The method of filling a powder into a powder supplying device of claim 1 , wherein the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, at the time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of an upper, horizontal tangent line among tangent lines of a circumscribing circle of a cross- section of the rotating member.
16. The method of reusing a powder supplying device of claim 3 , wherein the powder is filled into the housing in an amount such that, at the time when usage of the powder supplying device starts, the height of the powder is greater than or equal to a height of an upper, horizontal tangent line among tangent lines of a circumscribing circle of a cross-section of the rotating member.