Rotating Powder Container Spiral Protrusion Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder containers with spiral protrusions on their inner surfaces do not effectively reduce the remaining amount of powder when the container size varies, particularly in tapered portions decreasing in diameter towards the opening.
Innovation Solution
A powder container design featuring a bottle body with a lateral opening that is rotatable about a center line, having an inner peripheral surface with a spiral protrusion that creates upward projections, where the second projection closer to the opening has a bottom lower than the first projection, enhancing toner transfer efficiency in tapered portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a spiral protrusion with constant height is formed on the inner peripheral surface, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the remaining amount of powder cannot be effectively reduced in tapered portions
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral protrusion is designed with varying height along the axial direction, with different heights in the cylindrical portion versus the tapered portion. This local variation optimizes powder transport efficiency in each section without requiring complete redesign of the entire structure, thus reducing remaining powder while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner peripheral surface is divided into multiple sections: a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, each with spiral protrusions of different heights. This segmentation allows tailored optimization for each section's specific geometric characteristics, improving overall powder evacuation efficiency.
2Loss of substance
If the bottle body is tapered decreasing in diameter toward the opening, then the powder can be transported more efficiently, but the spiral protrusion with constant height becomes less effective in reducing residual powder
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral protrusion height is locally adapted to match the bottle geometry: constant height in the cylindrical portion and varying height in the tapered portion. This ensures optimal contact and transport force in each section, maximizing powder evacuation while maintaining transport efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If the spiral protrusion has constant height throughout, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the powder remaining in the bottle increases particularly in tapered portions
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral protrusion height varies locally along the axial direction, with specific height values defined for different sections (cylindrical vs. tapered portions). This localized differentiation targets the root cause of powder retention without requiring entirely new manufacturing processes.
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 effectively reduces the remaining amount of powder at replacement time, even with varying container sizes, by ensuring efficient toner transfer through the spiral protrusions, especially in tapered portions, thereby optimizing powder usage in image forming apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
an inner peripheral surface on which a spiral protrusion is formed to transport the accommodated powder toward the opening through the rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A powder container includes a bottle body that accommodates powder and has, at one end, an opening through which the powder flows out. The bottle body is positioned with the opening facing laterally and set rotatable about a rotation center line extending laterally through a center of the opening. The bottle body has an inner peripheral surface on which a spiral protrusion is formed to transport the accommodated powder toward the opening through the rotation. When the bottle body is sectioned vertically on a plane including the rotation center line, the spiral protrusion causes plural upwardly protruding projections to appear on a cross-section, the plural projections include a first projection and a second projection closer to the opening than the first projection, and an opening-facing face of the second projection has a bottom lower than a top of the first projection or the opening has a lower edge lower than the top of the first projection.