Dynamic Shaft Design for Efficient Process Cartridge Attachment
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Summary
Problems
Existing technologies face challenges in smoothly attaching and detaching process cartridges from image forming apparatuses, particularly due to issues with rotating force transmission and alignment, leading to difficulties in maintenance and reusability.
Innovation solutions
An end member with a tubular bearing and a shaft member, including a rotating shaft and a rotating force receiving member, is designed to be engaged with the driving shaft of the image forming apparatus, allowing for smooth attachment and detachment by switching between engaged and disengaged postures, with a maximum static friction coefficient of 0.40 or less, facilitating easy movement and rotation.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If the process cartridge is moved in the axial direction of the driving shaft for attachment and detachment, then the attachment and detachment structure is simple, but the image forming apparatus size increases and attachment/detachment space is insufficient
Why choose this principle:
The shaft member is designed to dynamically change its engagement state with the driving shaft. During attachment, the shaft member engages with the driving shaft; during detachment, the shaft member disengages from the driving shaft. This dynamic engagement/disengagement mechanism enables the process cartridge to be attached and detached in a direction different from the axial direction of the driving shaft, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and space requirements.
Principle concept:
If a gear is provided in the photosensitive drum for rotation, then the photosensitive drum can rotate by meshing with a gear driven by the apparatus body, but the structure becomes more complex and alignment issues arise
Why choose this principle:
The patent replaces the traditional gear meshing mechanism with a direct engagement mechanism. The shaft member includes an engaging member that directly engages with the driving shaft, eliminating the need for gears. This substitution simplifies the structure, reduces alignment requirements, and maintains effective rotation transmission of the photosensitive drum.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
An end member with a tubular bearing and a shaft member, including a rotating shaft and a rotating force receiving member, is designed to be engaged with the driving shaft of the image forming apparatus, allowing for smooth attachment and detachment by switching between engaged and disengaged postures, with a maximum static friction coefficient of 0.40 or less, facilitating easy movement and rotation.
Abstract
An end member includes a tubular bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The shaft member includes a rotating shaft rotatable around an axis and movable in an axial direction, and a rotating force receiving member disposed in one end portion of the rotating shaft and including an engaging member to be engaged with a driving shaft of the image forming apparatus body. The engaging member is switchable between a posture of being engaged with the driving shaft and a posture of not being engaged with the driving shaft. A maximum static friction coefficient applied when the rotating shaft moves in a rotating axial direction with respect to the bearing member is equal to or less than 0.40 where a force that acts in a direction orthogonal to a frictional force direction is 2.5 to 10.5 N.