Toner Container Side Wall Charging Hole Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toner containers face challenges in smooth and secure toner charging due to obstructions from cylindrical toner charging holes, which hinder attachment/detachment and increase apparatus height and cost, and lack space for efficient charging operations.
Innovation Solution
A toner container design with a toner charging hole on a side wall, positioned between a bearing portion and a swing prevention portion, allowing for a larger, obstruction-free space for funnel insertion and efficient toner charging, while maintaining structural support and preventing container swinging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cylindrical toner charging hole is provided on a surface extending parallel to the attachment/detachment direction, then toner charging is enabled, but it creates a projection that obstructs the attachment/detachment of the toner container
Solution Approach 1:
The toner charging hole is repositioned from a surface parallel to the attachment/detachment direction to the end surface orthogonal to that direction. This dimensional change eliminates the projection problem while maintaining charging functionality, as the hole is now located at the tip of the container where it does not interfere with side-wall attachment operations.
2Ease of operation
If the toner charging hole is formed in the top surface of the toner container, then charging is enabled, but the vertical dimension increases requiring more apparatus height
Solution Approach 1:
The charging hole is moved from the top surface (vertical dimension) to the end surface (horizontal dimension orthogonal to attachment direction). This redistributes the spatial requirements from the vertical axis to the horizontal axis, allowing the apparatus to maintain a compact height while still providing adequate charging access.
3Productivity
If the toner charging hole is formed in the end surface of the container, then charging efficiency is improved, but there is little space and various members for operating the shutter member create obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The end surface of the container is locally differentiated into functional zones: one area for the shutter mechanism and another area for the toner charging hole. This spatial separation within the end surface allows both the shutter operation and charging operations to coexist without interference, maximizing the utilization of the end surface while maintaining charging efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A toner container for containing toner includes a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other; a toner discharge hole; an agitator for agitating the toner, the agitator rotatable around an agitating shaft bridged between the first side wall and the second side wall; a bearing portion for supporting one end of the agitating shaft; a swing prevention portion for preventing the container from swinging; and a toner charging hole for charging toner into the container. The first side wall is formed with the bearing portion, the swing prevention portion, and the toner charging hole. The bearing portion is between the toner charging hole and the swing prevention portion on an outer surface of the first side wall.