Developer Housing Seal Deformation for Pressure Equalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional developer housing containers experience internal pressure imbalances due to a moving wall that reduces the developer housing space, leading to inefficient developer transport and replenishment in image forming devices.
Innovation Solution
A developer housing container with a moving wall, a sealing member, and a communicating mechanism that allows the housing space and the internal space upstream of the moving wall to communicate, maintaining pressure balance and efficient developer transport through the entire circumference of the moving wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a moving wall is used to transport developer toward the discharge port, then developer transport efficiency is improved, but internal pressure imbalance occurs between housing space and internal space
Solution Approach 1:
The internal space is segmented into upstream and downstream regions by the moving wall, with a communication mechanism providing selective connectivity between regions to manage pressure distribution during developer transport
Solution Approach 2:
A communication mechanism acts as an intermediary between the housing space and internal space upstream of the moving wall, allowing controlled pressure equalization through selective opening and closing
2Productivity
If the moving wall moves to reduce housing space, then developer transport is enabled, but pressure difference causes developer blow-off and pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The communication mechanism preemptively opens before the moving wall reaches it, equalizing pressure in advance to prevent developer blow-off and pollution that would otherwise occur due to pressure differential
Solution Approach 2:
The communication mechanism responds to the position of the moving wall by opening and closing at appropriate moments, providing feedback control over pressure management to prevent harmful effects
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 design ensures stable and efficient developer transport and replenishment, preventing developer blow-off and maintaining image quality by uniforming internal pressures and reducing the risk of pollution in image forming devices.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing member is arranged over an entire circumference direction of the moving wall along the outer circumference surface of the moving wall, and is compressively deformed between the inner circumference surface of the container main body and the moving wall
Implementation Method 2
Since a housing space that houses a developer is reduced as the moving wall moves, an internal pressure in the housing space is increased. By contrast, a space upstream of the moving wall is enlarged to have a reduced internal pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A developer housing container includes a container main body, a moving wall, a sealing member, and at least one communicating mechanism. The container main body has an inner circumference surface which defines an internal space tubularly extending, and is provided with a developer discharge port. The moving wall has an outer circumference surface arranged to be opposed to the inner circumference surface, and a transport surface which defines a housing space. The moving wall moves in a first direction while transporting the developer toward the developer discharge port. At least one communicating mechanism is arranged at a predetermined position in the first direction in the container main body and allows the housing space and the internal space positioned more upstream of the moving wall in the first direction to communicate with each other by partly deforming the sealing member.