Cleaning Holder Protrusions for Transmissive Member Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electro-photographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the cleanliness of transmissive members, leading to deteriorated optical characteristics and reduced image quality due to contamination, which complicates the replacement of cleaning members.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates flexible holding members with protruding portions that allow for easy detachment and replacement of cleaning members, enhancing the exchangeability and reducing the complexity of cleaning operations by facilitating manual removal and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning member is used to clean the transmissive member, then the optical characteristics are maintained and image quality is preserved, but the cleaning member itself becomes contaminated and requires periodic replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning holder is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can be easily separated. The movable portion includes the cleaning member and can be detached from the fixed portion, allowing operators to replace only the contaminated cleaning member without replacing the entire cleaning holder assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member is extracted as a separable component from the cleaning holder. The cleaning member can be removed and replaced independently while the cleaning holder remains in place, simplifying the replacement process and reducing maintenance complexity.
2Reliability
If the cleaning holder is fixed to the guide rail, then stable cleaning operation is achieved, but the cleaning holder becomes difficult to detach and replace
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning holder is segmented into fixed and movable portions that engage with the guide rail differently. The fixed portion maintains stable engagement with the guide rail for reliable operation, while the movable portion can be easily detached, allowing selective replacement without compromising stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning holder transitions from a completely fixed structure to a dynamic structure with separable fixed and movable portions. This allows the holder to be stable during cleaning operations while enabling easy replacement of the movable portion when needed.
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 improves the ease of replacing cleaning members, reducing contamination risks and maintaining image quality by simplifying the cleaning process and ensuring effective removal of foreign matter from transmissive members.
Implementation Method 1
a first transmissive member through which the first laser beam transmits
Implementation Method 2
an optical scanning device (optical scanning unit) that scans a charged photosensitive body with a laser beam
Implementation Method 3
a foreign matter on the surface of the transmissive member is removed by a cleaning member such as a pad or a blade that is moved while being in contact with or pressed against the transmissive member
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus which includes an optical scanning device, wherein the optical scanning device includes: a holding member configured to integrally hold a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member; a first guide member configured to guide a movement of the holding member; and a second guide member configured to guide a movement of the holding member. A first protruding portion protrudes upward from an upper surface of the holding member and is provided at a position closer to an end portion of the holding member than the first cleaning member, and a second protruding portion protrudes upward from the upper surface of the holding member and is provided at a position closer to an end portion of the holding member than the second cleaning member. The first protruding portion and second protruding portion are provided for bending the holding member.