Development Roller Preliminary Driving for Strain Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrophotographic image forming devices face issues with uneven toner density due to strain in the development roller, leading to increased developer consumption and degradation, as conventional methods do not effectively address strain removal and developer management during startup and image formation.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device with a development member and a transportation member, both made of resilient materials, undergoes preliminary driving in opposite directions without developer supply, followed by main driving, where the developer is supplied and the transportation member is immersed in a reservoir, reducing strain and developer consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the development roller is rotated in main driving without preliminary driving, then image formation can start immediately, but strain in the development roller causes uneven developer distribution and density unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary driving before main driving to rotate the development roller and eliminate strain in the resilient member. This preliminary action prepares the development roller for uniform developer distribution, preventing density unevenness while allowing rapid image formation to follow.
2Manufacturing precision
If developer is supplied during preliminary driving, then the development roller is prepared for image formation, but developer is removed by the cleaning blade causing extra consumption and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary driving without supplying developer, thereby preparing the development roller for uniform developer distribution while avoiding developer consumption. After preliminary driving completes, developer supply is then initiated for main driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention prevents the harmful effect of developer removal by the cleaning blade during preliminary driving by not supplying developer in the first place. This preliminary anti-action avoids the problem of developer consumption and degradation that would occur if developer were present during preliminary driving.
3Reliability
If the development roller and transportation roller rotate in opposite directions during preliminary driving, then strain is effectively eliminated, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses opposite direction rotation during preliminary driving to effectively eliminate strain from the resilient member. After preliminary driving completes, the system switches to main driving with appropriate rotation directions for image formation. This temporal separation of functions maintains reliability while managing complexity.
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 preliminary driving mechanism effectively eliminates strain in the development roller, reducing developer consumption and degradation by avoiding its removal during the process, thus improving image density uniformity and extending developer lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor that is an image carrier is developed with the toner using a development device to form a toner image
Implementation Method 2
voltage is applied by means of a transfer roller or the like from the backside of the sheet arranged to face the photoreceptor. An electric field is developed between the photoreceptor and the recording sheet, which causes the toner image to be electrostatically adsorbed onto the recording sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes a development member carrying a developer for forming a toner image at an image carrier, a cleaning member abutting against the development member for removing the developer remaining on the development member, a transportation member provided in contact with the development member for transporting the developer supplied to the development member, and a driving unit controlling driving of at least one of the transportation member and the development member. The driving unit executes preliminary driving of the development member and transportation member for a given time under a state where supply of the developer to the transportation member is stopped, prior to main driving in image formation. Consumption and/or degradation of the developer in preliminary driving is suppressed while strain at the development member or transportation member formed of a resilient member is removed.