CN108255039B - Waste powder bin and processing box - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a waste powder bin and a processing box with the waste powder bin, wherein the waste powder bin comprises a waste powder bin shell, a cleaning piece detachably arranged in the waste powder bin shell and a chip seat integrally formed with the waste powder bin shell; the waste powder bin shell encloses to form a waste developer containing cavity for containing waste developer; the waste developer containing cavity is communicated with the chip holder; therefore, the chip holder and the waste powder bin shell are integrally formed in the production of the die, so that the chip holder does not need to be produced independently, and the chip holder does not need to be installed on the waste powder bin shell when the processing box is assembled, the wind direction that the chip holder falls off from the waste powder bin shell cannot occur, the production process is reduced, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

Waste powder bin and processing box

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of electrophotographic image forming, and more particularly, to a process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a waste toner hopper for containing a waste developer, the waste toner hopper having a chip mounting seat mounted thereon.

Background

A process cartridge, commonly called a toner cartridge, contains a developer for development, and when the process cartridge is mounted to an image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "apparatus"), a surface of a photosensitive member is irradiated with a laser beam loaded with image forming information to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member, the developer is supplied from a developer supply member to the surface of the photosensitive member to develop the electrostatic latent image, the photosensitive member transfers the developed image onto an image forming medium, and finally the image on the image forming medium is fixed and output by the apparatus.

As described above, the life of the process cartridge is proportional to the amount of developer contained therein, in order to prevent the end user's experience of use from being affected by the consumption of the developer, usually, a chip is mounted on the process cartridge, and the chip stores information such as the type of the process cartridge, the page yield, and the applicable printer type, and after the process cartridge is mounted to the device, the information communication between the chip and the device is realized through the electrical connection between the chip and the device, so that the device can know the page yield of the process cartridge, that is, the amount of developer contained therein, and remind the end user that the process cartridge needs to be replaced by setting the device when reaching a predetermined value before the page yield, thereby ensuring the end user's experience of use.

The chip in the existing processing box is arranged on a chip mounting seat, and then the chip mounting seat is arranged on the processing box, preferably, the chip mounting seat is integrally formed with the waste powder bin, however, the existing die structure is limited, and the waste powder bin with the structure cannot be produced.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a waste powder bin, which is integrally formed with a chip seat by changing the internal structure of the waste powder bin.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the following technical scheme:

the waste powder bin comprises a waste powder bin shell, a cleaning piece detachably arranged in the waste powder bin shell and a chip seat integrally formed with the waste powder bin shell; the waste powder bin shell encloses to form a waste developer containing cavity for containing waste developer; the waste developer containing chamber and the chip holder are communicated with each other.

The cleaning piece is supported by a supporting surface formed on one side of the waste developer containing cavity, a through hole is formed in the supporting surface, and the waste developer containing cavity is communicated with the chip holder through the through hole.

The chip holder includes the base member of being connected with useless powder storehouse casing, the first holding surface that extends from the three side of base member, and first holding surface encloses to close and forms and have open-ended holding recess, through-hole and opening intercommunication.

A first sidewall extending from three sides of the base and a top plate connecting the first sidewall.

The top plate and the first supporting surface have a height difference in a mounting direction of the process cartridge.

The receiving recess has a bottom surface, and the chip holder further includes a support platform extending from the bottom surface at the opening, the support platform being connected to the top plate.

The supporting stage is not shielded when viewed in a direction opposite to the mounting direction of the process cartridge.

The chip holder further comprises a second side wall extending from the base body at the same side as the first supporting surface, and the second side wall extends to a height between the first side wall and the first supporting surface.

The first support surface and the support table are surrounded by a first side wall and a second side wall.

The invention also provides a processing box which comprises the mutually combined powder bin and the waste powder bin.

As described above, the waste developer containing cavity defined by the waste toner hopper according to the present invention communicates with the chip holder, thereby realizing mass production of the waste toner hopper integrally formed with the chip holder by using a mold.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the overall structure of a process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken in the transverse direction of the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the entire structure of the waste toner hopper of the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the internal structure of the waste toner hopper of the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a chip mount in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a protective member in the waste toner hopper of the process cartridge according to the present invention and a waste toner hopper casing.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the process cartridge according to the present invention after the protector is attached to the waste toner hopper.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the waste toner hopper cut in the lateral direction of the process cartridge after the protector is attached to the waste toner hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the structure of a powder hopper portion in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 10 is an exploded schematic view of a powder hopper portion in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 11A is a schematic view of the internal structure of the second end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 11B is a schematic view of the external structure of the second end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 12A is a schematic view showing the intermediate gear assembly in the process cartridge according to the present invention mounted on the first end cap of the powder hopper.

