Developer Supply Container Mounting With Swing-Shaft Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing developer supply containers for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses require high operational force for mounting and dismounting, making the process cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A developer supply container design featuring a rotatable developer accommodating portion, a gear for transmitting driving force, a rotatable engaging portion, and a shaft portion that supports the engaging member, allowing the developer receiving portion to displace and align with the discharge opening, reducing the operational force required for mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the developer supply container uses a traditional mounting structure, then the connection between the developer receiving portion and discharge opening is secure, but the operational force required for mounting is high
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging portion is designed to rotate about the shaft portion, transitioning from an engaged state (during mounting) to a disengaged state (after mounting). This dynamic mechanism allows the container body to be pulled toward the developer receiving apparatus during mounting, reducing operational force, while maintaining reliable connection during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism is divided into separate functional components: the engaging portion for initial engagement, the shaft portion for rotational support, and the restricting portion for positional control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall mounting force requirements
2Ease of operation
If the engaging portion is positioned freely, then the mounting operation is simple, but the gear side end portion may move beyond the predetermined position causing operational issues
Solution Approach 1:
The restricting portion acts as an intermediary element between the engaging portion and the gear side end portion. It provides a predetermined positional constraint that prevents the engaging portion from moving beyond the correct position, ensuring accurate alignment while maintaining simple mounting operation
Solution Approach 2:
The restricting portion changes the positional parameter of the engaging portion by limiting its movement range. This parameter control ensures that the gear side end portion remains within the predetermined position, achieving both operational simplicity and positioning accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a rotatable developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer, a discharge end portion provided at a bottom side with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, an engaging portion 30 engageable with a portion-to-be-engaged 11b with a mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 to displace the portion-to-be-engaged 11b in an upward direction U to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the discharge opening, and a swing shaft 41 rotatably supporting engaging portion 30 provided at such a position that opposite end portions of the engaging portion 30 a rotatable.