Toner Cartridge Positioning Features for Stable Gear Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner cartridges in image forming devices often experience misalignment, leading to gear and electrical connection failures, toner leakage, and print quality defects, necessitating precise alignment while allowing easy installation and removal.
Innovation Solution
The toner cartridge design includes drive couplers, electrical contacts, and engagement members positioned to ensure proper alignment and secure fit within the image forming device, with bosses and latches for positional control, allowing easy handling and stable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If tight positional control is implemented to ensure precise alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is divided into multiple independent elements: positioning protrusions on the toner cartridge and corresponding positioning recesses in the image forming device, along with separate engagement members and latches. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling precise alignment through the protrusion-recess interface while maintaining ease of operation through the modular latch mechanism that can be easily engaged and disengaged.
2Reliability
If multiple positioning features are added to ensure precise alignment, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple positioning functions are merged into integrated structures. The engagement members combine positioning protrusions, contact surfaces for hold-down forces, and latch receiving features into single components. The latches themselves integrate holding and positioning functions, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining high reliability through the combined multifunctional design.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid holding is implemented to prevent positional disturbance, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holding system transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic latch-based mechanism. The latches can be easily engaged by the user to provide rigid holding during operation, preventing positional disturbance. When removal is needed, the latches can be quickly disengaged, allowing the toner cartridge to be removed without resistance. This dynamic system adapts between providing strong holding force during use and easy removal when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. A first latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a first longitudinal end of the housing and a second latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a second longitudinal end of the housing. Contact surfaces on top portions of the first and second latch-receiving shelves are positioned to contact corresponding first and second latches in an image forming device. The contact surface of the first latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than a first rotational axis of a first drive coupler of the toner cartridge and higher than a second drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The contact surface of the second latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than at least a portion of a first electrical contact of the toner cartridge and higher than at least a portion of a second electrical contact of the toner cartridge.