Toner Cartridge with Segmented Fresh and Residual Chambers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing toner cartridges face challenges in efficiently refilling fresh toner and discharging residual toner, leading to resource wastage and potential image quality issues due to deteriorated toner quality from wear and tear, agitation, and electrical actions during image formation.

Innovation Solution

A toner cartridge design with integral fresh toner storing and residual toner collection chambers, featuring multiple discharging openings and a flexible partitioning member, allows for easy refilling and efficient removal of residual toner through suction or air blowing, ensuring effective toner management and maintaining image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If residual toner is collected and re-conveyed to developing unit for reuse, then resource saving is achieved, but toner quality deteriorates due to agitation, conveyance, or electrical action

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetoner wasteVSAvoidtoner quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The toner cartridge is segmented into a fresh toner storing chamber and a residual toner collection chamber, physically separating fresh and residual toner. This segmentation allows residual toner to be collected and disposed of without contaminating fresh toner, enabling resource saving while maintaining toner quality for image formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If a detachable toner cartridge with integral waste toner collection chamber is used, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetoner cartridge replacementVSAvoidtoner cartridge structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The waste toner collection chamber and fresh toner storing chamber are merged into a single integral toner cartridge structure. This merging allows the user to replace both fresh and residual toner chambers together as one unit, simplifying operation despite the increased internal structural complexity of having multiple integrated chambers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If multiple residual toner discharging openings are created, then ease of operation is improved for toner removal, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresidual toner dischargeVSAvoidnumber of openings

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple residual toner discharging openings are created in the residual toner collection chamber to facilitate complete and easy removal of residual toner. These openings allow toner to be discharged from multiple locations, ensuring thorough evacuation while the openings are sealed during normal operation, thus not significantly increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8260186B2Toner cartridge with refillable fresh and residual toner chambers, process cartridge, and method of making toner cartridge reusable

Publication Date: 2012.09.04 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A toner cartridge is configured by integrally arranging a fresh toner storing chamber and a residual toner collection chamber. Fresh toner is filled in the fresh toner storing chamber through a fresh toner filling opening. Residual toner is conveyed in the residual toner collection chamber through a residual toner conveying opening. Two residual toner discharging openings are created in the residual toner collection chamber through which the residual toner is discharged.