Flexible Developer Container Unsealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in providing an elastic member inside the inner container during manufacturing, leading to increased costs and difficulties in unsealing, particularly in the developer accommodating unit with a flexible container.
Innovation Solution
A developer accommodating unit with a flexible container that incorporates an improved unsealing mechanism using a sealing member with a bonding portion that can be easily unsealed, allowing for efficient developer filling and reducing scattering during the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing member with bonding portion is used to seal the flexible container opening, then the unsealing property is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into distinct functional portions: a bonding portion for sealing the opening and a pulling portion for unsealing. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the bonding portion provides strong sealing while the pulling portion enables easy unsealing without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding portion acts as an intermediary between the sealed state and the unsealed state. It provides a controlled interface that can be easily activated (pulled) to transition from sealed to unsealed, simplifying the overall unsealing mechanism while maintaining reliable sealing.
2Ease of manufacture
If a deformable inner container is used to prevent developer scattering, then the manufacturing process is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to inability to provide elastic member inside
Solution Approach 1:
The inner container is made from a flexible container material that can deform during the filling process to contain the developer. This flexible shell approach eliminates the need for complex elastic members or rigid internal structures, simplifying the container design while maintaining the ability to prevent developer scattering during manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If the bonding portion is made easily peelable, then the unsealing operation is simplified, but the sealing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the sealing member have different properties: the bonding portion is designed with strong adhesive characteristics for reliable sealing, while the pulling portion is designed to be easily peeled. This local differentiation of properties allows the bonding portion to maintain strong sealing reliability while the pulling portion provides ease of unsealing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding portion transitions from a static strong bond during storage and sealing to a dynamic easily-peeled state during unsealing. The bonding characteristics are designed to be stable under normal conditions but readily reversible when force is applied to the pulling portion, providing both reliable sealing and easy unsealing.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fixing portion 18c for suppressing movement of a developer bag 16 when the developer bag 16 is unsealed by moving a sealing member 19 is provided. By this, unsealing becomes easy.