CN111367152B

CN111367152B - Developer replenishing device

Info

Publication number: CN111367152B
Application number: CN202010310958.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 毛宏程; 其他发明人请求不公开姓名
Original assignee: Guangzhou Zhono Electronic Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Guangzhou Zhongnuo Microelectronics Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-04-20
Filing date: 2020-04-20
Publication date: 2022-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-20
Also published as: CN111367152A

Abstract

The invention discloses a developer replenishing device, comprising: developer cartridge, lid and chip, developer cartridge includes: the developer container comprises a container body and a pushing member, wherein a plurality of accommodating cavities are defined in the container body, each accommodating cavity is used for accommodating a developer, the pushing member is movably connected to the container body, and the pushing member can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities; the cover body is detachably connected with the box body and is provided with a discharge port, and the accommodating cavity and the discharge port are communicated with each other under a preset condition; the chip stores the data of the residual amount of the developer; the data of the residual amount of the developer is switched between an initial state and a finished state; the developer in each accommodating chamber is replenished once, and the remaining amount data of the developer is switched once. So, can supply the developer in the printer many times to can hold the intracavity with developer refill, realize developer supply device's reuse, can reduce cost when green.

Description

Developer replenishing device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of developers, in particular to a developer replenishing device.

Background

The developer replenishing device is used for replenishing developer to an electronic device with a developing unit, such as a printer, and is provided with a chip, after the developer replenishing device is installed on the electronic device with the developing unit, the electronic device verifies the chip, and after the verification is finished, the developer replenishing device can replenish the developer to the electronic device.

In the related art, since the developer replenishing apparatus can only replenish the predetermined capacity of the developer to the printer, the developer replenishing apparatus cannot be used many times. For example, the predetermined capacity may mean that each new flash cartridge can only be charged with 2500 pages of remaining (one capacity value). In addition, because of the setting of the printer, the powder box in the printer can be filled with the residual amount of 5000 pages of carbon powder (two capacity values) at most, when the printer prompts that the carbon powder amount is empty, the existing flash charging powder box can only recover half of the capacity each time, two new flash charging powder boxes are required to be filled with the powder box, namely, the printer can be filled with the powder box after being charged twice, and once the pushing piece on the existing powder box is pushed to the bottom to fill the powder in the powder box into the printer, the pushing piece can not be reset, so that the carbon powder can not be continuously supplemented into the powder box.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to solving at least one of the problems of the prior art. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a developer replenishing device which can be reused and is environmentally friendly.

The developer replenishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: developer cartridge, lid and chip, developer cartridge includes: the developer container comprises a box body, a plurality of accommodating cavities and a pushing part, wherein a plurality of accommodating cavities are defined in the box body, each accommodating cavity is used for accommodating a developer, the pushing part is movably connected to the box body, and the pushing part can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities; a cover detachably coupled to the case and having a discharge port, the receiving chamber and the discharge port communicating with each other under a predetermined condition; and a chip in which developer remaining amount data is stored; the developer remaining amount data is switched between an initial state and a finished state; the developer in each accommodating chamber is replenished once, and the data of the remaining amount of the developer is switched once.

According to the developer replenishing device provided by the embodiment of the invention, the chip is arranged, the developer can be replenished into the printer for multiple times, and the developer can be refilled into the accommodating cavity, so that the developer replenishing device is recycled, and the cost can be reduced while the environment is protected.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the developer cartridge further comprises: the developer cartridge further includes: the rotating shaft penetrates through the box body along the axial direction of the box body, the box body is movably connected with the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is provided with a notch, at most one accommodating cavity is aligned with the notch, and the box body rotates relative to the rotating shaft so that the pushing piece can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the developer cartridge further comprises: the rotating shaft penetrates through the box body along the axial direction of the box body, the box body is movably connected with the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is provided with a notch, at most one accommodating cavity is aligned with the notch, and the box body rotates relative to the rotating shaft so that the pushing piece can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the developer cartridge further comprises: the shaft end covering piece is fixed with the end part of the rotating shaft and closes the accommodating cavity, and the pushing piece penetrates through the shaft end covering piece and can move along the axial direction of the box body under a preset condition.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the developer cartridge further comprises: a plurality of push plates disposed in the receiving cavities, the push members being adapted to urge the push plates located in the respective receiving cavities toward the discharge port to move between an initial position and a final position.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the circumference of the push plate is in accordance with the shape of the inner wall of the accommodating cavity, the inner wall of the accommodating cavity is provided with a sliding rail extending along the axial direction, and the push plate is provided with a sliding groove in sliding fit with the sliding rail.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the receiving cavity is cylindrical, and the push plate is in threaded fit with the inner wall of the receiving cavity.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cover comprises: a first cover covering the case, the discharge port being formed on the first cover; the second cover body is detachably connected with the first cover body, and the chip is arranged on the first cover body or the second cover body; and a third cover body for blocking the discharge port.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the first cover comprises: first lid and first pipe portion, first pipe portion passes the second lid.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the second cover has a second cover portion and a second tube portion, the second cover portion covers the first cover portion and the first tube portion passes through the second tube portion.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a side wall of the first tube part is provided with a chip support stage, a side wall of the second tube part is provided with a chip mounting groove, the chip is mounted in the chip mounting groove, and a back surface of the chip is supported on the chip support stage.

Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Drawings

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a developer replenishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic perspective-view-split view of a developer replenishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a receiving chamber according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a shaft and shaft end cover according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic perspective and exploded view of a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals are as follows:

a developer replenishing device 100;

a developer cartridge 10; a case 11; a housing cavity 111; a slide rail 1111; a pusher member 12;

a rotating shaft 13; a notch 131; an axial end cover 14;

a push plate 15; a chute 151; a shaft hole 16;

a lid body 30; a first lid body 31; an exhaust port 311; a first cover portion 312; a switch mounting groove 3121; a first tube portion 313; a chip supporting table 3131; a second lid 32; the second cover portion 321; a switch mounting bracket 3211; a second tube portion 322; a chip mounting groove 3221; and a third cover 33.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, the embodiments described with reference to the drawings being illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

A developer replenishing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 1 to 5.

As shown in fig. 1-2 and 5, a developer replenishing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a developer cartridge 10, a cover 30, and a chip (not shown).

The developer cartridge 10 includes a cartridge body 11 and a pushing member 12. A plurality of accommodating cavities 111 arranged in a ring shape (the ring arrangement means that the accommodating cavities are distributed in a ring shape, and can be seen in fig. 3) are defined in the box body 11, and the pushing member 12 is movably connected to the box body 11, that is, the pushing member 12 can be switched to any one of the accommodating cavities 111. The pushing member 12 may include a pushing end and a rod, and when a force is applied to the pushing end from the box 11 to the cover 30, the pushing end can slide in the accommodating cavity 111 toward the cover 30; the pushing end is slidable within the receiving cavity in a direction away from the cover 30 upon application of a reverse force. The cover 30 is detachably attached to the case 11 and has a discharge port 311, the discharge port 311 and the accommodating chamber 111 being configured to communicate with each other when the developer in the accommodating chamber 111 is pressed, the chip being used for an electronic apparatus having a developing unit. The chip is a reusable chip. Each accommodating chamber 111 stores therein one time of a predetermined capacity of developer. Each accommodating chamber 111 can also be refilled with developer after its use.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, a plurality of annularly arranged accommodating chambers 111 in the box body 11 sequentially extend along the length direction of the box body 11 (i.e., the direction of the shaft end cover 14 toward the cover body 30, for example, the axial direction of the box body 11 in fig. 2), developer can be placed in the accommodating chambers 111, the pushing member 12 can be pushed in the box body 11, and when the pushing member 12 is pushed from the outside of the box body 11 toward the inside of the box body 11, the developer in the accommodating chambers 111 can be pushed out of the box body 11 and thus enters the discharge port 311 of the cover body 30. After the chip is communicatively connected to an electronic device (e.g., a printer) having a developing unit, the developer in the developer replenishing apparatus 100 may enter the electronic device through the discharge port 311, thereby replenishing the electronic device with the developer.

In addition, the developer in the accommodating chamber 111 may be set to a developer of a multiple of a predetermined capacity, the chip may be in communication with the electronic device having the developing unit a plurality of times, the chip may be reset so that the developer replenishing apparatus 100 may place the developer a plurality of times, and the urging members 12 may push out the developers in the plurality of accommodating chambers 111, respectively, so that the developer replenishing apparatus 100 may be reused.

