Toner Production Apparatus Gravity Separation Metallic Contaminants

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toner production methods using rotor mills face issues with metallic foreign matters contamination, leading to mill damage and photoreceptor damage during the image forming process, due to the inability to effectively separate these contaminants before pulverization.

Innovation Solution

A toner producing apparatus incorporating a foreign matter separating unit with a chamber using gravity to separate metallic foreign matters from the raw powder material, comprising a feeding pipe and an exhausting pipe, connected to a pulverizing unit with a rotor to prevent contamination and ensure efficient toner production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If rotor mills are used to pulverize raw powder material, then fine powder can be produced with reduced energy consumption, but metallic foreign matters contaminate the fine powder causing mill damage and photoreceptor damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidmetallic foreign matters contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by installing a foreign matter separating unit before the rotor mill to remove metallic foreign matters from raw powder material before pulverization. This prevents contamination of fine powder and potential damage to the mill and photoreceptors, while still allowing energy-efficient pulverization by the rotor mill to proceed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If foreign matter separating unit is added before rotor mill, then metallic foreign matters can be removed, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemetallic foreign matters contaminationVSAvoidapparatus structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical filtering systems with a gravity-based foreign matter separating unit. This simpler mechanism uses the weight difference between metallic foreign matters and raw powder material to achieve separation through gravity, avoiding the need for complex mechanical filters while still effectively removing contaminants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If gravity-based separation is used to remove metallic foreign matters, then separation can be achieved without complex mechanisms, but separation efficiency may be insufficient for all particle sizes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation mechanismVSAvoidseparation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces air flow as an intermediary to enhance the gravity-based separation. The air flow carries lighter raw powder material particles upward while heavier metallic foreign matters settle downward due to gravity, creating an effective separation mechanism that combines aerodynamic forces with gravitational separation to achieve high separation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 apparatus effectively separates metallic foreign matters from the raw powder material, preventing mill damage and photoreceptor contamination, ensuring high-quality toner production with reduced risk of damage and improved operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a foreign matter separating unit including a foreign matter separating chamber for separating metallic foreign matters contained in raw powder material of toner from the raw powder material of toner by using gravity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS9573136B2Toner producing apparatus and toner producing method

Publication Date: 2017.02.21 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A toner producing apparatus including: a foreign matter separating unit including a foreign matter separating chamber for separating metallic foreign matters contained in raw powder material of toner from the raw powder material of toner by using gravity, a feeding pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to feed the raw powder material of toner into the foreign matter separating chamber, and an exhausting pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to exhaust the raw powder material of toner from the foreign matter separating chamber; and a pulverizing unit including a rotor, the pulverizing unit being connected to the exhausting pipe of the foreign matter separating unit.