Image Forming Apparatus With Equalized Waste Toner Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in uniformly collecting waste toner with varying flowabilities from different image carriers, leading to inefficiencies and potential accumulation issues.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes first and second image forming units with accumulating units configured to equalize the mobility of waste toner accumulation by adjusting the thickness, cutting width, opening size, distance, Young's modulus, or angle of the blocking member in the cleaning device, ensuring consistent collection of waste toner across units with different toner types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If waste toner collection is performed using conventional methods without mobility equalization, then the structure is simpler, but waste toner with low flowability accumulates and forms lumps, reducing collection efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the physical parameters of the blocking member (thickness, cutting width, opening size, distance, Young's modulus, or angle) to equalize waste toner mobility. By changing these parameters, the system achieves consistent waste toner collection across different image carriers while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by providing separate accumulating units for different image carriers (first and second image forming units), each with blocking members tailored to their specific waste toner characteristics. This localized approach allows each unit to optimize waste toner collection for its specific toner type without affecting other units.
2Reliability
If blocking member thickness is increased to prevent waste toner leakage, then waste toner containment improves, but waste toner mobility decreases causing accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by optimizing the blocking member thickness parameter to achieve the right balance. The thickness is set to a specific range (0.1mm to 1.0mm) that provides sufficient containment while maintaining adequate waste toner mobility. Other parameters like cutting width and opening size are also adjusted to achieve the optimal balance between containment and mobility.
3Ease of operation
If conventional waste toner collection methods are used without mobility equalization, then device complexity is lower, but waste toner lumping occurs and cleaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent improves cleaning performance by changing the parameters of the blocking member to equalize waste toner mobility. This ensures waste toner is collected consistently from all image carriers without forming lumps, thereby maintaining good cleaning performance. The parameter optimization allows the system to achieve better operational results without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the waste toner collection system into separate accumulating units for different image carriers. Each unit has its own blocking member that can be independently optimized. This segmentation allows targeted optimization for each toner type while maintaining overall system simplicity and effectiveness.
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.