Developer Discharge Path Shaping for Stable Toner Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing developing devices face instability in developer amounts due to differences in fluidity between developers, leading to insufficient or excessive discharge, which affects the stability of developers accommodated in accommodation portions.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates a developing device with a first and second transport path, connection portions, and transport members that facilitate the discharge of developers based on their fluidity, ensuring stable accommodation by shaping the discharge path and transport members to match the fluidity of different developers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If uniform discharge structures are used for all developers, then device complexity is reduced, but developer amount stability deteriorates due to fluidity differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the discharge path shape and discharge transport member characteristics to match the specific fluidity properties of each developer type. Different developers receive tailored discharge configurations optimized for their individual flow characteristics, thereby stabilizing developer amounts while maintaining manageable device complexity through localized adaptation rather than complete redesign of all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by adjusting the shape parameters of discharge paths and operational parameters of discharge transport members according to developer fluidity characteristics. By varying geometric parameters (such as path curvature, cross-section dimensions) and transport parameters (such as rotation speed, transport force) to correspond with developer fluidity, the system achieves stable developer amounts without requiring entirely different discharge structures for each developer type.
2Stability of the object's composition
If discharge path shape is customized for each developer fluidity, then developer amount stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the discharge transport member characteristics adjustable rather than fixed. The discharge transport members can dynamically adapt their operational parameters (such as rotation speed, transport force magnitude) to match different developer fluidities. This dynamic adjustability allows the system to handle multiple developer types with varying fluidity characteristics without requiring completely different discharge path geometries for each type, thereby reducing the complexity increase that would result from full customization.
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
This configuration stabilizes the amount of developers accommodated in the accommodation portions, addressing the instability issues caused by varying fluidity among different developers, ensuring consistent and efficient developer discharge.
Implementation Method 1
the lower a fluidity of the developer to be accommodated in the accommodation portion is, the more the discharge path, the discharge transport member, the first transport path of the accommodation portion, or the first connection portion is shaped to facilitate discharge of the developer to the outside of the accommodation portion
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding bodies and plural developing devices that respectively develop images on the image holding bodies by using developers that are different from each other in fluidity, in which each of the developing devices includes an accommodation portion that accommodates a developer and that includes a first transport path extending in one direction, a second transport path disposed below the first transport path and extending in the one direction, a first connection portion connecting one end of the first transport path and one end of the second transport path to each other, and a second connection portion connecting the other end of the first transport path and the other end of the second transport path to each other, a first transport member that is disposed in the first transport path and that transports the developer from one end to the other end in the one direction, a second transport member that is disposed in the second transport path and that transports the developer from the other end to the one end in the one direction, a discharge path that extends in the one direction from the one end of the first transport path and through which the developer flowing out from the first transport path is discharged to an outside of the accommodation portion, and a discharge transport member that is disposed in the discharge path and that transports the developer flowing out from the first transport path, and the lower a fluidity of the developer to be accommodated in the accommodation portion is, the more the discharge path, the discharge transport member, the first transport path of the accommodation portion, or the first connection portion is shaped to facilitate discharge of the developer to the outside of the accommodation portion.