Fig. 12B is a schematic view of a state where the intermediate gear assembly in the process cartridge relating to the present invention is exploded from the first end cover of the powder hopper.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view of transmission of driving force between gears in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 14A is a schematic view of the internal structure of the first end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 14B is a schematic view of the external structure of the first end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 15A to 15C are schematic views of the structure of a pull ring in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a schematic view showing two states of the pull ring in the first end cap of the powder hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and for convenience of description, the process cartridge is defined as follows: the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge is defined as a longitudinal direction X, and the mounting direction of the process cartridge is defined as a lateral direction Y.

[ integral Structure of Process Cartridge ]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the overall structure of a process cartridge according to the present invention; fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken in the transverse direction of the process cartridge relating to the present invention; fig. 3 is a schematic view of the entire structure of the waste toner hopper of the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the process cartridge C includes a powder hopper 100 and a waste powder hopper 200 combined with each other, the powder hopper 100 including a powder hopper housing 10, a first end cap 11 and a second end cap 12 at both ends of the powder hopper housing 10 in a longitudinal direction, a developing member 13, a developer layer regulating member 14, and an agitating member 15 rotatably installed in the powder hopper housing 10; the powder bin shell 10 is enclosed to form a developer accommodating cavity TC, and the stirring piece 15 is used for stirring the developer to prevent the developer from caking and hardening; a developing member 13 as a developer supplying member rotatably disposed between the first and second end caps 11 and 12 for carrying and supplying the developer to a photosensitive member 21 described later; the developer layer regulating member 14 is for regulating the thickness of the developer layer on the surface of the developing member 13 to a predetermined value.

The waste toner hopper 200 includes a waste toner hopper housing 20, a photosensitive member 21 and a charging member 22 rotatably mounted in the waste toner hopper housing 20, a cleaning member 23, and a protecting member 24 rotatably mounted in the waste toner hopper housing 20; the charging member 22 is in close contact with the photosensitive member 21 for charging a predetermined charge on the surface of the photosensitive member 21, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 21 upon irradiation of the laser beam loaded with image forming information, the developing member 13 supplies a developer to the photosensitive member 21, the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member 21 is developed with the developer, and then the photosensitive member 21 transfers the developed electrostatic latent image to an image forming medium and outputs the same after fixing by the apparatus; the waste toner hopper housing 20 encloses a waste developer containing chamber WTC, and the cleaning member 23 is in close contact with the surface of the photosensitive member 21, and is used for scraping off the developer remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member 21 after transfer and storing the developer in the waste developer containing chamber WTC.

As shown in fig. 3, the photosensitive member 21 includes a photosensitive drum 211 and a gear body 212 fixedly connected to one longitudinal end of the photosensitive drum 211, the photosensitive member 21 receives a driving force for driving the photosensitive drum 211 to rotate from the apparatus through a power receiving device provided therein, which may be the gear body 212, and may also be a power receiving device installed in the gear body 212, the power receiving device being configured to be coupled to a power output member in the apparatus and to receive the driving force output from the power output member, and further drive the photosensitive drum 211 to rotate through the gear body 212; in order to support the photosensitive member 21, the waste toner hopper 200 further includes a bracket 25 connected to the waste toner hopper housing 20, and the bracket 25 rotatably supports the photosensitive member 21 in the waste toner hopper housing 20 through the supporting gear body 212. preferably, the bracket 25 is integrally formed with the waste toner hopper housing 20, so that the operation of connecting the bracket 25 to the waste toner hopper housing 20 is not required during the assembly of the process cartridge C, which is beneficial to reducing the man-hour and reducing the production cost.

[ chip holder ]

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an internal structure of a waste toner hopper of the process cartridge according to the present invention; fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a chip mount in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 5, the waste toner hopper 200 further includes a chip holder 26 attached to the waste toner hopper housing 20 and a chip 27 mounted in the chip holder 26, the chip holder 26 being located at a downstream end of the waste toner hopper 200 in the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C (as shown in fig. 6); preferably, the chip holder 26 is formed integrally with the waste toner hopper casing 20, so that a communication failure of the process cartridge C with the apparatus due to the chip holder 26 falling off from the waste toner hopper casing 20 can be effectively prevented. The chip 27 includes a substrate 271 and a component 272 mounted on the substrate 271, as shown in the figure, the component 272 protrudes from one surface of the substrate 271 to form a protrusion, and at the same time, a limiting portion 273 for limiting the position of the chip 27 is formed on the substrate 271, and preferably, the limiting portion 273 is a limiting groove.

