Pivoting Guide Pipe for Waste Toner Container Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing waste toner container design can cause contact issues with neighboring components of the image-forming apparatus during attachment and detachment, disrupting smooth operations.
Innovation Solution
A pivotally movable guide pipe within the waste toner container that changes length direction to avoid collisions with the housing components during attachment and detachment, ensuring smooth operation by adjusting its position between a first and second position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the guide pipe is designed to guide waste toner into the casing, then the waste toner can be properly contained, but the guide pipe may contact neighboring components of the housing during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pipe is made pivotally movable relative to the casing, allowing it to dynamically change its position and orientation. During attachment and detachment operations, the guide pipe can pivot to avoid contact with neighboring components, while during normal operation it maintains its position for proper waste toner containment
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pipe is designed to extend in different directions at different times by pivoting around an axis. It can extend in a first direction during normal operation to contain waste toner, and pivot to extend in a second direction during attachment/detachment to avoid components, effectively using dimensional transformation to resolve the spatial conflict
2Reliability
If the guide pipe extends in the first direction to contain waste toner, then the waste toner is properly guided, but the guide pipe may collide with housing components during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pipe transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one that can pivot between different positions. During waste toner containment, it extends in the first direction for proper guidance. During attachment and detachment, it pivots to extend in the second direction, avoiding collision with housing components while maintaining its waste toner guidance function when needed
3Ease of operation
If the guide pipe is made pivotally movable to avoid contact, then attachment and detachment become smoother, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pipe incorporates a pivotal movement mechanism that allows it to rotate between a first direction (for waste toner containment) and a second direction (for avoiding components during attachment/detachment). This dynamic capability enables smooth operations while maintaining effective waste toner management, with the pivot mechanism providing the necessary flexibility without excessive complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A waste toner container is attachable to and detachable from a housing of an image-forming apparatus through an opening of the housing. The waste toner container includes a casing and a guide pipe connected to the casing. The casing has a first end and a second end positioned opposite to the opening with respect to the first end in a state where the waste toner container is attached to the housing. The guide pipe is pivotally movable relative to the casing between a first position and a second position. The guide pipe extends in a first direction connecting the first end to the second end at the first position, while extending in a second direction crossing the first direction at the second position. The guide pipe at the first position has a length in the second direction smaller than a length thereof in the second direction at the second position.