TWI727794B - Toner cartridge error prevention device and toner cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a toner cartridge error prevention device, which is used to restrict a specific toner cartridge from rotating around a rotation axis before being assembled into an electronic imaging device. The toner cartridge error prevention device includes a guiding part and A fixing part, the guiding part is arranged on the electronic imaging device and has an axis groove and a positioning groove, the positioning groove has a circular arc section, the fixing part is arranged at one end of the toner cartridge and has a shaft and A side column, the shaft column is located at the axis of rotation and extends into the shaft groove, the side column is spaced from the shaft column and extends into the positioning groove, when the toner cartridge rotates around the axis of rotation, the The side column moves along the arc segment of the positioning groove. In this way, the toner cartridge error prevention device can ensure that the user fills the preset toner cartridge into the correct position, avoiding material waste and cleaning procedures caused by incorrect assembly, so as to save time and money.

Description

Toner cartridge error prevention device and toner cartridge

The invention relates to an electronic imaging device, in particular to a toner cartridge error prevention device and a toner cartridge used in the electronic imaging device.

Electronic imaging devices such as photocopiers and office machines have become an indispensable helper in modern work and life. To print color graphics and text, it is generally necessary to install four different color toner cartridges, each color toner The cartridges have their corresponding preset positions. If the user accidentally installs the toner cartridges in the wrong position, they may be warned by the electronic imaging device and need to be refilled, or they will not be used until the wrong color is printed. The authors found that it would not only take time to find out the wrongly loaded toner cartridge, but also the peripheral components contaminated by different colors would need to be cleaned, which is time-consuming and costly and a waste of money.

In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge error proofing device and a toner cartridge, which can ensure that the user fills the preset toner cartridge into the correct position and avoids wasting time and money.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention discloses a toner cartridge error prevention device, which is used to restrict a specific toner cartridge from rotating around a rotation axis before being incorporated into an electronic imaging device. The toner cartridge error prevention device includes There is a guiding part and a fixing part; the guiding part is arranged on the electronic imaging device, the guiding part includes an axis groove and a positioning groove, the axis groove intersects the rotation axis, and the positioning groove has a An arc segment, the center of curvature of the arc segment is located on the rotation axis; the fixed portion is provided at one end of the toner cartridge, and the fixed portion includes a shaft column and a side column, and the shaft column is located at the rotation shaft center The side column extends into the axial groove, and the side column is spaced from the shaft column and extends into the positioning groove. When the toner cartridge rotates, the side column moves along the arc section of the positioning groove.

The present invention also discloses a toner cartridge, which is used to rotate around a rotation axis and then be assembled into an electronic imaging device. The electronic imaging device has a guiding portion, and the guiding portion includes an axis groove and a positioning groove. The axis groove intersects the rotation axis, the positioning groove has an arc segment, the center of curvature of the arc segment is located on the rotation axis, the toner cartridge includes a housing and a fixing part; the fixing part is provided with At one end of the housing, the fixed part includes a shaft column and a side column, the shaft column is located at the rotation shaft center and is used to extend into the shaft groove, and the side column is spaced from the shaft column and used to extend into In the positioning groove, when the toner cartridge rotates, the side column moves along the arc segment of the positioning groove.

Since the structure of the fixing part of the toner cartridge with different characteristics (such as color) corresponds to the structure of the guiding part at different positions of the electronic imaging device, a specific toner cartridge can only be combined with a specific guiding part. The default toner cartridge cannot be incorporated. In this way, the toner cartridge error prevention device can ensure that the user assembles the preset toner cartridge to the correct position of the electronic imaging device, avoiding time-consuming correction of errors after wrong assembly, so as to save time and money.

Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which are the toner cartridge 10 provided by the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is used to rotate around a rotation axis A and then be assembled into an electronic imaging device (not shown). The imaging device has a guiding portion 30 and an accommodating portion 38. The toner cartridge 10 has a casing 40 and a fixing portion 50 disposed at one end of the casing 40. The guiding portion 30 and the fixing portion 50 together form a Toner cartridge error prevention device 60, the toner cartridge error prevention device 60 is used to restrict a specific toner cartridge (that is, the toner cartridge 10) can be incorporated into the electronic imaging device after rotating around the rotation axis A之置部38中。 The accommodation section 38.

