Image Forming Apparatus With Horizontal Toner Access Covers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses with multiple toner containers face issues of increased height due to dual container groups, leading to interference during toner replacement and difficulty in opening and closing covers, especially when one container is empty.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a housing part with side plates and covers that allow horizontal attachment and detachment of toner containers, utilizing a locking device and stoppers to manage cover angles, ensuring smooth operation and reduced interference during replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the height of the apparatus main body is lowered to minimize height, then the distance between upper cover and lower cover is shortened, but the turning range of the cover overlaps with the pull-out space of the toner container, causing interference during replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the opening direction of the cover from vertical (upward) to horizontal (lateral). The cover opens in the left-and-right direction instead of the upper-and-lower direction, allowing the toner container to be pulled out in the front-rear direction without interference with the cover's turning range. This dimensional change resolves the spatial conflict between cover movement and container removal.
2Loss of time
If the number of toner containers is increased to reduce stop time, then the complexity of cover operation increases, but the cover must still be easily opened and closed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cover opening/closing operations into a single unified action. By arranging the toner containers horizontally and having the cover open laterally to expose all containers simultaneously, the user can access and replace multiple containers in one operation rather than opening separate covers for each container, thus reducing overall operation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cover into multiple parts corresponding to different container groups. The housing part includes multiple opening rows at different levels, with covers that can be opened independently or simultaneously, allowing flexible access to specific containers while maintaining manageable operational complexity.
3Loss of time
If dual container groups are used to supply toner from alternative containers, then the stop time is reduced, but the apparatus height increases due to upper and lower container groups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges the dual container groups in the left-and-right direction (horizontal dimension) instead of stacking them in the upper-and-lower direction (vertical dimension). This horizontal arrangement maintains the redundancy of having two containers per color while minimizing the increase in apparatus height, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing stop time and controlling height.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of container groups, and a housing part. Each container group includes a plurality of toner containers containing of toner of different colors. The housing part includes a side plate, a cover, a locking device, an upper stopper and a lower stopper. The side plate has opening rows formed for each container group in a plurality of levels in an upper-and-lower direction. The opening row includes a plurality of openings horizontally arranged. The cover is turned in an open posture for opening the opening and a close posture for closing the opening. The first stopper holds the cover at an opening angle of 90° or less to the side plate and a second stopper which holds the cover at an opening angle of larger than 90° when the cover is turned to the open posture.