Toner Case Protrusion-Depression Boundary for Agitator Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing toner cases in dry electro photographic print methods experience noise issues and potential damage to the agitating member due to gaps or level differences between the main body and cover, causing the agitating member to separate and re-contact, leading to noise and increased risk of damage during reverse rotation.
Innovation Solution
The toner case incorporates a protrusion arrangement part on one face and a depression arrangement part on the other face at the boundary between the main body and cover, allowing the agitating member to maintain contact and preventing noise and damage by fitting protrusions into depressions, ensuring continuous contact and reducing the risk of insertion damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the main body and cover are separately molded and combined to form the toner case, then the manufacturing flexibility and assembly ease are improved, but gaps or level differences are formed at the boundary between main body and cover
Solution Approach 1:
The toner case is divided into separately molded main body and cover portions that can be independently manufactured and then assembled, providing manufacturing flexibility while the protrusion-depression structure compensates for boundary imperfections
Solution Approach 2:
Protrusions are pre-formed on one component and corresponding depressions on the other component before assembly. This preliminary action ensures that when assembled, the protrusions fit into the depressions to compensate for gaps or level differences at the boundary, maintaining a flat internal contact face
2Productivity
If the agitating member is made flexible to maintain contact with the internal contact face, then effective toner agitation is achieved, but the agitating member is damaged when it inserts into gaps at the boundary
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion-depression structure is pre-formed at the boundary to prevent gap formation. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that the flexible agitating member maintains continuous contact with a flat internal contact face without inserting into gaps, thereby preventing damage while maintaining agitation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion-depression structure acts as an intermediary element at the boundary between main body and cover. It mediates the potential harmful effect of gaps by providing a continuous, flat surface that the agitating member can contact without interruption or damage
3Device complexity
If the boundary between main body and cover is exposed in the internal contact face, then the structure is simplified, but noise called crack or flick occurs when the agitating member rotates
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion-depression structure is pre-formed at the boundary to eliminate gaps and level differences before the agitating member operates. This preliminary structural preparation ensures continuous contact between the agitating member and internal contact face, preventing the separation-and-recontact cycle that generates noise
Solution Approach 2:
The boundary between main body and cover, which could be a source of noise due to gaps, is transformed into a beneficial feature by forming protrusions and depressions. This converts the potential harmful effect of a visible boundary into a useful structure that ensures continuous contact and eliminates noise
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 design effectively reduces noise and prevents damage to the agitating member by maintaining continuous contact and smoothing the transition at the boundary, ensuring efficient toner agitation and discharge without noise or structural issues.
Implementation Method 1
Because the agitating member is made of a flexible material, when the agitating member rotates, the agitating member is elastically deformed between the rotating member and the internal contact face
Data Source
AI summary
A toner case includes a main body, a cover, a rotating member, an agitating member, a protrusion arrangement part and a depression arrangement part. The main body has a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, a fourth wall, a bottom board, an opening at an upper side and a toner discharge port discharging a toner stored inside to an outside. The protrusion arrangement part is formed on one of an upper face facing upward formed in the first or second wall and a lower face facing to the upper face formed in the cover. The protrusion arrangement part has a plurality of protrusions arranged in the direction from the third wall to the fourth wall. The depression arrangement part is formed on another of the upper and lower faces. The depression arrangement part has a plurality of depressions, into which the protrusions insert, arranged in the direction.