According to the developer replenishing device 100 of the embodiment of the invention, by adopting the developer cartridge 10, the cover body 30 and the chip, the developer replenishing device 100 can communicate with the printer for multiple times, and the developer is replenished into the printer for multiple times, so that the developer can be refilled into the accommodating cavity 111, the developer replenishing device 100 is recycled, and the cost can be reduced while the environment is protected.

For example, the developer may be powder or liquid such as carbon powder and ink which can be used for development.

In some embodiments, the chip may store a plurality of developer remaining amount data, each initial value of the developer remaining amount being represented as a value of a predetermined capacity. When the printer is communicatively connected to the chip, the printer may verify the developer remaining amount data. If the currently transmitted developer remaining amount data is recognized by the printer as developer used-up data (done state), another developer remaining amount data is transmitted to the printer for communication, and if the currently transmitted developer remaining amount data is not used, the currently transmitted developer remaining amount data is recognized as new developer remaining amount data (initial state) that can be used, so that the printer can be replenished with developer until the developer remaining amount data is used-up data. And the developer remaining amount data at least includes data of the remaining amount of the developer, and when the data of the remaining amount of the developer is in a zero or empty state and the data of the remaining amount of the developer is lower than a certain proportion, for example, 5% of the initial capacity, the printer recognizes that the data of the remaining amount of the developer is used up, otherwise, the data of the remaining amount of the developer can be used continuously.

As another preferred embodiment, the chip has stored therein data of the remaining amount of the developer; the developer residual amount data is switched between an initial state and a finished state; the developer in each accommodating chamber 111 is replenished once, and the developer remaining amount data is switched once. When the developer replenishing apparatus 100 is completely new, the remaining amount data of the developer in the chip is in an initial state. When the developer replenishing device 100 is used for replenishing developer to an electronic device with a developing unit for the first time, a chip is verified through an imaging device, after the verification is completed, the pushing piece 12 is aligned with one of the accommodating cavities 111, all the developer in the accommodating cavity 111 is pushed out of the accommodating cavity 111 and enters the electronic device with the developing unit, and when the electronic device with the developing unit detects that the electronic device with the developing unit is filled with the developer with the preset volume or when the replenishing device detects that the developer with the preset volume is pushed out, the residual amount data of the developer in the chip is changed into a finished state. When the developer is again electrified with the electronic device having the developing unit but before the verification is completed, the chip automatically resets the remaining amount data of the developer from the completed state to the initial state, and when the verification is performed by the electronic device having the developing unit, the electronic device having the developing unit considers the developer replenishing device as an unused replenishing device.

After the electronic device with the developing unit is replenished with the developer each time, the chip is disconnected from the electronic device with the developing unit, and when the next replenishment is made, the chip is re-energized with the electronic device with the developing unit and then re-verified. The chip is provided with a reset trigger mechanism, and the reset trigger mechanism can be when the chip is changed from a non-electrified state to an electrified state. Therefore, the chip performs the reset of the developer remaining amount data once each time after the chip is powered on with the electronic device having the developing unit and before the verification is not completed. The reset mode can be that the residual amount of the developer is directly restored to the initial state; or a plurality of groups of chip data can be stored in the chip, and the reset is completed in a circular switching mode. Each set of chip data includes developer remaining amount data of an initial state, respectively. And each set of chip data is numbered separately. The number of sets of the chip data may be the same as the number of the accommodating chambers 111, and thus the chip data is switched once every time one developer of the accommodating chamber 111 is used. And recording the used chip data through the number, and only switching the unrecorded chip data into the current data for verification each time of switching.

The chip data becoming the done state may be modified by the electronic device having the developing unit, for example, when the electronic device having the developing unit detects that it has received a predetermined amount of developer, the chip is considered to be used up, and the developer amount of the chip is changed to the done state. Or automatically modified to the finish state by the developer amount in the chip after pushing out all the developer in one accommodating chamber 111 each time.

In some alternative embodiments of the invention, the chip may be reset by an external device. For example, the currently transmitted data of the receiving chamber 111 and the remaining amount of the developer is recognized by the printer as the data that has been used up, and a new data of the remaining amount of the developer can be rewritten by the external setting, so that the printer recognizes that the remaining amount of the developer of the chip has not been used up.

