Developer Transport Direction Inversion for Compact Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently transporting developers from containers to developing devices, particularly in optimizing the transport direction and path length to reduce apparatus size and improve developer supply efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features developer transport devices with unique transport portions and directions for each color, allowing developers to be transported from containers to developing devices in a direction opposite to others, optimizing the transport path and reducing the overall size of the apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If developers are transported from containers to developing devices in a conventional uniform direction, then the transport structure is simple, but the apparatus size is large and transport path length is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by transporting at least one developer (e.g., yellow developer) in a direction opposite to the transport direction of other developers (magenta, cyan, black). Specifically, while magenta, cyan, and black developers are transported from left to right, the yellow developer is transported from right to left. This reverse transport direction allows the transport paths to be optimized independently, reducing the overall apparatus size and transport path length without requiring a completely complex transport system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the developer transport system into multiple independent transport portions, each handling a specific developer color with its own optimized transport path and direction. The transport devices are divided into first developer transport devices (for magenta, cyan, black) and second developer transport device (for yellow), allowing each segment to be optimized separately for compactness and efficiency.
2Productivity
If the transport path length is reduced to improve supply efficiency, then developer supply efficiency improves, but the transport structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By transporting the yellow developer in the opposite direction (right to left) compared to other developers (left to right), the patent creates shorter and more direct transport paths for each developer color. This directional inversion allows each transport portion to be optimized for minimum path length, improving developer supply efficiency to the developing devices while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes plural developing devices, plural developer containers, and plural developer transport devices. The plural developing devices are arranged side-by-side in a first direction. The plural developer containers contain developer and have discharge ports disposed between the plural developing devices in the first direction. The plural developer transport devices transport the developer from the plural developer containers to the plural developing devices. The plural developer transport devices include respective transport portions arranged side-by-side. Through at least one of the transport portions, the developer is transported from a corresponding one of the discharge ports in a direction opposite to a direction in which the developer is transported from the other discharge ports through the other transport portions.