Developer Storage Cap With Composite Seal For Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing developer storage bodies in image forming apparatuses face issues with leakage due to caps made of flexible materials that deform, and those made of hard materials can cause gaps, leading to toner leakage and detachment difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A cap portion for a developer storage body is designed with a structural portion of high flexural modulus material and a seal portion of lower flexural modulus material, where the seal portion is inserted into a hole portion to prevent toner leakage and suppress cap deformation, allowing easy detachment without specialized tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cap is formed of a flexible material to obtain sufficient sealing performance, then the sealing performance is improved, but the cap is likely to deform and cause leakage of the developer
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two distinct portions: a structural portion made of hard material (polycarbonate) for maintaining shape and stability, and a seal portion made of flexible material (ethylene-vinyl acetate) for providing sealing performance. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is constructed as a composite structure combining two different materials with complementary properties. The hard structural material provides rigidity and resistance to deformation, while the flexible seal material provides elasticity and sealing capability. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between needing flexibility for sealing and rigidity for maintaining shape.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a cap is formed of a hard material to maintain shape, then the cap stability is improved, but gaps may form between the cap and opening, leading to toner leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a structural portion made of hard material that maintains the cap's overall shape and stability, and a seal portion made of flexible material that conforms to the opening to prevent gaps. This segmentation allows the hard material to provide shape stability while the flexible seal portion ensures complete sealing without gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cap have different material properties tailored to their specific functions. The structural portion uses hard material for shape maintenance, while the seal portion uses flexible material for gap-free sealing. This local differentiation of material quality allows the cap to simultaneously achieve shape stability and effective sealing.
3Reliability
If a cap made of flexible material is used, then sealing is improved, but the cap may detach easily from the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a structural portion made of hard material that provides attachment strength and resistance to detachment, and a seal portion made of flexible material that provides sealing performance. The structural portion's rigidity prevents the cap from detaching easily, while the seal portion maintains effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines hard structural material for attachment strength with flexible seal material for sealing. The hard material portion resists detachment forces, while the flexible seal portion maintains contact with the opening, achieving both strong attachment and effective sealing simultaneously.
Data Source
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AI summary
A developer storage body (60) includes a housing (61) in which a developer is stored, a shutter portion (70) mounted to the housing and having a hole portion (73) through which the developer is replenished into the housing, and a cap portion (90) covering the hole portion. The cap portion includes a structural portion (91) that constitutes an enclosure body enclosing a hollow portion (93). The structural portion is formed of a first material. The cap portion further includes a seal portion (92) that covers the structural portion to seal the hollow portion. The seal portion is formed of a second material having a lower flexural modulus than the first material.