Suction Device for Toner Removal in Image Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming devices face issues with toner slipping through worn blade areas and toner filming due to residual toner and external additives, leading to decreased cleaning performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a suction device upstream of the cleaning device to remove toner particles with external additives, while allowing external additives to form an additive dam for improved cleaning, and using a control device to adjust suction based on toner image area coverage and pressure to manage toner slipping and cleaning performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning device with blade is used to remove residual toner, then cleaning performance is improved, but toner particles slip through worn blade areas causing toner filming
Solution Approach 1:
The suction device is positioned upstream of the cleaning device to perform preliminary removal of toner particles from the image carrier surface before the cleaning process. This preliminary action reduces the load on the cleaning device and prevents toner from reaching the blade area, thereby preventing toner slipping through worn blade areas and reducing toner filming.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction device acts as an intermediary between the toner particles and the cleaning blade. By creating a negative pressure zone upstream, it intercepts and removes toner particles before they reach the blade, preventing direct contact between toner and the worn blade surface, thus eliminating the harmful effect of toner slipping.
2Manufacturing precision
If external additives are removed from toner particles, then toner image quality is improved, but cleaning performance decreases due to loss of additive dam formation
Solution Approach 1:
The suction device is designed to selectively remove only the toner particles while leaving the external additives on the image carrier surface. By controlling the suction parameters and positioning, it creates a local difference in removal efficiency: toner particles are removed, but the larger external additives remain to form the additive dam, thus maintaining cleaning performance while improving toner image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction device performs partial removal of residual toner rather than complete removal. It removes enough toner particles to improve image quality but stops before removing all external additives, allowing the additive dam to form properly. This partial action achieves the desired balance between image quality and cleaning performance.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If suction device is added upstream of cleaning device, then toner slipping is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction device is integrated into the existing image forming device structure, combining the suction function with the cleaning process. By merging the suction and cleaning operations into a coordinated system with shared components (such as the image carrier and control mechanisms), the increase in device complexity is minimized while still achieving the benefit of reduced toner slipping.
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 solution effectively reduces toner slipping from worn blade areas, minimizes toner filming, and maintains cleaning performance by selectively removing toner particles and controlling additive dam formation.
Implementation Method 1
a suction device, located upstream of the cleaning device in a rotational direction of the image carrier, that suctions all or part of residual toner excepting the external additives released from the surface of the toner particles
Implementation Method 2
a cleaning device having a blade that contacts the surface of the image carrier and cleans off residual toner
Implementation Method 3
an electrostatic image forming device that forms an electrostatic image on the surface of the image carrier
Implementation Method 4
a developing device that includes electrostatic image developer including toner that contains toner particles and external additives adhering to a surface of the toner particle, and uses the electrostatic image developer to develop the electrostatic image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes an image carrier, a charging device that charges the surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic image forming device that forms an electrostatic image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing device that uses a developer containing toner particles and external additives adhering to the surface of the toner particle to develop the electrostatic image into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording medium, a cleaning device having a blade that cleans off residual toner from the image carrier, a suction device that suctions all or part of residual toner excepting the external additives released from the surface of the toner particles, and a fixing device that fixes the toner image to the recording medium.