Developing Device Frame Unit Blade Seal Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining effective sealing between seal members, leading to toner leakage due to gaps and requiring additional adhesive injection steps, increasing assembly time and costs.
Innovation Solution
A developing device frame unit with a blade sealing member made of elastomer resin, injection-molded with a metal mold, connects end sealing members and fills the gap between them, ensuring no gaps and simplifying the seal constitution, thereby stabilizing the sealing property and reducing assembly steps and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seal members are manually applied with high accuracy, then sealing property is improved, but assembly time and labor cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal members are pre-positioned on the developing device frame at predetermined positions before final assembly. This preliminary positioning ensures accurate placement without requiring manual adjustment during assembly, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and assembly time
Solution Approach 2:
The seal members are designed to automatically position themselves at correct locations through the predetermined positioning structures on the frame. The self-positioning mechanism eliminates the need for manual alignment operations, achieving both high sealing reliability and reduced assembly time
2Reliability
If adhesive injection steps are added to seal gaps, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive injection step is completely removed from the manufacturing process. Instead of injecting adhesive into gaps, the seal members are pre-positioned to eliminate gaps before assembly, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining sealing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is performed in advance by pre-positioning seal members at predetermined locations on the frame. This preliminary sealing action eliminates the need for subsequent adhesive injection steps, reducing manufacturing complexity
3Reliability
If multiple seal members are used to prevent toner leakage, then sealing reliability is improved, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple seal members are integrated into a unified structure where they are pre-positioned together on the developing device frame. This merging approach maintains the sealing reliability of multiple seals while simplifying the overall structure through coordinated positioning and reduced assembly steps
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 provides a stable sealing property even with variations in seal member application positions, simplifies the seal structure, reduces manufacturing costs, and improves assembly ease by directly molding the blade seal on the developing device frame, ensuring reliable toner containment.
Implementation Method 1
The blade sealing member is an elastomer resin material which is injection-molded with a metal mold
Data Source
AI summary
A developing device frame unit supporting a regulating member regulating the layer thickness of developer on a developer carrier. The unit includes a frame having a seal forming portion, first and second, first and second end seals contactable to the carrier surface to prevent carrier-axial-direction leaking of the developer, and a blade sealer sealing between the regulating member and the frame to prevent developer leaking when the regulating member is mounted. The blade sealer is an elastomer resin material which is injection-molded with a metal mold and in the seal forming portion where the end seals are provided. The blade sealer connects the end seals with each other, and a protrusion provided by a squeezed-out portion of the resin material is provided by injecting, into a space defined by the metal mold, the seal forming portion, and the end seal seals, a resin material volume larger than a volume of the space.