Belt Unit Brush Lubrication for Cleaning Blade Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers face issues with insufficient removal of toner from the intermediate transfer belt and clogging of the waste toner carrying mechanism due to increased friction and curling of the cleaning blade, leading to inefficient waste toner carriage.
Innovation Solution
A belt unit with a cleaning member, waste developer accommodation chamber, waste developer carrying member, and waste developer taking-up member, where the taking-up member includes a shaft and a brush to supply lubricant to the contact portion between the cleaning member and the belt, preventing friction increase and curling, and ensuring reliable waste toner carriage by independent arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cleaning blade continuously scrapes the intermediate transfer belt to remove toner, then the toner removal effectiveness is improved, but the friction between the cleaning blade and the belt increases causing curling and chipping of the blade tip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by supplying waste toner to the contact portion between the cleaning blade and the intermediate transfer belt before significant friction damage occurs. The waste toner is continuously supplied as a lubricant to prevent friction increase and curling/chipping of the cleaning blade tip, thereby maintaining blade integrity while preserving toner removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses waste toner as an intermediary substance between the cleaning blade and the intermediate transfer belt. This waste toner acts as a lubricant that reduces direct friction contact, preventing damage to the cleaning blade while still allowing effective toner removal. The waste toner carries the dual function of being a waste product to be removed and a protective lubricant
2Reliability
If the brush is attached to the spiral to supply waste toner as lubricant, then the cleaning blade friction is reduced and curling is prevented, but when the brush contacts the bottom wall of the accommodation part, the spiral's waste toner carrying ability is lowered causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the brush rotatable on the shaft, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and contact state. The brush can rotate to avoid continuous contact with the bottom wall while still maintaining sufficient contact with waste toner to pick up and supply lubricant to the cleaning blade contact portion, thus preventing both clogging and blade damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces rotational freedom in another dimension by mounting the brush on a rotatable shaft rather than fixing it rigidly. This rotational degree of freedom allows the brush to navigate around the bottom wall obstruction while continuing to perform its waste toner pickup and lubricant supply function, resolving the conflict between blade protection and waste toner transport
3Productivity
If the amount of remaining toner on the intermediate transfer belt is small, then the cleaning efficiency is improved, but the friction between the cleaning blade and the belt increases causing blade damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using the waste toner itself as the lubricant to protect the cleaning blade. The waste toner that is scraped off is recycled and supplied back to the cleaning interface, creating a self-sustaining protective mechanism that continues to protect the blade even as cleaning efficiency increases and remaining toner decreases
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses friction and curling of the cleaning blade, ensuring sufficient toner removal and reliable waste toner carriage without clogging, even when the brush contacts the chamber bottom.
Implementation Method 1
the waste developer is taken up along with the rotation of the waste developer taking-up member and is supplied as a lubricant to the contact portion between the cleaning member and the belt member
Data Source
AI summary
A belt unit includes a belt member, a cleaning member that scrapes off a developer being attached and carried on the belt member, a waste developer accommodation chamber that accommodates the developer as a waste developer, a waste developer carrying member that carries the waste developer accommodated in the waste developer accommodation chamber in correspondence with a rotation thereof; and a waste developer taking-up member that takes up the waste developer in correspondence with a rotation thereof and supplies the waste developer to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the belt member, wherein the waste developer taking-up member is composed with a shaft and a brush attached to the shaft.