Toner Pipe Circulation for Drum Cleaner Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to increase the capacity of a toner container in an image forming apparatus without increasing the size of the toner cartridge.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a toner container, a development housing, a development roller, a drum cleaner, and a toner pipe. The toner pipe allows recovered toner from the drum cleaner to be returned to the toner container, mixing it with unused toner and circulating toner between the development housing and the toner container to prevent toner deterioration and increase capacity without additional storage for recovered toner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the capacity of the toner container is increased, then the toner supply duration is extended, but the size of the toner cartridge increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waste toner container is nested within the toner container, utilizing the internal space of the toner container to store waste toner. This nesting arrangement allows the system to effectively double the toner management capacity without increasing the external dimensions of the toner cartridge, as the waste toner container is positioned inside the toner container's volume.
2Loss of substance
If a separate waste toner container is added, then toner recovery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waste toner container is merged with the toner container assembly, forming an integrated unit where both containers share the same structural framework and mounting mechanism. This merging approach allows toner recovery functionality to be added while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity, as the waste toner container is seamlessly integrated into the existing toner cartridge structure rather than being a completely separate component.
Data Source
AI summary
A drum cleaner cleans a circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum. A toner pipe allows passage of toner that is recovered from the drum cleaner to a toner container. The toner pipe has a discharge port configured to discharge toner in the toner pipe. The toner container includes a toner discharge port, a toner reception port, and a toner conveyor. The toner discharge port discharges toner in the toner container. The toner reception port receives toner discharged from the discharge port of the toner pipe. The toner conveyor conveys toner from the toner reception port toward the toner discharge port. A development housing includes a development reception port and a development discharge port. The development reception port receives toner discharged from the toner discharge port. The development discharge port discharges, to the toner pipe, toner that is retuned from the development housing to the toner container.