Waste Toner Discharge Pipe Flange Restricting Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, waste toner leaks out of the waste toner tank due to air blown out by falling toner, contaminating the charging electrode during manual cleaning, as the insertion port for cleaning tools is often on the same surface as the discharge pipe, allowing toner to re-enter and contaminate the charging portion.
Innovation Solution
A restricting portion, such as a flange portion, is arranged on the side surface of the discharge pipe between the discharge port and the insertion port to prevent air flow from the discharge port to the insertion port, reducing air-borne toner leakage and contamination of the charging electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the insertion port is provided on the same surface as the discharge pipe to facilitate cleaning and maintenance, then ease of operation is improved, but waste toner leaks out of the waste toner tank and contaminates the charging electrode
Solution Approach 1:
A flow restrictor is introduced as an intermediary component between the discharge port and the insertion port. This flow restrictor modifies the air flow path to prevent waste toner from reaching the insertion port while still allowing cleaning tools to access the charging electrode through the insertion port.
Solution Approach 2:
The problem is solved by considering the spatial dimension of air flow. The flow restrictor is positioned to block the horizontal air flow path that would carry waste toner to the insertion port, while maintaining vertical access for cleaning tools.
2Productivity
If the discharge port discharges waste toner downward into the waste toner tank, then productivity is improved by automatic waste collection, but air blown out by falling toner causes waste toner to leak out of the tank
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restrictor acts as a mediator between the discharge port and the insertion port, intercepting and redirecting the air flow that would otherwise carry waste toner from the discharge port to the insertion port and potentially out of the waste toner tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow that initially causes waste toner to be blown out of the tank is redirected by the flow restrictor to serve a beneficial purpose: it still allows cleaning tools to pass through the insertion port, but now the flow is controlled to prevent toner leakage while maintaining access for maintenance.
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
The flange portion effectively reduces air flow and toner leakage, minimizing contamination of the charging electrode and facilitating cleaner maintenance by preventing toner from entering the insertion port, thus maintaining the apparatus's operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The flange portion effectively reduces air flow and toner leakage
Data Source
AI summary
In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning portion has a discharge pipe that guides toner that has been collected from a peripheral surface of a photoreceptor drum as waste toner to the outside of a process unit. The discharge pipe is drawn from a side surface of the process unit and includes at a tip portion a discharge port that discharges the waste toner. A restricting portion is arranged on a side surface of the discharge pipe, between a position corresponding to an insertion port and the discharge port, and restricts a flow of air moving from the discharge port to the insertion port. The insertion port is provided on a same surface as the side surface of the process unit from which the discharge pipe is drawn. And the insertion port is configured to be inserted by a cleaning tool for the electrode.