Toner Bottle Shutter Slider Mechanism for Leakage Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with toner scattering and leakage during shipment and transport, particularly when toner bottles are packaged together, as existing solutions complicate the sealing structure, increase size, and raise costs.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a movable shutter slider that controls the toner bottle's shutter, allowing it to seal and open the discharge port during shipment and operation, preventing toner leakage and scattering without increasing the apparatus's size or costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the shutter is opened when the toner bottle is inserted into the body, then toner can be replenished to the toner replenishing portion, but toner scattering occurs during transport due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is preliminarily opened during the insertion process itself, so that when the bottle is fully inserted, the shutter is already in the open position and toner can flow into the replenishing portion without requiring additional vibration or agitation that would cause scattering during transport
2Reliability
If a sealing member connected to a toner conveying portion is installed separately from the shutter, then toner leakage is prevented, but the sealing structure becomes complicated and size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is merged with the sealing function by making it perform both the opening/closing operation for toner replenishment and the sealing operation to prevent leakage. The shutter blade itself acts as the sealing element when closed, eliminating the need for separate sealing members and simplifying the overall structure
3Ease of operation
If the shutter is opened along with bottle attachment operation, then toner replenishment is enabled, but toner leakage occurs during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is designed to be dynamic, changing its state (open/closed) based on the operational phase: open during insertion and replenishment, closed during transport. The shutter's position is dynamically controlled by the insertion motion itself, allowing it to adapt to different operational requirements without manual intervention
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a bottle (100) which is detachably mounted on an apparatus body to store toner; a shutter (301) which is disposed on the bottle to open and close a discharge port (300a) which discharges the toner; and a shutter slider (213) which is disposed in the apparatus body to open and close the shutter by engaging therewith along with an insertion operation of the bottle. The shutter slider (213) is disposed to be movable from a first position, which allows the shutter (301) to be located at a closed position at which the discharge port (300a) is closed by the shutter when the bottle is mounted on the apparatus body, to a second position, in which the discharge port (300a) is to be opened and closed by the shutter (301) along with an operation of attaching and detaching the bottle to and from the apparatus body.