Please refer to FIG. 3, the guiding portion 30 has an axis slot 32 and a positioning slot 34. The axis slot 32 extends vertically and is separated from the positioning slot 34 by a predetermined distance. The axis A intersects, the positioning slot 34 has an arc segment 341, the arc segment 341 has a narrow opening 342 whose width is narrower than the rest, and the center of curvature of the arc segment 341 is located on the rotation axis A. The outer edge (ie, the top edge) of the guiding portion 30 has a stopping surface 36, the axial groove 32 has a first inlet 322 located in the center of the stopping surface 36, and a first extension 324 extending from the first The inlet 322 extends vertically downward and intersects the rotation axis A. The positioning groove 34 has a second inlet 343 located on the stop surface 36 and a second extension 344 extending vertically downward from the second inlet 343 The arc segment 341 extends from the bottom end of the second extension portion 344, and the first extension portion 324 and the second extension portion 344 are parallel to each other.

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 4, the fixed portion 50 includes a shaft 52 and a side column 54. The shaft 52 is located on the rotation axis A and extends into the shaft groove 32 of the guide portion 30. The side column 54 and the shaft 52 are separated by a predetermined distance and extend into the positioning groove 34 of the guide part 30. The shaft 52 and the side column 54 are both parallel to the rotation axis A, and when the toner cartridge 10 rotates At this time, the side post 54 can move along the arc segment 341 of the positioning slot 34, and the narrow opening 342 of the arc segment 341 can allow the side post 54 to squeeze through. The cross section of the shaft 52 is non-circular, so that the outer diameter of the shaft 52 varies between a minimum outer diameter D _MIN and a maximum outer diameter D _MAX with different angles. In this embodiment, the The shaft 52 has a circular cross-section and two opposite cut planes. The maximum outer diameter D _{MAX is} the diameter of the aforementioned circle, and the minimum outer diameter D _{MIN is} the vertical distance between the two cut planes. The shaft center groove The width of the first inlet 322 of 32 is between the minimum outer diameter D _MIN and the maximum outer diameter D _MAX of the shaft 52. In this embodiment, the width of the first inlet 322 is only slightly larger than the minimum outer diameter D _MIN When the side post 54 enters the second extension portion 344 through the second entrance 343 of the positioning groove 34, the shaft post 54 can enter the first extension portion 324 through the first entrance 322, and the first extension portion 324 and the There is a wide mouth 325 at the intersection of the rotation axis A. The width of the wide mouth 325 is larger than the width of the rest of the first extension 324 and slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter D _{MAX of} the shaft 52, so that the The shaft 52 can rotate freely in the wide mouth portion 325.

Since the toner cartridge error prevention device 60 is used to limit the toner cartridge containing toner of a certain color or toner with a certain characteristic to be assembled in the preset position of the electronic imaging device, the following diagrams will be combined with The toner cartridge 10 containing cyan toner and the guide part 30 that can only be combined with the fixing part 50 of the toner cartridge 10 are illustrated as examples. 5, when the user wants to assemble the toner cartridge 10 in the electronic imaging device, first move the toner cartridge 10 in a horizontal state from top to bottom to the accommodating portion 38, the side column 54 will First enter the second extension portion 344 through the second inlet 343, and then the shaft 52 with its minimum outer diameter D _MIN enters the first extension portion 324 via the first inlet 322; as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 When the shaft column 52 moves to the wide mouth portion 325, the side column 54 just enters the arc section 341 of the positioning groove 34, and then the toner cartridge 10 is rotated counterclockwise around the rotation axis A (From the perspective of Fig. 6 and Fig. 7), at this time the shaft column 52 rotates in the wide mouth portion 325 around the rotation axis A in situ, and the side column 54 moves along the arc segment 341; as shown in Fig. 8 As shown, until the side column 54 is squeezed through the narrow opening 342 of the arc segment 341 due to the continuous rotation of the user, the combination procedure of the toner cartridge 10 and the electronic imaging device is completed, as shown in FIG. 1 In this situation, because the side post 54 is restricted by the narrow opening 342, unless special force is applied, the side post 54 cannot squeeze through the narrow opening 342 in the opposite direction to cause the toner cartridge 10 to escape from the guide portion 30. .

It can be seen from the above that, due to the special design of the guide portion 30, only the toner cartridge 10 with a structure corresponding to the fixing portion 50 can be assembled, just as only a specific key can be inserted and opened the lock. Therefore, the toner cartridge The error-proofing device 60 can ensure that the correct toner cartridge is assembled, and guiding parts 30 of different structures are arranged at different positions in the electronic imaging device to ensure that the toner cartridges 10 of different colors are assembled into their presets. The correct position of, the following is an example of a toner cartridge with toner of other colors.

Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a toner cartridge 10' containing black toner provided by the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the toner cartridge 10' is the same as that of the first preferred embodiment. The toner cartridge 10 is substantially the same. The toner cartridge 10' also has a fixed portion 50'. The fixed portion 50' has a shaft 52' and a side column 54', but the shaft 52' and the side column 54' The distance and relative position between the two are different from those of the first embodiment; on the other hand, the electronic imaging device has a guiding portion 30', and the structure of the guiding portion 30' is the same as that of the guiding portion 30 provided in the first preferred embodiment. The difference is that the distance between the axial groove 32' and the positioning groove 34' is smaller, and the length of the second extension portion 344' is shorter. The position of the narrow opening 342' is also the same as that of the first embodiment. Different; the guiding portion 30' and the fixing portion 50' together constitute another toner cartridge error prevention device 60'.

When the user wants to assemble the toner cartridge 10' containing black toner into the electronic imaging device, the procedure is roughly the same as that of the first preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, first make the toner The box 10' moves from top to bottom, the side post 54' first enters the second extension 344', and then the shaft 52' then enters the first extension 324', when the shaft 52' moves to the When the wide mouth portion 325', the side column 54' just enters the arc segment 341', and then the toner cartridge 10' is rotated in the counterclockwise direction around the rotation axis A'(viewing from Figs. 11 and 12) , Until the side column 54' squeezes through the narrow opening 342' due to continuous force rotation, the combination procedure of the toner cartridge 10' and the electronic imaging device is completed, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. At this time, the user Then the rotation of the toner cartridge 10' can be stopped.

From the comparison between the first preferred embodiment and the second preferred embodiment, if a user takes the toner cartridge 10 and wants to combine with the guide portion 30', it will inevitably be due to the fixed portion 50 of the toner cartridge 10 The structure does not correspond to the structure of the guiding portion 30', and the toner cartridge 10 and the electronic imaging device cannot be assembled together smoothly. Similarly, if the user takes the toner cartridge 10' and wants to interact with the guide The combination of the guiding part 30 also fails to smoothly assemble the toner cartridge 10' and the electronic imaging device. In summary, the toner cartridge error prevention device 60, 60' can ensure that the user assembles the toner cartridge of a specific color or characteristic to the correct position of the electronic imaging device, avoiding material waste and time-consuming correction after incorrect assembly. It is even necessary to clean peripheral components contaminated by toner of different colors to save time and money.

Based on the spirit of the present invention, the structure of the toner cartridge error prevention device 60, 60' can be changed. For example, the shaft 52 or the side column 54 does not have to be parallel to the rotation axis A, and can be Other structures or shapes are not limited; in the same way, the structures of the axial groove 32 and the positioning groove 34 can also have other changes in response to the structure of the shaft column 52 and the side column 54, such as the first extension 324 and The second extension portion 344 may not be parallel to each other, or not extend vertically downward, as long as the structure of the axial groove 32 and the positioning groove 34 can match the structure of the shaft column 52 and the side column 54; In other embodiments, the side column 54 and the shaft column 52 can enter the guiding portion 30 at the same time, and even the side column 54 can enter the guiding portion 30 earlier than the shaft column 52; the arc section of the positioning groove 34 The narrow opening 342 of the 341 is mainly used for positioning the side post 54. In other embodiments, the narrow opening 342 can be changed into other structures. For example, the circular arc section 341 can be provided with elements such as elastic pieces to achieve the same effect.

It must be noted here that the above detailed description in conjunction with the drawings is merely an embodiment for explaining the technical content and features of the present invention. Anyone who has general knowledge in the field of the present invention should understand the present invention. After the technical content and features, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all simple modifications, replacements, or component reductions should fall within the scope of the patent application disclosed in the present invention.

