Resin Housing Developing Device with L-Shaped Support Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing developing cartridges experience distortion due to the transfer of driving force, leading to uneven contact between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum, which results in poor image quality.
Innovation Solution
A developing device with a resin housing that includes a developer carrier, a receiving-side coupling member, a blade for regulating toner layer thickness, and a support member bent into an L-shape to absorb the rotational forces, preventing distortion of the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If driving force is transmitted to the developer carrier through a coupling member, then the developer carrier can be rotated to supply developer, but distortion occurs in the resin housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blade as an intermediary component between the coupling member and the developer carrier. The blade contacts the circumferential surface of the developer carrier to regulate developer layer thickness, while the coupling member is positioned to overlap with the blade rather than directly transmitting force to the housing. This intermediary arrangement allows force transmission to the developer carrier while preventing direct stress transfer to the resin housing, thereby eliminating distortion.
2Ease of operation
If the coupling member is positioned at one end of the housing, then driving force can be transmitted to the developer carrier, but the developing roller cannot uniformly contact the photosensitive drum
Solution Approach 1:
The blade serves as a mediator that distributes the mechanical interaction across the developer carrier surface. By positioning the blade to contact the circumferential surface of the developer carrier along its length, and positioning the coupling member to overlap with the blade, the system achieves both effective driving force transmission and uniform contact between the developing roller and photosensitive drum, as the blade's linear contact distributes stress evenly.
3Manufacturing precision
If the blade is provided to regulate developer layer thickness, then developer supply is controlled, but the blade requires support that may interfere with coupling member function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the support function with the coupling member positioning. The coupling member is designed to overlap with the blade, meaning the coupling member's position and structure inherently provide support for the blade while performing its own function of transmitting driving force. This merging eliminates the need for a separate support structure, reducing device complexity while maintaining both developer layer control and driving force transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A developing device includes: a housing made of resin; a developer carrier, which is rotatably supported by the housing, and which is configured to carry developer on a circumferential surface thereof; a receiving-side coupling member, which is provided rotatably to one of end portions of the developer carrier and is configured to couple with a driving-side coupling member in the rotational axial direction to transmit driving force to the developer carrier; a blade, which is provided along the rotational axial direction, and which configured to contact the circumferential surface of the developer carrier to regulate a layer thickness of the developer on the circumferential surface; and a support member, which is bent into an L-shape as viewed from the rotational axial direction, and which supports the blade, wherein the receiving-side coupling member is overlapped with a bending portion of the support member, as viewed from the rotational axial direction.