Integrated Spacer Member for Developing Unit Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser printers face issues during transportation as the developing roller comes into contact with the photosensitive drum, causing damage due to frictional contact, and existing solutions require cumbersome spacer member removal procedures for use.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device with a holder unit that positions photosensitive drums with spaces between them, each associated with a developing unit that can be moved between contact and spaced positions, and a spacer member with retaining portions to maintain the spaced position, facilitating easy removal and preventing drum damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the developing unit is assembled to the main frame to reduce packaging size, then transportation efficiency is improved, but the photosensitive drum surface is damaged due to frictional contact with the developing roller
Solution Approach 1:
A spacer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum. The spacer member includes a retaining portion that engages with the developing unit and a linking portion that connects to the main frame, thereby maintaining a fixed distance and preventing direct contact between the developing roller and photosensitive drum during transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer member is pre-installed on the developing unit before the developing unit is assembled to the main frame. This preliminary action ensures that the protective spacing is already in place before transportation begins, preventing frictional contact damage from occurring in the first place.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple spacer members are provided for color printers to protect each photosensitive drum, then drum protection is improved, but the complexity of removal and installation procedures increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple spacer members corresponding to different colors are merged into a single integrated spacer member. This unified spacer member includes multiple retaining portions, each capable of engaging with different developing units of different colors, thereby maintaining protection for all photosensitive drums while simplifying the removal and installation procedures to a single operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer member is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple colors simultaneously. The single spacer member includes retaining portions that can engage with developing units of different colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black), making it a universal protective component that eliminates the need for separate spacer members for each color.
Data Source
AI summary
A holder unit is configured to hold a plurality of photosensitive drums such that the plurality of photosensitive drums are arrayed in a predetermined direction and juxtaposed with each other with a space between neighboring photosensitive drums. A plurality of developing units is held by the holder unit, each is provided in association with each photosensitive drum, and each includes a developing roller displaceable between a contact position where the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum and a spaced position where the developing roller is spaced away from the photosensitive drum. A spacer member has a plurality of retaining portions each in association with each developing unit and configured to retain each developing unit at the spaced position, and a linking portion integral with the retaining portions and configured to connect neighboring retaining portions therethrough in the predetermined direction.