Integrally Molded Toner Container Cap for Sealing and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toner containers face issues with reduced sealing capability and mechanical strength due to complex cap structures formed by bonding or welding multiple components, leading to dimensional inaccuracies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A toner container design featuring a cap portion formed by integral molding with a complicated structure, including claw members, incompatibly-shaped portions, and a toner fall path, which maintains dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength while reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cap portion is formed by bonding or welding two or more molded components together, then the structure can accommodate complicated functions (shutter mechanism, sealing, positioning), but dimensional accuracy deviates due to variation in bonding or welding accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple previously separate molded components (cap body, shutter mechanism, sealing elements, positioning features) into a single integrally-molded cap portion. This eliminates bonding or welding joints, thereby eliminating dimensional deviations caused by joining variations while maintaining all required functions through features built into the monolithic structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cap portion is formed by bonding or welding two or more molded components together, then the structure can accommodate complicated functions, but mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By combining all functional elements into a single molded component, the patent eliminates weak joints created by bonding or welding. The integrally-molded structure provides continuous material flow and uniform mechanical properties throughout the cap portion, resulting in superior strength compared to assembled multi-component designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cap portion is formed by bonding or welding two or more molded components together, then the structure can accommodate complicated functions, but costs for molds are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for multiple separate molds required for producing individual cap components that would then be assembled. A single mold produces the complete integrally-molded cap portion with all features, reducing tooling costs, assembly operations, and quality control requirements.
4Ease of operation
If the opening area of toner outlet and flow passage area are increased to improve toner discharge, then operability is improved, but the cap portion structure becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the shutter mechanism, sealing features, positioning elements, and enlarged toner outlet/flow passage features into a single integrally-molded cap portion. This consolidation maintains the improved operability from larger openings while avoiding the complexity of assembling multiple separate components, as all features are built into the monolithic structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A toner container that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus such that a longitudinal direction of the toner container is parallel to a horizontal direction includes: a cylindrical container body that has an opening on one end thereof in the longitudinal direction, and is configured to convey toner contained therein toward the opening; a cap portion into which the opening of the container body is inserted, and which includes a toner outlet at a bottom portion thereof for discharging toner discharged from the opening of the container body to the outside of the toner container in a vertically downward direction; and a shutter member that is held on the bottom portion of the cap portion, and moves along an outer periphery of the cap portion to thereby open and close the toner outlet, wherein the cap portion is formed by integral molding.