Developer Container Mounting Mechanism for Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toner supply systems face challenges in efficiently mounting and dismounting toner containers, leading to potential toner leakage and complex operation, especially in integrating toner discharge and supply ports effectively within image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
The developer supplier system includes a developer container with a container shutter and a main unit featuring a guide mechanism, fastening, locking, and lock release portions, allowing the toner container to be mounted in a specific orientation and rotated to expose the discharge port for communication with the supply port, ensuring secure locking and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the toner container is mounted with simple sliding mechanism, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of toner containment deteriorates due to potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The toner container mounting mechanism is segmented into distinct functional portions: a guide mechanism for directional insertion, a fastening portion for securing the container shutter, and a locking portion for final position fixation. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function effectively, ensuring both ease of operation and reliable toner containment through coordinated action of multiple specialized components
Solution Approach 2:
The guide mechanism performs preliminary action by guiding the toner container in the correct direction during insertion, ensuring proper alignment before the fastening and locking mechanisms engage. This preliminary guidance prevents misalignment and ensures that subsequent locking actions occur at the correct position, maintaining both operational simplicity and sealing reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If the toner container structure is simplified, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to prevent toner leakage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is divided into functionally distinct segments: the container body, container shutter, and integrated locking mechanism. Each segment is designed for its specific purpose, allowing simplified manufacturing of individual components while the assembled structure provides comprehensive leakage prevention through coordinated action of multiple specialized parts
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening portion and locking portion are merged into an integrated mechanism that combines securing and position-fixing functions. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying manufacture while maintaining effective toner containment through the combined action of fastening and locking features
3Reliability
If the mounting mechanism is made complex to ensure secure locking, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting mechanism is segmented into sequential functional portions that guide the user through a simple step-by-step process: first the guide mechanism directs insertion, then the fastening portion automatically engages, and finally the locking portion secures the position. This segmentation makes the complex locking process easy to operate by breaking it into intuitive sequential steps
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening and locking mechanisms are designed to engage automatically or with minimal user input. The fastening portion secures the container shutter and the locking portion locks the container body in position through self-actuating features that reduce the operational burden on the user while maintaining high locking security
4Productivity
If the toner container allows easy dismounting, then the productivity is improved, but the risk of toner spillage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking portion is designed to be released first as a preliminary action, which triggers the unlocking sequence before the container can be removed. This preliminary unlocking action ensures that all securing mechanisms are disengaged before the container moves, allowing quick replacement while preventing toner spillage by maintaining sealed position until disengagement is complete
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A developer supplier includes a developer container and a main unit. The main unit includes a mounting section. The developer container includes a container body and a container shutter. The container body is formed with a developer discharge port. The container shutter covers or exposes the developer discharge port. The main unit includes a housing, a guide mechanism, a fastening portion, a locking portion, and a lock release portion. The developer container is mounted into the mounting section in a first orientation being guided by the guide mechanism, and subsequently the container body is rotated in a first rotational direction so that the developer container changes to a second orientation in which the developer discharge port communicates with the developer supply port. The lock release portion is permitted to release the locking of the developer container so that the container body rotates to return to the first orientation.