Further, as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 4, the developer cartridge 10 may further include a rotating shaft 13, the rotating shaft 13 penetrates the cartridge body 11 in an axial direction of the cartridge body 11, the cartridge body 11 is rotatable with respect to the rotating shaft 13, for example, the cartridge body 11 is rotatable with respect to the rotating shaft 13 when subjected to a rotational force, the rotating shaft 13 has a notch 131, and at most one of the accommodating chambers 111 is aligned with the notch 131.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the developer cartridge 10 further includes a shaft-end cover 14, the shaft-end cover 14 being fixed to an end of the rotary shaft 13 and closing the accommodating chamber 111, the pushing member 12 passing through the shaft-end cover 14 and being movable in an axial direction of the cartridge body 11, the cartridge body 11 being rotatable relative to the rotary shaft 13 so that the pushing member 12 is selectively opposed to any one of the plurality of accommodating chambers 111.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the case 11 may be provided with a shaft hole 16, and the shaft hole 16 is provided at the center in the axial direction of the case 11. The shaft 13 may be inserted into the shaft hole 16, and the shaft end cover 14 is located at the outermost side of one end of the case 11 to seal the one end of the case 11 when the shaft 13 is installed in the shaft hole 16. Shaft end cover 14 is provided with a through hole through which pusher 12 can pass. The box body 11 can rotate by taking the rotating shaft 13 as an axis, the box body 11 rotates to enable the pushing pieces 12 to correspond to the plurality of accommodating cavities 111, and the pushing pieces 12 can push out the developer in the accommodating cavities 111.

Specifically, the developer cartridge 10 further includes a plurality of push plates 15, the plurality of push plates 15 being provided in the accommodating chambers 111, and the pushing members 12 are adapted to push the push plates 15 located in the respective accommodating chambers 111 toward the discharge port 311 to move between the initial position and the final position. Each of the accommodation cavities 111 is provided with one push plate 15. Each of the pushing plates 15 may be configured to conform to the cross-sectional area of the accommodating chamber 111, and thus the arrangement is such that the developer is effectively pushed out in its entirety when the pushing member 12 pushes the developer.

Alternatively, the end of the accommodating chamber 111 near the discharge port 311 is provided with a sealing film such as a paper film or a plastic film, which is broken by the pressing of the developer when the urging member 12 urges the developer in the accommodating chamber 111 toward the sealing film, so that the developer enters the discharge port 311.

According to some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the circumference of the push plate 15 is conformed to the shape of the inner wall of the receiving cavity 111, the inner wall of the receiving cavity 111 is provided with a slide rail 1111 extending along the axial direction, and the push plate 15 has a slide groove 151 slidably engaged with the slide rail 1111. The push plate 15 can be uniformly lowered or raised by the cooperation of the slide rail 1111 and the slide groove 151, so that when the developer cartridge 10 is used, the developer in the accommodating cavity 111 can be effectively discharged out of the accommodating cavity 111, and the utilization rate of the developer cartridge 10 can be improved. Moreover, when the accommodating cavity 111 is replenished with the developer, the arrangement can effectively reduce the air content in the accommodating cavity 111 and ensure the content of the developer in the accommodating cavity 111.

For example, as shown in fig. 3, the receiving cavity 111 may be cylindrical, and the push plate 15 is screwed to the inner wall of the receiving cavity 111. The combination of the plurality of receiving chambers 111 in the case 11 may form a cylindrical shape. The arrangement can realize the developer in the accommodating cavity 111 to be supplemented into the printer by rotating the push plate 15, and can realize the developer supplement into the accommodating cavity 111 by rotating the push plate 15, and is more convenient. Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in other examples of the present invention, the sliding rail 1111 may be provided in a straight shape.

In the example of fig. 1 and 2, the cover 30 includes a first cover 31, a second cover 32, and a third cover 33. The first cover 31 covers the case 11, the discharge port 311 is formed in the first cover 31, the second cover 32 is detachably connected to the first cover 31, one of the chips is provided in the first cover 31 or the second cover 32, and the third cover 33 is used to close the discharge port 311.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, and 5, the third cover 33 may be rotated to open or close the discharge port 311. When the developer replenishing apparatus 100 replenishes the printer with developer, the third cover 33 opens the discharge port 311 by rotating by a predetermined angle. Of course, the third cover 33 may be rotated by an external force to open the discharge port 311, and the developer may be filled into the plurality of accommodating chambers 111 by opening the third cover 33, so that the developer replenishing apparatus 100 may be reused. The second cover 32 is detachably connected to the third cover 33, so that the chip can be replaced more conveniently, and the outlet 311 can be attached to the printer, thereby preventing leakage of the developer when the developer is replenished.

