Toner Container Agitator Holder for Axial Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing toner container designs require complex assembly procedures for the agitator, making it difficult to assemble quickly and easily due to the need to maintain the agitator's posture during coupling with the case main body.
Innovation Solution
A toner container design featuring a case main body with a holder that protrudes to stabilize and position the agitator's end, allowing for easier coupling with the agitating coupling, and an agitator with an agitating rotation shaft and blade, where the holder includes ribs and a bridge to securely hold the agitator's flange, facilitating quick and efficient assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the agitator is assembled by inserting it from the upper side and engaging with the U-shaped groove member and axial support hole, then the agitator can be supported axially in the case main body, but the operator needs to continue keeping a posture of the agitator in the case main body until the coupling is fitted to the agitator, making the assembly operation difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The holder protrudes from the sidewall to preliminarily hold the end of the agitator's rotation shaft at the correct position before the coupling is fitted. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for the operator to maintain the agitator's posture manually during assembly, as the holder automatically maintains the correct position throughout the coupling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder acts as an intermediary component between the case main body and the agitator's rotation shaft. It provides a stable connection point that facilitates the coupling process by maintaining the agitator's position without requiring manual intervention, thus improving ease of operation while ensuring reliable axial support.
2Ease of operation
If the holder protrudes on the inner face of the sidewall to hold the end of the rotator, then the assembly operability is improved, but the holder structure with ribs and bridge adds complexity to the case main body
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is integrally formed with the case main body as a single piece, merging the holder structure with the existing case components. This integration approach adds the necessary holding function without requiring separate holder components, thus improving assembly operability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A developer case (10) according to the present invention includes a case main body (30), a rotator (55, 56), a coupling (57), and a holder (49, 70, 80, 90). The case main body (30) contains developer. The rotator (55, 56) is rotatably arranged between a pair of sidewalls (43F, 43B) of the case main body (30). The pair of sidewalls (43F, 43B) are opposed to each other. The coupling (57) is coupled to the rotator (55, 56) with at least one of the pair of sidewalls (43F, 43B) in between. The holder (49, 70, 80, 90) protrudes on an inner face of at least the one of the pair of sidewalls (43F, 43B) and holds an end in an axis direction of the rotator (55,56) at a position where the end is capable of coupling to the coupling (57).