Conductive Drum Flange Gear Insulation Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in preventing electrical leaks and maintaining insulation distances between conductive components, leading to increased wear and complexity, particularly when using metal or conductive resin drum flanges with gear structures.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a conductive drum flange with external gear teeth and a nonconductive gear member with orthogonal grooves on the transfer roller shaft, ensuring effective insulation and reducing wear by increasing the distance between conductive components, while allowing for efficient rotation and grounding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a metal drum flange with gear structure is used, then driving force transmission is achieved, but wear of the shaft occurs due to friction between metal components
Solution Approach 1:
The drum flange is constructed as a composite structure combining a nonconductive resin base material with a conductive metal plate layer. The metal plate is selectively positioned only where needed for gear meshing and driving force transmission, while the resin provides insulation and structural support. This composite approach enables effective driving force transmission through the metal gear portion while minimizing shaft wear through the protective and insulating resin material.
2Reliability
If a conductive resin drum flange is used, then grounding is achieved, but electrical leakage risk increases due to high bias voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The drum flange employs local quality by using a conductive metal plate layer selectively positioned only in specific regions where grounding and gear engagement are required. The majority of the drum flange structure consists of nonconductive resin material, which provides electrical insulation. This localized conductivity approach ensures effective grounding at critical points while maintaining electrical insulation elsewhere to prevent leakage paths under high bias voltage conditions.
3Reliability
If insulation distance is increased between conductive components, then electrical leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drum flange is constructed as a composite structure combining a nonconductive resin base material with a conductive metal plate layer. The metal plate is selectively positioned only where needed for gear meshing and driving force transmission, while the resin provides insulation and structural support. This composite approach enables effective driving force transmission through the metal gear portion while minimizing shaft wear through the protective and insulating resin material.
Solution Approach 2:
The nonconductive resin material acts as an intermediary between the conductive metal plate and the shaft, providing both mechanical support and electrical insulation. This intermediary layer eliminates the need for separate insulation components while maintaining safe electrical distances, thereby preventing leakage without increasing device complexity.
4Reliability
If additional grounding components are added, then grounding effectiveness is improved, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive metal plate layer in the drum flange serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides grounding for the photoconductive drum, forms the gear structure for driving force transmission, and reduces shaft wear through its protective presence. By integrating these multiple functions into a single component layer, the invention eliminates the need for separate grounding components such as grounding leaf springs, thereby reducing the total number of parts while maintaining effective grounding.
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
This configuration stabilizes electrostatic latent image formation, prevents electrical leaks, and reduces wear on components, thereby enhancing the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a photoconductive drum including a conductive cylindrical member and a photoconductive layer on an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member
Implementation Method 2
a conductive drum flange that is provided at one end of the cylindrical member of the photoconductive drum
Implementation Method 3
on an outer circumferential surface of which plural first gear teeth are formed; a nonconductive gear member that is provided in the shaft member of the transfer roller to be opposed to the drum flange and has an outer circumferential surface on which plural second gear teeth, to which driving force is transmitted from the plural first gear teeth of the drum flange, are formed
Data Source
AI summary
A conductive drum flange is provided in a cylindrical member of a photoconductive drum. A first gear is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the drum flange. A nonconductive gear member is provided in a shaft member of a transfer roller. A second gear to which driving force is transmitted from the first gear is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the gear member. A groove is formed in at least one of two sides of the gear member. A distance for insulation along the side is increased by groove walls of the groove.