Developer Agitation Guide for Preventing Packing and Leaking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic developing apparatuses, high-speed operation and high image quality lead to toner aggregation and reduced thermal resistance, while two-component development systems face issues with toner replenishment and charging, causing image deterioration such as scattering and fogging.
Innovation Solution
A developing apparatus with a housing featuring a circulating conveying path for a two-component developer, including a toner and carrier, with a conveying member, first and second agitating members, and a projection-shaped guide to ensure efficient agitation and prevent developer discharge, allowing for effective toner replenishment and charging without image defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-speed operation is implemented, then productivity increases, but toner aggregation and embedding occur due to increased load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical mixing with magnetic field-based toner charging. The charging roller applies a magnetic field to charge toner particles as they pass through the charging section, eliminating the need for mechanical agitation and mixing that previously caused toner aggregation and embedding during high-speed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a fluidized bed mechanism where air flow fluidizes the carrier particles, allowing toner to be uniformly distributed and charged without mechanical contact. This pneumatic approach prevents toner aggregation while maintaining high-speed operation capability.
2Reliability
If two-component development with replenishing section is used, then toner service life extends, but uncharged toner causes image deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary charging action by placing the charging roller upstream in the toner circulation path. Toner particles are charged before being supplied to the developing roller, ensuring that only properly charged toner reaches the image formation area and preventing image deterioration from uncharged toner.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical mixing-based charging with magnetic field-based charging. The charging roller uses a magnetic field to charge toner particles uniformly as they pass through the charging section, eliminating the incomplete charging that occurs with mechanical mixing methods.
3Reliability
If agitating and conveying section is added, then toner charging improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the charging function with the existing toner circulation path. The charging roller is integrated into the circulation system, combining toner charging with the natural circulation flow, thereby improving charging efficiency without adding separate complex agitating and conveying mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical agitating and conveying systems with a magnetic field-based charging approach. The charging roller uses magnetic fields to charge toner particles while they circulate, eliminating the need for separate mechanical agitating devices and reducing overall system complexity.
4Device complexity
If mono-component development is used, then device structure is simple, but toner aggregation occurs due to high load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a two-component developer system consisting of toner particles and carrier particles. The carrier particles serve as a medium for uniform toner distribution and magnetic field-based charging, preventing toner aggregation while maintaining relatively simple device structure through the use of magnetic fields rather than complex mechanical systems.
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
The solution enables good image formation without apparatus breakage or developer leakage, maintaining image quality even at high printing rates by ensuring proper toner agitation and circulation, reducing concentration unevenness and toner scattering.
Implementation Method 1
a toner charged due to triboelectric charging between the toner and a carrier is attached to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier so as to develop
Implementation Method 2
a conveying member arranged in the developer supplying and recovering portion in such a manner as to extend along a direction of a rotating axis of the developer carrier, supplying the developer to the developer carrier, conveying the developer in a longitudinal direction, and delivering the developer to the developer agitating portion
Implementation Method 3
a toner charged due to triboelectric charging between the toner and a carrier is attached to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier so as to develop
Data Source
AI summary
A housing of a developing apparatus is provided with a conveying member in a developer supplying and recovering portion, and with first and second agitating members rotating from the below to the above in portions opposed to each other in a developer agitating portion. A guide is provided in an inner bottom surface of the housing between the first and second agitating members. A discharge portion provided with a developer discharge port is provided on a downstream side of the developer agitating portion in a developer conveying direction of the first agitating member. A suitable amount of developer can be circulated while conveying a part of an excess amount of developer in a circulating conveying path to the discharge portion and discharging from the developer discharge port. Packing and leaking of the developer within the developing apparatus and breakage of the developing apparatus can be prevented and also a good image can be obtained even if high printing images are continuously provided.