Toner Container Shutter Cover Member Toner Scattering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toner containers face challenges in preventing toner contamination due to the rotating direction of the shutter member, leading to accumulation and scattering of toner around the replenishment port, and the complexity of mechanisms in existing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A toner container with a shutter mechanism that includes a cover member extending from the shutter member, which contacts and holds toner adhered on the edge portion of the replenishment port, preventing it from falling and scattering by retracting into the port as the shutter opens and closes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shutter member is always rotated in the same direction toward the closing position, then the shutter mechanism can reliably close the replenishment port, but toner accumulates on the edge portion of the replenishment port and may scatter or fall around the port
Solution Approach 1:
A cover member is introduced as an intermediary element between the shutter member and the replenishment port. The cover member extends from the shutter member toward the replenishment port and contacts the downstream side edge portion to prevent toner accumulation, while not interfering with the shutter member's closing function. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by adding a protective element that eliminates toner scattering without compromising the reliability of the port closing mechanism.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a cover member is added to prevent toner scattering, then toner contamination is reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is merged with the shutter member as an integrated structure. The cover member extends from the shutter member and is positioned to contact the downstream side edge portion of the replenishment port, preventing toner accumulation. By combining the shutter function and the toner prevention function into a single integrated component, the design avoids adding separate complex mechanisms while still achieving the goal of reducing toner contamination.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the cover member extends toward the replenishment port to hold toner, then toner fallout is prevented, but the cover member may interfere with toner discharge when the shutter opens
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is designed with localized functionality, extending only to contact the downstream side edge portion of the replenishment port where toner accumulation occurs. The cover member does not completely block the replenishment port but rather provides localized protection at the critical edge portion. This localized approach prevents toner fallout while maintaining adequate toner discharge flow through the port when the shutter is open.
Data Source
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AI summary
A toner container (10) includes a container main body (41) having a toner replenishment port (52) and a shutter mechanism (42). The shutter mechanism (42) has a shutter member (57) having a discharge port (63) and a cover member (59) supported by the shutter member (57) so as to extend toward the replenishment port (52). The shutter member (57) is movable in an opening direction from a closing position where the discharge port (63) is retracted from the replenishment port (52) to an opening position where the discharge port (63) is communicated with the replenishment port (52) and in a closing direction from the opening position to the closing position. The cover member (59) has a tip end portion (73b) . The tip end portion (73b) extends toward the replenishment port (52) as the shutter member (57) moves in the closing direction, comes into contact with a downstream side edge portion (52a) of the replenishment port (52) at the closing position and retracts from the replenishment port (52) as the shutter member (57) moves in the opening direction.