Developing Roller Conduction Stability via Composite Bearings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing rollers with a magnet roller configuration lacking a metal through shaft experience conduction failures due to local changes in contact resistance between bearings and the metal shaft during rotation, leading to image density unevenness caused by bending of the magnet roller.
Innovation Solution
A developing roller design featuring a magnet roller with a cylindrical sleeve, a conductive shaft connected to one end flange, and multiple conductive bearings at different axial positions along the shaft, ensuring stable conduction even when the magnet roller bends, preventing conduction failures and image density irregularities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal through shaft is used in the magnet roller, then conduction stability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the metal through shaft from the magnet roller structure, extracting the problematic component that caused bending and conduction instability. Instead, a simplified magnet roller body is used with conduction achieved through alternative means (magnetic powder conduction path), eliminating the need for complex through shaft installation while maintaining conduction functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by using magnetic powder mixed with resin to form the magnet roller body. This composite structure provides both the necessary magnetic properties for image formation and enables conduction through the magnetic powder particles themselves, replacing the need for separate metal conduction components.
2Force
If the magnet roller is bent due to magnetic attraction, then magnetic force is improved, but conduction fails due to contact resistance changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces magnetic powder as an intermediary conduction medium between the magnet roller body and the bearing. This magnetic powder layer maintains continuous electrical contact even when the magnet roller bends under magnetic attraction, as the loose powder particles can accommodate the deformation while preserving the conduction path to the flange and bearing.
3Ease of manufacture
If resin magnet material is used for the magnet roller, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but conduction capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system by mixing conductive magnetic powder with insulating resin binder. This composite provides both the magnetic properties needed for image formation and the conduction capability through the magnetic powder particles, achieving a balance between manufacturing simplicity and electrical functionality without requiring expensive metal through shafts.
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 inhibits conduction failures and maintains image quality by ensuring consistent contact resistance across the bearings, even when the magnet roller bends, thereby preventing image density unevenness.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive shaft connected to a side of a second flange of the magnet roller; a plurality of second bearings that supports the second flange so that the second flange is allowed to rotate relative to the conductive shaft, in which the plurality of second bearings has conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A developing roller includes: a magnet roller including a roll part with a magnetic pole; a cylindrical sleeve that houses the magnet roller; a first flange connected to one end of the sleeve; a second flange connected to another end of the sleeve; a conductive shaft connected to a side of the second flange of the magnet roller; a first bearing that supports the first flange so that the first flange rotates relative to the magnet roller; and second bearings that support the second flange so that the second flange rotates relative to the conductive shaft. The second bearings are conductive, and are disposed at different positions along an axial direction of the conductive shaft.