The chip holder 26 includes a base 26a having a square cross section, a first side wall 26c and a first supporting surface 26e extending from three sides of the base 26a, a top plate 26f connecting the first side wall 26 c; along the mounting direction Y of the processing box, a height difference h is formed between the top plate 26f and the first supporting surface 26e, and the base body 26a is connected with the waste powder bin shell 20; the first side wall 26c and the top plate 26f enclose a shape substantially complementary to the first supporting surface 26e when viewed in the direction opposite to the mounting direction Y, and thus the first supporting surface 26e also extends from three sides of the base body 26a, and as shown, the first supporting surface 26e encloses a receiving recess 26g having an opening 26m, the receiving recess 26g having a bottom surface 26d for receiving the component 272 of the chip 27.

Further, the chip holder 26 further includes a support base 26h extending from the bottom surface 26d at the opening 26m, the support base 26h being connected to the top plate 26f to enhance rigidity thereof, the support base 26h being substantially flush with the first support surface 26e in the mounting direction of the chip 27; in order to facilitate observation of the mounting process of the chip 27, a viewing port 26i is also provided on the top plate 26f in correspondence with the position of the support base 26h, in other words, the support base 26h is not shielded when viewed in the direction opposite to the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C.

In order to prevent the chip 27 from falling off the chip holder 26, the chip holder 26 further includes a second side wall 26b extending from the base 26a on the same side as the first supporting surface 26e, the second side wall 26b extending to a height between the first side wall 26C and the first supporting surface 26e, the second side wall 26b being located outside the first supporting surface 26e when viewed in a direction opposite to the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C, that is, the first supporting surface 26e and the supporting base 26h are surrounded by the first side wall 26C and the second side wall 26 b; further, the chip holder 26 further includes a stopper protrusion 26n extending from the second side wall 26b toward the receiving recess 26g, the stopper protrusion 26n being adapted to engage with the stopper recess 273 of the chip 27 to prevent the chip 27 from shaking; further, the chip holder 26 further includes a soldering projection 26j extending from the second side wall 26b in the same direction as the second side wall 26b, and preferably, the soldering projection 26j is provided in two opposite directions.

The above describes the structure of the chip holder 26, and after the chip 27 is mounted, the substrate 271 is supported by the first supporting surface 26e and the supporting base 26h to be positioned between the first supporting surface 26e and the top plate 26f, the component 272 is received by the receiving recess 26g, and the stopper recess 273 is combined with the stopper protrusion 26n, so that the position of the chip 27 is defined, and then the two welding protrusions 26j are welded to the chip substrate 271 by thermal welding.

As shown in fig. 4, the waste toner hopper casing 20 encloses a waste developer containing chamber WTC, a second supporting surface 201 for supporting the cleaning member 23 is formed at one side of the waste developer containing chamber WTC, and the cleaning member 23 is detachably mounted in the waste toner hopper casing 20. In order to realize the above-mentioned mold in which the chip holder 26 is integrally formed with the waste toner hopper casing 20, the waste developer containing chamber WTC and the containing recess 26g are communicated with each other in the waste toner hopper casing 20, specifically, as shown in the drawing, the through hole 202 is formed in the second supporting surface 201, and before assembling the process cartridge C, further, before assembling the waste toner hopper 200, further, before mounting the cleaning member 23, the through hole 202 and the waste developer containing chamber WTC are communicated with each other, and as shown in fig. 5, the through hole 202 is also communicated with the containing recess 26g through the opening 26m, and thus, the waste developer containing chamber WTC and the containing recess 26g are communicated with each other through the through hole 202, that is, the waste developer containing chamber WTC and the chip holder 26 are communicated with each other. When the cleaning member 23 is mounted to the waste toner hopper casing 20, the through hole 202 is closed, and thus the waste developer in the waste developer containing chamber WTC does not leak out through the through hole 202.

The chip holder 26 is integrally formed with the waste toner hopper casing 20, so that it is not necessary to separately produce the chip holder 26, and it is not necessary to mount the chip holder 26 to the waste toner hopper casing 20 when assembling the process cartridge C, and not only does not occur a wind direction in which the chip holder falls off from the waste toner hopper casing 20, but also the production process is reduced and the production cost is reduced.

[ protective Member ]

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a protective member in the waste bin and a waste bin housing of the process cartridge according to the present invention; FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the process cartridge according to the present invention after the protector is attached to the waste toner hopper; fig. 8 is a sectional view of the waste toner hopper cut in the lateral direction of the process cartridge after the protector is attached to the waste toner hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 6, the protector 24 includes a protective sheet 241, a left arm 24L and a right arm 24R connected to both ends of the protective sheet 241 in the longitudinal direction, respectively, and a first rotator 242 and a second rotator 243 connected to the left arm 24L and the right arm 24R, respectively; the protecting member 24 is rotatably mounted on the waste bin housing 20 by the first rotating body 242 and the second rotating body 243.

