Developing Roller Toner Catching Structure for Deposition Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, toner deposition around the developing roller and magnetic roller leads to suspension and potential image failures due to high-speed rotation, necessitating effective suppression of toner deposition in the developing device.
Innovation Solution
A developing device with a toner catching support member and vibration generating means, where the toner catching member is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support member to catch toner drops from the developing roller, and is vibrated to prevent toner adhesion and deposition, utilizing a metal plate supported by coil springs and a vibration motor to efficiently shake off toner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the toner stirring member is rotated at high speed to cope with increased processing speed, then productivity is improved, but toner suspension and deposition around the ear-cutting blade occurs causing image failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful suspended toner from the developing device by introducing air inlet holes that create an upward airflow, removing the toner suspension problem from the system and preventing deposition around the ear-cutting blade
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles by introducing air through air inlet holes to generate an upward airflow that carries suspended toner away from the critical area, solving the toner deposition problem through fluid dynamics
2Reliability
If air inlet holes are provided to generate upward airflow for removing suspended toner, then toner deposition is suppressed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The casing serves multiple functions: it houses the developing components and simultaneously acts as an air inlet structure with integrated air inlet holes, eliminating the need for separate air supply components and reducing overall device complexity
3Reliability
If a thin plate is arranged between the developing roller and toner supplying roller with vibration and AC application, then toner collection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex thin plate structure with vibration and AC mechanisms, replacing it with a simpler air flow-based toner collection approach that achieves the same goal without additional complex components
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
Effectively suppresses toner deposition on the developing device's components, preventing image failures and maintaining apparatus performance even at high-speed operations.
Implementation Method 1
The vibration generating means vibrates the toner catching member
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a metal plate supported by coil springs
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A developing device (3a) includes a developing roller (31), a toner supplying roller (30), a regulation blade (33), and a casing (20). The developing roller (31) is arranged to face an image carrier (1a) on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and supplies toner to the image carrier (1a) in a facing region with respect to the image carrier (1a). The toner supplying roller (30) is arranged to face the developing roller (31), and supplies the toner to the developing roller (31) in a facing region with respect to the developing roller (31). The regulation blade (33) arranged to face the toner supplying roller (30) at predetermined distance. The casing (20) houses the developing roller (31), the toner supplying roller (30), and the regulation blade (33). The casing (20) includes a toner catching support member (35) facing the developing roller (31) or the toner supplying roller (30) between the regulation blade (33) and the image carrier (1a). The developing device (3a) further includes a toner catching member (37) and a vibration generating portion. The toner catching member (37) is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the toner catching support member (35), and catches toner which drops from the developing roller (31). The vibration generating portion vibrates the toner catching member (37).