Cartridge Positioning Mechanism for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently transporting and mounting cartridges due to shifting during transit, requiring larger shipment boxes and increased user effort, and existing solutions complicate the door mechanism with elastic members and lever operations.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates an urging portion, positioning portion, and regulating portion to securely maintain the cartridge in place, allowing it to be mounted and removed without shifting, using a tray raising mechanism to position the cartridge correctly and prevent it from popping out, thus simplifying the door operation and reducing the necessary force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If an elastic member is placed between the main assembly and the process cartridge to prevent shifting during transportation, then the cartridge stability is improved, but the door structure becomes more complex and requires greater force to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the elastic member from the door assembly and places it solely within the cartridge structure. This extraction simplifies the door to a basic cover that opens and closes without complex mechanisms, while the cartridge's own elastic member provides the necessary stability and positioning functions
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is designed to be self-sufficient with its own elastic member that performs positioning and stabilization functions. This eliminates the need for the door structure to provide these functions, allowing the door to remain simple while the cartridge handles its own positioning needs
2Strength
If the door is made more rigid to withstand the reactive force from the elastic member, then the door strength is improved, but the force required to close the door increases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the elastic member from the door assembly, the source of reactive force is eliminated. The door no longer needs to withstand spring pressure, allowing it to be made less rigid and easier to operate while maintaining sufficient strength for its covering function
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member's positioning function is retained but relocated to the cartridge, where it benefits from direct contact with positioning surfaces. This converts the potential harmful reactive force on the door into a beneficial positioning force within the cartridge structure
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the main assembly and cartridge are separately wrapped for shipment, then the cartridge protection is improved, but the shipment box size and shipping cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of protecting the cartridge by separating it from the main assembly with additional wrapping, the patent inverts the approach by designing the cartridge with built-in protective features (elastic member, positioning surfaces) that allow it to be safely transported within the same package as the main assembly, eliminating the need for separate wrapping and reducing overall package size
4Reliability
If a lever mechanism is added to lock the door unit when closing, then the cartridge security is improved, but the operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the lever locking mechanism from the door assembly, extracting the security function and relocating it to the cartridge structure where positioning surfaces and elastic members provide passive security. This simplifies door operation to basic opening and closing without complex locking steps
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
This solution enables more efficient transportation by allowing the image forming apparatus and cartridges to be packed in smaller boxes, reduces the force required for cartridge mounting, and simplifies the door mechanism by eliminating the need for elastic members and complex lever operations.
Implementation Method 1
an urging portion, which urges the cartridge so as to maintain it in a positioned state
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge is detachably insertable into a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. The main assembly includes an opening, and urging, positioning, and regulating portions. The cartridge includes an urgable portion urged by the urging portion in a direction crossing a cartridge-inserting direction after cartridge insertion. The cartridge also includes a positionable portion positioned by contacting the positioning portion by the urging portion moving the cartridge in the crossing direction, and a regulatable portion regulated by the regulating portion to prevent cartridge movement toward the opening when the positionable portion contacts the positioning portion. The regulatable portion is at the cartridge rear and is brought, by cartridge movement in the crossing direction by the urging portion, behind the regulating portion with respect to the inserting direction to prevent cartridge movement toward the opening.