10: Toner Cartridge 10': Toner Cartridge 30: Guide 32: Axial Slot 322: First Entrance 324: First Extension 325: Wide Port 34: Positioning Slot 341: Arc Segment 342: Narrow Port 343: second entrance 344: second extension 36: stop surface 38: receiving part 30': guiding part 32': axial groove 324': first extension 325': wide mouth part 34': positioning Groove 341': arc segment 342': narrow mouth 344': second extension part 40: housing 50: fixed part 52: shaft column 54: side column 50': fixed part 52': shaft column 54': side column 60 : Toner cartridge error prevention device 60': Toner cartridge error prevention device A: Rotation axis A': Rotation axis D _MAX : Maximum outer diameter D _MIN : Minimum outer diameter

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the error prevention device for a toner cartridge according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective exploded view of the error prevention device for the toner cartridge according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a perspective view of the guiding part of the error prevention device of the toner cartridge according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a front view of the fixing part of the toner cartridge error prevention device of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 5 to 8 are schematic diagrams of the actions of the error prevention device for the toner cartridge according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 9 is a perspective exploded view of the error prevention device for the toner cartridge according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 10 to 14 are schematic diagrams of the operation of the error prevention device for the toner cartridge according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

10: Toner Cartridge

30: Guiding Department

32: Axle groove

34: positioning slot

38: accommodating part

40: shell

50: fixed part

52: Axle column

54: jamb

60: Toner Cartridge Error Prevention Device

A: Rotation axis

Claims (12)

A toner cartridge error prevention device is used to restrict a specific toner cartridge from rotating around a rotation axis before being assembled into an electronic imaging device. The toner cartridge error prevention device includes: a guiding part, In the electronic imaging device, the guiding portion includes an axis groove and a positioning groove, the axis groove intersects the rotation axis, the positioning groove has an arc segment, and the center of curvature of the arc segment is located in the rotation On the shaft; and a fixed portion, which is provided at one end of the toner cartridge, the fixed portion includes a shaft column and a side column, the shaft column is located at the rotation shaft center and extends into the shaft groove, the side column It is spaced from the shaft column and extends into the positioning slot. When the toner cartridge rotates, the side column moves along the arc segment of the positioning slot. The error prevention device of the toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the shaft column and the side column are both parallel to the rotation shaft center. The error prevention device for a toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the arc section of the positioning groove has a narrow opening for the side post to squeeze through. The toner cartridge error prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge of the guide portion has a stop surface, the axial groove has a first entrance located on the stop surface, and a first extension portion is formed by The first inlet extends and intersects the rotation axis, the positioning groove has a second inlet located on the stop surface, and a second extension extending from the second inlet, and the arc segment is formed by the second The extension extends out. The error prevention device for a toner cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the first extension portion extends downward from the first inlet. The error prevention device for a toner cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the first extension portion and the second extension portion are parallel to each other. The error prevention device for a toner cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the cross-section of the shaft is non-circular, so that the outer diameter of the shaft is between a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter depending on the angle Change, the width of the first entrance is between the minimum outer diameter and the maximum outer diameter, so that when the side post enters the second extension from the second entrance, the shaft can enter the first through the first entrance The extension part, the intersection of the first extension part and the rotation axis has a wide mouth part whose width is larger than that of the rest, so that the shaft column can rotate in the wide mouth part. A toner cartridge is used to rotate around a rotation axis and then be assembled into an electronic imaging device. The electronic imaging device has a guiding part. The guiding part includes a shaft groove and a positioning groove. The shaft groove Intersecting the rotation axis, the positioning slot has an arc segment, the center of curvature of the arc segment is located on the rotation axis, and the toner cartridge includes: A shell; and A fixed portion is provided at one end of the housing, the fixed portion includes a shaft column and a side column, the shaft column is located at the rotation shaft center and is used to extend into the shaft groove, and the side column is spaced from the shaft column And it is used to extend into the positioning groove. When the toner cartridge rotates, the side column moves along the arc section of the positioning groove. The toner cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the shaft column and the side column are both parallel to the rotation axis. The toner cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the arc section of the positioning groove has a narrow opening for the side post to squeeze through. The toner cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the outer edge of the guiding portion of the electronic imaging device has a stop surface, the axial groove has a first entrance on the stop surface, and a first extension Part extends from the first entrance and intersects the axis of rotation, the positioning slot has a second entrance located on the stop surface, and a second extension part extending from the second entrance, the arc segment is formed by the The second extension part extends out. The toner cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section of the shaft column is non-circular, so that the outer diameter of the shaft column changes between a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter with different angles, the The width of the first entrance is between the minimum outer diameter and the maximum outer diameter, so that when the side column enters the second extension part from the second entrance, the shaft column can enter the first extension part through the first entrance; The intersection of the first extension part and the rotating shaft center has a wide mouth part whose width is larger than that of the rest, so that the shaft column can rotate in the wide mouth part.

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