Cleaning Device Scraping Mechanism for Toner Conveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, waste toner tends to adhere firmly to the rotating shaft of the conveying screw, increasing its diameter and reducing the conveying ability due to low flowability, leading to accumulation and potential cleaning failures.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a conveying member featuring a rotating shaft and spiral blade, accompanied by scraping pieces that alternately contact the shaft and blade to scrape adhered toner, with the scraping pieces' width being half the gap between adjacent pieces, ensuring continuous contact and preventing adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If waste toner is conveyed using a conventional conveying screw, then the toner is transported to the waste container, but the toner firmly adheres to the rotating shaft reducing conveying ability
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying screw is segmented into a rotating shaft and a spiral blade that can rotate relative to each other. The spiral blade is divided into multiple segments along the axial direction, allowing independent rotation to create scraping action that prevents toner adhesion on the shaft surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral blade is configured to rotate relative to the rotating shaft in addition to the shaft's rotation. This dynamic relative motion creates a scraping effect that continuously prevents toner from adhering to the shaft, maintaining conveying ability under varying operational conditions.
2Productivity
If the conveying screw operates continuously, then toner is efficiently conveyed, but toner accumulates on the rotating shaft due to low flowability
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral blade performs preliminary scraping action on the toner before it can firmly adhere to the rotating shaft. By continuously scraping the shaft surface during the conveying process, the blade prevents toner accumulation that would otherwise occur during continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The relative rotation between the spiral blade and rotating shaft creates continuous scraping action throughout the entire conveying process. This continuous useful action prevents toner adhesion at all times during operation, eliminating the harmful effect of accumulation.
3Quantity of substance
If the rotating shaft diameter increases due to toner adhesion, then more toner can be held, but conveying ability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral blade extracts the toner from the rotating shaft surface through scraping action. By continuously removing adhered toner, the blade prevents the shaft diameter from increasing, thereby maintaining the conveying ability while still achieving sufficient toner capacity through efficient conveyance.
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 configuration enhances the conveying ability by preventing toner accumulation and adhesion, maintaining image quality and reducing the risk of cleaning failures, while also allowing for a more compact design.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of scraping pieces are configured to be turnable so as to alternately come into contact with the rotating shaft and the spiral blade to scrape the toner adhered on the rotating shaft
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device includes a conveying member and a plurality of scraping pieces. The conveying member has a rotating shaft and a spiral blade formed around the rotating shaft. The conveying member is configured to be rotated around an axis to convey a toner removed from an image carrier in a direction of the axis. The plurality of scraping pieces are arranged in the direction of the axis. The plurality of scraping pieces are configured to be turnable so as to alternately come into contact with the rotating shaft and the spiral blade to scrape the toner adhered on the rotating shaft. A width of the scraping piece in the direction of the axis is equal to or below ½ of a gap between the adjacently arranged scraping pieces in the direction of the axis.