CN109878215B

CN109878215B - Image forming agent replenishing bottle

Info

Publication number: CN109878215B
Application number: CN201910262543.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 林嘉信
Original assignee: Avision Inc
Current assignee: Avision Inc
Priority date: 2016-03-09
Filing date: 2016-11-03
Publication date: 2021-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2036-11-03
Also published as: TW201731705A; CN107175918B; CN109878215A; CN107175918A

Abstract

A replenishing bottle of an image forming agent is used for replenishing an image forming agent to an image forming agent storage unit. The supplementary bottle comprises a hollow body and a bottle mouth. The hollow body is stored with an image forming agent. The bottle mouth is connected to the hollow body and is provided with a stopping part. The stopping part limits the depth of the bottle mouth which is placed into the image forming agent injection opening of the image forming agent storage unit, so that the bottle mouth is only partially inserted into the image forming agent injection opening and is in sealing joint with the image forming agent injection opening by the stopping part.

Description

Image forming agent replenishing bottle

The application is a divisional application submitted to a parent with the application number of 201610953602.8, wherein the application date of the parent is 2016, 11 and 03 days, the publication date is 2017, 09, 19 days, and the publication number is CN 107175918A.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bottle for replenishing an image forming agent, and more particularly to a bottle for replenishing an image forming agent, which can be used in combination with an image forming agent storage unit for replenishing an image forming agent and an office machine using the same.

Background

Office machines such as printers, copiers, and the like are indispensable devices in offices. This type of printer has a printing module that is coated on a medium (e.g., paper) with an image forming agent such as toner or ink to form a predetermined pattern. The image forming agent is a consumable article and is replaced or replenished at regular intervals relative to the main body of the office machine. It is common practice to replace the cartridge with a storage unit (toner cartridge, ink cartridge, etc.) containing the image forming agent. However, this method is costly, the storage unit cannot be reused, and the unused image forming agent is wasted, which is not environmentally friendly. In recent years, there has been a method of directly injecting a supplementary image forming agent into an original storage unit without replacing the storage unit. For the user, without being limited to the image forming agent and the storage unit of a specific brand, the user can directly purchase the image forming agent supplement pack with higher universality, thereby reducing the cost and improving the convenience.

However, injection of the image forming agent into the original storage unit encounters great difficulty. The conventional image forming agent replenishing structure is shown in fig. 1a and 1b, an image forming agent replenishing bottle 13 replenishes the image forming agent from an image forming agent inlet 11 into an image forming agent storage unit 10, and the bottle mouth is designed to be sharp and long so that the image forming agent can enter the storage unit 10; however, as the image forming agent enters the storage unit 10, an air flow L1 is formed from the refill bottle to the image forming agent storage unit; accordingly, the internal air is discharged through the gap between the image forming agent inlet 11 and the bottle mouth, and the air path L2 discharged from the image forming agent storage means and the bottle mouth of the refill bottle spreads around the opening along with the image forming agent.

If a hole for assisting the gas flow is provided, the image forming agent is easily discharged through the hole. If the image forming agent enters the human body through the skin and the respiratory tract, the image forming agent can cause harm to the human body; it may also cause damage to the office machine.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, the present invention is directed to a replenishing bottle for an image forming agent, which is matched with an image forming agent storage unit capable of replenishing an image forming agent and an office machine using the same, and can easily replenish an image forming agent and prevent the image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent storage unit, thereby having the effects of environmental protection, convenience, safety, etc., and preventing the image forming agent from overflowing, and facilitating the replenishing operation of a user.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refill bottle for an image forming agent, which is used for refilling an image forming agent storage unit with the image forming agent. The supplementary bottle comprises a hollow body and a bottle mouth. The hollow body is stored with an image forming agent. The bottle mouth is connected to the hollow body and is provided with a stopping part. The stopping part limits the depth of the bottle mouth which is placed into the image forming agent injection opening of the image forming agent storage unit, so that the bottle mouth is only partially inserted into the image forming agent injection opening and is in sealing joint with the image forming agent injection opening by the stopping part.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood by the following examples and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1a is a schematic diagram of a prior art image forming agent storage unit.

FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram of a prior art image forming agent storage unit in use.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a printer capable of replenishing an image forming agent according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the image forming agent storage unit and the inside of the office machine of FIG. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the image forming unit, the image forming agent storage unit and the housing of fig. 2 separated from each other.

FIG. 5a is a top view of an image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5b is a left side view of the image forming agent storage unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5c is a semi-transparent view of an image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams of a control shielding unit in the fluid discharging mechanism, wherein fig. 6a shows the shielding unit in a closed state, and fig. 6b shows the shielding unit in a communicated state.

Fig. 7a, 7b and 7c are schematic views of an image forming agent storage unit in use.

Description of the component numbering

S media

X, Y, Z coordinate axes

100 affairs machine

10 image forming agent storage unit

10S side surface

11 injection port for image forming agent

12 casing

13 supplementary bottle

18 outer casing

L1 air flow from refill bottle to image forming agent storage unit L1

L2 air path from the image forming agent storage unit and the refill bottle mouth

L3 Path

20 casing

22 paper storage box

23 supplementary bottle

231 hollow body

232 bottle mouth

233 buffer layer

235 stopping part

24 image forming agent injection port

25 paper output tray

26 fluid discharge mechanism

261 exhaust outlet

262 discharge passage

263 blocking assembly

264 shield unit

266 aperture

267 filter layer

30 imaging unit

40 fixing unit

Detailed Description

Fig. 2 is an external view of a printer capable of replenishing an image forming agent according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 3 is a schematic view of an image forming agent storage unit and an internal part of the printer of fig. 2. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the multi-function machine 100 includes a housing 20, an image forming agent storage unit 10, an image forming unit 30, and a fixing unit 40. The image forming unit 30 is installed inside the housing 20 to form a predetermined image on a medium S (e.g., paper, transparency). Although the embodiment is illustrated with the photosensitive drum of the laser printer as an example, the invention is not limited thereto. The imaging unit 30 may also be an inkjet head of an inkjet printer or other imaging unit capable of forming a solid image on the medium S. The image forming agent storage unit 10 is disposed at one side of the image forming unit 30. The fixing unit 40 is also installed inside the housing 20 to fix the image formed by the image forming unit 30 to the medium S. For example, in the embodiment, the hot pressing roller set is taken as an example, and the image forming agent such as carbon powder is melted on the surface of the medium S at high temperature and high pressure. But the invention is not limited thereto. The office machine 100 further includes a paper storage tray 22 for carrying the medium S. The media S is formed into an image by the image forming unit 30, fixed with an image by the fixing unit 40, and finally discharged and stacked to the discharge tray 25.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the image forming unit, the image forming agent storage unit and the housing of fig. 2 separated from each other. As shown in fig. 4, the image forming agent storage unit 10 is detachable from the housing 20.

FIGS. 5 a-5 c are schematic views of an image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; fig. 5a is a top view of an image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, fig. 5b is a left side view of the image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 5c is a semi-transparent view of the image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 5a to 5c, the image forming agent storage unit 10 includes a housing 12, an image forming agent injection port 24, and a fluid discharge mechanism 26. The housing 12 is used for carrying an image forming agent (not shown), such as carbon powder, ink, etc., which can be coated on the medium S. An image forming agent injection port 24 is provided at one end of the housing 12, and an image forming agent can be injected into the housing 12 from the image forming agent injection port 24. The image forming agent injection port 24 may further include a cap that is normally closed at the opening of the image forming agent injection port 24 and removed when the image forming agent is to be added. The fluid discharge mechanism 26 is provided on the surface of the other end of the housing 12 opposite to the image forming agent inlet port 24, and is away from the image forming agent inlet port 24. This is because, if the distance between the two holes through which the fluid passes is too close, it is difficult to sufficiently fill the image forming agent storage unit 10 with the image forming agent, and therefore, in addition to extending the distance between the two holes, the fluid traveling path may be extended by the housing 12 or the stopper.

