Developer Container Shutter Mechanism for Toner Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, such as copiers and printers, the existing developer containers face issues with toner leakage during replacement, leading to contamination of the container surface and surrounding areas.
Innovation Solution
A developer container with a shutter mechanism that includes a contacting portion for sealing and a non-contacting portion, which moves to prevent toner from adhering to the sealing member, ensuring the toner remains within the container during attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shutter moves to close the container opening during replacement, then the container opening is sealed to prevent toner leakage, but toner adheres to the shutter and sealing member surfaces causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is divided into two functional portions: a contacting portion that seals against the sealing member to prevent toner leakage, and a non-contacting portion that moves through the opening without contacting the sealing member to avoid toner adhesion. This segmentation allows the shutter to simultaneously achieve sealing performance and prevent contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the shutter have different functional properties: the contacting portion is designed to make close contact with the sealing member for sealing, while the non-contacting portion is designed to pass through the opening without contact. This local differentiation of quality allows the shutter to perform both sealing and contamination prevention functions.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the shutter is positioned to prevent toner adhesion during movement, then contamination is reduced, but sealing effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is segmented into a non-contacting portion for clean movement through the opening and a contacting portion for sealing against the sealing member. This segmentation ensures that the non-contacting portion prevents contamination while the contacting portion maintains sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-contacting portion of the shutter moves through the opening first before the contacting portion engages with the sealing member. This preliminary action prevents toner adhesion in advance, and then the contacting portion seals the opening to maintain sealing performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A contacting portion of a shutter appears in front of a container opening to be at a position where the contacting portion contacts with a sealing member provided in an edge of a storage body opening of a developer storage body when the shutter is at an opening position, and is separated from the sealing member to move into a container frame when the shutter moves from the opening position to a closing position. A non-contacting portion of the shutter is provided on an upstream-side of the contacting portion in a moving direction from the opening position to the closing position and is positioned inside the frame when the shutter is at the opening position, and moves to a position where the non-contacting portion appears in front of the container opening without making contact with the sealing member when the shutter moves from the opening position to the closing position.