Drum Unit Shutter for Waste Toner Contamination Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face contamination issues during the attachment and detachment of waste toner containers, leading to reduced operability and potential contamination of the image forming unit.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus includes a support member that moves between inside and outside positions, a cleaner for removing waste toner, a first conveyor for conveying waste toner, and a conveying unit with a second conveyor and pipe having a shutter to control the waste toner flow, ensuring containment and preventing spillage during movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the waste toner container is disposed at the front end side in the withdrawal direction, then the waste toner can be conveniently collected, but waste toner may spill out during attachment/detachment causing contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of waste toner collectionVSAvoidcontamination of image forming unit

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter is positioned at the front end of the waste toner container and is configured to close the opening before the drum unit is fully detached. This preliminary closing action prevents waste toner from spilling out during the detachment process, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining the convenient front-end disposal configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The shutter acts as an intermediary component between the waste toner container and the external environment. It controls the opening at the front end, allowing waste toner to be discharged into the container during operation while preventing spillage during attachment/detachment movements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the front end portion of the image forming unit is contaminated, then the structure is simple, but operability is reduced due to contamination spread

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of structureVSAvoidoperability of image forming unit

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter closes the opening at the front end of the waste toner container before the drum unit is completely detached from the image forming apparatus. This preliminary closing prevents contaminated surfaces from being exposed during withdrawal, thereby maintaining high operability without adding complex contamination control systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10228650B2Image forming apparatus and drum unit thereof provided with drum cleaner

Publication Date: 2019.03.12 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body; a photosensitive drum defining an axis extending in a first direction; a support member movable between an inside position and an outside position relative to the apparatus body; a cleaner for removing waste toner from the photosensitive drum; a first conveyer for conveying the waste toner in the first direction; a conveying unit; and a container for storing the waste toner conveyed by the conveying unit. The conveying unit includes a second conveyer for conveying the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyer in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and a conveying pipe accommodating the second conveyer and connectable to the container. The conveying pipe includes a shutter for opening and closing a conveyer-side opening formed in a downstream end portion of the conveying pipe in the second direction.