Dual Shutter Toner Container Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming devices, residual toner left on the photoconductive drum or intermediate transfer member is not efficiently transferred to the media sheet, leading to print defects and the need for a waste toner container that prevents toner leakage when detached.
Innovation Solution
A toner container with a shutter assembly comprising two pivotable shutter members that seal and unseal an inlet port, ensuring toner containment by biasing forces that provide uniform sealing pressure when closed and allowing toner insertion when open.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a waste toner container is detached from the image forming device, then the container can be removed for refilling or replacement, but toner may leak out during detachment and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter members are pre-positioned in a closed state within the inlet port before the container is detached. This preliminary sealing action prevents toner from escaping during the removal process and subsequent handling, addressing the leakage issue while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing mechanism automatically maintains the shutter members in the closed position without requiring external control or user intervention. The system self-regulates to prevent toner leakage, eliminating the need for additional sealing operations or complex control systems
2Device complexity
If a single shutter member is used to seal the inlet port, then the structure is simple, but uniform sealing pressure cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The single shutter member is divided into two separate shutter members that can move independently. This segmentation allows each shutter member to be acted upon by the biasing mechanism, enabling uniform sealing pressure distribution across the inlet port while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
Each shutter member is independently biased to apply localized sealing pressure at its respective position. This local quality approach ensures that pressure is uniformly distributed across the entire inlet port perimeter, improving sealing reliability without requiring a complex centralized mechanism
3Reliability
If the shutter members are held firmly closed to prevent leakage, then sealing is reliable, but toner insertion becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter members are designed to be dynamically controllable, transitioning between a firmly closed state for reliable sealing and an open state for easy toner insertion. The biasing mechanism provides the closing force, while the actuator can override this force to open the shutters, achieving both sealing reliability and ease of operation through dynamic state changes
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
Prevents toner leakage during container detachment and ensures efficient toner transfer by maintaining a sealed environment, reducing print defects and facilitating easy installation and removal of the waste toner container.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second shutter members are biased toward the closed positions. A biasing assembly biases the first and second shutter members toward the closed positions. The force vectors of the resultant forces on the first and second shutter members when the first and second shutter members are in the closed positions both lie in a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane and that is positioned at a midpoint of each shutter member along an axial dimension of the pivot axes such that the first and second shutter members provide a substantially uniform sealing pressure against each other and against the perimeter of the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A toner container includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. An inlet port is formed on the housing and in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving toner. A first shutter member and a second shutter member is positioned about the inlet port and are each pivotable between a closed position and an open position. When the first and second shutter members are in the closed positions, respective free ends thereof seal against each other and respective first face portions of the first and second shutter members seal against a perimeter of the inlet port such that the first and second shutter members block the inlet port. When the first and second shutter members are in the open positions, the first and second shutter members are pivoted away from the inlet port unblocking the inlet port. The first and second shutter members are biased toward the closed positions.