The first rotating body 242 includes a first rotating portion 242a connected to the left arm 24L, a first rotating shaft 242b extending from the first rotating portion 242a in a direction away from the second rotating body 243, and an engagement groove 242c formed in the first rotating portion 242a, and thus a first side 242d and a second side 242e are formed on both sides of the engagement groove 242 c.

The second rotating body 243 includes a second rotating portion 243a, and a second rotating shaft 243b and a third rotating shaft 243c connected to the second rotating portion 243a, and preferably, the second rotating shaft 243b and the third rotating shaft 243c extend from both sides of the second rotating portion 243a, that is, the second rotating shaft 243b extends in a direction approaching the first rotating body 242, and the third rotating shaft 243c extends in a direction away from the first rotating body 242, so that the protector 24 can rotate about an axis L1 (shown in fig. 7) passing through the first rotating body 242 and the second rotating body 243.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the waste toner hopper 200 further includes a first projection 204, a second projection 205, a third projection 207, and a fourth projection 208 projecting from the waste toner hopper housing 20, wherein, in the longitudinal direction X of the process cartridge C, a first space 206 is formed between the first projection 204 and the second projection 205, and a second space 209 is formed between the third projection 207 and the fourth projection 208; the first protrusion 204 is coupled to the first rotation shaft 242b, the second protrusion 205 is coupled to the coupling groove 242c, and the first rotation part 242a is received in the first space 206; the third protrusion 207 is integrated with the second rotation shaft 243b, the fourth protrusion 208 is coupled with the third rotation shaft 243c, and the second rotation portion 243a is accommodated in the second space 209; specifically, the first protrusion 204 is formed with a first rotation groove 2041, the second protrusion 205 is formed with a second rotation groove 2051, the third protrusion 207 is formed with a third rotation groove 2071, the fourth protrusion 208 is formed with a fourth rotation groove 2081, the first rotation shaft 242b is coupled to the first rotation groove 2041, the engagement groove 242c is coupled to the second rotation groove 2051, the second rotation shaft 243b is coupled to the third rotation groove 2071, and the third rotation shaft 243c is coupled to the fourth rotation groove 2081.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, the waste powder bin 200 further includes a first surface 210 opposite to the second supporting surface 201, and a second surface 203 adjacent to the first surface 210, the first surface 210 is located upstream of the second surface 203 in the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C, and the first surface 210 and the second supporting surface 201 are two opposite surfaces of a plate-like member supporting the cleaning member 23, respectively, the plate-like member where the second surface 203 is located is connected to both the first surface 210 and the second supporting surface 201, a straight line where the first surface 210 and the second surface 203 intersect is L2, as shown in the figure, a distance between the rotation axis L1 and a straight line L2 of the protecting member 24 is d1, a maximum diameter of the first rotation shaft 242a is d2, and maximum diameters of the second rotation shaft 243b and the third rotation shaft 243C are d3, which satisfy: d1 > d2, and d1 > d3, and therefore, it is not necessary to provide a space for accommodating the first rotation shaft 242a, the second rotation shaft 243b, and the third rotation shaft 243C at the intersection line L2 of the first surface 210 and the second surface 203, the mold of the waste powder hopper casing 20 is simplified, and it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the process cartridge C.

[ powder storehouse ]

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a structure of a powder hopper portion in the process cartridge according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is an exploded schematic view of a powder hopper portion of a process cartridge according to the present invention; FIG. 11A is a schematic view showing the internal structure of a second end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention; fig. 11B is a schematic view of the external structure of the second end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 9, the powder hopper 100 includes a powder hopper housing 10, a first end cap 11 and a second end cap 12 respectively located at both longitudinal ends of the powder hopper housing 10, a developing member 13 rotatably mounted in the powder hopper housing 10, and a developer layer thickness regulating member 14 fixedly mounted in the powder hopper housing 10, the developing member 13 and the developer layer thickness regulating member 14 being located between the first end cap 11 and the second end cap 12.

