Image Forming Apparatus Sealing Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

In image forming apparatuses, the sponge sealers between the toner feeding section and the developer are prone to damage during mounting and dismounting, leading to toner leakage due to shear forces, and using a thinner sponge may reduce damage but increase leakage risks.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates inclined end surfaces and springs to manage the movement of shutters, allowing the developer to be mounted and dismounted without applying shear force to the sponge, ensuring effective sealing with a thicker sponge to prevent toner leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a thicker sponge is used to prevent toner leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but the sponge becomes more prone to damage during mounting and dismounting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidsponge durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the sponge thinner to reduce damage risk, the patent inverts the approach by making the sponge thicker and compensating for the increased fragility through a redesigned mounting mechanism that eliminates lateral contact and shear forces during installation and removal operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of repair

If the developer is mounted in a direction intersecting with the axis of the opening, then ease of maintenance is improved, but shear force damages the sponge seal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidshear force on sponge

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary guiding structure that mediates between the mounting direction and the sponge seal. This guiding structure allows the developer to be mounted in a convenient direction for maintenance while preventing lateral contact with the sponge, thereby eliminating shear forces during the mounting process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9864304B2Image forming apparatus

Publication Date: 2018.01.09 KK TOSHIBA

AI summary

An image forming apparatus comprises a first component, a second component, a first end surface, a second end surface and a sealer. The sealer arranged on the first or second end surface seals the part between the first end surface and the second end surface while keeping the first opening communicated with the second opening when the second component is mounted on the first component.