Movable Belt Cleaning Blade for Uniform Contact Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with poor cleaning efficiency and blade damage due to varying contact pressure and unnecessary wear from constant blade contact with the transfer belt, along with increased costs and reduced space efficiency from additional rollers.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a belt cleaning unit that includes a blade supported by a second roller shaft, allowing it to move between a cleaning position and a stand-by position, using an elastic member and stopper to maintain uniform contact pressure and only engage when necessary, reducing wear and improving durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the driven roller slides to maintain transfer belt tension, then the belt tension is maintained, but the blade contact pressure changes causing poor cleaning and blade damage
Solution Approach 1:
The blade supporting member is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to follow the position changes of the driven roller. This dynamic adjustment ensures the blade maintains consistent contact pressure with the transfer belt even as the driven roller slides to maintain tension, resolving the contradiction between tension stability and cleaning reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The blade supporting member acts as an intermediary between the driven roller and the blade. It receives positional changes from the driven roller through the hinge connection and translates them into corresponding blade position adjustments, mediating the relationship between tension maintenance and cleaning consistency
2Ease of operation
If the blade is always in contact with the transfer belt, then cleaning function is maintained, but wear increases reducing durability
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed to contact the transfer belt periodically only when needed for cleaning, rather than continuously. The movable supporting member allows the blade to be positioned away from the belt during non-cleaning periods, reducing wear while maintaining cleaning functionality when required
3Stability of the object's composition
If an auxiliary driven roller is added to maintain tension, then belt tension is stabilized, but cost and space efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The blade supporting member serves multiple functions: it supports the cleaning blade, follows the driven roller position changes to maintain cleaning effectiveness, and acts as a space-efficient alternative to an auxiliary roller for tension management. This multi-functionality avoids the need for additional rollers while maintaining system stability
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
The solution ensures effective removal of waste developer with uniform contact pressure, preventing blade and belt damage, and optimizing space and cost efficiency by minimizing unnecessary blade contact.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic tension member which elastically pushes the second belt roller to be separated from the first belt roller
Implementation Method 2
The blade 18(18a) is made of elastic material and contacts the transfer belt 11(11a) to scrape off the waste developer from the belt 11(11a)
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a first belt roller which has a first roller shaft, a second belt roller which is disposed parallel with the first roller shaft and slidingly approaches and departs from the first roller shaft, and has a second roller shaft, a belt which is driven in circulation by the first belt roller and the second belt roller, an elastic tension member which elastically pushes the second belt roller to be separated from the first belt roller and a belt cleaning unit which is supported by the second roller shaft and is movable between a cleaning position contacting a surface of the belt and a stand-by position departed from the surface of the belt.