Toner Container Shutter and Film Seal for Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toner containers for image forming apparatuses lack an efficient mechanism for separating and managing unused and waste toner, leading to potential toner leakage and operational inefficiencies during attachment and removal.
Innovation Solution
The toner container design incorporates separate upper and lower storage portions with a spiral conveyance mechanism and a shutter member for toner discharge, allowing for controlled toner supply and waste toner storage, and features a film member and sponge member to prevent toner leakage during attachment and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single storage chamber is used for both unused and waste toner, then the device complexity is reduced, but toner leakage and contamination occur during attachment and removal operations
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container is divided into two separate chambers: a first storage chamber for unused toner and a second storage chamber for waste toner. This segmentation prevents mixing and leakage of different toner types during attachment and removal operations, solving the reliability issue while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter member is extracted as a separate controllable component that can selectively open and close the discharge port. This allows independent control of toner flow from the first storage chamber, preventing unintended leakage during operational transitions.
2Productivity
If the shutter member remains open during removal, then toner supply is efficient, but toner leaks during attachment and removal operations
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter member is designed to be dynamically controllable, transitioning between open and closed states based on operational requirements. It remains open during normal operation for efficient toner supply and closes during attachment and removal to prevent leakage, resolving the contradiction between productivity and harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter member is positioned and configured to automatically close when the toner container is removed from the image forming apparatus, utilizing the removal motion itself to trigger the closing action and prevent toner leakage without requiring additional active control.
3Device complexity
If unused and waste toner are stored together, then the storage structure is simpler, but operational efficiency and cleanliness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container is divided into two separate chambers: a first storage chamber for unused toner and a second storage chamber for waste toner. This segmentation prevents mixing and leakage of different toner types during attachment and removal operations, solving the reliability issue while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
4Duration of action of moving object
If the toner discharge port is always accessible, then toner supply is continuous, but toner contamination and loss increase during non-operational periods
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter member is extracted as a separate controllable component that can selectively open and close the discharge port. This allows independent control of toner flow from the first storage chamber, preventing unintended leakage during operational transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter member is positioned and configured to automatically close when the toner container is removed from the image forming apparatus, utilizing the removal motion itself to trigger the closing action and prevent toner leakage without requiring additional active control.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A toner container (3) includes an elongated container main body (75), a toner discharge port (100), a first rotation member (95) configured to convey the toner toward the toner discharge port (100), a support plate (102) provided in the container main body (75) and disposed in such a way as to face the wall surface, and an opening and closing member (101) provided between the wall surface and the support plate (102) and supported by the support plate (102) in such a way as to be able to move between a closing position and an opening position. The support plate (102) includes a first opening portion (211) formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port (100) and larger than the toner discharge port (100) in size, and a film member (217) attached to the support plate (102) in such a way as to cover the first opening portion (211) and including a second opening portion (218) formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port (100).