Particles supply apparatus and image forming apparatus
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasuyuki Ishiguro, Hiroshi Kubota, Akira Nakakuma, Takeshi Takayama, Jun Yamaguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A particles supply apparatus is equipped with cylindrical particles discharge unit(s) provided with particles discharge outlet(s) at lower portion(s) thereof, and is equipped with cylindrical shutter cap(s) covering outside circumferential surface(s) of particles discharge unit(s). Shutter cap(s) is/are provided with opening(s) for opening and/or closing particles discharge outlet(s) of particles discharge unit(s), and shutter cap(s) is/are disposed so as to be capable of moving in substantially parallel fashion with respect to axial direction(s) of particles discharge unit(s) while rotating in helical fashion.
Claims12
A particles supply apparatus supplying particles, the particles supply apparatus comprising:
- one or more cylindrical particles discharge units
- arranged horizontally beneath one or more containers containing particles, and
- provided with one or more particles discharge outlets at one or more lower portions thereof;
- and
- one or more cylindrical shutter caps covering at least one outside circumferential surface of at least one of the particles discharge unit or units;
- wherein at least one of the shutter cap or caps
- is provided with one or more shutter openings for opening and/or closing at least one of the particles discharge outlet or outlets of at least one of the particles discharge unit or units, and
- is capable of moving in substantially parallel fashion with respect to at least one axial direction of at least one of the particles discharge unit or units while rotating in helical fashion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.