Photosensitive Member Helical Gear Layout for Cartridge Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently transmitting driving force to detachable cartridges, particularly in maintaining precise alignment and reducing mechanical wear due to misalignment of gear components.
Innovation Solution
A photosensitive member unit with a coaxial helical gear system is employed, where the unit side helical gears have matching twisting directions and varying helix angles, ensuring stable meshing engagement and reducing misalignment issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional gear structures are used to transmit driving force to the cartridge, then the structure is simple, but misalignment occurs between gear components leading to mechanical wear and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The gear system is segmented into multiple helical gear portions (first and second main assembly side helical gear portions, and corresponding unit side helical gear portions) with different helix angles. This segmentation allows each gear portion to handle specific alignment and force transmission tasks, reducing misalignment and mechanical wear while maintaining system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different helix angles are assigned to different gear portions locally. The first unit side helical gear portion has a first helix angle, while the second unit side helical gear portion has a second helix angle that is larger than the first. This local variation in gear geometry optimizes meshing engagement at different locations, preventing misalignment and reducing wear.
2Reliability
If standard helical gears with uniform helix angles are used, then manufacturing is easier, but misalignment between coaxial gears causes increased mechanical wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different helix angles to different gear portions. The first unit side helical gear portion has a first helix angle, and the second unit side helical gear portion has a second helix angle that is larger. This local differentiation improves meshing engagement and reduces wear, while the coaxial arrangement maintains manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The helix angle parameter is changed across different gear portions to optimize performance. By varying the helix angle from the first value to the second (larger) value between adjacent gear portions, the patent achieves better alignment and reduced mechanical wear while maintaining ease of manufacture through systematic parameter variation.
3Manufacturing precision
If single-stage gear transmission is used, then the structure is simpler, but alignment precision between driving and driven components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gear transmission system is segmented into multiple helical gear portions with different helix angles arranged coaxially. This segmentation enables precise alignment between driving and driven components by distributing the transmission function across multiple specialized gear portions, thereby improving manufacturing precision without requiring complex external alignment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of control by varying the helix angle parameter across different gear portions. This dimensional variation in gear geometry provides an additional degree of freedom for achieving precise alignment and optimal meshing engagement, improving manufacturing precision while managing device complexity through systematic design.
Data Source
AI summary
A photosensitive member unit is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member rotatable about a rotational axis thereof, a rotatable first helical gear portion; and a second helical gear portion integrally rotatable with the first helical gear portion. A twisting direction of a tooth of the second helical gear portion is the same as a twisting direction of a tooth of the first helical gear portion, and a helix angle of the tooth of the second helical gear portion is greater than a helix angle of the tooth of the first helical gear portion.