Optical Print Head Cleaning Member Self-Aligning Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The light emission faces of optical print heads in image forming apparatuses are prone to contamination by toner, leading to reduced image quality due to partial shielding of light, and existing cleaning mechanisms are difficult to mount and engage properly, especially when inserting from the outside of the apparatus.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a cleaning member featuring a rubbing portion and engaging portions that guide and secure the cleaning member along rails on the optical print head, allowing easy insertion and effective cleaning of the light emission faces without requiring complex mounting procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning mechanism is provided to clean the light emission face of the optical print head, then image quality is maintained by preventing toner contamination, but the device complexity increases and the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult mounting and engagement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is designed to be self-aligning through engagement between the engagement protrusions on the cleaning member and the engagement grooves on the optical print head. This self-aligning mechanism allows the cleaning member to automatically position itself correctly during insertion, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment and simplifying the cleaning operation while maintaining reliable toner removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement protrusions and engagement grooves act as intermediary elements that facilitate the connection between the cleaning member and the optical print head. These intermediary features guide the cleaning member into proper position and secure it during the cleaning operation, making the overall system easier to operate while ensuring reliable cleaning function
2Ease of operation
If the cleaning mechanism is made easy to mount and engage, then ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision may deteriorate due to simplified engagement structures
Solution Approach 1:
The self-aligning engagement mechanism between protrusions and grooves allows the cleaning member to automatically position itself correctly during insertion. This self-positioning capability maintains high engagement precision without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or highly precise manual alignment procedures, thus preserving manufacturing precision while improving ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring precise manual alignment during assembly, the design inverts the approach by having the engagement features automatically align themselves during insertion. The engagement protrusions fit into the engagement grooves in a self-guiding manner, achieving high precision engagement through the geometry of the features themselves rather than through precise external alignment procedures
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 cleaning of the optical print head's light emission faces, preventing contamination and maintaining image quality by facilitating easy engagement and operation of the cleaning mechanism, even when inserted from the side of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a rubbing portion that rubs and cleans light emission faces of the lenses
Data Source
AI summary
An opening, from which a cleaning member is inserted from the outer side of a main body of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, is provided further toward the front side than an end portion of a front side of a holding member. The opening guides movement of the cleaning member in the direction of insertion as the inserted cleaning member moves toward the downstream side in the direction of insertion, so that downstream-side end portions of engaging portions in the insertion direction engage upstream-side end portions of protruding portions formed on the holding member in the direction of insertion.