Holder Contact Portion Rigidity for Transfer Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
In transfer devices with primary transfer rollers contacting photoconductors via an intermediate transfer belt, existing configurations face challenges with the rigidity and durability of components, leading to issues with consistent contact and separation, which affects the efficiency and reliability of image transfer in image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
The transfer device incorporates a holder with a contact portion and an attachment portion, where the contact portion is made of a material with higher rigidity than the holder portion, and a biasing member to control the movement of the transferor, ensuring precise contact and separation mechanisms for the primary transfer rollers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the holder is made of uniform material with consistent rigidity, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the contact portion may deform under mechanical stress affecting transfer precision
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed with different rigidity levels in different regions: the contact portion uses high-rigidity material to maintain precise contact with the cam, while the holder body uses lower rigidity material to reduce stress concentration and prevent cracking. This local differentiation allows the contact portion to resist deformation under load while the overall structure remains manageable in complexity.
2Reliability
If the contact portion is made of high rigidity material, then the durability and contact precision are improved, but the holder structure becomes more complex and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The holder employs composite construction by integrating a high-rigidity contact portion (made of materials like metal or hardened plastic) into a holder body of different material. This composite approach concentrates the high-rigidity material only where needed for durability and precision, rather than making the entire holder from high-rigidity material, thus balancing reliability with manufacturability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the holder structure is simplified, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the mechanical stress concentrates causing damage to the rotating arm
Solution Approach 1:
The holder structure uses local quality differentiation where the contact portion is designed with higher rigidity and stress distribution features specifically at the cam contact area. This localized reinforcement prevents stress concentration and potential failure at the critical contact point while keeping the rest of the holder structure simple and easy to manufacture.
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
This configuration enhances the durability and reliability of the contact and separation processes, improving the efficiency and consistency of image transfer in image forming apparatuses by reducing mechanical stress and preventing damage to the rotating arms.
Implementation Method 1
The biasing member biases the transferor toward the belt
Data Source
AI summary
A transfer device includes a belt, a transferor, a holder, a biasing member, and a movement mechanism. The transferor is movable to contact the belt. The holder holds the transferor. The biasing member biases the transferor toward the belt. The movement mechanism contacts the holder and causes the transferor to move in a direction opposite to a direction in which the biasing member biases the transferor. The holder includes a contact portion to contact the movement mechanism and a holder portion. The contact portion includes a material having a higher rigidity than the holder portion.