Ridgeline Cleaning Member for Transfer Roller Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cleaning mechanisms for image forming apparatuses face challenges in effectively removing toner and dust from rotating transfer rollers without causing deformation or curling of the cleaning blades, leading to defective image transfer and reduced durability.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning member with a ridgeline part that includes a first ridgeline extending axially and second ridgelines at its ends, which are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the transfer roller to deform it, reducing stress on the corners and preventing curling, while maintaining effective toner and dust removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cleaning blade is pressed against the transfer roller to remove toner and dust, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the cleaning blade deforms and curls due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning blade is segmented into multiple ridgelines (first ridgeline and second ridgelines) instead of a single continuous edge. This segmentation distributes the contact stress across multiple points, preventing stress concentration at corners and reducing blade deformation while maintaining effective toner and dust removal from the transfer roller surface
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning blade design incorporates local quality variations through differently oriented ridgelines. The first ridgeline extends in the axial direction for primary cleaning, while the second ridgelines extend in directions away from the member to provide localized stress relief at critical corner areas, optimizing both cleaning performance and structural stability
2Productivity
If the cleaning blade presses into the transfer roller surface, then toner and dust removal is enhanced, but stress on the cleaning blade corners increases causing curling
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the cleaning edge into multiple ridgelines, the contact pressure is distributed across several segments rather than concentrated at corners. This segmentation maintains high productivity for toner and dust removal while significantly reducing the stress burden on individual blade sections, preventing corner curling and extending blade life
Solution Approach 2:
The ridgeline configuration is designed in advance to preemptively distribute stresses before they can concentrate at corner points. The geometric arrangement of ridgelines is predetermined to ensure that contact forces are naturally dispersed, preventing stress-induced deformation before it occurs during the cleaning operation
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 durability of the cleaning mechanism, suppresses defective image transfer, and improves the overall performance by reducing stress on the cleaning blade, thus ensuring consistent and high-quality image formation.
Implementation Method 1
the ridgeline part and a corner portion on which the ridgeline part is formed press into the outer peripheral surface of the member to be cleaned and deform the member to be cleaned
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning member includes a ridgeline part provided at one end of the cleaning member in a lateral direction of the cleaning member, the ridgeline part including a first ridgeline that extends in an axial direction of a member to be cleaned that rotates and second ridgelines provided at respective ends of the first ridgeline, each second ridgeline extending in a direction away from the member to be cleaned. The ridgeline part is pressed against an outer peripheral surface of the member to be cleaned so that the ridgeline part and a corner portion on which the ridgeline part is formed press into the outer peripheral surface of the member to be cleaned and deform the member to be cleaned.