The powder bin shell 10 encloses to form a developer containing cavity TC, wherein an agitating piece 15 is arranged, the developer contained in the developer containing cavity TC is conveyed to the surface of the developer 13 through a developer outlet arranged adjacent to the developer 13, in order to ensure that the developer in the processing box C can not leak before being used, generally, a processing box manufacturer can attach a sealing film at the developer outlet, before an end user uses the processing box, the processing box can be normally used by pulling the sealing film, therefore, in order to ensure that the sealing film can be smoothly pulled out, the powder bin 100 further comprises a pulling piece 16 fixed on the powder bin shell 10, and one end of the pulling piece 16 is connected with the sealing film; further, to facilitate replenishment of the developer in the developer accommodating chamber TC, the powder hopper 100 further includes a developer inlet 101 provided on the powder hopper housing 10 and a closing member 19 for closing the developer inlet 19.

As shown in fig. 10, the developing device 13 is rotatably supported by the first and second end caps 11 and 12, and includes a developing cylinder 13a, a magnet 13b disposed in the developing cylinder 13a, a fixed shaft 13c fixed to one longitudinal end of the developing cylinder 13a, developing gap holders 13d respectively fitted to both longitudinal ends of the developing cylinder 13a, and a driving gear 13e coupled to the fixed shaft 13c, the driving gear 13e being configured to engage with the gear body 212 and receive a driving force of the gear body 212, and to drive the developing cylinder 13a to rotate via the fixed shaft 13 c. In the present invention, the fixed shaft 13c is supported by the second end cap 12, and the pulling member 16 is fixed to the first end cap 11.

The developing member 13 is required to continuously receive power during the rotation operation to form an electrostatic field between the developing member 13 and the photosensitive member 21, and as shown in the figure, the powder hopper 100 further includes a power supply member 102 for supplying power to the developing member, the power supply member 102 is fixed to the first end cap 11, and a portion of the power supply member 102 is in contact with the inner surface of the developing cylinder 13 a; the power feeding member 102 includes a supporting portion 102a, an electric contact portion 102c, and an intermediate portion 102b electrically connecting the supporting portion 102a and the electric contact portion 102c, the supporting portion 102a being for contacting the inner surface of the developing cylinder 13a and supporting the developing cylinder 13 a; the electrical contact portion 102C is located on the outer surface of the first end cover 11, and when the process cartridge C is mounted to a predetermined position, the electrical contact portion 102C is electrically connected to a power output member in the apparatus, and thus, the developing cartridge 13a receives power from the apparatus through the power supply member 102. Preferably, the power supply member 102 is made of metal, and more preferably, the power supply member 102 is made of copper.

The structure of the second end cap 12 is described in detail below with reference to fig. 11A and 11B.

As shown, the second end cap 12 has opposite front and back surfaces 12a, 12b and a joint surface 12c therebetween, and includes a second end cap body 121, a support ring 122 extending from the front surface 12a in a direction away from the back surface 12b, and a boss 123 concentric with the support ring 122, wherein the boss 123 extends to a height smaller than that of the support ring 122, and since the support ring 122 extends at a position close to the joint surface 12c, in order to ensure that the support ring 122 does not exceed the joint surface 12c, as shown, the support ring 122 is not in a complete ring shape, and a notch 124 is formed at a position adjacent to the joint surface 12 c.

In the present invention, the fixed shaft 13c is not directly supported by the support ring 122, that is, the fixed shaft 13c is not directly contacted with the support ring 122, as shown in fig. 10, the waste bin 100 further includes an intermediate ring 18 supporting the fixed shaft 13c, the intermediate ring 18 is installed in the support ring 122 and is supported by the boss 123, the fixed shaft 13c is supported by the intermediate ring 18, and thus, the existence of the gap 124 facilitates the operator to take out the intermediate ring 18 from the support ring 122; preferably, the intermediate ring 18 is made of metal, and more preferably, the intermediate ring 18 is made of steel, so that the intermediate ring 18 is more capable of withstanding the frictional loss generated during the constant rotation of the fixed shaft 13c, and accordingly, the rotation of the developing member 13 is more smooth, and the image defect can be effectively suppressed.

The support ring 122 and the boss 123 both extend from the front surface 12a in a direction away from the back surface 12B, and as shown in fig. 11B, the back surface 12B of the second end cap 12 is substantially free from protrusions, which contributes to a reduction in the space occupied by the entire process cartridge C, and further, to miniaturization of the apparatus.

As shown in fig. 11A, the second end cap 12 further includes a support pillar 125 extending from the front surface 12a in a direction away from the counter surface 12b, and a deformable protrusion 126 extending from the support pillar 125 in a direction away from the front surface 12 a; deformable projection 126 includes adjacent guide surfaces 1261 and retaining surfaces 1262.

