Developing Roller Seal Structure for Toner Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional developing devices face issues with toner leakage due to gaps between the regulating blade and the developing container, leading to contamination of the image forming apparatus and sheets.
Innovation Solution
A developing device with a seal member made of elastic material and a resin member formed by curing liquid resin is used to seal the gaps between the regulating blade and the developing container, preventing toner leakage by disposing the seal member and resin member in specific areas to overlap the step part created by the thickness difference of the regulating blade components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal member made of elastic material is used to seal the gap between the developing container and the regulating blade, then toner leakage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is made of elastic material that can deform to conform to the gap between the developing container and the regulating blade. This flexible sealing approach effectively prevents toner leakage while maintaining a relatively simple structural design, as the elastic material naturally adapts to the interface geometry without requiring complex sealing mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If the resin member is disposed in the resin placement area overlapping the step part, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resin placement area is pre-formed within the seal member structure, creating a predetermined location for resin injection. This preliminary preparation ensures that the resin member is accurately positioned to overlap the step part of the regulating blade during assembly, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complex post-assembly adjustment processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin placement area acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates precise resin positioning. By incorporating this dedicated placement zone into the seal member design, the system enables accurate resin placement at the critical step part interface while simplifying the overall manufacturing process through integrated design rather than separate positioning operations.
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 prevents toner leakage, reducing contamination within the apparatus and on sheets, while minimizing resin usage and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The seal member is made of elastic material so as to seal a gap between the developing container and the regulating blade
Implementation Method 2
The resin member is formed by curing liquid resin
Data Source
AI summary
A developing device includes a developing container, a developing roller, a regulating blade, a seal member, and a resin member. The regulating blade includes a mounting plate and a blade plate. The developing container has a facing part facing a step part due to thickness difference between the mounting plate and the blade plate. The seal member has a resin placement area, and is squeezed between the regulating blade and the facing part. The resin placement area is an area that penetrates the seal member and is surrounded by the seal member. The resin placement area overlaps the step part.