Helical Cleaning Roller With Sharp Distal Edge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning rollers for image forming devices are inefficient in removing residual toner and foreign matter from charging rollers and other surfaces due to their design limitations.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning roller with a shaft and an elastic body helically wound around it, featuring a sharp-edged distal end portion and recessed parts that expand when wound, allowing for effective scraping and cleaning of surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional foam body is wound helically about a core, then the cleaning roller can be manufactured with a simple structure, but the cleaning efficiency is insufficient due to inadequate edge sharpness and recessed part width
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body is designed with non-uniform properties: the distal end portion has a sharper edge and the recessed parts are wider at the distal end than at the base end. This local variation in geometry optimizes cleaning performance at different locations, with the sharper distal end providing better scraping capability while the wider recessed parts enhance foreign matter removal, thereby improving overall cleaning efficiency without requiring a completely complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic body is configured to be expandable when wound about the shaft, transforming from a compressed state to an expanded state. This dynamic transformation allows the elastic body to achieve the desired sharp edge and wide recessed parts configuration during operation, improving cleaning efficiency while maintaining a compact form during manufacturing and installation
2Productivity
If the elastic body is tightly wound to form a sharp edge, then cleaning performance improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body's physical parameters are optimized: it is made from material with appropriate elasticity and is designed with specific dimensional ratios (the distal end portion is sharper, recessed parts are wider at distal end). These parameter changes allow the elastic body to achieve effective sharp edges and wide recessed parts through controlled expansion during winding, reducing the stringency of winding precision requirements while maintaining high toner removal efficiency
3Productivity
If the recessed parts are made wider to improve foreign matter removal, then cleaning effectiveness increases, but the structural complexity of the elastic body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed parts are designed with varying width along the length of the elastic body: wider at the distal end portion and narrower at the base end portion. This local quality variation maximizes foreign matter removal capability where it is most needed (at the distal end that contacts the charging roller surface) while keeping the overall structure relatively simple and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic body's geometry is optimized for its expanded state during operation. The recessed parts achieve their maximum width and cleaning effectiveness when the elastic body is expanded during winding, rather than requiring complex pre-formed structures during manufacturing. This dynamic approach allows wide recessed parts for effective foreign matter removal without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity
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
The design enhances the cleaning efficiency by forming a sharper edge and wider recessed parts, enabling reliable removal of residual toner and foreign matter from charging rollers and other surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic body extending in a prescribed direction, the elastic body having a width in a width direction orthogonal to the prescribed direction, the elastic body also having a height in a height direction orthogonal to the width direction and to the prescribed direction
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning roller includes a shaft and an elastic body. The shaft extends in an axial direction where a center axis of the shaft extends. The shaft defines a radial direction and has a circumferential surface. The elastic body is helically wound about the shaft and defines a helical direction. The elastic body has a widthwise dimension in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the helical direction and to the radial direction. The elastic body has a base end portion extending in the helical direction and a distal end portion extending in the helical direction. The base end portion is in contact with the circumferential surface and fixed thereto. The distal end portion has a sharp edge and is positioned farthest from the circumferential surface in the radial direction. The widthwise dimension is gradually reduced from the base end portion to the distal end portion in the radial direction.