Powder delivery member, and powder delivery apparatus, frame apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same, and manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing powder delivery member
View Patent ↗A powder delivery member includes: a flexible axial core portion; and a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
1. A powder delivery member, comprising:
a flexible axial core portion; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
2. The powder delivery member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the axial core portion comprises:
a large diameter section; and
a small diameter section, the large diameter section having a larger diameter than the small diameter section,
wherein the large diameter section is driven and rotated, and the small diameter section is flexible.
3. The powder delivery member according to claim 1 , which has flexibility and comprises a material having a good sliding property.
4. The powder delivery member according to claim 3 ,
wherein the material having a good sliding property is polyoxymethylene.
5. The powder delivery member according to claim 1 , which is formed as a unified body by an injection molding method using a synthetic resin selected from the group consisting of polyoxymethylene, nylon, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate.
6. The powder delivery member according to claim 5 ,
wherein the synthetic resin is polyoxymethylene.
7. A powder delivery apparatus, comprising:
a powder delivering pipe-shaped member having a curved or bent non-linear portion formed in at least a portion thereof; and
a powder delivery member disposed inside of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member, the powder delivery member comprising:
an axial core portion flexible according to the non-linear portion of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
8. The powder delivery apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the axial core portion of the powder delivery member comprises:
a large diameter section; and
a small diameter section, the large diameter section having a larger diameter than the small diameter section,
wherein the large diameter section is driven and rotated, and the small diameter section is flexible.
9. A frame apparatus, comprising:
a developer storage portion that stores a developer comprising a powder therein;
a developing unit that receives a developer from the developer storage portion; and
a powder delivery unit that delivers a developer from the developer storage portion to the developing unit, the powder delivery unit comprising:
a powder delivering pipe-shaped member having a curved or bent non-linear portion formed in at least a portion thereof; and
a powder delivery member disposed inside of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member, the powder delivery member comprising:
an axial core portion flexible according to the non-linear portion of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
10. A frame apparatus, comprising:
a collected developer storage portion that stores a collected developer therein; and
a powder delivery unit that delivers a developer collected in the collected developer storage portion, the powder delivery unit comprising:
a powder delivering pipe-shaped member having a curved or bent non-linear portion formed in at least a portion thereof; and
a powder delivery member disposed inside of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member, the powder delivery member comprising:
an axial core portion flexible according to the non-linear portion of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image thereon according to image information;
a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier;
a developer storage portion that stores a developer; and
a powder delivery unit that delivers a developer from the developer storage portion to the developing unit, the powder delivery unit comprising:
a powder delivering pipe-shaped member having a curved or bent non-linear portion formed in at least a portion thereof; and
a powder delivery member disposed inside of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member, the powder delivery member comprising:
an axial core portion flexible according to the non-linear portion of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein a developer supply opening formed in the developer storage portion is set lower than a developer receiving opening formed in the developing unit.
13. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a developer image hold unit that holds a developer image;
a developer collect unit that collects a developer from the developer image hold unit;
a collected developer storage portion that stores a collected developer; and
a powder delivery unit that delivers a developer from the developer collect unit to the collected developer storage portion, the powder delivery unit comprising:
a powder delivering pipe-shaped member having a curved or bent non-linear portion formed in at least a portion thereof; and
a powder delivery member disposed inside of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member, the powder delivery member comprising:
an axial core portion flexible according to the non-linear portion of the powder delivering pipe-shaped member; and
a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion.
14. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a powder delivery member, comprising:
a metal assembly having an injection molding cavity corresponding to a shape of a powder delivery member comprising: a flexible axial core portion; and a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion, the metal assembly comprising first to fourth dies not only being capable of dividing the powder delivering vane portion of the powder deliver member into four sections along a peripheral direction thereof but also being removable therefrom in a plane intersecting at right angles to a longitudinal direction of the powder delivery member,
wherein a synthetic resin forming the powder delivery member is injection molded into the injection molding cavity defined by the first to fourth dies and corresponding to the shape of the powder delivery member, so as to manufacture the powder delivery member.
15. A powder delivery member, comprising: an axial core portion; and a powder delivering flexible vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion, wherein the powder delivery member is formed as a unified body by an injection molding method using a synthetic resin selected from the group consisting of polyoxymethylene, nylon, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate.
16. The powder delivery member according to claim 15 ,
wherein the synthetic resin is polyoxymethylene.
17. A powder delivery member, comprising:
a flexible axial core portion; and
a powder delivering vane portion formed on an outer periphery of the axial core portion;
wherein the axial core portion comprises:
a large diameter section; and
a small diameter section, the large diameter section having a larger diameter than the small diameter section, wherein the large diameter section is driven and rotated.