Vibrating Vane Cleaning Device for Intermediate Transfer Belt
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for toner image bearers in electrophotography face inefficiencies in waste toner removal near the photoreceptor drum, leading to increased motor load and energy consumption, and incomplete toner transfer, which degrades print quality.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a vibrating member featuring vanes that come into contact with the waste toner conveying screw, allowing for efficient vibration and removal of waste toner near the toner image bearer, reducing motor load and energy consumption by minimizing constant contact and promoting effective toner collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the film and waste toner conveying screw come into contact in a large contact area, then waste toner collection is facilitated, but the driving load and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The film is designed to vibrate during operation, transforming from a static component to a dynamic one. This vibration creates periodic contact with the waste toner conveying screw, reducing the contact area from continuous to intermittent, thereby lowering the driving load while maintaining effective toner collection
Solution Approach 2:
The film undergoes periodic vibration at specific frequencies, creating cyclical contact zones with the conveying screw. This periodic action ensures that waste toner is continuously engaged and conveyed without requiring constant large-area contact, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity
2Productivity
If the vibrating part uses a film sheet with multiple vanes abutting the conveying screw, then waste toner vibration and collection are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The film is divided into multiple vanes that are spaced apart, creating discrete contact points with the conveying screw rather than a continuous contact surface. This segmentation allows effective toner engagement through multiple localized zones while simplifying the overall structure compared to a solid continuous film
Solution Approach 2:
A thin flexible film sheet is used as the vibrating element, which can be easily manufactured and installed. The film's flexibility allows it to vibrate effectively and conform to the conveying screw geometry, achieving complex functional requirements with a simple, lightweight structure
3Productivity
If the vanes are positioned close to the toner image bearer, then waste toner removal near the drum is improved, but the risk of interfering with the cleaning blade operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vanes are positioned close to the toner image bearer but remain dynamically active through vibration. This dynamic positioning allows them to effectively engage and vibrate waste toner near the drum surface without making constant contact that would interfere with the cleaning blade's stable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The vanes utilize mechanical vibration to interact with waste toner in the critical zone near the toner image bearer. The vibration creates sufficient force to mobilize and convey adhered toner particles without requiring the vanes to physically contact or obstruct the cleaning blade's path, thus improving removal efficiency while maintaining operational reliability
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 solution improves the operation efficiency of the waste toner conveying screw, reduces energy consumption, and ensures the surface of the toner image bearer is kept clean by effectively removing waste toner, thereby enhancing print quality and extending the life of the device.
Implementation Method 1
the vanes that abut the waste toner conveying screw change as the waste toner conveying screw rotates, whereby the vanes vibrate when the vanes are released to recover their original state from the state of abutment between the vanes and the waste toner conveying screw, which, in turn, vibrate the waste toner on the cleaning blade near the vanes
Data Source
AI summary
The intermediate transfer belt cleaning device includes a cleaning blade for removing residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt, a waste toner conveying screw that conveys the removed toner, and a vibrating part with multiple vanes, arranged between the cleaning blade and the waste toner conveying screw, each vane partly coming into contact with the waste toner conveying screw and vibrating in linkage with the motion of the waste toner conveying screw. Each vane has a projected part that is positioned close to, and projects toward, the intermediate transfer belt.