Fig. 12A is a schematic view showing the intermediate gear assembly in the process cartridge according to the present invention mounted on the first end cap of the powder hopper; fig. 12B is a schematic view of a state where the intermediate gear assembly in the process cartridge relating to the present invention is exploded from the first end cover of the powder hopper; fig. 13 is a schematic view of transmission of driving force between gears in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 13, the powder hopper 100 further includes an intermediate gear group 17 and a stirring member gear 151 rotatably fixed to one longitudinal end of the powder hopper housing 10, the stirring member gear 151 rotating coaxially with the stirring member 15 for providing a rotational driving force to the stirring member 15; wherein, the intermediate gear set 17 is respectively meshed with the driving gear 13e and the stirring member gear 151, the driving gear 13e is also meshed with the gear body 212, when the gear body 212 receives driving force from the outside, the driving force is firstly transmitted to the driving gear 13e, and then is transmitted to the stirring member gear 151 through the intermediate gear set 17; in the present invention, the intermediate gear set 17 is fixed on the second end cap 12 in advance in a rotatable manner, so that when the powder bin 100 is assembled, an operator does not need to mount one gear of the intermediate gear set 17 on the powder bin housing 10, the mounting work of the intermediate gear set 17 can be completed by a supplier of the powder bin housing 10, the production processes of a processing box manufacturer can be reduced, and the production efficiency can be improved; meanwhile, since the intermediate gear set 17 needs to be respectively meshed with the driving gear 13e and the stirring member gear 151, when the gears in the intermediate gear set 17 are installed one by one to the powder bin housing 10, it is necessary to ensure not only that each gear corresponds to its corresponding rotating shaft, but also that each gear is smoothly meshed, and the intermediate gear set 17 is installed on the second end cover 12 in advance, so that the meshing between each gear of the intermediate gear set 17 does not need to be considered any more in the production process of a processing box manufacturer, thereby improving the production efficiency.

As shown in fig. 12A and 12B, the intermediate gear set 17 includes a first gear 171 and a second gear 172 that mesh with each other, wherein the first gear 171 is closer to the front surface 12A of the second cover than the second gear 172, and the first gear 171 also meshes with the drive gear 13e, and the second gear 172 also meshes with the stirring member gear 151; when the intermediate gear set 17 is mounted to the second end cap 12, the second gear 172 is guided by the guide surface 1261 so that the deformable protrusion 126 is elastically deformed, and thus, the second gear 172 can be mounted to the support column 125 with the second gear 172 being held by the holding surface 1262, and finally, the entire intermediate gear set 17 is held on the second end cap 12.

FIG. 14A is a schematic view showing the internal structure of a first end cap of a hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention; FIG. 14B is a schematic view showing the external structure of the first end cap of the hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention; FIGS. 15A to 15C are schematic views showing the structure of a pull ring in a process cartridge according to the present invention; fig. 16 is a schematic view showing two states of the pull ring in the first end cap of the powder hopper in the process cartridge according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 14A and 14B, the first end cap 11 has opposite outer and inner surfaces 11a and 11B, and is composed of adjacent first and second portions 113 and 114, including a first end cap body 111, a closure attachment hole 112 on the first end cap body 111, a pull attachment hole 115, and a pull attachment post 116; the drawer 16 is fixed to the powder hopper housing 10 through the drawer mounting hole 115, the first portion 113 is formed by the outer surface 11a being recessed toward the inner surface 11b, and the second portion 114 is the remaining portion of the first end cap body 111, that is, the first portion 113 is surrounded by the second portion 114; in the present invention, closure mounting holes 112 and pull attachment posts 116 are provided on the first portion 113 and pull attachment holes 115 are provided on the second portion 114.

In order to fix the power supply part 102, the first end cap 11 further includes an extending column 118 disposed on the second portion 114, the extending column 118 extends from the inner surface 11b to a direction away from the outer surface 11a, and the support part 102a of the power supply part is sleeved on the outer surface of the extending column 118; meanwhile, in order to prevent the power supply member 102 from falling off the first end cap 11, as shown in fig. 10 and 14A, the power supply member 102 further includes a coupling portion 102d provided therein, and the first end cap 11 is further provided with a coupled portion 119 coupled with the coupling portion 102d, preferably, the coupling portion 102d is a coupling hole provided on the power supply member 102, and the coupled portion 102d is a columnar protrusion provided on the first end cap, and more preferably, the coupling portion 102d is provided on the middle portion 102 b; of course, the positions of the combination hole 102d and the columnar protrusion 119 may be interchanged, that is, the columnar protrusion 119 is disposed on the power supply member 102, and the combination hole 102d is disposed on the first end cap 11.

