Developer Container Agitator with Elastic Urging Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developer containers in image forming apparatuses face reduced resilience and conveying ability due to creep of the agitator main body, leading to decreased developer conveyance, especially when the development chamber is positioned above the container.
Innovation Solution
A developer container with a rotary shaft, rotary base member, and a sheet-like agitator main body that includes an urging member to enhance the resilient force and durability of the agitator, allowing it to effectively convey developer from the container to the development chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the agitator main body is made as a sheet-like elastic piece that revolves around the container, then developer conveying function is achieved, but resilience is reduced due to creep of the main body
Solution Approach 1:
The agitator is divided into two functional parts: the main body (sheet-like elastic piece) responsible for conveying developer, and the urging member (rod-like elastic piece) responsible for maintaining resilience. This segmentation allows each part to specialize in its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The urging member acts as an intermediary element that applies continuous elastic force to the main body, preventing creep deformation. The urging member mediates between the rotational motion requirement and the resilience maintenance requirement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the development chamber is disposed in an upper position and developer is conveyed upward, then the desired development configuration is achieved, but the amount of developer conveyed decreases enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The urging member pre-positions the main body by applying elastic force before the main body contacts the container wall. This preliminary action ensures the main body maintains its curved shape and pressing force even when conveying developer upward against gravity.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic properties of both the main body and urging member are optimized to maintain sufficient pressing force against the container wall under various operating conditions, including upward conveyance where gravity works against the conveying direction.
3Productivity
If the main body is pressed into contact with the inner wall to convey developer, then conveying function is achieved, but the amount of developer conveyed decreases due to creep
Solution Approach 1:
The urging member is designed to automatically compensate for creep deformation of the main body. As the main body creeps and loses resilience, the urging member's elastic force progressively pushes it back into the correct position, maintaining continuous developer conveying capability without external intervention.
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 enhanced resilient force improves toner conveying ability and maintains durability, ensuring efficient developer supply to the development chamber, even when conveying upward.
Implementation Method 1
The urging member is a rod-like elastic piece having an elastic property. The urging member is pressed into contact with the main body from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a direction of revolution of the main body.
Implementation Method 2
The developer conveying member provided in the above-described or similar developer container known in the art tends to have its resilience reduced by creep of the main body which is curved during its revolving motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A developer container for an image forming apparatus includes a housing configured to store developer, a developer conveying member disposed inside the housing and configured to rotate to convey the developer stored in the housing. The developer conveying member includes a rotary shaft, a rotary base member and a sheet-like main body. The main body has a base end portion fixed to the rotary base member and a free end portion configured to be pressed into contact with an inner wall of the housing. The rotary base member includes an urging member configured to urge the main body from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a direction of rotation thereof.