Cleaning Unit Transport Member Acceleration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with efficient waste toner transportation due to compacted waste toner and paper powder near the cleaning member, leading to deteriorated cleaning performance and potential faulty cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning unit with a frame, a cleaning member, a transport member, and a driving unit that moves the transport member from the opening side to the deep side with a smaller maximum acceleration in that direction compared to the reverse, allowing for efficient waste toner transport with space savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If waste toner is transported by a transport member in conjunction with the rotation of a crankshaft, then waste toner can be moved towards the developer accommodating part, but waste toner and paper powder become compacted in the vicinity of the cleaning member, deteriorating cleaning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The transport member is designed to reciprocate (move back and forth) rather than rotate continuously. The driving unit controls the transport member to move in the waste toner transport direction with smaller maximum acceleration, and in the reverse direction with larger maximum acceleration, creating a dynamic motion pattern that prevents compaction while maintaining transport efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration parameters of the transport member are specifically controlled to resolve the contradiction. By setting the maximum acceleration in the waste toner transport direction to be smaller than the maximum acceleration in the reverse direction, the system achieves effective toner transport without causing compaction that would harm cleaning performance
2Reliability
If space is widened in the vicinity of the cleaning member, then faulty cleaning can be suppressed, but the overall device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing extra space around the cleaning member, the invention uses dynamic control of the transport member's acceleration to prevent compaction. This allows maintaining a compact device size while ensuring reliable cleaning performance through controlled motion parameters
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a cleaning member that removes a developer from the surface of an image bearing member that is attached to an opening of a frame; a transport member that transports developer removed from the surface of the photosensitive member drum by the cleaning member, from an opening side of the frame towards an opposing deep side; and a driving unit for driving the transport member such that the transport member moves relatively to the cleaning member. The transport member is driven by the driving unit such that an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement of the transport member in a direction from the opening side of the frame towards the deep side is smaller than an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement in a direction from the deep side towards the opening side.