As shown in fig. 5b, when the image forming agent is filled, the image forming agent injection opening 24 is located on the side of the short side of the image forming agent storage unit 10 (or on the side 10S of the image forming agent storage unit 10 in fig. 4), when the user replenishes the toner, the image forming agent storage unit 10 will be in the upright state, meanwhile, the image forming agent injection opening 24 is located above, the toner is injected from the upper end of the long side of the housing 12, which is in accordance with the human mechanics for the user, and the consumed force is small, and the toner injection manner can mechanically inject the required toner into the housing 12 at one time.

FIG. 5c is a semi-transparent view of an image forming agent storage unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5 c. The fluid discharge mechanism 26 is located on the long side of the image forming agent reservoir unit 10, and the image forming agent can naturally deposit downward by gravity without leaving the image forming agent reservoir unit 10 during the filling process. When the image forming agent inlet 24 receives an image forming agent to be added to the interior of the housing 12, the fluid inside the housing 12 is discharged through the fluid discharge mechanism 26. Wherein the fluid discharging mechanism 26 includes a shielding unit 264 disposed at one end of the fluid discharging mechanism 26, and the shielding unit 264 does not correspond to the position of the image forming agent inlet 24 on the housing 12; the shielding unit 264 and the image forming agent injection port 24 may be disposed on the same surface or two adjacent surfaces (e.g., a side surface and an upper surface) of the housing 12, and the distance on the housing 12 is not limited. The fluid may comprise any flowable gas, liquid or solid present inside the housing 12. In addition, the fluid discharge mechanism 26 still restricts the image forming agent in the fluid from leaving the image forming agent storage unit 10. The mechanism is as follows.

Preferably, the fluid displacement mechanism is longer than half the length of the long side of the housing 12. Wherein the fluid discharge mechanism restricts the image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent storage unit.

The fluid discharging mechanism 26 further includes a discharging port 261, a discharging channel 262 and a blocking element 263. The ends of the channels of the fluid discharge device 26 are provided with apertures 266. Fig. 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams illustrating the control of the shielding unit in the image forming agent storage unit, wherein the shielding unit 264 of fig. 6a is in a closed state, and the shielding unit 264 of fig. 6b is in a communicated state. As shown in the closed state of fig. 6a, the discharge port 261 is provided in the shielding unit 264, and the discharge port 261 and the discharge passage 262 are arranged in parallel, so that the fluid inside the casing 12 cannot leave the inside of the casing 12 through the discharge port 261. As shown in the communication state of fig. 6b, the discharge port 261 is provided in the shielding unit 264, and the discharge port 261 and the discharge passage 262 are vertically disposed such that the inside of the casing 12 communicates with the discharge passage 262, so that the fluid inside the casing 12 exits the inside of the casing 12 through the discharge port 261. One end of the discharge passage 262 is connected to the outside of the discharge port 261 to provide a fluid passage. The blocking member 263 is disposed in the discharge passage 262 to restrict the image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent storage unit 10 and to make the path of the discharge passage 262 more curved and extended. In the present embodiment, the blocking member 263 is shown in a fence shape to block the image forming agent mixed in the fluid discharged from the discharge port 261, so that the image forming agent is forced to be deposited in the discharge passage 262 without being diffused to the outside of the image forming agent storage unit 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the blocking member 263 may be a net, a sheet, or any mechanism that is advantageous for preventing the image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent storage unit.

Referring to fig. 6a, when the shielding unit 264 is in the closed state, the fluid inside the blocking housing 12 is discharged through the discharge port 261. When the user wants to replenish the image forming agent, the user can smoothly inject the image forming agent from the image forming agent injection port 24 by making the shielding unit 264 in the communication state (as shown in fig. 6 b) and making the inside of the housing 12 communicate with the discharge passage 262. After replenishment, the image forming agent reservoir unit 10 is returned to the closed position, blocking any fluid or image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent reservoir unit.

