Developer Container With Same-Direction Stirring and Staged Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing developer supply mechanisms in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses are not efficient in smoothly supplying developer into the developing chamber, leading to potential image defects and increased initial installation times.
Innovation Solution
A developer container design with a stirring member inside the developer housing, rotating in the same direction as the supplying roller, and a sealing member bonded at both upstream and downstream positions, ensuring seamless communication between the developer housing and developing chamber upon peeling off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing member is used to seal the opening connecting the developer housing and developing chamber, then the developer housing remains sealed until use, but the developer supply into the developing chamber is not smooth initially
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is pre-bonded at both upstream and downstream positions before use. When the stirring member rotates, it automatically peels the sealing member in a controlled sequence (upstream first, then downstream), creating a smooth transition path for developer supply without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If the sealing member is bonded only at one position, then the structure is simpler, but the developer housing cannot be properly sealed and opened
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into multiple bonded portions (upstream bonded portion and downstream bonded portion) along the rotation direction. This segmentation allows the sealing member to be peeled off in stages, ensuring complete and reliable opening of the developer housing while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Ease of operation
If the stirring member rotates in the opposite direction to the supplying roller, then the stirring action is effective, but the developer supply flow is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The stirring member and supplying roller are configured to rotate in the same direction. This merging of rotation directions ensures that the stirring action and developer supply motion work cooperatively, creating a smooth and continuous developer flow from the developer housing through the opening into the developing chamber without disruption.
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
Enhances developer supply efficiency, reduces initial installation time, and maintains consistent developer supply throughout the cartridge's lifetime, improving image quality and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a stirring member provided inside the developer housing and configured to stir the developer
Implementation Method 2
the sealing member is bonded at an upstream bonded portion that is on an upstream side of the opening and also at a downstream bonded portion that is on a downstream side of the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A developer container is used, including developing roller, rotatable developer supplying roller, developing chamber provided with the developing roller and the supplying roller, developer housing configured to store the developer, and having opening that communicably connects the developer housing and the developing chamber, and stirring member provided inside the developer housing and configured to be rotatable in the same direction as the direction in which the supplying roller is rotated. A height of a rotation shaft of the stirring member is equal to or higher than a height of the rotational shaft of the supplying roller. The opening of the housing is provided with a sealing member. The sealing member is bonded on the upstream and downstream sides of the opening in the rotating direction of the stirring member, and is configured to peel off from the upstream side toward the downstream side.