Photoconductor Drum Flange Engagement Protrusions for Runout Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Photoconductor drums in electrophotographic systems experience runout due to bending or axial misalignment, leading to blurring and density unevenness in output images, despite improvements in toners and drum properties, as existing drive mechanisms fail to accurately align the drum's rotational axis with the drive shaft's axis.
Innovation Solution
A photoconductor drum system with engagement protrusions on the inner surface of flange through-holes, allowing for precise alignment and easy insertion/withdrawal of the drive shaft, reducing runout and improving image quality by ensuring the drive shaft's central axis aligns with the drum's axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gaps are provided between the drive shaft and flanges to facilitate insertion and withdrawal, then ease of operation is improved, but backlash is caused resulting in low runout accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning protrusion is introduced as an intermediary element between the drive shaft and flange. This protrusion fits into a corresponding positioning groove to provide precise positional reference, while the gaps between the drive shaft outer circumference and flange inner circumference remain maintained for ease of assembly. The positioning protrusion thus mediates between the conflicting requirements of operational ease and positioning precision.
2Device complexity
If parallel pins are inserted into pin insertion holes to transmit driving force, then the mechanism is simple, but positional accuracy of pins and holes causes rotational runout
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning protrusion and positioning groove act as an intermediary positioning mechanism between the parallel pins and the flange. This intermediary structure provides a reference position that compensates for dimensional variations in the pin insertion holes, thereby reducing rotational runout while maintaining the simplicity of the parallel pin driving mechanism.
3Device complexity
If the drive shaft is supported at one end only, then the structure is simple, but eccentricity causes runout
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning protrusion serves as an intermediary element that provides precise radial positioning of the drive shaft relative to the flange. This positioning mechanism compensates for the lack of multi-point support, ensuring that the drive shaft rotational axis aligns with the flange rotational axis even though the drive shaft is supported at only one end, thereby eliminating runout caused by eccentricity.
Data Source
AI summary
A photoconductor drum includes a drum body that is cylindrical, and a pair of flanges fitted to or near two axial ends of the drum body, wherein at least one of the flanges includes a plurality of engagement protrusions disposed on an inner circumferential surface of a through-hole for inserting a drive shaft for drivingly rotating the photoconductor drum, the through-hole having a larger radius than the drive shaft.