Developer Accommodating Unit Sealing Member Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional developer accommodating units in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses require user effort to remove sealing members and have inefficient developer discharge mechanisms, limiting user convenience and discharge efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A developer accommodating unit with a flexible container, a sealing member, and an unsealing member that rotates to peel the sealing member from the container, allowing easy exposure of the opening for developer discharge, featuring a sealing portion, a holding portion, and a developer passing portion to facilitate efficient developer flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing member is welded to seal the opening of the developer accommodating frame, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the user effort required to remove the sealing member increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into a first sealing member and a second sealing member that can be separated from each other. The first sealing member remains welded to the accommodating frame for reliable sealing, while the second sealing member can be easily removed by the user to open the opening. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining sealing reliability through the welded first sealing member while enabling easy user operation through the removable second sealing member.
2Ease of operation
If the sealing member is peeled off to expose the opening, then the ease of operation is improved, but the developer discharging efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is segmented into two parts with different functions: the first sealing member provides reliable sealing when attached, and the second sealing member can be easily removed to expose the opening. This segmentation allows easy operation to expose the opening while maintaining developer discharging efficiency through the proper design of the opening structure and the first sealing member that remains in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The second sealing member acts as an intermediary that can be easily removed by the user to expose the opening, while the first sealing member remains as the permanent sealing structure. This intermediary element enables easy operation without compromising the overall sealing functionality or developer discharge efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A developer accommodating unit includes: a container, provided with an opening for permitting discharge of a developer, for accommodating the developer; a sealing member for sealing the opening by being mounted on the container and for being peeled from the container to expose the opening; and an unsealing member for unsealing the opening by moving the sealing member to peel the sealing member from the container. The sealing member includes a sealing portion defined in an end side thereof to seal the opening, a holding portion defined in another end side thereof to be held by the unsealing member, and a developer passing portion formed between the sealing portion and the holding portion to permit passing of the developer therethrough.