Image Forming Apparatus with Equalized Waste Toner Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining equal amounts of waste toner accumulation across different image carriers due to variations in toner flowability and particle size, particularly with spot color toners having lower flowability and larger particle sizes.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a first image forming unit for colored toners without metallic pigments and a second unit for spot color toners with larger particle sizes, each equipped with an accumulating unit that adjusts the blocking member's thickness, cutting width, opening size, distance, or Young's modulus to equalize the amount of waste toner temporarily accumulated on the carriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If spot color toner with larger particle size is used, then image quality is improved, but waste toner accumulation varies and lump formation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing separate accumulating units for different image carriers (black, color, spot color) with customized blocking member configurations. Each unit has specific blocking member thickness and cutting width optimized for that particular toner type, allowing localized optimization of waste toner collection while maintaining overall system uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the blocking member (thickness, cutting width) to control waste toner accumulation. By adjusting these parameters in each accumulating unit, the system compensates for differences in toner particle size and flowability, ensuring uniform waste toner collection across all image carriers despite using spot color toner with larger particles.
2Quantity of substance
If blocking member thickness is increased, then waste toner collection is improved, but temporary accumulation amount increases causing lump formation
Solution Approach 1:
Each accumulating unit has a blocking member with specifically optimized thickness tailored to its corresponding image carrier and toner type. This localized optimization ensures sufficient waste toner collection while preventing excessive accumulation that would cause lump formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member provides partial blocking rather than complete obstruction, allowing controlled waste toner accumulation. The cutting width is specifically designed to limit the accumulation space, preventing excessive buildup while still effectively collecting waste toner.
3Productivity
If cutting width of blocking member is adjusted, then waste toner discharge is controlled, but accumulation uniformity across carriers varies
Solution Approach 1:
Each accumulating unit has a blocking member with cutting width specifically optimized for its corresponding image carrier. This localized customization ensures that waste toner discharge is controlled appropriately for each carrier type, maintaining accumulation uniformity across all carriers while optimizing discharge rates.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier using colored toner containing no metallic pigment and that collects waste toner removed from the image carrier; a second image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier using spot color toner having an average toner particle size greater than an average toner particle size of the colored toner by at least 20% or more and that collects waste toner removed from the image carrier; and an accumulating unit provided for each of the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit and configured such that when the waste toner removed from the image carrier is collected, an amount of the waste toner temporarily accumulated on the image carrier is substantially equal between the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit.