Image Forming Apparatus Toner Stagnation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face issues with faulty cleaning due to waste toner stagnation, which affects the cleaning member's condition and leads to inefficient image formation.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus is designed with a control portion that executes a supply mode during non-image-forming periods, where the region of the image bearing member supplied with developer overlaps the discharge port of the conveying portion in the direction of the rotation axis line, improving the flowability of toner and preventing stagnation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the discharge port is provided at a position overlapping the cleaning member in the direction of the rotation axis line, then the image forming apparatus size is reduced, but waste toner stagnates in the vicinity of the discharge port causing faulty cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The control portion executes a supply mode during a non-image-forming period to supply developer to the image bearing member in advance. This preliminary action ensures that developer is available at the discharge port position before waste toner accumulation occurs, preventing faulty cleaning without requiring the discharge port to be positioned away from the cleaning member.
2Volume of moving object
If the second conveying portion is provided at a position overlapping the photosensitive drum, then the image forming apparatus size is reduced, but waste toner stagnates causing faulty cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The control portion performs a supply mode during non-image-forming periods to supply developer to the image bearing member in advance. This preliminary supply of developer prevents waste toner stagnation at the discharge port position, allowing the second conveying portion to be positioned overlapping the photosensitive drum for compact apparatus design.
Solution Approach 2:
The control portion changes the operational parameters by executing a supply mode during non-image-forming periods. This parameter change involves controlling the developer supply process to ensure adequate developer presence at the discharge port, thereby preventing waste toner stagnation while maintaining the compact configuration.
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 efficiently suppresses the occurrence of faulty cleaning by ensuring smooth discharge of waste toner and maintaining the cleanliness of the cleaning member, thereby enhancing the overall performance and reliability of the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing member to form a contact region, the cleaning member removing the developer from the surface in the contact region
Implementation Method 2
a conveying member that conveys, in a direction of a rotation axis line of the image bearing member, the developer removed by the cleaning member into the collecting container
Implementation Method 3
a developing device that supplies a developer to a surface of the image bearing member
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, a cleaning member, a collecting container having a discharge port for collecting a developer, and a control portion that can execute a supply mode in which a region of the image bearing member that is supplied with the developer from the developing device passes through the contact region with rotation of the image bearing member to allow the cleaning member to supply the developer into the collecting container. The discharge port is provided between a first end portion and a second end portion of the image bearing member in a direction of a rotation axis line of the image bearing member. The control portion performs control such that a portion of the region supplied with the developer in the supply mode overlaps, in the direction of the rotation axis line, a position where the discharge port is provided.