Developer Storage Container Movable Wall Toner Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional developer storage containers face challenges in fully utilizing the toner inside, as it remains in areas where rotational force does not act, and toner adhering to grooves continues to rotate with the container body, leading to toner residue.
Innovation Solution
A developer storage container design with a movable wall that conveys toner efficiently towards a discharge port, preventing toner from flowing back into the container body and ensuring minimal residue at the end of use, by using a combination of rotational stirring members and a volume replenishment method that adjusts toner supply based on consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rotational stirring member is used to discharge toner, then toner can be conveyed toward the discharge port, but toner remains in areas where rotational force does not act
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable wall that dynamically changes the container body's internal volume by moving between a retracted position (during toner discharge) and an extended position (to apply rotational force to residual toner). This dynamic adjustment ensures all toner regions are subjected to conveying forces, eliminating static dead zones where toner would otherwise remain undischarged.
Solution Approach 2:
The container body is segmented into a movable wall and a fixed wall, allowing the movable wall to independently extend and rotate. This segmentation enables the system to first discharge toner through rotational conveyance, then extend the movable wall to reach and discharge remaining toner in previously inaccessible areas, thereby reducing overall toner residue.
2Productivity
If a spiral groove is formed on the container body to convey toner, then collected toner can be moved toward one end, but toner adhering to the groove continues to rotate with the container body
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wall dynamically extends beyond the fixed wall's end surface during the discharge process, allowing it to reach toner that would otherwise adhere to the spiral groove and rotate with the container. This dynamic extension ensures adhering toner is also conveyed and discharged, preventing residue accumulation in groove areas.
3Productivity
If the container body is rotated to discharge toner, then toner can be conveyed toward the discharge port, but developer discharged through the port may erroneously flow back into the internal space
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wall is positioned to extend beyond the fixed wall's end surface before toner discharge begins, creating a physical barrier that prevents discharged toner from flowing back into the internal space. This preliminary positioning ensures reliable one-way toner flow while maintaining high discharge rates through continuous container rotation.
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
The solution effectively reduces toner residue in the container body at the end of use, ensuring efficient toner utilization and preventing erroneous flow back into the container, thus optimizing toner usage and container cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
a movable wall 32 that moves from an initial position to a final position in a first direction while conveying the toner contained in the container space 37S toward the toner discharge port 377
Implementation Method 2
an upstream end portion of a seal member 322 is disposed further upstream, in the first direction, of an upstream end portion of the toner discharge port 377... prevents the toner from flowing out to a side upstream of the movable wall 32
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A developer storage container (30) includes a container body (37), a developer discharge port (377), a movable wall (32) and a stirring member (35). The movable wall moves in a first direction in an internal space from an initial position on one end side in the first direction to a final position on the other end side while conveying developer in a container space toward the developer discharge port. At the final position of the movable wall, an upstream end portion of an outer circumferential portion of the movable wall in the first direction is disposed upstream, in the first direction, of an upstream end portion of the developer discharge port in the first direction and a conveying surface of the movable wall is disposed at a distance from the stirring member.