Soft Toner Container with Dynamic Pressurizing Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container holding devices for soft containers that shrink as contents are ejected often form creases, leading to unstable toner supply and potential tearing, and require strong pushing against pressurizing guide members, which complicates replacement and increases material rigidity, hindering efficient shrinkage and storage.
Innovation Solution
A container holding device with a soft, bag-shaped member that shrinks under external pressure or reduced internal pressure, featuring a moving unit and external pressurizing unit that applies varying pressure levels to ensure neat folding along fold lines without creases, allowing for easy attachment and detachment and stable discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pressurizing guide members are provided to apply pressure along fold lines, then the container shrinks in a fixed shape without creases, but the container requires strong pushing force for replacement and may tear or form creases when strongly pushed
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurizing guide members are designed to move between a pressurizing position (where they apply pressure to fold lines) and a retraction position (where they clear the container path). This dynamic positioning allows the members to provide folding precision during discharge while eliminating obstacles during container replacement, resolving the contradiction between folding precision and replacement ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressurizing guide members are positioned to apply pressure to the fold lines before the container begins to shrink during discharge. This preliminary action ensures that the container folds neatly along the predetermined fold lines from the start of the discharge process, preventing crease formation and maintaining folding precision throughout the discharge cycle.
2Strength
If a rigid material is used for the container, then the container does not tear when fixed, but the container is hard to shrink
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with localized reinforcement at critical areas such as the mouth part and fold lines, while the main body remains made of soft, shrinkable material. This local quality approach provides tear resistance where needed while maintaining overall shrinkability, resolving the contradiction between strength and volume reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses composite construction with different materials for different parts: soft flexible material for the main body that enables shrinkage, and reinforced material at the mouth part and fold lines that prevents tearing. This composite approach allows the container to both shrink efficiently and resist tearing during handling and discharge.
3Volume of moving object
If soft material is used for the container, then the container can shrink efficiently, but the container is apt to tear when being fixed
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs local reinforcement at the mouth part and fold lines with stronger materials or structural features, while the main body uses soft flexible material for efficient shrinkage. This localized strengthening prevents tearing at critical points without compromising the overall shrinkability of the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-formed with fold lines and reinforced structures during manufacturing, creating predetermined folding paths and strength points before the container is put into service. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the container shrinks during discharge, it follows the predetermined fold lines and resists tearing at vulnerable points.
4Volume of stationary object
If the container shrinks during discharge, then more containers can be accommodated in the same space, but creases are formed and toner supply becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates predetermined fold lines that segment the container wall into sections that fold along specific paths. This segmentation guides the shrinking process to occur in a controlled manner, preventing random crease formation and ensuring that the toner outlet remains clear and stable throughout the discharge process, while still achieving compact shrinkage for efficient storage.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressurizing guide members act as intermediaries between the shrinking container and the fold lines. These members apply controlled pressure along the fold lines during discharge, guiding the container to shrink neatly along predetermined paths and preventing creases from forming that would disrupt toner flow. This intermediary action ensures both compact shrinkage and stable toner supply.
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
Enables stable and efficient discharge of contents without creases, reduces material rigidity, and simplifies container replacement, enhancing storage efficiency and reducing transportation costs by allowing soft material usage.
Implementation Method 1
the container can be detachably attached to the container holding member, includes a soft, bag-shaped member that stores contents, and shrinks as external pressure is applied or internal pressure reduces
Implementation Method 2
a moving unit that moves the container holding member between the first position and the second position
Data Source
AI summary
A container holding device includes a container guide member (60) that holds a toner container (50). The toner container (50) can be detachably attached to the container guide member (60). The toner container (50) includes a soft, shrinkable bag (51) for storing contents such as toner. The container guide member (60) can move between a first position at which the toner container (50) is detachably attached and a second position at which the contents of the toner container (50) can be discharged. A moving unit moves the container guide member (60) between the first and second positions. An external pressurizing unit shrinks the bag (51) by applying external pressure, and applies a lower pressure when the container guide member (60) is at the first position than at the second position.