Powder Container Scooping Mechanism for Stable Toner Replenishment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder containers face challenges in efficiently supplying toner to the powder receiving hole due to variations in toner fluidity and environmental conditions, leading to inconsistent toner replenishment in electrophotography image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
The powder container design incorporates a scooping portion with a specifically inclined scooping surface and a spiral rib, which conveys toner to the nozzle hole efficiently by adjusting the inclined angle and rotation frequency, ensuring stable toner replenishment regardless of toner fluidity and environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional scooping mechanism is used to supply toner to the powder receiving hole, then the structure is simple, but the toner supply efficiency is insufficient due to variations in toner fluidity
Solution Approach 1:
The scooping surface is designed with a specific inclination angle (α) ranging from 10 to 30 degrees relative to the horizontal plane. This parameter optimization ensures that toner can be effectively scooped up and supplied to the powder receiving hole regardless of variations in toner fluidity, thereby improving toner supply efficiency without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The scooping portion features a curved scooping surface that follows the rotational motion of the container body. This curved geometry enables the scooping surface to continuously engage with the toner during rotation, ensuring reliable toner pickup and supply to the nozzle hole while maintaining a simple fixed-structure design
2Speed
If the container body rotates at high frequency to improve toner supply, then toner replenishment speed increases, but toner fluidity requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The scooping surface inclination angle (α = 10-30 degrees) is optimized to work effectively across a range of rotation frequencies. This parameter setting creates a balance where the scooping force component along the incline is sufficient to move toner even at moderate rotation speeds, while the curved geometry maintains engagement at higher speeds, ensuring reliable supply across varying operational conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The scooping mechanism is designed to dynamically adapt to different rotation frequencies through its curved geometry. The scooping surface maintains continuous contact with the toner during rotation, automatically adjusting the scooping action to match the rotational speed, thereby ensuring stable toner supply whether the container rotates slowly or quickly
3Productivity
If the scooping surface is highly inclined to improve toner conveyance, then toner supply to the nozzle hole improves, but toner may not be properly scooped from the container body
Solution Approach 1:
The scooping surface inclination angle is precisely optimized to fall within the range of 10 to 30 degrees relative to the horizontal plane. This specific parameter range creates an optimal balance: the incline is steep enough to effectively convey toner upward toward the powder receiving hole, yet gentle enough to allow the scooping surface to properly engage and scoop toner from the container body during rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The curved geometry of the scooping surface complements the inclined angle by ensuring continuous contact between the scooping portion and the toner during rotation. The curvature allows the scooping surface to smoothly engage toner particles and guide them along the incline, preventing both failure to scoop and failure to convey, thereby optimizing overall toner supply effectiveness
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 efficiency and stability of toner replenishment, maintaining optimal toner levels and reducing waste, even under varying fluidity and environmental conditions, thereby ensuring consistent image quality in electrophotography processes.
Implementation Method 1
a scooping portion (304) provided on an inner wall surface (33c) of the container body (33) at the opening side, and scooping up the toner (T) conveyed to the opening (33a) by rotation of the container body (33), and supplies the toner (T) to the nozzle hole (610)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A powder container used in an image forming apparatus. The powder container includes a rotatable powder storage that stores therein the powder for image formation, the rotatable powder storage to rotate about a rotation axis; an opening on one end of the powder storage, through which a nozzle of the image forming apparatus is to be inserted; and a scooping portion to scoop up powder on an opening side, and to supply the powder to a powder receiving hole of the nozzle when the powder storage rotates. The scooping portion includes a scooping surface that extends inwardly from an inner wall surface of the powder storage. The inner end portion of the scooping surface extends in a rotation axis direction of the powder storage. The edge of the inner end portion is approximately parallel to the rotation axis. In a cross-section perpendicular to the rotation axis, the scooping surface is inclined toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the powder storage with respect to a virtual line that passes through the rotation axis and is tangent to the edge of the inner end portion.