Powder filling utilizing vibrofluidization

Details Powder filling utilizing vibrofluidization Powder filling utilizing vibrofluidization

1999-03-19

2001-03-06

Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)

Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea

Evacuation apparatus

C141S256000, C141S286000, C222S232000, C222S241000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196278

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates generally to filling a container with material, and more particularly concerns an vibratory powder filler for moving powders such as toner from a supply hopper through a fill tube to a container.
Currently when filling powders, for example toners into toner containers, toner is transported from the toner supply hopper into the container by a rotating auger. The auger is a spiral shaped mechanical part which pushes particles of toner inside a fill tube by direct mechanical contact. The nature of this mechanical contact process creates substantial limitations on accuracy and productivity of the toner filling operation. The speed of the toner movement in the fill tube is proportional to the speed of rotation of the auger and is limited by heat release due to auger/toner friction. High auger speed will cause the toner to melt, particularly for low melt toner such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,460 to Mahabadi et al. the relevant portions thereof incorporated herein by reference.
Toner containers typically have a small opening into which the toner is to be added. Furthermore, the toner containers often have irregular shapes to conform to the allotted space within the copying machine. Therefore it becomes difficult to fill the toner container because of the small tube required to fit into the small toner container opening and secondly for all the toner within the container to completely fill the remote portions of the container before the container overflows.
The problems associated with controlling the filling of toner containers are due primarily to the properties of the toner. Toner is the image-forming material in a developer which when deposited by the field of an electrostatic charge becomes the visible record. There are two different types of developing systems known as one component and two component systems.
In one-component developing systems, the developer material is toner made of particles of magnetic material, usually iron, embedded in a black plastic resin. The iron enables the toner to be magnetically charged. In two-component systems, the developer material is comprised of toner which consists of small polymer or resin particles and a color agent, and carrier which consists of roughly spherical particles or beads usually made of steel. An electrostatic charge between the toner and the carrier bead causes the toner to cling to the carrier in the development process. Control of the flow of these small, abrasive and easily charged particles is very difficult.
The one component and two component systems utilize toner that is very difficult to flow. This is particularly true of the toner used in two component systems, but also for toner for single-component systems. The toner tends to cake and bridge within the hopper. This limits the flow of toner through the small tubes which are required for addition of the toner through the opening of the toner container. Also, this tendency to cake and bridge may cause air gaps to form in the container resulting in partial filling of the container.
Attempts to improve the flow of toner have also included the use of an external vibrating device to loosen the toner within the hopper. These vibrators are energy intensive, costly and not entirely effective and consistent. Furthermore, they tend to cause the toner to cloud causing dirt to accumulate around the filling operation.
The following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,794
Patentee: Nishiyama et al.
Issue Date: Aug. 16, 1994
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,396
Patentee: Mawdesley
Issue Date: Aug. 1, 1995
U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,338
Patentee: Hayes, Jr. et al.
Issue Date: Mar. 10, 1992
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,428
Patentee: Sakakura et al.
Issue Date: Dec. 11, 1990
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,355
Patentee: Neufeld
Issue Date: Jun. 12, 1990
U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,312
Patentee: Vineski
Issue Date: Mar. 17, 1987
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,759
Patentee: Knott
Issue Date: Dec. 31, 1985
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,485
Patentee: Wegman et al
Issue Date: Nov. 24, 1998
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,348
Patentee: Wegman et al
Issue Date: Nov. 11, 1997
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/823,034
Applicant: Wegman et al
Filing Date: Apr. 1, 1997
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/829,925
Applicant: Wegman et al
Filing Date: Apr. 1, 1997
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/923,016
Applicant: Joseph S. Zelazny et al.
Filing Date: Sept. 3, 1997
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/004,457
Applicant: Wegman et al.
Filing Date: Jan. 8, 1998
Heat and Mass Transfer in a Moving Vibrofluidized Granular Bed
Authors: I. Borden, M. Dukhovny and T. Elperin Powder Handling and Processing Volume 9, No. 4 October/December 1997
Mechanics of Collisional Motion of Granular Materials
Authors: A. Goldshtein, M. Shapiro, L. Moldavsky and M. Fichman J. Fluid Mech. (1995) Vol. 287
The relevant portions of the foregoing disclosures may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,794 describes a powder filling apparatus and a method for filling a container with powder. The toner container is filled by conveying toner from a supply hopper through a nozzle with a valve on the end. The valve is disposed at the bottom opening of the nozzle to release and close the opening of the nozzle by the vertical movement of the valve element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,396 is drawn to a toner anti-dribble device which is attached to a toner container having a vertical fill tube and a rotatable auger for feeding toner into a toner container. The toner anti-dribble device also has a sleeve member engagable with the fill tube. A plurality of flexible insertion wires are inserted through the sleeve member into the toner container and disposed substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the toner. The arrangement of the wires positively prevents toner dribble between fills while being flexible enough to flex in proportion to the fill rate, which prevents fusing of the toner on the wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,338 teaches a developer which discharges used carrier particles using a magnetic valve. Discharge of developer material from the developer housing is controlled by a permanent magnet and an electromagnet positioned adjacent an exit port in the developer housing. The permanent magnet generates a magnetic flux field in the region of the exit port to form a developer material curtain which prevents the passage of developer material from the exit port. When the electromagnet is energized, it generates a magnetic flux field which attracts developer material from the developer material curtain. Upon de-energization of the electromagnet, the developer material attracted to it is discharged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,428 discloses an electrographic printer having a pulse motor for driving an agitator. The agitator is built into the developer unit. The agitator is controlled during the initialization process of the apparatus by setting the rotational speed of the motor at a lower level upon startup of the motor. The lower speed results in higher torque to overcome solidification of the toner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,355 discloses a method for removing a developer mix from a developing station with a magnetic closing device which is in the vicinity of a discharge opening in the developing station. In its energized condition, the magnetic closing device creates a magnetic field which acts on the developer mix to form a plug of developer mix in the region of the discharge opening. In the de-energized condition, the magnetic closing device releases the plug of developer mix.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,312 discloses a structure for minimizing bridging or packing of toner in the flights of an auger of a toner removal and collection system. The toner anti-bridging structure includes a pendulum which is caused to periodically bang in to the auger to create vibrations in the auger structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,759 discloses a device for filling and filtering toner from a supply container. A filter basket is disposed in the region of the filling opening which is closed from the feed container by a filter mesh and an electr

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