Intermediate Transfer Belt Shutter for Toner Leakage Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner leakage from developing devices contaminates intermediate transfer belts and rollers in electro-photographic image forming devices, leading to reduced transfer quality and increased maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate transfer belt assembly with an accommodation portion to collect toner leakage, featuring a shutter that opens or closes the inlet to the accommodation portion in conjunction with the movement of the intermediate transfer roller, preventing toner from scattering and leaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an accommodation portion is provided to collect toner leakage, then contamination of intermediate transfer belt and rollers is reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional shutter mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful factor (toner leakage) is extracted and isolated into a separate accommodation portion. The shutter mechanism controls access to this isolated space, preventing toner from escaping and contaminating the intermediate transfer belt and rollers while containing it in a dedicated collection area.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter acts as an intermediary element between the accommodation portion and the external environment. It mediates the potential conflict by selectively opening or closing to allow toner collection during operation while preventing contamination during maintenance or idle states.
2Reliability
If shutter opens to allow toner collection during operation, then transfer quality is maintained, but toner may leak during after-sales service handling
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is designed to be dynamically controllable, transitioning between open and closed states based on operational requirements. During normal operation, it remains open to allow toner collection; during after-sales service handling, it can be closed to prevent leakage, adapting to different operational contexts.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter mechanism enables preliminary preparation for different operational states. Before after-sales service handling begins, the shutter can be closed in advance to seal the accommodation portion, preventing toner leakage before it occurs. During operation, it is opened in advance to enable toner collection.
Data Source
AI summary
An intermediate transfer belt assembly includes an intermediate transfer roller located on an inner side of an intermediate transfer belt to support the intermediate transfer belt, an accommodation portion to accommodate foreign matter, the accommodation portion having an inlet open toward the intermediate transfer belt, and a shutter to open or close the inlet.