Powder Container Shutter and Shield Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder containers for image forming apparatuses face challenges in preventing powder leakage during impact and ensuring easy mounting, while also maintaining effective agitation and protecting internal components like circuit boards.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a shutter mechanism to prevent powder leakage, a shield for impact protection, an agitation member with flexible sheet and arm members to enhance powder distribution, and locking mechanisms for secure mounting, all while facilitating easy assembly and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shutter mechanism is added to block the opening, then powder leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is integrated with the container body as a unified structure, where the shutter forms a closed end of the container. This merging of the shutter function into the container body reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining effective powder leakage prevention.
2Reliability
If a shield is added to protect the circuit board, then damage to internal components is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is integrated into the container body structure, forming a unified protective enclosure. This merging of the shield function into the container body reduces the number of separate protective components and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining effective protection of the circuit board from external impacts.
3Ease of operation
If the container is designed for easy mounting, then ease of operation is improved, but the strength and stability of mounting connection may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting interface is divided into separate functional elements: a mounting portion with locking protrusions on the container body and corresponding recesses on the apparatus. This segmentation allows for simple insertion and automatic locking, providing both ease of operation and strong mounting connection through the distributed locking points.
Data Source
AI summary
A powder container includes a body and a pair of walls that blocks one longitudinal end of the body and the other longitudinal end of the body. Powder is accommodated within the powder container which is mounted to an apparatus using the powder in a posture where a longitudinal direction of the body is a transverse direction of the apparatus. The powder container has an opening, through which the powder is supplied to the apparatus, formed in a lower position of the body in a posture where the powder container is mounted to the apparatus. The powder container includes a shutter and a shield. The shutter is, prior to mounting the powder container to the apparatus, in a closed location to block the opening and, when the powder container is mounted, is moved along an outer peripheral surface of the body to an opened location to open the opening.