Powder Container Transport Structure for Stable Toner Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder accommodation containers in image forming apparatuses face issues with powder clogging, attachment to regulation members, and inefficient discharge due to the design of hole portions and the placement of regulation and transport members, leading to instability in powder distribution and potential image deterioration.
Innovation Solution
A powder accommodation container design featuring a rotating transport member with a flexible end that faces a hole portion, a regulation member on the inner surface, and a projection to reduce the force on the flexible member, along with a discharge port configuration that ensures smooth powder discharge, allowing for stable powder distribution and reduced image deterioration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flexible member is positioned to face the hole portion, then powder attachment to the regulation member is reduced, but the flexible member is subject to greater bending stress
Solution Approach 1:
The projection portion acts as an intermediary element between the flexible member and the regulation member. It provides a support point that reduces the bending moment on the flexible member while still allowing it to face the hole portion for effective powder regulation. This mediator structure resolves the conflict between needing the flexible member to face the hole (for reliability) and reducing its bending stress (for strength).
2Reliability
If the regulation member is provided on the inner surface at the hole portion, then powder clogging at the hole is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation member is integrated into the inner surface structure at the hole portion, combining the functions of the container wall and the regulation element. This merging approach prevents powder clogging at the hole while avoiding the need for separate, complex regulatory mechanisms, thus maintaining structural simplicity while achieving the desired reliability improvement.
3Productivity
If the discharge port is positioned at one end and the hole portion at the other end, then powder discharge efficiency is improved, but the container length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport member rotates about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, utilizing a different spatial dimension for powder transport. This allows the discharge port and hole portion to be positioned at opposite ends along the longitudinal axis (improving discharge efficiency) while the rotation occurs in a transverse dimension, effectively using the container's width or height to accommodate the transport mechanism without significantly increasing overall length.
Data Source
AI summary
A powder accommodation container includes an accommodation container body, a regulation member, and a transport member. The accommodation container body has a hole portion to outside and accommodates powder. The regulation member is provided in the hole portion to regulate a passage of the powder accommodated in the accommodation container body. The transport member is arranged in an inside of the accommodation container body to rotate about a rotating shaft and to transport the powder in the inside of the accommodation container body. The transport member has one end side in a short direction that is arranged on the rotating shaft and the other end side that is a free end, the free end includes a flexible member that is in contact with the accommodation container body to be flexed. The flexible member is locatable to face the hole portion.