Annular Member Prevents Toner Adhesion in Developing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, the adhesion of toner to transport members within the toner supply tank can lead to reduced transporting force and path clogging, especially under high temperature, high humidity, or high image density conditions, affecting the efficiency and reliability of the developing device.
Innovation Solution
The use of an annular member with an inner diameter larger than the rotary-driven shaft, which is loosely fitted and extends through the shaft, helps to prevent toner adhesion by allowing the cylindrical member to move and collide with the rotary shaft, thereby maintaining the transporting force and preventing clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a transport member rotates within the supply tank to transport toner, then toner transportation efficiency is improved, but toner adhesion to the transport member increases causing reduced transporting force and path clogging
Solution Approach 1:
An annular member is introduced as an intermediary component between the rotary shaft and the toner. This annular member rotates together with the rotary shaft but maintains a gap from it, creating a mediating structure that prevents direct toner adhesion to the shaft while still enabling effective toner transport through the rotating motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport system is segmented into multiple functional components: the rotary shaft, the annular member with spiral groove, and the toner. The annular member acts as a separate functional element that divides the transport function from the rotation function, allowing the spiral groove to guide toner while the gap prevents adhesion buildup on the shaft itself.
2Productivity
If the transport member rotates continuously to maintain toner flow, then toner transportation is maintained, but toner adhesion accumulates over time leading to path clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The annular member serves as a mediator that allows continuous rotation and toner transport while preventing the harmful accumulation of adhered toner on the rotary shaft. The spiral groove on the annular member continuously guides toner along a defined path, preventing random adhesion and clogging even during prolonged operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A developing device includes a container that contains a developer containing a toner therein, a supply tank that is provided adjacent to the container and is supplied with the toner at a supply point within the supply tank, a transport member that is rotatably driven within the supply tank to transport the toner to the container, and an annular member, wherein the annular member has an inner diameter larger than a diameter of a rotatably-driven shaft in the transport member, the rotatably-driven shaft extends through the annular member, and the annular member is held in a partial section in a longitudinal direction of the rotatably-driven shaft.