Generally, from the viewpoint of simplifying the structure of the production mold and reducing the production cost, the extension column 118 and the columnar protrusion 119 are integrally formed with the first end cap 11, and the material used for the extension column 118 is the same as the material used for the whole first end cap 11, which is usually plastic, and the extension column 118 needs to contact the inner surface of the rotary developing cylinder 13a, during the long-term contact between the two, the extension column 118 may be worn, which may cause the inaccurate positioning of the developing member 13, resulting in the defective imaging. In the present invention, the supporting portion 102a of the power supply member made of metal is sleeved on the outer surface of the extending column 118 and contacts with the inner surface of the developing cylinder 13a, so that the supporting portion 102a made of metal contacts with the inner surface of the developing cylinder 13a during the continuous rotation of the developing member 13, on one hand, the supporting portion 102a made of metal is more wear-resistant than the extending column 118 made of plastic, thereby ensuring the accurate positioning of the developing member 13, and on the other hand, the supporting portion 102a made of metal receives power from the device through the electric contact portion 102c to be supplied to the developing cylinder 13 a.

The closure attachment hole 112 is provided to allow an operator to freely attach and detach the closure 19 without detaching the first end cap 11 from the powder hopper housing 10, thereby saving the operator a lot of time. Typically, closure 19 is also provided with a means for facilitating handling by an operator, and accordingly, first end cap 11 is provided with an enlarged opening 117 in communication with closure mounting opening 112, said means for facilitating handling by an operator being received by enlarged opening 117.

The pulling piece fixing post 116 extends in a direction away from the inner surface 11b from the outer surface 11a at the first portion 113, and after the pulling piece 16 is mounted, a part of the pulling piece 16 is fixed by the pulling piece fixing post 116 and is located in the first portion 113, as described above, the first portion 113 is formed by the outer surface 11a being recessed toward the inner surface 11b, and the first portion 113 is surrounded by the second portion 114, so that the pulling piece 16 located in the first portion 113, the pulling piece fixing post 116, and a part of the closing piece 19 accommodated by the expanded hole 117 can all be protected from being damaged by the second portion 114; and in the longitudinal direction of the powder bin 10, neither the pulling ring 16 nor the pulling piece fixing post 116 exceeds the range of the first end cap 11, contributing to the miniaturization of the apparatus.

The pulling member mounting hole 115 includes a first hole 1151, a second hole 1152, and a third hole 1153 communicating with each other, and the length of the third hole 1153 is shortest in the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C, so that steps are formed at the top of the third hole 1153 in the mounting direction Y of the process cartridge C with the first hole 1151 and the second hole 1152, respectively; the first, second, and third holes 1151, 1152, and 1153 are coupled to corresponding portions of the pulling member 16, respectively.

As shown in fig. 15A to 15C, the pulling member 16 includes a pulling portion 161 and a fixing portion 162 that can rotate relatively, and a connecting portion 163 connecting the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162, in the present invention, the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162 are connected in a flexible connection manner, that is, the connecting portion 163 is a flexible portion, the fixing portion 162 is used for being combined and fixed with the powder bin housing 10, and the pulling portion 161 is used for being combined and fixed with the pulling member fixing post 116.

The pulling member 16 has an upper surface 16a and a lower surface 16b which are opposite to each other, the pulling portion 161 includes a pulling ring 165 and a pulling piece 164 extending from an outer peripheral surface of the pulling ring 165, the pulling piece 164 is used for lifting the pulling portion 161 when the operator needs to pull the pulling member 16, and the pulling ring 165 is used for accommodating the operator's fingers after the pulling portion 161 is lifted.

The fixing portion 162 includes a first coupling protrusion 16c and a third coupling protrusion 16f extending from the upper surface 16a in a direction away from the lower surface 16b, and a second coupling protrusion 16d and a fourth coupling protrusion 16g extending from the lower surface 16b in a direction away from the upper surface 16a, wherein the first coupling protrusion 16c and the third coupling protrusion 16f are oppositely disposed, the second coupling protrusion 16d and the fourth coupling protrusion 16g are oppositely disposed, the first coupling protrusion 16c and the second coupling protrusion 16d are located on the same side of the fixing portion 162, and the third coupling protrusion 16f and the fourth coupling protrusion 16g are located on the other side of the fixing portion 162; to prevent the fixing part 162 from being inserted beyond a predetermined position, the first, second, third and fourth coupling protrusions 16c, 16d, 16f and 16g have first, second, third and fourth step parts 16c1, 16d1, 16f1 and 16g1, respectively, and thus the insertion depth of the fixing part 162 is limited, and the fixing part 162 is not inserted beyond a predetermined position; further, the first coupling protrusion 16c and the second coupling protrusion 16d are fixed through the second hole 1152, the third coupling protrusion 16f and the fourth coupling protrusion 16g are fixed through the first hole 1151, and a second portion between the first coupling protrusion 16c and the third coupling protrusion 16f is fixed through the third hole 1153.