Further, referring to fig. 5, the first cover 31 includes: the switch cover comprises a first cover 312 and a first pipe part 313, wherein the first pipe part 313 penetrates through the second cover body 32, the side wall of the first cover 312 can be provided with a switch mounting groove 3121, the second cover body 32 is provided with a second cover 321 and a second pipe part 322, the second cover 321 is covered and buckled on the first cover 312, the first pipe part 313 penetrates out of the second pipe part 322, the side wall of the second cover 321 is provided with a switch mounting bracket 3211, and the switch mounting bracket 3211 is inserted into the switch mounting groove 3121.

According to some alternative embodiments of the present invention, referring to fig. 5, the side wall of the first tube part 313 is provided with a chip support table 3131, the side wall of the second tube part 322 is provided with a chip mounting groove 3221, a chip is mounted in the chip mounting groove 3221, and the back surface of the chip is supported on the chip support table 3131. Therefore, the reliability of the chip after being installed can be ensured, and the chip is convenient to disassemble and assemble.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like are used in the orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the invention and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element so referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.

In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more.

In the description herein, references to the description of the term "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an illustrative embodiment," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples" or the like mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms used above do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A developer replenishing apparatus, comprising:

a developer cartridge, the developer cartridge comprising:

a box body defining a plurality of accommodating chambers therein, each accommodating chamber being respectively for accommodating a developer, an

The pushing piece is movably connected to the box body and can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities;

a cover detachably coupled to the case and having a discharge port, the receiving chamber and the discharge port communicating with each other under a predetermined condition; and

a chip in which developer remaining amount data is stored; the developer remaining amount data is switched between an initial state and a finished state; the developer in each accommodating cavity finishes one supplementing operation, and the residual amount data of the developer is switched once;

the chip is provided with a reset trigger mechanism, and when the chip is changed from a non-electrified state to an electrified state, the reset trigger mechanism is triggered to restore the residual amount of the developer to an initial state.

2. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge further comprises:

the rotating shaft penetrates through the box body along the axial direction of the box body, the box body is movably connected with the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is provided with a notch, at most one accommodating cavity is aligned with the notch, and the box body rotates relative to the rotating shaft so that the pushing piece can be opposite to any one of the accommodating cavities.

3. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the developer cartridge further comprises:

and the shaft end covering piece is fixed with the end part of the rotating shaft and closes the accommodating cavity, and the pushing piece penetrates through the shaft end covering piece and can move along the axial direction of the box body under a preset condition.

4. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge further comprises:

a plurality of push plates are arranged in the accommodating cavities, and the push pieces are suitable for pushing the push plates in the corresponding accommodating cavities to move towards the discharge port so as to move between an initial position and a final position.

5. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a peripheral edge of said pushing plate conforms to a shape of an inner wall of said accommodating chamber, said inner wall of said accommodating chamber being provided with a slide rail extending in an axial direction, said pushing plate having a slide groove slidably fitted with said slide rail.

6. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said accommodating chamber is cylindrical, and said pushing plate is screw-fitted to an inner wall of said accommodating chamber.

7. The developer replenishing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cover body comprises:

a first cover covering the case body, the discharge port being formed on the first cover;

the second cover body is detachably connected with the first cover body, and the chip is arranged on the first cover body or the second cover body; and

and the third cover body is used for blocking the discharge port.

8. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first cover body comprises: first lid and first pipe portion, first pipe portion passes the second lid.

9. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said second cover has a second lid portion and a second pipe portion, said second lid portion being covered with said first lid portion and said first pipe portion passing through said second pipe portion.

10. The developer replenishing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a side wall of said first tube portion is provided with a chip supporting stage, a side wall of said second tube portion is provided with a chip mounting groove, said chip is mounted in said chip mounting groove and a back surface of said chip is supported on said chip supporting stage.