The opening and closing of the discharge port of the fluid permeation shielding unit 264 in the casing controls the fluid to leave the casing.

Preferably, the opening and closing of the discharge port of the shielding unit 264 can be controlled by clockwise or counterclockwise operation, i.e., can be controlled by rotation.

Preferably, the shielding unit 264 is a knob.

Preferably, the blocking elements 263 are staggered from side to side.

Preferably, the blocking elements 263 are staggered up and down.

Referring to fig. 5a to 5c and 6a to 6b, the fluid moves from the discharge port 261 of the shielding unit 264 to the discharge channel 262 along the dotted arrow, the blocking member 263 blocks the image forming agent mixed in the fluid, the fluid passes through the curved discharge channel 262, and finally exits the image forming agent storage unit 10 through the aperture 266 (shown by dotted line). The blocking member 263 blocks the image forming agent from reaching the end of the discharge channel 262 to the aperture 266, thereby providing safety, cleanliness, and the like, and preventing the aperture 266 from being clogged and requiring frequent cleaning or replacement. In the embodiment, the aperture 266 is a vent hole formed by the top cover of the image forming agent storage unit 10, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the aperture may be in the form of any narrow hole for discharging fluid, such as a screen disposed in the aperture 266 or the housing 12, or a combination of a screen and a vent hole.

That is, the fluid discharge mechanism 26 is provided to smoothly inject the auxiliary image forming agent from the image forming agent injection port 24 into the image forming agent storage unit 10 by discharging the fluid existing inside the image forming agent storage unit 10. Furthermore, by the blocking member 263 disposed in the discharge channel 262, the image forming agent that may be mixed in the fluid and discharged can be confined and deposited in the fluid discharge mechanism 26 without being diffused to the outside to affect the human body and the environment. By such a mechanism, excellent effects such as convenience in replenishing the image forming agent, light weight, safety, and environmental friendliness can be obtained.

FIG. 7a also shows an enlarged view of the relative positions of the refill bottle 23 and the image forming agent injection port 24 and the structure of the opening of the refill bottle. The image forming agent is stored in the hollow body 231 of the supplement bottle 23, the mouth 232 of the supplement bottle 23 is connected to the hollow body 231, and the mouth 232 has an inner cavity with a cylindrical shape. FIG. 7a shows a schematic view of the position of the opening 232 of the refill bottle 23 and the image forming agent inlet 24 for refilling the image forming agent; the outer dimension of the opening 232 of the refill bottle 23 is approximately equal to the inner dimension of the image forming agent inlet 24, so that the opening 232 of the refill bottle 23 can be disposed in the image forming agent inlet 24. The opening 232 of the supplement bottle 23 further includes a stopper 235 for limiting the depth of the opening 232 of the supplement bottle 23 inserted into the image forming agent injection opening 24, so that the opening 232 is only partially inserted into the image forming agent injection opening 24. The joint between the stopping portion 235 and the image forming agent injection port 24 further includes a buffer layer 233 for preventing the image forming agent from overflowing from the joint, i.e. the stopping portion 235 is used to be sealed and jointed with the image forming agent injection port 24. Wherein, the stopping portion 235 and the supplement bottle 23 can be integrally formed or fastened, the stopping portion 235 is a flange formed at the central portion of the bottle opening 232 and spaced apart from the hollow body 231, and the stopping portion 235 can be completely accommodated in the outer casing 18 of the image forming agent storage unit 10 (see fig. 7 b); wherein, the buffer layer 233 may be foam. In another example, the buffer layer 233 is formed on the image forming agent storage unit 10, and may be sealingly engaged with the refill bottle 23, or may be sealingly engaged with the cap of the image forming agent injection port 24. Therefore, the combination of the image forming agent storage unit 10 and the replenishment bottle 23 provided by the present invention is also advantageous for the user to perform the replenishment operation. As shown in fig. 7a and 7b, when the image forming agent is replenished, the hollow body 231 is spaced apart from the outer case 18 of the image forming agent storage unit. Further, the fluid discharging mechanism 26 further includes a shielding unit 264 having an exposed state to expose the discharging opening 261 and a shielded state to shield the discharging opening 261. FIGS. 7a to 7c are schematic views showing the use of the image forming agent storage unit, in which an image forming agent replenishing bottle 23 replenishes the image forming agent from an image forming agent injection port 24 into the image forming agent storage unit 10 along the negative X direction, and the bottle mouth is designed to be in close contact with the image forming agent injection port 24 to prevent the image forming agent from entering the storage unit 10, and simultaneously, the air inside is discharged from the gap between the image forming agent injection port 24 and the bottle mouth; while the image forming agent is entering the storage unit 10, the excessive air volume can be overflowed from the discharge port 261 of the shielding unit 264 in the communicating state as shown by the path L3, thereby preventing unnecessary loss of the image forming agent, effectively reducing the frequency of cleaning the fluid discharge mechanism 26, and prolonging the service life.

