Feed Roller Vertical Alignment with Waste Toner Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, the arrangement of a feed roller near the waste toner container opening causes interference during installation and removal of the waste toner container, making it inconvenient for handling and placement.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a chassis with a single opening for both the waste toner container and the feed roller, allowing the waste toner container to be easily installed and removed on the same side, with the feed roller positioned to align with the waste toner container vertically, preventing interference and enabling convenient access for both components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the feed roller is arranged in the vicinity of the opening for the waste toner container, then the external-sheet inlet can be accessed from the same side for convenience of handling, but the feed roller interferes with the installation and removal of the waste toner container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the interference issue by transitioning from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement of the feed roller relative to the waste toner container opening. The feed roller is positioned such that it extends in the vertical direction and is aligned with the waste toner container along its axial direction, allowing both components to coexist in the same lateral space without mechanical interference during installation and removal operations
2Device complexity
If the feed roller is arranged on the same side as the waste toner container opening, then the device structure is simplified and compactness is improved, but the feed roller may interfere with the waste toner container removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs vertical dimensionality change by positioning the feed roller to extend vertically and align with the waste toner container axially. This spatial reconfiguration allows both components to occupy the same lateral region while maintaining sufficient clearance in the vertical dimension, enabling easy removal of the waste toner container without structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having an opening, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary-transfer member, a secondary-transfer roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is movable along a predetermined direction to be removably installed in the chassis through the opening and stores residual toner, a connector, and a feed roller, which is arranged within the feeding path to feed the recording sheet in the feeding path. The feed roller is arranged in a position to at least partially fall within a vertical range of the waste toner container and to be aligned with the waste toner container along an axial direction of the second feed roller.