Shutter Seal Extending Portion Toner Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toner cartridges suffer from toner adhesion to sealing sponges and the circumference of toner supply openings, leading to scattering and contamination when detached from developing units.
Innovation Solution
A developer storing container with a shutter member that includes a seal portion and an extending portion, where the distance from the opening end to the extending portion's end is longer than the seal member's exposed portion, preventing toner adhesion to the seal member and circumference during opening and closing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional shutter with sealing sponge is used to close the toner supply opening, then the shutter can effectively seal the opening, but the toner adheres to the sealing sponge and the circumference of the opening, causing scattering and contamination when detached
Solution Approach 1:
The extending portion of the seal member is positioned in advance to overlap with the circumferential surface of the opening before the shutter moves. This preliminary positioning prevents toner from adhering to the seal member by ensuring the extending portion is already in place to guide or block toner contact during the opening/closing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member is extended in the opening direction (a different dimension from the radial sealing direction) to create an overlapping structure. This dimensional extension allows the seal member to not only seal radially but also cover the circumferential surface, preventing toner adhesion in a new spatial dimension.
2Productivity
If the shutter moves to open the toner supply opening, then toner can be supplied to the developing unit, but toner adheres to exposed portions of the seal member during the movement
Solution Approach 1:
The extending portion is pre-positioned to overlap with the circumferential surface before toner supply begins. This ensures that during shutter movement and toner supply, the extending portion is already in place to prevent toner from contacting and adhering to the seal member.
Solution Approach 2:
The extending portion acts as an intermediary element between the seal member and the circumferential surface where toner would otherwise adhere. It provides a barrier that prevents direct contact between toner and the seal member during opening and closing operations.
3Reliability
If the sealing sponge contacts the circumferential surface to seal effectively, then sealing is improved, but toner accumulates on the contact surface
Solution Approach 1:
The extending portion overlaps with the circumferential surface in advance, creating a barrier before toner can accumulate. This preliminary positioning ensures that even when the seal member contacts the circumferential surface for sealing, toner is blocked from reaching the contact area.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member is functionally segmented into a seal portion for radial sealing and an extending portion for circumferential coverage. This segmentation allows the seal portion to maintain contact for sealing while the extending portion prevents toner accumulation on the circumferential surface.
Data Source
AI summary
A developer storing container includes a developer storing body having a first opening, and a shutter member capable of taking a closing position and an opening position to close and open the first opening. The shutter member includes a first seal member including a seal portion provided along the first opening and an extending portion extending from the seal portion in the opening direction of the shutter member. A distance from an end portion of the first opening in the opening direction to an end of the extending portion when the shutter member is in the closing position is longer than a distance of an end portion of an exposable portion of the first seal member (exposed via the first opening when the shutter member is in the closing position) when the shutter member moves from the closing position to the opening position.