Thermoplastic Muffling Member Slit and Rectangular Opening Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the recycling of image forming apparatuses, the existing muffling members often suffer from axial misalignment during heat treatment, which can lead to inconsistent opening widths and reduced recycling efficiency due to the lack of a secondary opening for proper jig alignment.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a thermoplastic muffling member with a hollow cylindrical shape featuring a slit-shaped opening and a second, wider rectangular opening, allowing for easier insertion and alignment of a correcting jig, thereby reducing axial misalignment and facilitating heat treatment for recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a muffling member has only a slit-shaped opening, then the structure is simple, but axial misalignment occurs during heat treatment leading to inconsistent opening widths
Solution Approach 1:
The single opening is segmented into two distinct openings: a slit-shaped opening and a second opening with greater width. This segmentation allows the correcting jig to be properly aligned through the wider second opening, eliminating axial misalignment during heat treatment while maintaining the simplicity of the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the muffling member have different opening characteristics. The slit-shaped opening maintains the original simple structure, while the second opening provides enhanced alignment capability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing specific functional qualities at specific locations without complicating the entire structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If a muffling member has only a slit-shaped opening, then the manufacturing process is simple, but recycling efficiency is reduced due to alignment difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The second opening with greater width is pre-formed in the muffling member before heat treatment. This preliminary structural feature enables the correcting jig to be properly aligned and inserted during the recycling process, preventing axial misalignment and improving recycling efficiency without complicating the manufacturing process.
3Ease of operation
If a muffling member has a wider second opening, then jig alignment is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opening system is segmented into two distinct types: a slit-shaped opening for maintaining structural simplicity and a second opening with greater width for improving jig alignment. This segmentation allows each opening to serve its specific function without requiring the entire structure to be complex.
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 design enhances the recycling process by ensuring accurate alignment and consistent heat treatment, reducing the risk of misalignment and improving the recycling rate of muffling members, while also allowing for the reuse of thermoplastic components.
Implementation Method 1
heat treatment for recycling
Implementation Method 2
thermoplastic member... axial misalignment during heat treatment
Data Source
AI summary
A muffling member for an image forming apparatus includes a thermoplastic member disposed in a photoconductor drum and having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. The thermoplastic member has a slit-shaped opening at a certain position in a circumferential direction of the thermoplastic member. The thermoplastic member also has a second opening at least at a certain position along the slit-shaped opening, the second opening having an opening width greater than an opening width of the slit-shaped opening.