Wherein, at the position of the aperture 266 of the discharge channel 262, a filter layer 267 is further disposed to filter the image forming agent in the discharge channel 262 and clean the air discharged by the supplemental image forming agent. Wherein the filter layer 267 may be a filter screen, foam, non-woven fabric, gauze, activated carbon, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, or the like. Therefore, the gas flow L1 flows in the negative X direction, the gas is discharged from the discharge port 261 to the discharge passage 262 in the negative Y direction, and finally discharged from the filter layer 267 along the path L3 in the Z direction. In other examples, the discharge path L3 may be oriented in the positive or negative X direction or in the positive or negative Y direction.

In summary, the present invention provides a bottle for replenishing an image forming agent, which is matched with an image forming agent storage unit capable of replenishing an image forming agent and an office machine using the same, and can easily replenish an image forming agent and prevent the image forming agent from leaving the image forming agent storage unit, thereby saving the structure, reducing the consumption of consumables, having multiple effects of environmental protection, convenience, safety, etc., and preventing the image forming agent from overflowing, being beneficial to the replenishment operation of a user, and being a difficult invention.

The embodiments are provided only for the convenience of describing the technical contents of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments in a narrow sense, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A combination of a toner replenishing bottle and a toner storing unit comprises a toner replenishing bottle and a toner storing unit which are combined together,

the toner storage unit includes:

the shell is used for bearing carbon powder;

the carbon powder injection opening is arranged on the side edge of the short edge of the shell; and

the fluid discharge mechanism is arranged on the long edge of the shell; the fluid discharge mechanism comprises a discharge port which is arranged at one end close to the carbon powder injection port;

when the carbon powder injection port receives carbon powder to be added into the shell, the fluid in the shell is discharged through the fluid discharging mechanism;

the toner replenishing bottle comprises:

the hollow body is stored with the carbon powder; and the number of the first and second groups,

the bottle opening is connected to the hollow body and provided with a stopping part, the stopping part limits the depth of the bottle opening placed into a carbon powder injection opening of the carbon powder storage unit, so that the bottle opening is only partially inserted into the carbon powder injection opening, and the joint of the stopping part and the carbon powder injection opening further comprises a buffer layer for stopping the carbon powder from overflowing from the joint;

the stopping part is completely accommodated in the shell of the carbon powder storage unit.

2. The combination of a toner refill bottle and a toner storage unit as in claim 1, wherein said stop of said toner refill bottle is a flange formed in the center of said bottle opening.

3. The combination of a toner refill bottle and a toner storage unit as in claim 1, wherein said stop of said toner refill bottle is spaced a distance from said hollow body.

4. The combination of a toner replenishment bottle and a toner storage unit as in claim 1 wherein the hollow body is spaced a distance from the housing of the toner storage unit when replenishing toner.