Image Forming Apparatus With Shifted Toner Rails for Continuous Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses require frequent stops for toner replacement due to the lack of redundancy in toner supply, leading to inefficiencies and downtime.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with a container housing that accommodates multiple toner containers of different colors arranged in an upper-and-lower direction, with toner containers shifted in the left-and-right direction, utilizing a lower rail, upper rail, and opening frame for easy attachment and detachment, allowing for continuous operation even when one container is empty.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple toner containers are arranged in the container housing to provide redundancy, then the reliability of continuous operation is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container housing is divided into an upper container group and a lower container group, with each group containing toner containers for different colors. This segmentation allows independent arrangement and management of toner containers, enabling redundancy without requiring a completely new housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Toner containers in the upper and lower container groups are arranged shifted in the left-and-right direction, utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently. This spatial arrangement allows multiple containers to coexist in a compact configuration, providing redundancy while controlling the overall device size.
2Productivity
If many toner containers are housed in the container housing to ensure continuous supply, then the productivity is improved, but the volume of the container housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical stacking with upper and lower container groups, and horizontal shifting in the left-and-right direction, to arrange multiple toner containers in a compact three-dimensional configuration. This maximizes space utilization and minimizes the overall volume of the container housing while accommodating multiple containers for continuous supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The container housing structure nests the upper and lower container groups within a single housing unit, with rails and support structures integrated into the housing. This nesting approach consolidates multiple containers and their support structures into a compact integrated unit, reducing the overall volume required.
3Ease of operation
If toner containers are arranged in upper-and-lower direction with left-and-right shifting, then the ease of operation for attachment and detachment is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container housing is segmented into upper and lower sections with separate rails for each group. This segmentation allows independent positioning and adjustment of each container group, facilitating easier assembly and maintenance while managing positioning precision requirements through modular design.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An image forming apparatus (1) includes a plurality of container groups (53A), (53B), and a container housing (51). The container groups (53A), (53B) include a plurality of toner containers (53) containing toner of different colors arranged in a left-and-right directions. The container housing (51) houses the container groups (53A), (53B) arranged in an upper-and-lower direction. The toner containers (53) of the container groups arranged in the upper-and-lower direction are shifted in the left-and-right direction. The container housing (51) includes a lower rail (73), an upper rail (71), and an opening frame (63). The lower rail (73) houses lower halves of the toner containers (53) of the container group. Then upper rail (71) houses upper halves of the toner containers (53) of the container group and is connectable to the lower rail (73). The opening frame (63) has openings (131) to and from which the toner containers (53) are attached and detached. A container rail assembly (61) in which the lower rail (73) and the upper rail (71) are connected is assembled to the opening frame (63).