The connecting portion 163 includes a first flexible portion 1631, a second flexible portion 1632 and a third flexible portion 1633 which are arranged at intervals, the connecting portion 163 may be a flexible component which is additionally installed between the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162, or may be a flexible component which is integrally formed with the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162, preferably, at least one of the first flexible portion 1631, the second flexible portion 1632 and the third flexible portion 1633 is integrally formed with the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162, and specifically, at least one of the first flexible portion 1631, the second flexible portion 1632 and the third flexible portion 1633 is formed by being recessed from the upper surface 16a or the lower surface 16b to the lower surface 16b or the upper surface 16a, which not only does not need to spend extra time installing the flexible portion between the pulling portion 161 and the fixing portion 162, but also saves production materials, and is beneficial for reducing production cost; of course, the first flexible portion 1631, the second flexible portion 1632 and the third flexible portion 1633 may be integrally formed, but in view of material saving, the connection portion 163 according to the present invention preferably includes the first flexible portion 1631, the second flexible portion 1632 and the third flexible portion 1633 which are spaced apart from each other.

As shown in fig. 16, the pulling portion 161 has a first state flush with the fixing portion 162 and a second state (shown by a dotted line in the figure) bent with respect to the fixing portion 162, when the pulling portion 161 is in the first state, the pulling portion 161 passes through the pulling piece mounting hole 115, and further, an acting force is applied to the pulling portion 161, so that the pulling piece fixing post 116 passes through the pulling ring 165, and finally, the pulling ring 165 is fixed by the pulling piece fixing portion 116, and the pulling portion 161 reaches the second state; preferably, when the pulling portion 161 is in the second state, at least a part of the pulling piece 164 overlaps the closure mounting hole 112 as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge C (powder hopper 100), so that the closure mounting hole 112 provides an operating space for the operator's fingers when the operator needs to lift the pulling piece 164; because the manufacturer of the powder bin shell 10 can fix the pulling piece on the pulling piece fixing column before leaving the factory, the processing box manufacturer does not need to install the pulling piece when assembling the processing box, and the production efficiency of the processing box manufacturer is favorably improved.

As described above, in the waste toner hopper 200 according to the present invention, the chip mounting seat 26 is installed therein, and the chip mounting seat 26 is integrally formed with the waste toner hopper housing 20, so that the waste toner hopper 200 does not need to install the chip mounting seat 26 during assembly, which is beneficial to reducing the cost of manufacturers.

Claims (6)

1. The waste powder bin comprises a waste powder bin shell, a cleaning piece detachably arranged in the waste powder bin shell and a chip seat integrally formed with the waste powder bin shell; the waste powder bin shell encloses to form a waste developer containing cavity for containing waste developer; the chip seat is used for accommodating a chip, and the chip comprises a substrate, a component arranged on the substrate and a limited groove formed on the substrate;

the waste developer containing cavity is communicated with the chip holder;

the chip holder comprises a base body with a square cross section, a first side wall and a first supporting surface which extend from the base body, and a top plate connected with the first side wall;

the top plate and the first supporting surface have a height difference, the first supporting surface is enclosed to form an accommodating groove with an opening, and the accommodating groove is provided with a bottom surface;

the chip holder also comprises a supporting platform extending from the bottom surface and connected with the top plate and a limiting protrusion arranged in the accommodating groove, and the supporting platform is basically flush with the first supporting surface along the installation direction of the chip;

the substrate is supported by the first supporting surface and the supporting table and is located between the first supporting surface and the top plate, the component is accommodated by the accommodating groove, and the limiting groove is combined with the limiting protrusion.

2. The waste toner hopper according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is supported by a supporting surface formed on one side of the waste developer containing chamber, the supporting surface is provided with a through hole, and the waste developer containing chamber is communicated with the opening through the through hole.

3. The waste bin as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support table is not shielded when viewed in a direction opposite to the mounting direction of the process cartridge.

4. The waste bin of claim 3 wherein the chip carrier further comprises a second side wall extending from the base on the same side as the first support surface, the second side wall extending a height between the first side wall and the first support surface.

5. The waste bin of claim 4 wherein the first support surface and the support platform are surrounded by a first sidewall and a second sidewall.

6. A process cartridge comprising a powder hopper and the waste powder hopper as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, which are combined with each other.

Images