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US 12,645,179 B2Granted
Powder collection container with swinging member configured for reverse conveyor rotation
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTomonori Tamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powder collection container includes a powder collection port, a conveyor, and a swinging member. The powder collection port receives powder. The conveyor rotates in a specified direction to convey the powder and includes a shaft and a blade spirally wound around the shaft. The swinging member contacts the conveyor, is swingable, and has a plurality of overhang portions arranged in an axial direction of the swinging member. Each of the plurality of overhang portions having a bent portion bent toward the blade. The bent portion has a tip to contact the blade at least when the conveyor rotates in a direction opposite to the specified direction.
Claims19
A powder collection container, comprising:
- a powder collection port to receive powder;
- a conveyor to rotate in a first direction to convey the powder, the conveyor including:
- a shaft;
- and
- a blade spirally wound around the shaft;
- and
- a swinging member to contact the conveyor, the swinging member being swingable and including:
- a fixing portion to fix the swinging member;
- and
- a plurality of overhang portions arranged in an axial direction of the swinging member, wherein
- each overhang portion of the plurality of overhang portions includes:
- a connecting portion connected to the fixing portion;
- an inclined portion connected to the connecting portion, the inclined portion inclined at a first angle with respect to the connecting portion in a conveyance direction of the conveyor;
- and
- a bent portion connected to the inclined portion, the bent portion positioned on a free end of the overhang portion, the bent portion inclined toward the blade at a second angle with respect to the inclined portion, and the bent portion having a tip to contact the blade when the conveyor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
- the tip of the bent portion contacts an outer edge of the blade, and
- d and e are substantially equal, where d is a length from a bed of the bent portion to a tip of the bent portion, and e is one half of a difference between an outer diameter of the blade and a diameter of the shaft.
14 more elements
A powder conveying device, comprising:
- a conveyor to rotate in a first direction to convey the powder, the conveyor including:
- a shaft;
- and
- a blade spirally wound around the shaft;
- and
- a swinging member to contact the conveyor, the swinging member being swingable and including:
- a fixing portion to fix the swinging member;
- and
- a plurality of overhang portions arranged in an axial direction of the swinging member, wherein
- each overhang portion of the plurality of overhang portions includes:
- a connecting portion connected to the fixing portion;
- an inclined portion connected to the connecting portion, the inclined portion inclined at an angle with respect to the connecting portion along a conveyance direction of the conveyor;
- and
- a bent portion connected to the inclined portion, the bent portion positioned on a free end of the overhang portion, the bent portion inclined toward the blade at a second angle with respect to the inclined portion, and the bent portion having a tip to contact the blade at least when the conveyor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
- the tip of the bent portion contacts an outer edge of the blade, and
- d and e are substantially equal, where d is a length from a bed of the bent portion to a tip of the bent portion, and e is one half of a difference between an outer diameter of the blade and a diameter of the shaft.
13 more elements
A powder collection container, comprising:
- a powder collection port to receive powder;
- a conveyor to rotate in a first direction to convey the powder, the conveyor including:
- a shaft;
- and
- a blade spirally wound around the shaft;
- and
- a swinging member to contact the conveyor, the swinging member being swingable and including:
- a fixing portion to fix the swinging member;
- and
- a plurality of overhang portions arranged in an axial direction of the swinging member, wherein
- each overhang portion of the plurality of overhang portions includes:
- a connecting portion connected to the fixing portion,
- an inclined portion connected to the connecting portion, the inclined portion inclined at a first angle with respect to the connecting portion in a conveyance direction of the conveyor;
- and
- a bent portion connected to the inclined portion, the bent portion positioned on a free end of the overhang portion, the bent portion inclined toward the blade at a second angle with respect to the inclined portion, and the bent portion having a tip to contact the blade when the conveyor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
- each overhang portion of the plurality of overhang portions has a shaft contact portion to contact a lower portion of the shaft.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.