Photosensitive Drum Cartridge with Movable Drive Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cartridge systems for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently transmitting driving force to the photosensitive drum and maintaining optimal alignment, leading to potential misalignment and inefficiencies in the image forming process.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge with a movable member that controls the inclination angle of the drive transmission member, allowing it to be positioned in a first position to reduce inclination and a second position to retract, ensuring stable and efficient force transmission to the photosensitive drum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed coupling member is used to transmit driving force to the photosensitive drum, then the structure is simple, but misalignment and instability occur during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member is designed to be movable along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, transitioning between a retracted position (when cartridge is installed) and an extended position (when cartridge is removed). This dynamic adjustment allows the coupling member to maintain optimal alignment with the drive transmission member during operation while simplifying cartridge installation and removal procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member acts as an intermediary between the drive transmission member and the photosensitive drum, providing a movable connection that accommodates alignment variations. This intermediate element absorbs misalignment errors and ensures stable force transmission from the drive transmission member to the photosensitive drum during the image forming process.
2Ease of operation
If the coupling member is always extended to ensure drive transmission, then driving force transmission is reliable, but cartridge installation and removal become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member automatically transitions between retracted and extended positions based on cartridge installation state. When the cartridge is installed, the coupling member is pushed into the retracted position, facilitating easy installation. When the cartridge is removed, the coupling member extends to maintain driving force transmission readiness, ensuring operational reliability without manual intervention.
3Manufacturing precision
If a movable coupling member is used to control inclination angle, then alignment precision improves, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member's axial movement automatically adjusts the inclination angle between the drive transmission member and the photosensitive drum. By moving along the axial direction, the coupling member changes the relative angular position, achieving precise alignment control without requiring complex angular adjustment mechanisms or additional control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, the movable member movable relative to the photosensitive drum to control an inclination angle of a drive transmission member. The movable member is movable between a first position for reducing an inclination angle of the drive transmission member relative to the photosensitive drum and a second position retracted from the first position. By this, driving connection can be smoothly carried out.