Waste Toner Feeding Device with Angled Guiding Surface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in reliably guiding waste toner from the cleaning member to the feeding device, leading to inefficiencies in the developer removal process.
Innovation Solution
The feeding device incorporates a waste toner storage section with a guiding surface angled between the angle of repose and the vertical direction, ensuring reliable conveyance of waste toner to the feeding member, and a spiral feeding blade to efficiently transfer waste toner from the storage section to the waste toner box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional feeding device without a guiding surface is used, then the structure is simpler, but the waste toner cannot be reliably guided to the feeding member, leading to accumulation and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding device is segmented into distinct functional components: the cleaning member contact area, the guiding surface section with specific angle, the accommodating portion, and the feeding member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with the guiding surface specifically designed to direct waste toner flow reliably to the feeding member.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding surface acts as an intermediary element between the waste toner source (cleaning member contact area) and the feeding member. This intermediate structure with a specific angle range facilitates the reliable conveyance of waste toner by providing a controlled path that prevents accumulation and ensures consistent delivery to the feeding member.
2Reliability
If the inward surface of the accommodating portion is not properly angled, then the structure is simpler, but waste toner accumulates and leaks instead of being conveyed to the feeding member
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding surface is designed with a specific angular parameter range (between the angle of repose of waste toner and the vertical direction). This parameter optimization ensures that waste toner naturally flows along the surface toward the feeding member without accumulation or leakage, balancing conveyance reliability with manufacturing feasibility.
3Productivity
If the feeding member rotates with high torque, then it can move accumulated waste toner, but the energy consumption increases and the system becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding surface performs a preliminary action by directing waste toner flow toward the feeding member before the feeding member rotates. This pre-positioning of waste toner along the conveying path reduces the torque required for the feeding member to rotate and move the toner, improving energy efficiency while maintaining productivity.
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
This configuration enhances the reliability and efficiency of waste toner conveyance, preventing accumulation and leakage, and reducing the torque required for rotation of the feeding member, thus improving overall developer removal efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a waste toner storage section (14a) having a bottom surface (14e) positioned lower than the area (6c) where the cleaning blade (6) contacts the photosensitive drum (1); a waste toner guiding section (14d) having an inward surface (14d0) which is a part of an inward surface of the waste toner storage section (14a)
Implementation Method 2
a spiral feeding blade to efficiently transfer waste toner from the storage section to the waste toner box
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A developer feeding device includes a cleaning member contacted to an image bearing drum; a accommodating portion for the developer removed by the cleaning member; a feeding member for feeding the developer from the accommodating portion; a sheet contacted to the drum; and a guide forming a part of a wall surface of the accommodating portion at a position in a side of the sheet with respect to a line connecting a drum center and a feeding member center, as seen in a drum axis direction. The guide extends in a acute angle range formed between a first line extending vertically through the feeding member center and a second line extending in a direction of a rest angle of the developer through the feeding member center, the guide having a shape such as to approach to a linear shape as a distance of the feeding member decreases.