Waste Toner Container as Sheet-Conveying Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image-forming apparatuses with a sheet-conveying guide between the photosensitive drum and the sheet-feed roller result in increased size, making them less compact.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a waste-toner container that doubles as a part of the sheet-conveying guide when mounted on the drum frame, allowing the apparatus body and container walls to guide sheet conveyance, thereby reducing the overall size and complexity of the image-forming apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sheet-conveying guide is provided between the photosensitive drum and the sheet-feed roller, then sheet guidance is improved, but the size of the image-forming apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waste-toner container is merged with the sheet-conveying guide structure. The container wall forms part of the guide that directs sheets from the sheet-feed roller to the photosensitive drum, eliminating the need for a separate guide component and reducing overall apparatus size while maintaining proper sheet guidance
Solution Approach 2:
The waste-toner container serves dual functions: it stores waste toner and simultaneously acts as part of the sheet-conveying guide. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed in the apparatus, contributing to a more compact design
Data Source
AI summary
An image-forming apparatus includes an apparatus body and a process cartridge attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body. The apparatus body includes a sheet-feed roller and a body wall. The process cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum; a drum frame; a developing roller; a cleaner; a conveying pipe and a waste-toner container for storing waste toner removed from the photosensitive drum by the cleaner and conveyed by the conveying pipe. The waste-toner container is detachably mountable on the drum frame. The waste-toner container mounted on the drum frame is positioned opposite to the photosensitive drum with respect to the developing roller. The body wall of the apparatus body and a container wall of the waste-toner container constitute a part of a sheet-conveying guide for guiding conveyance of a sheet from the sheet-feed roller toward the photosensitive drum when the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus body.