Cleaning Roller Pressing Mechanism for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face challenges in space-saving designs for cleaning devices due to the inclination of the driving force action line, which hinders the pressing of the cleaning roller against the photosensitive body, leading to inefficient toner removal and image deletion issues with amorphous silicon-based image carriers.
Innovation Solution
The cleaning device incorporates a guiding member with an inclined placement face for the bearing member, allowing it to be energized by a compression coil spring, ensuring effective pressing of the cleaning roller against the image carrier while optimizing space usage by aligning the placement face vertically with the action line of the gears, thus minimizing hindrance from the driving force components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the bearing member is supported by a bearing roller rotating around a fulcrum with a spring energizing the cleaning roller, then the cleaning roller can be pressed to the photosensitive body, but space saving is difficult due to the distance required between the fulcrum and the spring action point
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fulcrum from the structure and replaces it with a guiding member that has a placement face. This eliminates the need for the bearing roller to rotate around a fulcrum, thereby reducing the space required between the spring action point and the cleaning roller support point.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the bearing roller rotate around a fulcrum, the invention inverts the approach by having the bearing member slide along a guiding member with an inclined placement face. This inversion allows the spring to be positioned closer to the cleaning roller while maintaining the pressing function.
2Volume of moving object
If a guiding member is provided to allow the bearing member to slide in a direction between the rotation centers, then space saving is achieved, but the driving force component pushes back the bearing member against spring energization, hindering pressing of the cleaning roller
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding member has an inclined placement face with a specific slope angle that is optimized to counteract the harmful component of the driving force. The inclination is designed so that the normal force from the placement face provides a component that offsets the pushing-back force from the gear driving, thereby maintaining effective pressing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful component of the driving force (which pushes back the bearing member) into a beneficial effect by using the inclined placement face. The same driving force that causes the pushing-back effect is now utilized to create a pressing component through the inclination, thereby maintaining cleaning roller pressing without requiring additional spring force.
3Volume of moving object
If the placement face is inclined with regard to the straight line passing through gear rotation centers, then the distance between the straight line and placement face increases closer to the first gear, but this must be optimized to balance space saving with effective pressing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the inclination angle of the placement face as a critical parameter. By carefully selecting the slope angle, the design achieves the desired balance between space saving (larger distance from the straight line) and pressing reliability (sufficient normal force component). This parameter optimization ensures that the cleaning roller maintains effective contact with the photosensitive body throughout the rotation cycle.
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 enables efficient toner removal and image formation by ensuring the cleaning roller effectively presses against the photosensitive drum, reducing space requirements and preventing image deletion, while maintaining the cleaning efficiency of the amorphous silicon-based image carrier.
Implementation Method 1
an energizing member energizing the bearing member so as to press the cleaning roller to the image carrier
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning device includes a cleaning roller, a bearing member, a guiding member and an energizing member. The cleaning roller includes a second gear meshed with a first gear of an image carrier. The cleaning roller is rotationally driven in an opposite direction to the image carrier by driving force transmitted from the first gear to the second gear. The bearing member supports a core metal of the cleaning roller. The guiding member has a placement face on which the bearing member is placed. The placement face is inclined with regard to a straight line passing through a rotation center of the first gear and a rotation center of the second gear so that a distance between the straight line and the placement face becomes larger, the closer to the first gear. The energizing member energizes the bearing member so as to press the cleaning roller to the image carrier.