Powder feeding method and apparatus for feeding powders with a fluid with increased precision
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsHideo Ichikawa, Sunao Ikeda, Michiharu Narushima, Nobuhiro Makita
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powder feeding method includes the steps of injecting a gaseous medium into a powder material held in a hopper from a porous wall forming a funnel at a bottom part of said hopper, such that the injection of the gaseous medium is carried out intermittently.
Claims23
An apparatus for feeding a powder material into a container with a predetermined, controlled amount, comprising:
- a hopper for holding a powder material therein, said hopper having a bottom part forming a funnel, said funnel including a porous wall for injecting a gaseous medium into said powder material therethrough, said funnel terminating in a downward directed outlet hole for ejecting said powder material to a container together with said gaseous medium;
- a control rod provided in said hopper in alignment with said outlet hole in a manner movable in a vertical, axial direction thereof, said control rod controlling a flowrate of said powder material through said outlet hole;
- and
- a supplying system for supplying said gaseous medium into said porous wall;
- said supplying system including a controller for controlling a supply of said gaseous medium such that said gaseous medium is injected intermittently, while filling said container, with a pause intervening between a gaseous medium injection and a next gaseous medium injection.
A method for feeding a powder material into a container with a predetermined, controlled amount, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a gaseous medium into a powder material held in a hopper having a bottom outlet hole, for ejecting said powder material therefrom into a container together with said gaseous medium;
- said step of injecting said gaseous medium comprises the step of injecting said gaseous medium through a porous wall of a funnel provided at a bottom part of said hopper;
- evacuating said gaseous medium from said powder material accumulated in said container, said step of evacuating said gaseous medium is conducted intermittently while filling said container.
A method for feeding a powder material into a container with a predetermined, controlled amount, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a gaseous medium into a powder material held in a hopper terminating in a bottom downward directed outlet hole, for ejecting said powder material therefrom into a container together with said gaseous medium:
- said step of injecting said gaseous medium comprises the step of injecting said gaseous medium through a porous wall of a funnel provided at a bottom part of said hopper;
- and
- controlling a feed rate of said powder material supplied to said container through said outlet hole, by moving a control rod, provided in said hopper in alignment with said outlet hole with respect to said outlet hole.
A method for feeding a powder material into a container with a predetermined, controlled amount, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a gaseous medium into a powder material held in a hopper having a bottom outlet hole, for ejecting said powder material therefrom into a container together with said gaseous medium;
- said step of injecting said gaseous medium comprises the step of injecting said gaseous medium through a porous wall of a funnel provided at a bottom part of said hopper,
- wherein said powder material comprises a toner, and wherein said container comprises a toner cartridge.
A method for feeding magnetic toners into a toner cartridge with a predetermined, controlled amount, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a gaseous medium into toners held in a hopper having a bottom outlet hole, for ejecting said toners therefrom into a toner cartridge together with said gaseous medium;
- said step of injecting said gaseous medium comprises the step of injecting said gaseous medium through a porous wall of a funnel provided at a bottom part of said hopper;
- and
- controlling a flowrate of said toners supplied to said toner cartridge through said outlet hole;
- wherein said controlling step includes a step for energizing a magnet in said hopper in the vicinity of said outlet hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.