Interlocked Developer Supply and Discharge Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining a constant developer quantity in the developing device, leading to potential gear damage and image irregularities due to uninterlocked developer supply and discharge processes, which complicates the system and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a developing device that includes a developer container, a supply device, a driver device, and a collection device to interlock developer supply and discharge, ensuring constant developer quantity through a mechanism involving a developer collection container and a driver device that adjusts the magnetic permeability and rotational angle of the exhaust roller to control developer discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the developer supply and discharge are not interlocked, then the system structure is simple, but the developer quantity becomes unstable causing gear damage and image irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the developer supply mechanism and discharge mechanism into a single integrated system. The supply screw and discharge screw are driven by a common drive source through a gear mechanism, ensuring that supply and discharge operations are interlocked and coordinated. This merging approach maintains developer quantity stability while avoiding the need for separate independent control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the developer itself as the medium to indicate its quantity status. When the developer quantity decreases, the level sensor detects this and automatically triggers the supply mechanism to replenish developer. Similarly, when developer needs discharge, the system automatically activates the discharge mechanism. This self-service approach maintains reliability without requiring complex external monitoring and control systems.
2Quantity of substance
If the developer quantity is increased, then the drive torque becomes high, but this may cause gear damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the developer quantity through interlocked supply and discharge mechanisms. The system automatically adjusts the developer quantity by activating supply or discharge operations based on real-time level detection, preventing the developer quantity from becoming excessive. This dynamic adjustment ensures that drive torque remains within safe limits, protecting the gear mechanism from damage while maintaining adequate developer quantity for operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the developer quantity is decreased, then the system structure is simple, but image irregularities occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a level sensor that continuously monitors the developer quantity in the developer bath. When the developer quantity drops below a predetermined threshold, the sensor provides feedback to the control system, which then activates the supply mechanism to replenish developer. This feedback loop ensures that developer quantity is maintained within the optimal range, preventing image irregularities without requiring complex manual monitoring or adjustment systems.
4Measurement precision
If detection means are added to accurately detect toner feed and discharge quantities, then developer quantity can be maintained constant, but the apparatus structure becomes complicated and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of quantity detection by using a simple level sensor that detects only the developer quantity in the bath, rather than attempting to measure and control the exact quantities of toner feed and discharge. This simplified detection approach provides sufficient information to maintain constant developer quantity through interlocked supply and discharge operations, avoiding the need for complex detection systems while achieving the desired measurement precision for process control.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a charger to charge an image carrying member, an optical device to irradiate a light onto the image carrying member to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member to form a developed image and a transfer device to transfer the developed image on a sheet. The developing device includes a developer container to store a developer including toner and a carrier, a developer supply device to supply the developer to the developer container, a driver device to drive the developer supply device, a developer collection device installed in the developer container to interlock with the driver device and collect a surplus developer left over due to supply of the developer from the developer supply device to the developer container, and a collected developer container to contain the developer collected by the developer collection device.