Elastic Sealing Flap Design for Toner Adherence Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder collecting devices in electrophotographic copiers and printers face issues with toner adherence to sealing flaps, leading to grime on components and users, and potential flap damage due to improper sealing and space constraints, which obstructs waste toner drop and increases contamination.
Innovation Solution
A powder collecting device with an elastic sealing member having upper and lower flaps, where the lower flaps' elastic deformable portions are shorter than the upper flaps', preventing toner adherence and ensuring proper sealing without obstructing the waste toner drop path, even during mounting and dismounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lower flaps are made long to extend to the opening for sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but waste toner adheres to the flap tips and causes contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the lower flaps (extending to the opening) is extracted and eliminated by making them shorter, while retaining the necessary sealing function through the upper flaps and the elastic deformation mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Different flap lengths are provided for different positions: upper flaps are longer for effective sealing, while lower flaps are shorter to prevent toner adherence, creating local differentiation in flap dimensions
2Volume of moving object
If the conveyer pipe insertion space is reduced for downsizing, then device compactness is improved, but the flap tips cover the opening and obstruct waste toner drop
Solution Approach 1:
The flaps are designed to be elastically deformable, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position and shape based on the insertion depth, ensuring they don't obstruct the opening while maintaining sealing
3Reliability
If the lower flaps are made long to seal the opening, then sealing is improved, but the flaps may be caught and torn during mounting and dismounting
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic length of lower flaps is extracted and reduced to eliminate the risk of being caught and torn, while maintaining sufficient sealing capability
Solution Approach 2:
Elastic deformability is introduced to allow flaps to flex during mounting and dismounting operations, preventing stress concentration and potential tearing
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
Prevents toner adherence to sealing flaps, reduces contamination, and ensures seamless operation by maintaining effective sealing without flap damage or obstruction, enhancing the overall efficiency and cleanliness of the device.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic sealing member, which has a larger area than a cross-sectional area of the one end of the conveyance pipe, is attached to a portion of the container through which the one end of the conveyance pipe is inserted into the container
Data Source
AI summary
A powder collecting device for conveying toner, a developer, waste toner and/or a waste developer in a conveyance pipe in one direction and for dropping it into a container through an opening made at an end of the conveyance pipe. The container is mountable in a body of an image forming apparatus such that the end of the conveyance pipe is inserted into the container, and is dismountable therefrom. An elastic sealing member, which has a larger area than a cross-sectional area of the end of the conveyance pipe, is attached to a portion of the container through which the end of the conveyance pipe is inserted into the container. A plurality of cuts are made in the sealing member such that the sealing member has at least an upper flap having a longer elastically deformable portion and a lower flap having a shorter elastically deformable portion.